Another Gmail Invite

Yes thats right, We are giving away another Gmail invite. If you still haven't gotten one here is your chance. Leave a comment with your Full name, e-mail address, and why you think you should get the invite.

If you already have Gmail please don't be greedy and let others have a chance at the wonderful experience.

Good Luck!!!

+MacMan


UPDATE:
OK thats it. The invite has been given away. Thanks for all who "applied" keep reading for more chances to get Gmail. More invites may soon follow.

In order to increace your chances of winning next time you should read this blog frequently. Also leaving comments and making suggestions will help you.

Keep reading and Posting!

+MacMan

Hi Everyone

"You are eternity's hostage
A captive of time."
- Boris Pasternak

Hi all, it is good to be here on MacSpot. Even though MacSpot isn't know to the masses yet, hopefully this will change in time. I would first like to ask all the readers of this blog if we should keep the Linux News and McAfee virus box-linky things? They seem to clutter things and add extra load time for the blog, but if you, the people who come here, want to keep them and find them useful we obviously will keep them. Just comment and let us konw what you think. Later

ConMan

New Editor

Yes its true. There is a new person behind this blog and his name is ConMan. His contribution will be great for the content of this site. Be on the look out for his posts in the near future.

+MacMan

iPod Linux

Have you ever wondered if you could acutally run an OS from your iPod hard drive. Well, now you can.

Linux for the iPod is a very cool thing. One of its purposes is to allow the iPod to play a variety of other music formats such as Ogg Vorbis.

You might ask

What applications can it run?

In theory most applications that run on uClinux can run on the iPod however there are important limitations;

The iPod does not have a FPU (floating point unit) so things like mpg123 won't run too nicely. Integer based versions of MP3 players however are available and will run.

The frame buffer does not support mmap() so X11 would not run.

Since we are running on uClinux the fork() system call is not supported (vfork() however is available).

A few good things about Linux on the iPod is that you will not lose any data on the iPod should you choose to install Linux. Also it has a built in boot loader which will allow you to choose between Linux and Apple's Firmware after you reset the iPod.

You should be able to run this on all iPods except the mini and G4. (This may only be temporary.)

Be sure to read the FAQ to get general knowledge and help.

In reality Linux on your iPod doesn't improve its functionality too much, but it sure is cool...

+MacMan

Great Online Deals

Have you ever wished that you could find a website that would find all the best tech deals on the internet and gather them into one place? Well, I've found it.

Ben's Bargain Center

This site is GREAT! I've found some super deals on here.

example:IBM/Hitachi 200GB 8MB Hard Drive $160 - $80 rebates = $80

Ben's Bargain Center does not make the deals, they just search the web and post the best from other companies.

One of my favorite parts of the site is the freebies section. In this section there are all sorts of deals and products that you can get for free. You can get free shirts and magazines. Sometimes a really good one will come along like this.

Free Windows XP Professional from Windows Mobile Training

Deals like the one above are taken quickly so you have to be on your toes to get them.

Ben's deals are ever changing. Through out the day new deals will show up on the site. Today over 100 deals were placed on the site, and many more will be added tommorow.

However the best thing about Ben's is their slogan:

"Where ghetto dogs go for the lowdown on deals."

Some other places for finding low prices online are :
Got Apex?
Price Watch
Mwave

If anyone else has another good deal site feel free to post.

+MacMan

Spyware

Many people that I know always complain to me that they recieve a ton of pop-ups and their computer is painfully slow. Most of the time I diagnose the problem as some sort of spyware or malware has been installed on the computer. Some very common and nasty spyware programs are Gator, Weather Bug, and Bonzi Buddy.

The steps to remove spyware are very easy. First you need to download some free utilities. Many companies will try to sell you software to remove spyware. Don't buy them. The programs below work a lot better and are FREE.

Spybot Search & Destroy
This is a Great Program. When you first start it up be sure to check for updates and imunize your system.

AdAware
This program is also good. Make sure to check for updates.

Another problem that people have is browser hijacks. If you have ever had you homepage changed without you changing it yourself, you have probably been hijacked. To remove these hijacks use the program CW Shredder.

CW Shredder
This program runs very fast so run it often!

This should pretty much clean up your system. Hopefully you will notice a speed improvment. If not at least you will know you are not being tracked all over the internet. Be sure to run these programs OFTEN to keep your system clean. Every time you run them you should check for updates. This is similar to checking the DAT files for an anti-virus.

If anyone knows of any other good spyware removal tools please leave a comment.

-MacMan

Photo Posts

Sorry if all of these pictures are taking away from the technology aspect of this blog. I'm just trying out a new service Blogger has come out with. Its called Hello. If you are a blogger on www.blogger.com you should give it a try. Its very easy to use.

CALLING ALL SHUTTERBUGS

I'm still using an old Sony Cybershot 1.3MP digital camera. Do you have any suggestions for a new one? I'm looking for a 3+MP camera for under $300.

If anyone has a suggestion for a new post or review please email me at macspotblog@yahoo.com

~MacMan~

This was taken at sunrise near Provo, Utah. I was lucky to get this picture because I didn't have my camera with me. Luckily I was able to borrow my dad's. 

Taken from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, the picture shows Pike's Peak (elev. 14110 ft.) through the rock window. 

This is a lake located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah. 

Real Alternative

If you hate real player like i do try out this program. Its called real alternative. It is exactly what it says it is. It plays the real format without having to use that junky player.

Try it out.

+MacMan

New iPods are Here

Apple has done it. As rummored they have released the new 4G iPods. They look similar to the iPod minis but have the storage capacity and overall size as the 3g iPods. If you already own a 3G iPod dont run out and buy one of these. Your iPod is basically the same. However, if you are running an older iPod or are new to the iPod community, you should definately take a look at the 4G models. The price per GB is now lowered:

20GB costs $299
$14.95 per GB

40GB costs $399
$9.975 per GB

This is a great deal compared to the 3G iPods.

If you dont want to spend the money for the latest and greatest check out Amazon and pick up a 3G 15GB iPod for $249. Be sure to add a filler item item to be qualified for a $50 off you next purchase coupon. A filler is an item that will "fill" the price so it will hit the $250 mark. This is a great deal so jump on it while it still lasts.

-MacMan

New Graphics Card

Hey,

I'm looking to get a new graphics card for my PC. Ive been looking at the Radeon 9600 and 9800 pro and XT. Any suggestions? I'm looking at $200 max

Thanks
-MacMan

iPod Photos Leaked

Sure the new iPods line is great, but wouldn't it be better if you could get a 20GB iPod for $299 or a 40GB iPod for $399. That would be great. Also the new iPods will sport a new look similar to the iPod minis with embedded buttons in the scroll wheel. These new 4TH generation iPods will have an even better set of menus and allow users to have more than one "on-the-go playlist". Keep reading for more udpates.

+MacMan

Cool Linux Deal

I found this story on Kevin Rose's Blog. You can get a really cool Linux deal for free. Novell will give you:

- SUSE LINUX Standard Server 8.0 (ISO Installation Images)
- SUSE LINUX 9.1 Professional (Bootable Installation DVD)
- Ximian Desktop 2.0 Evaluation (ISO Image)
- Ximian Red Carpet 2.0.2 Evaluation (ISO Image)
- Novell Linux Services 1.0 (ISO Image & NLS Companion CD)
- Novell GroupWise for Linux 6.5.1 - Server, Client & Messenger
- and more...

This is a cool thing so get it while it lasts!

-MacMan

Gmail Invites to Give Away

Yes you read right I have Gmail invites to give away. So 2 people who respond to this post and leave their name and email address will become the newest members of the Gmail crew. I will choose the winners. Doing things like having a fast post, linking to my blog, and bribing me will make me want to choose you first.

Good Luck!!