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Contact info: | Feed: feeds.feedburner.com/geekcast | Website: TheGeekcast.com | geekcast@gmail.com | Skype & Gizmo: Geekcast | 206-98-geek-1 | Show notes: send blank e-mail to geekcastpodcast-subscribe@yahoogroups.com |
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Items of Note:
The Geekcast has surpassed 1,000 subscribers! Thank you to all who stay subscribed and bring my show into your ears twice a week.
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Test a geek:
–Previous Question–
Back in the days of dial-up, we all used modems. What does “modem” mean?
Modem is a semi-acronym, standing for modulate-demodulate. This is what the modem does to signals in order to communicate with computers on a network.
–New Question–
Flexible diskettes were around long before the personal computer. The first flexible diskette was introduced in 1971. Who introduced it?
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Tech news:
Dell Laptops(Latitude 110L) are now shipping with Mandriva Linux pre-installed. Mandriva says this represents a milestone to make Linux more available to consumers. From the article:”This product shows the world that Mandriva is today ready for the consumer market. We’ve been developing products for the corporate and enthusiast markets for years. Addressing the needs of the consumer market is a different challenge, because it is all the more difficult, as you don’t have a system admin or professional technician at home”, said François Bancilhon, Mandriva CEO”
According to this story on CNN, Volkswagen is going to offer in-dash USB connections on several models as of this December and others next year. This function is to let you connect your MP3 Player or USB drive to play your tunes on the car stereo! The bad news? I just got my Touran… sans USB.
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How To:
This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast.
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Ask A Geek:
Flex411 asks:
“I know that there are a ton of TV shows out there, but like internet radio shows I dont want to go out and download them at there websites everytime, I want ipodder for tv shows and a way to subscribe to them and a place where everyone lists there shows. Is this possible yet, i know mac has something not sure what it is but i dont have a mac. any help would be great.”
Flex, it seems that you’re looking for what’s been dubbed a ‘vidcast’, which is a podcast except video is downloaded instead of mp3’s. As podcasting is getting more popular, vidcasts are starting to go into production. There are a few out there but as you’ve said they are hard to locate. Some people have gotten around this by putting their shows in iTunes on the podcasting section. There are a few video shows out there that you can find such as Diggnation, RocketBoom and CommandN. Other sources to find shows are podcastalley, ipodder.org and also using google to your advantage. Searching a site such as del.icio.us could help as well.
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Hack:
This segment will return on a future episode of The Geekcast.
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The geek’s view: DiscHub
DiscHub is an interesting take on the concept of CD storage. When dealing with common CD’s, they usually get thrown onto a desk or someplace where they are not safe. While there are many CD holders out there, some are better than others. DiscHub is one of those holders that’s worth the cash.
On the surface, DiscHub looks like any other CD holder but once put to use, the small-yet-useful ideas put into place by its designers. The CD slots are lined with a rubbery foam that is soft and non-abrasive. There is just a slit between the two pieces which holds a CD in place nicely. This padding for the slots ensures you don’t accidentally scratch your CD’s when moving them in and out. You can also blindly get the CD’s or put them back without worrying.
The DiscHub can hold 11 CD’s, which is plenty in today’s day of DVD’s which many people use these days to store data. The CD’s are offset so that half lean to the left while the other lean to the right. The CD’s alternate in this pattern so it’s easy to not only see a specific CD but also grab one without the surrounding CD’s getting in the way. This pattern allows you to also roll a CD out of its spot easily.
The DiscHub is a sturdy little holder, made of neoprene. On top of this, the CD’s are in nice and snug. I tested it by rolling it onto it’s side as if something had knocked into it and all the CD’s didn’t budge. I also carried it around a bit as if I was moving to another desk and all CD’s didn’t move at all. Flipping it upside-down and gently shaking did nothing either.
Overall the DiscHub is a great product and is one of the better CD holders out there. All these good items, combined with a fantastic $11.99 price-tag, makes the DiscHub a welcome addition to any desk out there needing organization. Learn more at www.thedischub.com
Final grade: (1 to 5 stars)
Ease of use- *****
Does what it’s supposed to do- *****
Price- ******
Practicality- *****
Overall (avg) score: 5 stars.
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