allen's blog » geek stuff http://allenmcnulty.com/blog just a country boy who happens to be gay Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:40:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Ha! (wireless network fun :) http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/12/12/ha-wireless-network-fun/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/12/12/ha-wireless-network-fun/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:52:58 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=801

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/12/12/ha-wireless-network-fun/feed/ 0 Do Not Buy Anything From CoffeeCup.com! http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/11/14/do-not-buy-anything-from-coffeecup-com/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/11/14/do-not-buy-anything-from-coffeecup-com/#comments Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:10:03 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=757 Continue reading →]]>  

Coffee Cup Software

Years ago, this company asked me (and I accepted) to be an "Ambassador" to their company.  Little did I know what a fail that would end up being (fail being their company, not my mad skills).  The owner (or one of them) is a piece of shit bully who, instead of fixing problems, calls people out in public.  I asked that their software work and this piece of shit at coffeecup.com spends OVER a year telling everyone that it's the user not the software (it was the software).  His purpose on the forums seems to serve being a bully, a typical troll and, accordlingly, a piece of shit.  They are someone who will never, never, never admit any wrongdoing.  Ever.

Coffee Cup Software

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/11/14/do-not-buy-anything-from-coffeecup-com/feed/ 0 My New Beast (Specs For My Geek Friends) http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/31/my-new-beast-specs-for-my-geek-friends/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/31/my-new-beast-specs-for-my-geek-friends/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:20:54 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=520 Continue reading →]]> Corsair 600T Case

Noiseblocker UltraSilent Fans

ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe – LGA 1155 – Z68 – SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0

Intel Core i7 2600k 3.4ghz LGA 1155 Quad-Core (8mb L3 cache)

Venomous X CPU Cooler

750watt Silverstone Power Supply

1GB GDDR5 Nvidia GTX 560 TI (where i needed less than elsewhere…i don't game)

16GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600mhz Dual Channel memory

RAID 0 – 240GB X 2, Vertex 3 Solid State Drives

Normal LG CD/DVD r/rw (double layer write capable)

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium

Windows 7, Home Premium 64-bit

OriginPC.com

Cool Crate Pic Here

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/31/my-new-beast-specs-for-my-geek-friends/feed/ 0 My New Beast (Teaser) http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/31/my-new-beast-teaser/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/31/my-new-beast-teaser/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:24:15 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=516 Continue reading →]]> I finally got my new computer today.  It's a beast.  I'll post the sordid details after I set it up, make sure it works, etc. and then post some specs and thoughts on it.  It's an Origin PC (I believe they used to own Alienware before selling that to Dell?).

 

origin pc

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/31/my-new-beast-teaser/feed/ 1 Netflix – No More DVD’s http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/28/netflix-no-more-dvds/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/28/netflix-no-more-dvds/#comments Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:12:29 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=511 Continue reading →]]> In addition to getting rid of cable, I'm also stopping DVD's from Netflix and only using their streaming.  New stuff takes too long and I can just rent it on the cheap, on the fly, from the numerous companies on my Xbox and PS3.  Now I'm down to $7.99/month for Netflix, $7.99/month for HuluPlus, and around $60.00 for cable internet (with turbo boost! :) .  Not a huge saving, but I was finding myself trying to find DVD's that I haven't watched yet and most were available in streaming or some other venue.  I can always add back receiving DVD's at any time, if I change my mind.

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/28/netflix-no-more-dvds/feed/ 0 No More Cable. The End (?) http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/25/no-more-cable-the-end/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/08/25/no-more-cable-the-end/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:22:30 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=505 Continue reading →]]> We have zero cable tv…only cable internet.  I pay for streaming and one dvd from Netflix and $7.99/month for Hulu Plus.  Right around a $100/month savings and I don't miss my cable tv or DVR one bit.

Others said their internet bill went up when they cancelled their cable  lost their "bundle deal" but mine only went up a couple of dollars (great deal, huh?)

I can't wait until someone comes here to compete with Time-Warner (I don't want DSL).  Hoping on lower costs, faster speeds, and/or both.  Time-Warner's monopoly here needs to end.  Now.

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Kitty Screensaver!

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/06/05/kitty-screensaver/feed/ 0 Part 4 of my “Getting Rid of Cable” Series Is Coming Soon http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/04/30/part-4-of-my-getting-rid-of-cable-series-is-coming-soon/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/04/30/part-4-of-my-getting-rid-of-cable-series-is-coming-soon/#comments Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:10:31 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=397 Continue reading →]]> Xbox and Hulu announced today that Hulu is now on Xbox.  I will begin testing everything on my Xbox in my room but I need to learn a few things first:

1.  Does it work and how well?

2.  Do we have to pay for a second Hulu account to view on both Xbox's?  (You must "activate the device".  We did on the living room box and it shows it on our Hulu account as that Xbox gamer's account name.  Activating my separate Xbox and account in my room, might present issues.  Tune in.)

3.  Will turning in my remaining DVR increase the cost of my internet price?  (Since it's a "bundle" deal, I'm sure it will :(

4.  Depending on the above variables, what is my new cost compared to my old one after all of this?

 

I'll let you know….

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/04/30/part-4-of-my-getting-rid-of-cable-series-is-coming-soon/feed/ 0 Husqvarna Solar Hybrid Automated Mower http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/03/29/husqvarna-solar-hybrid-automated-mower/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/03/29/husqvarna-solar-hybrid-automated-mower/#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:37:04 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=338 Continue reading →]]> Yes, I realize that the Husqvarna Solar Hybrid Automated Mower is $3000.00, but I wanted everyone to put it on their list of things to buy when they win the lottery.

It will text message you if something disturbs it while it’s mowing, has an anti-theft alarm, no emissions, PIN lock code, battery-operated (but solar panel is an extra energy source on sunny days and can provide an extra oomph), weather-proof, low noise, timer, and much more.

My prediction is that this will become better and more affordable over time. It only makes sense. I wonder what the stats would be if every house replaced their gas/oil mower with this?

solar hybrid automatic lawn mower

]]> http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/03/29/husqvarna-solar-hybrid-automated-mower/feed/ 0 Brutal Hard Drive – On Fire, Dunked In Water, Still Worked http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/03/26/brutal-hard-drive-on-fire-dunked-in-water-still-worked/ http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/2011/03/26/brutal-hard-drive-on-fire-dunked-in-water-still-worked/#comments Sat, 26 Mar 2011 19:24:45 +0000 admin http://allenmcnulty.com/blog/?p=328 Continue reading →]]>

The IoSafe Solo 1 TB Fireproof and Waterproof External Hard Drive took a brutal beating by Maximum PC magazine. The hard-drive claimes to be fireproof and waterproof, so they set it on fire and then dunked it in a bucket of water. After that, they took the drive back inside and plugged it in to their computer and all the files were completely intact.

The one they tested was USB 3.0, but I could only find USB 2.0 on Amazon at the time of this post…but still with the same fire/water claims, as well as a one or three-year data recovery service (where they claim that if you can’t get your data off the drive, they can).

At first it appears as if the casing provides the defense, but the guts are where the protection exists. It’s wrapped in what appears to be a fireproof/waterproof bag. Regardless, it works. I would, however, question my working environment if I needed a drive to be able to survive all of that :)

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