Adam’s Tech Blog

We monitor large buzz sites and sites which demand high availability. It looks like twitter.com took a turn for the worst yesterday (5/20/08) as their site constantly flapped up and down. Twitter has been long known as a "Web 2.0" application used to "micro blog". Recently Twitter has been noted to help save lives in the recent China earthquakes.

Yesterday we noticed that Twitters site was completely unavailable (at least from the Midwest United States) for a combined 5.18 hours! This kind of reliability for a site which seems to be so important is mind-blowing.

Here are some statistics of the outage (click for larger view):

I have been very intrigued by global warming in general over the past few years. We all studied global warming in school and we all were taught the basics of global warming. We are taught that the ice caps are melting and that we are the primary cause (cars, aerosol cans etc). We’re constantly trying to reduce the amount of "greenhouse" gases our cars and motorized vehicles are producing.

Why Global Warming is NOT Real

It’s easy to see. The earth itself is a living being. The earth goes through very long-duration cycles or phases. Look at the ice age where virtually everything on the Earth was wiped clean. Global warming is simply a phase of the Earth that we must accept. I know we’re constantly trying to link our usage of petroleum products to the rise in heat, flowers blooming earlier and birds migrating earlier; but we really need to understand that this is simply a phase. Global warming has been around for more than 100 years. 

Light Bulb: No One Knows

Absolutely no one can predict what the world will physically do. We can’t  predict storms. We can’t predict drought and we can’t predict the future. There is absolutely no way we can directly link our petroleum usage or greenhouse gas output to the world changes. Humans, in general, try to figure out major issues we are facing and how to solve these issues. Humans, especially males, are logic-oriented and have a deep need to fix and decode things. This is simply a large issue we can’t figure out and we’re wanting to correlate as many happenings as possible to this phenomenon.

What Can We Do

Nothing! We can’t do anything. Remember who’s in control.. We are not in control. We need to understand that we can’t control everything… especially not the world. If you believe in any kind of higher power you have to think… Have we faced massive epidemics in the past? Yes. Have we faced drought in the past? Yes. Have we experienced famine? Yes. This is a normal cycle of our Earth.

Summary

The above was just one of my senseless ramblings. I like to think about everything as logically as possible. I like to have an explanation to everything. I believe it’s very important for us, as a human race, to remember that we are not always in control and we must (sometimes) accept that there is not always a true answer to everything in this world. What do you think? Tell me!

Reference:
http://www.break.com/index/tough-to-argue.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/392319/global_warming_is_not_real_whats_behind.html
http://www.heritage.org/research/energyandenvironment/HL758.cfm
http://a_pretty_rainbow.gnn.tv/blogs/21664/Global_warming_isn_t_real_3_whole_scientists_say_so

With Mother’s Day fast approaching it can be hard to find that perfect gift for mom. If you’re anything like me you want to buy something she’ll enjoy and use but there’s part of you that wants to get her a tech toy. Believe it or not some studies show that consumers spent 9% more on gadgets for Mother’s Day last year. It looks like Mom will enjoy that tech toy this Mother’s Day!

Here’s a list of ten Mom-friendly Tech Gadgets:

1. Shampoo Rinse Cup
   The shampoo rinse cup makes it a lot easier to wash those kids. It has a watertight band that rests against the forehead and helps to keep water out of the child’s eyes. What a replacement for the hand I used to have (which sometimes leaked by the way).
2. Help Mom With Her Computer
   My Mom, like many of others, has a computer and uses it daily. Mom sometimes can call me up and ask for some help but it’s really difficult to visualize what is wrong. Sometime’s it’s just easier to see it and fix the issue for her. Connect to Mom’s PC with a free service called CrossLoop. This service allows you to share Mom’s screen and fix her issues easily and without traveling (if she’s far away).
3. Digital Photo Frames
   Digital photo frames are a great gift for Mom. What a great way to remind her of family with a tech gadget like this. These frames can range anywhere from around 60 bucks to 150 for normal frames. Simply buy  one of these frames, load your favorite family photos and give it to Mom for a unique gift.
4. Digital Keychain Camera
   A simple yet affordable gift is this Digital Keychain Camera. Sure its not the greatest quality. It’s not going to match up to a nice SLR camera but it can do the trick to capture those moments when without a camera.  Sure cell phones have cameras but does your Mom know how to get the pictures to her computer? Try this on Mother’s Day. Comes with software!
5. iRobot Roomba Vacuuming Robot
   If you’re feeling extra generous this Mother’s Day season you could give a gift that keeps on… cleaning. I’m not too sure how effective these self-cleaning robots are but she might like the extra time she has now that she doesn’t have to vacuum all the time. At a base price of $119.99 it can’t be that bad. Check out the link above to see the different models.
6. Music Players 
   Every Mom must like some sort of music. Check out some of the new music players on the market. Some of the small iPod Shuffles are very very small and easy to use. Heck, there’s only five buttons.. how hard can it be? Also, if she has any issues, use number two above to connect to her PC and install her software for her. CrossLoop is free and easy… Why not?
7. Digital Cameras
   What Mom doesn’t like to take pictures? Mothers often like to save memories in the form of a photo. Give the gift of a digital camera this Mother’s Day. Digital camera prices are coming down and you might check out some retailers that have pink colored cameras, that is, if your mom likes pink.
8. Smart Shopper Grocery List Maker
   This little device is sure to save Mom time and effort at the store. Simply enter in all the items and it automatically categorizes the list and prints a copy to make shopping easier and more efficient. Check out the link above.
9. Pink Cooking Gear
   Mom makes a mean home-made macaroni and cheese. Why not have her make it in style? KitchenAid has tons of pink-colored cooking gear for "Cook for the Cure" for breast cancer. Grab some pink gear for mom and help a good cause.
10. Wireless Digital Rain Gauge
    Let’s say Mom has a garden. Mom wants to check how much rain Mom got in that garden. Mom doesn’t want to walk outside every time to check that rain. She wants to be able to glance at a gauge that tells her. Check out the wireless digital rain gauges available here. This is sure to wow her and allow her to check on how much rain her garden got last night.

That’s it. Make sure your Mom has a great Mother’s Day. Remember it’s the thought that counts .. oh yeah.. also remember that she’s the one that brought you into this world. Show her some respect .. wow her with some gifts and tell her how awesome she is for being Mom.

We all know how gas prices are these days. As gas prices rise it seems the economy’s prosperity falls. Here’s some easy, no-brainer ways to save gas at the pump.

1. Fill up on Wednesdays Before the Sun Rises.
   Filling up in the middle of the week helps you to avoid high gas prices on the weekend. The gas companies depend on weekend travelers and raise the prices accordingly. Filling up before the sun rises assures that you get the most gas for your money. Gas, like air, is more dense when cold. Filling up at cool times assures you get more bang for your buck.
2. Check Your Tire Pressure
   Low tire pressure causes your car to work extra hard to travel the same distance. Make sure that your tires are aired up to the higher end of the range listed on the tire. Generally speaking, the higher the pressure the better gas mileage you can achieve.
3. Car Pool
   Well this seems like a no-brainer as well… and it is! Ride with someone to work, to eat and anywhere you go with someone together. Readjust your schedules to match others (if possible) and ride together. Split the cost of the gas and you instantly saved half your normal gas bill. Of course, use the most fuel-efficient car available.
4. Accelerate Easily
   Push the gas pedal one fourth of the way down when accelerating. This will greatly reduce the amount of gas you use in the city. Jackrabbit starts and breaking heavily consumes larger amounts of energy with the same results as driving easily. Be light on the gas and you’ll be surprised!
5. Find Cheap Gas
   This also seems like a no-brainer but some stations are much cheaper during the middle of the week. Stay away from highways and popular areas. Check sites like gasbuddy.com to locate cheap stations as reported by "gas spotters".

Utilizing the above tips can save you a truckload of money over time. By simply adjusting a few small things in your everyday routine, you can save money and keep more in your savings.

Things you can do with your saved cash:

1. Put the saved cash in your savings
2. Invest the money in a mutual fund of your choice
3. Start an IRA and start saving for your future
4. Buy extra groceries - frozen foods keep long - stock up!

Good Luck! Save your cash!

The Internet brings us technology almost at an instant. People around the world take their computers to places like Best Buy’s GeekSquad, CompUSA, and Circuit City to name a few. Here’s an idea- Put them out of business! I’ll present a few ideas to you below to help you earn a few bucks easily without even getting up.

Talk to your friends and family and let them know you can fix viruses and spyware. Tell them you can troubleshoot their issues without them having to pack up their PC. There are actually quite a few free services that provide remote access to another machine on the Internet at no fee to you or the end user.

Use a service like CrossLoop and connect to their PC.  Tell them that they don’t even need to stick around while you fix the PC. Just make sure not to reboot the computer until you’re sure you’ve done as much as you can to fix the issue (you may need them to re-initiate the connection after the reboot). Charge them by the hour and send them a money request with PayPal. That’s easy huh?

Many people have been doing this for quite some time now. I would say that you could help your family and friends (and even their friends) in your off-hours and make some extra revenue. This is a great way to get your name out there. Save your friends and family money while making you money. It’s a win-win situation.

Good Luck!