PC4PEOPLE.com Reviews, Tips & Tricks

Some people have asked me what happened to my Whims and Wonders blog. Well, it’s still there, and going strong. It can be a little less formal than this blog, so be prepared. Consider it the teenage brother of this one. Look for whims about the fun side of technology, as well as some cool toys and even some more personal info about my hobbies. Hell, you might even get a Paris and Nicole update, hence whims and wonders. I hope you enjoy both blogs and look forward to your continuing comments, suggestions, and snide remarks.

When it comes to the names we use to describe technology, sometimes they don’t make sense. Case in point: “Laptop”

Anyone who can tolerate the heat generated by today’s modern heat-producing laptop on your lap is more Zen than me. So, being truly lazy, and wishing to actually use the laptop against the afore-mentioned body part, I bought a laptop cooler for $24ish in October. It is a pad or tray that fits under your laptop, and almost always has fans blowing up or down to keep the laptop and your lap cool.

Features:
-USB-powered cooler with pass-through connector
-Model has two speeds for the fans.
-Fans blow up towards laptop. Most don’t, creating a lap heater.
-Keeps my lap cool. Bonus: Probably increases the life of the laptop.

Recently, the USB cable that powers the cooler has become more and more loose in its socket, and the plastic shielding was coming away from the plug. I became concerned that it was now a liability, so I went online to find a replacement. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the manufacturer’s website did, in fact, sell the replacement part. What a deal! Right? No, not really. It is a $5.00 part, no problem, but the shipping is $8.31! That makes the cable replacement, which I think was an under-designed part, cost $13.31. Approximately $10 less than throwing the whole cooler away and buying a new one! So, I went online, found someone who makes a similar cable and shipped it to me for a total of $4.44.

So what’s the moral of the story? I know we are in a throw away society, but come on, make it reasonable to fix, and most of us will. Make it cheaper to throw it out and replace, and we will.

GoLive! Mobile has announced that it will be allowing cell phone users free access to their new service: Mobile Wikipedia. The mobile marketing company has developed the Text-2-WAP technology to show the uses of their text messaging combined with mobile web technologies.

All a cell-phone user has to do is send a text message to a 5 number code with the first word “ABOUT”. For Example: “ABOUT PORTLAND”. The Text-2-Wap technology of the mobile marketing company will then gather information from Wikipedia.

To use this free service, send a text message to the number 23907 with the message: “ABOUT PORTLAND” for example. GoLive! Mobile’s technology will create a web page for you. Next, that web pages address is sent to the cell-phone user’s phone through a text message.

It is free to use, just remember that you need a phone that’s browser-enabled and that you may be charged for the text message if it is not included in your plan.

They also have an RSS feed reader for mobile phones, just send “NEWS PORTLAND” to the same number.

Try it out today.

Happy Birthday to Nicole Richie and Ricky Lake….

No, you are not on the wrong blog, it’s a joke. Well, it’s really an inside joke. Shout out to BooBoo Kitty…

Anyway, it brings up a truism in today’s culture of technology. It is amazing the way we organize ourselves these days. We have no excuse for forgetting a Birthday or a special event. Between Outlook’s calendar function and recurring appointments, cell phones with dates and calendars, and our trusty pocket PCs, we shouldn’t forget a thing. Well, except I do forget my own phone number sometimes, but that is off subject.

There are so many tools to help make your life easier out there. If anyone would like to know more about one in particular, I encourage you to contact us: tell us your blog ideas.