Screencast like a Pro!

Hey, this is David, and I've got a great tip for you out there that are seeking tips on how to videocast like the pros. This is a 100% video based training course that is super easy to follow, and as you will see, you don't even need a fancy video camera to pull off great screen capture videos. You can watch these videos on your PC, Mac, even your iPad or iPhone! Support tips are provided for both PC and Mac platforms, so you've got a two for one! Check it out at the link below...

Click Here to Screencast like a Pro!


Have fun! DJ

What to Know When Choosing a Blu-Ray Player

Alright, so you've got the new flat panel HDTV and you're ready to purchase a Blu-Ray player to be able to view the full capability and glory of 1080P. There are some helpful things you should know when making this decision. Using a custom A/V installer is usually a safe way to get through all the tech-speak without having to learn the language. If you want to do it yourself, though, I've provided some tips for consideration. First of all, this upgrade is really more than just adding the ability to play HD discs, and that's the main reason why I'm creating this blog. When we brought our first Blu-Ray player into our home, I was a 12+ veteran of the A/V industry and even I didn't realize how much it would change the way we watched TV. Now we're on our third, and that's mainly because as features were added to the general population of Blu-Ray players, some of the older ones wouldn't be able to support them. The current unit we have is a Sony BDP-N460, and I'm pretty darn happy with it. When we upgrade our TV to a 3D capable model, then we'll need to upgrade again. I'll lay out the high points with bullets...

• Blu-Ray players support the highest level of audio quality as laid down on the digital soundtracks of current blockbuster Hollywood movies
• Obviously, there is this little thing about 1080P. IF you have a 1080P capable TV (that's 50" or larger), AND you have it connected to a Blu-Ray player via an adequately certified HDMI cable, AND your TV is properly calibrated, THEN you will have visual nirvana. 
• With the previous statement noted, the old adage rings true, 'Garbage In, Garbage Out'. A lot of Blu-Ray discs released to date are simply re-masters of previously released movies. Some of these are amazingly re-mastered to HD, some not so much. Don't judge the outcome solely on the hardware. Software plays a major role. Movies like Avatar, Up, the latest from Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek and other major recent releases will be superior in quality to the older selections simply because they started with Blu-Ray in mind when they went from the studio to the theater, then to your home. 
• INTERNET CONNECTIVITY! This is MAJOR! These players need to have constant access to check and see whether or not they need a software update. This is critical because a newer movie might not play on an older player without the appropriate updates in place. 
• YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, etc...This is another MAJOR benefit of upgrading now, even if you don't have an HDTV. With a simple DSL connection, you can have cheap or free access to a wealth of online resources for documentary, music video, music, movies, TV shows and many, many more 'channels' that showcase a wide range of original content, from online talkshows to indie films.
• The viewing experience. When you are watching a Blu-Ray movie, there are several features that are just classy. The pop-up menu replaces the process of the movie stopping when you hit the MENU button. A short menu arises from the bottom of the screen while the movie continues, and you can navigate it without disruption. Very nice and natural.

I'm sure there are more bullet points I could add, but these are the major ones for me. So, if you're getting ready to head out to the store to check out the latest, I hope some of these pointers will aid in your decision. 

If you're interested in knowing more about how to back up / archive your investments, check out Media Copy Pro.

Making Your Computers Safe from Porn

I'e got a house full of boys; I'm a boy for that matter, and it's so easy these days to stumble into sites that you just really don't want to be going to. There are temptations along the way. It's really not so hard to find pornographic sites if you really want to, so wouldn't it be nice to have something there to keep the doors locked to these sort of sites? And set aside the moral issues for just a second and consider this: I work for a group of companies of which one is a computer repair service. You would not believe the amount of damage we see from PCs that have been crippled by viruses, trojans and adware that comes straight from porn sites. They are open season on unsuspecting people who are too busy searching for something else that they'll click the 'YES' button to just about anything. I did some research on the topic of porn site blocking and learned a few things about what's out there. A LOT of the free downloads are actually like a Trojan horse, allowing viruses to be installed on your PC right along with the software that you downloaded. There are some more recognizable brands out there that specialize in this sort of filtering software, but usually they will reserve their best defenses for those that spend more or purchase a corporate version of the package. There was one, however, that looks like it has all the bases covered. Here are some of the features that I was looking for, and MyPornBlocker fit the bill:

• Bans illegal file sharing through P2P sites or software
• Works with I.E 5+, Firefox, Netscape and Opera
• Stealth Mode - runs without any obvious giveaways
• Blocks Chat sessions, if desired
• Blocks or Limits access to social networking sites
• Automatic screenshots - lets you produce a slideshow of previous activity on the PC
• Analyzes page CONTENT, not just the URL name

So, if you are looking for something that you can purchase, download, install and immediately begin reaping the benefits from, take a look at the MyPornBlocker site here: www.mypornblocker.com.

PhoneBeagle mobile monitoring, or 'The Who, What When and Where of my Teenager's Cellphone Experiences'

I've got a teenage son, and three more boys that will soon cross the threshold from 'kid' to 'Dad, you don't have any more excuses NOT to give me a cellphone'. Currently, my 15 yr old is without a phone. He has a number, a simcard and even a voicemail box, but alas, the phone demons have struck again and we are left to make the decision once again on how much is too much to spend, what's tough enough for a teen, etc... One thing, though, that weighs heavily into my decision making process is how to make this new phone work for us, the parents. I know there's a few marketing hooks out there that convince you that you need to buy a phone for every child, no matter whether they're in kindergarten or college, so you can always know where they are, what they're doing and so on, but some of these specialty phones have really high service plans and at the end of the day, you could do just as well with an 'off the shelf' phone, provided you know about PhoneBeagle. I've been doing my research, and I've gotta say that these guys have their act together. For a very reasonable monthly fee, you have direct access to a wealth of information that is generated by your kid's Blackberry or Android-enabled smart phone, online, all the time. You should check them out, but as a quick snapshot, here are a few of the featues they offer:

• GPS data log - see where they've been
• Call log access - for incoming and outgoing calls
• History of websites visited
• Text message log
• MMS messaging archive - photos, music, video files

You can see why this can be a great resource for parenting at a distance. Some may bring up the privacy issue, but I am of the belief that my children are my responsibility as long as they live under my roof, and I should not be deprived of any knowledge of what they do, in order to parent them to the best of my ability. I encourage you to check them out at PhoneBeagle.com.