Archive for December, 2011
Windows 7 Freezes Randomly
Posted by Randy in Applications, Windows on December 28, 2011
I recently reinstalled Windows 7 on my main box because I wanted to do some good screencasts for my PHP Video Tutorials site. After installing a few updates for Windows 7, I started getting a strange issue with audio and video. The OS would glitch. I would get short pauses in video and distortion in the audio.
After killing some processes and services, I soon found out that the problem was with Windows Superfetch. The issue has to do with my SSD drive. So if you have an issue like this and you have a solid state drive, you should try disabling superfetch. After stopping the service, give it a few moments. Play videos and see if you still get the problem.
If you want me to write up a howto on disabling superfetch, leave a comment. If there is any interest, I’ll write it up.
The Best Safety Razor
Posted by Randy in Good Deals on December 23, 2011
If you have trouble with your skin after you shave, you may be shaving with the wrong type of razor. There are other things that can cause skin irritation and ingrown hairs but I’ve found that the cause of mine was the multi-blade razors like the Fusion and Mach III. These products have been promoted as the ultimate shaving experience. The marketing behind this has enabled companies like Gillette to sell expensive blades, when there is a much better and cheap alternative available.
The good ol’ double edge safety razors that people used decades ago, are becoming increasingly popular lately. This is due in large part to the fact that these razors deliver a much better shave than expensive multi-bladed razors. The marketing behind the multi-blades has been that the first blades lift the hair up a bit before the next blade comes along and cuts it. Whether this is true or not, one thing is for sure. The shave tends to cause irritation of the skin, and it causes the hairs to regrow under the skin.
My theory is that the hair is indeed lifted before it is cut, and this produces a super smooth shave but also causes the hairs to sometimes grow back under the skin producing ingrown hairs. The multiple blades also cause skin irritation and razor burn. To alleviate this issue, razor manufacturers add a lubricant to the blade itself, but this lubricant doesn’t last very long. After about one or two uses, the blade is not very good for shaving any longer.
The solution, as I stated earlier, is to switch to a double-edge safety razor. The up-side to safety razors is that they alleviate the issues with razor burn and ingrown hairs. However the process of shaving is a bit more involved, but it’s actually more enjoyable. When using a double-edge, it is important to keep your face wet with warm water and to keep it covered with shaving cream or shaving soap. A good lather is important to keep the razor burn down. Proper use of the razor is important as well.
I switched to a double-edge about four months ago and I haven’t looked back since. It’s a much better shave, and it’s way cheaper. A good quality safety razor costs about $35-$50, but the blades cost about $10 per 100. That’s right, around ten cents each. Compare that to the cost of four Mach 3 blades. Amazingly enough, a single blade lasts longer on the safety razor too. I shave my head and face three or four times with a single blade before I require a replacement. There is actually a honing technique one can use with their shower towel that can lengthen the life of the blade even more.
Here are some important things to note about shaving with a safety razor:
- Use the weight of the razor to cut through the hair, don’t put a lot of pressure on it.
- Always warm your skin up with some warm water or a warm towel.
- Use plenty of lather
- Make multiple passes (three seems to work well for me)
- Shave with the grain first, then across the grain, and finally against the grain if needed for a super close shave.
I should also mention that shaving soap in the bar form is much more economical than shaving creme from a can. I’ve been using a single 1.75 oz bar of Williams’ Mug Soap for the past four months and it’s about halfway gone. I should be able to get another four months or so out of it. A 1.75 oz of this shaving soap costs about 99 cents. That’s a far better deal than a single can of shaving creme from Gillette.
I can not stress enough how awesome this switch has been for me. As someone who regularly shaves his head and face, this has been both a money saver and pain saver, since my skin is no longer irritated from shaving.
I started out with an Edwin Jagger DE89 razor and I highly recommend it. Here are some good deals on it and other quality double-edge razors and supplies.
GoDaddy Alternatives | Boycott GoDaddy
Posted by Randy in Internet, Networking, Web Development on December 23, 2011
Due to its support of SOPA, many people are calling for a boycott on GoDaddy. At first GoDaddy was laughing because of the planned boycott. After about 24 hours, their tone changed and they proclaimed that they were no longer supporting the legislation. Many people are looking for alternatives to Godaddy.
I searched for a bit and found that about the best deal in town is namecheap.com. There is a transfer fee for moving domains over to them, but you get a free year of registration with the transfer. So for around $7 bucks you can transfer and renew a .com. If you have a few months left before it’s time to renew your .com, you can still transfer the domain and get a free year along with the remaining time of your current registration.
Check out their deals. Let’s show GoDaddy that we do not like their support of this unconstitutional legislation.
PHP Video Tutorials
Posted by Randy in Web Development, Windows on December 23, 2011
I just started a new website devoted to teaching people how to develop websites. The site is PHP Video Tutorials. So far I have about 20 videos uploaded. There are nine in the first series which teaches basic HTML and CSS. The second video series goes into PHP and MySQL. I think these videos will be very helpful to anyone who wants to get into web development.
Best Samsung Galaxy Tablet Deals
Posted by Randy in Good Deals, Hardware on December 23, 2011
When it comes to tablets many people have rushed to get their hands on a new iPad, but there are many tablets which offer better hardware. Most of the other tablets run Android. The Android platform has advantages over the iOS platform used for iPads, iPods, and iPhones. The Android Marketplace is a lot more open. You’ll have just as many app and game choices through it, if not more than you would have with the Apple app store.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is an awesome tablet that beats the iPad in many ways. First, it has a real GPS receiver, that doesn’t require a wireless network provider. It supports more file types for video playback and image display. The Galaxy Tab is lighter. It also has full Adobe Flash support.
So if you are looking for a tablet, you may really want to give the Samsung a look-see. I’ve found some great deals here:
Cool Christmas Gift Idea
Posted by Randy in technology on December 12, 2011
Looking for a cool gift for Christmas? I found a cheap little device that would be awesome for just about anyone, or you could even get colorful cool socks. It’s called the WikiReader. For around 20 bucks, you get a device contains the entire Wikipedia encyclopedia in English. It comes with a four gigabyte SD card. It has a touchscreen display with an onscreen keyboard. Your information will always be up-to-date because there are updates available for the device quarterly. For $20, it’s a hell of a deal. Wikipedia has over 3 million topics and contains the equivalent of 1,000 volumes.
Some people may dispute the accuracy of some of the things in Wikipedia, because it can be updated by anyone. This is very much a testament to open source in general. Even though anyone can edit Wikipedia, it can also be checked and verified by the community. I’ve always found that Wikipedia is as accurate (and sometimes more so) than any World Book or Britannica. Here’s a link to the item:
http://bestsellingauctions.com/index.php/shop/comments/220910497098
This is one of my new sites. It is designed to add better communication to auction listings. I’m really excited about the site, and I’m looking for participant in the community.