DimDim.com: When GotoMeeting & WebEx.com are just too expensive...

 

It seems like almost once a quarter I participate in an online meeting where I'm forced to login to a service like GoToMeeting or WebEx.com, so I can see someone else's desktop, slide show presentation, or to simply conference call with a colleague. However, as with almost any business service, there is a cost. Some of them charge by conference call, some by the month, and others by the number of participants--it just depends on the circumstances and what you are looking for.

Yes these services are great, and yes they are needed. However, why pay when you don't have to. That's where Dimdim.com comes in. Dimdim is an Open source collaborative effort, which means the programming and up-keep of the website is done by a community, instead of a private company trying to make a profit. Partake in almost all of the same features that you would find with any other professional online meeting service, but get it for FREE.

Some of the main features:

Video Chat

Desktop Sharing

Public & Private Chat Interfaces

Share & Present Documents (Powerpoints & PDF's)

Scalable (1-1,000 participants)

Schedule Meetings

Outlook Integration

and much more...

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Posted in: conferene,dimdim,gotomeeting,online conference,screen sharing,webex

SlyDial: When you just want to leave a message, and not talk for an hour.

A few months back I received a Beta invite to try out a new service called SlyDial. Basically, its a service that allows you to leave almost any person a voice message, without the recipients phone ever ringing.

This type of service is perfect for anyone who just wants to leave someone a message, without having to "catch-up" with a talkative friend or relative.

Seems like a pretty cool service, I tried it out for myself and it actually works. I had it call my cell phone, and yes, it went right to voice. However, something interesting happened, my cell phone still showed a missed call. So the service somehow rang my phone for a split second and went straight to VM--pretty cool. Plus, it even showed the original Caller ID, not the caller ID of the Slydial service. This means that not only will the receipent see the voice mail, they will also ask themselves, "how did I miss that call, I didn't even hear it ring..."

If you want to try it for yourself, call 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425).

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Posted in: answering machine,phone,service,slydial,talk,vm,voice mail

Metal Gear Solid 4...one epic movie

So I just finished playing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots (exclusively on the Playstation 3). Let me just say this...."WOW"...


It took me about 22 hours 25 mins and 4 secs of total play time to beat it. The game is laid out in a way where you're not playing a game or watching a movie, but PLAYING a movie. The cutscenes vary in length from about 20 mins to over 1 hour.

Hideo Kojima really outdid himself with this one. I wouldn't say it's the BEST game I've ever played, but I would go as far to say that it is a must buy for PS3 owners...if you don't buy it...then why even own a Playstation 3?

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Posted in: gaming,Metal Gear Solid,playstation,ps3

New Blogger Features Coming Soon...

Yes, it is true, Blogger is finally updating its dashboard, posting platform, and adding a bunch of new features. However, before they take it "LIVE" to the world, they are allowing a select few to try out the new features on their "in draft" website.

If you would like to see how the new dashboard will look and feel, visit: http://draft.blogger.com/

Personally, I like it a lot. In fact, I've set DRAFT as my default dashboard. Now, its a lot easier to import and play with media files, add hyperlinks, and insert gadgets. Plus, Blogger is adding a new "webmaster tool", which will help all of us blogspot bloggers receive more organic traffic from the search engines. Plus, they're even adding cool features such as 5 Star Ratings, Embedded Comment Form, and the ability to IMPORT/EXPORT your blog--finally!

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Posted in: 5 star rating,blogger,in draft,labs,new features,upgrade

Touch your phone, of course... But touch your computer screen?

HP just came out with a new computer called the HP Touchsmart PC. Basically, they combined a touch screen monitor with an all-in-one computer.

I've had this debate many times with friends and we all agree that touching the screen would be cool at first, but could never be as productive or precise as the trusty old mouse.

Sure you could touch the screen to play with pictures, flip through album art, and maybe even doddle a little bit. But what else could you do more than that, not much. Also, if you are forced to touch the screen, where's the rest of your physical desk space? For example, right now I have three monitors attached at the end of my desk, giving me plenty of physical desk space for paperwork, keyboard, phones, and more. If we're forced to touch the screen to perform basic tasks, the monitor will have to set at the edge of the desk, and force you to keep everything else behind and next to the computer--doesn't sound too efficient to me.

Maybe something like this would be perfect for the kitchen, bathroom, or even a boat, but on the standard computer desk or office, not so much.

If you think otherwise, make yourself heard.

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Posted in: all-in-one,finger,HP Touchsmart PC,touch,touch screen

Chrysler's 2009 lineup will have Wi-Fi

Turns out that Chrysler is trying to outdo Ford's SYNC service by making your car a mobile Wi-Fi spot. How sick is that!?

Keefe Leung, Chrysler’s engineer for the product, tells us that the "UConnect Web" device, which will be hidden within the car, will work only with the key in the ignition. It will operate on the 3G network using a cellular-based signal, and will allow download speeds between 600-800 kilobits per second, with upload speeds of 200 kbps. Of course, all this will come with a service fee.

UConnect is Chrysler's new baby, which will provide Bluetooth connectivity and MP3 player integration with the car’s stereo.

But wait, there's more...
Some of you may be saying, "yeah, but I got a 3G phone...what's the big surprise??"
UConnect Web will allow passengers with TV monitors to hook up their video game consoles to the internet. So now you can SLAUGHTER your friends on Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 while you're on those long road trips to Grandma's. I just hope I can handle the car sickness...


More info.

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Posted in: 2009,3g,car,chrysler,gaming,internet,online,road trip,uconnect,vehicle,web,wi-fi

Hulu.com is a beautiful thing!

I know most of you are already aware of Hulu.com, but I thought I would still mention it for the few that have yet to hear about the site. Also, if you haven't visited Hulu in a few months, it is time to go back.

Hulu.com is a collaborative effort with almost all the major networks to distribute their content via the web. Ive been using Hulu since the beta and it has significantly increased in attention and value over the year.

Here's some cool features of the website:
1. If your TiVo didn't record The Office (due to some other show your spouse wanted to watch), watch it on hulu.com the next morning for breakfast--Ive done this before.
2. A bunch of full-featured movies--some old and some relatively recent.
3. A whole bunch of TV shows. Including Doogie Howser, M.D., Alf, Studio 60, The Office, and many many more.
4. If you use Firefox as your web browser and have the 'Ad-block' Addon, you can skip through all the "webmercials".
5. Its LEGAL!

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Posted in: hulu,hulu.com,movies,online,tv shows

Jott it! The virtual personal assistant that does everything--well almost.

Jott.com is a new service that is really handy, no matter what kind of phone you have.

It's almost like a FREE virtual personal assistant, that does a really good job at keeping you organized. After calling one phone number you are greeted with a welcoming voice, asking you what you want to Jott... Based on how you respond, it takes it from there.

By stating a persons name, like a spouse, friend, or co-worker, you can easily send a txt msg, email, reminder, a todo list, post to your blog, and more...

For example, lets say you want to be reminded to do something tomorrow at 8:00pm. Simply call the Jott phone number, say the word "reminder", it will ask you for what day and time, and then ask what the subject is... Instantly it coverts everything to text and sends you an email and txt message at the specific time you set the reminder.

Another cool feature is how you can send an email or txt message to multiple people all at once, simply by speaking the message. For example, a few weeks ago I received a txt msg from a friend, asking a complicated question. Instead of calling or txt'ing back a huge response. I called JOTT (which is on my speed dial), said the name of my friend (which it knew), and then spoke my entire message. A few seconds later, my friend received the email and txt message with my paragraph long response... It was beautiful! This service is definitely going to save my thumbs from the abuse I've been putting them through over the past few years.

Check it out at http://jott.com

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Posted in: assistant,email,jott,reminder,todo,txt,virtual assistant

PayPal's New Random Credit Card Generator Service!

There are a lot of people out there that dont shop online due to fears of credit card and identity theft. Paypal has come up with a partial solution to this problem...

If you have a Paypal account, they will generate a "temporary" credit card number, expiration date, and cvv code, everytime you want to purchase something new online--even if the company doesnt accept Paypal payments. Anytime you visit a new website to make a purchase, quickly generate a new temporary credit card number with your new Paypal Toolbar, and your golden.

UPDATE: The Paypal plugin no longer exists.

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Posted in: credit card,featured,fraud,identity theft,online payment,paypal

Send in the clown...

Alright, so it looks like I'll be joining the ranks of The Ones & Zeroes.

B and I are brothers, and B has had a huge influence on me getting interested with technology in general. He's more of the computer guru while I'm more of the gaming guru, but we tend to cross paths in our journey for knowledge in the tech world.

We hope that you find these blog posts useful in your search for the latest updates in popular technology.

Tell your friends about us ;)

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Posted in: blog,g-off,ones and zeroes,popular technology

Wii Fit - Lose 15 lbs in 45 days... Or perform any other exercise for 60 minutes a day.

Well, it was bound to happen, someone has proven that it is possible to lose weight after 45 days of working-out on the Wii Fit. Yes you can pick up jogging, aerobics, work out at the gym, biking, swimming, etc. But why not lose weight while you play games--this is Nintendo's approach.

When you first use the Wii Fit it checks your weight, BMI, etc, and helps you set a goal for weight-loss. Everytime you use the Wii from that point on, it helps you track your progress and eventually reach your target weight--pretty cool I think. It's almost like a virtual body trainer.

If I had a Wii, I would probably try it out just too see if it worked for me. However, just because it worked for this man, doesn't mean it'll work for everyone. At least now you have one more option when it comes to working out.

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Posted in: exercise,lose weight,wii,wii fit

What's this all about?

There's no use denying it anymore, my name is Brandon and I am a geek. Its something I've known for a long time, but have not publicly divulged. Since it is impossible for me to keep it secret any longer, I figured it was time.

Why even come out of the server closet you ask? Well, after many years of sitting on the side-lines and watching as other commented on the technological world, I thought it was time to voice my opinion, and make myself heard. Sure I'm just another voice among the millions, but hey, I'm sure there's at least TWO people out there that care (my mom & wife). Plus, it helps me organize my thoughts and create a type of bookmarking tool, which will allow me to post great websites and articles that I find interesting.

Well, thanks for visiting... Feel free to voice your opinion--everything is always up for debate.

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