The Daily Vitamin

ForTheCommonFolk.com !

2006-07-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

My new blog is now live... For The Common Folk at http://www.forthecommonfolk.com/ .

This will be the last official post on this blog. Please head over to the new blog and enjoy a nice dose of old and new content. Enjoy!

-Brian

Entirely new blog.... coming soon!

2006-07-26T09:17:00.000-04:00

The more I've been reading around about blogs, bouncing ideas off others, and ripping my hair out over Blogger's awful technology (is this really owned by Google???), I've decided to officially create a new blog, on a new platform, with a semi-renewed focus and more original content.

Sounds like a lot? Heck yeah. I've been very time constrained lately due to a new project I'm on at work but stayed tuned for more details... and hopefully within a week or so... a link to the new site!

New look and feel (part deux)

2006-07-25T16:47:00.000-04:00

I knew it was a matter of time before I got sick of the blog's new look and feel. I tried out the 'inverse' look using a black background. I have some good ideas for a new look so stay tuned... hopefully I'll have time to roll it out later this week.

The moon landing revealed

2006-07-25T06:59:00.000-04:00

This an amazing behind the scenes story of what really happened during the first moon landing. Cool stuff.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin accidentally snapped off the switch of a circuit breaker - and they could not take off again without it.
But Aldrin improvised by jamming the end of a ballpoint pen into the hole where the switch had been and the astronauts' landing module was able to lift off the moon's surface.

New look and feel (for now)

2006-07-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

I got tired of my last look and feel pretty quickly. The new look and feel is now live. I believe the image issue in Internet Explorer is fixed (images now display correctly and shouldn't get cut off). I particularly like this theme as it isolates each post fairly well and adds a more modern touch. Comments are welcome. Enjoy!

(Theme ideas courtesy of blogger templates)

The recent surge of spam

2006-07-24T14:39:00.000-04:00

I've been an avid Gmail user since it first came out several years ago. I have never had an issue with spam until recently and could not for the life of me figure out why. I went from getting 2-3 Spam emails per month to around 10 per day! USA Today finally uncovers the mystery. I'm sure Google's arsenal of brainpower will figure this one out... it's just a matter of time.

The surge in new spam has largely eluded software filters and eaten up space on e-mail systems because each message is more than seven times larger than regular spam, Sprosts says.

Most image-based spam comes in the form of stock scams, which contain the same basic language within a shaded box.

Much of it comes from spam gangs in the USA and Russia, Sprosts says.

Stock scams make up about 20% of spam — about twice the share at the start of the year, IronPort says.

How to lose the 'ums' and 'ahs' in your speech

2006-07-24T08:33:00.000-04:00

Umm.... here's uh the ah answer for um you.

The best possible scenario is to capture an example of your speaking or teaching 'in the wild.' This way you can listen to how you sound in a 'production environment,' as it were. Believe me, when you hear how many times you use filler words, it will rattle you to your core, and you'll develop a newfound self-awareness that will help stanch your subconscious desire to use these filler words during your next class or public speaking event.

Coming Zune

2006-07-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

It's officially true... Microsoft plans to release and iPod-like device and music service later this year. As I reported a couple weeks ago, this could either flop miserably or shake up the industry with a nice dose of competition (hopefully benefiting the consumer in the process). Stay tuned... I'm sure more details of Zune will be released over the next couple weeks/months.

"Under the Zune brand, we will deliver a family of hardware and software products, the first of which will be available this year," said Chris Stephenson, general manager of market for entertainment and services at Microsoft, in an statement. "We see a great opportunity to bring together technology and community to allow consumers to explore and discover music together."

It'd be nice to have a swing like this

2006-07-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

Swing portrait. I couldn't have said it better myself (video credit: Snugs). You can find additional angles from the video at Nike's site here.

Apple iPod touch-screen patent

2006-07-21T09:09:00.000-04:00

Could this be a sneak peak into the next version of Apple's iPod? If so, sign me up... this thing would be incredible, especially if the touch screen can work without you even touching it.

The September 30, 2005 filing (published today) is titled "Proximity detector in handheld device." It describes a touch-screen interface for portable electronics devices that can sense when an object, such as a person's finger, is approaching. When an object is sensed, the touch-screen interface may perform an action such as displaying a "virtual scroll wheel," navigation pad or virtual keypad.

Support your local "Kill-the-penny" bill

2006-07-20T19:47:00.000-04:00

It's about time Congress did something useful. I'm all for the newly introduced kill-the-penny bill. And what blows my mind is a penny costs more than a penny to make (1.4 cents).

The Currency Overhaul for an Industrious Nation (COIN) Act would force the rounding off of all cash transactions to the nearest 5 cents, making the penny coin useless for everyday transactions. The move is in part a reaction to the rising cost of zinc - the penny's main ingredient - which at current prices brings the cost of making the coin to 1.4 cents each.

Solving Sudoku puzzles without thinking

2006-07-19T10:53:00.000-04:00

If you enjoy solving Sudoku puzzles like me, this simple guide could help you quickly become a master. Enjoy!

This instructable provides step by step instructions to complete a Sudoku puzzle by simple process of elimination.

Playing with swords on live TV = bad idea

2006-07-18T16:12:00.000-04:00

Note to self: do not play with swords on live TV.

Mr. T and his feud with Best Buy

2006-07-18T16:11:00.000-04:00

The Daily Show highlights the feud between Mr. T and Best Buy. Apparently Best Buy featured Mr. T in one of their commercials but never asked permission or paid him. Hmm... I pity the Best Buy.

"First Name Mister, Middle Initial Period, Last Name T"

Tech Tip Tuesday: Gmail keyboard shortcuts

2006-07-18T11:23:00.000-04:00

If I had to guess, many of you readers out there use Gmail. I've read a ton of articles and documents on how Gmail works and the features they have (or will have) and thought I'd inform everyone of a nice little feature I use all the time: keyboard shortcuts.

This may not be for all of you, but for those who use keyboard shortcuts frequently, this is for you (e.g., Ctrl+N in Outlook to create a new mail message).

Open Gmail and try the following:

Press 'c' to compose a new mail message
Press 'y' to archive a mail message (press while in a mail message)
Press 'r' to reply to a mail message (press while in a mail message)
Press 's' to star a message
Press 'g' then 'a' to go to All Mail
Press 'g' then 'i' to go to your Inbox

For a detailed list of all keyboard shortcuts available, visit Gmail's Help Center. Enjoy!

Why "The Customer is Always Right" is wrong

2006-07-18T09:09:00.000-04:00

Many stores plaster their interior with signs saying "the customer is always right." Here's an interesting article on why the customer may not always be right. After reading this, I understand how companies like Southwest and Starbucks are doing so well.... by putting their employees first.

The fact is that some customers are just plain wrong, that businesses are better of without them, and that managers siding with unreasonable customers over employees is a very bad idea, that results in worse customer service.

So put your people first. And watch them put the customers first.

Movie rentals coming soon to iTunes

2006-07-18T08:51:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs yet again is pushing to expand the amount of content available on iTunes by planning to add movie rentals. Pretty soon, Apple will need to change the name of iTunes to iMedia or something like that.

This sounds like an OK idea for now, but I think movie rentals work best for the majority of the population on a TV rather than a PC. We'll see how this all plays out. More details to arrive on August 7.

Because the movies will be rented to consumers and not sold, people familiar with the situation report downloads will be coded with a date stamp that will restrict playback. It is not known exactly how the coding system will work, but industry experts tell Think Secret that the software would likely either limit the number of playbacks or provide unlimited viewing for a period of time, after which the movie will be "turned off" and no longer available.

Tricks for remembering names

2006-07-17T12:58:00.000-04:00

Are you one of those people that always says "I'm horrible with names"? If so, these quick tips are for you.

Commit
Begin by making a commitment — a conscious decision — to remember people’s names.

Don’t let yourself off easy, blaming a “bad memory.” Forgetting names is due less to a bad memory than to a lack of application. Tell yourself — because it’s true — that you can remember names if you want to and if you work at it.

I'm back

2006-07-17T12:55:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I was at my brother's wedding in Lake Geneva in the happenin state of Wisconsin. Good times were had by all. Especially when the best man got a bloody nose in the middle of the wedding ceremony. Congrats to Todd and Sarah.

ABC to disable fast-forward button on DVRs

2006-07-11T22:31:00.000-04:00

Many of you Tivo owners may not be too fond of this news. ABC is apparently thinking about disabling your fast-forward button to FORCE you to watch their ads. I think ABC is taking the easy way out here and being short-sighted. What they really need to think about is the future of media and how Tivo, skipping ads, and the Internet are not going away. Maybe they should start thinking of creative ways of making money off ads without forcing people to watch them and pissing off their entire base of consumers.

ABC HAS HELD DISCUSSIONS ON the use of technology that would disable the fast-forward button on DVRs, according to ABC President of Advertising Sales Mike Shaw, with the primary goal to allow TV commercials to run as intended.

Zidane's headbutt completely warranted

2006-07-11T14:58:00.000-04:00

Here's my last world cup piece until 2010. I agree Zidane could have done something other than headbutting, but I probably would have done something similar if someone said similar things to me.

The Daily Mail hired an expert lip reader to find out what the Italy's Matterazzi said to spark Zidane's fury. He called him the equivalent of "nig**r" and said his mother was a "terrorist whore". Zidane's mother happens to be seriously ill in the hospital these days. The story of how Zidane's parents suffered in poverty enduring racism to raise Zidane is well-known. In no way do I condone Zidane's action, but with the racism and hateful words so prevalent in today's world, I can understand his reaction. If true, Matterazzi also deserves the scorn and should be ashamed of himself.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Personalize google.com

2006-07-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, you use Google more times than you blink during the day. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but wouldn't it be cool if you could get a quick glimpse of weather, news, sports, and email when you navigate over to google.com?

Well the wait is over (and has been for quite some time). This edition of TTT highlights the features of google's personalized home page. Surf on over to http://www.google.com/ig . Following in the footsteps of other google applications, it is extremely easy to use. It acts like a my yahoo site but on crack. You can easily drag around areas within the page and customize it to your heart's desire. The only catch is that you must have a google account for you to be able to save your page.

Oh... and while you're at it... you can easily subscribe to my blog as well! Simply click here or click the Add to Google icon on the right under Syndication and you're ready to go!

Enjoy.

Plasma HDTV... now showing in 103 inches

2006-07-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

For those of you who know me, I've been talking about getting a HDTV by the end of the year. And I'm laser focused on not buying it any sooner.... until now. Wouldn't it be nice to own one of these 474 pound beasts!

At 103 inches, this high-definition screen from Panasonic, on display at the CeBit show in Hannover, Germany, in March, could help redefine home entertainment. It could also require some serious home renovations.
The flat-panel television measures about 7.8 by 4.5 feet and weighs a mammoth 474 pounds.

Why knuckles crack and joints creek

2006-07-10T20:10:00.000-04:00

This can be filed under the "I've always wondered why this happens" department. Read here why your body cracks like crazy when you get out of bed in the morning.

The concerto comes from the pop of gas bubbles escaping the joints, snapping tendons and ligaments, and rickety arthritic joints. Joints come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The pivot joint lets us say "No" with our heads, while the hinge joint lets us swing our elbows and knees like a door. A baseball pitcher uses the tremendous range of motion of the ball-and-socket joint in his shoulder to throw fastballs. And sliding joints in the backbone make gymnasts' backs so flexible.

Jump into David Hasselhoff's car

2006-07-07T11:02:00.000-04:00

David Hasselhoff sure is cranking out the hits these days. How soon til he goes platinum?

Microsoft's iPod killer

2006-07-07T10:45:00.000-04:00

Apple's dominance with the killer iPod/iTunes combo is about to come under attack... we're not talking the weak attack Microsoft attempted with their "Play for Sure" campaign. Microsoft says f* that campaign, f* the iPod, and f* Apple... we're making our own. This article mentions Microsoft will even let you download for free any songs you've already bought from the iTunes Music Store. Stay tuned... the battle is only heating up.

Microsoft's new portable audio and video player will have a screen that's "bigger than that of the iPod video" (which isn't really saying much) and built-in WiFi so you can not only download content directly to the player (sort of like with the MusicGremlin), but actually participate in an Xbox Live-like social network that will help you connect with other people with similar taste and interests. Whether that's going to be the Live Anywhere service they introduced at E3 we don't yet know. But we do know the tag line they're pitching for the device combined with this new network is "Connected Entertainment."

What really controls these fireworks shows?

2006-07-05T09:26:00.000-04:00

I'm sure many of you were asking, how the heck do they control and create these massive fireworks shows? Check this great article out for a behind the scenes look at how software controls the fireworks.

Eric Tucker, the lead creator for the Fourth of July fireworks show in Boston that is broadcast on ABC, is planning a show that will be exactly 22 minutes and 32 seconds long. For every minute of pyrotechnical splendor, however, at least four hours of planning has been done – and that doesn't include the time it took him to test fireworks in Europe and Asia, as well as actually set up the firing equipment. He started planning nearly four months ago.

UPDATE: David Hasselhoff in surgery

2006-07-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

After my most recent Random Thought Thursday, ironically, David Hasselhoff makes news once again. Adding to his incredible legacy, Hasselhoff apparently forgot how to shave and is now in the hands of a surgeon (probably getting more plastic surgery).

The 53-year-old actor, who played lifeguard Mitch Buchannon on the TV beach drama for 11 years, was shaving at a gym in the Sanderson Hotel on Thursday when he hit his head on a chandelier, showering his arm with broken glass, his publicist, Judy Katz, said.

Can I get a side of Lipitor with that please?

2006-06-30T12:22:00.000-04:00

Being the health freak that I am, I almost vomited when I saw the following product. This is unreal. I'm surprised this doesn't come with a free voucher for a room in the ER.

Cell phone can tell if you're drunk

2006-06-30T09:31:00.000-04:00

Cell phones sure can do everything these days. Following the topic of cell phones from my previous post, the latest cell phone feature hopes to help cut down on those drunken phone calls and text msgs. (Article courtesy of Snugs).

That's right, cell phones with built-in Breathalyzers are set to hit the U.S. market. So after a night of too much to drink, you can pull out the device to see if you're fit to get behind the wheel.
South Korean manufacturer LG will introduce the LP4100 this year. The company placed several models on the market in that country last year and already has sold more than 200,000 units.

Pay parking meters via cell phone

2006-06-30T09:25:00.000-04:00

This is pretty cool. I may just drive to Vancouver to try this out.

Starting now, you can pay parking meters from your cellphone, get a text message warning the meter is about to expire and even top up the meter without going outside.

Random Thought Thursday: David Hasselhoff

2006-06-29T09:42:00.000-04:00

A video Snugs sent me inspired me to dig more into the legend of David Hasselhoff. I mean seriously, what more do I have to say that hasn't already been said? His career has taken many turns...

...starting with the most popular...

Knight Rider
Baywatch
Knight Rider 2000
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding

...to the more recent...

America's Got Talent
Click
Dodgeball
Australian Idol (guest judge on a show)

...to the downright awful...

Revenge of the Cheerleaders
Hooked on a Feeling Music Video (a must see!)

In summary, is there any other entertainer who has accomplished so much in their life? I mean, Clint Eastwood's been in some great movies, but Clint Eastwood isn't nearly tough enough to venture into music videos.

Buy it with Google Checkout

2006-06-29T07:50:00.000-04:00

Google Checkout (formely GBuy) is finally out. This new service will attempt to streamline the online shopping process (a very good thing for me). We'll see how this all plays out... maybe I'll even create a review about it someday.

One cool feature of Google Checkout is that you can buy from stores with a single Google login – no more entering the same info each time you buy, and no more having to remember different usernames and passwords for each store. To help you find places to shop, you'll see a little icon on the Google.com ads of stores offering Google Checkout. It's an easy way to identify fast, secure places to shop when you search. And after you've placed your order, Google Checkout provides a purchase history where you can track your orders and shipping information in one place.

World cup 'cup'

2006-06-28T12:10:00.000-04:00

Today's world cup picture of the day is below. Is it just me or does the guy in red look like Keanu Reeves?

How LEGO bricks work

2006-06-28T12:06:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder how LEGO bricks work? I thought I had it figured out when I was 5, but man I didn't realize you needed a PhD to figure this out.

Most LEGO pieces have two basic components -- studs on top and tubes on the inside. A brick's studs are slightly bigger than the space between the tubes and the walls. When you press the bricks together, the studs push the walls out and the tubes in. The material is resilient and wants to hold its original shape, so the walls and tubes press back against the studs. Friction also plays a role, preventing the two bricks from sliding apart. This stud-and-tube coupling system uses an interference fit -- a firm, friction-based connection between two parts without the use of an additional fastener.

Test drive the next version of Office for free

2006-06-27T09:44:00.000-04:00

For those of you interested in trying out Office 2007 for free, Microsoft released a free online test version. It's worth trying out as the next version of Office features a drastically re-designed UI (for the better) that looks much more user friendly and finally "just makes sense." Enjoy.

The real-time test drive does not require product installation or download—it's the fastest way to try out 2007 Microsoft Office system programs. In just minutes you can start exploring Microsoft Office through your Web browser on your own, or follow the step-by-step tutorials to experience all of its useful features.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Yousendit

2006-06-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here's the scenario... you spend your first born child on a nice new 5+ megapixel digital camera. You take a bunch of priceless pictures and can't wait to email them to all your friends. Little do you know most email programs limit the size of attachments you can send. So there goes all the fun out of sharing pictures with your friends.

Or maybe not. Before you head back to Best Buy to return your camera, you should try out yousendit.com. Yousendit allows you to email attachments up to 1GB. You simply zip your photos, upload to the yousendit site after specifying your email recipients, and kick back. Your recipients will receive an email with a special link to your attachment on Yousendit's site. Simply click the link and download away. That's it!

Mobile throwing world championships

2006-06-26T23:23:00.000-04:00

How much do you hate your mobile phone? Don't think for more than 2 seconds... as there now is a competition for throwing phones! Someone needs to enter this. Although according to this site, the WR is nearly 100m. Yikes.

Mobile Phone Throwing is light and modern Finnish sport that suits for people of all ages. It combines recycling philosophy and fun spirit in active sport. A part of the philosophy is also a spiritual freedom from being available all the time.

Play more video games!

2006-06-26T15:41:00.000-04:00

Video games give you a workout? Hmm... brb... I need to finish my game of minesweeper... I mean... working in Microsoft Word.

Nonviolent games like The Sims franchise, an open-ended computer simulation of suburban life likened by visionary creator Will Wright to a "digital dollhouse," teach players bourgeois virtues. Blogger Glenn Reynolds, who devotes a chapter to gaming in his recent book on technology and society, "An Army of Davids," overheard his young daughter chatting with a friend about The Sims (a favorite among female gamers). "You have to have a job to buy food and things, and if you don't go to work, you get fired," she said matter-of-factly. "And if you spend all your money buying stuff, you have to make more." Thanks to The Sims, Mr. Reynolds says, his daughter now knows how to budget and how to read an income statement. In SimWorld, he notes, "narcissism, hedonism and impulsiveness are punished" and "traditional middle-class virtues, like thrift and planning, generally pay off."

Buffett to give away 85% of his fortune

2006-06-25T14:24:00.000-04:00

It was only a matter of time before Buffett jumped on the "it's time to give away billions of dollars to charity" bandwagon. I would be happy if Buffett gave me 0.00001% of that (~$440,000).

The world's second richest man - who's now worth $44 billion - tells editor-at-large Carol Loomis he will start giving away 85% of his wealth in July - most of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Breaks from work help your memory

2006-06-24T09:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a chance to legimately slack at work. A study has shown taking frequent breaks at work increases your memory capacity and ability to recall things. Brb... I need to take a break from this... I just forgot what I was thinking.

"Crunch time" in our lives may mean no "break time." While some people feel like they don't have time between meetings, appointments, and chores throughout the day, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say regular breaks are key to forming memories.

David Foster and his colleagues say that when rats take a break while exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains instantly replay the information they've just gathered.

Chessboxing: By hook or by rook

2006-06-23T12:37:00.000-04:00

Oh man... only a few times in a man's life do you stumble upon an article like this (courtesy of DK). I really want to meet the people that think up these things. Chessboxing... pure genius. What's next? Fashionboxing, beruitboxing, americanidolboxing....

The rules of chessboxing are such:
Two competitors face each other in 11 alternating rounds, six of chess, five of boxing. A bout begins with chess, which is played on a board placed directly in the middle of the ring. Each round of chess lasts four minutes. After each chess round, the bell sounds, and workmen remove the chessboard for a two-minute round of boxing, the gloves go back on, the punching recommences. Participants win by way of knockout, checkmate, referee's decision, or if his opponent exceeds the allotted total of 12 minutes for an entire match on the chessboard. Those are the basics, but they do little to answer the overriding question: Why?

Sad day for Charles Darwin's tortoise

2006-06-23T11:22:00.000-04:00

It looks like Charles Darwin's tortoise "had a bad day." It's amazing animals live to be over 176 years old. Could you imagine being alive 176 years ago? RIP Harriet.

The world's oldest animal in captivity has died on the Sunshine Coast at the ripe old age of 176.
Giant Galapagos tortoise Harriet has died of a suspected heart attack.
She was a star attraction at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo since the 1980s and even features in the Guinness Book of Records for her longevity.

Baggy Pants Can Trip Up Criminals

2006-06-23T08:52:00.000-04:00

Criminals are getting smarter and smarter every day. I'd like to see a video of this in action.

"When they run, it makes our job easier," said Jim Matheny, a lieutenant with the Stamford, Conn., police department. The 41-year-old told ABC News he has no trouble chasing down suspects who wear low-hanging pants.

"They go to take off and either they have to use their hands to hold their pants up or several times the pants just fell down around their knees and they had to stop running," Matheny said. "They spend all day thinking of ways to beat the police and then they go and put these pants on. It really handicaps them."

Random Thought Thursday: West Virginia

2006-06-22T16:31:00.000-04:00

What a worthless state. Seriously. The only thing this state is good for is that amazing song by John Denver.

Coming this Fall: Motorola Razr phone w/ iTunes

2006-06-21T06:33:00.000-04:00

For those of you who plan to get a phone later this year, this could be the phone for you (although I think Cingular has exclusive rights to sell it). I can't imagine what the phones will be like when I get a new one in 2008.

Motorola is prepping the launch of the third-generation version of its iTunes phones in the US. The company this month began distributing marketing materials that advertise an iTunes-compatible version of its popular RAZR phone and has already begun selling the phone in the UK.

Netflix to offer movie downloads via a set-top box

2006-06-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

Although I'm not a Netflix subscriber, this sounds pretty cool. I follow Netflix's founder pretty closely and I'm sure he is putting quite a lot of thought into this (fingers crossed).

Netflix VP of original programming Eric Besner revealed on Friday some of the online rental service's thinking on the movie download bizbiz, saying Netflix is planning to introduce a proprietary set-top box with an Internet connection that can download movies overnight.

Speaking at an Independent Film & Television Alliance production conference in Beverly Hills, Besner said the business model is still being worked out, but the download service likely would be offered in return for the subscription fee members pay for conventional DVD rentalsrentals. Service could launch as early as this year.

Bike design without the chain

2006-06-20T06:37:00.000-04:00

Could this be the start of a bike design revolution? I'm thinking not anytime soon, but this is definitely pretty cool.

US-based Dynacraft has introduced just such a beastie - the Dekra-D Drive bike has an internal drive shaft which offers less maintenance, greater safety and a cleaner solution than a conventional chain-driven bike by replacing the parts of the bike that cause the most problems and require the most maintenance - the chain and derailleur.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Bugmenot

2006-06-20T06:31:00.000-04:00

This week's tech tip focuses on the annoyance of web sites forcing you to create a free login before allowing you to read an article. A classic example is nytimes.com. Some genius somewhere decided it would be great to force someone to login to their website before allowing you to read one of their articles.

Never fear, bugmenot.com is here. Bugmenot is a site I should use more often, especially with all the online reading I do. Bugmenot.com's 'How to Use' section says it best.

You're browsing the web and you click a link to an article on a site (let's say nytimes.com) but instead of getting the article you get a screen asking you to login or register. Infuriated at the idea of pointlessly registering for yet another site you turn to your good buddy bugmenot.com.

The next time you want to quickly view an article without signing up for a website, simply go to bugmenot.com, enter the URL for the article you wish to view, and use one of the logins that bugmenot.com presents to you.

** Special note: Bugmenot only works for free websites. Unfortunately, it will not work for pay sites like wsj.com.

Sandal with bottle opener

2006-06-19T20:00:00.000-04:00

I need to get me a pair of these sandals. These will be flying off the shelves in preparation for this summer season.

Info: CHURCH KEY TO OPEN YOUR "SODA" BOTTLE

Cell phone booths coming to a bar near you

2006-06-19T19:58:00.000-04:00

I can't wait to use one of these. Nothing is worse than trying to talk to someone on the phone at a bar when the only thing you hear is concert-like noise in the background.

In an effort to appease patrons and etiquette police, restaurants, bars, movie theaters and libraries are carving out spaces to separate yakkers from other customers.

Dennis Raney acknowledges that he has contributed to talk pollution. "I get on the cellphone and I do talk louder," says Raney, who last year launched Fort Wayne, Ind.-based C.P. Booth, a manufacturer of Clark Kent-era cabinets in clubby oak ($2,995) or diner-compatible melamine ($2,650).

Now Opening: Amazon.com Groceries

2006-06-18T21:30:00.000-04:00

In a Google-esque move, Amazon.com recently rolled out their own online grocery store. You can order from a huge variety of non-perishable products. Sounds interesting. This is great for people like me that are never home to buy groceries (I guess I'm never home to receive packages of online groceries either....). I'm curious how their prices compare to your standard grocery stores. What is the over/under on how soon Amazon buys out Peapod and other online food delivery companies?

Amazon started a beta period for the new service on May 25th and the section is now open for business offering over 10,000 items including potato chips, cereal, coffee, natural and organic foods, baking supplies and laundry detergent. "We try and offer our customers one-destination shopping where they can find everything they need, and groceries are something our customers have been asking for. As with any of our stores, we are always looking to increase our selection," said Tracy Ogden, a spokeswoman for Amazon.

Back to reality... wedding style

2006-06-18T21:27:00.000-04:00

It's official. Kev and Emily are finally married after dating for about twice as long as I've been working. I had one heck of a great weekend with them, and I wish them all the best and a long life full of happiness together.

Now it's back to reality for me. More posts to come later.

Google's not-so-very-secret weapon

2006-06-14T10:39:00.001-04:00

Everyone knows I'm a huge fan of Google, but man does this sound cool.

UPDATE: Here is the same article but from the NY Times and includes pictures.

On the banks of the windswept Columbia River, Google is working on a secret weapon in its quest to dominate the next generation of Internet computing. But it is hard to keep a secret when it is as big as two football fields, with twin cooling towers protruding four stories into the sky.

The towers, looming like an information-age nuclear plant, mark the site of what may soon be one of the world's most powerful supercomputers, helping to supply the ever-greater horsepower needed to process billions of search queries a day and a growing repertory of other Internet services.

Google releases online photo albums

2006-06-14T08:13:00.000-04:00

Google continues to roll out new test services that take old technology and make it better and easier to use. Sign up today!

-One-click web upload using Picasa’s new “Web Album” button
-Free storage space to post and share approximately 1000 photos, with the option to upgrade to more space
-High-quality photos, automatically resized and optimized to fill available screen space
-Pre-loaded images enable quick scrolling using arrow keys, and mimic a desktop experience of “flipping” through photos, even on the web
-End-to-end photo management that makes it easy to download uploaded photos back to your computer

Sirius continues to buy buy buy

2006-06-13T17:31:00.000-04:00

Sirius plans to purchase satellite #4. How much debt can Sirius take on? Ah the million (or billion) dollar question.

The satellite, which would be launched by International Launch Services, would complement Sirius's existing three satellites, which were also built by Loral Space. The latest satellite is to provide added redundancy and better coverage and performance.

"Not only will this satellite support our other three satellites currently in orbit, but it will also improve reception for all SIRIUS subscribers whether they are in their car, office, home or jogging in the park," Mel Karmazin, chief executive of New York-based Sirius, said in a statement.

Seasons change your body shape

2006-06-13T11:26:00.000-04:00

And I thought body shapes change due to massive binging during football season...

Seasonal changes cause fat to shift locations in our body, altering the shape of our figures at certain times of the year, according to a new study.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Surf the web faster than ever with Ctrl + Enter

2006-06-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

And now for the introduction of my second regularly scheduled post.... Tech Tip Tuesday! Since I most likely have more tech tips than random thoughts, expect to see this post on a weekly basis... on Tuesdays of course.

And now for the first Tech Tip. Be prepared to learn.

TTT: Do you find it annoying to always type http://www..com? Follow this simple tip to automatically insert the http://www. and the .com and you'll be surfing the web faster than ever.

In Internet Explorer's address field, type the name of your website without the http://www. or the .com

Example: Type 'espn' (without the quotes)

Hold down the Control key and press Enter
Internet Explorer or Firefox will automatically surround what you entered with http://www. and .com and take you to the resulting website

Example: 'espn' becomes 'http://www.espn.com'

That's it!

Remember... hit Ctrl + Enter to save tons of time typing in those annoying website characters.

Advanced Tip: For Firefox users, you can perform something similar for .net (Shift+Enter) or .org (Ctrl+Shift+Enter) sites (For Example: type 'comcast' and hit Shift + Enter and you'll be transferred to http://www.comcast.net).

iPod sweat shops?

2006-06-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

This article offers a rare glimpse into how iPods are made and the conditions and salaries in which the workers work. Very interesting. It's amazing how anything of value these days is made by extremely underpaid workers.

Inside Longhua, workers toil a 15-hour day building iPods, for which they usually earn about $50 per month. When they're not on the assembly lines, they live in secluded dormitories that each house 100 people and prohibit visitors from the outside world.

The best buildings of the year

2006-06-12T11:41:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of Frank Gehry, and although he's not in this year's best buildings, some of these look like his designs.

The 11 projects recognized with this year's AIA Honor Awards for Architecture include several museums, as might be expected given the undiminished power of museum mania. But there are also an equal number of libraries and government buildings — a happy sign that municipal agencies are increasingly respectful of good design.

Photo finish at the Manayunk bike race

2006-06-11T21:58:00.000-04:00

Not only was the weather amazing at today's bike race through Manayunk, the race ended in a photo finish.

New Zealand's Greg Henderson beat Cuba's Ivan Dominguez in a photo finish to win the Philadelphia International Cycling Championship on Sunday.
Henderson, who just returned to racing this week after recovering from a broken hip, completed the 156-mile course in six hours, 13 minutes, 53 seconds.

UPDATE: Bistec con queso? No en los filetes de Geno.

2006-06-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

For those of you who missed my original post, the saga of forcing people to order cheesesteaks in English continues. Gino even appeared on Good Morning America to talk about it.

He has since insisted to other media outlets that he has never refused a customer due to a language barrier. On Good Morning America, he said he coaches non-English-speakers on the nuances of Cheez Whiz and provolone. And he characterized the signs, posted six months ago when illegal immigration became a hot-button issue, as tough love meant to help newcomers assimilate.

"You're giving them a crutch" if you don't demand English, Vento told ABC.

On Friday alone, he granted interviews to five TV programs and seven radio talk shows across the country, said his son, Geno Vento. But he would not talk to The Inquirer.

As several TV crews milled about working the lunchtime crowd, the elder Vento walked past with an entourage and said: "I don't want to talk to you. Fuggedaboutit."

Burger King vs. McDonalds

2006-06-09T15:42:00.000-04:00

The King and Ronald take it to the gridiron.

Bistec con queso? No en los filetes de Geno.

2006-06-09T10:04:00.000-04:00

Ordering a Philly cheesesteak just got harder. Now you're forced to order them... in English! I love Philly.

"They don't know how lucky they are. All we're asking them to do is learn the English language," said Vento, 66. "We're out to help these people, but they've got to help themselves, too."

Happy World Cup opening day!

2006-06-09T07:14:00.000-04:00

I've been waiting four years for this. Go Togo!

For those of you who plan to watch the opening World Cup game during your liquid lunch today, I salute you. Here's a quick World Cup flashback to keep you awake this Friday morning. Remember the 1994 World Cup when Colombian's Andres Escobar scored an own goal against the US and was subsequently shot upon returning to Colombia? Unreal. Soccer fans are insane. I better not call it soccer or these crazy fans may come after me too.

Colombia's Andres Escobar scored an own goal after 35 minutes that would later have tragic consequences. When Colombia returned home, Escobar was shot dead outside a bar. The USA increased their lead when Ernie Stewart scored after 53 minutes.

iPods are better than beer?

2006-06-08T21:32:00.000-04:00

Kids these days... what is this world coming to...

Random Thought Thursday: Cabbies

2006-06-08T10:10:00.000-04:00

Today is the start of my first recurring post. I don't plan to post random thoughts every week, but when I do, they'll be on Thursday's (random thought Monday just doesn't have the same jingle).

With that said, here's the first installment of Random Thought Thursday.

RTT: Does anyone else find it annoying that you have to tip cabs for simply doing their job? Someone should tip me for writing a good email or for developing a killer PowerPoint slide. Cabbies simply drive you from point A to point B. I feel tipping should occur when they actually engage you rather than talking to someone in some ridiculous language through their cell phone's earpiece. Tipping is definitely justified when the cabbie starts talking about where they were born and how unreal it was when they fled their homeland to make a better life for their families in America.

al-Zarqawi is dead!

2006-06-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

Finally!

Terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the coalition's most wanted man in Iraq, was killed in an airstrike near Baquba, jubilant U.S. and Iraqi authorities announced Thursday.

What Netflix could teach Hollywood?

2006-06-07T23:27:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge fan of Netflix. Not because I'm a member (which I'm not), but because I'm a huge fan of how the company started and how they run various pieces of their business. Here's how you get your DVDs so darn fast.

Today, Netflix sends and receives 700 million little packages a year, a logistical operation that has few peers outside of FedEx, U.P.S. or the post office itself. The company's new head of operations, in fact, used to be the postmaster general.

In the San Francisco area, Netflix trucks pick up returned DVD's from post offices by 4 a.m. each weekday morning and bring them to a warehouse in a leafy Sunnyvale office park. There, workers — mainly Asian and Latino immigrants — arrive on the brightly lighted warehouse floor at 5 a.m. to begin tearing open the red envelopes and putting the discs in mechanized sorters. By 10 a.m., the workers are stuffing new envelopes to be sent out again and the discs are back at the post office the same afternoon.

Netflix has 39 of these warehouses around the country, one in each major metropolitan area. Because first-class mail service takes only a day within a 50-mile radius, most customers get a new movie two days after dropping one in a mailbox.

The 5-second rule is for real

2006-06-07T20:46:00.000-04:00

I knew there had to be some science behind this.

Researchers at the University of Illinois say the so-called "5-Second Rule" isn't a myth. They say when you drop food on the floor, it's still safe to eat if you pick it up within five seconds.

That's because it takes at least that long for germs to devour dropped food. Sticky food though, will pick up bacteria faster than dry food.

Researchers say the 5-Second Rule probably only applies to tile and hardwood floors.

Coffee opens up the mind

2006-06-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

I'll be right back... I think it's time to get some more coffee.

The coffee you drink as a pick-me-up in the morning could also make you more open to persuasion, researchers say. Evidence from a new study suggests that this happens because caffeine revs up the brain, not because it generally boosts mood.

=GOOGLE(A1:ZZZZZZ999999)

2006-06-06T10:20:00.000-04:00

Google continues to take over the world. Today they unveiled Google Spreadsheets which will initially support .xls and .csv files (stored on Google's servers) and allows users to collaborate on the same spreadsheet file at the same time.

Sign up now to join the limited test! (Image below courtesy of Google).

Paper airline tickets to disappear by 2007

2006-06-06T10:18:00.001-04:00

It's about time. Soon we'll all be using our thumbs to check-in to flights with biometrics.

International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents 265 airlines accounting for 94 percent of international air traffic, indicated that it would begin penalising members that failed to introduce electronic tickets by the end of next year.

Animator vs. Animation

2006-06-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

For you flash animators, be careful what you animate...

Unbelievable hole-in-one

2006-06-06T10:16:00.000-04:00

You'll never see another golf shot like this hole-in-one by Fuzzy Zoeller.

I always wondered how dance evolved

2006-06-06T10:13:00.000-04:00

This video brings back some great memories.

Have a green summer

2006-06-06T10:11:00.000-04:00

In typical Google fashion, they've decided to show off some fun new features to Google Maps by documenting five environmentally friendly vacations.

The end of allergies?

2006-06-06T08:59:00.000-04:00

For those allergy sufferers like myself, it's time to start popping the vitamin B-12 pills.

New research suggests that taking vitamin B-12 could make seasonal allergies a thing of the past. Possible side effects include unstoppable immune function, sharper mental focus, and boundless energy.

The Daily Vitamin is Born!

2006-06-06T08:48:00.000-04:00

After getting fed up with Wordpress and their lack features and integration with AdSense, I decided to move the blog to Google's blog tool, Blogger (Blogspot). Unfortunately, 'in other news' was already taken so I racked my brain and came up with The Daily Vitamin. Enjoy a nice healthy dose of updates! Stay tuned as I migrate my old posts to this new tool.