Jason Alexander

Intro: Cut down on the time and effort to track websites that post deals, coupons, etc. Rather than visiting a dozen deals sites, (such as SlickDeals, Dealmac, Techbargains, Fatwallet, Deals2Buy), you could monitor all deals posted to these sites from one place. Note: If you are new to using an RSS reader, please read on. There are other portal type sites and RSS readers, (aka aggregators), available but I will focus on tools from Google because it is what I decided on. The principles here apply to anything you want to monitor, like ebay, news, etc. I also watch technical blogs the same way. 1. Set up a Google account and go to Google Reader, if you do not already have an account. I use Google Reader through iGoogle, which allows a consolidated dashboard for the World Wide Web, (WWW). 2. Go to a website you want to watch and look for "RSS Feed", "RDF" or something sim... (more)

BBP Hybrid Messenger bag for my macbook pro

I received a obsidian black BBP Hybrid Messenger laptop bag for my birthday, (thank you, parental units!). These are known for their urbanomics because, as a backpack, the weight doesn't rest entirely on your shoulders. Benefits: First, as I have a macbook pro (15") laptop, I really can't afford to carry it around in something where it can easily get damaged. They are pricey! Second, I really like all of the pockets on this laptop bag. It is inconvenient to dig through a pocket full of loose pencils, pens, change, notes, usb drives, cell phone batteries, AA batteries, mp3 player and ... (more)

Jared Richardson on Career 2.0

In 2007, Scott Davis led one of the best NoFluffJustStuff keynote presentations I have attended. It was an amazing collection of technology wisdom, history and insight similar to watching episodes of Alton Brown in Good Eats, but about hardware and software. I remember frantically writing down all of the books, terms and references from his presentation. I followed up on those references to learn more. Scott's sense of humor is excellent and he is one of my favorite presenters. Last night, Jared Richardson stood in front of a couple of hundred well-fed geeks at the Columbus NoFlu... (more)

Used Guitar Buying Guide (for beginners)

I went shopping for my first electric guitar this year. I wanted something affordable but nice enough that I won't feel like I have to replace it if, or when, I actually learn to play well. I already have an acoustic guitar, the basic music theory and techniques to play chords and strum. I had fingerstyle skills once, but after a few months of playing, I have not yet completely achieved the same level. Shopping 1. Purchase in person, if possible. I found it to be true, that the same year, make, and model was different between individual guitars. I went into the stores expecting t... (more)

Java 1.6 on a 32-bit Core Duo Mac

I have a first generation Macbook Pro (Core Duo 2.0 GHz, 2.0G, etc) with Mac OS X 10.5.X. It's a really nice machine and has held up well for the past couple of years. It works beautifully. Everything works well, except Apple doesn't support Java 1.6 on 32-bit Intel Macs, which applies to the Core Duo. My primary skillset, (other than UNIX/Linux), revolves around Java. I admit, I was about to sell my laptop and head to the Apple Store, when I found a few links that can ease the pain. I found a link on Tomas Varaneckas', (Paranoid Engineering), blog about SoyLatte , a Java 6 release... (more)