As our candy handovers are going away, November is already here and with that come National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). For all those who have ever thought about writing a book or Novel, now is your chance to do it. NaNoWriMo's main goal is to get people to write, its 30 where you take on idea and turn it into a novel for your friends to ready, and who knows maybe you can sell it and be the next big author.
But all that aside you are not alone in this venture, their is an online community that has been built around NaNoWriMo where you can keep track of your word count, and post parts of your story for all to ready. By the end of the month your 50,000 word novel will be done and you can say you have accomplished something, and if not then you still are a winner for trying and then their is always next year to do better.
So I urge you all to give this a try, I know I am and, you should get some friends or coworkers to do it with you always better to have some others doing it with you to keep you on your goal. Well I better get back to my novel writing before I get behind.
You can find more information at NaNoWriMo's website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/ good luck to you all and have fun writing
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Public's Privacy
Recently Google’s new user agreements are released, which changed Google’s privacy setting. The public has made a big deal about this and many other tech problems of privacy and tracking your location, but the public has seemed to miss the idea that your local stores like Target are tracking you by your purchases.
An article in Forbes.com How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did, brings forth how Target tracks a person based on their purchases. The article states that when a customer at target uses their credit card they are assigned a number in their computer system and whenever you buy anything with that same credit card at target those purchase are added to your customer history. Target can take this date and provide ads and coupons especially for you based on what you have bought in the past.
In the Forbes article Target was able to prove that the teen age girl was pregnant based on her purchase and was able to predict when she was due. This article demonstrates how much information a store knows about their customers all based on purchases.
Recently consumers have been up in arms about apple and location tracking, Facebook and privacy setting, and Google’s recent user agreement changes. But it seems that many people forget how much information the stores they shop at all the time knows about them. Next time you slide your card remember that you are being tracked, just like the apps and web services you are up in arms about.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
PowerTrekk Mobile Charger - from CES 2010
With the increase of portable technology, being able to take your devices anywhere you go including; camping, backpacking/hiking, and many other outdoor activities. The only limitation to taking your device on your activities is being able to keep the battery charged when you have no power outlet. In a hall filled with solar technology for that idea comes something a little different, the PowerTrekk mobile charger. The PowerTrekk is a hydrogen gas device that will convert the gas into electricity.
This device uses a small power pukk that when you add a small tablespoon of water converts the solid chemical into hydrogen which the device harnesses into power. The device can charge anything with an USB plug; it can charge an iPhone on a single pukk. You can also plug the device in before hand to hold a charge before you go out, and us the power pukk for instant power when you need more.
The device seems to be better than a solar charger because you can have instant power with the pukk and water, where you have to wait for the solar panel to collect enough light for energy. The down side is that you need to have a steady supply of power pukks, being that they are one time use only, to continue to use it where with a solar panel you are good to go. The PowerTrekk should be hitting stores around March and will cost $299 and the power pukks will be $3 each, you can visit their website for more information www.powertrekk.com
The PowerTrekk is an interesting idea, using hydrogen gas to harness energy, and only time will tell where this technology goes.
Monday, January 16, 2012
CES 2012
So last week I had the opportunity to go to CES and see all the cool new gadgets that will be coming out in the coming year. Now that the show is over comes the time to reflex on all that I have seen and got the chance to play with. Over the next few weeks I will be working on some new posts about the products that I have seen at CES. Some of the things I plan on writing about are the free samples that we got at the both, which I will make sure to judge just the same way I would with other products I have to buy. For now you can see some of the pictures that I took while at CES on my tumblr: http://nanook86-ces2012.tumblr.com/
Stay tune to see what I write about.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Dinner Time Rudeness
As technology has gotten better and cheaper, it seems that almost everyone has a cell phone, many of them are smart phones. However as people use there phones it seems that they have forgotten their manners in public and with other people.
One might ask what is meant by that comment no I will explain in some detail with the following story to help demonstrate my point.
The other night I went out t dinner with my family as we were setting down to and looking at the menus, I saw both my brother and sister had there cell phones out under the table texting people and checking their Facebook. I luckily was not the only one to notice this, my dad noticed it and told them several times during dinner to put the phones away.
Our table was not the only one with this problem, as I looked around the room I saw many people at tables not talking to each other because they were on their phones. As I looked around I started to realize the problem that people are so addicted to their phones that they cannot go long without checking them.
I started to wonder if it would have just been better to leave our phones at home or in the car. But I would hate to have to suggest that just so we could have a nice family dinner.
I know I have been guilty of this behavior in the past checking my phone while I'm out eating with friends, but over the times I have noticed the problem in my self and have worked hard to change my ways. I've I ask what is so important that your phone has to be in your hand while your trying to enjoy family time? For the most part I would not have a new message in a few minutes of eating dinner or being in the company with friends,
Next time your out with people be kind show some manors and try to avoid looking at your phone. There is a reason you decided to go out with the person so show some respect. You can always tell others you are going out and will not be able to answer for a while or explain it to them after wards. Remember to think before you pick up that phone.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
New Years Resolution
So with every New Year come many new ideas in people’s minds as resolutions. Many people create there New Years resolutions and work hard to accomplish them, whether its reading X amount of books, or losing weight, and much more. My New Year resolution this year is a little different from what I know most people chose, I have decided to work on writing one blog post a week, and I will be doing a picture of the week too.
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