You no longer have to be an involuntary beta tester. Dr Dave guides you through the technology maze, separating the hype from technology that actually adds to the quality of your life.

The Best of Dr Dave's Weekly Radio Show

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Monday, July 18, 2011

Quirky but Fun Aviation History Site

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Arizona, Southeastern Tucson area

Fun time killer for aviation buffs. Boy if these places could talk...

Amazon Options for the Starving Student

Amazon.com: Kindle Textbook Rental

While it's not always the most cost effective option (used is often nearly as inexpensive), renting your textbook from Amazon may be just the thing for students on a tight budget. Only requirement is a Kindle or Kindle software on your computer. I've been a bit of a Kindle crank, but this really makes sense.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Unique Tech Products on Sale - as Heard on My Show...

Compelling combination of old tech and new tech. Bluetooth handsets at ThinkGeek.com. Wouldn't you love to Skype on one of these? On sale for less than $40!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Dropbox Puts Foot in Mouth - Rearranges Foot Several Times

Dropbox Moves To Clear Up Cloud Data Ownership, Terms Of Service Confusion

As with many technical EULA's, Dropbox's recent version was shockingly worded and some of the edits they provided after getting copious flack fron horrified users only served to confuse even more. They need to fire their attorneys and attempt to get their money back for those fees associated with the production of their legal monstrosity. Flummery!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Facebook vs Google+

InfoGraphic – Facebook vs Google+ (UPDATED)

Interesting comparison of features in the battle of the Internet giants. Can Google really compete with Facebook? Facebook has a 750 million member headstart. Of course Myspace had a huge advantage over Facebook in 04, and Myspace just got given away.

If Google can create the sort of "must have" energy that they did originally with Gmail, Facebook could have a heck of a fight on their hands.

I've always thought that Facebook, as much better than Myspace as it is, leaves a lot to be desired on the usability front. That is Google's playing field. We'll see if they can create the frenzy...

Comin' to America

Spotify is coming to the U.S. Sign up to get your invite now - Spotify

Spotify may be the best music service on Earth and is on the way to the States. Sign up for the pre-release waiting list now. You'll love it!

Friday, July 08, 2011

40 Legal Free Movie Downloads

Top 40 best free legal movies you can download right now - TECH.BLORGE.com

Mostly old B or C movies from the 30's and 40's free for the download. They happen to be the type of movies that I particularly enjoy. No looking over your shoulder for RIAA and MPAA surveillance and subpoenas in your mailbox. Guilt free freeness of cheesy entertainment. It doesn't get any better!

500GB USB drive $70 at Office Depot

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra Portable External Hard Drive 500GB Black by Office Depot

Check out this deal for a Seagate 500GB external USB drive for less than $70.00. Includes backup and encryption software on the drive. Deal is good 'til 7/9/11.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Gmails New Ultra Clean Design

Gmail - What's been keeping the Gmail team busy

Check out the new look of Gmail. Taking simplicity to the next level. I really like it. This quality is what differentiates Google from the rest of the Internet powerhouses. This ruthless devotion to stark simplicity will continue to serve them, and their users, well.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Radio's History - Is TV history, too?

Internet, social media usage catching TV | BusinessBrief.com

More numbers that tell us what we already knew. The Internet is taking over. It took a while. Many jumped the gun, but what experts have been predicting since Al Gore created the Internet is finally actually happening.

Radio networks and stations have been struggling for years, TV stations and networks are circling the drain with them now.

It's not a friendly neighborhood, though. No one knows what the success formulas are. Not CBS, not Fox, not Microsoft. We are all equally ignorant. The opportunities are astronomic, but the carnage will be ugly.

Internet as Media Hub for the Majority

Half of TVs to Have Internet Connectivity by 2015 - CNBC

Nearly 18 years after the temporary millionaire busboy told the CBS News reporter he was going to put them out of business, seems it's beginning to come to fruition. More and more media are moving to the Internet. As the flood of media choices on the Internet continues, it will become harder for smaller media entities to get a toehold, just as starting a TV or Radio network traditionally has been. Doesn't bode well for the majority of the small fry, but some of the small fry will hit it big. If we can just keep the traditional lame stream media from taking over the Internet all will be well.

Dell's Inspiron 15R Core i3 Sweetspot

Dell Inspiron 15R Core i3-380M Dual-Core 2.53GHz 4GB 500GB DVD±RW 15.6" Laptop Win7 Home Prem w/Webcam & 6-Cell Battery Dell N5010 Mars Black Inspiron 15R
This laptop hits the sweetspot for a majority of laptop users, and the price is right. dual core 2.53Ghz, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive and all the usual features provide plenty of power for most of us and the 15.6 inch form factor is big enough to be a desktop replacement, but not so big as to become a problem being mobile. Check it out!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Logitech Harmony 650 Remote Control

Buy.com - Logitech Harmony 650 Universal Remote Control

With remote controls it's all about quality not quantity, so replace the 4 or 5 sitting on your coffee table with the very highly rated Logitech Harmony 650. As long as you don't mind a refurbished unit, Buy.com has them for under $50 with FREE shipping. To make the decision even easier, any concerns about a refurbed unit are assuaged by a 1 year warranty.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The untold story of Apple vs Windows infections

Trojans, viruses, worms: How does malware get on PCs and Macs? | ZDNet

I haven't been much of a fan of ZDNet since their acquisition by Cnet (CBS), but Ed Bott does the best job of explaining the current situation with Mac and Windows infections I have ever read. This is a must read for anyone that uses a computer to surf the Internet. Read it now!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Smokin' Xbox 360 Pro 20GB Deal!

Xbox 360 Pro 20GB Microsoft Refurbished for Xbox 360 | GameStop

Click on the link above for the best deal I've seen on an Xbox, ever. It's a refurbished older model, but quite a deal in spite of that.

Firefox 4 Performance Fix

Firefox 4 is known for becoming a real dog after you open a few tabs. This is caused by a default setting that greatly delays releasing unused memory that can eventually use all your memory and slow your browsing to a crawl. The Internet is filled with fixes that don't work. Here's one that does:
1. Open Firefox 4
2. Type "about:config" in the address bar.
2. Scroll down to "image.mem.min_discard_timeout_ms"
3. Change the default value from 120000 to 10000

Close that browser window, exit and relaunch Firefox 4 and your problems should be history.

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

1TB USB 2.0 for less than $60!

1TB USB 2.0 external drive


Super deal on a 1TB external 3.5" USB 2.0 drive. TODAY ONLY - $59.99. Not the fastest in the world, but a great backup drive if nothing else.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Steal My Pick for the Best Mobile laptop

Smokin' deal on my favorite mobile laptop. Lenovo x220 for less than $850 bucks. Make sure you type in "logicbu10" in the coupon field (without the quotes) fro another 10% off. That's like 45% off!

ASCOMP Software GmbH - Data backup with BackUp Maker

ASCOMP Software GmbH - Data backup with BackUp Maker

One of my favorite backup programs. Fast, flexible, reliable and FREE. Does it get any better? Buy a couple of external hard drives and you and your data are safe.


Thursday, April 21, 2011

Report: Russian software tycoon's son 'missing' - World news - Europe - Russia - msnbc.com

Report: Russian software tycoon's son 'missing' - World news - Europe - Russia - msnbc.com

We met Kaspersky in 2001 at Comdex. He was a very down to earth guy, although that was about 750 million dollars ago.

I am surprised this sort of thing hasn't happened sooner. Russian organized crime is VERY active and aggressive and law enforcement is often compromised. I wish him and his son the best in this horrible situation.

Monday, April 18, 2011

NASA - Image of the the Day - Gallery

NASA - Image of the the Day - Gallery

Incredible images from NASA's vast library of images. Downloadable in various resolutions. Free and legal.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

All those tweets, apps, updates may drain brain

All those tweets, apps, updates may drain brain

I believe this is absolutely true. What do you think?

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Smokin' Satellite Savings

Satellite A660-BT3G25X Laptop

Direct from Toshiba with free shipping! Normally $1249.00 only $846.00 'til 4/11/11.
Very nice 16" LCD, i7 quad core processor with discrete video and gobs of RAM in a sleek attractive case.

If you're looking for a performance laptop you need to give this a serious look.

Glary Utilities - Speed up Windows Startup and more

Glary Utilities - Free Utilities to Clean Registry, Fix PC Errors, Clean Privacy

Great set of utilities for optimization and speed up of your Windows system. A listener request for a startup management and optimization tool prompted this post. Glary Utilities does that and much more very well. And it's free!

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Today only at PricePlunge.com

Pageplus X4 only $9.99 at PricePlunge.com

Very good publishing software from Serif. Being replaced by version X5. A good value at $90, an incredible deal at $10. Get it today only - 10 hours left as of this writing...

Monday, April 04, 2011

Windows 8 "pre-beta" Screenshots

Within Windows | Windows 8 Secrets: Windows Explorer Ribbon

Microsoft is rumored to be integrating the controversial "Ribbon" interface that it pioneered in it's Office 2007 product in Windows 8. The screenshots of a pre-beta version of Windows 8, if accurate, are an indication that this is in fact the case.



Microsoft's decision to go "Ribbon" in Office were very controversial, but have been accepted by most users in the interim, albeit begrudgingly. It will be interesting to see users reaction when Windows 8 beta is distributed. I reckon you may hear a lot of moaning...

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Epsilon | Epsilon Notifies Clients of Unauthorized Entry into Email System

Epsilon | Epsilon Notifies Clients of Unauthorized Entry into Email System

US Bank, Tivo, Fry's/Kroger Groceries, and a few other Epsilon clients have notified customers that their email addresses have been accessed by unauthorized people. Here's the official press release from Epsilon.

Big deal? Sorta. No data other than name and email address have been accessed, but that will be enough for some people to fall prey to these guys pretending to be US Bank, Tivo or Fry's.

The "real" world - both virtual and physical is a tough neighborhood. You don't have to live in Afghanistan to experience it.

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Revo Uninstaller Freeware - Free and Full Download - Uninstall software, remove programs, solve uninstall problems

Download Revo Uninstaller Freeware - Free and Full Download - Uninstall software, remove programs, solve uninstall problems:

So many Windows programs have very bad uninstall hygiene. Revo Uninstaller cleans up the mess. One of the best ways to make a real difference in the performance of your computer without buying additional hardware. Best uninstaller available right now.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Handy collection of Windows Vista & 7 fixes

Repair & Fix Windows problems with FixWin Utility | The Windows Club

This collection of Windows fixes is very convenient and usable for even the most inexperienced Windows users. Download it at the link above.
Even with well written and designed programs like this caution is necessary. If you are not sure what the menu options results are, don't do it.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Palm no more.

HP thinks small with WebOS-based Pre 3 and Veer phones - News - Linux for Devices

As I predicted 2 years ago Palm has expired. The company purchased by HP last year has been absorbed and it's 2 newest products, the first since that acquisition no longer carry the Palm logo.

While WebOS is still the best smartphone OS in my opinion, the delay in the release of these 2 phones, does nothing to help their chances of making a big splash. They are completely out of cycle. This announcement should have been made at CES a month ago.

Only the fact that they are HP products gives them any chance at success. They are running uphill against the iPhone, the new Motorola Atrix other Android powered phones, and Blackberrys. I'm not sure they have what it takes to stand out from the crowd. Attention spans are so short these days. By the time they are released this summer everyone will have moved on.

Monday, February 07, 2011

AOL Buys Huffington Post for $315 Million

AOL Buys Huffington Post for $315 Million

"1 plus 1 equals 11". Sounds like an Internet bubble era mistake to me. The key will be HuffPo's ability to remain autonomous from AOL's corporate-think. We'll see how it goes. I think AOL suffers the reverse Midas effect.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Hi Tech - Hi Touch

Root Cases | Wood iPhone 4 Cases

I love wood. The combo of the ultimate of hi tech with the warmth and natural appeal of wood is unbeatable. Too bad they're Apple bigots ;>)

Monday, January 31, 2011

The Ultimate Customer Service Faux Pas

AT&T overbilling on iPhone, iPad accounts [u] | Electronista

I don't believe that an issue like this can be an accident. I know about AT&T's billing problems. I fought for 2 years to correct thousands of dollars of incorrect billings. Ultimately they handled it properly, but the process required to get them to fix it was exhausting and ridiculous.
While the costs for a company are so great when found guilty of fraud, the systems involved in billing are so important, accurate and robust that a company of the size and history of AT&T is going to have tough time suggesting it was an error. If they admit incompetence in billing systems it calls into question the accuracy of their other systems. Data and telecom systems that they charge their customers billions for. I suppose incompetence is preferable to criminality. What a choice!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Great Free Powerpoint Templates

Microsoft PowerPoint - Fabulous free templates await: The PPT65 project is complete

Incredible templates available for download free.

THE New Microsoft.com

Microsoft Corporation

Check out the new Microsoft.com preview. Simpler, cleaner and a bit old school. I don't know if I like it.
What do you think?

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

My Blackberry Is Not Working!

"

Monday, January 17, 2011

More Health issues for Apple CEO

IPhone -Apple CEO to Take Medical Leave

Steve Jobs has fought with very serious health issues since 2004. Hopefully this announcement of a health related leave of absence isn't as serious as his prior bouts with pancreatic cancer and a liver transplant. He is remaining as Apple CEO for the time being.

Best of luck Steve...

Friday, January 14, 2011

Smokin' Lenovo laptop deal

Buy.com - Lenovo G560 067999U 15.6" Notebook, Intel Pentium P6100 (2.0GHz), 4GB DDR3 Memory, 320GB HDD, DVD Super Multi-Drive, Intel GMA HD, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

Not the top of the line Lenovo, but a VERY good value at just 399.99 with free shipping. Buy it now!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Great News for All!

At last, iPhone comes to Verizon | Circuit Breaker - CNET News

Great news for Verizon, Apple and the public. Even AT&T customers potentially benefit from this development as they find themselves having to improve service to keep formerly captive iPhone customers. Hip Hooray!