Archive | January, 2009

18 Resources for Geeky Bookworms

Jan/19 in Online Apps

31QS3K8FXXL._SL500_AA280_ Do you see yourself as a geeky bookworm?  If you like reading blogs, chances are you might also enjoy reading a book or two.  Have you ever tried to write your own?  Do you want to share your favorite books with others?  I have a resource to fit any book related need you might have here:

  • DailyLit – Read a book online, daily e-mail or via RSS!
  • BookSprouts – Create your own book club!
  • Reading Trails – Find a book linked by theme, topic or total whim.
  • Book Glutton – A new way to read online!
  • BookMooch – Give books away, and get the books you want.
  • Anobii – List books, share thoughts, and meet people!
  • Goodreads – Keep track of what your friends are reading.
  • Lulu – Publish your own book, and make a little ‘bit of profit!
  • BookBump – Book management and organizing resource.
  • Shelfari – a social network for people who love books.
  • FourtyChapters – A service that helps would-be authors make the first steps towards writing a novel.
  • Booktagger – An online bookshelf application to list the books you’ve read and to share them with others.
  • Bookhuddle – Another resource to help you discover, organize and share books with others.
  • Blurb – Make your own books!
  • Wobook – Upload your document, share it with others and monetize your content.
  • Lookybook – A resource of children’s picture books.
  • LibraryThing – Share what is on your bookshelf with others!
  • SwapTree – A place to trade books for free!

Know of another great book resource that did not make it onto the list?  Feel free to share it in the comments.

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Look Back at Super Mario 64

Jan/18 in Personal, Video Games

super-mario-64

Looking through some of my past registered games on Nintendo’s web site, I figured – why not post my thoughts about some of my favorites and not so favorite purchases?  Today I’ll tell you about a game that probably needs no introduction, Super Mario 64.  Back in the day, I could play this game for hours and hours on end.  So, I figured – why not relive a part of my childhood and pick it up on the Wii’s Virtual Console?

The story is simple, you are Mario – Princess Peach has been kidnapped, and you have to beat the snot out of Bowser. Why mess with a formula that works?

Everything I loved and hated about this game is still there.  Of course, you never remember the things you hated until you play it again, so let me start there.  I hate the “collect the hidden 6 red coin” challenge.  Doesn’t Mario have anything better to do than to look for oddly colored coins?  Makes me feel more like he has got Attention Deficit Disorder rather than being an Italian man on a mission.

Now that I have that out of the way, the rest of the game is still pretty fun to play.  You get to go free roaming over a number of different stages, complete all the missions you need to until you can fight Bowser.

Get stuck?  There are a number of walkthroughs online that should help you get back on track.

Between the classic controller and the GameCube controller, I liked using the classic controller more.  Either one will work though.  Overall, I would highly recommend purchasing Super Mario 64 if you are looking for a new Wii Virtual Console game this weekend. 

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Bizarre Mistyped Domain Issues – AT&T’s Fault?

Jan/17 in Personal

Resolved! via Reese in the Comments…

I think you have engaged in a classic example of overthink. URLs are resolved right -to-left. In other words, xyz.com.com is requesting the subdomain xyz of “com” of the .com TLD. If you pop com.com into WHOIS you will likely discover it too is owned by cNet.

I hadn’t even thought about that. Many thanks to Reese for the solution!

The Original Post

I have spent the last few hours troubleshooting a really odd problem.  To kind of get my thoughts in order on what I have done and could do, I thought I would spell everything out here.  The problem is that whenever I enter any domain name and put the extension twice (like mitchkeeler.com.com) it redirects me to a search.com search page for it instead of giving me the normal error message.

To give you a little more information ahead of time, my DSL provider is AT&T (or Yahoo! AT&T to be more specific).

Here is where I would be redirected for that:

http://domainhelp.search.com/search?q=mitchkeeler&d=mitchkeeler.com.com

I always use Firefox, so first thing I checked was the other browsers I have installed right now.  Both Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 7 gave me the same results.

So then I thought, well maybe I have some sort of odd malware or virus on my PC.  So I tested another PC, running Windows XP and it gave the same problem.  So I thought, maybe it could be a Windows problem or it had spread to that machine?  So I turned on my laptop – which is running Kubuntu – and it gave me the same result.

Going out on a limb, I wanted to try something different – so I fired up my PlayStation Portable and tried to recreate the problem it it’s browser.  It sent me to the same result.

So now, you would think – well, there is a problem with the router or the connection from AT&T, right?  So I unplugged my PC from the router, hooked the DSL line up directly to my PC (taking the router out of the mix) and I still was given then stupid domainhelp.search.com page.

Now I decided to do a traceroute to the badly typed domain to see how it was redirecting.  That traced back to cNet, which owns the search.com domain name.

That is where I am at now, and I am kinda out of options on where to look next.  If you have any ideas, let me know!  Would love to hear ‘em.

Update: Also posted about the problem here on broadbandreports.com!

Bonus!  Bad Live Chat Support from Yahoo! AT&T DSL!

As a bonus – for those of you still checking in on this issue, here is my chat transcript with a Yahoo! AT&T DSL support member:

Mickey: How can I help you?

Mitch: Hello, I noticed that when I mistype a domain name such as adding an extra .com at the end, I am now being redirect to domainhelp.search.com

Mitch: Instead of getting and error page

Mickey: That is normal.

Mitch: When did this redirection start?

Mickey: Well, when did you try to put an extra domain?

Mitch: Well, just noticed it today, for example if I type in google.com.com by mistake I am taken here: http://domainhelp.search.com/search?q=google&d=google.com.com

Mickey: Just do not put any weird domain if you do not want to be directed.

Mitch: But, just to confirm – this is a “service” provided by AT&T, correct?

Mickey: All ISP do that.

Mitch: Alright, thanks you for your time.

:lol:

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Cue Sports – Pool Revolution

Jan/16 in Personal, Video Games

Pool Revolution The most recent WiiWare game I have downloaded for my Wii is CueSports – Pool Revolution. 

Now true, some of the WiiWare games have been disappointments, and others have been jewels in the ruff – so downloading anything is sort of like a crap shoot.  However, I have to say CueSports – Pool Revolution might sound like it would be a crappy game, but it is however pretty fun (and cheaper than a pool table).

Once you get your Wii-motes in hand, you can play 9-ball, 8-ball, snooker, and “rotation” pool with up to 4 people (or all by yourself, against the computer).  You can also change the look of the tables and your balls.  Yes, I said it – you can customize your balls.  The music also changes a little depending on which table you select, however it gets a little monotonous after a while.

Pool + Elevator Music = Better Have a MP3 Player Handy

Getting into the actual gameplay, you can rotate yourself around the cue ball, or get an overhead view of the table to help you get your shot lined up.  To shoot, you hold the A button, bring your Wii remote backward and then shove it forwards.  You can also hit the minus button to bring up a power gauge, but where is the fun in that?

The other features, online mode and the puzzles are a nice addition too. 

It only costs around 500 points, so give it a shot if you are looking for a budget pool game.  I shall file CueSports – Pool Revolution in the category of fun games I can quickly play when I have a few free minutes.  Give it a shot!

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Easier Posting to Twitter, Ping.fm or Identi.ca

Jan/15 in Online Apps

Pingvine is a neat new application that takes an Atom or RSS feed from your web site or blog, and publishes it to a few of the other “lifestreaming” sites out there. Currently it works with Ping.fm, Identi.ca and Twitter.

Pingvine in Action

All you do is give it your login information for one of those three choices, give them your blog’s RSS feed and tell them how often they should look for an update to tell the world about.  Personally, I have been using Ping.fm a lot – to put my own work out there on all the various social networks I belong to.  This could save me the trouble of having to do so manually through Ping.fm’s web site.

You can sign up for free on Pingvine.com! 

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5 Other Uses for Bacon

Jan/14 in Hot Web Topics

If I can be serious for a minute, I have a confession to make – I do love my bacon.  No, not that Canadian stuff (darn, round ham rip off!), I am talking about those salty strips of porky goodness.  With that said, here are five other uses for bacon I bet you had not considered.

Bacon Wallet

WALT-1653

Bacon Briefcase

bacon-briefcase

Bacon Scarf

bacon-scarf

Bacon Dental Floss

bacon-floss 

Bacon Toys (don’t ask how Mr. Tofu got in there…)

http://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/bacon-tofu.jpg

Want to confess your own love for bacon?  It is ok, you are among friends here! 

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Make Your Own Super Hero

Jan/13 in Online Apps

Scottish TerrierPersonally, I am more of a fan of DC comics, however the Marvel web site does have a new cool toy I can play with.  What does it do?  It allows me to finally make the super hero of my dreams. Think of this as super powers and funny costumes meet digital paper dolls.

Here is one I just whipped up… 

What, you don’t fear the Scottish Terrier?!  Here are a few more “Make a Hero” online tools.

Hopefully, this will come in handy.  Never know when you might need a hero! *cue the music*

Oh Johnny 5, where are you when we need you the most?

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Stupid Blue Spiky Shell Desktop Icon

Jan/12 in Custom Icons, Desktop

Playing Mario Kart Wii, there is one power up we all hate, well if you are in first place anyways.  However, it does have a cool look and feel to it – so why not turn it into a desktop icon?  If you have never had your first place spot stolen by the stupid blue spiky shell before – you do not know what frustration is.

Looking to work through my anger with art, here is the blue spiky shell desktop icon:

Blue Shell Desktop Icon

+ Download the Blue Spiky Shell Desktop Icons (.zip)

The icon is compatible with the following sizes:  256 x 256, 128 x 128, 64 x 64, 48 x 48, 32 x 32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16.  It is also in both .ico and .png format.

Like this?  Be sure to check out some of my past custom icons too!

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3 Easy Tips to Help You Get Award Winning Support

Jan/09 in Hot Web Topics

Tech Support It is easy to go a little bonkers when dealing with technical support.  I’ve been in those shoes many times before, and I have worked as technical support in one way, shape or form for a little over half a decade now.  So how can you guarantee yourself a quicker and more reliable tech support experience?  Follow these three simple tips.

Gather Your Facts

The first thing you must do is collect as many facts about the problem as you can.  Be sure to write down dates, important information and anything else that might have happened before, during or after the problem took place. 

For example, if you were working on your web site, changed a template file, and then the web site wasn’t working, you need to be sure to write down the dates each change was made (the best you can), the files that were edited, what you did (if you can remember) and the error codes or problems you had afterwards.

Be Upset, Not Angry

It is alright to be upset when something is so bad, you have to go ask or report it to a support team, however getting angry isn’t going to help get the issue resolved any quicker.  I’ve seen many people who think, “Well, if I just yell at them enough – they’ll get the message” and that is actually the worst thing you could do.  Keep a calm head on your shoulders, and remember – even when asking for help – you’ll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.

Explain Your Entire Problem the Best You Can

You don’t have to write a novel about the issue, but do make sure that you explain your situation the best that you can.  If somebody request support, and just says – “Hey, (insert object here) is broke, FIX IT!” that is not going to cut the cake.  Present the facts that you have gathered in a way that anybody could understand it. 

You might have to write it, re-read it and make sure it makes your case.  Explaining things well the first time will keep you from having to go back and forth as the tech support worker tries to recreate the situation on their side, so they can find a fix for you.

If you can master those three things, then the next time you contact any support team for any reason, your situation is going to be a much better one indeed. You will get a better support experience (in most cases) and get the result you are looking for quicker as well.

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Rivers of Wallpaper

Jan/08 in Desktop, Free Wallpaper

Here is a recent wallpaper series that caught my eye, Graphite River, Green River, Red River and Blue River.  I am currently using the Green River wallpaper on my desktop.

Click the color you want, to be taken to the download page for that wallpaper selection.

Graphite River Green River Red River Blue River

I really enjoy all of the wallpaper selections on VladStudio.com, but these more recent ones really won me over due to the fact that they are simple – yet still look good on anybody’s desktop.  If you want the higher quality versions, you could always register too (I did, a while back) and pay a small fee for some great desktop artwork. 

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