Many people are annoyed by the country-blocking that is imposed by massive multimedia companies regarding their content; especially since the rise of sites like Hulu, Pandora, and Last.FM. The lure of legitimate, free, and easy to access streaming content is a hard one to pass up! If you happen to live outside of the US, however, you tend to discover rather quickly that you’re pretty much out of luck. So what to do? If you ask around, and most people will tell you to try a proxy site, but average proxy sites are generally blocked by services like Hulu, and, if you do get through, are very, -very- slow. However, if watching Hulu is a dream of yours — or you simply want to be a little safer when you browse online, or access Twitter and Facebook from work — the current version of Hotspot Shield (1.37) is your friend.
Author: Bobby Travis (page 45 of 51)
Bobby isn't 40-something, but is a strong supporter of the Grown-up Geek kind. He's a loving husband and father first, but is also a freelance writer, productivity nut, operatically trained singer, and (not-so) closet geek.
Check out his random thoughts, wackiness, and Instagram pics on Tumblr, Twitter, or Google+-- or just head over to bobby-travis.com.
It never ceases to amaze me what you can learn online. From the interesting psychology reflected by the average user to the most basic of instructions for the tiniest task that may simply have eluded you, the worldwide web is that bit of tech that just keeps on giving. There are several places you can go on the web to get to the heart of it all (for you) and learn useful things (how-to’s, the best software — or cupcake — for your money, how to get things done that need doing and do it on the cheap, etc.), not the least of which are Google and YouTube, but for me, one place stands out as the go-to spot for most things I might need: Lifehacker. The name says it all, really — and yes, I am perfectly aware that I am promoting another blog on this one, but credit goes to where it’s due, my friends — and just look at the cool odds and ends I learned (and often shared) in just the past week:
What constitutes ethics in modern technology, specifically web-related? It’s a broad question, and one that is intensely debated in the realms of Privacy, Net Neutrality and Intellectual Property Rights. What about data manipulation, though? Where does that fit in to the ethical landscape? Classically, the public has railed against the manipulation of data — such as news sources and histories — for the benefit of companies and governments and the like, while at the same time accepting that such manipulation is likely both commonplace and and historical institution unto itself. Such acceptance is the reason things like conspiracy theories exist. Currently, these same viewpoints are often applied to common-use technology companies such as Microsoft, Apple and Google, all of whom have been accused of manipulating their technologies to further both their political agendas, their pocketbooks, and pretty much whatever else suits the search for a good story.
What about end-user manipulation of those same technologies? Is that acceptable? Web2Rule, a new service for internet marketers that allows for en masse manipulation of search and social media results, brings that question to the forefront.
Well, that time is finally here. My 3 Year (bloody) Contract with Bell Mobility (one of the Big 3 rip-off artist/cell phone & communications companies on the northern half of the North American continent) has less than a year left and I’ve been presented with a $100 hardware upgrade and about $300 in data credits. The data credits can be applied to the hardware too, leaving me with a substantial discount on any phone I would like to get. So the question is… which one? Bell is finally carrying the iPhone 3GS and has some older Android phones, as well as some Blackberries and newer-model Windows Mobile phones like the Samsung Omnia II. Currently, as some of you may recall from previous posts, I’m rocking the marvellous workhorse of the Windows Mobile world, the HTC Touch. Love the little beast, but it’s got to go. Time to pave the way for something faster and smoother and generally better than Windows Mobile has been able to offer me. I’d love your help! I am so torn at the moment, that I have been ripping at what little hair is left on my head trying to decide.
Save my scalp! Help me save myself from patchiness! Read on and then throw your opinions at me in the comments (and don’t be afraid to have fun with it)!
What’s Your Daily Tech Routine? What Can’t You Live Without?
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