favorite links

Here are some of my favorite web pages and blogs (some are my own):
http://www.baseballtrivia.net

http://www.primabead.com

http://funnytvshowquotes.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI (Double Rainbow)
http://www.redmondpie.com/

http://humortrain.com

How websites know where you live

Have you ever wondered how websites know what city you live in? You see adds that have your location built right into the ad. They do this by gathering geographical information using your IP address. Your IP address, or internet protocol address. Think of it as a mailing address for your computer and the internet is the road.

iPhone OS 4 - sneak peak, multi tasking video, list of new features and more

Apple page - http://www.apple.com/iphone/preview-iphone-os/
Steve Jobs keynote speech presenting all this info to shareholders - http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/1004fk8d5gt/event/

On April 8th, 2010 Apple released its plans for the iPhone OS 4, which will be compatible with iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and the second- and third-generation iPod touch this summer, and with iPad in the fall.

Not all features in the iPhone OS 4 are compatible with all devices. Multitasking is available only with iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch (32GB and 64GB models from late 2009). This is due to the hardware needed to maintain good battery life while multitasking.

Here is an unofficial list of some of the "100+ new features" of iPhone OS 4.
1. iPod Out
2. Bluetooth keyboards
3. 5X digital zoom (camera)
4. custom wallpaper for home screen! (change lock screen, homescreen, or both)
5. MULTITASKING (double-click home button to use) Here's how it works. You can have at least 7 apps in the background, probably more. To keep your device from slowing, every developer can choose which aspects of their app to background. Therefore, the whole app isn't backgrounded: just main parts of the app. NOT FOR 2G iPod, 3G iPhone. Can work in beta 1 by editing one option in a file.
5a. Background audio - music from apps in the background
5b. Voice-over (VoIP) - talk over VoIp (Skype, etc) while in another app
5c. Background location - GPS in the background, indication in status bar of location tracking. This could allow apps to give you Push notifications based on your location such as 'there is a 10 car pile up 20 miles down the highway'. Multitasking opens so many doors for Apple.
5d. Push - (After 9 months, they've pushed over 10 billion notifications)
5e. Local Notifications
5g. Task Completion - finish task in background
5h. Fast App Switching - app stops completely, and starts from where it left off when you're back.
6. Unified Inbox - Don't you hate switching between your different email accounts just to read a few emails??
7. Folders - FINALLY! This is one you will like a lot more than you think. Imagine putting all your speed dial apps into one folder or keeping all your games organized.
8. iBooks Store for iPhone/touch - opens many new doors to the casual user.
9. Enterprise - Even better data protection. It encrypts email and attachments. There will be APIs available so developers can encrypt stuff inside their own apps. Also, Mobile Device management.
10. Game Center - The Apple-made social gaming center. This could be a big deal making the iPhone a somewhat legit hand held gaming device adding to a persons cost benefit analysis.
11. iAds (there have been 1 billion ad impressions per day, Apple wants in) Apple is helping developers (free ones as well) add advertisements to make money. Really... this is Apple trying to compete with AdSense and sticking it to Google after Android OS has cut into the iPhone sales.
12. Spell Check - about time... seems logical.
13. Call data only setting
14. Persistent Wifi - hopefully the new iphone will also have 802.11n support
15. Gift apps - buy your friends apps as a gift easily.
16. Rotate Photos - about time... seems logical.
17. Birthday Calendar
18. Recent web searches
19. Create playlists
20. Top hit in search
21. Sync IMAP notes
22. Nested playlists
23. CardDAV
24. Tap to focus video
25. Upload workouts to Nike+
26. Places in photos
27. People in photos
28. Search SMS/MMS messages
29. Wake on wireless
30. File & Diles Mail search results
31. Edit from outbox
32. Web search suggestions
33. Choose image size in Mail messages
34. CalDAV invitations
35. Larger fonts for Mail, SMS, Alerts
36. Removed the "Rate before delete" popup for apps - thank goodness, that was so annoying.
37. Alphanumeric Passcodes (letters and numbers in passcode)
38. Refined iPod app w/landscape and art in album view
39. Spotlight search includes Web and Wikipedia - hopefully this doesnt slow down the search
40. New streamlined contact screen
41. Borderless document view
42. Email threading
43. Location services indicator (arrow on status bar)
44. Icon revisions
45. Process Kill – the cntl+alt+del for iPhone... too help close frozen apps
46. Accessibility options refined
47. Braille connection
48. Push shows '!' in folders
49. Complete YouTube video rotation (except upside-down)
50. Video viewing directly on the Safari page – awesome.
51. Spotlight dock
52. Keyboard Layouts – thank goodness... perhaps this means T9 word is an option.
53. Note Syncing
54. Failed SMS Notification
55. Smart Links For Dates and Addresses in Emails

Great YouTube video showing the use of the multi tasking and custom wallpaper.




As you see only 50-60 features are really listed.. I believe a number of features are going to be specific to the much anticipated new iPhone release that will likely be announced in the next couple months. The specs of this OS already confirms many rumors that the new iPhone would have including multitasking, higher resolution camera, custom wall paper, folders, and more. Hearing these rumors confirmed leads me to believe some of the other rumors that have been going around. Specifically, the notion that the next iPhone will have an HD camcorder on the back.. and a low resolution 'webcam' so to speak on the front... allowing for video chats via your phone! Imagine being able to have web chats, or video calls with other new iPhone users, computers and probably next generation Andriod phone users. It opens a door that has been barely cracked to this point. iPhone will thrust video calling to become standard and normal and soon it will be easy for that father on the road to still watch his son play baseball, or to show your mother in law their grand childs first steps, or... you get the idea. Obviously, you don't always have to do a video call. If you just woke up, or are driving, or just don't want others to see you you can just call like you always have. But, it will be a nice option to have.
HD recording and 5mp camera... this is all getting ridiculous. Many people thought the Droid and other Android phones was the end of the iPhone. What really happened was Apple got a kick in the butt to push the limits of their hardware and AT&Ts network and stop holding back on features. The iPhone was always capable of, multitasking, folders, and most of the features we're getting. The reality is Apple felt crippling features would lead to more money and more stability for their phone. Now that Android exploited these 'weaknesses' of the iPhone we are seeing Apple wising up and stepping up their game to make the best iPhone, and phone to date.

I will note, while I do love the iPhone.. that I believe the Android OS will push phones to limits we never imagined. iPhone holds the advantage of streamlining the hardware used for their OS... where as Android is an operating system that is dependent on other manufacturers to utilize to their potential. So, if you plan on commenting on why Android is better, please make sure you are either comparing Android OS vs iPhone OS or comparing the iPhone to a specific phone that uses the Android OS (such as Nexus One, or Droid).

Other sources used:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/193824/iphone_40_multitasking_tops_list_of_new_features.html
http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=284116

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
The English Alphabet
I just went to abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com and amazingly enough the website was parked. It had no use. I cannot believe such a great website (the alphabet) was wasted. I feel like hooked on phonics or an elementary school program should invest in the website and turn it into something useful. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com could be a great learning tool for reading and learning the alphabet.

Heck, if you google abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz you don't find anything useful. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com does not even come up as an option. Any opinions?
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

How to build a dog ramp to the bed for your puppy or small dog for cheap - Step by Step instructions

We recently adopted a new puppy to our home. One thing we quickly realized is the dog is too small to jump up and down off the bed. We needed something to help the dog get to the top of the 26" high bed. There were no dog stairs packages that went high enough. We purchased a ramp from PetsMart for $130 that made stuck out 5 feet off the bed that the puppy used no problem. However, it was very much in the way of walking around the bed and extremely pricey. I vowed 'I could build a ramp for this that could run along the side of the bed and cost a quarter the price.'

I succeeded in building my own ramp for the dog. It cost a total of $22 (not including power tools).

Materials used:

A power screwdriver (or, a screwdriver if you want to do it the hard way)

A power circular saw (or, a hand saw if you want to do it the hard way)

A tape measure

Two eight foot 2x4 pieces of wood (2.64 each at Lowe's)

One ten foot 1x10 pieces of wood (9.72 at Lowe's)

20 or so screws ($3 at Lowe's)

10' roll of silverware drawer liner, 24" wide. ($4 at Wal-Mart)

Begin by cutting four 2x4 post the height of your bed. In my case 26". 

Second, measure the length of ramp you will need. This will vary depending on the bed and dog. In my case I cut 7'. So, I cut the 1x10 at the 7 foot mark.

Next I cut 1 foot of the 1x10 for the bottom base. And lastly I cut about 18" of the remaining 1x10 for the top platform. 18" so there is a 6" overlap to bridge the gap between the top of the ramp and the bed. We do not need the small dog or puppy having to jump over a 4" gap to get to the bed.

Using the 12" of 1x10 base, screw in the four 2x4s to bottom of ramp base as legs. You will want to space them 5" apart. Screw them in with 1 screw each pillar for now. 

Make sure the distance between pillars is the same on both sides of the base. Write down these measurements as they must be equal on the top part of the base.

At the top leave 1 inch of the top of the 2x4 uncovered. This should come naturally if you measured exactly 5" between the stands legs.

Measure angle to cut by placing wood for ramp at the distance and angle you plan and mark the angle. Once you mark the 2x4 with the angle, cut off as shown in the above pictures. This is what the ramp will be screwed into.

Before screwing the ramp to the base you will want to attach the drawer liner to the ramp and base top. This is what will allow your dog to have traction and grip to walk up and down. Without a gripping surface your dog will slip and quickly be turned off by the idea of using the ramp. I used industrial adhesive glue, you can use another type of glue or nails or screws or whatever. After covering the top and the ramp with the gripping surface you can screw in the top of the ramp to the base.

If my instructions seemed unclear or confusing hopefully the many pictures will help fill in the gaps. I did this will little planning and can easily be adjusted to fit your bed or couches specifications. However, in the end it cost around $23. It takes up less walking room than the store bought ramps and is easier to use than stairs and again, cheaper.

qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm-abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Google is fun. I was bored so I typed in 'qwerty' in Google and picked out the longest suggested suggested keyword search and hit search. They keyword was 'qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz'. I have no idea how qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz became a suggested keyword. I love how it is actually two words. As if qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm was a word or something, and why on earth is it followed up by abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz? No idea. Hopefully that is not why you Googled the word... leading you to this site which has no answers on the matter.

I will probably look into keyword fun more when I find myself bored again typing random letters into Google. I did this with a similarly random keyword in an earlier post and surprisingly a lot of visitors have made their way to the post and left their mark on the guestbook. If you found this post by doing what I did... searching the suggested keyword "qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz" in Google please post on the guest book! To me this is simply fascinating.

asdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjkl

Today in my boredom I typed in asdf in google in Firefox and noticed this keyword was surprisingly one of the auto-complete option, it was the longest one so I went with it.

I began wondering the affect a unique keyword such as the the title of this article "asdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjkl" would have on Google or yahoo or even perhaps bing/msn search results. Is it possible to get a simple yet meaningless blog post with a crazy title like asdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjklasdfghjkl to become a top 10 listing on google when this keywoard is searched?


Please post a comment if this is also how you found this post. I am very interested to see the impact of keywords in the title for blog posts in web pages. I find it fascinating!

Did know urban dictionary actual has an entry for "asdfghjkl" ? How crazy is that. The letters represent the home (middle) row of the keyboard typed out from left to right.
Urban dictionary defines "asdfghjkl" as  "An expression of frustration for IM; Used in desperation when no other words will do."
Here is the link -> http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=asdfghjkl

Hilariousness that can come from boredom and google.. and typing asdfghjkl

How To Repair Air Conditioning Condensate drain and water leaks

I found this article online when attempting to fix my a/c unit that was leaking water in our garage (or basement). The text was pasted from the link below.

http://www.toad.net/~jsmeenen/drain.html

---

   Air Conditioning Condensate and Water Leaks

are easy to fix. Usually without professional help.

---

   There are lots and lots of inquiries about water leaking from air conditioners and heat pumps. This is a very common problem that is easily solved. The way your air conditioner dries your house is by removing moisture. That moisture must go some where.  The moisture is removed by condensing it on the cold refrigeration coils and letting it run down a drain pan.
    The problem is that dirt and crud will stop up the drain line and clog the pan. This will eventually happen to every system out there give it enough time.
    While this problem makes a terrible mess and seems like to end of your system it is really quite easy to fix. Most system simply use a 3/4 inch PVC pipe to drain the water to a floor drain or sink. when (not if) this drain clogs the drain pan over flows (especially when the fan stops) and you have a mess.
    Fixing this problem is rather easy. Simply take a wet dry vacuum and suck the drain line clean, 9 times out of 10 this will fix it and that is the last of this problem you will have for a few years. If the drain pan is really dirty then you will have to take the covers off the unit and vacuum it out. In extreme cases you may have to use compressed air, nitrogen or CO2 to blow out the drain line (expect a big mess at the other end).If you don't have either avaliable you can use the Garden hose to flush the line backwards (expect an even bigger mess on the other end)
    In rare cases you may actually have a hole in the coil drain pan in which case the coil or the pan will have to be replaced especially if it is steel (but this is rare). In other rare cases we have had situations where grease or oil fumes from the furnace have condensed on the coil and caused the water to fall off the coil. When this happens you must clean the coil with soap or some solvent.
   If the coil is totally stopped up the back pressure from the fan/blower can force the water out of the pan by undermining the bottom of the coil. When the coil is this dirty the coil usually needs to be replaced. You will also notice little or no air flow.
    In most cases these condensate leaks are a do it yourself repair. Only if you must take the unit apart and can't, do you really need to call for help.

Patellar Tendonitis Rehab Exercises

Here is the rehabilitation exercises I will be doing to strengthen the muscles around my patella tendon to heal my knee of patella tendonitis (jumper's knee).

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_jumpersk_rex.htm

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_xjumper1_art.htm
http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_xjumper2_art.htm

If you have other great links please post them in the comments section!

How to Jailbreak iPhone 3G with OS 3.1.2 using Blackra1n

I have never jailbroken my iPhone before. I have read it is relatively safe... and not difficult but I never thought it was this easy. If you know how to install iTunes.. you can jailbreak your iPhone. If you can install adobe acrobat on your computer... you can jailbreak your iPhone. If you can install any basic program on your computer you can Jailbreak your iPhone. Don't pay someone $25 to do it... its rediculously easy and takes 5 minutes.

 

I literally downloaded one program. Plugged in my iPhone to my computer same as you do to sync.. and clicked one button and waited. This jailbreaking program did the rest. It was so easy and now I can record video (3G user), take pictures with zoom (free app), customize my icons into categories, view my calendar from my 'slide to unlock' screen... and tons more.

 

Below is the site I used with step by step instructions. Please note that you are doing this at your own risk... and if anything happens to your iPhone it is not my fault. I told you my expirience but I am not accoutable for what happens to anyone else

 

Step by step (easy!) instructions. You don't even really need the steps.. just download and execute while plugged in.

http://www.redmondpie.com/jailbreak-iphone-3.1.2-firmware-with-blackra1n-rc2-uyh759/

 

Blackra1n's website... this dude rocks.

http://www.blackra1n.com/