What a great idea, I just bought a usb tv tuner for my wife's computer and it works great. If you are thinking about buying one, check out one my new websites, the links is above. Have a great day!!!
March 5, 2010
March 3, 2010
February 16, 2010
FreshTip
Apple took a direct shot at Amazon with the iBooks. The application looks like a bookshelf, showing the digital books owned by the user. And of course, a store (naturally, the iBookstore) along the lines of the iTunes Store, where book publishers (like, hey, McGraw-Hill!) can sell their virtual wares.
"We're going to open up the floodgates for the rest of the publishing world starting this afternoon," Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said on-stage.
Prices shown in the demo appear comparable to Amazon's Kindle store. Amazon already has an app for its bookstore made for the iPhone, so the company can't be happy that Apple is stepping into its home court.
But the iPad is not just about digitizing the paper. Electronic Arts showed off Need for Speed: Shift, a racing game built for the device. Brushes, a canvas for drawing art (finger-painting?), was also demoed. And the MLB, which has been quick to jump on new application platforms, showed off its live video app.
[Updated, 12:13 p.m.: Fixed the name of the iBookstore, which was originally listed as the iBook Store.]
– Mark Milian
Follow the Apple event live!
Photo credit: Tony Avelar / Bloomberg
ChatRoulette, the webcam program that randomly connects you with people all over the world, has gotten a lot of press in the last few days. NY Magazine's Sam Anderson gave it a try:
The site activates your webcam automatically; when you click “start” you’re suddenly staring at another human on your screen and they’re staring back at you, at which point you can either choose to chat (via text or voice) or just click “next,” instantly calling up someone else. The result is surreal on many levels. Early ChatRoulette users traded anecdotes on comment boards with the eerie intensity of shipwreck survivors, both excited and freaked out by what they’d seen. There was a man who wore a deer head and opened every conversation with “What up DOE!?” A guy from Sweden was reportedly speed-drawing strangers’ portraits. Someone with a guitar was improvising songs for anyone who’d give him a topic. One man popped up on people’s screens in the act of fornicating with a head of lettuce. Others dressed like ninjas, tried to persuade women to expose themselves, and played spontaneous transcontinental games of Connect Four. Occasionally, people even made nonvirtual connections: One punk-music blogger met a group of people from Michigan who ended up driving eleven hours to crash at his house for a concert in New York. And then, of course, fairly often, there was this kind of thing: “I saw some hot chicks then all of a sudden there was a man with a glass in his butthole.” I sing the body electronic.
I tried it for five minutes last night. Emo girl, emo girl, ten faceless dudes playing with themselves, and one guy holding a “Show Tits For Haiti” sign. It's not unlike the 90s fad ICUII, only you don't get to pick who connects with you. And I found it a little funny how instantaneously people click away when you don't fit their needs, whatever they may be. But Sam Anderson calls the service “a social anxiety nightmare.”
It turns out that ChatRoulette, in practice, is brutal. The first eighteen people who saw me disconnected immediately. They appeared, one by one, in a box at the top of my screen—a young Asian man, a high-school-age girl, a guy lying on his side in bed—and, every time, I’d feel a little flare of excitement. Every time, they’d leave without saying a word. Sometimes I could even watch them reach down, in horrifying real-time, and click “next.” It was devastating.
ChatRoulette was created by a 17 year-old Russian kid and some are saying that he'll be the next internet billionaire, a la Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg.
February 12, 2010
TravelingBlog
7 Great tips for better Coffee
For years now, the Coffee drinkers of America, have been looking, for the perfect cup of coffee. Until that day comes, here are some great tips for a better cup of Joe.
Paying for what you get!
When it comes to making a pot of coffee, quality counts. If you buy the cheapest maker out there, you are going to get the same quality cup of coffee. A few brands I prefer are Krups, Senseo, Bunn, and Mr. Coffee. If you want a great tasting cup of coffee every morning, invest in a good coffer maker. You could always go the French Press Route, for the personal cup every day!
A Clean Coffee Pot is a Happy Coffee Pot.
How often do you cook with a dirty pan, or Drink out of a dirty glass, never, Why Should coffee be any different? So many people don't realize a clean coffee pot, makes a world of difference. Baking Soda and water every day will keep your Coffee pot nice and clean.
Better Beans!
You get what you pay for, if you go to the supermarket to get coffee beans, chances are they are not going to be fresh. The Best way to get the top quality coffee would be a specialty shop. A supermarkets coffee isn't its main priority; hence it's not going to be as fresh as the Specialty store. Another good idea is to keep your beans, in an air-tight container, in a cool dark place, 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roasters Delight!
Despite the fact that, most supermarket brands, say “Good for all Coffee Makers”, not true. Picking the right grind for your coffee maker is the key to the perfect cup.
French Press: coarse grind
Automatic Drip: Med. Grind
Percolator: Coarser Grind
Clean Water!
Just think, 99% of your coffee is water, so normal tap water, has chlorine, and other chemicals to damage the taste of the coffee. Get your H20 Filtered, Distilled, or Bottled water for the best taste!
Measure up!
For every 6 ounces of coffee, there should be 1 to 2 table spoons of coffee. Of course, your personal taste should be the final judge.
The Filter!
The normal, paper filters, leaves bleaches, chlorine, and dyes in your coffee, which leaves a bitter taste. To avoid this, get a Metal mesh filter. This will leave you with a perfect cup every time.
If you keep brewing with these tips, you will achieve a better cup of coffee every time!
February 11, 2010
The Gateway One is the probably the sleekest and stylish desktop PC that Gateway ever produced.and is probably Gateway's answer to Apple's iMac but at price that is slightly higher.
The Design of the Gateway One is slim, stylish, sleek, and minimalist. You won't see any CPUs here, everything can be found at the back of the 19 inch screen. You will also do away with wires since the Gateway One has a wireless keyboard and mouse, and the only wire you can find on the Gateway One is the one at the back of the screen. So where do you put your USB and audio cables? The cable found at the back of Gateway One runs down to a power module where you can find USB and Ethernet ports so you can eliminate cable clutter by stashing the power module under your desk, preserving the wireless aura of the Gateway One.
Underneath the Gateway One's stylish facade, you can find a 2.0 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 processor, Intel P965 motherboard, a whopping 3 GB 667 MHz DDR2 memory, 256 ATI Radeon 2600 XT Graphics card, and a 500 GB hard disk drive. Other features and specifications of the Gateway One includes, an external ATSC/NTSC TV tuner, 16x dual layer DVD burner, 802.11n wireless network, and comes bundled with Windows Vista Home Premium.
The Gateway One comes into the category of the all-in-one desktops which can provide you with Internet browsing, gaming, music, and TV viewing capabilities which would make it perfect for your living room or kitchen. The screen even resembles a flat panel TV. There's also no need for speakers as the Gateway One already has “hidden speakers†found on the front panel. While keeping the speaker in the front panel keeps up with the minimalist design of the Gateway One, the sound emanating from it leaves you wanting to plug in your own speakers. The speakers on the Gateway One is their own patented, NXT SoundVu. Maybe next time Gateway will partner with Altec Lansing or Harman Kardon to bring better quality sounds on the Gateway One, if they ever decide to make a second generation of the device.
One good thing about the Gateway One is that upgrading your key components is easy. Like the HP Blackbird, the Gateway One has a tool-less chassis. You simply pop out the back panel by sliding two latches and you will get access to the inside of your PC. Unlike conventional desktop PCs where you have to struggle with wires and cables to add or remove a hard disk drive, with the Gateway One, you simply slide a hard disk drive unto one of the drive bays and you're good to go.
The Gateway One is slightly pricier than the Apple iMac. While the iMac costs $1,649, the Gateway One costs $1,799 but you can get one with a slightly lower configuration for $1,299. The Apple iMac has a larger screen (20 inch compared with Gateway One's 19 inch) and a faster processor (2.4 Ghz vs. 2.0 Ghz) than the Gateway One so I don't get why there's a $150 premium. However, if you're tired of seeing Apple everywhere and you're used to working with a Windows PC, then Gateway One is a good alternative.
What a great idea, I just bought a usb tv tuner for my wife's computer and it works great. If you are thinking about buying one, check out one my new websites, the links is above. Have a great day!!!
February 10, 2010
PC FriendPost
Gadget and Gear Deals of the Day
Discounted laptops, HDTVs, and a pile of peripherals await inside today's Dealhacker roundup. If busting out the credit card isn't an option today, you'll still find free games, music, and samples.
Computer Gear!
- 17.3″ Toshiba Satellite L555D Laptop for $549.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $650)
- 15.6″ Compaq Presario CQ61 Laptop for $414.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $445)
- 15.6″ Acer Aspire 5517 Laptop for $369.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $470)
- 15.4″ Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 for $549 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $844)
- 21.5″ Dell E2210H 1080p LCD Monitor for $149 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $199.00 – use coupon code ?FZR1V7ZXFBLBS)
- 23″ Lenovo IdeaCentre B500 2.7GHz All-in-One Desktop for $719 with free shipping (Regular Price: $869 – use coupon code USP0114B500).
- HP Pavilion s5380t Core2 Quad Desktop for $599.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $880).
- Dell OptiPlex 380 2.93GHz Desktop + 20″ Dell LCD Monitor for $539 with $35 shipping (Regular Price: $856).
- 18.4″ Toshiba Satellite P500-ST6822 2.2GHz Laptop for $679.20 with free shipping (Regular Price: $849).
- 16.4″ Sony VAIO F1190X Core i7 Laptop for $989 with free shipping (Regular Price: $999).
- 16″ Toshiba Satellite A505-S6989 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo for $540 with free shipping (Regular Price: $756).
- 15.6″ Dell Inspiron 1564 Core i5 Laptop for $769 with $12.95 shipping (Regular Price: $874).
- 15.6″ Acer Aspire AS5532 Laptop for $349.99 plus $14.99 shipping (Regular Price: $408).
- 15.5″ Sony VAIO NW Laptop for $549.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $679).
- 14″ ASUS X83 Laptop for $764.82 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $850 – use this form).
- 14″ Dell Inspiron 14 Laptop with Core 2 Duo Processor 2.2GHz for $649 plus shipping (Regular Price: $853)
- 14″ HP dv4-2170us Core i5 Laptop for $649.98 with free shipping (Regular Price: $809.98)
- 13.3″ Lenovo ThinkPad X301 1.4GHz Laptop for $959.40 with free shipping (Regular Price: $1,599 – use coupon code MSStore-PC-40%).
- 11.6″ Lenovo ThinkPad X100e Laptop for $449 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $584).
- 10″ Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook w/ TV Tuner for $336.54 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $449).
- 10″ Sony VAIO W VPCW121AX Netbook (Pink) for $299 with free shipping (Regular Price: $484.99 – use coupon code MSStore-PC-40%).
- Lenovo P550 Headset for $11 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $20 – use coupon code USPCJ22065).
- 10.1″ MSI Wind U100 Intel Atom N270 Netbook (1GB/160GB/3-Cell Battery) for $259.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $329 – use coupon code: SHINE1130).
- 10.1″ Toshiba Mini NB205-N312/BL Royal Blue Netbook for $327.98 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $372.94).
- 22″ Asus VW224U WideScreen LCD Monitor for $134.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $162.99 – use coupon code LAUGH0315 and this rebate form).
- LaCie Little Disk 320GB USB External Hard Drive for $68.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $88).
- Intel Core i3-530 2.93GHz Processor + ECS H55H-M (rev. 1.0) Motherboard for $166.98 (Regular Price: $199 – use this form).
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (OEM) for $92.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $129 – use coupon code: WINTER10).
- Canon PIXMA iP4700 Premium Inkjet Photo Printer for $59.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $79.99).
- OCZ 1GB DDR3 Laptop Memory for $2 with free shipping (Regular Price: $27 – this form).
- Lexmark Interact S605 Wireless 3-in-1 Color Inkjet Printer for $117 with free shipping (Regular Price: $150).
Home Entertainment Gear!
- 55″ LG 55LH85 1080p Wireless LCD HDTV for $1,599.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $2,130)
- 47″ LG 47LG90 1080p LED LCD HDTV for $1,399.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $1,500)
- 42″ Toshiba REGZA 42ZV650U 1080p LED LCD HDTV for $749.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $790)
- Dell Vostro 220 Dual Core Desktop with 24″ Samsung LCD Monitor for $499 (Regular Price: $830)
- 15.6″ Acer Aspire AS5732Z-4280 Intel Dual Core Laptop for $399.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $459.99)
- 14.1″ Lenovo T400 14.1″ Laptop with Intel T8700 Processor, 4GB RAM for $811.20 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $1430 – use coupon code USPSAVE20)
- 25″ I-inc iH-252HPB Widescreen LCD Monitor for $189.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $253)
- Logitech diNovo Mac Edition Wireless Keyboard for $39.99 (Regular Price: $70)
- 55″ Samsung LN55B650 1080p 120Hz LCD TV for $1,479.00 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $1640 – use coupon code LN55B650).
- 47″ Viore LC47VXF60PB 1080p LCD HDTV for $800 shipped (Regular Price: $1020).
- 46″ Sony BRAVIA KDL-46S5100 1080p LCD HDTV for $779 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $850).
- 32″ Sony BRAVIA KDL-32L504 720P LCD TV for $360 with free shipping (Regular Price: $400).
- 32″ Sylvania LC320SLX 720p LCD HDTV for $299.99 (Regular Price: $359.99).
- 23″ VIZIO VM230XVT 1080p LED HDTV for $331.66 with free shipping (Regular Price: $349.99).
- Yamaha RX-V665 7.2ch AV Receiver + Klipsch KSW-10 10in Subwoofer for $499.00 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $599 – use coupon code: FREEGFT1118A).
- Pinnacle MB10000 Home Theater System for $548.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $2500).
- Opteka OPT15 15-Inch Digital Picture Frame with 1GB Built-In Memory for $142.77 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $179.95).
- Free Samsung 2.1-channel soundbar speaker system With the purchase of select Samsung LED-LCD HDTVs (Regular Price: $299.99).
Portable Gear!
- Hoya 77mm DMC PRO1 Digital Circular Polarizer Glass Filter for $129.99 (Regular Price $325)
- Zune HD 32GB Video MP3 Player for $259.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $280 – use coupon code EMCYZNZ45)
- Sennheiser RS 140 Wireless Balanced Headphones for $99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $119)
- DeLonghi HHP1500 Safeheat Mica Panel Radiator Heater for $69.95 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $88)
- AT&T Wireless Unlimited Calling Plan for $69.99 shipping (Regular Price: $100)
- 5dot Connect Laptop Sleeve for $7 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $22.99)
- Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB Pocket Video Camcorder, 2nd Generation for $114.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $199.99).
- Nikon Coolpix S620 12.2MP Digital Camera for $229.95 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $269.65).
- Sony Cybershot DSC-TX1 Digital Camera for $299 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $314).
- Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds for $10.17 (Regular Price: $17.95).
- Sony MDRRF970RK 900 MHz Analog RF Wireless Headphone for $58.77 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $64.23).
- Flip Mino F360B Video Pocket Camcorder for $96.99 with free shipping (Regular Price: $119.99).
- Kodak EASYSHARE Z1485 14 Megapixel Digital Camera for $120 with free shipping (Regular Price: $180).
- Canon VIXIA HF20 HD Dual Flash Camcorder for $599 with free shipping (Regular Price: $699).
- Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1MP Digital Camera w/ Tilt LCD for $322.98 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $349).
- Invisio G5 Bluetooth Headset for $29.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $79.95).
- HP Photosmart E327 5MP Digital Camera for $29.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $115).
- Fujifilm Finepix Z37 10MP Digital Camera for $99.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $122.22).
- SteelSeries 5H v2 USB Headset with Soundcard for $89.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $120).
- JBuds J3M Micro Atomic In-Ear Earphones with Microphone Compatible with iPhone for $29.95 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $39.99).
- Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 Noise Isolating Earphones for $198.89 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $365.49).
- Creative Labs Vado 2GB Pocket Video Camcorder for $39.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $94).
- Nokia E63 Cell Phone (Unlocked, Quad-Band GSM, 3G) for $149.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $199 – use coupon code: $NC714XVMPS9FM).
- Kodak EasyShare Z1485 14MP Digital Camera for $119.99 + Free Shipping (Regular Price: $170).
Free Stuff!
- Sunbelt Granola Bars box, BOGO Coupon for $0 (print this PDF)
- All The Pretty Girls by fun (MP3) for $0 (download here).
- Alien Glyphs (iPhone/iPod Touch) for $0 (Regular Price: $1.99).
- Samples of Prilosec for $0 (use this form)
- Free Selena Gomez “Naturally” Music Download for $0 (use this form)
- Reign of Swords (iPhone) for $0 (Regular Price: $2.99).
- Stamps.com 4-week trial with $25 worth of postage, digital scale, supplies for $0
- We've Got A Long Way To Go by Joe Perry (MP3) for $0 (download here).
- 50 Digital Photos Printed by CVS for $0 (Regular Price: $9, use this form).
Thanks Dealzon, TechDealDigger, Slickdeals, Fatwallet, TechBargains, CheapStingyBargains, CheapCollegeGamers, and GamerHotline!
Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.
There are tons of uses for displays that can be connected to a PC or other video input source that have nothing to do with home theater or general computer use. Some of the largest displays are aimed at use as digital signs like we see in airports and at some businesses. NEC has pulled a massive display out of the shadows called the P701.
The giant display has a screen measuring 70-inches and is designed to operate continuously. The huge screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a contrast ratio of 2000:1. The screen has a typical brightness of 420 cd/m2 and a maximum brightness of 600 cd/m2. NEC builds thermal protection and internal temperature sensors in to prevent damage caused by overheating.
A sealed design helps the screen survive environments with dust, grease, or steam and the display has a built-in expansion slot. Other features include a real-time clock and a scheduler that will shut the display down when it’s not needed to save power. A version of the P701 with a TV tuner called the P701-AVT will be offered as well. Both versions of the display will ship in March with the non-tuner version selling for $11,799.
Somewhere between a top of the line HDTV and a laptop comes this Sony all in one. They are leaders in this market because they're essentially bringing their two strongest products together into one super “desktop”. In this review I'm taking a look at Sony's VAIO VGC-LT29U 22″ PC/TV All-in-one. This wall mountable 22″ desktop is loaded and comes at a premium. I'm going to let you know just how capable it is and if it is worth all that cash. Let me start with a few of the basics.
Hardware:
Display: 22″ LCD XBrite
Tuner: ATI TV Wonder (both NTSC and ATSC tuner)
Processor: 2.50 GHz “Penryn” Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor
Storage Space: 1 TB hard drive
RAM: 4GB RAM (un-expandable)
Optical Drive: CD R/RW DVD R RW +/- with integrated Blu-Ray Burner and reader
Graphics Accelerator: Nvidia GeForce Go 8400 graphics
Operating System: Windows Home Vista Ultimate
In the Box: An IR remote, as well as a wireless mouse and keyboard.
This truly can do everything. If you're interested in an All in one desktop television then this is your machine. The 22″ display is clear and bright. It as good as any of Sony's Bravia televisions and the integrated tuner makes sure you'll have no trouble making those comparisons. It has plenty of hard drive space with a TB of storage. This is literally your high definition Blu-Ray player, digital video recorder, computer, and entertainment system all in one killer package.
It has a great video card, the only thing that is a little unfortunate is the Penryn, in my opinion it is a little slower than I would like to see, but does its job fine here. For the most part there really aren't too many criticisms of this Sony all in one.
Connectivity:
5 2.0 USB ports (for connecting to printers, digital cameras or MP3 players)
WiFi (connect wirelessly to your LAN)
1 FireWire (connect your digital camcorder)
ExpressCard
PCMCIA
1 standard audio out as well as optical audio out and 1 mic in
1 Modem input
1 Ethernet input
1 SD / Memory Card Slot
There obviously needs to be fewer connectivity options with this desktop thanks to the integrated monitor and mount ability. You don't really want to have a lot of wires hanging off what basically amounts to a sexy piece of art. The bottom line is I can't really imagine anyone that would be disappointed in this desktop. It is going to look great in any situation, in your rec room, in your kitchen, in your living room or bed room. It will do your office work, and it will play whatever game you toss at it, it's just going to do it all. The price reflects how loaded it really is. At a fairly firm $3200 unfortunately you'll need fairly deep pockets to bring the Sony VAIO VGC-LT29U home. However if you can afford it, you'll like it.
February 9, 2010
PC MyBlog
Sony L Series All-In-One Touch-Enabled HD TV/PC At CES 2010
Touchscreen devices are all the rage right now and when you throw in a quad band processor, blu-ray and top notch graphics, what you end up with is a Sony All-In-One L Seriesd desktop that’s worth a closer look.
The Sony L Series All-In-One was shown off at CES 2010 and offers a blu-ray drive, while running on an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, showing off a NVIDIA graphics card and an NTSC / ATSC TV Tuner.
The screen in question is a 24 inch (16:9) Widescreen HD display that offers smooth touchscreen interfacing with quick response times and overall great output for both videos and desktop applications.
These days, buying a decent plasma is often a lot more expensive than building your own media center. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, a media center is basically a PC that’s focused solely on media playback. Check out our PDF guide on how to set up your own media center, written by Stefan Neagu.
For the past year or so, I’ve been using Windows 7 on my media center. It’s quick, smooth, and the new Windows Media Center makes it an incredible improvement over Vista. It also supports most PCI TV tuners. Lately, I came to realize the stupidity of all it. Television shows haven’t been accounting to much lately, and the Windows 7 price tag isn’t worth it if you’re only using it for music and movies.
Enna
Although Boxee seemed the more obvious choice, it loses the high ground if you lack a decent internet connection. Just when I was about to give up hope, I heard about Enna – an incredible open source Linux media center, developed by the GeeXboX team, and ready for its first public release.
Enna can be installed on top of your Linux distro (e.g. Ubuntu) as a standalone app. But if you don’t want to make “the switch”, you can just use the GeeXboX live CD. You can boot Enna straight from the disk, without installing any alternative operating systems. If you want, you can even keep your default Windows installation running underneath.
Movies and Music
Keep in mind that the Enna Linux media center is a very standard app. It packs the very basic features in a most enticing and graphical user interface. If you’re looking for a surplus of widgets and online connectivity, you’re probably looking for Boxee.
That said, if you’re a standard media freak, Enna should sate your initial hunger, especially for a first public release.
Enna is great for browsing media files on your hard disk – both video and audio. You can also use Enna to pop an old-fashioned DVD. Sadly, this first release does not yet support audio CDs. This feature is promised to be included in one of the other upcoming releases, together with podcast support and VDB TV tuner functionality.
Photographs and Books
Apart from video and music, you can also use the Enna Linux media center software for photo slideshows. Next time your mother-in-law celebrates another wrinkle, surprise her and the rest of the family with a stunning slideshow. I’m not much of a picture-person myself, but I love to use slideshows to decorate a room, and create a pleasant ambience.
This last feature came as a surprise to me. In the bookstore, you can grab your favorite books and comics from the web, and read them from the couch. Enna currently supports GoComics and OneManga for content synchronisation.
Obviously, you want be able to read Shakespeare on your media center, but you can flick through a few (web)comics when you’re bored. As the names suggest, you can access both western comic panels and Japanese manga. Download Enna Media Center here.
What do you think of Enna? Or do you prefer another media center? Tell us which and why in the comments section below!
If you have a spare computer monitor, you may be able to avoid the expense of purchasing an additional television. Flat panel LCD monitors can replace expensive flat panel televisions. However, even a CRT computer monitor may be useful as a television. To use your computer monitor as a TV, you will need to connect it to a TV tuner. The type of tuner you should purchase will be different depending on what type of monitor you have.
Most computer monitors don't have a coaxial connector. This means you must use another connection interface. If you have an older monitor with only a standard VGA connector, you'll need an external PC TV tuner that will work with your computer monitor. However, if you have a newer, flat panel monitor, you may be able to connect it either to a PC TV tuner or to a television receiver box. Check on the monitor for interface methods such as S-Video, HDMI, RCA and component video. Make sure that you look for corresponding connectors when you shop for a television tuner.
There are two types of TV receivers; digital and analog. A digital TV receiver will be necessary if you plan to watch free over-the-air television programming on your computer monitor. You will also need an antenna to pick up the television signals. Make sure you select a tuner with a coaxial input so that you can connect the antenna. However, if you have cable or satellite service, chances are you will need an analog tuner. An analog tuner will also integrate better with your analog VCR than a digital tuner.
If both your TV tuner and your monitor support HDMI, you'll be able to watch TV on your monitor in high definition. S-Video is also a good choice for connecting a computer monitor to a TV tuner. However, if HDMI and S-Video aren't available, composite video is your next best bet. Composite video is connected using a three-pronged RCA connector with color-coded audio and video plugs. If possible, use component video, which divides the video into separate channels for a clearer picture. In most cases, you should match the color of the plugs to the color on the inputs and outputs on your equipment. Keep in mind that some connection types may require you to connect the audio from the source of programming to the TV tuner separately. Connect other equipment, such as your VCR, DVD player or DVR, to the TV tuner using a separate connection. If you want to use your VCR's internal receiver for timer recording, connect its coaxial input to the TV tuner's coaxial output. This will ensure that the radio frequency (RF) signal can reach the VCR's receiver. If you use any other type of connection with your VCR, you'll need to change channels using your TV tuner or cable or satellite receiver box rather than on the VCR before recording.
Connect your monitor's speaker connection to the TV tuner's audio output jack. If your computer monitor doesn't have built-in speakers, you'll need to attach separate speakers to the audio output. Test the computer monitor and speakers to see if they're displaying the video and audio properly and make any adjustments necessary. These tips should get your computer monitor working as a TV relatively quickly. If you experience difficulty, consult your equipment's documentation.
Sources:
“How to turn your monitor into a TV,” CNET.com
“Definition of: composite video,” PCMag.com
