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It’s absolutely beautiful here in Hawaii. The weather is great. The scenery is amazing. However, I just don’t think I could live here. Let me tell you why.

• It’s too touristy. I’m sure there are probably places on the islands that aren’t as touristy. However, much of Hawaii’s economy is supported by tourism. I can’t imagine having to put up with that year-round.
• I’m not really a water lover. I’m not a sporty kind of guy. Many people are parasailing, kayaking, mountain biking… I just don’t get it.
• It’s an island here in the middle of the ocean. There’s virtually no escape route. That just freaks me out.
• There are limited broadband options here. Being a geek who makes my living online, I sincerely have to have good Internet connections. That’s just not going to happen in Hawaii.
• I really don’t like hot weather. I love the weather in Seattle, honestly! I’m not a fan of sun and beaches and heat. It’s just not for me.

I’m actually hoping someone will reply to this video with reasons they WOULD move to Hawaii. Or, you can list reasons you agree with me, and wouldn’t want to live here. This is a wonderful place to visit, but for me, it’s just not a place to live.

• The Auction Revolution eBay System
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• Internet Marketing News

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I’m sorry about the bad image and sound quality. We are on a cruise ship in Hawaii right now. I’m using the Internet via a connection provided to me from Ustream.tv. This is, of course, a mobile broadband connection. I came up with some tips to help you deal with this type of connection, if you ever happen to be on a cruise.

• Buy larger packages of time. Most cruise ships have Internet available. The company will have packages available for sale. Always go with more minutes.
• Find a friendly cruise ship. All companies work differently with their connectivity. This company was pricey, so I’m not using its connection.
• Get a sponsor if you can. I was lucky to have Ustream.tv sponsor me for this connection.
• Turn it into a business expense. This will minimize the impact of the out-of-pocket cost. So long as I stream live from the ship and do some videos like always, it’s a business expense.
• Do what you can do offline. Write the blog post out offline, then post it once you get online. Or get your emails ready to send, then get online. This will save you a lot of time and expense.
• If you can, rely on your existing phone for your connectivity. Some devices do work as a modem, and will work very well.

I would also recommend reading:

• Alaska Cruise Tips
• Our Alaska Cruise Schedule
• Greek Cruise Crash?
• Cruise Ship Engineering
• Sponsor Our Cruise Connectivity

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Taking pictures outside is a different ballgame than snapping shots indoors. Everything is different, from the lighting to the backgrounds. Here are some tips to help you take beautiful shots when outdoors.

• Digital cameras don’t like nature. Pixels don’t treat all objects equally. One of the worst things to photograph with a digital camera is a tree. If your camera can capture a million pixels and your subject tree contains a few hundred thousand leaves, you’ll end up with only three or four pixels per leaf, and the whole image will smear together in a big, gummy mess. The same goes for lush lawns, bountiful gardens, distant mountains, hairy surfaces, and just about any other subject with scads of intricate details. For the best results, shoot only clearly defined subjects that have smooth, distinct outlines. People photograph well, as do cars, buildings, furniture, and most man-made objects. In short, stick to obvious foreground subjects that stand out sharply from their backgrounds.
• Get in close. Do your photos look like they were taken from a satellite in space? This can happen if you don’t properly frame the picture. With a digital camera, the distance between the subject of the shot and the camera means you end up taking about 15 pixels in the center of the image. Because pixels are precious, it’s important to devote as many as possible to the picture’s subject. When photographing a person, for example, turn on the LCD and close in until his or her image fills the screen. Don’t take the shot until you see the whites of their eyes.
• Avoid the extremes. Extreme temperatures can do a real number on your digital camera and its batteries. Don’t leave your equipment in direct sunlight for hours at a time. You can protect it by covering it with light-colored or reflective material. If you leave the camera in your car, make sure the sun won’t be moving into a position where it will cook your vehicle’s contents. In really cold weather, place your camera in a large, sealed plastic bag when you head outside. The temperature inside the bag will drop gradually, thus preventing a rapid climate change and the ill effects of condensation and frost on the inside of your equipment. Once your camera has cooled, pop it out of the bag and start shooting.
• View to a killer shot. It’s usually best to shoot with the sun behind you to make sure your subject is well lit. The problem is that an LCD screen can be very hard to see in bright sunlight. So be sure to purchase a camera that also includes a viewfinder; otherwise, you may end up shooting blindly. Another benefit of not relying heavily on the LCD screen: longer battery life.
• Use the flash in back lit conditions. In full daylight, use the built-in flash on your camera to fill in the shadows. When you photograph a person with back lighting present (a bright source of light behind the subject, such as the setting sun), the result is often just a dark silhouette against a blindingly bright background. The solution is to turn on the flash — a technique called fill-flashing. The flash illuminates the subject’s face and also helps reduce the brightness of the sky.

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• Digital Photography For Beginners
• Make Money With Your Digital Camera
• Pro Tips For Profitable Photography
• Digital Photography Beginners Guides
• Secrets To Digital Photography

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Ponzi and I are on a Hawaiian cruise this week; we both truly love cruises because they’re so flexible. You can be leisurely or adventurous. You can go enjoy things on land or on the ship itself and return to your room with ease. Here are some tips we came up with to help you enjoy your next cruise.

• Dine late or early if you can. If you go during peak hours, it’s going to be insanely busy on the ship. On this particular cruise, if you dine late you don’t pay the normal rate. You can find specials that they normally won’t have.
• Casual vs. Formal: There’s usually a formal night in most restaurants on the cruise. They require you to dress up, and I’m just not comfortable with that. Be prepared, and bring at least one dressy outfit with you. Check to see how the particular cruise you are going on handles dining before you sign up.
• Book excursions early. The whole idea of cruises is to go many different places. Booking early guarantees that you get the trips and times you want. We’ve learned over time not to overbook. We’re taking things nice and casual this time. In the past we’ve overbooked and it made things hectic.
• If you can, get a room with a view! Rooms on the interior are cheaper, yes. However, if you’re going to go, save the extra money to get a room with a deck with an amazing view. It’s definitely worth the extra expenditure. We eat our breakfast on our private patio, while watching the ocean.
• I’m not wearing the band on my wrist because I need it — I wanted to show you. It’s a band that sends out electrical pulses at timed intervals that will keep you from being seasick. If you know you may suffer from motion sickness, you should think about picking one of these up. The power and settings are adjustable. If you don’t want one of these, at least pick up some Dramamine or motion sickness patches. Even if you normally don’t get motion sickness symptoms, it’s still a good idea to be prepared with the Dramamine.

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Pixle101 made this list as a reply to my perfect coffee video. He has tried the French press, and while he agrees it is great for brew coffee, he loves latte and au lait. So here are his 5 Tips to Espresso.

• Buy a quality espresso machine. I do not recommend buying the cheapest brewer. On that note, there is no need in buying a fancy machine that will have so many features you will not need. Find one that will take metal pods. Start between the $180-$300 price range and you should be good. Make sure it has a steam arm that is long enough for you to start frothing your milk from the bottom.
• Buy espresso ground. Espresso ground is like powder. If you really want to use coffee, then get a quality grinder that will grind the beans evenly and as fine as possible. I have not had any luck finding a grinder that would make the coffee so fine that it looks like dust. If you do use regular coffee, then make sure you use the correct pod. The pod will usually have one drip hole when compared to the espresso ones. Pack the pod as tight as you can. Do not buy Starbucks coffee. It is way overpriced. I recommend Peet’s, Port City Java, or New Orleans blend Community Coffee. Do not - I repeat - DO NOT use pre-packaged paper pods. They restrict a lot of water flow through the coffee, and do not offer a full flavor like the metal pods do.
• Learn how to froth the milk. This is the most important step for latte. Frothing is easy, but when you can start at the bottom and work your way up, it steams the milk more evenly. (Thus the first tip on the steam tip being long) Use a metal cup with a wide diameter about 2″. Start as far down as your steam nozzle will let you and work in circles like a spiral. It does not matter what direction you use. when the milk begins to expand towards the top, work the nozzle up slowly to get evenly steam the milk.
• Learn all the different types of coffees you can make with an espresso machine. There are many types of coffee to include the latte, cafe au lait, macchiato, or just about any coffee you see at your favorite coffee house.
• Experiment with the amount of espresso, foam, and steamed milk you use. Try steaming the espresso and milk together in the same cup. Spoon the milk out instead of pouring it. try taking just the foam first then pouring the milk in. Its your cup of joe, go crazy and make your own recipe. Almost all coffee flavors in the coffee house are made by putting a shot of coffee flavor in the cup. Mocha is the only one I’ve heard of that you can do without flavor. Maybe someone can make a top 5 on a mocha cappuccino.

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Yes, I’m in Hawaii right now, enjoying the sunny weather. I thought I’d share with everyone the five reasons I’d rather be here in Hawaii instead of at Macworld.

• If I need to update my iPhone, I can do it from anywhere. I don’t need to be at Macworld to upgrade something. I’m sitting here using my wireless broadband connection right from the cruise ship, so I’ll be able to download any updates!
• In Hawaii, there are no smelly Mac geeks. This is true! I’ve read it in Wikipedia! Mac and PC geeks alike have a “bouquet” about them. Have you ever left eggs out too long? Well, that’s the Mac geek smell. That’s not here in Hawaii.
• A Mac Pro wouldn’t fit inside my luggage. I’m planning to get one, but don’t want to buy it from Macworld. I wouldn’t be able to take it with me.
• There are no Pina Coladas at Macworld. Pina Coladas… or Macworld? You decide.
• You can’t beat the view here in Hawaii. It’s amazing, and absolutely gorgeous. Later today, I’ll be climbing a mountain… or not.

Would you rather be at Macworld with the other geeks… or here in Hawaii with Ponzi and me?

Okay, this is for those few people that haven’t heard of Charlie the Unicorn. There must be at least a couple of people left that haven’t seen the video, although probably not anyone under the age of 30! I’ve watched this video dozens of time and it has never failed to make me laugh. The other day I decided to search for some other videos by Jason Steele (the man behind the unicorn) and came across his site: FilmCow.com. I didn’t find anything as great as Charlie on the site (Spatula Madness has potential), but he does have a link to another video by Katharine Leis: Foobie Jesus, which is fricking inspired. These two videos alone justify the existence of YouTube! ;-)

Now excuse me while I go buy some Charlie the Unicorn merchandise from the FilmCow CafePress Shop. Shuuuuunnnnnn the Non-Believers! Shuuuuunnnnnn!

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Blogging is just huge. It seems like everyone AND their mom has a blog these days. Commenting on blog posts is a great way to interact with the author. Here are some tips to help you be able to be a better commenter.

• Actually read the post. To be able to write a decent comment, you’re going to need to know what the blog is about. Just reading the title of the blog and then commenting is not the right way to do it because you may end up posting something that has already been covered in the blog article itself. This may mean your post may end up getting moderated for not adding constructively to the blog.
• Post relevant information. If you’re going to be doing a post to one of the blogs, then please make sure that whatever you post is relevant to the blog post itself. Do not go onto any blog post and post for example “hello to all the moderators, you all rock.” While this is funny to you, it’s more than likely going to be rejected because it adds nothing at all to the current blog. So make sure that when you make a blog post that whatever you end up saying is relevant to that post.
• Word Count. Posting something such as “hi” or “you rock” as your comment is more than likely once again to be deleted. If you’re going to leave a blog comment, then please make sure whatever you post is more than just a few words of text.
• Spell Check. Most people know this already, but making sure you use correct English will allow for people to be able to understand what you are saying. L33tSpeak doesn’t classify as proper English, so please don’t post it. Use proper English, and your blog comment has a better chance of being accepted. If you’re worried about spelling, Google is your friend.
• Be Respectful. When posting a reply to one of the blogs, please make sure that you are respectful to the people who have replied to the blog before posting. Give people the benefit of the doubt if they post something that you personally don’t agree with or know what they said maybe/is wrong. Don’t spam people with insults.

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That’s right! It’s Chumby! This is definitely going to be a huge hit, and the favorite new gadget of many geeks. I am having a lot of fun playing with the Chumby, and so are all the people in our live community!

The Chumby is a compact device that displays useful and entertaining information from the Web using your wireless Internet connection. Always on, it shows — nonstop — what’s online that matters to you. What can you do with a Chumby?

• Catch the latest news headlines, sports, weather, and stock prices.
• Play your iPod mp3 files through built-in speakers. Charge it, too.
• Enjoy your Flickr and Facebook photos as a digital picture frame.
• Stay updated on new Netflix releases or view your movie queue.
• Make and share e-greetings, photo mash-ups, and goofy animations.
• Wake up to the multi-tone alarm clock.
• Track any eBay auction or craigslist item.
• Monitor incoming email on any POP3 account.

The coolest thing is that I have my Chumby sitting on my desk, and it’s now tuned in to my live chat. Any regular voiced user or channel op can type a message, and it will display directly on my Chumby! At only $179.99, it’s a great way to stay connected and have some fun at the same time.

Via Gizmodo, on why society is doomed:

We get suckered in to covering CES like it’s the second coming every year; we brought something like 14 people this time around. For what? So we can cover stuff we normally would pass on in hopes that we can get it up three minutes before Engadget. Companies cocktease us and make us go and do pointless liveblogs of their boring press conferences only to announce minor upgrades of the same garbage they released last year. This is worth 14 round-trip airline tickets and a dozen hotel rooms for a week?

Dude. I didn’t go to CES this year for a reason — what’s the point? To see a bigger screen TV? Another iPod accessory? More digital photo frames? For an airplane ticket, take taxis around town, stay in an overpriced hotel room, wait in long lines for everything, get headaches from all the smoke and dry air in Vegas, etc.?

I stayed at home and made money instead of spending it.

This isn’t sour grapes — I could have gone to CES if I wanted to go. But seriously, with every other tech blogger going there and covering the event… there was ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR ME TO GO. One blogger is just as good as another blogger is just as good as another blogger if they’re all covering the same thing. Tech bloggers are a commodity — they’re all publishing to the same people.

“I have a blog that gets thousands of hits every month” may sound impressive to someone else, but not to me.

When press agencies contacted me before CES, I told ‘em I was sitting this one out — knowing full well that they’d never send me something to review, anyway. And even when review units are sent to my doorstep, I turn around and give a lot of ‘em away to the community… including full-blown computers.

Covering events is important, but I’d much rather cover events that few others in my community are covering.

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How many days of the year do you complain about your connection speed? How many times do you mutter and groan that you aren’t getting the promised speeds? Here are some excellent tips to help you boost that speed.

• Schedule your downloads. There are many free download managers that allow you to set up downloads to go consecutively while you are asleep. Otherwise you’d have all of them going at one time, which could result in broken downloads. This is also VERY useful if you have HughesNet and always exceed your download threshold. You can schedule files to download late at night while the threshold is not in place. I recommend iGetter and Free Download Manager.
• Download items that you visit every day, rather than reloading them. If you’re like me, you listen to YouTube movies in the background of just about everything you do so you don’t have to pay a dollar for the song, but every time you come back to that page it takes a long time to reload. Instead of reloading the page you can download the video with YouTube Downloader and convert it into a usable format, including mp3, with that same program. Flash games can also be downloaded if you’re using Firefox. Wait for the Flash file to load 100% and choose File / Save Page As. Then open up the folder you saved and take out the .swf file. Right click the file and choose to open it with Firefox. (You can then delete the folder.)
• Know when to click links. If a page is loaded 100%, search for the next link you are going to use before you start viewing the page. If you find it, open it in a new tab and it can load while you are busy on the first page. If a page is in the middle of loading, but you find the link you want before it’s done, click stop before continuing on to the next link. Unless you know you’ll be occupied for a long time on one page (or away from the computer), don’t try to load multiple pages at a time.
• Leech! If you have a laptop and know someone with DSL/Cable or other form of high speed, bring it over there and download as many things as you can to keep yourself occupied while on your slow connection. This may seem like mooching, but you can make it less obvious. Schedule LOTS of downloads before going over there. Then, once you’re there, plug your laptop in, resume the downloads, and do what you would normally do whenever you visit.
• Increase your cache size. If you increase the size of your cache and put your computer in sleep mode rather than shutting it down every night, frequently used pages will load quicker. To do this in Firefox, go to Tools / Options / Advanced Icon / Network Tab.

January is a magical time if you’re a geek. It brings with it many sacred holidays, such as CES and MacWorld. But what if you can’t make the journey to mecca — be it for financial reasons, or maybe you just couldn’t book a hotel? Thankfully in this Web-based world, it’s easy to enjoy the whole event right from your comfy chair.

I’ve compiled a list of sites that will have live coverage of CES 2008.

• Gadgetell — Has a standalone CES coverage page being filled with news as we speak, as well as a live Twitter feed where the whole team will be twittering news and updates throughout the week, not to mention live blogging major press events. [RSS — Twitter]
• Engadget — Good ol’ Engadget will also be covering CES live this year. It has a dedicated CES page and will likely be live blogging events. [RSS]
• CNET — CNET will be covering the event in the form of text and video, so you can see and hear what’s important and feel like you’re there. [RSS]
• Scoble / Podtech — Robert traveled down to CES on a bus this year with a bunch of other bloggers and will be covering the event live over video through the Mogulus service.
• Gizmodo — Gizmodo will also be blogging major CES updates and possibly live blogging press events. [RSS]
• Futureshop — Futureshop, the Canadian tech store, will be posting videos of the CES keynotes, press conferences, and booth tours throughout the week.
• SlashGear — SlashGear has a dedicated section devoted to nothing other than CES news and updates for the week. [RSS]
• Digital Trends — Digital Trends will be covering all important CES updates and releases. [RSS]
• Laptop Mag — Laptop Mag will be on scene at CES and covering more than just laptop news. [RSS]
• BluefoxTV — Fellow UStreamer bluefox is planning on streaming the events of CES Live over UStream.

This is who I’ll be watching for CES 2008 coverage. If I missed some major ones, drop a comment below and I’ll try to add them in. Don’t forget to bookmark the page or subscribe to the RSS feeds. Oh, and we might also be talking about the latest announcements in our own live feed.

The power of GOOG compels this random YouTube subscriber…

I came across the Google 411 while searching the Google Labs, which I am sure you’ve heard about.

I work for Verizon Wireless as a 411 Directory Assistance Operator. I know some people who have told me that there’s a chance Google 411 will take us Verizon employees out of a job because it is free. I have used Google 411 and it really is pretty impressive. To use Verizon’s 411, it costs $1.49 each time you call, and Google is doing the exact same thing, plus offering more for absolutely nothing.

I was just wondering what your opinion on Google 411 was, if you’ve ever used it, and if you thought it would be the next most popular 411 out there.

I’ve used Google’s 411 service… and would definitely use it again. Why pay for 411 anymore?

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I find that my computing experience is greatly enhanced by knowing a few really good keyboard shortcuts. I think everyone should know a lot of these basic commands, as it speeds up your work, and makes life just that much easier when you don’t have to reach for the mouse, and can keep your hands on the keyboard. They may seem simple, almost basic computer knowledge, but I’m always surprised how overlooked some of these simple gems are.

Between these keyboard shortcuts and a program called Launchy (a command-line application launcher, much like Quicksilver for OS X), which I also suggest, I find I’m far quicker to get from point A to point B and rarely have to use the start menu or have icons on my desktop.

• Windows Key Yes, everyone knows how much hitting the Windows key in the middle of your full-screen game can ruin your day, but outside of playing games, it can be very useful for more than just pulling up the Start menu. Commands such as:
  • Win + D minimizing all of your windows and displaying the desktop. This can be great if you have a lot of stuff up, and just want to get it all out of the way. Hitting Win + D again will bring up your windows just as they were before you hid them all.
  • Win + R Opens the “Run…” dialog box. Great to get to the command line or calculator quickly (typing in cmd or calc, respectively) without having to go through the Start menu. It’s also good for relaunching explorer if it bugs out for some reason. Other good ones to know are msconfig and services.msc, which are great for tweaking both system settings and running services.
  • Win + E Opens up the Explorer for “My Computer” Get to files nice and quick, especially with my next tip.
• Use your keyboard to navigate folders What? Your keyboard works to navigate folders? Holy file browsing, Batman! Give it a try. Open up your C:\ drive and hit “P” it will immediately jump to the files starting with “P” and if you keep typing, it will keep refining. “Pro” will usually highlight “Program Files.” Hit enter to open the folder, and then off you go typing the next folder you want.
• Tab and Shift + Tab Tab will move you automatically to the next field within the in-focus window. What does that mean? Well, say you’re composing an e-mail. Type in the To: line as “Chris@Pirillo.com” then instead of clicking on the subject line, you can just hit “Tab” until it highlights the subject line. Type in your subject, hit Tab again, and you’re in the body of the e-mail. This works great in conjunction with Win + E, as by default, Windows selects the file tree on the left, and to navigate with the keyboard, you want to have the main field selected which is on the right. Alternatively, Shift + Tab moves you to the previous field. Say you’re in that same e-mail, but you want change the subject. Hitting Shift + Tab while in the body of the e-mail will pull your cursor back up to the subject line, and select all the text in the field.
• Alt + Tab While in a window, Alt+Tab will switch between windows on the taskbar. Holding down Alt, and repeatedly hitting Tab, lets you select which window you want (it gives you a little pop-up on screen). Letting go of alt pulls the window up.
• Alt + F4 Closes a window. Plain and simple. It’s the keyboard’s way of hitting the X in the upper right.

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A while back, I did a video review of the new Zonbu computer. I decided to start 2008 out right by giving it away on the spur of the moment to a lucky viewer!

The requirements to be eligible for this giveaway were the same as always:

• You must be present in the chat room to win.
• You have to be subscribed to my YouTube channel.
• You must have left a comment at some time in my blog. The comment can be at any time, on any post. However, it needs to be a GOOD comment that relates to the discussion. Saying things like “good tips!” “you’re great!” or “I want to win!” do NOT count, and will be deleted.

That’s all there is to it! So without further ado, let’s reveal the winner!

Congratulations to xalent1 for winning the Zonbu! And, since you left such insightful comments on the blog, I’ll be sure to send you a little something extra, as well!

Be sure to join us every day. From now on, the weekly giveaways will NOT be announced in advance. You have to be a regular member and show up for more than just the giveaways to win! Happy 2008, everyone!

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John Perez is a college freshman who is doing an argumentative paper on Open Source applications. He sent me a list of questions that I am going to answer in simple terms. Also, we’re using our GoToMeeting to allow you to follow along with everyone as they use Open Source applications.

What do you think Open Source stands for and signifies? It’s a fundamental shift in how we think about software, its use, and development. Unfortunately, I’m not a developer. The mainstream still believes that you must walk into a store to buy software. That simply isn’t the case. There are tremendous alternatives to major applications that are available legally for free, via Open Source.

What would be the advantages or disadvantages of adopting standards? Imagine you had 1000 people in the same room, all with different great ideas. How impossible would it be to get them all to agree on ONE idea? I look at things differently than most standards committees. There are politics inside the Open Source community. But, for the common good, coming together to agree on a set of standards would be amazing, and make the community stronger.

For businesses, what do you think would be the effects of adopting standards? It depends on the business model. I am able to exist as a business online largely due to Open Source programs and applications. Much of this is accomplished using Apache.

In the US, many Universities have made a switch to Open Source. What do you think caused them to make the switch, and what will it take to get others to follow? I think it boils down to cost. Universities have lost large amounts of money from the government. One way to help keep tuition costs down is to obtain good software alternatives for free. You also have to look at the education factor by being able to turn the Open Source applications into learning tools.

What would be the effects of using Open Source in homes? We’re seeing a lot of lower-cost computers. Instead of having to pay a licensing fee, you can get an Open Source Linux distro. You can also obtain software for almost any type of program you need, from image editing to Web browsing and email applications. This will save household consumers quite a lot of money.

Are there there sufficient Open Source alternatives to proprietary software suites? Absolutely! Open Office can replace your existing office suite for free. The Gimp can replace your image editing software. Firefox can replace your Web browser. For 99% of the population, Open Source is a GREAT alternative.

Gary may just save your skin with this security tip…

Good morning, afternoon, or evening — whatever it happens to be in your area. I don’t know if you’ve heard of these two accessories that PayPal uses, but I know from your eBay videos that you and your family have both eBay and PayPal accounts. PayPal has two new items. The first item I’d like to mention is the PayPal Security Key. This item adds an extra level of security to both your eBay and PayPal accounts. You must purchase it through one of the sites, however it can be activated on both services.

To get it, go to paypal.com/securitykey or ebay.com/securitykey. The device costs you $5 — this includes shipping. What you get is a small little device with a keychain attachment at the end of it. How it works is simple: each time the button is pressed, the small LCD on the device will generate a random 6-digit #. You first activate it by going to the sites I mentioned above and following the instructions under activating it. After entering your eBay or PayPal user ID and password, you get presented with a third screen, which tells you to enter the 6-digit code from the security key and click the button. Then you are logged in to the respective account.

This helps protect you if you gave your information to a fraud email or a virus or Trojan happens to get your information They may have your ID and password, but they can’t use the same 6-digit code the key generated the last time you logged in. The second thing I’m mentioning is the PayPal toolbar. This feature helps you when you are buying stuff online; it allows you to use your PayPal address and contact information to fill in order forms when on a shopping Web site. The toolbar also allows you to generate single or multi-use MasterCard numbers which are tied to your PayPal account thus allowing you to use your PayPal funds on a site where paying with PayPal isn’t an option. Anyone wanting the PayPal toolbar can just go into their PayPal accounts and, under “enhance account,” click “PayPal toolbar.” Hope these items help you or fellow Lockergnome subscribers or YouTube subscribers alike.

Dude, that’s an amazing tip! Thanks!

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I have no musical ability or talent at all. It’s not for lack of trying, I assure you. I love music, and I love creating music. Thanks to the person from the community who recommended this great new toy, I can do this easily! And… special thanks to Ponzi for getting me this for Christmas!

The TENORI-ON from the folks at Yamaha is just amazing. It’s absolutely COOL. It’s so new, you cannot purchase it in the United States as of yet. Using this, you can easily and quickly create your own music, and even save it! You can’t go wrong… with the TENORI-ON, there is no such thing as “bad music.”

You’re going to create your music by changing instrument sounds, and adding different layers, so to speak. As the first chords you created loop, you can add another… and another… and, you get the point. As I was demonstrating the TENORI-ON during this recording, the community members in the live.pirillo.com chat room were all dancing in their chairs. This is a lot of fun, and you’ll be the hit at any party!

The TENORI-ON is a unique 16 x 16 LED button matrix performance instrument with a stunning visual display. For DJs and producers it is a unique performance tool enabling them to perform using MIDI and load the TENORI-ON with samples to ‘jam / improvise’ within their set BPMs.

TENORI-ON layers can be thought of as “performance parts” or “recording tracks.” The TENORI-ON has a total of 16 layers. Separate notes and voices can be assigned to each layer, and all layers can be played together in synchronization.

The 16 layers are divided into six performance mode groups as shown in the illustration below. The six modes have different note entry methods and operation. Up to 16 layers created using different modes can be combined for rich, complex musical expression.

Once complete set of 16 layers is called a “block.”

The TENORI-ON can store up to 16 programmed blocks (16-layer groups) in memory, and you can switch from block to block instantly during performance.

You could, for example, create a musical composition in one block, then copy that composition to another block and edit it to create a variation of the original composition. Or you can load a number of previously-created compositions into separate blocks from an SD Memory Card and switch between them to create variation during playback.

The TENORI-ON retails for about $1200.00. It may seem pricey to you, but it can be used by DJs and professional musicians. It’s being used on several artists’ upcoming albums, so be on the listen for the TENORI-ON. You can also listen to a free demo!

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So can you tell what it is I’m looking at? Yes, it really is a hair from my nose. I wanted to show you what it looks like using this USB Microscope. I’m not doing a live screen capture because it doesn’t work on Vista, and keeps giving me a BSOD on Windows. I can’t run it on a Mac, because the maker wants you to pay for Mac software! That is just ludicrous.

The QX5 USB Microscope is pretty much designed for kids. The software leaves a lot to be desired, but the hardware is great. The image quality is actually excellent.

This computer microscope allows you to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary for hours of fun and learning. View specimens collected around the house, backyard, your desk, or the fridge. Look at the micro-printing on a dollar bill or examine the traces on your motherboard. This microscope provides you with an easy way to zoom in on a wide variety of objects to satisfy your curiosity of the world around you. Ever wondered what lint looks like or the mold growing on your week-old bagels? Now you can find out.

Simple plug and play operation with included software allows you to magnify objects and view them on your PC up to 200X and take snapshots and time-lapse movies. You can also manipulate images with drawing and painting tools. The QX5 microscope is detachable from the stand to allow you to get closer to large objects.

The USB Microscope QX5 has these great features:

• Take snapshots, video, and time-lapse movies
• 3 magnification levels - 10X, 60X, and 200X
• Super-brite LED lighting for bright top and bottom illumination
• Video playback at 15 frames/sec
• Resolution of 640×480
• Software works with Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP
• Handheld mode allows for expanded viewing possibilities
• Comes with: Microscope, USB cable, Stand, Specimen Jars, Sample Slide, Tweezers, Eye Dropper, Slide Clip, and Software CD-ROM

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Here are some great tips for being a good eBay seller. Building up an excellent feedback rating is critical to becoming a successful seller. Following these tips will help you do just that.

• List your auction clearly. In the description, be as clear as possible. If the device is damaged, say that is is. If it’s new in box, say new in box. If still in mint condition, say so. If used and has wear, say so.
• Start with a low bid price. You’d be astounded by how many people look at the starting price. If it’s high enough that one could go to Wal-Mart and pay a few dollars more more to get, then your starting price is too high. If you don’t want under a certain amount, set a reserved price for the lowest you want to take. While this cost a little more in the listing, it makes it that you can be happy knowing that the item wont go for less than you really wanted it to.
• PICTURES! Pictures help sell. If someone can’t see the item, or a version of it, they might tend to go to another seller for the item. If you can, take pictures of YOUR item, not a stock file photo of the device.
• Set your shipping price fairly. If the shipping price is too much, people WILL balk at the item. The buyers will look at your item as crap. Now, if you specify what method you are using, they can then look and see what it costs themselves. Also, I have seen where some have automatic shipping calculators on the auction. This way, you can see what it costs for quicker shipping methods.
• Allow buyers to ask questions. If you answer the questions they have quickly, they are might be more tempted to buy your item simply because it looks like you cared about that they were asking about.
• If the seller refused to pay, you can give the second highest bidder a chance to get the item on a “second chance.” This is good if someone was being the north end of a southbound mule and made a fraudulent bid near the end of the auction.
• Use the ability for a person to “Buy it now.” This really helps. You can set a low auction bid, and an option to buy it at a certain price. It also allows for a person to skip the entire auction process and buy the item from you. The only thing bad is that if someone sends a bid, the “buy it now option” goes away. At least it did before. eBay might have changed that recently.