I'm going to make a confession to you: sometimes the thought of Thanksgiving fills me with dread at the amount of planning and work in store for me, instead of joy for the time I get to spend with my family. I'm sure I'm not alone, nor am I the only one who feels guilty about it. It's a rough transition moving from being a kid, when holidays are magical and just happen, to being an adult and realizing how much planning goes in to making them happen!

But all is not lost. If your place mats and napkin rings don't perfectly coordinate with your cornucopia centerpiece, do you really think that Uncle Jim and Aunt Esther are really going to notice? And even if they do, so what? Let Thanksgiving be about spending quality time with the ones you love. It just so happens that you can have the best of both worlds: bonding with your children and sprucing up the house for Thanksgiving...

Posted by Dee | tagged: Thanksgiving, craft | 0 Comments

Well I'm a little late but I figured I'd show everybody that was wondering, what I was for Halloween.  You see as a Heavy Metal Guru you are expected to go above and beyond the mere department store costumes.  And of course my love of the mechanical madness that is animitronics makes for a great culmination of technology and tactile wizardry.

Posted by Guru Brian | tagged: | 0 Comments

I am a firm believer in the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and if it is broke, try to fix it before you run out and get a new one". As such, I have had a total of 2 different cell phones in my 7 year cell phone career. Some people go through 2 phones a year! For those of you who change phones every time you change the oil in your car, I challenge you to do the "Lloyd Check" before purchasing your next phone.

Up on deck is the Blackberry Storm by Verizon. At first glance, this device looks like an iPhone or G1 clone. Sure all these devices have their unique features, but what sets the Storm apart from the rest of the field? Lets take a closer look.

Posted by Guru Lloyd | tagged: blackberry storm, Lloyd, phone | 0 Comments

Howdy!

Its the end of a long week!

We have elected a new President in America, Dee 2.0 has taught us some Email Netiquette (Netiquette is an actual word. I looked it up), Guru Alison's book is in stores, and Brian's Bird is the Word.

If your week has been a rough one, or if you just need some fun words to round off the week, Check out my pick of Tech Joke of the week courtesy of www.jokething.com, and funniest FiOS commercial of the week.

You know you've been online to long when...

Posted by Guru Lloyd | tagged: joke, funny, Lloyd, video | 1 Comments

Now you know how to talk to cousin Jane about using BCC and sending chain letters, but you're cringing at the thought of downloading another huge attachment-laden email while you're on vacation. Let's look at the issues on email attachments...

Posted by Dee | tagged: netiquette | 0 Comments

Yesterday's article about using BCC was a good start, but there are still some things that cousin Jane is doing that are inconveniencing her email recipients. Let's move on to an important staple of today's email frustrations: the chain letter...

Posted by Dee | tagged: chain mail, netiquette | 2 Comments

I am always looking for interesting ways to integrate technology into common inanimate household objects. This morning I came across a really cool hack that turns an ordinary mirror into a portal into another world.

LitStudios.com turned a full body mirror into an Interactive Interface that not only shows reflections but also has the ablility to display any image a normal computer screen displays! 

Posted by Guru Lloyd | tagged: interactive mirror, Lloyd, video | 1 Comments

You just received an email from your cousin Jane that has 50 people in the address field, contains a 10 megabyte video, and exhorts you to pass it on to everyone you know.  Do you...

A) Reply to all and talk about the funny video?

B) Forward the video to everyone in your address book?

C) Pull out your copy of Switch Craft and make a voodoo doll that squirms when you poke it; put Jane's name on it?

D) Have a conversation with your cousin about email netiquette? Read more...

Posted by Dee | tagged: BCC, netiquette | 0 Comments

If you are reading this article via some non-analog method, there is over a 70% chance that you are reading this on a Microsoft branded computer or device. (Unless of course you are the Buckley's or Royer's; We got them an all Mac setup!)

All of you have no doubt seen the recent Microsoft ads featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld, or the infamous "I am a PC" ads. Well one of the reasons Microsoft is drilling its brand into your scull is that it is preparing for its best Operating System to date: Simply named Windows 7. Windows 7 is an upgrade to Vista. Many folks have had mixed feelings about Vista; I will explain why the new version may bring amends to Vista's woes.

Posted by Guru Lloyd | tagged: Windows 7, Microsoft, Technology, Lloyd, video | 0 Comments

Happy Halloween, everyone!  So far I've covered saving energy indoors, outdoors, and in your car. But now I want to talk about a serious part of energy conservation that affects all of us: making it fun! Being energy conscious isn't all about counting watts and pennies, and frankly, if it's not enjoyable, it's hard to get into. Here are some tips for saving energy that will hopefully de-stress you and bring a smile to your face...

Posted by Dee | tagged: Energy | 0 Comments