19" LCD Flat Panel for $154.99

If you're looking for a new monitor but don't have the cash right now, here's your chance to grab a nice monitor for an increadible price. Newegg.com has a Rosewill R913J 19" LCD Monitor for $154.99 ($224.99 - $70 MIR).

Get it Here.

Panel
TFT LCD


Screen Size
19"


Widescreen
No


Display Type
SXGA


Maximum Resolution
1280x1024


Recommended Resolution
1280x1024


Viewing Angle
150°(H) / 140°(V)


Pixel Pitch
0.264mm


Display Colours
16.7 Million


Brightness
250 cd/m2


Contrast Ratio
600:1


Response Time
8ms


Horizontal Fresh Rate
30 KHz~79 KHz


Vertical Fresh Rate
56 Hz~75 Hz

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Tweak UI

Tweak UI is a Microsoft program that allows you to change many settings that are otherwise unavailible to you in Windows (without regestry hacks or 3rd party software). This simple program is direct from Microsoft's website and takes only a couple of minutes to install and use.

To download Tweak UI from microsoft click HERE. There are many more settings in Tweak UI than I am going to cover, so poke around. The following are my suggested settings for making windows faster and less annoying.

About>Tips

• Read these, you'll be surprised what you can learn.

General

• Turn off "Beep on errors"
• Turn off "Enable combo box animation"
• Turn off "Enable cursor shadow"
• Turn off "Enable list box animation"
• Turn off "Enable menu animation"
• Turn off "Enable menu fading"
• Turn off "Enable menu selection fading"
• Turn on "Mouse hot tracking effects"
• Turn off "Enable tooltip animation"
• Turn off "Enable tooltip fade"
• Turn off "Enable window animation"
• Turn on "Optimize hard disk when idle"

Mouse

• Spend 1 minute fine tunning these settings and your mouse will work better for you.

Explorer

• Most of these are just your prefernce. I do recomment turning off "Enable smooth scrolling"

Explorer>Thumbnails

• I do a lot of work with images so I set my thumbnail size rather high to allow me to see them better. Play with this setting and find what works best for you.

Common Dialogs>Places Bar

• Do you always save certain files in the same location and get tired of navigating to it over and over. Modify your places bar (the bar to the left on the "Save as..." dialouge). It's a huge time saver.

Taskbar and Start menu

• Turn off "Enable balloon tips" - I despise balloon tips

Desktop

• This is the only way to get rid of EVERYTHING on your desktop. I keep mine 100% clear and only use it for very temporary storage.

My Computer>AutoPlay>Types

• Turn off autoplay on your disk drives if you want.

Internet Explorer

• Don't touch these settings... Why would you? Get Firefox!

Logon

• Small warning. Don't disable all of the "Show on Welcome screen" options. You will lock yourself out of your computer. (In this case boot to safe mode and log in as Administrator).

Logon>Autologon

• Not recomended due to security issues. But it's up to you.

Logon>Screen Saver

• Play with the grace period - mine is set to 10 seconds.

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Google has a Gold Mine

Google has a gold mine that they’ve been a little shy is sharing. It’s called the Google Pack. It has a ton of essential and helpful software. Check it out. It’s from Google so you know it has to be good. Here's a breakdown of the Google Pack:

Google Software Included

Google Earth - 3D Earth browser
* Zoom from space to street level — tour the world
* Find maps, driving directions, hotels, restaurants, and more

-This software is as much fun as it is practical. I’ve used it for over a year now and it never gets old. I recommend flying over Beverly Hills, Paris, Egypt and Washington DC. Don’t plan on doing anything the rest of the day, you will get lost in this thing.

Google Desktop - Desktop companion
* Find all your email, files, web history, and more
* Get all your personalized info in one place with Sidebar

-If you’ve ever used the Longhorn Dashboard you know how handy these things can be. If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat.

Picasa - Photo organizer
* Find, edit, and share your photos in seconds
* Easily remove red eye and fix photos

-Ever want iPhoto for a PC? Here you go, only it’s better.

Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer - Search toolbar
* Search from any web page and autofill forms
* Block annoying pop-ups

-If you don’t already have the Google Toolbar you should unplug your modem… or just download it and don’t tell anyone it took you this long.

Google Pack Screensaver - Photo screensaver
* Enjoy photos from your personal collection
* View pictures full screen or as a collage

-Replace the Windows logo that currently inhabits your idle screen with your favorite photos.


Additional Software Included

Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar - Web browser
-Mozilla Corporation
* Browse the web quickly and securely
* Switch between pages quickly with tabbed browsing

-Find out why 68.07% of my readers us Mozilla Firefox. It really is that much better.

Ad-Aware SE Personal - Antispyware utility
-Lavasoft
* Safely detect and remove spyware
* Protect your privacy with powerful features

-I talked about this program in 5 Free Programs Everyone Needs for a reason. It’s an absolute must for internet users.

Norton AntiVirus 2005 Special Edition - Antivirus utility
-Symantec
* Protect your PC from viruses, worms and Trojan horses
* Includes 6-month subscription to protection updates

-I pray that you already have an AntiVirus. However, Norton’s is the only antivirus I will use. Not McAfee, not EZ armor, not Trend Micro. I’ve used them all and Norton’s still reigns supreme. And 6-months free is unheard of.

Adobe Reader 7 - PDF reader
-Adobe Systems
* View, print, and search PDF files
* Launches up to 50% faster than Reader 6.0

-I assume you have some version of Adobe Reader, but more than likely it’s out of date. Be sure to update to the most recent version.

The Google Pack can be found to the the right under "Recommended Software."

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Mac vs. PC commercial - The Truth

We've all seen those Mac vs. Pc commercials and laughed at them. But if you're like me, a PC user, you've also noticed that the Mac is proud of having iTunes and listening to his iPod. Guess what!? You can download iTunes from Apple's site and iPods work just as well with PCs.

If you've ever thought like this then you will laugh your butt off at this clip.

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Vista on a Mac

This is a video of the new Window Vista being run on an Apple MacBook. I have to say that I'm afraid Vista's ability to run on an Apple is the biggest improvement over Windows XP. My prediction is that Vista will be the last operating system that Microsoft releases in the traditional sense. With the internet today there really isn't anything in Vista that we can't already get with a simple search of Download.com. Microsoft is proud of Tabbed Browsing and faster internet. I've had these for quite a while now with Firefox. This video also showcases "Aero Glass" which makes parts of windows transparent. This feature came standard with my Acer notebook via a small app called Acer GridVista. To be honest I never use it, I just find it annoying. We've hit a point where new things become old news so quickly that the concept of a major operating system release has been done away with by constant updates, patches, extensions, and hacks. As I said though, I am looking forward to having Windows on a Mac.

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My Favorite XP Tweak

Anytime I install a fresh copy of Windows XP or I create a new user there is one thing I do. It's probably the simplest tweak I do, but it's also one of the most effective at speeding up EVERYTHING in Windows. This tweak only cost you 5% of Windows visual appearance. It's so unnoticable that you will only know something has changed because you changed it. Ok, on with the tweak:


1.
Click Start
Right Click on My Computer
Click Properties




2.
Click on the Advanced Tab
Then the first Settings Button




3.
Choose "Adjust for best performance"




4. Scroll down
Check the last two boxes
Then Click OK




That's it. Now Windows won't eat up memory every time you open or close a window or click on a menu. And it was so easy!

::EDIT:: Many people have told me that they also check the "Smooth edges of screen fonts" box. This is box is up to you.

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5 Free Programs Everyone Needs

The title says it all. No matter what you use your computer for there are a few programs that you can’t afford not to have. I use these programs regularly and they make a noticeable difference each and every time. Download them all now. You’ll thank me.

1. Firefox

Firefox with the Google toolbar is a must for anyone who browses the Internet. As far as web browsers go, it’s miles ahead of IE in security, functionality, and speed. Firefox’s key features are:

Faster Browsing
Automatic Updates
Tabbed Browsing
Improved Pop-up Blocking
Integrated Search
Stronger Security
Clear Private Data
Live Bookmarks
Customize Firefox

On top of these, extensions make its features pretty much limitless. Once you use Firefox you’ll never use IE again.

Download Firefox to the Right -->

2. HijackThis

Tired of having extra buttons in your web browser? Is your Internet running slow? Use HijackThis to see what programs are adding on to your Internet experience and basic computer functions.

Download HijackThis

3. AdAware

AdAware gets rid of the trash that come bundled with software and the spyware that’s installed on your computer because your kids don’t know when to click “No”

Download AdAware

4. Spybot

Spybot has the same purpose as AdAware but uses slightly different methods for searching for and defeating spyware and malware.

Download Spybot

5. Windows Update

Ok, this one’s not a program. Having the latest updates to your software is imperative to proper computer function. Make sure you run windows update regularly and if you have Microsoft Office check out Office Update.

Visit Micorsoft Update Home

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Logitech MX1000 Laser Mouse

I recently bought a Logitech M1000 Laser Cordless Mouse. I had previously had a cordless, optical Logitech mouse and after a few years I just plain wore it out. I consistently buy Logitech products because they always work well for me. I also have Logitech X-230 2.1 speakers.

The mouse had one huge feature that sold me on it. It has a charging station. Changing the batteries in my old mouse was a hassle and I hated never knowing when to change them. This mouse not only charges itself, but there is a battery meter on the mouse that lets you know when it’s running low. The mouse also has more buttons than you can use. The one problem that I had was using the forward/back buttons on the mouse in Firefox. This was easily remedied by downloading the latest version of the mouse software from Logitech’s web site.

Ultimately, it’s a great mouse and I am very pleased with it. It works like a charm. If you’re in the market for a good quality mouse, nothing compares to this one.

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Welcome

I've had blogs before but never had anything interesting to write about and would inevitably shut them down; one after the other. It's not that I didn't want an outlet for my thoughts; I just never had much direction. I decided to start a new blog and was racking my brain for ideas and coming up empty, until last night. I was talking with a group of friends out in a driveway at 4:00 in the morning when inspiration hit! It always hits at the weirdest times doesn’t it? Someone asked what I did for a living and I told them about my normal job, and then I said, "I’m also a Closet Nerd." And here we are...

When you first meet me, Web Developer, is the last thing you would think to label me. I drive a Dodge Ram, lift weights regularly, ride a Kawasaki Ninja, play the guitar (2 Ibanez and a Les Paul) and pretty much everything else a stereotypical young man would do. And then when I get home, I spend 6 hours in Adobe Land (formerly Macromedia Land) elbow deep in PHP, ActionScript and PSD files.

I figured that how my two worlds interact could actually be interesting and provide some entertainment for the world. I will share my life, both inside and outside the closet... Should make for an interesting ride. Please keep your hands, arms, legs, personal items, pet and small children inside the ride at all times. Here we go!

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