Vintage Video Games – New Category
So , not many people know this ( well except the wife, lol) but I am a video game junkie. No , not one of the run of the mill Call of Duty junkies . I am a different breed. I grew up playing colecovision , commodore 64, Nintendo 8Bit ( remember when you had to blow in the cartridge for the game to play properly ?) Sega Genesis, Turbo Grafx , Neo Geo. I could go on and on , but I won't.
I remember countless hours of playing Super Mario Brothers 3
And playing Contra ( remember' the code that gave you the 30 lives? up up , down down , left right, left right , B A, B A, select Start )
I recently started replaying these games actively because playing them rids me of my childhood ( I a giving way my age by that statement aren't I lol)
I guess you could say this is me doing an introduction to a new category that I added to my blog -"Vintage Video Games". Basically , I will be doing some reviews on some old school games to see if they can stand the test of time and are worth replaying . I will also be doing reviews on the platforms as well
I am still debating on which gaming platform I am going to start with first. ( there is a poll down below , maybe you all can help me figure it out ??? )
And here are the candidates … drum roll please ………….
Nintendo ( 8bit)
Sega Master System
Sega Genesis ( first generation )
Sega CD
Sega 32 X
So , what I need from you all is to help me figure out which gaming console to start my review on.
For now , I will be reviewing games from these consoles. ( later on , I will do the NEO GEO , Lynx , etc) Until then , happy gaming !!!
QR Codes – What are they and how can I use them ?
I am sure that you have come across these strange looking things on the web 
, or even on business cards , but what are they ?
That is what is known as a QR Code. In a nutshell , a QR Code is almost like a barcode ( similar to the one you have on that pack of Newports that you are holding in your hands right now , lol) . The main difference is that this one is mobile. By that I mean you could say for example take your smartphone and take a picture of a QR Code ( just like the one above ) , and your phone ( with the help of the gnome people 
that live inside of your cellphone .)
You can use an app like Google Goggles to scan the image.
You still haven't told us what a QR Code is or does though.
Say you wanted a quick way for people to save your contact information ( website , address . number , etc ) . A Qr Code takes all of the data , and interpolates the information into an easy to chew tablet ( couldn't help myself , lol) barcode.
Check this site out to test it for yourself to try it.
I will be posting a vid of the process ( soon hopefully , lol)
Also ….. To make this a little interesting , I challenge you to figure out what this says
If you know what it says , post a comment on my page , and it will give you magical powers beyond your wildest dreams . 
( no , not really ,lol)
Product Review for the Sprint Evo
So I asked my sister to do a review for the new Sprint Evo , and this is what she came up with….
I have been a Sprint customer for twelve years and would have to say that it is a wonderful service. Yes the $10 extra sucks but the truth is that they been undercharging for their services for quite some time and even with that add on fee (that should only be unfair until September when 4G is rolled out in the OC), Sprint is still far cheaper than all the rest. For instance, Sprint have long gave you the Sprint Navi package (TeleNav) included with the $69 plan. That same package on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile would run you at least a$100 extra a year.
Sprint reps told me that if the 4G coverage is spotty, the Evo will switch between 3G and 4G networks searching for the best signal and drain a lot of power doing so…
As far as video chat, there are few people to chat with because there's no standard way of connecting to others, and very few phones have front-facing video cameras. An app called Fring was used to successfully connect a video chat between a laptop and the Evo. video chatting will actually be quite good even on the 3g network, i have been tethering my sprint 3g phone to my computer and have been able to video chat through my computer with a great deal of clarity, obviously not to the degree of 4g but its still respectable..
Photo and video quality is good.. if you play with the features enough you might just want to leave your camera home.
the apps are great lots of free ones too.
I am far from a techy' type of person so for me to manage this phone with out trouble its great.
favorite apps :
- TASKs ( i suggest everyone down load this. its shows what applications are open you dont want to slow up your device. )
- mta / bus planner ( similar to hop and stop) but actually is accurate !
- photoshop although you wont be able to do any pop art you can change pictures into blk and white. ect
- *Pandora _ music app type up a specific artist and gives you amazing play list.
- *Shazam _
- *Urbanspoon _ find any local bar or spot to eat .. two Thumbs up
- aldiko – read hundreds of books on your phone . i have saved about 80 bucks in these past two weeks already!
A great and useful feature. is the friend stream..
shows you all the updates on on your social websites. .
so i get to see new tweets facbook and aol stuff.
THIS PHONE IS CRACK !!
- Review by Ana "La Barbilona" Martell
Ana is a visual artist and poet . You can find her work on anamartell.com
How to Find WordPress Category ID
Some themes for wordpress allow for a great deal of changes and flexibility in terms of the overall look and feel of your site. If you may have noticed alot of themes ask for a "Category ID".
There are Category Names and Category Slugs (The “slug” is the URL-friendly version of the name. It is usually all lowercase and contains only letters, numbers, and hyphens.)
Great but I still haven't answered your question yet right ? Well to find out what category id is, do the following :
- Login to your wordpress panel (if you aren't already)
- Click on post , and then click on category
- Look at the category you need the id number for and click edit.
Once you're logged in your WordPress dashboard, go to Manage and then in Categories.
Simply put your mouse cursor on the "edit" link related to the category you want to know the ID and look on your browser's status bar: As you can see on the screenshot below, is is the category id number ( of course it will vary from page to page).
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Google Goggles Review
I am such a die hard Google fan. I love the products that they keep rolling out ( eh , not too fond of Google Buzz anymore , the novelty has worn off , lol) Anyways, I never really had a use for Google Goggles , until now. I was setting up my fathers new EVO phone ( stay tuned for a product review that I will be doing on the new Sprint EVO powered by Android of course , lol) .
In anycase , he had the app installed on the phone but couldn't really figure out what to do with it . I installed it and began tinkering with it. This thing totally kicks ass. It is continuously being worked on and upgraded so don't fret, lol.
Here is just a fraction of what this new Google Goggles App is capable of:
- Snap a pic of a restaurant and get automatic info on food , prices , location etc.
- Take a picture of a business card and automatically add a new contact to your gmail
- Ever seen a pie of art work and not know its name ? Take a picture of it and you can find out who created it as well as where its on display.
- Going shopping and need info on a product because the sales clerk is as smart as a bag of rocks ? Take a picture of the barcode and get all the info you need .
- Ever seen one of these ? These are known as QR Codes. Basically they are barcodes with information about pretty much anything you want. If you take a picture of this with Google Goggles , you will see a link to ChristianMartell.com
-
Check Out This Video From Google Talking Giving An Overview of Google Goggles.
httv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhgfz0zPmH4
One thing to keep in mind is that this is still in the resting phase . If you are an android user you can get it from the Android Market.
Try it out for yourself and tell me your thoughts.
What kind of ram do I have in my computer laptop ?
What Kind of ram do I have ?" , is a question alot of computer owners ask themselves when they are looking to upgrade. Knowing what type and how much ram you have is important to know because if you purchase the wrong type of ram you could do serious damage to your system.
Luckily , the folks at crucialscan have developed a system scanner that will tell you:
- How much ram you have
- The type of ram you are using
- how much memory can still be added
- and much more
All you do is click this link -
Download the file/
Sit back and let the scanner do its job.
You will also be given the option of purchasing the ram you need right on the same page . Try it our for yourselves .
Top 10 Free Online Utilities
I won't get too in detail with what the post is about ( it should be obvious by the title right ? ) So here is a list of some awesome ( and free 
) apps
10. Zamzar – Free Online File Converter
This website allows you to convert .doc, pdf, xls , and other formats into any format you can think of. The interface is very user friendly. It's a 3 step process. 1. Upload your file 2 Pick the format that you want it converted to 3. Enter the email address that you want to use to recieve the finished product. I use this service alot for converting word documents into pdf format ( I normally use Bullzip Pdf , but it acts temperamental at times)
9. Dirpy – Youtube video converter 
This site allows you to take your favorite youtube videos and convert them into an mp3 for you to take on the go.
8. Favicon.cc – Favicon Generator
This site allows you to create you own favicon ( that's the little icon that shows up in the search bar when you go to a website) . You can either create you own , or choose from thousands of user uploaded icons.
7. XML Sitemaps
This website helps simplify the process of creating sitemaps for your website. Sitemaps come in different flavors ( formats)
- xml
- text
- ror
- html
It also gives you options to help customize the process. Very handy to update your existing site. With just one click you can have an up to the minute, google compliant sitemap :X-P:
Simply put , an online scanner that checks your computer for malware , viruses and other bad crap :reallypissed: hiding out in your pc.
5. LunaPic Online Photo Editor
LunaPic is an online photo editor. The interface is at best ok , but it boasts some features that you would find on a standard photo editor ( cropping , color fill, gradient etc) This is good for quick touch up jobs, or when you just don't feel like waiting for Adobe PhotoShop to load.
4. Miniclip – Online Video Games
Definitely is not a utility , but I thought why not ? We all get bored sometimes, lol.This site is has some pretty neat games that are great for killing time at the office .
This tool comes in so handy sometimes.
This site allows you to crate a very simple wordpress site using an online editor. Although it does some some basic features, I think it is a great tool for anyone that is new to wordpress and wants to get an understanding of how things work within the wordpress engine.
and the number one site is ………………………………….. ( this is my online drum roll, lol ) …………………………..
………….
……
1. SodaPlay
This site rocks, totally. It allows you ( even novices) to create your own robot using javascript, compile it , and give it life. ( kinda geeky I know , lol) . Still worth checking out . Is there a site that you would like to see up here ? Shout it out and let us know :clap:
Luv Jawn by Ackryte
I am a Senior Web \ Mobile Developer residing in sunny Orlando Fl. I love developing awesome mobile apps, fresh web designs, playing my bass guitar and watching Robot Chicken ( Adult Swim rocks lol) .Uber Twitter addict, and leopard gecko owner.
-Christian Martell
