Do you love watching TV, but just don’t have the time for it?  Maybe you are always working or traveling and would like to watch the news, weather, or stock tickers once in a while?  For me, as a computer geek extraordinaire, I’m always on the computer and like flipping to the TV to catch TechTV and news that preview new product launches and events.  

I have set up the Slingbox so that I may watch TV on my computer at work.  Essentially, my home TV and cable are set up with equipment that transmits the cable signal through the Internet to my office computer.  There is even a high definition adapter that is plugged into my home TV so my office computer is HD, or high def!  It works like a charm.  We’ve also set up this solution for our clients who are road warriors, day traders, and general enthusiasts.  We have heard rave reviews.

I’m even thinking of going an extra step and connecting an office computer to one of our large flat screens so that it may act as a TV for the entire office.  This would be a great way to alleviate the TV cable expense for the office while everybody may watch or listen to the news or sports in the background.  Basically, I’ll have a lot more friends if this works out!

The Slingbox may also be set up for mobile devices, such as Treos and other handhelds.  This product is definitely a winner!

When looking for your destination, which website do you use?  Below are the best sites for for great directions and visual maps:

Google Maps:  Features road, satellite and point-to-point directions.  A bit of a memory hog, but has easy access of easily providing a phone number and rated reviews to businesses.

MapQuest:  Shows easy 10-point driving directions.

Ask.com Maps & Directions: Provides walking and driving directions

Windows Live Local:  Offers clear close-up views and saving functions.

Yahoo Maps:  Illustrates traffic view and ability to reposition maps

What is a dangerous Website?  One that tries to defraud or spread viruses or spyware for marketing purposes.  It is not easy to figure out if a site has evil intentions or not.  Typically, you land on a site and get infected before you realize it.

Two major anti-virus software companies, McAfee and Symantec, are looking to prevent and flag fraudulent sites. 

McAfee’s SiteAdvisor Plus blocks you from accessing sites that contain adware, spyware, viruses, phishing, and even spam.  It is very protective which is good, but a little invasive by blocking access to sites.

Symantec’s Norton Confidential is a better software since it guards you from sites that attempt to steal your information rather than just blocking access to all malicious sites.

Whereas McAfee’s software has an aggressive blanket blocking technique, Symantec protects you for the severe rogue sites and allows easy access to other sites.

Whether selecting software or not for avoiding dangerous sites, just be careful and do not download anything that looks suspicious.l 

Lately, there has been more of a need for residential and small offices to have a collaborative calendar system.  Posting appointments and events for others to see and add to are key for great communication.  If Outlook is not being used, there are a few great calendars you may use that allow for private, shared, and public events:

1.  30 Boxes - The prettiest of all the calendars and integrates nicely with MySpace and other networking sites.

2.  Google Calendar - Detects events in Gmail and you may sent invites with RSVPs when adding an event.

3.  Yahoo Calendar - You may check others’ availability before inviting them to events.  This is one of the only online calendars that syncs with Outlook and Palm Desktop.

Not yet unless you really need one.  Windows Vista is right around the corner which means that many brands will be featuring innovative computers to go along with the new operating system.  Also, the majority of computers will offer discounted rates to entice consumers. 

Further, if you don’t mind sticking with Windows XP, you’ll be able to buy a new computer with this operating system for significantly less when Vista arrives.  Of course, the manufacturers will want to clear their shelves of Windows XP computers when Vista arrives, so this strategy of purchasing an older operating system version is quite clever.

For those who have no choice since your current computer is not operable, there is still hope.  You may buy a Windows XP computer now and will receive a free express upgrade to Vista when Vista is launched.  This means you’ll receive a free upgrade CD of Vista when Vista comes out.  Just make sure the manufacturer provides some assurance of this.

You received your new computer equipment for the holidays.  But, you still have your old paperweight of a computer sitting underneath your desk.  Where can you recycle it?

On January 7th, there is a special electronic recycling event in NYC.  Here are the details:

Sunday January 7th, 2007 (9AM - 4PM)
Union Square Park - North Plaza
East 17th Street & Broadway

For more information, please check out the event details.