TheTechNerdInc

Video of How to Get Music from YouTube Legally

iPhone OS 4 Video Review

iPhone 4 and iOS 4 Overview

On Monday, Apple announced its newest addition to the iPhone family, the iPhone 4.  The device has been redesigned, given a new processing chip, and an updated operating system.  In this review, I will go into the details of the new iPhone and its revamped operating system. 
Lets start with the new iPhone itself.  It has been given a new display (which is called the Retina display) with 326 pixels per inch for ultra-crisp image quality. This is sure to be a huge crowd-pleaser for fans of HD movies. Speaking of HD movies, the new 5.0 megapixel camera with built-in LED flash records HD video.  In addition, not only can you shoot HD video, but you can edit it too with the iPhone's own iMovie app, which will cost $4.99 in the App Store. 
Another new feature is FaceTime.  FaceTime will bring families together just like video calling.  It basically is video calling between iPhone 4's!  There are two cameras on the iPhone 4; one on the front, and one on the back.  You can use both of the cameras for video calling.
If you look at the external design of the iPhone 4, you may notice that there are some "blips" in the stainless steel structure.  That is because Apple has saved space by building in the actual antenna systems into the framework of the phone! This means for a larger battery, and, the new Apple A4 processor enables the new iPhone 4 to be faster than ever.


Now, the latest release in the iPhone Software Update will be iOS 4. There are nearly 100 new features that will be included with this update, but here are a few of the most notable ones.


1. Multitasking*- this enables users to switch quickly between third-party apps without the need to go to the home screen.


2. Home Screen Background*- this is a huge plus for many users; now, you are able to change the default black background of the home screen to any picture in your camera roll.


3. Better Mail- now, you can have more than one Microsoft Exchange account and you can also have all of your mail account in one unified inbox.


4. iBooks-some say that this is the best eBook app ever.


I won't go on to explain more, but here is an important piece of information.  This will work with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch 3rd Generation (32 and 64 GB models which are the current ones), and iPod Touch 2nd Generation.  This update will NOT work with the iPod Touch 1st Generation or the original iPhone since their hardware cannot handle it.  Sorry, but I didn't make the update.  Oh, did I mention that this update is FREE? Also, there will be a version for the iPad coming in the fall.


-Founder




*=multitasking and home screen background will only work with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad (update coming in the fall),and iPod Touch 3rd Generation

Video Review of Alpine Crawler World

One of my Creations using Pixelmator

Picture

How to "Listen" to Music for Free

Have you ever wanted to listen to a song but not have to download it from iTunes and get more than a 30 second sample?  Well, there is a website that just might keep you from buying a bad song, while the 30 second sample sounds great.  The website is called Playlist.com (http://www.playlist.com).
What you do is just go to the url mentioned in the last sentence and type in the name of the song you want to listen to.  Then, there will be a list of matching results to what you typed in the search bar.  If you are a member of the website, you can create your own playlist of songs that you like to listen to.  
All I use the website for is to listen to songs that I don't want to buy at the moment.  The only down-side of this website is that you can't create a list of songs that you want to play one after the next unless you are a member.  Other than that, this website can save you some money (I am using it at the time I wrote this article)!


-Founder

iPhone 3.1 Software Release

I recently downloaded the newest version of the iPhone software (I waited too long to do that).  It still has all of the great features of the 3.0 version of iPhone software, but with a bunch of bug fixes (which was needed).  The wifi bug has been fixed and it just has a faster Safari.  That is basically what I found different in the newest software release for the iPhone and iPod Touch.


-Founder

Driver for iPhone

Driver for iPhone is the iPhone version of the game that made headlines when it was a game for the original PlayStation 1.  I had never heard of it, so I decided to check it out.  The publisher is Gameloft and I think they did a terrific job with this game.  In Driver, you are an undercover police officer that is trying to end a crime wave in four different cities.  Those cities are Miami, San Fransisco, Los Angeles, and New York.  The game is GTA style, but without the ability to get out of your car.  
What you do in the game is drive around to fulfill missions by the crime groups.  I do not know what happens at the end because I haven't gotten the chance to finish the game, but I will let you know what happens as soon as I finish the game (keep your fingers crossed that I will do that).
The price for this game is $6.99 and it is a 404 MB file.  I had to use my computer with the Ethernet cable just to download the game file in about 20 minutes!  Some of the levels are REALLY hard and it can get frustrating sometimes when you try about 10-15 times to just complete that one level!  Other than that, I would really suggest checking into this app.


-Founder  

Tetris for iPhone

You all have probably heard of the game Tetris.  If you haven't, well, it is about time that you find out.  Tetris is a puzzle game in which you interlock blocks in many different formations to clear lines and advance in the levels.  To clear a line, you must have every cell on that line filled in with some type of block (it doesn't matter what color the block is).  As you advance in the levels, the time to get your block formation in the right place decreases, resulting in sometimes a brain overload!
Tetris has become a a huge blockbuster game internationally.  Now with its release for the iPhone platform, this will multiply the games popularity tremendously.  With the help of gaming giant Electronic Arts, Tetris was able to make it to the iPhone App Store.  It is reasonably priced at $4.99 and will sure help people cure their boredom on long train rides!


-Founder    

Skullcandy X2

Recently, I received two new item from Skullcandy.  I got the Ink'd in-ear headphones and the Pipe stereo system.  In this one article, I am going to do a dual-review.
Lets start out with what I got first, which in this case is the Pipe.  The Pipe looks like a pipe as the name suggests.  It has the standard iPod port that you can dock your iPod Nano, Classic, or Touch on (and iPhone).  It actually charges your iPod while it plays music.  Despite its small size, this speaker system has some muscle behind it!  If you have an iPod Shuffle, no problem!  All you have to do is find the headphone jack on your iPod Shuffle and use the cable that comes in the box to connect your iPod Shuffle to the speaker system.  Did I mention that this is covered with stainless steal?  It even is fingerprint resistant!
Now, I am going to talk about the Ink'd headphones.  For the past month or so, I have had to deal with Phillips headphones from the dollar store since I broke the headphones that came with my iPod.  I broke them by taking them out of my backpack and I tore the wire that connects the actual headphone part to the long wire that plugs into your iPod.  The Phillips ones are okay but they fall our of my ears way too much.  Upon receiving these headphones, my bus ride home is a lot more peaceful and quiet than before.  They have the best noise-cancelling technology of any in-ear headphone pair that I have seen (I haven't tried Bose yet, but based on what I have heard, their earphones are not that good of quality).  I got my Ink'd in blue.  Even though retailers carry the new "Smokin' Buds" by Skullcandy, I would highly suggest to not go with them and stay with the Ink'd kind (even though they are an older model).  The Ink'd headphones from Skullcandy are a cheap and probably the best way to get the most out of your iPod or any other MP3 player.


-Founder

Another iPhone Competitor?

Yes, Motorola is trying to compete with the iPhone and hopefully, they will fail.  You may have heard about the new Droid phone that is on the Verizon Wireless network (only if the iPhone was on Verizon)!  That is the ONLY good thing about this phone.
In the past, my experience with Motorola technology has not been a very positive one.  My first phone was a Motorola V170 and it was a piece of junk!  It did not even have a front caller ID display!  Also, I have a cable box made by Motorola that somehow prevents the Science Channel from coming through (high and standard definition).
First, the keyboard on the Droid is super-small (even smaller than the keyboard of the Rival).  It has built -in WiFi (I'm sorry, TWO positive things about this phone) and Verizon's 3G network built-in.  There is an Android App-Store, but it is nowhere as good as the iPhone and iPod Touch App-Store.
It also has a 5-megapixel camera (THREE positive things) and a touch-screen.  It starts at $199 and hopefully, it will just show more how the iPhone is the best touch-screen smartphone around.


-Founder

Google Earth 5

Recently, I downloaded the newest version of Google Earth.  So far, it is just a huge improvement over the last release of the software.  Lets start out with the goods.
There are a ton of more great features that have been added to make Google Earth stand out among other software titles that try to imitate it.  Now, I think that it should be called "Google Solar System" because now, you can get close up views of Mars and the Moon.  As with every version of Google Earth, it gives you directions (I just use the built-in bookmark on my Safari "Top Sites" page to go to Google Maps).
Bads: So far none!


-Founder

HP Wireless Mini Mouse Video Reivew

Skype For Mac (Don't Even Bother Reading This, Buy a PC and Use it Only for Skype)

To my surprise, it is a disappointment.  I don't know what Skype was thinking but they could have made it much more like the Windows version (which is amazing).
First of all, it is so hard just to find out how to video chat with a person.  Also, I do not like that when a person sends you an instant message that the new conversation opens in a new window.  In the Windows version, there is a big green button that says "call with video" (or something like that) and, there is a designated area built-in to the window for chats.
Also, the quality of the video chat for some reason is not up to my expectations (it is like solving a mystery just to get the video to go full screen).  Sorry about all the cons about this software, but you have to fish for the button that allows you to add a new contact.
Overall, I would rate this software a two out of five.  The only reason why I didn't rate it a zero is because at least it is available for the Mac.


-Founder

Apple Mice May NOT Be The Best

And the reviews prove it.  You may not know, but despite rumors of how great they are, they really aren't as great as they are said to be.  I have plenty of people that I know that are very unhappy with their Apple mice (I have not tried out the Magic Mouse but based on what my friend says about it, the multi-touch is unresponsive at times).
The old Mighty Mouse has the 360 degree scroll ball (who needs that) that gets so much gunk in it that you have to clean it out very often (that is why I use an HP Wireless Mini Mouse).
Next, they are super-expensive.  The cheapest mouse is the wired Mighty Mouse and it is $49.00.  The Magic Mouse is $69.00 and who would spend that amount of money on a mouse (unless you need the Logitech mouse that has the hyper-fast scrolling wheel).  
To sum it up, I would steer clear of Apple mice and buy a nice Logitech mouse that will last you more than six months!


-Founder

Video of How to Use Weebly

Samsung Alias 2

A little more than a month ago, I received a new cell phone, the revolutionary Samsung Alias 2.  It is a far cry from what I had before (LG 600G flip phone).  I have a texting plan that gets me unlimited Verizon-to-Verizon texts and 500 additional messages for out-of-the-network texting (99% of the people I text have Verizon).
As with every Alias 2, it comes with the unique dual-flip mechanism that makes it stand out from the other sliding QWERTY keyboard phones.  You don't realize how big the screen is until you open it like a normal flip-phone (and it is huge)!
So far, it is great, except the fact that the battery life could be a bit better.  Also, I can live without it, but I would like an emoticon key because three of my friends have the Motorola Rival and it has an emoticon key.  Other than that, the next two years with my new phone will be great!


-Founder

In-Depth Review of the New Unibody MacBook

Apple has done it again.  Around three weeks before the time this article was published, Apple released a brand new, redesigned unibody polycarbonate MacBook.  Around a week ago, I got this computer and so far in my computer world, it is the best thing since sliced bread (sorry if I say that too much).
Here are some of the features of the new polycarbonate MacBook.


Glass Multi-Touch Trackpad


2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processer


250 GB Hard Drive


2 GB of DDR3 SDRAM (I upgraded the RAM to 4 GB)


And all of the amazing features of the MacBook Pro (besides the aluminum unibody enclosure), all for $200 less!


As with all Mac's (except the Mac Mini), it comes with a built-in iSight camera that takes pictures and records videos.  With the built-in iChat app, you can use your AIM or Google Talk account to IM, call, or video chat with all of your buddies.  It also has the standard 13.3 inch LED backlit display that emits no mercury as with a standard LCD laptop display.  
The best part of this laptop is the battery life.  At the time I am writing this sentence, there is 93% of the battery life remaining and it says there is 6:38:00 left on the charge.  For more details, visit the Apple website and search for the new MacBook.


-Founder 

Video Review of TypeRacer.com

No Camera on the iPod Touch, What??

Sorry, I haven't been able to write a post in the last few weeks, I just have so much work to do since the new school year started!  Anyway, you might have hearde in the news about the new iPod Family and the new fifth generation Nano has a video camera while the new iPod Touch doesn't even have a camera that takes pictures!  What is wrong with Apple?
Here is my guess, Apple is not taking a huge risk to integrate a camera on its popular iPod Touch because if the camera didn't work, Apple could suffer huge market losses.  The good thing is that the Nano stays the same price because it is becoming cheaper to integrate items like cameras into small devices.  Wait until next year (hopefully)!

-Founder

The New Cat is Ready to Pounce!

Yes, it is finally here!  Mac OSX Snow Leopard is out!  And it is better than ever!  I was released on August 28 only a few days.  It is just a better version of Mac OSX Leopard (for those who don't know, Leopard is the previous release of Mac OSX).  WIth a ton of new features, this big cat is ready to take down any Windows software in it's way (windows are very fragile for your information while snow leopards are tough animals).
First of all is the new upgrade price.  For Leopard, the upgrade was $129 while for Snow Leopard, the upgrade price is only $29!  Now thats the new "best thing since sliced bread"!  Apple didn't make a whole new operating system, they just made it better and more refined.  
One of the new features is that you can open folders from your staks and the new folders will not open in a new Finder window, but they will stay in the stack and you can even scroll up and down in your stacks! There is now the ability to use your TrackPad to input Chinese characters into a document.  There are now parental controls availible (which I think Microsoft was way faster to get their attention on than Apple).  
Other than that, there are just speed and user interface tweaks to make the orlds best opertaing system even better!-

Founder

Paper Toss World Tour

Paper Toss World Tour is the sequel to the chart-topping game Paper Toss.  The original Paper Toss has been downloaded more than 7,000,000 and growing times!  The title of the game explains it.  You are in an office with a surplus of crumbled up paper ready to be thrown into the trash can right in front of you.  But to make things a little difficult, there is a fan with a varying wind speed.  Luckily, it tells you the wind speed so you can judge how far to the left or right to flick the paper. 
The publisher Backflip Studios had to make a sequel to this, and they did a great job!  The sequel to Paper Toss is called Paper Toss World Tour.  There are a total of eight levels in Paper Toss World Tour.  They have background music representing the world location you are playing in.  The last level takes place in the USA in a ballpark.  It is nearly impossible to see the trash can!  You are up in the highest stands and you need to flick the piece of paper into the trash can on the pitchers mound!  Sounds hard right!  It is hard!  Here are my high scores for all the levels.

Japan: 14

Egypt: 10

Germany: 9

Brazil: 5

Indonesia: 3

India: 3

Russia: 3

U.S.A: 2

The price for Paper Toss World Tour is low at $0.99 and it is well worth the buy!  Thank you to Backflip Studios for entertaining me while my computer takes forever to boot up!

-Founder

Fast and Furious for iPhone

With a whole bunch of new racing games being developed for the iPhone platform, it is becoming hard to choose between all of them (and most of them are paid apps).  I recently bought Fast and Furious the Game for my iPod Touch and it is pretty interesting.  Here is what I think about it.
First of all, the price is great, only $1.99!  It has really nice graphics and is addicting.  There are many cars to choose from, but they are all made up brands (that is why I have Asphalt 4 Elite Racing).  There are many race types ranging from taking down tanker trucks to drift races. 
When in story mode, you have to pink-slip race against some opponents.  Good thing that the opponent you are racing for pinks against has an arrow above their vehicle!  For those who do not know what a pink-slip race is, it is when two drivers fill out a pink slip in which they state that if they lose the race, they will have to give their car to their opponent.  If you win, you get your rivals car.
There are some drawbacks to this app though.  First of all, there is no option for screen-tap steering or a gas pedal.  The AI drivers are not challenging (the worst AI are in Star Wars Battlefront).  And, you cannot customize the cars (you can't even change the paint color!)  Other than that, another great racing game that is sure to generate revenue for the company that made this app!

-Founder

Firefox 3.5

Mozilla has very recently released a newer and better version of their web browser Firefox.  It is twice as fast as Firefox 3 and I don't know how many times faster than Firefox 2 (but all I know is that it is way faster than Firefox 2)!
To me, the speed is what I need because I have very little time to get done what I want to do.  They also have new themes.  Since I am a Mac fan, I downloaded the theme that makes the browser look like the Mac version of Firefox.  I am one step closer to making my PC a Mac!
I currently am not certain if Mozilla updated their list of malicious websites, but I am pretty sure Mozilla is deeply concerned about internet security.  Other than that, the worlds second best web browser got even better (the best one in my opinion is Safari)!

-Founder

TouchGrind for iPhone

Google Voice

Google Voice is a revolutionary technology that is trying to redefine phone service.  We all have multiple phones and if you have your cell phone with you and the person who wants to talk to you dials your home phone number.  But, what if they do not know your cell phone number? Then you have a missed call.  Google Voice is trying to change that.
Here is how it works.  If you have a Google account, you are already half of the way there!  If you don't have a Google account, just sign up at Google's website.  Then from what I have heard from the news is that you give Google all of your phone numbers (or some of them).  Then comes the astonishing part.  Google creates a "uni-number" that you give out to all of your friends and family.  If they call that number, all the phones with the numbers that you provided to Google will ring!  So the point of Google voice is that you don't miss a call!  Now that can come in handy!

-Founder

The Worlds Simplest Router

About two weeks ago, I was given an AirPort Express wireless router from my friend.  Since he had two of them and he had never used them, he was nice enough to give one of them to me.  It is not much bigger than a wall charger for your MacBook!  How can this little thing to so much?
A new AirPort Express is $99 from Apple.  I was given an older version which has 802.11g networking (the current one has an 802.11n connection).  But still, it makes the internet on my iPod much faster! It comes with a default network name and no password (which is sort of a problem for me).  I wasn't given the AirPort Express install disk, so I cannot change its settings.
On the AirPort Express, there is an Ethernet 10/100 port (you need an ethernet cable to be able to plug it into your DSL or cable modem and you need to do that to access the internet because the AirPort Express is not a modem), a USB cable (for plugging in a Wi-Fi enabled printer so all you need to do is connect to the network and hit the print button), and a headphone jack.  So far it is amazing and thank you for giving it to me!

-Founder

Asphalt 4 Elite Racing

Asphalt 4 Elite Racing is a racing game for the iPhone and iPod Touch.  It is made by one of the best game developers for the App Store called Gameloft.  Gameloft has more than a dozen apps in the App Store and as their company name suggests, they make games.  I have another game by them called Ferrari GT Evolution (which is another racing game).
I got it this past weekend because I have always wanted it, but I didn't want to pay the huge price for it!  Since this past weekend was Fathers Day, it was on sale!  When the game first came out, it was $9.99.  A few weeks later, the price was lowered to $5.99 and a few weeks after that, it dropped to today's normal price of $4.99.  I got it for the low price of only $0.99!  What a great deal!
I have beaten the whole game (there are 100 total levels, but they go by very quickly)!  As in every game, you have to start out from level 1.  You are given the choice of two cars, the Mini Cooper S and the Nissan 350Z.  There are 28 different cars and bikes to unlock from makers like Bugatti, Ducati, Ford, and Mercedes Benz.  There are also many different cities from around the world like New York, Dubai, Saint Petersburg, Los Angeles, and many more.  I would highly recommend this app to anyone who is into racing games.  The only real drawback is that it is almost a 90MB file!  You need Wi-Fi for this because as I said before, any file over 10MB requires a Wi-Fi connection because it would clog up the bandwidth of AT&T's 3G network.  It takes about 5 minutes on my router and on more advanced routers, it will most likely take even shorter.

-Founder

iPhone 3.0

On this past Wednesday at around 1:10 PM, Apple released iPhone 3.0!  So far, it is great!  There are a few problems with it though and I am going to give you the first impressions of it so far.
I think the cut, copy, and paste functions were a great idea because I use it a lot.  There search can come in handy sometimes because I need to find items on my iPod (and I have a lot of stuff on it).  What stinks for us iPod Touch users is that we don't have a built-in microphone, so we can't take advantage of the voice notes app (you can buy the iPhone Stereo Headset from Apple for $29 and it includes a microphone).
I only have two complaints, but they are big ones!  I don't know if it is just me, but it seems like my Wi-Fi is messed up!  I bet if this was a bug for everyone in the software, Apple would try to fix it right away.  Also, I had to pay $9.95 because I am an iPod Touch user!  Other than that, I love it!

-Founder

Let's Code!

Just a few days ago, I started to re-learn HTML.  HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language.  HTML is the base for the codes XHTML and CSS.  HTML is the primary "computer language".  In fact, web browsers are designed to view .html files.  You need to know quite a bit of HTML in order to understand CSS.  Now, you may be wondering where you should learn coding.  My good friend rohankoh gave me a website where he learned CSS and PHP.  The website is http://w3schools.com/default.asp.  It is a free source for your information.
I have had a great time using Weebly, but I wanted to go the extra mile and make my website one-of-a-kind.  With coding, you have to start from nothing.  Use your default text editor to type in the codes.  It can be frustrating at times because if you make just one spelling mistake, the code is invalid.
Now, how do you publish this to the web?  Since I am still working on the site, I haven't published it yet.  If you have a completed code and you want to publish it to the web, sign up for an account at http://000webhost.com.  They will give you a tutorial on how to publish the files to the web.  I hope to have my coded website up and running in a few weeks.

-Founder

Fresh Apples

Last Monday, Apple released a whole new line of products in their two largest categories.  They came out with a new MacBook Pro line and a new iPhone!  Lets start with talking about how this was discussed.
WWDC (World-Wide Developers Conference) was held on Monday of last week.  This year was all about the iPhone.  In the past six months, Apple has doubled their share of the smartphone market (good job Steve Jobs)!  Apple released a new iPhone called the iPhone 3Gs (the "s" stands for speed).  It is priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model.  Apple also lowered the price of the old iPhone 3G to $99 for the 8GB model and $199 for the 16GB model.  Here are some of the new features in the new iPhone 3Gs.
There is a built-in compass (which can come in handy sometimes) that uses GPS technology to determine where you are in the world.  Apple also improved the camera and added video capabilities to the camera.  The video camera also gives you the option to edit the movies right on your phone.  You can also upload the videos to YouTube via email.
Now lets get to the new MacBook Pro family.  If you go onto Apple's website, you will see that there is no more aluminum MacBook.  Now, there is a new 13 inch MacBook Pro.  It offers better performance at a cheaper price.  The old aluminum MacBook started at $1299 while the new 13 inch MacBook Pro starts at $1119! 
They also introduced an updated version of the 15 and 17 inch models.  Apple lowered the price of the 15 inch MacBook Pro from $1999 to $1699 and they lowered the price of the 17 inch model from $2799 to $2499.  All new MacBook Pro's come with a 7 hour battery (the 17 inch model still has its 8 hour battery).  Lets see what happens when Snow Leopard comes out this September!

-Founder

SUMO Paint

SUMO Paint is another free online logo creator that is more like Adobe Photoshop than Picnik.  I created the new logo using SUMO Paint.  Just search it in Google and it should be the first link to come up.  You will need Adobe Flash Player 9 or higher to run SUMO Paint.
Overall, it is amazing!  The interface is almost exactly like Photoshop, it is not even funny.  You can do pretty much all of the Photoshop moves with SUMO Paint.  I would recommend this for the intermediate designer because you need to know a bit about Photoshop, but SUMO Paint is better than Picnik.  I would suggest Picnik to a beginner who is interested in logo designing.  Another than you for saving me $699!

-Founder

What to Expect in iPhone 3.0

In March, Apple unveiled its beta version of its 3.0 iPhone OS.  It will be a major achievement in mobile phone operating systems.  Some new feature include; copy and paste, search your device, parental controls, faster internet, and much more!  There is also a rumor about a new iPhone 4G coming out!
Here is what I want out of the new iPhone OS, a movie store from iTunes!  Currently, you can buy songs only from iTunes.  I can bet you that if Apple makes a video store that the downloads will be Wi-Fi only because of the huge file size (any app over 10 MB needs a Wi-Fi connection).  It would be very useful because you can download them in HD for a dirt-cheap price!  I also want tabbed browsing from Safari.  I doubt this will happen, but it would make switching between pages a lot quicker!  I also want the ability to choose a background for your home screen.  The only drawback would be that the ever-so-little battery life will be more ever-so-little!
For iPhone users, the upgrade is free.  For us iPod Touch users, we have to pay $9.95.  I think it is well worth the money because of all the new features and it is just good to be the most up to date with your software.  Apple should release the "real" version this month.

-Founder

Free Logo Designing

It seems fishy because Adobe Photoshop is $699, but there is a website out there that lets you create logos for free!  I found this website from rohankoh (http://twitter.com/rohankoh, http://visitrohan.comli.com, and http://youtube.com/rohankoh).  It is slower than most websites, but it is well worth the wait (I created the logo above using this website).  The website is called Picnik (http://picnik.com).
Here is what you do to make your logo.  Open Picnik, select library from the top menu, and then select "Get from Website".  Next, open a new tab.  Then load Google in that tab.  Click on the Google Image Search link and search the logo size (for example, 125x125).  When you find the one you want, right-click and select "copy link location".  Then go back to the Picnik tab and paste the link in by right-clicking and selecting paste.  Then all you have to do is press the big "upload" button.
There are many things you can do with the picture like enter text, change fonts of your entered text, apply effects, and much more!  There is a premium version of Picnik in which you get more features.  Thank you Picnik for saving me $699!

-Founder

A Camera on the iPod Family?

Yes, there are rumors out that Apple is planning to put a camera on all of its iPod family members (except for the Shuffle).  The rumor says that on the next generation Nano, there will be a 3.2 megapixel camera.  With it becoming cheaper and cheaper to put cameras into smaller and smaller devices, it would make sense.
It would make a lot more sense to put a camera on the iPod Touch because via Wi-Fi, you'll be able to upload the pictures to the internet using an app called Tubie.  The only drawback would be that if it is as bad as the current iPhone camera, I'd skip over it.  Other than that, it seems promising!

-Founder

Microsoft Attacks Apple and Succeeds

Yes, unfortunately it worked.  You Apple fans like me might agree that these ads are insulting, and also down right lying.  The Apple TV ads are funny, and actually explain the benefits of having a Mac over a PC.  Here is what I think of the new ads.
First of all, the people in the commercials are actors, not real customers.  One of the actors named Lauren actually admitted that she was an actor.  She is looking for a computer with a 17 inch screen, 4GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive, all for under $1000.  It is true that Windows computers are a lot cheaper than Mac's.  The only Mac within her budget was the old white MacBook, and it has only a 13.3 inch screen, and it only has a 160GB hard drive and only 2GB of RAM.  In order for her to get her 17 inch screen, she would have to pay a whopping $2799 for the 17 inch MacBook Pro (which I think is a rip off). 
In this commercial, there are a few errors.  One is that she called the "Apple" Store a "Mac" Store.  Apple sells more than just Macs for your information!  She also says that she is not a "Mac" type of person.  She thinks she is too good for Macs.  How can you be "too good" for a Mac?  No answer, and I bet all of you Apple and Mac fans also have no answer to that question. 
It worked though!  Apple used to have a better value for your money.  In fact, on a survey taken before the new ads, Apple was viewed as a 76 out of 100 (in other words, 76%).  After the new ads were shown on TV, it dropped to just 14 out of 100!  Hopefully, Apple can bring out a new computer that is easier on your wallet, and can compete well with the Windows PC.

-Founder  

More Useless Apps?

With more and more people learning how to code apps for the iPhone, there are more and more good, weird, and pointless apps sitting around in the App Store.  I have downloaded and deleted many useless apps and I want to tell you my stories with them.
One weird app is "Tazer".  There is no point to it, even if you use it 24/7.  All you do is press a button to activate a computer-generated tazer beam that is not even realistic looking and sounding.  The only "good" part about this app is that it is free.  Within a day, it was off my device.  It just uses space on your iPhone or iPod Touch. 
Now, where can all of these dumb apps be found?  They mostly found in the "Entertainment" section of the App Store.  The #1 paid app is called "The Moron Test" and it is found in the "Entertainment" section.  I downloaded the free version of it and it is worthless!  I tell you, don't download these money wasters!

-Founder

The Pros and Cons of Wireless Printing

With the digital age at a new peak, you now have the ability to print while not having to plug directly into the printer.  If you look at some printers, you may notice that they have the picture of the "Wi-Fi Certified" logo.  This means that they are wireless printers and you can print from anywhere within the range of the printers wireless network.
Now, how do you connect with the printer without wires?  The printer is connected into your modem and you give the printer its own wireless network.  To print, all you have to do is connect to the printers wireless network.
Here are the bad things about wireless printing.  If you network is not secured, anyone within range of the network can use that printer.  If you are not plugged directly into the printer, it can take a little longer to print because Wi-Fi uses radio waves and those radio waves can take a while to travel distances (even though Wi-Fi is designed to transferr data over long distances).  Also, they are more exspensive than their traditional relatives.  If you buy a laptop from Best Buy, you will normally get a discount on a Wi-Fi printer.

-Founder

Was the BlackBerry Storm a Good Idea?

Many people are asking this question and it needs an answer.  BlackBerry is one of the top companies when it comes to smartphone manufacturers.  With all of these touch screen phones coming out and the iPhone dominating the market, BlackBerry decided it and Verizon needed a competitor.  I tried it out in my local Best Buy retailer and I will share with you what I think about the Storm
Lets start out with the goods.  It has very few buttons and they are the ones you would normally find on other BlackBerry devices.  It has a decent sized screen just like the iPhone's.  It has a simple main menu and is easy to figure out (just like the iPhone OS).
Now on to the bads.  The "click" screen is good in some ways, and bad in others.  It is more accurate than the iPhone's but if you are in a hurry and need to type fast, I would go with the iPhone keyboard.  Also, you need to buy a very expensive plan with Verizon and knowing them, they'll charge you so much in fees if you don't get on an email plan (an email plan for BlackBerry is a whopping $24.99 per month)!  Other than that, lets see what the consumers think of the Storm!

-Founder

RocketDock for Windows

Different Types of Routers

Only a few years ago, the only purpose of a router was only to bring a computer online.  Now, it can connect your whole electronic world together through your local area network (LAN for short).  There are many different types of routers out there and I will help you choose the right one for you.
Lets start out with the different brands.  The most popular is Linksys along with NetGear.  The best types of routers are "dual-band" which use two antennas.  One antenna uses the commonly used 2.4 GHz band while the other antenna uses the less crowded 5 GHz band for multiplayer online games.
Now, lets get into more of the technical terms like the numbers.  The 802.11 is the number of that type of router.  All routers have the 802.11 combination of numbers.  After the number sequence 802.11, there is a letter that makes routers very different from each other.  The oldest and slowest type of router is labeled 802.11a.  Then comes 802.11b, 802.11g (the most common type of router), and the newest technology, 802.11n routers.  The "dual-band" routers are 802.11n routers.  Not all computers can support 802.11n routers while most new ones can (an example is the AirPort Extreme router from Apple).  I will buy one when I get my MacBook in mid-October.

-Founder

Touchgrind for the iPhone

The fingerboard fad is over, but it continues in the virtual world.  With the release of IllusionLabs game Touchgrind for the iPhone, they bring back one of the hottest toys from a few years ago.  Priced at $4.99, I was a little hesitant to download it, but after playing it on my friends iPod Touch, I really wanted it.  Sorry, there is no "lite" version of this game, there is only the paid version.
 It has a very interesting (in a good way) interface.  To change menus, you turn a wheel of a skateboard.  They give you little tutorials on the basics and some tricks.  There are many different boards to unlock.  You unlock boards by achieving high scores.  You can customize your board with on of your saved photos and if you have an iPhone, you can take a pictures right from the built-in camera!  It is very addicting and for sure it will stay on my device!

-Founder

Skype for the iPhone

You probably have the problem where someone is using the only computer in the house that can run Skype and you had told someone that you would chat with them.  If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you are in luck.  With their release of Skype for iPhone in the App Store, it can be a whole lot more and less convienient than using your home computer.
Lets start out with the goods.  It has a very nice interface and is very simple to use.  There are "buttons" that allow you to access different parts of this app.  When you first launch the app, you have to put in your skypename and password.  If you are crazy about security, you can always log out so nobody can hack your account.  Also, the fact that it is free really adds to the appeal of this app.  In fact it is #2 or #3 in top dowloads in the free social network
Now I will tell you about the bads.  There is no landscape keyboard option.  This can make it very hard to type if you are on the go.  Also, there is no support for emoticons.  I don't really use emoticons that much but when people send them to me, they show up as a word.  For example, when someone sends a happy face, it shows up as (smiley).  It only works on Wi-Fi so sorry iPhone users on the go.  Other than that, this is one of the better free apps that I have come across in the App Store

-Founder

SoxRox

Video Review of iPod Touch Second Generation

What is the difference Between a Website and a  Blog?

Like I said in the beginning of the previous article, I had been asking myself this question for a long time.  Now, I will help answer that question.  First of all, a website is harder to create (with the exception of Weebly) and you will need to learn coding (I used to know coding, but I am way out of practice with HTML).
On a blog, people can leave comments and you are responding to your posts.  In my opinion, that can be good and bad.  It is good because if professional web designers visit your site, their comments can help you become a better web designer.  The bad part is that anyone can leave a comment saying whatever they want.  There are more blog creators than website creators out there like the famous Wordpress, Blogger, and even Weebly (I don't use the blog function on this site).  I also like that I can feel more safe with a website than a blog.

-Founder

Days of Thunder for the iPhone

For those of you who have seen the movie Days of Thunder and who have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can relive the movie in a very fun game that is well worth the money.  Priced at $1.99 in the App Store, it is definentally worth looking at.  You compete as a rookie driver that has one goal, become the best stock car racer of all time.  I am currently on the Pro Circuit which is really tough.
The AI are to my surprise smart and it seems that they really want you to crash into the wall.  This makes the game a whole lot more fun and difficult to play.  There are 39 different races for you to compete in and many different cars to drive.  Like all cars, the vehicles have their strengths and weaknesses.  If you are into racing games and don't want to spend the money on a game like Fast and the Furious, I would highly suggest this game for your type.

-Founder

A Virtual Stock Market?

Yes, there is a virtual stock market out there.  For those who have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you have access to this amazing app.  I currently have the free version but the full version is 99 cents.  I don't think it is worth it to upgrade to the full version because the only real new feature is that you don't have to know the stock logo for a company (for example, AAPL for Apple).
You start out with $100,000.00 in virtual cash.  Your goal is to ride todays stock market with smart virrual investing tricks.  I would buy stock in stem cell research, Apple, and Google.  So far, I think it is a great app that is fun for anyone who is into the stock market and wants to play it safe and not lose REAL money!

-Founder

Skype 4.0 for Windows

Skype is one of the most popular communication servers in the world.  With the release of their newest update of their software for us Windows users (I will soon become a Mac user), they have raised the bar in instant messaging software.
First of all, it is very easy to figure out if you are new to Skype.  The layout is user-friendly and responds quickly.  It may take a day or two to figure out where everything is, but that is not too bad.  Skype is getting more than 200,000 new accounts per day with hundreds of millions already in existance!  I also like that it is very easy to set your picture.  Sadly, in this version, you can't set a weemee as your picture.  I will be reviewing the iPhone version of Skype a few articles after this.  Untill then, happy instant messaging!

-Founder

App-Vee for the iPhone

With new apps coming out almost every week, it is virtually impossible to keep up with them by searching them on the internet.  With the release of the free application called App-Vee, you have a much easier time keeping up with the latest apps and reviews from the App-Vee team (the best source for iPhone and iPod Touch game and application reviews). 
Most of the reviews are on YouTube and they are mostly done by a person named Erik.  Some are text, but I still am interested because I am a heavy free app downloader.  The largest category is the "games" section (which has around 321 applications in just that section).  I highly reccomend this app for all iPhone and iPod Touch users who are interested in all the new apps that are showing off the true capabilities of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

-Founder

Text from you iPod?

Normally, you would send text messages from your cell phone.  Skype enables you to text mobile phones (for a fee).  Now, there is an application called "Text Free" that lets you send text messages to any U.S mobile phone for no charge!  I have the "lite" version (which is free).  On the "lite" version, you have a bunch of ads and you can only send 15 text messages per day (which is more than enough for me because I am not a heavy texter).  If you are a heavy texter, I would suggest that you buy Text Free Unlimited.  It is priced a bit higher in the App Store ($5.99), but that is not per month or text message.  You only pay the price of $5.99 once and never have to pay for text messages ever.  But, you don't get AT&T 3G service on an iPod Touch, so you have to be in a Wi-Fi hotspot.  Still, now I won't have to pay for text messages on my mobile phone!

-Founder

Some Technical Definitions Explained

Ok, I have mentioned many technical definitions in the articles below and you people who don't know as much about tech as I do are wondering what these definitions mean.  Now, you will understand what I am talking about. 

Hard Drive:  The disk that is stored inside the computer that holds all of the computers data.  When you shut down your computer, the data stored on the hard drive is still existent

RAM (or Random Access Memory):  The short term memory that is built into your computer.  It is much smaller than the hard drive.  If you computer is turned off, the data stored in the RAM will be lost forever.

USB:  A port that is used for USB devices to connect to the computer.  Some examples of USB items are flash drives, some printer cables, and some external hard drives.

Wi-Fi:  A form of wireless technology.  Radio waves that transmit large amounts of data over the internet swiftly.  Wi-Fi can only work where there is a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Bluethooth:  Another form of wireless technology.  Bluetooth is the technology that lets us use headsets on cell phones without having to plug the headset in.  Bluetooth works over a much smaller distance than Wi-Fi, and is generally in the computer world found in wireless keyboards and wireless mice (unless the computer doesn't have Bluetooth with it, the wireless mouse talks to a USB reciever that is plugged into the computer).

-Founder

How good are Wireless Mice?

The Apple wireless Mighty Mouse is amazing, with 360 degree scrolling and everything!  But priced at around $70, it is more than your average wireless mouse.  Right now, I am working with a HP wireless mini mouse that stopped working the first day!  We called HP up (the people were probably somewhere in India) and they sent us a new one.  It turns out that when we were on the line, it started working again!  They sent it to us anyway.
Wireless mice are supposed to get rid of the hassle of having to untangle wires (especially if you are lazy like me).  There are some advantages and disadvantages to wireless mice.  The good thing is that you can travel with them without a hassle and you can spend more time computing than untangling wires.  The bad thing is that they are powered by batteries and if they run out and you are on the go, that can be a problem.  Still, dispite their higher cost, I'd still go with the wireless mice over conventional mice.

-Founder

Please Leave Fingerprints on ME 2G!

The iPod Touch was a huge hit when it came out about a year and a half ago.  It is an iPhone, but without the phone part and a microphone.  The first generation iPod Touch did not even have an external volume control!  To control the volume, you had to press the "home" button twice to bring up the sliding volume control.  Also, there was not a built in speaker so that if you are too lazy to untangle those earbuds that you can hear your music with a decent sound.
The second generation iPod Touch has a built in speaker and external volume controls.  It also starts at $70 less than the first generation.  The second generation iPod Touch starts at $229 for the 8 GB model.  So far I am happy with mine.  I also have a case for it (which I will write a review on later).  My favorite feature on the iPod Touch is mobile email because on my old desktop computer, it can take a while to load my email.  With my iPod, I can just open the Mail application, press the "check for mail" button, and see if I have any mail within a five second time period.
I would reccomend this for the mobile kind of person who needs email on the go, needs a calender that can add events quickly with reminders straight from the iPod, or just a person who wants a little more in their iPod then just a music and video creator.  It can be a pain sometimes to find a wireless network because if the network has a password, you need to know the security type and that can take a while to find out.  Overall, I agree with Apple that the iPod Touch is the most fun iPod ever made.

Should Apple make a NetBook?

A netbook is a small laptop that is built for portability.  They do not come with a disk drive, so you'll need to buy a USB external drive.  I was thinking about buying a netbook when I saw my uncles and I tried it out.  It was a bit on the slow side but hey, it is only 2.25lbs!  I opted for the iPod Touch because I can have more fun (that is true), and it cost about $100 less than the netbook I wanted to buy.
As you all know, Apple is a minority and when a company is a minority, they have to raise their prices.  Now, the cheapest notebook from Apple is the old MacBook, which starts at $999.  Most people do not have a thousand dollars to spend on a mobile computer.  More and more people are buying netbooks because they need a portable computer on the go.  The larger notebooks (like the MacBook Pro 17 inch) are expensive and hard to carry.  The whole purpose of a laptop is being able to take it with you easily.  When you have a huge 17 inch laptop, you need a large bag to go with it.
Apple and the netbook would go well together because netbooks are environmentally friendly and so is Apple.  A normal laptop already consumes about four times less energy than a desktop.  That could save you a bit on your electric bill.  Also, Apple needs a more affordable product to compete with Microsofts cheap prices.  A netbook from Asus (the company that started the netbook market with their eee PC) starts at $249.99.  That is four times less than a base White MacBook!  I would think that if Apple made a netbook, it would provide a great marketing product and would be lighter on the average comsumers wallets.-Founder

Star Wars Battlefront for Windows

On Thursday, I got the game I have been waiting for, Star Wars Battlefront.  This is the original, not Star wars Battlefront II.  It runs fine on my 2003 emachines T2385 desktop computer.  You can play all the famous Star Wars battles on planets like Hoth, Yavin 4, and Endor.  My favorite planet is Bespin because on the Platforms battle, there are an ton of vehicles to choose from.
You can play as a Clone, Droid, Rebel, or Imperial soldiers of all different rankings.  You can't play as a Hero like Luke Skywalker (which is included in Star Wars Battlefront II).  My favorite ranking is a Jet Trooper because is you are being fired at, you can just double-tap the space bar and you'll go soaring above to safety.
I like the feature that any vehicle you find, you can drive.  I like the Jedi Starfigher because it is the fastest vehicle (about 600 m.p.h) and it has pretty good guns.  I also like to sneak into an enemy command post and steal one of the enemies vehicles (too bad that when you steal an enemy vehicle, the enemies know that you are in it).
I got this on Amazon for about $14.  It came a day before they said it would.  All you need is a pretty dedicated computer with good graphics and a fast processor to play this game well.  Other than that, if you are like Star Wars and like shoot-em-up games, this is the game for you, and it comes without the steep price of Call of Duty 5 World at War!-Founder

Review of Samsung 46 Inch LCD 120 Hz 1080p HDTV

I got this TV in August of last year.  Now, I will be telling you about it.  It has all of the goodies necessary for an optimal hi-definition experience.  This one is a 46 incher.  You need Cox Digital Cable (the one with 1,000 channels) to get a true 1080p HD experience. 
You may be wondering what all of the numbers in the title stand for.  The 120Hz stands for the refresh rate of the picture.  Most HDTV's have on a 60Hz refresh rate.  The higher the refresh rate, the better the picture in fast-moving sequences.  When I am watching the National Geographic channel, I need to turn on the 120Hz option because when you are watching a cheetah run, it would be blurry in only 60Hz. 
The number 1080p stands for the full HD picture.  Some other TV's have a 720p picture.  If you get a HDTV under 40 inches with a 1080p picture, you are just waisting your money.  It doesn't matter in a TV under 40 inches while it makes a difference in a TV my size. 
Prices are coming down by the week.  I suggest waiting until the prices are at their lowest and if the come any lower, if you have owned the TV for less than 30 days, just bring the receipt back to the store, and you'll get the difference in cash.  It sure makes a difference when you upgrade from the old CRT to the newer LCD technology!

-Founder

Welcome to TheTechNerdInc!

This is the follower of the website https://sites.google.com/site/thetechnerdinc/.  I decided to change website creators because I was ready for some more options for creativity.  I will be telling you about the latest tech news, rumors, and releases! 
Just like you guys, I love technology.  I decided to make a website for tech people, by a tech person.  It has been great introducing you guys to my site.  I hope you enjoy the site!

-Founder

This is website about tech, by a person who loves tech