Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker

I teased you in my last post that I’d been playing around with some pretty neat technology this summer, it’s time I got down to business. Let’s start off with my favorite new audio accessory, the Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker.

Forget about docks and cords, wireless accessories are where it’s at these days, and the Bose SoundLink is my personal favorite in the wireless speaker category. It’s small and compact, with a solid feel and a sleek look, and it has pretty good overall volume and sound reproduction for a device of its size and portability.

It pairs with and remembers up to 6 Bluetooth devices. After 6, every new device you pair it with bumps an old one out of its memory. I currently have it paired with my laptop, iPod touch and my Smartphone, all were a snap to pair, and all reconnect to it instantly after initial setup. Its sound is warm and impressive with nice full bass, not sonically perfect, but nice, and it has enough volume and clarity to use outdoors.

The controls are simple, just a few buttons on the top of the device for power, volume, mute and Bluetooth pairing. No remote, but that’s fine with me. The paired device performs that function quite nicely. It also has a built in cover with a magnetic latch that does triple duty. It protects the speaker when it’s closed, acts as a stand when it’s open, and turns the unit off when you close it again.

Like most Bose music systems, speaker placement is key to maximizing its sound; you want to have a solid surface a few feet behind it to reflect the bass, especially when you’re using it outdoors or at a large party. The SoundLink’s range is at least 30’, which gives you a lot of options in the placement department.

I’ve actually had the device for a few months now, but have been holding off on a review until I’d really put it through its paces, and this baby passed my summer torture test with flying colors. The only problem is, I waited so long that Bose has just released a second generation device, the SoundLink II, and a software update for the original device. The SoundLink II has been sonically improved, and now comes in 2 flavors, Bluetooth or AirPlay (Apple’s proprietary Wi-Fi).

The sonic improvements come in the form of new transducers and better digital signal processing, and the addition of an AirPlay version gives the device even more flexibility when paired with an iOS device or iTunes.

The software update for the original model is easy to install, the SoundLink has a micro USB port on the back labeled service, and it’s great to know that the device is upgradeable, seeing as the electronic landscape seems to change every nanosecond these days.

Bottom line, there are other Bluetooth sound systems out there, and most are a lot cheaper than the SoundLink, but for my money the SoundLink has just the right mix of sound, portability, function and form. Small and sturdy enough to travel with, perfect as an add-on speaker for your laptop, iPod or Smartphone, powerful enough to use as a boom box at your next party, and it pulls it all off with style.

That is all.

Not Such Deep Thoughts: How I Spent My Summer Vacation Edition

It’s been a summer to remember; hot sunny days, very little rain, and way too much to do to be spending time staring into this screen, but Labor Day is upon us, and my brain pan is filled to overflowing with random thoughts, so I will now proceed to entangle the entire area.

Let’s start off with my lack of posting. I’ve really been struggling with that old work/life balance thing lately, and I came to the conclusion that if I wanted to squeeze any sun and fun into this summer, something(s) had to go. I outsourced the weekly mow (again, but this time I think it’s permanent), took a hiatus from working on my websites, and put off all but a few crucial home projects. I also employed a couple of other time management tricks and tradeoffs, which we’ll get to later. The end result was that I was able to take some time off and enjoy the summer. It was definitely the right choice; summer is much too short, and much too precious to waste. Being outdoors, spending time with friends and family, drinking in the beauty of the season, and life in general, there’s nothing quite like it.

Speaking of not working on my websites, I picked up some really interesting electronical gadgets this summer, and it killed me not to post about them, but I held off. It was tough, but at least I’ll have lots to post about going forward. Good things to come!

While I’m on the subject of gadgets; I’ve figured out that my Blackberry is the root of all evil. I had shelved my personal cell phone a while back; I hated carrying two phones, so I threw mine in a drawer and started relying solely on my work Blackberry. Problem is, the flow of information is non stop, and once I pick it up, even for something as innocuous as checking sports scores, I’m sucked right in. It’s kind of like a virtual rabbit hole that takes me directly back into work. It drives my family crazy, and it makes it impossible for me to disconnect. As we were getting ready for vacation this year, my wife suggested that I upgrade my old cell phone and start using it again, because if I didn’t, she was going to throw my Blackberry into Nantucket Sound. Very convincing argument, and seeing as Samsung had just released the new Galaxy S III, I was immediately on board. Smartest thing I’ve done in a while. The S III is a beautiful device, and yes, Apple is correct; it is a lot like an iPhone, except its better, more to come on that soon. The most important thing is that it helped me break the chains that bind me to my work, and possibly prevented my wife from committing a crime of passion. Now when I’m off, so is the Crackberry.

Speaking of passion, I love our pool. No traffic or parking issues, no humping chairs and coolers, no sand in my sandwiches. Just mosey out the back door, hop on a float, and drift away. Heaven. And those midnight moonlight swims on hot summer nights are nothing short of decadent. Sometimes when I’m out there, I find myself looking around, positive that someone is going to catch me and throw me out, traces of my fence hopping youth. It pains me to think we’ll be closing it down soon. The season is too short, and it’s a lot of work, but its well worth it.

Another way I’ve been able to carve out some quality time this summer is by writing off the Red Sox completely. I’m no fair weather fan, I’ve been with them through thick and thin, good times and bad, but here’s the thing; There’s no crying in baseball! I won’t watch a bunch of whiney babies, and this is the biggest bunch I’ve ever seen. The average salary in MLB is 3.3 million, and these guys have the nerve to bitch and moan, it’s disgusting. I’m glad they blew up the team, and I hope the axe continues to fall. A coaching/front office shakeup is the next step in the process; maybe a new manager can get this team back on track for next year. In the meantime, I’m not paying the exorbitant prices to see a game, and I’m not wasting my time watching them on the tube. Instead, I’ve been spending my time watching the grandson play in the Jimmy Fund Little League Summer Tournament. It ran through August, ending just in time for the start of Pop Warner, and it has been a pure delight. No better way to while away the summer hours then sitting in a lawn chair, feasting on $1 hot dogs and 50¢ popcorn, and cheering on the home town team. There’s still a little bit of crying, but it’s nothing a blue raspberry slushy can’t fix.

Vacation: It’s all about the bacon. Normally, we don’t eat a lot of bacon, but when we’re on vacation, we seem to have it at least twice a day. In omelets, on sandwiches, wrapped around scallops, it just goes with everything. Did you know you can get bacon martinis? Wow, it’s the perfect food, and I’ve found that there is a direct correlation between bacon intake and overall vacation satisfaction.

File this one under; building a better mousetrap. We came downstairs one morning to find an end table tipped over and the cat camped out next to it, staring intently at the baseboard heater. We weren’t sure what had gone down, but she wouldn’t budge from the spot (not even for bacon), so I moved the couch out of the way and got down on my hands and knees with a flashlight. Sure enough, she had a little field mouse cornered inside the baseboard. Cute little gomer, but he had to go. My wife got out one of those no kill traps and baited it with cheese, but he was too afraid of the cat to move a muscle. What to do, what to do… enter my wife with her Mouse Eradication Device (patent pending), or as we like to call it, the canister vac. She took off the rug brush, added all the extension tubes, and got into position. When she had the business end of the tube close to the mouse, I flipped the power on and “foop, bonk, bonk, splat”, that mouse was history. Catches ‘em, kills ‘em, and bags the body; I really think we’re on to something here.

Who ya gonna call? Mousebusters!

We’ve made a couple of trips down to Gillette this summer for training camp, and I must say, the Patriots have really done it right. Free parking, free event, great sightlines, and the chance for autographs from your favorite players; it’s a great event to take the whole family to. The only drawback is the drive, but they’ve got that covered to some degree, also. Patriot Place makes it worth your while to make a day of it. Arrive early and stay late, take in The Hall before practice, then one of the many restaurants after. Nice. Red Sox? We don’t need no stinkin Red Sox…

Well, I’ve rambled on for long enough, gotta get outside and enjoy the last few hours of this Labor Day weekend. I’ll leave you with this: Just because it’s Labor Day weekend, that doesn’t mean that the summer is over. It ain’t over until it’s over, so get out there and enjoy!

That is all.

Operation Ghost Click: Are You Ready For July 9th?

On July 9th, the ISC (Internet Systems Consortium) plans to shut down some DNS servers. How will that affect you? Well, pull up a chair and uncle berry will tell you a story.

Last October, after 2 years of investigation, the FBI in conjunction with a myriad of domestic and international partners, broke up a cyber crime ring based out of Estonia that was using rogue DNS servers to hijack user’s computers and ring up 10’s of millions of dollars in fraudulent ad and click revenues.

DNS, or Domain Name System, is the service that converts URL’s (eg: www.google.com) into those impossible to remember IP addresses. Your ISP provides you with access to a valid DNS server and your computer caches the server’s address. When you open your browser and enter a URL, the DNS server looks up the name and returns the proper numeric address. Think of it as an alpha-numeric translator.

These Estonian cyber thieves were infecting user’s computers with DNSChanger malware, which changes the address of your DNS server to one of their own, a rogue DNS server. The rogue server then either directs you to the wrong site, or to the correct site, but the ads you see have been replaced by ones of their choosing.

You know when you’re on the wrong site, but how do you know what ads you should be seeing when you’re on the right site?

Very devious.

But they didn’t stop there; once they had infected your computer, the malware would try to break into your router using the default settings, and if successful, it would change the DNS settings there, also. Why? Because if you have a router, your real DNS settings are cached there, and your computer caches only the address of the router. You could wipe your computer clean and still wind up being misdirected. And just as an added kick in the pants, some of the sites you are misdirected to download other malware, things that prevent OS patching and antivirus updating. Oh, those crazy Estonians...

So, how does infecting your computer make someone else money, you ask? Well, the world of internet commerce is a very complicated place. There are millions of publishers, every web site owner is a publisher, and there are just as many advertisers. How do the two get together? Through middlemen, of course; publisher networks and ad brokers. The Estonians set themselves up as a publisher network under the name of Rove Digital, one of many shell companies they created, and proceeded to cash in. It’s pretty easy to make money off of ad views and clicks if you have a bot net of millions of end user computers clicking and viewing the ads and websites you specify. Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel.

They operated with impunity from 2007 until 2011, when they were finally tripped up by an international task force. It was only a matter of time before they got caught; their malware wasn’t discriminatory and had penetrated computers in some very sensitive places, so the FBI, NASA, the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance, the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch National Police Agency, the Estonian Police and Border Guards and a plethora of universities, technical institutes and private sector companies all banded together and tracked them down. The FBI dubbed the effort “Operation Ghost Click”, a very appropriate name, and the operation highlights the incredible effort and international cooperation needed to combat cyber crime in our brave new world.

Breaking up the crime ring and bringing those bad boys to justice wasn’t the end of the story, though. The task force quickly realized that if they shut down all of the rogue DNS servers the Estonians were operating, they’d effectively be turning off the internet for the millions that were infected. The Internet Systems Consortium was tasked with replacing the rogue DNS servers with valid ones, and keeping them running during the cleanup process, and the DNS Changer Working Group (DCWG) , an independent group of subject matter experts, was formed to aide end users with the cleanup.

On July 9^th, 2012, the formerly rogue servers are scheduled to be shut down for good, they can’t keep them running forever, it costs a lot of cash, and anyone still infected with the DNSChanger malware will suddenly find themselves off the air. There are steps you can take to make sure you won’t be one of them, and the first step is the easiest.

The DCWG has set up an incredibly informative web site, and you need to make use of it. There’s a link to find out if your PC is infected, that’s your starting point, but it’s not all you need to do. You need to check your router also, and even if it hasn’t been compromised, you need to change its username and password from the default. Never leave default credentials in place on any device.

How do you check your router? The DCWG website has a link for that, also. The OpenDNS Store has instructions for every router conceivable. You don’t need to sign up for an account with them, you can just browse for the info you need.

Both Facebook and Google are teaming up with DCWG also, and will be alerting you if they notice a rogue DNS server address on your system, so don’t blow off any warnings you see on either site that informs you that your computer might be infected. This is no hoax, people.

If you are infected, the best fix possible is to reformat your hard drive and reload your operating system. This malware is a bear to get rid of, so if you have your system disks and a good backup, the wipe and reload method is your best bet.

If you don’t, DCWG has a link to help, of course. The DCWG Fix page has a list of free tools and self help guides, but it’s not an easy repair, and the site actually recommends that if your system is old, now might be the time to junk it and upgrade. That says a mouthful about the pervasiveness of this malware.

Don’t panic though, after all, it won’t be the end of the world if you lose internet connectivity on July 9th, but it will be a lot harder to set straight once you're off the air, so be proactive, and while you’re in a proactive mood, take a moment to read our post on creating system recovery disks and backing up, especially if you’re thinking about scrapping your system in favor of a new one. It will serve you well.

That's the end of my story, at least for now. There'll be more to tell as we get closer to the cutoff date, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I've given you lots to think about, and lots to do, so get busy. I'll leave you with one last thought, just because I can't help myself...

Beware of Estonians bearing gifts.

That is all.

berryjooks: Mother’s Day

This year it's Dahlias, planted in the soil she tended for so long.

berryjooks: Mother’s Day

The Red Sox Show Up To Play

It was a beautiful day in Boston yesterday; bright, sunny and 68◦. The kind of day you dream about on those long winter nights, and the perfect day for a home opener.

After the way the season ended last year, and the inauspicious start they’d made on the road so far, I was more than ready to be disappointed. There was also the fact that it was Friday the 13th, and they had the added pressure of the whole “100th season” thing, which I assumed would lend a circus like atmosphere to the day. I was wrong; the Sox didn’t disappoint, neither the front office nor the team.

The team showed up to play and crushed the Jays 12 to 2, which was a pleasant surprise. Beckett looked good through 8 solid innings, and he had lots of support both offensively and defensively. While there are still 155 games to be played this season, there is reason to be hopeful after yesterday’s performance.

The only mar on an otherwise perfect outing was the loss of Ellsbury in the 4th to what appears to be a dislocated shoulder. If it is a dislocation, it will probably be 6 to 8 weeks before he’s back, and that’s gonna hurt. New skipper Bobby V said after the game that the team will call up an outfielder in time for Saturday’s game; I’m betting it will be Che-Hsuan Lin, as he’s already on the roster, and was a scratch from the lineup in last nights PawSox game. He’s no Ellsbury, but he’s not half bad.

The other surprise from yesterday was from the front office. After hearing that old Doc Charles had been hired back to “produce” the 100th anniversary festivities, I was nervous that we’d see all kinds of ridiculous hoopla for opening day. I’m not much for attending the home opener anymore, I liken it to New Years Eve; amateur hour for the poorly behaved, but I do love to watch it, and since my work schedule usually doesn’t allow me to be home early enough to see the opening ceremonies, I DVR it, and watch it later.

When I finally had time to sit down and replay it, I was not only impressed; I was moved by what I saw. No Super Bowl or Stanley Cup victors running around, no big flashy musical acts, just the Pops, the jets, the flag, and a few well chosen Red Sox legends.

After watching it, I couldn’t help but think that old Doc, and the front office et al, have learned a few things over the years, most importantly that the current owners are just the caretakers, as are all owners. The team belongs to Red Sox Nation, always has, always will.

Seeing Pesky in such a prominent role reminded me that it’s still my Dad’s team, seeing Rice and Dewey reminded me that it’s still my team, and seeing Tek and Wake reminded me that it’s still my sons’ team. We all hold and cherish our little piece of the team in our hearts and minds, and it was very smart of the current regime to make past legends the centerpiece of the day. It gently nudged recent happenings into the back regions of my mind, making way for some pleasant memories, while still leaving room for new ones to come. Nice.

I have no idea what the next game will bring, maybe heartache, maybe joy, but what I do know is that whatever comes our way is only a small piece of the larger picture for this storied franchise, and for us too, and I’m going to savor every moment of it.

That is all.

Oh wait, almost forgot the most important part;

Play Ball!

Bose IE2 Series In-Ear Headphones

The Bose IE2 Series In-Ear Headphones have a warm and spacious sound, and are possibly the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever owned.

They come with 3 different sized “StayHear” silicon tips that have a wing on top that slides in under the top edge of your ear to help hold them snuggly in place. The leading tip of the silicon piece fits into your ear canal instead of the ear bud itself, so they’re actually more like a hybrid of an “on ear” headset and ear buds.

More importantly, these headphones sound great. They’re designed to be direct/reflecting, as are most Bose products; they have a bass port on the back that allows for that deep spacious sound without putting too much pressure on your eardrums. Sound reproduction is very true and natural, not sonically colored or overly bass heavy, just fat and sweet.

That being said, they’re probably not the right choice for someone who listens to nothing but House music; if that’s your pleasure, you’d be better served with a pair of those big funky Dre cans. They’re also not a true noise isolating headphone, but they’re close enough for me. I’m not a big fan of total isolation; I like to be at least somewhat aware of my surroundings, you tend to live longer that way…

There are 3 models in the series; the IE2 are just straight up headphones, the MIE2 adds a microphone and volume control, and the top of the line MIE2i has iPod/iPhone controls also. All 3 models have a thick sturdy cord that doesn’t kink, another plus, and all come with a pleather storage case that’s big enough to hold an iPhone or iPod along with them.

I’ve had a pair of the MIE2i’s for about 3 months now, and I can’t say enough good things about them. At first I was a little put off by the “wings”, but you quickly learn the right angle to insert them at, and with a slight twist, they sock right in place, and stay there. We recently went on a 3 hour hike and those babies didn’t budge an inch. I also found that when I paused or shut off my iPod I was leaving the earphones in place, mainly because I didn’t notice that I still had them on, and that says a lot about their comfort.

The MIE2i model also works great with my Blackberry, which is a huge plus. I’m always a little leery of products that are specific to iPods not working or acting quirky with other devices, but I was pleasantly surprised this time.

For me, the Bose IE2’s are the perfect combination of quality and comfort. Check them out, you won’t regret it.

That is all.

Not Such Deep Thoughts; Special Leap Year Edition

Had an extra day, thought I’d make the most of it. And away we go…

Lots of interesting stuff happening down at The Fort. Comings, goings, sage advice and weak excuses; yep, it’s Spring Training time again, and there’ll be lots to talk about. I’m not really sure why they call it Spring training, though. I just don’t associate February with spring, especially when it’s snowing. I think Winter Ball would be a lot more appropriate.

Speaking of the Sox, and comings and goings, first Wake hangs up his cleats, and now Tek is following suit. Wow. That’s a lot for Sox fans to deal with; they’ve both been such a big part of the team for such a long time. It’s going to seem really strange not seeing them on a daily basis. In this age of the mercenary sports star, players that remain with a team as long as they did, and contribute as much as they did, are few and far between. They become woven into the fabric of the franchise, and it’s hard to imagine the team existing without them. It will, though. We’ll move on, but we won’t forget the great memories they’ve given us, or the great things they’ve done for our area. I wish them both prosperous times going forward, and send my heartfelt thanks.

While we’re on the subject of Tek, did I ever tell you my Varitek/Hooters story? Doesn’t matter, I’m going to anyway. My wife used to have a severe case of anti-Hooterism; wouldn’t go if you paid her. Well, we ended up stopping at the Fort Myers Hooters one day on the way back from the pahk. We had a request for a Hooters calendar from a friend, and we were going right by, so there we were. The wife and I were both hungry, and the wings smelled sooooooooo good, that she decided to throw caution to the wind and accompany me inside.

She got a kick out of the kitschy décor and the lively music, and our waitress turned out to be from Nashua, so things were off to a pretty cool start, and wings and cold beverages quickly ensued. As we were sitting there, I noticed that Jason Varitek was sitting a couple of tables away. I told my wife, who’s a huge Varitek fan, and I offered to go get her an autograph. Smart woman that she is, she suggested that rather than bothering him, we should send a round of drinks to his table, so we did. We told the waitress to tell him they were a thank you from some home town fans, and we kind of thought that would be the end of it.

It wasn’t. After a little while I saw him get up from his booth and head our way. He came over, leaned down on the table, and introduced himself. Like he really needed to, but that’s the kind of guy he is; unassuming and very personable. He chatted us up for quite a while, and then grabbed the menu and signed it for us with a nice little personal message. My wife was over the moon, and so was I, but not for quite the same reasons. She had met Tek, her favorite player, and he turned out to be all that a fan could ask for, Me, I was pretty thrilled by meeting him too, but the best part for me was that I knew I now had a lifetime pass to Hooters, at least the Fort Myers one, anyway. Nice.

Well, if I’m going to retell old stories, I guess I owe you a new one to go with it. Here goes; A Deacon, two Priests and a Bishop walk into this bar… Actually, it was a church, and this isn’t going to be one of those lame jokes. It’s a somewhat amusing real life story that happened just this past weekend, and it involves said clergy, pomp, circumstance, and a flying tackle. Got your interest? Good.

My nephew was being confirmed last Sunday as part of a pretty large class, and the Regional Bishop was presiding to boot, so the church was packed and seats were at a premium. One of the nephews and I left the seats to the ladies and stood in the back of the church, along with many others. We were the first two off of the main aisle, which is a pretty good spot, viewing wise. The procession slowly filed past us, as did our confirmant, and the festivities got under way.

As I said, the church was packed, and it was starting to get a bit stuffy as the mass went on. Suddenly we heard a woman gasp loudly, and we looked across the aisle to see the woman struggling to keep her husband erect. He appeared to be in the process of fainting, and I could tell that he was either going to smash his head on the back of the last pew, or face plant on the fancy marble. It also registered that she was never going to be able to hold him; she had a bad angle, and he was a pretty big guy. The last thought I had was that the way she was tugging at his right arm was causing him to spin a little so that I had a good view of his chest, and at that moment a little green light flashed in my head and I was off.

I zipped across the aisle, dipping as I went, and my shoulder made soft but firm contact dead center on his chest. I wrapped my arms around him in a bear hug and kept churning, forcing him up and back against the wall, and we came to rest like a couple in a loving embrace. His eyes were still closed, and I started to have a panicky “now what do I do” feeling. Of course, dead silence had fallen over the congregation, this was a major interruption to a major ceremony, even the organist had stopped playing, and that made it all the more unreal and uncomfortable, but as his wife fussed over him, and I still hugged him tightly, his eyes began to flutter open. He turned his head slightly until we were nose to nose and officially Eskimo kissing, and his eyes went through this amazing transformation; from unfocused, to uncomprehending, and then to angry, and he began trying to push me away.

Although I was a little leery of loosening my grasp, I decided it was time, and slowly disengaged. I’ve never been much for hugging guys anyway, and my job there was done. I lift things up, I put them down.

The fainting man’s family quickly whisked him outside, and as I turned away to leave, I noticed that everyone in the vicinity was watching our little drama intently. Even the organist had craned his neck over the railing and was staring down at us. I felt a little sheepish as I returned to my original post, but the smiles and thumbs up I got from my family went a long way to remedy that.

The rest of the mass proceeded uneventfully, thank goodness, and my new found fainting friend never returned, which is probably a good thing. The frosting on the cake for me, though, came during the collection. A friend of ours had our area, and as he passed by with the basket he smiled and said “It didn’t surprise me when I looked back and saw you at the center of things.” I just smiled back, because that pretty much sums up my life. I am Forrest Gump.

Apropos of nothing, my lower back is really bothering me this week. I don’t know what I did, but I seem to have done it well.

OK, on to some serious stuff. Davy Jones passed away this week, taking with him another little bit of my past. When the Monkees first arrived on the scene, I was just a wee lad of 11, and like most of my contemporaries, I was a big fan. I saw every show, had every album, and I still know every word to every song by heart. I know, they were a manufactured group, yada, yada yada. Doesn’t matter. They had some of the greatest song writers of that time period penning their lyrics, and they were happy, infectious tunes, and the Monkees were happy, infectious guys. They’ve stood the test of time, also. They’re the guilty pleasure on my iPod, and through the magic of cable, they reached whole new generations. My sons watched their TV show with me when they were just little spuds and quickly became fans. Their Great Woods stop on their 20th reunion tour in the late 80’s was the first concert they ever attended, and the night was one of those classic family bonding moments that I’ll carry with me to my grave.

Last year they came to the Lowell Auditorium, and my wife received some tickets as a birthday gift. It turned out that the Bruins happened to be playing for the cup that night, but we went anyway. Both my buddy and I had an earphone in one ear listening to the game, as did half the audience, and Davy was smart enough to give updates and wave around a Bruins jersey. It was a great night, on a lot of levels, and has become another little “stepping stone” in the river of my memories.

So, old Davy has caught the last train to Clarksville, or wherever it is that rock stars go when they pass too soon, but he’ll live on in our hearts and minds, and our iPods.

It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Jones.

That is all.

CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD

The CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD Intelligent UPS/Surge Suppresser/Voltage Regulator offers you protection from brownouts, spikes and power outages, and is a great little device for the money.

The unit has a power capacity of 1000VA/600 Watts and has nine NEMA 5-15R receptacles (5 with battery backup, surge suppression and voltage regulation, 4 with surge suppression and voltage regulation only), and it also has inputs/outputs for RJ11/45 and Coax filtering and surge suppression.

CyberPower’s GreenPower technology means that the Automatic Voltage Regulation feature only kicks in if there is a drop or spike in the supplied current, and it reduces energy consumption by 75% over comparable units. Surge protection is rated @ 1080 Joules, and it has an easy to read LCD screen that displays 11 different functions, including input and output voltage, load, and approximate run time on battery given the current load.

It also has both a USB and Serial port for connection to your PC, and comes with a copy of PowerPanel Personal Edition UPS Management software which allows you to status the UPS from the PC and interfaces with Windows power management to automatically close files and shut down the PC.

I have a 20” iMac, a Windows Media Center PC with a 19” LCD screen, a 1 terabyte external hard drive, and my FiOS router plugged in to the 5 battery protected outlets. With all devices powered on, load is at ~ 38%, with peaks of 50% during reboots. Estimated runtime @ 38% utilization is 14 minutes, more than enough time for a clean shutdown. The PC is the real hog at the trough here, though; when only the iMac, hard drive and router are on, estimated run time is a whopping 60 minutes.

The unit is compact and light, weighing in at about 16 lbs, stays cool to the touch, and is virtually silent; all enormous plusses, and it also has more available outlets then most units in its price range. I have our inkjet printer/scanner, another external hard drive and a small digital cable box that I use with the Media Center PC plugged into the 4 suppression/AVR only outlets, allowing me to unplug everything with one swift pull in the case of a severe lightning storm. Pretty cool.

I like this baby so much that I’m going to order another one for my entertainment center. The battery backup will keep my Cable box/DVR and my DVD recorder from resetting, and protect the LCD TV and audio components from brownouts and spikes. It will give me “one plug pull” in an emergency for the entertainment center also. Nice.

The only drawback to the unit is that although it’s advertised as having “widely spaced outlets to accommodate transformer plugs”, that’s not the case at all. I have no idea why they would put this claim so prominently in their product description when it’s so obviously false, but they do. You can plug in 3 standard power cords and 1 transformer block, at best, on the 5 outlet battery side.

One way to deal with this is by using one or two 1’ extension cords for your power block devices, although CyberPower strictly forbids the use of both extension cords and power strips with their unit. Nein, Verboten! Use of said devices will result in the voiding of both the 3 year warranty on the UPS and the $350,000 connected device replacement feature, so proceed down this avenue at your own risk. I can see why they have this caveat; you could plug any piece of crap power strip or threadbare extension cord in and create a massively dangerous situation.

My advice is; if you’re going to bend the rules, do it right. Use a short, heavy gauge cord like the ones referenced above, or a small, high quality power strip, and only use it to allow for transformer plugs, e.g.: don’t use a power strip so that you can plug in an additional 8 or 9 devices into the UPS and overload it. That’s a very dumb and dangerous thing to do. I saw that little light bulb going on in your collective heads; don’t be that chucklehead.

You can find this unit at Staples for ~$120, or online at Amazon ($106) and Walmart ($111) . That’s pretty short money for a little protection and peace of mind.

While we’re on the subject of protection and peace of mind, here’s another helpful little tip; I have a small, open, 2 shelf bookcase with lattice style sides under my desk. All cords, connectors and power strips are on it, protecting them from wandering feet and rising fluids. I have the cords woven through the latticed sides for a little added strain relief also.

Because my home office is in my basement, the bookcase itself sits on a thick block of Styrofoam, so that if there is water, it won’t soak into the wood and wick its way up to the electronics. That’s a little trick I learned from the ServiceMaster guy the last time we had water issues. Also, the PC tower itself is up on a wheeled tower stand. There should be nothing in direct contact with your floor.

Keeping everything up and semi mobile not only protects you from minor flooding, it will also help with heat dissipation and makes it easier to clean under the desk. Beware the deadly dust bunny.

End Of Transmission.

Oh My

Obviously things didn’t turn out quite as I had hoped last Sunday night.

I was so jeeped up about the Super Bowl, and the Patriot’s chances, that the loss really hit me hard. When the game was over we sat there in stunned silence for a few moments, and then snapped off the TV and quickly went about cleaning up. I figured if I got right to it, I’d wear myself down and be able to crash.

I hate cleanup, especially scrubbing the broiler pan after making ribs, but I launched into it with great fervor. After that, I used some of the leftovers to make lunches, set up the coffee maker for the morning, and then refilled our pet’s food bowls. I did everything and anything I could to take my mind off of the loss, and to keep myself from watching the news.

It didn’t work. Sleep just wasn’t in the cards for me, not yet anyway. I ended up turning on the tube again and browsing the web for a while. Not a good idea.

What’s happened to people? Civility and good manners seem to have gone out the window, and everyone feels that it’s their right to say anything they want under the guise of “reporting the facts”. Pushing their own agendas and grinding their little axes while they rip people to shreds. It’s really sad.

I stumbled across a stunning rant by a Boston Globe writer that really turned my stomach, and finally convinced me to shut down the PC and go to bed. It was that bad. The guy trashed Brady’s play in the game, which is fine. If that’s the way you feel, if that’s the way you saw the game, then spout away, that’s what sports writers do. What wasn’t fine was his diatribe on how Brady’s career is over, and how he’s embarrassed himself and his fans.

He went on to say that Brady is an embarrassment to Mr. Kraft and the whole Patriots organization, that his play was hideous and he single handedly lost the game, comes up with a few really interesting and original names like Tommy Boy, Boy Wonder and Prince Valiant, infers that Brady’s lifestyle and living accommodations are part of the problem, and wraps up with the thought that it might be time Brady hung up his cleats and handed the reigns over to Mallett. Ryan Mallett. That one was actually pretty funny. Problem is, I don’t believe he was trying to be.

The article caused quite a stir, and the next day he was on local radio defending his actions and proclaiming that people didn’t “get it”. He said he was trying to emulate our displeasure, sort of a fan’s take on the loss, and that he knew it was over the top, but went with it anyway because that was his hook, the outraged fan. Needless to say, the interview only stoked the fire. He then went on to print an apology of sorts on Boston.com, which made it even clearer to me that he was the one who still didn’t get it.

In his “apology”, he bemoans the fact that people were angry with him, that they called him a no talent hack, likened his head to a cue ball and wished him ill will. He also extrapolated that most people were angry with him because Brady can do no wrong in some fan’s eyes.

Here’s the thing; he thinks it hurts when people call him names and demean his performance on a personal level, but he doesn’t see the connection to his article. What he wrote was mean spirited crap and very personal, and yet he whines because people responded in kind. No sir, he just doesn’t get it.

It’s not so much this one article that bothers me, though. The real problem is that guys like this have become the norm. These last few days have been chock-a-block full of small minded pettiness. Some schmo lays in wait for Gisele outside of the family viewing area, baits her, and then films her reaction on his phone. Sad, right? Not as sad as the fact that it was a lead story on the Today show the next morning. I can see the NY rags running with it, but the Today show? And they run it before they get to the Josh Powell story. Amazing.

A losing team dares to celebrate the end of a long and hard fought season, and once again someone records it on their phone; 3 days of news stories. No one cares that these guys have been in virtual lock down for the last 2 weeks under intense mental pressure, or that this might be the last time they see each other for quite a while.

Nope, sensationalism is what it’s all about. Get it any way you can, and cash in, baby. Be the first on your block to bring someone down and you win a prize; instant notoriety. I’m disgusted by it all. We’re the ones that supply the prize, though, so we need to take some of the blame ourselves. We need to stop reading/watching when things start to turn ugly, and we need to hold to that thought and continue to boycott the writer/reporter until their parent company takes notice and fixes things.

We also need to make our feelings known, whether it’s with a comment on the site, or a phone call to the paper or station, both are equally effective. It’s all about ratings, no more, no less. You can’t rant or be trashy when you do it though, otherwise your voice amounts to nothing more than spam. The Globe writer I referenced above has already felt the power of his audience. His article, and the anger it incited, will follow him for quite a while. That’s a start. Inch by inch we change our world.

Personally, I put things to the Oh My test. I have this friend; she’s a very prim and proper person, a librarian by trade. She’s actually the archetypical librarian; when she shushes you, you stay shushed. Whenever she hears something unseemly, she says “Oh My”, and then claps her hand over her mouth. When you hear her utter those words, and that hand comes up and the eyes darken, you know it’s time to change the subject. Simple and effective, so effective that I’ve begun to get a mental image of her whenever I read or hear something that offends my sensibilities. I’ve had quite a few of those Oh My moments this week, hence this lecture.

As for the Patriots and my feelings post Super Bowl, I say this; you can’t let a single loss erase a whole season, even a Super Bowl loss.

I was both angry and upset immediately after the game, there’s no denying that. They could have won if only they had made a few more plays, or a few less mistakes, but they didn’t, and although I was bitterly disappointed, they were in it until the final seconds, and no one on the team can be accused of not giving it their all. That’s what really matters.

I’m not going to dissect the game, the sports writers already have that covered six ways to Sunday. Suffice it to say, it was in their grasp and they couldn’t close the deal. Credit has to go to the Giants, also. They made the plays that mattered, and it kills me to say it, but they were the better team.

I take solace in the fact that on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed the season, and this team gave us way more than we could have ever hoped for. Play was uneven at times, but fun to watch none the less. They just weren’t deep enough in some spots and it showed. On the plus side, Brady, Welker, Gronk, Hernandez and Wilfork all were human highlight reels throughout most of the season, and that bodes well for next year.

A smart and aggressive off season that involves some key additions from both the draft and free agency is the ticket to success for these guys, and I’m confident we’ll see it. Although I don’t agree with “the writer that shall remain nameless” when it comes to Brady, I do think that the window for team success with Tom at the helm is narrowing. With that in mind, I’d love to see Belichick trade some of his picks for a couple of impact players, someone to make a difference right away. I’m thinking a legitimate deep threat (sorry Ocho), a dominant pass rusher and a lock down corner would round out this team nicely.

They’ll be back next season, and I’ll be there to cheer them on, and they’ll be back to the big dance again, too, you can bank on it.

And so will the Giants.

That is all.

Twitter Campaign: Do Your Part for the Pats!

The Patriots players are all big twitter users and have been tweeting away the hours leading up to the big game. Now’s your chance to let them know you’re behind them today, and if we can get one of the hash tags trending worldwide pregame, it will be a huge boost for our guys!

Tweet the following to all of the players, as well as all of your followers, and be sure to pass the word along on all of your social media sites:

#BeStrongPlayStrong #MHK #GoPats

Here’s my latest list of Pats Player's Twitter handles, if you have one that isn’t here, pass it on:

@Edelman11 @deionbranch84 @StevanRidley @wilfork75 @WesWelker @RobGronkowski @AaronHernandez @ochocinco @LightFoundation @SterlingMoore @bspikes55 @bhoyer8 @PatsLB96 @Dane_Fletcher @TiUnderwood @GaryGuyton59 @McCourtyTwins @RustyBenson35 @mr_carter93 @KyleLove74 @TheLawFirmBJGE @Ryan_Mallett_15 @danny__woodhead @JamesIhedigbo @ZoltanMesko @ShaneVereen34 @Arrington24_7 @SergioBrown31 @patriotscannon @NMcDonald65

And here are a few for the media, and some big Pats fans:

@PatsGuy4ever @scottzolak @rcolvin3 @Toucherandrich @GreshandZo @sportsguy33 @NEPatriotsNFL @mindykaling @HeyCollins @7BOOMERESIASON @Rodney_Harrison @HeathEvans @boblobel @RochieWBZ @RealTroyBrown80 @DaRealOtisMoss @AlbertBreer @FredTaylorMade @MikeReiss @mrs75 @FelgerAndMazz @Marc_Bertrand @SarahSFrench @ddreyeron7 @aallredon7 @ConanOBrien

Let’s do this! Go Pats!

Not Such Deep Thoughts: Special Countdown to the Super Bowl Edition

That old clock on the wall can’t move fast enough for me this week; I’m just wishing the hours away. That’s the way it is when the home team is in the big game, I’m tense and nervous and I can’t relax, and there’s a million thoughts swimming through my head. Maybe if I get some of them out, it’ll help, so let’s get right to it.

The whole Pats Giants rematch thing is both the best and worst possible scenario we could hope for; Its prime fodder for the media, the source of endless discussion amongst fans, and a game that will surely draw mega ratings, as both teams have huge television markets. These two teams also have a history of tight hard fought games, which brings with it the promise of must see TV and a big payday for both the NFL and NBC.

The other side of the coin is a little ugly for us Pats fans, though. The Giant’s seem to have the Patriot’s number of late, and while the prospect of the Pats getting a little revenge really floats my boat, thoughts of the ’07 loss to this same team keep creeping into my brain and crowding out all of the happy. I’m also getting more than a little tired of listening to all the talking heads; Can Brady still do it? Is Eli the next greatest thing? Will the Gronk be able to play, and if so, can he make a difference? It’s been way over the top.

Speaking of the Gronk, and his impact; there’s not a doubt in my mind about his status. The kid is a football machine. I'm convinced he's a cyborg, and I swear, if you peeled back a flap of his skin you’d hit metal. Nothing could prevent him from being on that field from beginning to end on Sunday, except maybe Bill, and that isn’t gonna happen. You have to love him; he’s just a big goofy guy who lives for football, and he will not be denied.

While we’re on the subject of amazing tight ends, I think Hernandez is going to be a big factor in the game. While Gronkowski is number 2 on the list of most receptions by a tight end in their first two seasons, Hernandez isn’t far behind, coming in at number 5. He gets a little overshadowed by his teammate at times, but he’s a force to be reckoned with, none the less, and I think he’s going to excel on Sunday.

I’ve been honoring Wes Welker and his playoff stache campaign, #TheWelker83, by not trimming my beard or mustache for the last couple of weeks, and I’m beginning to look like a cross between Teddy Roosevelt and some guy who lives under a bridge. On the plus side, I’m really looking forward to my wife’s 7 layer dip, and this bushy baby is going to be a great flavor saver. Mmmh.

Speaking of Wes; we all know he’ll come through in the clutch, that’s his thing, but I have the strangest feeling that we’re also going to be talking about Chad on Monday. He’s just too good of a player to completely disappear the way he has, and I think his time has come.

I’m a superstitious guy and everything has to be just so on game day. Usual seat, usual clothes, you know the drill. Are you listening Bill? The grey hoodie, please. No substitutes.

Deep down, I have a pretty good feeling about this game. I think the Pats have the perfect mix of motivational tools at their disposal; revenge, validation and inspiration. You know that both Belichick and Brady still feel the sting of the ’07 defeat like it was yesterday, and all the crap in the media this week only serves to intensify those feelings. They’re going to play like a team possessed, mark my words. Belichick has been cranking the heat at their practices, and even simulating the extended half time, presumably in an effort to condition the team to the strangeness that is the Super Bowl. I really like this, and it makes me think that we’ll see them come out in the hurry up right from the start. A fast tempo, different formations, and a good mix of screens and draws will get the G-men back on their heels early, and really open things up for Brady.

On the defensive side of the ball I think both Big Vince and Spikes are going to be ferocious, and in Eli’s grill constantly, and I’m convinced that old Bill will have a trick or two up his sleeve with the coverage that’s going to confuse Manning and allow the defensive backs to shine. He knows what he has, and what the Giants can do, and he’s had a lot of time to think on it. You can’t continually beat Bill. He makes mistakes, but he always learns from them.

There’s also the fact that this Giants team only went 9 and 7 on the season and are far from the powerhouse that the media and their fans make them out to be. They’ve done a good job containing the Pats recently, but they are not a great team. They’re a standout in a weak NFC who’s on a late season roll, no more, no less.

Of course, I could be all wrong, but I’m betting on that third motivational factor to pull it all together for the Pats; inspiration.

These Patriot players have a deep devotion to Mr. Kraft, and they’ve watched him be strong all year. He worked hard to pull players and owners together to save the season, even though his heart was breaking, and he continues to be strong for them even now. How he gets through some of these interviews without breaking down is amazing to me, and should be an inspiration to all. I know it is to the players, you can see it, and I know they’ll be drawing on that inspiration this Sunday. Being strong, playing strong, both for themselves and for the Kraft family.

Go Pats!

Next Stop; Indy

The Pats are the AFC Champs again after beating the Ravens in a close and hard fought battle, and they’re headed back to the Super Bowl for a rematch with the Giants, no less. It just doesn’t get much better than this.

I had the good fortune to be there last week for the big win, but it wasn’t all buttercups and roses. There were some really tense moments as the clock ticked down, and the dropped pass and shanked field goal unfolded right in front of us. I thought I was gonna have the big one there for a moment…

The Ravens were a good team, better than most wanted to admit, and they held on right to the end. Back and forth, highs and lows, and the plethora of Ravens fans that shared the end zone with us made it all the worse. When I’m home in my lucky seat, there’s nobody wearing purple camouflage pants and a Ray Lewis jersey jumping up and down and chucking everyone the bird every time the momentum shifts. Very disquieting.

On the plus side, the stadium was electric from the moment we got there. There’s nothing quite like it; the crowd, the blaring music, the fog horn, the musket volleys, and that giddy feeling of being so close to the action, its pure nirvana for me. No one in that crowd sat at all, everyone was on their feet and screaming from beginning to end. The Razor was rockin’, and the game was nothing short of thrilling.

The win was far less than pretty, but a win is a win, especially one that brings with it a ticket to the big dance, and there were some real bright spots.

Although Brady was off, the grit and determination he showed with his spectacular swan dive into the end zone was unbelievable. It was the very definition of giving it up for the cause, and if he brings that same winning desire with him to Indy, good things will happen.

And how about the Gronk? Gotta love the Gronk. When he came back in the 4th quarter the place erupted!

The defense was a pleasant surprise, also. Big Vince played like a man possessed, as did they all, coming up with the big plays when it mattered most. They were a constant source of inspiration, and a most pleasant surprise.

If you strapped me to a lie detector, I’d have to admit that the thought has crossed my mind that there was even a bit of divine intervention involved in the outcome. Cundiff’s kick going so wide left was just that miraculous.

The bedlam that ensued post game was indescribable, and something I’ll remember for a long time, and the sight of all those purple camouflaged Ravens fans silently filing out in the final seconds as the celebration cranked up into full gear was just one of the many highlights.

We hung around for quite a while, drinking it all in, and when we finally saddled up and slowly made our way down Route 1, the scene was surreal. Bonfires dotted the parking lots on both sides of the road, and the diehards of Patriot Nation danced around them, celebrating, game planning, and dreaming of glory in Indy.

Go big team, go.

That is all.