CyberPowerPC keyboards

I love CyberPowerPCs and I have recently purchased 2 CyberPowerPCs, however, when I pulled out one of the USB keyboards that shipped with the PC, needless to say, I was not pleased!

As a developer, I do a tremendous amount of typing and with a typing speed of around 80-100 WPM (words per minute), I need a keyboard that can easily keep up as well as seamlessly fit into my typing style.

Unfortunately, the Azza keyboard that ships with CyberPowerPCs do not fit into either of these categories.

The keyboard is extremely compact and not suitable at all for standard typing.  My biggest frustrations with this keyboard is the very, very small backspace key as well as the very small Ctrl and Alt keys. 

For any user that types as much as I do, this keyboard can basically be considered completely useless.

It would be much nicer if CyberPowerPC shipped some Microsoft keyboards or Logitech keyboards with their PCs, but in lieu of that, suffice it to say, I am sending out my Azza keyboards for recycling and sticking with my comfortable Logitech keyboards and mice!

Amazon Underground Games

With the recently released line of Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, I decided to give the new much touted "Amazon Underground" a spin and see what was really meant by "actually free" games.  Amazon advertises this feature as games that actually have free in-app purchases, lending new meaning to "free games".

Currently, free games means that the game is "free", but still charges for any in-app purchases that are made, thus leading the end-user/consumer to believe that the game is free but with hidden charges/purchases.

However, Amazon Underground now labels their games as "Actually Free" when you visit the Amazon Underground.

I tried out one of the Amazon Underground "Actually Free" games that I have played for a long time called Frozen Free Fall.

Well, much to my surprise, Amazon was not lying about being "actually free"!

When I first launched Frozen Free Fall, I was immediately awarded a large number of snowballs and ice crystal and ice picks before I even began playing.  In addition, all of the upper levels from the Seasons and Frozen Fever were also completely unlocked! 

When I browsed through a few more Amazon Underground games in the Amazon App Store, I was surprised to find several more expensive games such as Mickey Mouse's Castle of Illusions labeled as "Actually Free"!

I am really enjoying the Amazon Underground feature of "Actually Free" applications since it makes using the Amazon Kindle Fire as a much more enjoyable tablet for gaming vs. Android and iPad tablets which do not have this feature and still rely heavily on Free games with in-app purchasing.

Needless to say, when it comes to playing games on a tablet, I will stick to the Amazon Kindle Fire!!

Amazon Fire TV vs. Google Nexus Player

If you are looking for an affordable Gaming Console, then you might consider either the Amazon Fire TV or the Google Nexus Player.

First, we'll take a look at the Amazon Fire TV: http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-DV83YW-Fire-TV/dp/B00U3FPN4U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446520957&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+tv

The Amazon Fire TV just released a new version which now includes support for Alexa which was originally shipped with Amazon Echo.  Alexa is Amazon's form of voice recognition software which allows you to perform a wide variety of operations from playing music to hearing about the weather, news reports or even jokes.  The other major update to the Amazon Fire TV is the newly added support for an optional microSD card which supports up to 128GB of storage. 

The main limiting factor for the Amazon Fire TV then becomes the lack of good, affordable games in the Amazon App Store.  This is definitely the greatest drawback to the Amazon Fire TV.  If Amazon were to make Google Play Store apps available to the Amazon Fire TV, purchasing the Fire TV would be a complete no-brainer.

Next up, is the Google Nexus Player: https://www.google.com/nexus/player/

The Google Nexus Player has many of the same features as the Amazon Fire TV with the main difference being that it runs a native version of Android thus offering full support for the Google Play store. In addition, it is much cheaper than the Amazon Fire TV with a cost of only $49.  http://www.bestbuy.com/site/google-nexus-player-streaming-media-console-black/2445015.p?id=1219542308629&skuId=2445015

Unfortunately, the major thing it lacks is the optional microSD card to expand the total memory storage on the device.  Even devices such as the Roku offer an optional microSD card for their streaming device.  The lack of microSD card is a major fail on Google's part.  The Google Nexus player only ships with 8 GB of memory, so if you are installing any particularly large games, you will have to uninstall them rather quickly in order to install newer games (the same limitation existed with the earlier version of the Amazon Fire TV as well).

In this comparison, there is no clear winner for Gaming Consoles since both the Amazon Fire TV and the Google Nexus player have severe drawbacks in the design of their systems.  If you are looking for the widest variety of available games, then the Google Nexus Player is definitely the console of choice.

Amazon Kindle Fire vs. Barnes & Noble Nook vs Google Nexus

I started researching new Android-based tablets for myself and I ended up comparing these 3 main Android tablets:

1. Amazon Kindle Fire
2. Barnes & Noble Nook
3. Google Nexus

First up, the Amazon Kindle Fire: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S5HFVGI/ref=fs_ods_fs_tab_ms

I have been a long-time Amazon Kindle Fire user and they are great tablets overall.  However, these are 2 major cons of these tablets that I have found over the years:

• They did not have expandable memory options through use of an optional microSD card
• They did not support native Android apps from the Google Play store.  The apps found in the Amazon Kindle store are still much more limited than the Google Play store.

Well, the latest version of the Amazon Kindle Fire addresses one of these 2 concerns by adding support for an optional microSD card.  This is a great selling point for the new Kindle Fire as well as the reduced cost of only $49 to buy a Kindle Fire with a 7" screen!

Next up, the Barnes & Noble Nook: http://nook.barnesandnoble.com/u/samsung-galaxy-tab-4-nook-tablet/379004262

I bought the Barnes & Noble Nook when they first came out with the Nook Color and the only reason I really bought it was its support for the ePub format as well as the optional microSD card which allowed me to expand its memory.

The new Barnes & Noble Nooks are a significant upgrade from the Nook Color by offering Samsung-based tablets that not only continue to have the optional microSD card but also have support for the Google Play store!

In addition, Barnes & Noble is now offering incentives to trade-in old Tablet devices towards credit for a brand new Nook!  http://nook.barnesandnoble.com/u/trade-in-your-nook/379004337?cds2Pid=49746

That is a pretty great incentive to trade up to the Barnes & Noble Nook in my opinion. 

Finally, there is the Google Nexus tablet: https://www.google.com/nexus/9/

It is the only tablet among the 3 listed tablets which does not have support for an optional microSD card making it an expensive and severely limiting tablet.  However, since it is Google's own creation, it ensures that everything from the Google Play store will work on it as well as always have support for the latest versions of Android.

If you are an Android user that wants the best of both worlds (Google Play store and tons of storage memory), I would definitely choose the new Barnes & Noble Nook.  However, if you are satisfied with the limited selection of Amazon Kindle apps provided in the Amazon Kindle App Store, the Amazon Kindle Fire will definitely be a much nicer tablet to use overall.

Free TurboTax W-4 Calculator

If you are filling out paperwork for a new job and you want to determine your required withholding based on your current income level, you will definitely want to take advantage of the TurboTax W-4 Withholding Calculator: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/calculators/w4/


This online calculator allows you to enter both your and your spouse's pay as well as a number of other factors such as your number of children as well as how much you pay for child care expenses etc. 

Based on this information, the online W-4 Calculator can provide you with the necessary information to specify your correct withholding on your W-4 Tax Forms!

How cool is that??

Free TurboTax Tax Calculator

If you have used TurboTax in the past, you may know that new versions are released towards the end of each year.

However, if you do not want to wait until the end of the year to determine how much you currently owe on taxes, you will find it handy to know that TurboTax has a free online Tax Calculator that allows you to estimate how much you may owe on taxes: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/calculators/taxcaster/index.jsp?cid=all_cjtto-2278782_int&priorityCode=3468341816&SID=

This is particularly important for business owners that may need to calculate their taxes to ensure they have sufficient deductions as they approach the end of the year.  If the taxes owed are too high, they can plan accordingly to spend their existing reserves to increase their overall deductions.

While the online Tax Calculator can certainly not compare with the full version of TurboTax, it is certainly very helpful and useful in planning your budgets and expenses based on taxes owed throughout the course of the year!!

Resetting the Parental Controls Password on an Amazon Kindle

I recently forgot how to get into the Parental Controls on my Kindle and needed to reset the Parental Controls password without having to factory default the Kindle device.

Fortunately, I found this article which described exactly how to reset the Parental Controls password with very little hassle:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201590690

Questions to ask before signing up for an Internet Service Provider

If you are thinking of joining an Internet Service Provider or are thinking of switching to a different service provider, here are some questions you should definitely ask before signing up:

1. What Internet speeds do you offer?  What is the highest Internet speed offered in my area?
2. Do you require any type of contract or long-term commitment?
3. If I terminate my contract early, are there are any termination fees?
4. Are there any installation charges?
5. Are there any equipment fees?
6. What are the prices for using bundled vs. non-bundled services?
7. If the pricing is offered during a promotional period, what will my prices be after the promotional period is over?
8. Are there any service charges for technician visits to my home?
9. How much are taxes and other regulatory fees?  
10. What is the total cost per month including all taxes and regulatory fees?
11. Can I purchase my own cable modem/router?
12. Do you have any QoS (Quality of Service) guarantees?
13. Do you bundle any software packages (such as antivirus) as part of the service?
14. For bundled services with TV:
• What channels do you offer?
• Do you offer a whole-home DVR?
• Are the channels in HD?
• Do you offer On-Demand broadcasting?
• Do you offer Internet viewing of the TV channels?
• Are there any networks not offered as part of the TV package?
• What are the equipment charges for additional TVs?
• Do I have to pay extra for each TV that has HD TV service?
• How many recording hours can be fit on a DVR?
• How many shows/channels can I record simultaneously on the DVR?
• Is the TV service dependent on an Internet connection?

Home Design Software

I was recently looking for some Home Design Software after watching several episodes of "The Property Brothers" and these are some of the options that I found:

1. Punch! Home Design:  http://www.punchsoftware.com/c-11-home-design.aspx?gclid=CLv4w_6D08UCFYZAaQodqCkA8Q
2. HGTV Home Design Software: http://www.homedesignsoftware.tv/ppc/products/HGTV-Ultimate-Home-Design-with-Landscaping-and-Decks-3/?rs2=4218&preflanguage=5&rs=57&rs4=HGTV_US_GOOG_0214&cc=HGTVPPC&
3. http://www.homedesignsoftware.tv/ppc/buy/?cc=HGTVPPC&rs4=HGTV_US_PPC_0115&gclid=Cj0KEQjwyoCrBRCl-aa97pKX_t8BEiQAbrs_9B0oWDH1gM4qosefFb6lKXuh4DJtcymsa5Erlmy4LTEaAsAk8P8HAQ 
4. gclid=Cj0KEQjw4fCqBRDM1ZKhk5jfo6IBEiQAZQ97OA3eiLboMxyxMHtw1ys6Q43oT5pNTOmiXOdh8CJ1NfEaAtFj8P8HAQ
5. Home Designer Suite: https://homedesigner.chiefarchitect.com/

They all look pretty good options with the Punch! Home Design and HGTV Home Design options being the most affordable of the 3.  Punch! Home Design offers some additional content packs which offer additional items to include as part of the options which the other 2 do not seem to offer.

I am hoping to try these in the near future so you can check back for a review of these various software packages and see how they compare!!

Vonage outgoing ring tone problem and ARRIS Modem

I recently switched my Internet Service Provider (ISP) from AT & T to Wide Open West (WOW!) which switched my modem from 2WIRE to an ARRIS DG860 modem.

Unfortunately, a side effect or consequence of this change was that my Vonage service immediately began experiencing problems namely that I could no longer hear a ring tone on outgoing calls.

After hours of speaking with 2 different Vonage customer support representatives, I did not figure out that the ARRIS modem has a firewall setting which disrupts my Vonage VOIP service.  Therefore, I decided to turn off my firewall settings as depicted below on my ARRIS modem to see if I could get it to resume normal Vonage operation and instead rely on my Vonage VPortal firewall settings to protect me from external attackers.

Once I disabled my ARRIS modem firewall settings, of course my Vonage service returned to normal operation!

ReadyNAS Support Users BEWARE!!

As the owner of several Netgear ReadyNAS devices, I use them frequently.  However, I am extremely disappointed with how many times I have to contact support for issues that I experience with my ReadyNAS (particularly the newer ReadyCloud/ReadyNAS OS 6 devices).

I recently ran into an issue which prevented me from accessing the Web Administration console and I was requested to agree to this support policy: http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20932/~/netgear-remote-access-policy

If you read the support policy, you will see that this is the most high risk support agreement I have ever read in my LIFE!!  It basically removes all liability of wrongdoing from the Netgear Support Technicians and offers no compensation if some or all of your data is lost from the device!!  The whole reason I bought the ReadyNAS device was to prevent the loss of data and now you are asking me to consent to letting a support tech potentially DESTROY ALL MY DATA!!  There was no way in a million  years that I would consent to such a thing.

As you can probably guess, a bit later on I encountered an issue which prevented me from writing to any of my home folders on the ReadyNAS device.  Once again Netgear Support could offer no other solution than asking me to sign the very invasive support policy in order to troubleshoot it further.  Of course, since I did not agree to it before, I was not about to agree to it the next time they asked.

In any case, I would have to say I am very, very EXTREMELY disappointed with the new ReadyCloud OS 6 devices.  Netgear certainly had the right idea but the execution of the whole unit was very poorly done.  To compound the issue, this support policy provides absolutely no protection to the customer making the support agreements for these devices essentially USELESS.

Great Internet speed for an affordable price

I do a TON of downloading from MSDN as well as various other sites to test out software so needless to say I need very FAST Internet speeds.

Most vendors such as AT & T and Comcast will gouge their customers for their Internet connections and up until recently it seems that WOW! was guilty of the same offense by charging as much as $70/month for a 30 Mbps Internet connection speed.

However, it seems that WOW! is now changing their tune with very reasonable and affordable Internet speed connections.  You can get 30 Mbps for as low as $40/month!!  If you want to jump up to 50 Mbps, you can get that for as low as $50/month!

That is absolutely awesome!! 

If you have WOW! available in your area, you can check out their promotion here: http://www.wowway.com/wow-online/aonline-30hsdandlimitedbasic?utm_source=N9515.3159GOOGLE7&utm_medium=retargeting&gclid=CNXN792TyMUCFYoYHwodAaEARA

Service Protection Plan requirement for WOW! Services

WOW! recently implemented a new nickel-and-dime scheme to hit customers with service call fees of $50 each time a technician visits a customer's home.

I have had WOW! for many, many years and in the past, being a customer was sufficient to warrant a free service call to the house.  However, since I own my own cable modem, I am no longer paying any equipment rental fees, so they have found a new way to make money.

I was recently having trouble with my Internet download speeds and needed to call out a WOW! Service Technician to my house to determine the root cause of the problem.  The technician just made some adjustments to the cable line outside my house but that was enough for me to get charged with a whopping $50 service call fee!!

I inquired further about it and as it turns out, their new policy is to charge for any service calls if you do not have a Service Protection Plan in place.

Interestingly enough, I HAD a Service Protection Plan in place several months earlier but cancelled their lousy TV service and stuck with just the Internet service so the Service Protection plan automatically got revoked.

This left me with a $50 Service Call fee and forced me to renew the Service Protection plan ($5/month) just to avoid this charge in the future.  In addition, one of the other stipulations on the Service Protection plan is that you have it for AT LEAST 1 month before you make your 1st service call (very similar to what Consumers Energy does for their Appliance Repair Plan).   

For some users, if you calculate the yearly costs ($60/yr vs $50/service call), it makes sense if you think you might call out a service technician at least once in a year.  If you have never called anyone out to your house (very much unlike myself), then the Service Protection Plan might not be for you. 

For anyone that might be getting or considering getting WOW! Services, you should definitely watch out for this hidden caveat.