Daddy Forever Dad Blog » Geek Dad

Qi and the Art of Inductive Charging – Win a Gift Card

Daddy Forever — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:01:13 +0000

Here’s a cool new product: the Energizer Inductive Charger. Yeah, I know. The product is essentially a battery charger for smartphones, MP3 players, and cameras. But the cool thing about the Energizer Inductive Chargers is that it enables dads and moms to charge any device (5W or less) on a single charging station — regardless of manufacturer. With the universal charger, parents can charge their devices without USB cables or power adapter cords. Now that’s cool. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve misplaced my cell phone and camera chargers on more than one occasion. Now that’s a lot of fun — hunting down the right charger when you have billions of chargers scattered through out the house.

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Goodbye Bloglines, My Old Friend

Daddy Forever — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:08:36 +0000

In case you have not heard, Bloglines is shutting down for good on October 1, 2010 (Friday). If you’re reading my dad blog via Bloglines, don’t forget to add my RSS feed (http://feeds2.feedburner.com/daddyforever) to another reader. If you’re like me, you probably have hundreds of subscriptions that need to be moved. You can add each feed manually to a new RSS reader, but that would be insane because it would take a lot of time. A more efficient way is to export/import your subscriptions to another service. Luckily, you can easily do this with an OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language) file. Many readers have the ability to import feeds via OPML. For instance, below are the steps to import your feeds to Google Reader.

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Deal of the Week – 50% Off Star Wars Items at Borders

Daddy Forever — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:15:06 +0000

Borders is running a geekalicious promotion on Star Wars items — 50% off Star Wars products. The promotion includes books, CDs, and DVDs. The promotion is good though Monday, July 26th at U.S. Borders, Borders Express, and Waldenbooks stores and at Borders.com. Geek dads and moms can take advantage of the promotion at a Borders store by printing out the no-limit 50% off Star Wars coupon. A coupon is not needed at Borders.com.

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HP ePrint – if you can email it, you can print it

Daddy Forever — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:35:44 +0000

Last week, HP announced their new ePrint technology. With the ePrint platform, geek dads and moms can print a photo or document by sending an email to a web-enabled printer. You read that right. You can email your document to your printer. Cool. It seems like it wasn’t that long ago when dads and moms could only print to the printer attached to their computer. Now the printer doesn’t even have to be on the same network. The pace of technology is amazing, isn’t it? I can’t wait until the day I can email myself to another location (just think, Star Trek would not have been the same if Captain Kirk could’ve just emailed himself back to the Enterprise).

I think the new ePrint platform is something dads and moms will like for several reasons. First, if you can email it, you can print it. Second, you don’t have to install drivers or configure your printer for the network. Third, you don’t even need a computer to print a file. Now, dads and moms can print directly from their web-connected device (smartphone, iPad, netbook, etc) to any ePrint-enabled printer.

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How to Clean a Computer

Daddy Forever — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:01:42 +0000

To remove all fingerprints and smudge marks, every computer given away on my dad blog is licked clean:

Geek School – The Computer Teardown

Daddy Forever — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:09:05 +0000

I was taking a peek inside the computer Lenovo sent me for review and giveaway when I decided it was a good time to educate the little geeks in training on how a computer works. My children don’t speak fluent geek so I had to compare a computer to a person before they got a basic understanding on how a computer works.

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How to Setup Your Computer for Dual Monitors

Daddy Forever — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:45:10 +0000

I’m loving the dual-monitor computer system Lenovo sent me for review and giveaway. In my opinion, most dads and moms will be more productive with two 19″ monitors instead of one super hugemongous monitor. With two applications side by side on my 22″ screen, I have to scroll horizontally and vertically. But with two 19″ Lenovo displays, I can maximize an application on each screen and rarely have to scroll sideways. And if you have a home office like this geek dad, you can stream an ESPN game on one monitor while you work on MS Word or Excel on the other screen. Just don’t tell the boss.

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Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 Dual Monitors Computer Giveaway Preview

Daddy Forever — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:36:46 +0000

Check out the dual-display computer system Lenovo sent me for review and giveaway on my geek dad blog:

Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 tower computer and ThinkVision L1951P LCD monitors

The Lenovo tower computer system is cool — especially the dual displays setup. Unfortunately, this geek dad can’t keep the Lenovo computer — I have to give the PC away to a lucky dad or mom. The computer system I’m giving away consists of a Lenovo ThinkCentre A63 tower PC (6674-APU) and two 19″ ThinkVision L1951P LCD monitors (2448HB6). As configured, the price of the dual-monitor computer I’m giving away on my dad blog is about $1029. BTW, the Lenovo A63 computer is perfect for an entrepreneur or a small business.

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FCC Consumer Broadband Test

Daddy Forever — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:22:01 +0000

The Federal Communications Commission recently announced a new broadband test service to help dads and moms clock the speed of their Internet connection. The tests help geek dads and moms compare their actual speeds with the speeds advertised by their providers. My test results actually came close to what Verizon FIOS advertised (up to 10 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload).

In the broadband speed test, moms and dads are randomly assigned either the Ookla or M-Lab test. I’m not sure what the differences in the tests are, but the results do vary slightly between the Ookla or M-Lab test in Internet Explorer and Firefox

Ookla broadband test with Internet Explorer (Thursday 9pm)

Connectify Wi-Fi Hotspot Software

Daddy Forever — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:09:23 +0000

My wireless router died recently so I have been playing with an application call Connectify for the last couple of days. The software is easy to use and very useful so I thought I would tell my fellow geek dads and moms about the program.

What is Connectify?
Connectify is an easy to use application that can turn a laptop (or desktop computer with wireless capability) into a Wi-Fi hotspot. Thanks to Connectify, geek dads and moms can wireless connect to the Internet without a wireless router. Cool! It’s also free. Double cool! The software isn’t limited to computers. Dads and moms can also connect Wi-Fi enabled devices like a cell phone or a Wii console. In my test, our Wii console detected the Connectify Wi-Fi hotspot, but couldn’t connect to it for some reason (I’ll get it working eventually).

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Handy Backup Software Giveaway

Daddy Forever — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:44:17 +0000

I’m giving away three copies of Handy Backup Standard on my dad blog. To enter the drawing for Handy Backup Software (Standard Version), just leave a comment. Three winners will be randomly selected. The deadline to enter is January 31st (Pacific time). Now, a few words about our sponsor: Novosoft.

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HP TouchSmart 600 Computer Giveaway

Daddy Forever — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:01:25 +0000

Thanks to the HP Santa, this geek dad is giving away a HP TouchSmart 600 computer to a lucky dad, mom, or Na’vi. The contest on this dad blog starts today and ends on Wednesday (December 23, 2009 Pacific time). And yes, this giveaway is open to international readers, but there’s a big catch (more on this later). Before we get to the contest, I’m going to blog about the sponsors of the giveaway: HP TouchSmart 600 PC and Microsoft Windows 7.

What is it?
The HP TouchSmart 600 PC is a cool looking, multi-touch gadget for moms and dads (it’s like a giant size iTouch). The all-in-one computer features full HD display, integrated webcam, wireless LAN, and Bluetooth. Currently, there are two series in the TouchSmart 600 family: 600t and 600xt (same as 600t, but with a faster processor, bigger hard drive, discrete graphics, HDMI and game console connectivity).

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Novosoft Handy Backup Software Giveaway

Daddy Forever — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:01:06 +0000

I’m giving away two licenses for Novosoft Handy Backup software for automatic computer backup. Yeah, I know. Backup software is not exactly the most sexy product I featured on my dad blog. But I think backup software is something all moms and dads with kids could use. Whenever my kids use the computer, I get a little nervous. In my mind, the kids are accidentally deleting important files off of the computer.

According to Novosoft, Handy Backup is different from other backup software because it features plug-ins that are designed to backup not only data, but also the settings, playlists, skins, and other specifics of individual applications that you’ve personalized to your liking. Most software only backs up the data, not the settings. Handy Backup includes plug-ins for popular programs (such as Windows Media Player, Winamp, Adobe Photoshop, Skype, Yahoo Messenger, Outlook, and Windows Mail). And geek dads and moms can even create their own plug-in (as an XML specification) for their special application.

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ooVoo for ooDads and ooMoms

Daddy Forever — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:01:26 +0000

If I didn’t work from home, I would use a web service like ooVoo to make video calls to my kids at home. With ooVoo, dads and moms can make audio or video calls from a computer. ooVoo is a VoIP service like Skype. What’s different about ooVoo is that people can join a call without ooVoo software. In addition, up to six family members or friends can video chat at once (Skype only provides one-to-one video).

A cool ooVoo feature I like is the video special effects (via WebcamMax). It’s not very useful, but fun to play with:

Syncables for Synchronizing Files on Multiple Computers

Daddy Forever — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:01:44 +0000

Do you know why Hewlett-Packard is giving away two laptops to 25 lucky winners?

The answer is this: HP is promoting the concept of companion notebooks. The idea is that you would use a high end laptop like the HP dv6 as your main computer (bye-bye desktop computer) and the HP Mini 110 as your netbook (hello ultra tiny notebook) when you’re on the go with the kids. As I mentioned in previous posts, the dv6 has a big 16″ screen, but it’s a bit cumbersome to lug around everywhere (especially if you have little ones with you). On the other hand, the Mini has a small 10″ display, but it’s extremely mobile (if you’re daring you can have your kid can carry it for you). With the dv6-Mini companion notebooks, you can go big at home and small on the road.

I like the idea of a companion notebooks set. However, a problem with a multi-PC setup is keeping track of files on two computers. When you’re ready to go mobile with your netbook, you have to remember to copy files (work documents, photos, videos, mp3 and iTune songs, emails, browser bookmarks, etc) from your main laptop over to the smaller notebook. And if you make changes to these files on your mobile netbook, you have to remember to copy them back to your main laptop. This is a major hassle if you have a lot of files you want to sync between the two computers.

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HP Pavilion dv6-1299lx Laptop

Daddy Forever — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:01:54 +0000

Hello, I’m the Little Monkey. Even though I’m only three, I’m writing a review of the HP Pavilion dv6-1299lx (dv6t) notebook. My daddy is suppose to write the dv6t laptop review, but he’s making me write the review instead. I think daddy finally realized I have all the brains in this family. That’s why I get paid the big bucks and have to support the family while dad and mom stay home and watch soap operas and eat Twinkies all day. I have to do everything around here — even change my baby brother’s stinky diapers. Oh, sorry. I’m off on a tangent. Let’s get to the review of the HP Pavilion dv6t laptop, shall we?

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HP Mini 110-1036NR Review

Daddy Forever — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:01:28 +0000

Over the weekend, I tested the HP Mini 110-1036NR netbook out in the wild. I packed the Mini laptop and three of my kids in a big Timbuk2 backpack and went on 2.5 mile hike. Because my youngest child is only three, we had to cross a scary troll bridge, walk through an enchanted pink forest, and climb up a hot chocolate volcano to get to the rainbow waterfall (we also encountered a fox that tried to swipe my netbook). By the time we hiked from the bottom of the waterfall to the top (620 feet vertically), the kids were exhausted. While my kids rested, drank water, and ate bugs, I took the opportunity to play with the netbook. Below are my initial thoughts on the HP Mini 110-1036NR.

Tweeting Twitter Followers

Daddy Forever — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:01:02 +0000

I finally joined Twitter (@DaddyForever). Yeah, I know, Twitter has been around for years now. I’ve been too busy living in the non-virtual world to follow anyone or gather followers. Actually, I can’t believe Twitter is still around. When I first heard of Twitter a couple of years ago, people were tweeting about going through the drive-through at McD or about standing in line somewhere. Oh brother, I thought, how long will a web service like this last? Apparently, forever.

Twitter gets bigger and bigger every day. I finally gave up trying to understand people’s obsession with Twitter and joined the social networking service. But don’t worry, my potential followers (following me is just like joining a cult), I won’t tweet about changing the baby’s diaper or emptying the trash. Not sure what I’ll tweet about…maybe I’ll leak some info about a big giveaway coming up (for instance: the giveaway is not limited to North America).

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HP Pavilion dv2-1199 Laptop – Part 2

Daddy Forever — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:02:14 +0000

After playing with the HP Pavilion dv2 Notebook PC for the last few weeks, here are a few more thoughts that I didn’t mention in the first part of the HP dv2 laptop review.

One of the more useful things I’ve done with the HP dv2 is download information about food allergies and save the info to the hard drive. We found out a couple of weeks ago that our baby (Little Disney) is allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts. By storing allergy information on the laptop, we have access to it when we’re at parties and restaurants. A lot of time, people (including my wife and I) just don’t know if a particular food item has milk, eggs, or peanuts in it.
The 12″ screen doesn’t seem so small when you’re using the laptop. After awhile, you get use to it and the screen feels much bigger than it really is. Part of that is because of the HP Pavilion dv2′s high resolution (1280 x 800). On the other hand, my 22″ desktop monitor seems like a big screen TV when I switch from the notebook to my desktop computer.
The HP Pavilion dv2-1199′s DVD drive plays DVDs better than my DVD player. Sometimes my DVD player has problems with scratches, dust, or complex animations. When that happens, I pop the movie into the notebook and the discs plays without any problems.
I’ve been using the notebook as a PDA when I’m on the road. Even though the HP dv2 is a lot bigger than my cell phone, I find the dv2 much more useful (I hate typing with the tiny PDA buttons)
The internal laptop speakers are not as good as the external speakers on my desktop, but they are better than the audio on the previous three laptops I’ve used.
Like most laptops, the keyboard is smaller than normal and it takes a little getting use to.
If you’re new to notebooks, the touchpad also takes getting use to. I actually prefer a wireless mouse with a wheel.
The dv2′s screen is brighter than my desktop’s monitor. Graphics also look sharper and more colorful.

More info: HP Home and Home Office Shopping

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HP Pavilion dv2-1199 Entertainment Notebook PC

Daddy Forever — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:01:10 +0000

HP sent me a Pavilion dv2 Entertainment Notebook PC (model #1199) for review. It’s tiny! It’s less than one inch thick and weighs only 3.8 pounds. The laptop is so light I can have my kids carry it for me. And if the little monsters drop the notebook (like they do with their drinks), the dv2 automatically locks to guard against damage. Cool feature, but I don’t think I want to put it to a test (my kids can destroy anything).

The HP Pavilion dv2 is ultra thin (about the height as a quarter), but it’s more powerful than my desktop computer. In fact, the dv2 has enough juice to run the 64-bit version of Windows Vista (my desktop runs the 32-bit version of Vista). A 64-bit PC offers added responsiveness for users who run a lot of applications at the same time and switch between them frequently. The 64-bit version of Vista also features enhanced security and increased memory support.

I plan on spending more time on the laptop, but this is what I like and dislike about the laptop so far:

Likes

It’s powerful and can run Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
The 1.60 GHz AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core Processor has 1MB of L2 Cache
It comes with 4G of memory (RAM) — more than enough for my Photoshop and Windows Move Maker software
The ATI Mobility Radeon HD Premium Graphics is awesome
Blu-Ray DVD drive — now I can watch Blu-Ray movies
Screen resolution supports 1280 x 800
It’s very small and easy to carry around
The list price is under $700 (that’s the same price I paid for my desktop computer 18 months ago)

Dislikes

The tiny notebook also has a tiny screen (not a big problem for me because I like to connect the laptop to an external monitor)
You can hear the fan spinning constantly (there’s a free BIOS upgrade for disabling the continuous fan setting)
The DVD drive is external (it would more convenient if the drive was internal, but then the laptop would be bigger)
Glossy finish — looks great out of the box, but the glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet

In conclusion, I like the laptop and recommend you take a look at it if you’re in the market for a notebook. It’s light, tiny, and powerful. However, this is probably not the laptop for you if you like to watch DVDs while waiting for the bus, train, or plane.

HP Pavilion dv2-1199 with Moonlight white finish
(also available in Espresso black)

HP Pavilion dv2-1199 Entertainment Notebook PC Specs

AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core Processor (1.60 GHz with 1MB L2 Cache)
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1
12.1″ Diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD Premium Graphics 3410 with M82-SE LP with 512MB DDR2 dedicated graphics memory
4096MB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
320GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA)
External LightScribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer
HP Webcam with integrated microphone
6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery
Integrated 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth
5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picture cards
Altec Lansing with SRS Premium Sound
Keyboard: 82 key (92% of full size)
Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical scroll Up/Down pad
External Ports:
- 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
- Headphone out
- Microphone-in
- HDMI
- VGA (15-pin)
- RJ-45 (LAN)

More info: HP Home and Home Office Shopping

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Star Trek – The Diaper Generation

Daddy Forever — Wed, 06 May 2009 07:01:35 +0000

The new Star Trek movie is coming out this week. Finally. It’s been seven million years since the last Star Trek movie. I’m a big time Star Trek fan, but my kids are not exactly Trekkers. How can you not like a universe with warp drives, transporters, halo decks, Q, and the Borg? There’s obviously something wrong with my kids. Hello kids. There’s more to sci-fi than lightsabers.

Speaking of Star Trek, sometimes I feel like my life is like a Star Trek adventure. Everyday I find myself in dangerous situations and I’m forced to make difficult decisions. Make the wrong decision and my little universe implodes. BTW, here’s my version of the Star Trek prologue:

Parenting…the Ultimate Mental Challenge. These are the struggles of the USS Diaper Genie. Its 18-year mission: to raise strange life forms, to seek out intelligence and good behavior, to boldly go where no parents has survived before.

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Time’s A Wastin or How to Record Audio from YouTube

Daddy Forever — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:01:28 +0000

My favorite song in Walk the Line is Time’s A Wastin (by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon). Unfortunately, the Phoenix-Witherspoon version is not on the soundtrack or available for download from iTunes. However, I did find it on YouTube and figured out a way to convert it to a mp3 file (see instructions after the YouTube video).

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BufferZone Review and Giveaway

Daddy Forever — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:01:11 +0000

Unbeknownst to Mommy Forever, I recently installed BufferZone on her computer. BufferZone is a software program that helps protect a pc from viruses, spyware, and other types of malicious software. The Little Princess uses my wife’s computer and I fear one day she will accidentally download a virus, spyware, or a boyfriend. With BufferZone, I’m covered for the first two problems. A wack from my lightsaber should take care of the other problem.

As far as I can tell, BufferZone does not conflict with other programs. BufferZone works in the background and so far, my wife and daughter has not experienced any problems. Now you too can protect your computer. Leave a comment below to enter a drawing for a copy of BufferZone. Be sure to enter a valid email address. Note: BufferZone works with Windows XP (there’s a beta version for Vista).

Here’s how the program works (WARNING! Geek speak alert):

BufferZone Pro transparently neutralizes threats, including viruses, spyware, and other types of malicious software, by redirecting their disk, registry and other modifications on your PC to an isolated Virtual Zone (the buffer zone). Any modification requested by a program running in the Virtual Zone is performed within the boundaries of the isolated area and does not effect the PC’s actual configuration, data or files.

The software prevents malicious code from silently installing on the system; BufferZone Pro keeps all files, drivers and system resources invisible, protecting them from attacks and preventing them from being exploited in a malicious way.

Because BufferZone Pro separates files and applications, Trojan horses containing key loggers and other malicious code are not able to access sensitive areas of your PC to try and steal passwords. BufferZone Pro automatically and transparently protects trusted files and directories designated as confidential.

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How to Make a Fun Video

Daddy Forever — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:01:20 +0000

I made the Hawaii 5-0 video below from several movie clips I took in the Fall of 2007. To make the video more interesting, I added a soundtrack. Read below for step-by-step instructions on how to make fun videos.

(Hawaii 5-0 Video)

Get Your Free Gravatar

Daddy Forever — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:01:35 +0000

I forgot to mention yesterday that I also made changes to the comments area of my blog. I replaced the threaded comments plugin with one that is built into WordPress 2.7. The built-in one has support for gravatars. In case you didn’t know, a gravatar is an avatar image that follows you from blog to blog (sorta of like a stalker) and appears beside your name when you leave a comment on a gravatar enabled site.

You can sign up for a free gravatar at gravatar.com. Just enter your email address (use the same email address as the one you use for commenting), submit some DNA sample, then click on the magical confirmation link in your email inbox. After you enter a password and a display name, you can upload a photo or graphics for your gravatar.

I used my son’s photo (above) for my gravatar. I’ll going to change it once I find a cooler gravatar. What should I be? A Jedi? How about a Vulcan? Or maybe a superhero like the Silver Surfer.

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Star Wars Meets Star Trek

Daddy Forever — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:42:02 +0000

I don’t usually pass along YouTube videos I like, but the geek in me is making me share this Star Trek – Star Wars video with you. All they need is the Battlestar Galactica and then it’ll be perfect. Found via Desert Songbird.

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Super Heroes Are Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

Daddy Forever — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:01:37 +0000

As most of you know, my two oldest kids and I have a fondness for superheroes. That’s why we are looking forward to the upcoming superhero movies this summer. I doubt we’ll see any of them at the theater. Most of them are too long for my son. He starts fidgeting after about an hour. Plus he only wants to see the action part. All the dialog and plot development stuff us adults like, just bores my son. But we’re still excited about the new movies and can’t wait until the DVDs come out at the end of the year.

Iron Man
May 2, 2008
Wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident and then Tony uses the technology to fight evil. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark (Iron Man). Other cast includes: Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Samuel L. Jackson, and Hilary Swank. [Note: Iron Man is one of the few superheroes who doesn't wear tights.]

The Incredible Hulk
June 13, 2008
Upon returning to civilization, Bruce Banner is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination — a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk’s. Edward Norton stars as Bruce Banner (Hulk). Other cast includes: Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt. [Note: Bruce Banner's pants are magical. That's why his pants stay on no matter how big the Hulk gets.]

The Dark Knight
July 18, 2008
Batman continues his effort to bring justice to Gotham’s crime and corrupt. This time, The Dark Knight faces a rising psychopathic criminal called The Joker. Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne (Batman) and the late Heath Ledger plays the part of The Joker. Other cast includes: Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman. [Note: Batman is one of my favorite superheroes because he doesn't have any special powers. He can't even fly like Ironman. He's just smart and has lots of cool gadgets.]

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
August 26, 2008
This is a direct-to-DVD animated film. In the DVD, the children of the Avengers, Son of Black Widow and Captain America, Wasp and Giant-Man’s son, Thor’s daughter, and Black Panther’s son must stop the villainous android Ultron. [Note: my children are looking forward to this movie because the new Avengers are kids.]

What movies are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

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Acer Aspire Review

Daddy Forever — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 07:01:21 +0000

I purchased an Acer Aspire computer for my wife and kids a month ago. I have been impressed. The computer is a very nice entry system. It’s actually faster than my computer, which is a Pentium 3 system I built over five years ago. The Acer computer comes with the AMD Sempron 3200+ processor, 512M memory, 160G hard drive, Windows XP, DVD/CD-RW drive, RJ-45 networking port, a bunch of USB ports, audio, speakers, ps/2 mouse, ps/2 keyboard, 17″ CRT monitor, 56k modem, and IEEE 1394 ports. The computer also has a bunch of slots for various memory cards.

The Acer was purchased on sale at Circuit City for $290. I upgraded to a Samsung 19″ LCD monitor for $160 more. But I got a $15 gift card for opening up a rewards account and I also used a $15 coupon I received in the mail. The monitor also had a $100 rebate, so my final price was $320 for the computer and 19″ flat screen LCD monitor. I also earned enough reward points to quality for a free DVD.

Here are my thoughts on the computer:

What I Like

It’s inexpensive – $320 is a great price for a pc with a 19″ LCD monitor.
Quiet – the computer is so quiet I can’t tell it’s even on.
No mail-in rebate – there’s no rebate to mail-in if you stick with the basic system. The other $300 systems I looked it involved a mail-in rebate.
More memory – some of the other $300 systems only had 256M memory (Acer = 512M).
Bigger hard drive – some of the other $300 systems only had 80G or 120G hard drives (Acer = 160G).
Cables and jacks are color coded.
DVD drive – the pc comes with a DVD drive. You can also burn CD’s.
Built-in networking – I didn’t have to install a separate network card.
Computer case is easy to open in case you need to work on the inside of the pc.
Expandable – there’s plenty of expansion slots and bays for upgrades.
USB and memory slots on the front of the pc.
Bright monitor – the Samsung monitor is very bright. My other monitor runs dark and I didn’t even know about some web graphics problems on my site until I saw them on the Samsung monitor.
Saves desk space – the flat panel monitor enables me to write on my desk again.

What I Don’t Like

Slow setup – the first time I turned on the pc, I had to wait for it to finish installing/configuring Windows XP.
Make your own system disks – the pc does not come with any recovery or systems disks. The pc prompts you for CDs and you have wait for the computer to burn the recovery and systems disks.
Useless manual – I didn’t find the manual useful when I had a problem.
Problem with audio – there’s several audi-out jacks. You need to connect the black jack from the speaker to the green audio-out on the pc. In this case, the cables and jacks are not color coded and there’s no info in the manual or the support site about connecting it to the green audio-out jack. I connected the black jack from the speaker to the black audio-out jack, which of course produced no sound. I had to contact Circuit City to resolve the problem.
Only two user account types – this is actually a Windows XP issue and not an Acer problem. There’s only two types of user accounts – administrator or limited. I didn’t want to give my wife and kids administrator rights, but limited is too limited. On my Windows 2000 system, there’s also a power user account type that is not available in XP.
No bells and whistles – the system does not come with any cool applications.

Princess M uses the computer for playing online games and CD games like Dora, Putt Putt, and Freddie Fish. The pc works fine for those types of games. I’m not sure how it will handle processor heavy games that teenagers and adults like to play (we don’t have any of those types of games in our house). My wife uses the computer to surf the web. She is quite amazed at how fast every thing loads in the browser. She loves shopping online and now she can visit more sites in the same amount of time as her old pc. I’m not sure if this actually a good thing. The Acer will also work fine for basic blogging, but you will most likely need a more powerful system if you need to edit videos for video casting.

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© 2006 Online Destiny Ltd : : Daddy Forever is a trademark of Online Destiny Ltd