Your own Factory on Your Desktop – The 3-D Printer
December 6, 2007
Imagine this – You are sitting at your desk writing, and all of the sudden your pen breaks clean in half. You fire up your printer, download the specifications for your pen from the Internet, load it into your printer, and about an hour later, you have a new case for your pen! Or the handle on your favorite coffee mug breaks and you want to fix it. Load it into your printer and an hour later, glue it right back on! You didn’t even have to leave your house. But what, might you ask, is this contraption? – a 3 dimensional printer. Yes, I know the first thing that comes to your mind. How in the world can you print 3-D objects? The process is very simple. Most industrial strength 3-D printers today use expensive lasers to heat up the plastic used to make an object. The Desktop Factory uses a 5 dollar halogen bulb to heat it up. The light heats up the plastic, and once it is pliable to work with, it is rolled onto a drum, cut to the specific shape, and then rolled over again onto the surface, where it is actually being built from the bottom up instead from side to side – layer by layer(each layer is about 1 millimeter). Once it reaches the top, the plastic hardens and then you may paint it and add a glossy finish to it, if you want. Depending on how big the object you are printing is, it will take about on hour on average.
You can make virtually anything you want with this printer, with size as the only exception. The maximum size right now you can make is a 5x5x5 inch object, but they are planning on making this bigger in the future. Also, considering the price to other 3-D printers, the price is exceptionally low. Other printers in use today can cost anywhere from 50 to 500 thousand dollars! The Desktop Factory right now, costs only about five thousand dollars. It is about the size of a microwave oven or a laser printer, and weighs about 90 pounds. Plus, there isn’t a limit to what you can do with the things you make! Keep it, give it away, or even sell it. It’s your own factory sitting right on your desktop. desktopfactory.com
Specifications:
Size: 25 x 20 x 20 inches(about the size of a microwave oven)
Weight: 90 pounds
Maximum print size: 5 x 5 x 5 inches
Price: 4995 dollars
Facebook VS MySpace
November 25, 2007
Facebook is a social networking website that allows people to communicate with their friends and exchange information. Founded on February 4, 2004, it was created by Mark Zuckerburg. Originally created for only Harvard scholars, Facebook stretched over more well known colleges and universities in the Boston area within two months. Soon afterwards, Facebook was being used from people around the world. Over three years later, Facebook has become one of the most visited websites on the Internet and has millions of users.
Stats:
Facebook is a social networking website that allows people to communicate with their friends and exchange information. Founded on February 4, 2004, it was created by Mark Zuckerburg. Originally created for only Harvard scholars, Facebook stretched over more well known colleges and universities in the Boston area within two months. Soon afterwards, Facebook was being used from people around the world. Over three years later, Facebook has become one of the most visited websites on the Internet and has millions of users.
Stats:
Active Users: Over 50 million
Monthly New User Average: 4 million
Daily New User Average: 200,000
Page Views: Over 15 billion per month
Searches: Over 500 million per month
Search Index Size: 200 GB
Largest Networks: London, UK (1,673,636) and Toronto, Canada (944,832)
Traffic Rank: 7th
Photos: 1.7 billion (which averages to about 44 photos per user)
MySpace is another social networking website. It has been more popular than Facebook in the past few years and has higher user averages than Facebook. MySpace was created in August 2003 and was used by employees of eUniverse, a publicly traded Internet company. The company held contests to see who could sign up the most users. Soon afterwards, MySpace became very popular!
Stats:
Accounts: Over 200 million
Daily New User Average: 230,000
Let’s compare both and see who is better than the other.
ROUND 1:
Layout: Facebook wins here because the profiles are well set up, organized and easy to navigate. Most MySpace profiles are ugly and inconsistent.
Overall Site Design: When compared to Facebook, MySpace looks amateur. Facebook is obviously the winner in here.
Profiles: We have a tie in this category. MySpace has a lot of customization while Facebook has a better default look and is neater and well organized.
Customization: MySpace and Facebook tie once again. While Facebook lets you add and remove applications, MySpace lets you do whatever you want with the page, if you know a little HTML. That’s why MySpace profiles look so disorderly, though.
Site Organization: Both are pretty well organized but Facebook wins here because of its clean layout that allows you to find everything right away.
Round Winner: Facebook
ROUND 2:
Pictures: Facebook wins here because of its neat picture section and the ability to tag people and to have people to tag themselves.
Videos: This one is a tie because both MySpace and Facebook let you upload video and they both have their own flash player. MySpace allows you to embed videos into your profile but you can post videos to Facebook as well.
Music: MySpace wins here since it is easy to place full songs in your profile. If you download the iLike application in Facebook, you’ll only be able to add clips of songs to your profile for free.
Round Winner: Facebook
ROUND 3:
Relationships: A big difference on Facebook is that the friends that you add are really your friends. It’s not a contest like MySpace, where people try to have the most friends as possible.
Groups: Both sites have groups, but Facebook makes them more well-known. They are a big part of the service and there are a lot of people using them for productive uses like planning meetings and giving info to fans. Many people who run businesses or websites have groups while others make groups just for leisure.
What’s New: Facebook beats MySpace by a mile here! On MySpace, the only way to see updates on you or your friends profile is to go look for it yourself. Facebook, on the other hand, notifies you when there is in an update.
Messaging: This is a tie since both have a place where people can leave messages and a basic mail system.
Co-Workers: Facebook is a perfect tool to communicate with people who you work with. Users can join networks of their company to see what’s going on. MySpace was mostly designed for teenagers so it doesn’t have these kind of features.
Round Winner: Facebook
ROUND 4:
Adding Friends: MySpace wins here because you can add any amount of friends in one click. In Facebook, you must go through a longer process just to add a friend individually.
Search: Surprisingly, Facebook wins in this category! Even though Google is the search engine for MySpace, it is very hard to find exactly what you are looking for. If you type in a name, you can find a profile with the name in it, not the actual person you were searching for. Also, Facebook’s search engine is smart enough to know if you are looking for a user or a movie in someone’s interests.
Navigation: MySpace and Facebook both have decent navigation, but Facebook beats MySpace if you’re searching for a specific person’s profile due to its superb search engine.
Privacy: It’s really easy to hide information from certain people and it takes just a second. MySpace has privacy options but aren’t as good as Facebook’s.
Round Winner: Facebook
AND THE WINNER IS… FACEBOOK!
For questions and tips, e-mail me at sean@whatsupwakefield.com
Motorola RAZR V8 – The Second Generation RAZR
November 25, 2007
The second generation of Motorola’s RAZR phone is not just an upgrade. It has been redesigned with the most unsurpassed features possible, including their new CrystalTalk technology which blocks out loud background noise and prioritizes your voice. Going down the highway at 65 miles per hour with the windows down is no match for this phone. Motorola’s claim is that CrystalTalk’s digital processor identifies speech patterns by the narrow range of frequencies it falls into, and by regular pauses. It rejects background noises and chatter, which merge into a continuous tone. It works in both directions cleaning up your voice and the person’s voice that you are talking to. The only problem is that CrystalTalk doesn’t compensate for poor cell phone reception. That’s not the only thing they’ve upgraded though, so don’t stop reading just quite yet. Motorola has outfitted the RAZR with a brand new 770mAh (milliamps an hour) battery that boosts this phone’s standby time to 330 hours and talk time to 470 minutes. They have also put a 500Mhz processor, making it almost 10 times faster than the old RAZR (Note that an average computer has a 1000Mhz processor, only twice as much). The camera has been upgraded to 2.0 megapixels and 8x digital zoom for much better image quality. Finally, this phone is fitted with 2 gigabytes of on board memory allowing you to hold up to 1000 songs and take almost 2 hours of video. The touch sensitive screen makes it a perfect music player for anyone. On the bad side, the phone isn’t cheap. Right now, you can expect to pay a whopping $400 for it. Motorola.com
Specs:
- Size: 103 x 53 x 11.9 mm
- Display: 2.2” (QVGA 320 x 240) – 262k colors
- Talk time: 470 minutes
- Standby time: 330 hours
- Processor speed: 500 MHz
- Camera: 2.0 megapixel fixed focus, 8x digital zoom
Books & Video Reviews
November 25, 2007
Books:
The Edge Chronicles #1: Beyond the Deepwoods
By Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
This book is about a child, Twig, who lives and was raised in a woodtroll village. Twig has always been interested in other places besides his village but woodtrolls never stray from the path or explore and he has constantly wanted to fit in because he isn’t a woodtroll. One day Twig gets sent to his aunts house. On Twigs way there he goes off of the path into the treacherous Deepwoods which inhabits horrible creatures. But worst of all by there is the Gloamglozer lurking nearby. I think this is a good book with excitement, adventure, and suspense. Someone who would probably like this book would like other fantasy books with strange creatures.
The Series of Unfortunate Events #1 : The Bad Beginning
By Lemony Snicket
In this book Violet, Klaus,and Sunny Baudelaire have been living a very happy life. One day they are at the beach Mr. Poe, one of their parents friends, arrives with bad news. The children’s parents had been killed in a fire. The Baudelaire children were going to be sent to their closest relative, Count Olaf, a horrible disgusting man who they didn’t even know. I liked this book and thought that it had mystery and suspense in it. Some on who would like this book would like other mystery books.
Warriors #1: Into The Wild
By Erin Hunter
Rusty, a young house cat, has always wondered about the woods, what happens inside it, and what it feels like to be a wild cat. One evening Rusty goes into the woods and finds himself being attacked by another cat. When the other cat realizes Rusty isn’t prey he questions Rusty and eventually takes Rusty back to his clan, the Thunder Clan. I enjoyed reading this book because it had action and adventure. Someone who would like this book would probably like other fantasy adventure books, I would also recommend this book to any cat owner.
Video Games:
Mario Strikers Charged
For Wii
In this game you can pick a variety of Nintendo characters to form a soccer team. There are many different abilities and fields that you can play on. Since the Wii is very interactive it is even more fun when you flick the remote in the direction of an opposing player and you check them into the wall. I think that this is a new twist on most soccer games and fun.
Dance Dance Revolution Universe
For Xbox 360
When you go to an arcade and see people dancing to the arrows on the screen and you try. It’s a lot of fun and you want to go again but don’t want to spend all the money that it costs. Well now you don’t have to, you can buy Dance Dance Revolution Universe for your Xbox 360. This game includes over 70 songs and has its own dance pad so it feels like your at an arcade. You can also unlock new videos and songs as you go. This game is very easy and fun to use.
The Best Search Engines and Instant Messaging Software
November 10, 2007
Search engines are used everyday from people around the world. It may be a young child trying to find answers to their homework, or an adult researching a good stock to invest in. No matter what you are searching, you can find it on the Internet. But many factors affect which search engine a user chooses to utilize. Many users choose to go to the same search engine every time they have a question that they want answered. Are you using an accurate search engine? Did you just download poor instant messaging software? This article will tell which search engines and IM software you’re better off with.
IM Software
Google Talk
Pros:
- Sleek & Easy to use interface
- Non Google Talk users can chat with users who have it
- Directly linked with Gmail
- Voice calls, File Transfer, Photo sharing, Video sharing, and built-in Gmail Notification
- Light weight and easy on Memory
Cons:
- No Video Calls
- No conference facility
- No facility of changing the font & color on the fly
- No support for plug ins
- No stealth settings
I still like Google Talk, despite all of the problems it faces. I really would like to see it improved though. Of all IM software, I use Google Talk the most.
My Rating: A
Skype
Pros:
- Easy to install
- Works behind typical network security devices
- Call quality is excellent
- Large Community
- Popularity
Cons:
- NOT Free
- Requires the Internet to function
I used Skype once or twice on my computer and then I stopped using it. I installed it mainly so my two friends and I could talk to each other in a conference call. We used Google Talk to communicate but we could not have three-way calling.
My Rating: B
Windows Live Messenger
Pros:
· Sleek & Easy to use interface
· File Sharing is protected from incoming viruses
· Send animations to your buddy
· Play your friend in games
· Video Conversation
Cons:
- Basic emoticons
- Registering a WeeMee avatar is not free
I had a bad experience with Windows Live Messenger. To edit your account settings, you have to undergo a long a tiring process or register all over again! I didn’t like the look either. Because of this, I stopped using it.
My Rating: B-
Those are three of the best Instant Messaging software around right now. Even some of the popular ones like AIM are great to use! Now search engines are as abundant as IM software. The following are the top three search engines that are really helpful and useful. Though I may use one more than another, I still can find what I’m looking for fast.
Search Engines
Google
Pros:
- Very Accurate
- Ability to search non-web related topics
- Secure
- Comes with many free and useful products
Cons:
- Poor accuracy when asking a question
- Shows only related topics for the search category
Google is the most well-known search engine right now. Everywhere you go on the internet, you see their advertising. Anyway, I use Google daily. It’s my only primary search engine that I use when I need something
My Rating: A+
Wikipedia
Pros:
- Nice layout
- Articles are well organized and easy to read
Cons:
- Contributors (How do you know if the information you have is false?)
- Searching is long and tiring
- Articles don’t always match your query
Wikipedia is a great search engine but I worry that the information that I’m getting from there is false. Also, I get put at articles that are irrelevant to my question or search query.
My Rating: B-
Ask.com
Pros:
- Ability to search non-web related topics
- Secure
- All related topics are shown when query is entered
Cons:
- Poor accuracy when asking a question (Pretty ironic, huh?)
- Sometimes inaccurate
Ask.com was formerly known as Ask Jeeves. But Jeeves retired and is traveling the world now, says the Ask Kids page. Ask.com has a nice layout but it is a bit inaccurate and slow when searching for your query. But like Google, it has good things to offer.
My Rating: B
So there you have it! IM software and search engines have to match your criteria. Just because one is more popular than the other doesn’t mean that it’s safe. So remember to research products or software that you’re thinking of downloading. Read ratings and reviews, look at problems many users have faced after downloading it, and look at alternatives if you’re not going to download or install your primary choice.
For questions and tips, e-mail me at sean@whatsupwakefield.com
Google, More than just a search engine
November 7, 2007
The most well-known search engine is, well, more than just a search engine. Google offers many free products that users can use. A wide variety of things allows the user to find a tool that fits their needs, not just on one specific topic. But before you look at the many products that Google has to offer besides “searching”, you might want to sign up for a free Gmail account. This will also serve as your Google account that you use to log in so you can use their features.
Gmail
Alright, so you’ve got your Gmail and Google account set up now. Now wasn’t that easy?
Gmail: Features
So what makes Gmail so different and special from the other e-mail services? Well, take a look at the features you just got for free if you’ve signed up.
- Cost: $0
- 4529 MB (and counting) of free storage so you’ll never need to delete another message again.
- Excellent Spam Blocker
- Messages can be sent and read in over 40 languages
- Supported by numerous browsers (If your browser does not fit the minimum requirements, you can download it from Google)
Alright, so those are some things that are in the free Gmail Package. Now let’s see what features that are in the Gmail interface that make it different from the other usual e-mail service.
Folders/Features
Starred: Click on e-mail messages and chats to mark as a “special” item. It will automatically be placed in this folder so you can get to it quickly.
Archive Button: After reading an e-mail from your inbox, just press the “Archive” button and it will be put in the “All Mail” section for you.
Searching your e-mails: Google doesn’t just search for web related stuff on the web anymore. With Gmail, you can find a specific e-mail without taking extra time to search each message individually. You’ll never need to make a specific folder for your messages again!
Your e-mail conversations tell a story: It’s true, actually! To explain it better, here is an example: You ask your friend when the big project is due. Your friend replies and says that it is due on Monday. You “archive” your message and leave your desk. You come back and ask yourself, “When is that project due again?”. No need to bug your friend again! Find the message that you sent and you should find your answer, as if it was stapled to your outgoing e-mail. But that is just a two way conversation through e-mails. What if you sent a letter to all of your family and friends about your essay that won an award? All of the replies that you get will be attached to your sent e-mail. Also, the names of the senders who sent their response will have their names in a certain color, which makes it easy to identify who said what.
Chat while checking your e-mail: You can chat with anyone you know who is a Gmail user and is in your “Quick Contacts” list. You can click on their name to begin chatting with them. In your bottom right hand corner, you should see a small window where you can chat. Unless you specify not to, your chats will be automatically saved. This is used while you are logged on to your Gmail. However, if you are not logged on to your Gmail inbox, you can use Google Talk.
Google Talk: Not logged into your Gmail? No worries. You can save time by downloading Google Talk for numerous reasons. Google Talk doesn’t have a basic look like the chat in your Gmail, it looks professional. Not only can you chat with your friend using your keyboard, but you can actually speak to your friend. Plug in a microphone to your computer and make sure to turn on your speakers. Click on the “Call” button on your buddy’s name. You should then here a dial tone. They can either answer or ignore the call. If they aren’t there, you’ll have a self recording and you can leave a message. When they get back, they’ll be able to listen to the message when they find it in their inbox. But why just use your cell phone? Google Talk is free and you can talk to your friend over the Internet for free. Why waste your minutes when you could talk to them while doing anything on your computer? If you download Google Talk, you should find a small speech bubble on your toolbar after the installation. Click on it to access Google Talk.
Gmail “Must Have Add-Ons”
Google Talk: Talk for free over the Internet and IM your friends. Download it!
Gmail Notifier: This small envelope icon will appear on your toolbar, notifying you when you have new e-mail messages with a pop-up. Tells you who sent you the e-mail, when, subject, and shows a snippet of the e-mail. Download it!
Gmail isn’t the only free service that Google provides to its users! Here are some others:
SEARCH
Alerts: Get e-mail updates on the topics of your choice
Blog Search: Find blogs on your favorite topics
Book Search: Search the full text of books
Catalogs: Search and browse mail-order catalogs
Checkout: Complete online purchases more quickly and securely
Desktop: Search and personalize your computer
Directory: Browse the web by topic
Earth: Explore the world from your computer
Finance: Business info, news, and interactive charts
iGoogle: Add news, games and more to the Google homepage
Images: Search for images on the web
Maps: View maps and directions
News: Search thousands of news stories
Notebook: Clip and collect information as you surf the web
Patent Search: Search the full text of US Patents
Product Search: Search for stuff to buy
Scholar: Search scholarly papers
Special Searches: Search within specific topics
Toolbar: Add a search box to your browser
Video: Search for videos on Google video and YouTube
Web Search: Search over billions of web pages
Web Search Features: Find movies, music, stocks, books, and more
EXPLORE AND INNOVATE
Code: Download APIs and open source code
Custom Search: Create a customized search experience for your community
Labs: Explore Google’s technology playground
COMMUNICATE, SHOW & SHARE
Blogger: Share your life online with a blog — it’s fast, easy, and free
Calendar: Organize your schedule and share events with friends
Docs: Create and share your projects online and access them from anywhere
Gmail: Fast, searchable e-mail with less spam
Groups: Create mailing lists and discussion groups
Orkut: Meet new people and stay in touch with friends
Picasa: Find, edit and share your photos
SketchUp: Build 3D models quickly and easily
Talk: IM and call your friends through your computer
Translate: View web pages in other languages
YouTube: Watch, upload and share videos
GO MOBILE
Maps for Mobile: View maps and get directions on your phone
Mobile: Use Google on your mobile phone
SMS: Use text messaging for quick info
MAKE YOUR COMPUTER WORK BETTER
Pack: A free collection of essential software
Web Accelerator: Speed up the web
Now you know that Google is more than a search engine. Take advantage of the tools they offer for free. And take advantage of the hidden Flight Simulator on Google Earth. How do I access the Google Flight Simulator on Google Earth?
For questions and tips, e-mail me at sean@whatsupwakefield.com
