Holy Cow, I haven't posted anything in over a year

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't posted anything in over a year. Well, since my last post was about getting a Motorola Droid, I guess I can tell you that I now have a Droid 2, because the original Droid was a piece of crap and Verizon Wireless replaced it with a brand new Droid 2. And then Julia decided to get one also!

I'll have to find the time to post more often. I'll try....

Got a Motorola Droid

I got the new Motorola Droid smartphone last Friday and have been fooling around with it all weekend. It looks pretty good, but coming from a "dumb phone" it doesn't have some of the features from that phone, but I think it makes up for them in many other ways.

More to come on this topic, but some forums I have found indispensable are:
Android Forums
AndroLib
HowardForums: Android VZW Smartphones

Getting FiOS

The little green boxes were put in the grass last winter and now I see Verizon trucks in the neighborhood, so I go to Verizon's FiOS website to see if I can finally get FiOS. Yes! It looks like I can finally order it. While I'm pricing it out (I really only want TV and Internet, I'm thinking of dropping the landline), I get the "live chat" window. Well, well, well. Mabel wants to "help" me. The only question I really have for her is how much the "taxes and fees" are. She tells me she can't answer that because it's different based on where you live. I tell her I'm in NJ. She again tells me that it's a computer automated thing and she doesn't know. I ask if it's in the $20 range or $50. No answer.

So she goes on to make me an offer only good while I'm online with her NOW!!!!! She'll waive the DVR fee for three months. And, she will waive all the activation and installation charges. Big deal. The website already does that. I told her I would think about it. She seemed disappointed that I wouldn't be signing up NOW!!!!! with her. Oh well, I'm sure she will get over it.

Over the next few days/weeks (and I really hope not months!), I will chronicle my FiOS exploits and let you know how things are going. Stay tuned....

Security for Online Banking

Check this post on the Top PC Support Blog about using a Live CD for online banking, especially for business accounts.

Get Affordable Help With Your Computer

I'm available as an expert to help you with any computer related problem you may have.

Biznik

I was reading an article at Entrepreneur about 8 Sites to Help You Network (8 niche social networks deliver the introductions business owners need). I joined Biznik.com which allows people to join a local business community to connect and collaborate with nearby entrepreneurs, and find out about local seminars and events.

Cool Desktop Wallpaper

Vladstudio is the project of Russian digital artist Vlad Gerasimov. He has created some amazing desktop backgrounds (or wallpapers), in all resolutions from 128x128 (for mobile phones) to 2650x1600 (for wide screen monitors). He even has backgrounds that span across multiple monitors. Low quality versions are available for free download, but you can get a subscription to the site for as low as $8.99 (a one time charge).

Just say NO to IE6

If you are still using IE6 (or another older web browser), please consider upgrading. The latest browsers are more secure and in most cases faster than the older version.

If you need assistance with this, head on over to Top PC Support.

Oxt weekend? Will this catch on?

Explaining a future date can be downright confusing.
People often use the phrase “next weekend” to describe the future weekend, but this can lead to confusion. While some interpret “next weekend” to mean this coming weekend, others interpret it as the weekend after, hence the use of the awkward, overly wordy, “not this weekend but the weekend after.” Oxt weekend is a new phrase you can use instead of saying “not this weekend but the weekend after.” Check it out here.

Thinking about Win 7 ?

Thinking of upgrading your PC to Windows 7 when it arrives in October? You may want to test your PC to check if you will get the most out of Windows 7. Check out the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser. For more assistance, head on over to Top PC Support.

Anti-Virus

Please be sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware software is up to date. Most vendors update their virus definition files daily, so you should have the "auto check" feature turned on for that software. If you're not sure about this, or have any questions, head on over to Top PC Support for assistance!

Book List

Edit 4/26/09: I'm now reading Tami Hoag's Prior Bad Acts and John Sanford's Dark of the Moon is on deck!
Edit 4/21/09: I just finished reading Ed Park's Personal Days and am now reading James Patterson's Mary Mary.
Edit 4/12/09: I just finished Patricia Cornwell's Scapetta .
Edit 3/23/09: I recently finished Tess Gerritsen's The Sinner and am now reading The Keepsake.

Edit 3/15/09: Recently I finished Tami Hoag's Kill the Messenger and Clive Cussler's White Death.

Edit 1/27/09: I am just about finished with Stephen King's Just After Sunset.

Edit 1/13/09: I didn't have a chance to read Bones before it was due back, so I will read that once I have time. New books are James Patterson's Cross Country and David Bach's Start Late, Finish Rich: A No-Fail Plan for Achieving Financial Freedom at Any Age.

Edit 12/30/08: I haven't even had time to finish those two (below) and Alice Schroeder's The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life and Jonathan Kellerman's Bones are ready at the library for me. I had them reserved, so I can't tell them when I want them. When they're ready for you, you pick them up or lose them.

Edit 12/19/08: Next up is David Baldacci's The Whole Truth and Jonathan Kellerman's Obsession. I will get back to the Hoag marathon after these!

Edit 12/10/08: I read Michael Connelly's The Brass Verdict. Now I'm going on a Tami Hoag marathon! I will start Dark Horse next and will continue reading all her novels up until her latest one.

Edit 11/27/08: Happy Thanksgiving! Now reading Tami Hoag's Dust to Dust.

Edit 11/12/08: Picked up Nelson DeMille's The Gate House and will begin that immediately.

Edit 10/28/08: Picked up David Baldacci's Simple Genius and that is on deck.

I started reading Michael Palmer's The Fifth Vial and also started reading Robin Cook's Foreign Body (because that was ready at the library for me). I hardly ever read two books at the same time, so we'll see how this works out.

Virtual Garage Sale

I've created a virtual garage sale page for all the stuff I'm selling on Craig's List. You can find my stuff for sale here. My contact info is there as well, along with pictures of all the items.

We adopted kittens

We adopted two kittens from the Somerset Regional Animal Shelter. Rory is a 4 1/2 month old female and Chase is an 8 month old male. Rory is black with a white underbelly and paws. Chase is grey and white. Rory is a real "lap cat" as she likes to sit with us and be petted. Chase has been staying under the couch most of the time, but I'm sure he will warm up to us in a little while. They've only been home with us for less than two days.

I'm an uncle

Jeff and Jordana finally had a baby. Well, actually they had twins. A boy and a girl. Jonah Eli and Ariel Lily (at least that's the way I think they're spelled). We went down to see them December 13 and they are adorable. Mom and the babies are doing fine. This picture is when they are less than a week old.

World's Worst Banker?

Sandy Weill, Chuck Prince, and Vikram Pandit of Citigroup nominated for World's Worst Banker!

In a Newsweek article:

In an interview Monday, Nobel laureate Paul Krugman nominated the gang that ran Citigroup into the ground. But Citi was so big it took three CEOs—Sandy Weill, Chuck Prince, and Vikram Pandit—to bring it to the brink of disaster.

Don't worry, they were in very good company!

ShamWow!

ShamWow!
I decided to order the ShamWow because I use a lot of paper towels and hand towels in the kitchen wiping up water spills around the sink. I ordered from the website after seeing it on a TV infomercial. I read a few reviews online before ordering and most had good things to say. It seems the main "bad" issue is that it doesn't fully dry surfaces.

One issue I have is that shipping and handling is $7.95. I think this is a bit of a rip-off, but at least I don't have to pay sales tax. "Handling" should be built into the price, and shipping shouldn't be more than a couple bucks.

Product Review: Air-O-Swiss 7135 Humidifier

I purchased this humidifier today at Bed Bath & Beyond because I was tired of waking up with a sore throat and "crusty things" in my nose. Basically the dry air of winter isn't good. I have a humidifier on the furnace for the downstairs, but nothing on the furnace for upstairs. I figured a small, portable humidifier for the bedroom would be easier and less costly than installing a humidifier on the furnace in the attic.

I selected the Air-O-Swiss 7135 based on some reviews on AllergyBuyersClub.com, Allergy Consumers Review and other sites. I purchased from Bed Bath because of their 20% discount coupons that they always send me.

First impressions:
The demineralization cartridge needs to soak in water for 24 hours before use. If you're using distilled water, or reverse osmosis water, you don't need to use the DMC. I placed it on my night table on my side of the bed, with the nozzle pointing parallel to the side of the bed, into the room. I'll see if that works well.
The first time I turned it on, the red "clean" indicator came on and nothing else happened. I reset it according to the instructions and it's working fine now. I am using the heated mist function but really can't tell that the mist coming out is warm or not.

Since I haven't had a chance to really use it, I will update this review over the next few days and months. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will attempt to answer them. Good luck in your personal quest for better winter air!

Edit 12/2/08: After using the humidifier a few days, it is quiet. I am very happy about that because I was afraid I would have problems falling asleep because it is right next to me. The humidity sensor is not very accurate. I have it set for 40% RH (relative humidity) and it hardly ever gets there to shut off by itself. I think it is low by about 20 based on testing with a temperature/humidity data logger I have. I let it run 24x7 for a couple days and the carpeting near the humidifier was damp, so I decided to only start it when I went to bed, and usually on the low speed. This goes through about half a tank of water (I shut it off in the morning when I wake up). I am using the preheat setting.

I have noticed a big difference in the mornings. My sore throat is gone and I'm feeling better overall.

My Keypad

Since I am using Insteon technology in my house, I have a few KeypadLinc's (Remote-Controllable Keypad Dimmer) throughout. Here is my main keypad by the garage door, which we use as our main entry to the house.

Here is the original switch with the clear buttons. Click each picture to see a high resolution picture.

Here is an updated picture of the keypad with the top four buttons replaced with laser engraved buttons. They look much better, so once I have some extra money to spend on HA (Home Automation), I will upgrade the bottom buttons.

Let me know which one you like best. Other people have used colored buttons, such as red, blue, red, etc. to differentiate some buttons. I don't think I will be doing that.

Restaurant Review: 28 BBQ

The wife and I went to 28 BBQ tonight. You don't want to go there for the ambiance.

The restaurant seems new, but we saw other reviews going back to 2007. It looks like there is a take-out part and a sit-down restaurant part, which is where we went. The walls are a light green and all the tables are square wood tables for two. Larger tables are created by putting multiple tables together. The light is bright fluorescent and the floor is tile, so the place overall is very bright. Since the place wasn't busy, the waitress told us to pick a table where we wanted to sit. There was a TV hanging from the ceiling in a corner of the room playing a repeat of Law & Order.

On the table were mustard and ketchup squeeze bottles (the yellow and red one's), a napkin dispenser and salt & pepper shakers. The tables had paper place mats and settings with a fork and knife. Remember, you're not there for the ambiance.

I ordered the beef short ribs and the wife ordered the paella. I got a salad included with mine and my wife ordered a separate one. When they came, they were just lettuce, tomato and onion. We weren't offered a choice of dressing and oil & vinegar was brought with the salads. A bread basket with basic bread and butter was also brought to the table. The place is BYOB so we brought a bottle of Mark West pinot noir wine, which I'm "testing" for Thanksgiving. (Any errors in this post are attributable to the wine, since I ended up drinking almost the whole bottle.) Julia was bummed because she was looking forward to sangria.

While we were eating the salads, which were fine, the waitress brought each of us a plate, which she put on the side of us. This really could have been done once the salad plates were cleared, but then, you're not here for the ambiance. When we were done with the salads, the plates were cleared promptly. Then it was time for another glass of wine, at least for me.

The main courses were served and they were large portions. The paella was a large silver bowl of yellow rice with half a lobster on top. There were clams and mussels mixed in. There was also supposed to be shrimp in there, but there was none to be found. The mussels weren't open, so they were not edible. We pointed this out to the waitress and she brought the manager over. He apologized and offered to re-make the dish, but Julia declined. Ultimately the dish was removed from the bill. The short ribs were good. They were a little fatty near the bone, but that is to be expected. They were cooked as ordered (medium) and were tasty. There were a lot of "meat" items on the menu, so I think that is what you should be ordering if you go there. The prices were reasonable.

As far as beverages go, there were Coca Cola products in a cooler on display. It looked like there were pieces of cake and other desserts in a cooler next to that one. We did not order dessert, so I don't know how those tasted.

Overall it was just "Ok." My dinner was good but Julia's was not. The ambiance was nothing to speak of. I think the place does a good take-out business because the parking lot was full, but there weren't many people in the restaurant part.