BobBuskirk.com » Tech Related

The CES 2012 Swag Haul!

Bob Buskirk — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:30 +0000

One of the best things about going to CES is getting swag, free stuff companies give out as they lure you to come check out their booth. I mean what better way for companies to get your attention then with free stuff! Also rumor has it that on the last day of the show if you stick around long enough many companies will just give away stuff so they don’t have to pack it up and take it back with them. Anyways here is what I was able to snag this year at CES.

Some of the more noteworthy things are a tablet, Thermaltake headset, Corsair solid state drive, and a Kingston Wi-Drive. My favorite thing would have to be the backpack from Rosewill (the black one on the right). It is actually a really nice backpack, much better than the one CES gives press. It is more or less a camera bag with a bunch of protective compartments in it. I used it on my way back from Vegas as my carry-on and I plan to use it in the future, so thanks Rosewill!

Stay tuned for a contest on ThinkComputers where I will be giving a lot of this stuff away!

Headed to Vegas for CES 2012!

Bob Buskirk — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:00:05 +0000

As you are reading this I am most likely on a plane from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas (gotta love being able to schedule posts with WordPress). I am on my way to Vegas for this years Consumer Electronics Show or CES as we all call it. If I am counting this right this will be my 6th year at the show! I can’t believe 6 years ago I made the plunge and went to CES and Vegas for the first time ever. A lot has changed in those 6 years that is for sure! Luckily since I have been blogging since 2005 you can go back and see my blog posts about previous shows.

Obviously I am going to CES for ThinkComputers. We hope this year is going to be a huge year for us and we will be doing mostly video coverage. To give you an idea of what to expect check out the video below.

To follow all of the coverage on ThinkComputers you can bookmark this URL: http://www.thinkcomputers.org/tag/ces-2012/ or follow myself or ThinkComputers on the social networks below.

ThinkComputers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/thinkcomps
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkComputers
Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/101097389100489939399/101097389100489939399/posts
Instagram: http://followgram.me/thinkcomputers

Bob Buskirk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/bobtv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobBuskirk
Google+: https://plus.google.com/103093986391371376749/posts
Instagram: http://followgram.me/bobtv

See everyone in Vegas!

ThinkComputers First YouTube Contest!

Bob Buskirk — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:02:04 +0000

As I mentioned ThinkComputers launched our official YouTube channel not that long ago. To really get it going we have a contest running with Thermaltake where you can win 3 of their cases! You can check it out on the video above to see how you can win. Here is an excerpt from the official contest page:

As you may know we launched our YouTube channel not that long ago! Since that time we have been bringing you unboxing videos, video reviews, gaming footage and much more! We want to give something back to our YouTube fans so we are having a contest! This contest is going to be very simple, before we get in to what you need to do to win here is what is up for grabs. We have partnered with Thermaltake to give you 3 great cases. Those cases are the Chaser MK-1 (our review), Commander and the Dokker.

So get your entry in fast, you have 5 more days to enter!

Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011

Bob Buskirk — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:02:10 +0000

I’m sure by now you’ve heard that Steve Jobs passed away yesterday of cancer at the age of 56. This was shocking and sad news to many people, myself included. For those who do not know Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Wozniak in 1976. Over the years he has been the visionary behind many of Apple’s greatest products and really changed the way many people view technology. Being that I work in technology I have followed Apple products over the years.

You know growing up you read about people like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and George Westinghouse. These were all visionaries and people who really thought outside of the box. For our generation Steve is one of those visionaries. Obviously I was really too young to follow the early Apple Computers, but since Steve returned to Apple in 1997 I think most of us in the technology field really followed Apple closely. If you think about it personal computers might not be what they are today without Steve Jobs.

All innovators have to take chances and of the first one that really shocked many of us with the introduction of the iPod in 2001. MP3′s were not that popular back then and many people did not think the device would be successful, but as you know it was a huge success. There were MP3 players out there, but no company really made one that caught on. I’m sure many of you reading this currently own or have owned an iPod. This was a step away from Computers for Apple and gave them what they needed to continue as a successful company.

Just 2 years later Apple introduced the iTunes Music Store, which allowed you to purchase music online and download it. This completely changed the music industry and is revolutionary. Before the iTunes music store most people were still going out and purchasing CD’s or buying MP3′s online and websites that most likely do not exist anymore.

In 2005 Steve gave a great commencement speech at Stanford in which he talks about life, start Apple, getting fired from Apple and much more. Instead of me talking about it you can watch it below.

In 2007 Apple introduced the iPhone, which as you know completely changed how we view mobile phones. Before the iPhone I really cannot think of a mobile touchscreen phone that was popular and worked well. It completely changed the way people see phones and really pushed them to become all in one devices. Now the iPhone is one on its 4th generation and is one of the most popular mobile devices of all time. Here is a video of the unveiling of the original iPhone.

After the iPhone other great accomplishments where the iTunes App Store and of course the iPad and iPad 2.

I am in now way an Apple Fanboy, I run all PC’s at home, although I do own an iPhone. Whether you like Apple products or not you have to think about what Steve did in his life and how his vision changed the way we view personal computers, phones and the music industry. He was a true pioneer and visionary. We are quite lucky to have a person like him in our lifetime, there are not many like him. He has given many people, including myself inspiration to do what we love and to “Think Different”.

PodCamp Pittsburgh 6

Bob Buskirk — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 05:27:26 +0000

PodCamp Pittsburgh 6 was this past weekend and it was a blast! PodCamp is a free conference that is put on to teach people about blogging, social media, podcasting and much more. I didn’t attend PodCamp last year so I was interested to see what sessions there would be this year. PodCamp started on Saturday and there were sessions from 9am to noon then lunch. I ended up going out the night before so I made it down to PodCamp around noon, just in time for lunch!

At lunch I met up with Jerimiah and Kelly. At lunch they had a huge projector screen showing everyone tweeting about the event. We sat down and ended up meeting some other cool people like Thomas and Amy. This is what is so great about PodCamp is you meet so many great people who are interested in the same thing as you and it is so easy to strike up a conversation with people. After lunch I went to the rest of the sessions during the day.

During each hour block there are up to 5 different sessions so you had to pick the one your really wanted to go to. Most of the sessions I went to throughout the weekend were about social media, but I did attend a few on blogging as well. Out of all the sessions I did attend my favorite was the Myths About Social Media with Justin Kownacki. He has been working in social media for a while now and it was great to hear some of his insights.

Once again PodCamp Pittsburgh was a great event and I am glad I attended this year! If there is a PodCamp in your area I highly suggest you attend!

How I am Using The Cloud

Bob Buskirk — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 21:04:39 +0000

I started using the Cloud a few years ago and now it seems I do everything on the cloud, like right now I am using the cloud to write this blog post using Google Docs. Using the cloud is such a convenience because it makes it so I do not have to have a ton of different programs installed on my system, but also in the case that I do not have my laptop with me I can use any public PC to access my data. So how exactly am I using the cloud?

E-mail – Gmail: I’ve been using Gmail for years, but up until recently all of ThinkComputers e-mail was run through Outlook using POP3. This was simple enough, but I could not access my e-mail from anywhere and when I went on trips I would have to transfer my e-mail from my desktop to my laptop, which was a pain. Setting up Gmail to work with the ThinkComputers e-mail was very simple and now I have everything in one place, easy to use and even search-able.

Office – Google Docs: Installing Microsoft office on every system I have is just annoying and purchasing Office is just expensive, especially if you are only going to be using Word. The Google Docs suite is comprised of a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form and drawing. I use the word processor the most, even if someone e-mails me a .docx file I am able to upload it to Google Docs so I can view it.

Files – Dropbox: Dropbox is a simple service that allows you to have a unified folder across multiple systems. So if I put something in the folder on my main PC it will show up on my laptop, tablet and even iPhone. I used to carry a flash drive around with me that had important files on it, but now I just use Dropbox so on any PC I can have all of those important files. Dropbox also allows you to view and download files via a web interface so if you are on a public computer you can still access your files.

Photo Storage – Flickr: I have been using Flickr for quite some time now. It is probably the only Yahoo service that I still use. Flickr is a photo sharing / storage service that is very easy to use. I try to upload all of my photos to Flickr because who knows when a hard drive will die (I’ve had 2 die this year already). I love to go and look back through all of the photos I have stored on Flickr since 2007!

Music – Google Music & Pandora: If you are anything like me you have a lot of music. Having all of this music makes it difficult to take with you, especially on multiple devices. Recently Google launched the Google Music beta that allows you to upload all of your music to the cloud and play it back in any web browser or Android device. This means you don’t have to transfer your collection to your laptop or device every time you get new music. Pandora is great, it is a streaming music service, but it does not use your music collection. You input an artist or song and it creates a station around that. It is a great way to discover new music.

Photo Editing – Photoshop Express: I do not do a lot of photo editing while on the go, but if I need to use Photoshop, it is not only a resource killer, but a battery killer as well. Using the online version ala Photoshop Express easily allows me to do quick resizing and edits to photos if needed. Not to mention the service is free!

So how are you using the cloud? Let me know in the comments!

Google Plus Review – A Week In

Bob Buskirk — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:13:01 +0000

It seems the buzz all around the internet for the past couple of weeks has been about Google’s new social platform Google Plus or Google+. We have seen Google social things before like Buzz, which really did not catch on, but it seems many people are embracing Google+. Google+ is a social network, but what makes it different from Facebook? Well first off Google+ does not have games or 3rd party apps at this time. This means you are not getting stupid requests for apps and for people asking you to help them in Mafia Wars or something like that.

The core elements of Google+ are your friends, profile, photos, and hangouts. Lets start with friends, you can add friends by their e-mail and group them in to circles. Each circle is like a grouping, when you post something on Google+ you can either make it public so everyone can see it or you can select which circles you are going to post it to. Circles can also be used to filter your stream, you can select to only see what your friends are doing etc.

Your profile is pretty simple, it shows your posts, has an about tab, photos tab, videos tab, +1′s tab and a Buzz Tab. Unlike Facebook your friends or people who follow you cannot write on your profile. This is interesting, as the only way people can communicate with you is commenting on things you post. This may drive people to share more.

The photos section is pretty cool. The photo uploader is much better than the Facebook one and I like how the comments show up on the right side of the photo page. You are able to tag people in photos. When people tag you, you will get a tag request, which is a nice touch.

Hangouts are social video chat. You can chat with up to 10 people at once and it works great.

So where do where we go from here with Google+? Right now Google+’s user-base is mostly tech people, which is great if you are into that sort of thing. It makes it a really cool hangout, but if you are not into tech or the internet then you might have to wait for Google+ to have enough relevant content for you to enjoy. I think the big thing with Google+ is going to be engagement, just in the week that I’ve been on Google+ I’ve seen extremely long threads of replies and +1′s on posts. I think the fact that you cannot write on people’s profiles has a big part in this. I really like Google+ and if you are on it check out my profile here. Also if you need an invite send me your e-mail account and I’ll send you an invite!

5 iPhone Apps July 2011 Edition

Bob Buskirk — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:00:46 +0000

If you are anything like me you carry your iPhone with you everywhere and it is more than just a phone. To me it is my way of connecting with the world when I don’t have access to a computer. There are a ton of iPhone Apps out there, but what ones am I using the most and why? Here are the top 5 iPhone Apps I use the most right now.

Foursquare – If you don’t know what Foursquare is then check out this post. I use Foursquare to “check-in” places and I really like it that now you are able to have it update your Twitter and Facebook as well as allow you to upload a photo as well.

Instagram – This App really came out of nowhere. I’ve had it for a while, but until recently I really had not used it that much. I mainly used twitpic to share files on twitter. Instagram is a photo sharing App that allows you to add cool effects to your photos. It really makes them look awesome and people can follow you on the app. You are also able to share your photos on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, and Tumblr. You can check out some of my photos from Instagram here.

Facebook – Of course this would be on the list. I always have to check Facebook a few times a day. The iPhone app works great for that if I am not at a computer.

Tiny Tower – I’m not a huge fan of single player games on the iPhone, but this game is very brilliant. Tiny Tower is a game where you build a tower floor by floor. Residence move in and as you create floors you create jobs from them etc. I have to play this game every night before I go to bed, so I suggest you try it out!

RunKeeper – I have been doing a lot of running lately, since I live right next to Highland Park. RunKeeper is a great App that tracks how long you have been running, uses the GPS on your phone to track you and even tells you how many calories you have burned. It not only can be used for running, but other activities like Cycling, Skating and even Snowboarding. Everything is saved online and you can view each activity. Here is a run I did just the other day.

Have a really cool app you think I would like? Let me know in the comments!

What is Empire Avenue?

Bob Buskirk — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:00:48 +0000

A few weeks ago I kept on hearing about this site called Empire Avenue, then people kept on tweeting about it so I had to check it out. Empire Avenue is basically an online stock market simulation, but you are not investing in companies, but people. How it works is that you create an account add your social profiles (Twitter, Facebook, etc). Once your accounts are connected you are eventually given a share price based on the activity and engagement of those accounts. When your share price is established people are able to invest in you.

Empire Avenue uses what they called “Eaves” as their virtual currency. You are given a set amount of Eaves when you start and can gain Eaves by doing many different things. First you are able to invest (buy shares) in users on Empire avenue. Once you buy the shares you will be given a daily dividend, which is a good way to earn Eaves. You also earn Eaves when people buy shares in you. You can earn achievements or invite people to join Empire Avenue and that will give you Eaves as well. If you are lazy you can purchase Eaves.

The site can be quite addicting as the normal stock market is for many people. At least with Empire Avenue you are spending fake currency not real money. Your share price is based on engagement so the more you interact on your social networks the more you will end up being worth. This makes the game fun and makes your more productive on those social networks. The main goal of the game is to have the most wealth based on your your investments and income. The best way to do this is invest wisely and keep trying to grow your market share so more people will invest in you.

Right now I have a net wealth of 84,799.945 and 11 people have invested in me. I currently invest in 14 people and have 28,232.31 in the bank. Empire Avenue is a lot of fun, go ahead and check it out and maybe you might want to invest in me!

My First GXL Experience

Bob Buskirk — Thu, 12 May 2011 21:43:14 +0000

This past weekend I made my way out to Philly to check out one of the largest LAN parties on the east coast, theGXL. I have been going to LAN parties for quite some time, but for the past few years I really have not gamed that much therefor I did not attend many LAN parties. I have been wanting to get more people involved with ThinkComputers and what a better way to do that than set up a booth at a LAN party. We did it at the latest Pittco event and it went really well so we decided to do it at theGXL.

Our booth was setup with 3 of our test machines. This way we could show off some of the products we review and when people come over to the booth to check them out they can learn more about the site. The event was actually a dual event help by both theGXL and the TooManyGames 2011 Expo. The Expo was a really cool place where you could find all kinds of old video games, video game art and much more.

The event went really well and I met a lot of great people. If you are looking for a great LAN party to check out theGXL should be on your list! We will be at the next event!