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Top Tech Tips

  • 23-11-2005 9:01pm
    #1
    barneysplash
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,205 ✭✭✭


    Tech Tips and Tricks

    Well folks,

    Here are a few tips, tricks and cool websites to make this life a bit easier:


    Do the Google Definition two-step

    Try this. Say you want to know what DNA stands for, who Mata Hari was or whatever. Go to google and type define: then type your search query i.e.
    define: DNA
    define: Mata hari
    define: broadband
    Whatever you're looking for, you will be given a page with definitions of your search term, and links to more information about them. Quick and clean. Just the way I like it.


    Nokia - Connecting People (for 54 quid including delivery)

    Fed up of complicated so called "smart" phones? Never use all those fancy "extras" on your phone? Then get on to ebay and buy an unlocked Nokia 1100.

    This is possibly the most basic, easy to use and relialbe phone ever made. Nokia sells this phone in the developing world i.e. Brazil, China, India etc, where people are only able to afford a basic phone with no bells and whistels.

    This phone is basically the same as the old nokia phones we all knew and loved the 5110, 3210 and 3310, in a tough lightweight shell and has the same battery used in all the latest "fancy" phones, the Nokia BL-5C battery. But because this phone consumes a fraction of the power of complex colour camera phones, the battery length is hyper-extended, over a week
    between charges, I've found.

    You can buy an unlocked Nokia on ebay.ie for about 50 quid including delivery (mainly sold from the UK). You can put any sim card into the phone and it will work coz it's unlocked.

    This phone is ideal for kids (it's durable) and older people (it's simple to use) or if like me you want talk text and an alarm clock and not much else. Check it out here:

    http://www.europe.nokia.com/nokia/0,,42112,00.html




    Born in the USA. On display in Termonfeckin.

    Do you love movies? Lots of films you'd like to see but can't get in your video library?

    DVD's are great. But they're expensive, even on great sites like http://www.play.com or http://www.cdwow.ie So try this.

    Go to your TV / Home entertainment shop and ask them for a Video player with dual PAL and NTSC playback. Don't pay more than 100 euro. You see, in Europe we use the PAL system for TV, Video and DVD. In the USA and Canada they use the NTSC system. My VCR is a Daewoo model ST220P but there are lots of ntsc players available.

    Since DVD came arrived in the late 90's, most video libraries in the USA have changed over to renting only DVD's. Their video stocks were liquidated - sold to anyone who would buy them at car boot sales, mass auctions etc.

    The people who bought them now sell them on the internet by the bucketload. You can get NTSC tapes of your favourite movies for literally pennies. Running a virtual shop on ebay or Amazon zShops (just like ebay) are a whole network of great vendors, only too happy to sell you tapes for next to nothing.

    Each tape typically costs 2 or 3 dollars, and 5 bucks for shipping. It takes between 1 to 8 weeks by surface mail from the USA. This means that it's not sent by airmail, so it takes longer but it's much cheaper, so it makes the whole process economical.

    Here are some vendors that I have bought tapes from and will use again:

    CleeBooks
    www.amazon.com/seller/clee833
    cindylee83@hotmail.com

    mrdominicf zShop
    www.amazon.com/shops/mrdominicf
    http://shops.half.ebay.com/mrdomsmovies

    krbcommunications zShop
    www.amazon.com/shops/krbcommunications

    Global Media zShop
    www.amazon.com/shops/globalmediaamazon

    muffetjane
    http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts/customer-glance/
    A2OWJ8S4HC2LV4/104-8464339-1114353

    myronanderson zShop
    www.amazon.com/shops/myronanderson

    skraymond
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/seller/at-a-glance.
    html/104-8464339-1114353?seller=A3EPQUTK045VHD&marketplaceSeller=1

    kizziemodo zShop
    www.amazon.com/shops/kizziemodo

    You will find that the cost of buying the tape like this actually works out cheaper than renting it from some video libraries for 1 night! Between these vendors you should be able to find any films you can find here. Plus they have all the great "made for cable" movies we don't get over here from channels like HBO. Then there are the documentaries and independent cinema releases we will never get on release here. This cheeky way of buying cheap films is a great example of the power of the internet, and
    it's yours for the taking. Don't forget the popcorn!


    Brand Loyalty? Kiss my blank

    When it comes to buying blank CD-R or DVD or memory cards for your camera, don't pay anything extra for branded products. These things are literally all made in the same factories in China, Japan, India or Germany and then brand stickers are put on them. Check out http://www.komplett.ie for good value in these and other products. I buy all my blank media and memory cards in value stores like aldi and lidl or pound shops.


    Blessed are the Geeks, for they shall inherit the earth

    If you have not heard of it yet, here it is now. The single best site
    on the internet is http://www.wikipedia.org

    Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia site. Its free to view, up to date and
    has loads of great features. But the greatest thing about wikipedia
    is that anyone can edit the articles. This means that anyone who really
    likes a subject can add their knowledge to the page, using the easy to
    use edit feature on the page. If you've wanted to learn how to program a computer or publish and share information on your favourite pastimes, wikipedia is the site for you.

    There are also episode guides for your favourite TV shows like lost, weeds, 24, desperate housewives etc. It gets the best from amatuer enthuasists who love what they're writing about.

    One of the best things about wikipedia is that its text only so its low impact
    on your internet connection and very quick. If I'm working on the internet, I open a seperate screen just for wikipedia. Try it, and if you dont like what you see, you can always change it!

    I've always found that the hobbyist or fansites are much better than the official or subscription based encyclopedia sites, wikipedia is like a big umbrella that sits over loads of great fansites. Check it out http://www.wikipedia.org


    Why you should NOT buy a plasma TV

    It seems that the hot "sexy" must-have item for home entertainment this year is a plasma TV. A big screen, thin and easy to mount on a wall. But they are not a smart purchase.

    Plasma TV's are based on a set of microchips that replace the glass tube used in normal tellys to make the picture. Plasma screens are so big that the chips cannot always keep up with the demand to make the picture perfect. So the picture slows down and becomes blocky in some parts as the chips struggle to catch up. You will hear all sorts of fancy jargon like "refresh rates" and "hertz" about this but use your own judgement:

    If you're interested in buying one try this. Go into a TV showroom, and look at a plasma TV on display. Ask the sales guy to change the channel on the telly to a music video channel. Flick through the channels until you come to a music video with lots of fast-moving or flashy visuals, and watch. You will be able to see the slow-down and picture distortion that results as the chips sweat it to do the maths to make the picture.

    The boffins at SHARP Electronics (who make great tellys, in my opinon) said a few years ago that they would not develop plasma technology for their televisions. All their flatscreen tellys are based on LCD technology, which has been around for years. So if a major player in the industry has no confidence in the system...

    In summary, because of all the hype around plasmas, everyone wants one, but I think they're just a flash in the pan of good technology the price of normal big tube tellys has dropped dramatically, even though these normal tellys have much better picture quality and are based on proven technology. So you can pick up a bargain big screen telly, or if you really want a flat screen, buy an LCD one. Shop around!


    As always I welcome any tips or tricks you've come across. Post away!



    Peace

    Barney


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