Erase Your Entire Hard Drive With Full Confidence

          

          I've been helping out some of my friends with their computers, which they were getting ready to sell and came across Kill Disk.  With Kill Disk you can be sure that the files on your hard drive are erased well enough, so that no one can recover them.  Great for any computers that may have very personal information on it.  It should work with just about any computer, no matter the operating system or size of hard drive.  There are different versions, including a free version that allows you to do a one pass zero method.  You also get updates from Kill Disk free as well.  If you chip in some money for the paid version, you can do up to 99 passes on your hard drive (making your data harder to recover) and it writes over your drive with algorithm's that support 17 security standards.

Upgrade Your 5th Gen iPod Video Hard Drive To 240GB

          

          Are you one of those people who have an extremely large amount of media?  Is the iPod Classic's 160gb hard drive not big enough for you?  Or maybe you have a 5th generation video that you think is worthless. Well its time you took that baby out and upgraded it to become a large massive beast.  If you have a 5th generation 30gb iPod, then you can upgrade that hard drive to a 120gb for $139.  If you want to swap in a fresh battery as well, thats only $19 more.  If you have the 60gb or 80gb 5th gen (Not Classic) iPod video you can upgrade your hard drive to 240gb for $169 and your battery for $25 more.  With Apricorn's iPod hard drive and battery upgrade kit, you should be able to do the process

Lala Music Streaming

        

          Lately I've been interested in finding ways to stream music to/from portable devices and computers, I recently found Lala.  Lala is an online music store that allows you to buy web songs/albums.  Web songs are only 10 cents to buy and you can listen to the song as many times online (not a download) and a web album is the same, but range from around 50 cents to $1.50.  What is even better is that buying a web song or album, deducts that cost from the full download.  So if you wanted to listen to a new song or album online for awhile before making a full purchase, you won't have to worry about paying twice for something you already have.  I have actually found that most individual songs are either 79 cents or 89 cents, with very few 99 cent songs.  Even albums are occasionally cheaper than other music stores like iTunes and Amazon.
          Now what does all of this have to do about streaming your music?  Well every song or album you buy is put in your online library.  You can go on any computer, sign into your account and start playing a song.  So simple and nice because of the easy access.  However, the fun doesn't end there because you are also able to upload your music library from your computer.  With the free Lala Music Mover application, you just effortlessly select your music folder and it does the rest of the work.  So you can have access to your entire music library from any computer with internet (and flash).
          Since it uses flash you can not use Lala with a mobile device (at least not yet), but with Lala's merger with Apple there may be hope for an iPhone app soon.  So tell me what you think of it.  I'm definitely going to be using this site often for my music purchases.  Thanks for reading and I hope this was useful to you.  If you do want to sign up, please use this link: Sign Up 

Extending Your Devices Battery Life

        

          One of the biggest problems with portable gadgets is that their battery life never seems to last as long as we had wanted.  Which then you have to continue to plug in and recharge which can take hours.  Or if your not near a plug-in outlet you will have to bear without your device for the time being.  I'm sure you as hate it as much as I do, and luckily there are some solutions to fixing your short battery life misfortune.  Such as buying a battery case.  Now and days, more and more cases are having a battery extenders built in.  Such as Seido's Innocase Surface, which is a case for the Blackberry Tour 9630.  There are also a few different battery cases with the iPhone as well.  The Power Slider Case for the iPhone 3g and 3gs which contains 120% of your iPhones battery.  Giving you a chance to fully recharge and then a little more.  There are also battery cases made by Mophie that allows for a full charge and more.

          Additionally, there are separate battery packs that provide more compatibility between different devices.  Along with the option to charge more than just one device, separate battery packs normally contain a larger battery than in a battery case.  And maybe for the same price as a case that can charge your device one full time, you can get a battery pack that is able to charge it twice or more.  The Satechi iCel 4400 mAh Battery Pack can charge your iPhone at least twice, and it is able to charge other cell phones and media players.  Another major battery pack company is imaxpower.  Their IMP500 can charge your iPhone four times, the IMP880 can charge it six times, and IMP19500 can charge it 20 times!  Not saying that anyone needs to have that big of a battery with them, but its a great option for long trips or hikes.  The packs aren't limited to iPhones either, other media players, cell phones and laptops are covered too.  Check them out for yourself and please leave any comments if you've had any experience with the packs.  Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this.

Simplify Media And Orb

                                 

Both are great pieces of software that work on Mac os x and Windows, they allow you to access files from one computer to another.  Simplify Media's applications allow you to share your music collection and photo collection to another computer and Orb allows you to share the same, plus any other file or document on your computer.  I like Orb especially because of the ability to share music, photos, and videos to a PS3 or Xbox 360,  but the application doesn't seem as secure as Simplify Music or Simplify Photo do.  Also both of them are available in the Apple App Store, but they are not free. I have had experience with Orb and I will most likely never pay for the software.  I like the idea of sharing any file you want over the internet, but the application and Orb's server just isn't stable.  I would recommend that you keep an eye on it though.  I mean problems can be fixed and who knows, maybe soon they will get better and downloaded onto everyones computers.  But right now I would stick with Simplify Media.  I can't fully back it up because I have not bought the iPhone app, but from the many reviews I've read it seems better off than Orb.  The interface looks more stable, but from personal reviews it has a problem with large libraries.  Why would you pay for something that wont work for everybody.  I know I wont be getting it anytime soon because I have many gigabytes of music I'd love to stream.  Also Simplify has three iPhone apps (but only 2 different types).  Two are Simplify Music (Original) and Simplify Music 2.  What really gets me mad is that users have to pay eight dollars for the updated version, when they could have given it as an update to the original.  So six dollars (Simplify Music Original) plus the updated version (eight dollars), and that doesn't even include the third app that cost four dollars to stream your photos.  So all that for some application that may not work well with large libraries.  I would definitely be mad at the company if I had paid for the original and then pay even more for the update.
          But just because things are bad now doesn't mean that won't get better.  I think that these apps are worth checking into, and I am surely going to keep my eye on them.  I would love if Simplify Media had a free or lite version of their app so it could be tested, like Orb does.  I tried Orb on my friends iPhone and it was slow loading media and skipped a few songs, giving me different errors.  Now what is interesting is that Orb is suppose to work via your Orb server (www.mycast.orb.com) with any computer, phone or internet device for free.  But they are making you pay to use it on the iPhone, one to access files (music, photos, documents) from your computer and the other Orb Live allows you to stream video feeds to your iPhone.  If you do go to the website (without using the app), you get a horrible interface that is very slow to load.  It doesn't separate multiple songs, so if you chose an album to play it would put all of the songs together.  Making one 32 minute or however long song.  If they just simply updated their mobile interface, it would be more enticing to users.
          Offering a nice clean interface for free would get them more attention then making people pay for it.  But again I would continue to see how they grow and watch out for other competing apps (maybe even free) that will try to get noticed.  Thanks for reading and here are links to the websites and iPhone apps.

Orb: Computer Application 
iPhone app: Orb Live, Orb Live Free, Orb Media

Simplify Media: Computer Application
iPhone App: Simplify Music, Simplify Music 2, Simplify Photo

Portable Wifi/Turn Portable Device into A Phone

It's been talked about a little hear and there, but in most cases it can be pretty expensive.  $60 per month for Verizons 3G Mifi router.  Which is pretty nice, knowing that you will mostly have a good connection and speed wherever you may go.  There is also Clear Internet's Clear Spot WiMax Router.  If you are lucky to live in a city with Clear internet available I would choose that.  Because unless you are going to be going out of the state a lot Clear's Home Internet and Mobile Internet plan is actually less than $60.  All you need is to buy or lease the 3"x5" WiMax router and the Clear USB Modem.  Its perfect for using it with an Ipod touch or any other portable device that uses wifi.  Use Skype or any other Voip service and you have a phone.

Check out Gizmodo's review on the device: Clear Spot
I am going to try this out hopefully someday, and if I do I will definitely tell you how it is.

Wondering What To Spend All That Cash You Got For Christmas?

Well if you are into video games, then you should definitely check out the Gamefly end of the year sale.  Free shipping on every used game and save up to 50%!  Here's the link: Gamefly Sale, and it is going on till January 4, 2010.  So order quickly!

Charge Your Mobile Device With a Duracell Instant Charger

Everyone has been in a situation where their phone or media player dies when they need it the most. And usually you aren't lucky enough to be around a plug-in or have your power adapter, but with this compact and easy to use charger you can be at ease. It uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery that includes a USB to Mini USB adapter. Seems like a good idea for those long road trips.
Check out this review on AnythingButIpod's page: Duracell Instant Charger Review
I think this charger should run you around $25, so I'd give it a look. It even works with Ipods, and has an on and off switch to preserve its charge as best as possible.  Here's a link for Amazon's description, and customer reviews: Duracell Instant Charger
If you have used this or know someone who has, please leave a comment tell me your idea of it. Thanks for reading.

Goozex Game/Movie Trading Site

Not a fan of swaptree? Well there are other sites out there, like Goozex. I must say, it is a nice site. The main difference is that you exchange games for points instead of trading game for game. You can trade games from a variety of consoles, from Dreamcast to Ps3. This site is great if you have recently released games because you will probably trade them quickly and for a lot of points. See, when you post a game that you want or would like to trade, you have to wait in line. So after everyone in front of you has traded their game, then you will get the chance to send yours. So, if your game is outdated, then you may be waiting for a while and only scrape up 200 points for it. Lucky for you though, every game is worth at least 100 points. The points for new and popular games are higher than older (as you would expect).
With that said, you can get points by trading your games, or just buying them with your credit card. 100 points are $5, 200 points are $10 and so on. You do get a small discount when you buy 1050 points or more at one time, which will cost you at least $50. To trade your games, you post them in your "Offer Queue." From there you have to patiently wait your turn in line. Depending how many people are in front of you and how popular the game is, it can take days to months for you to reach first position. Once you are in first Goozex will look for a buyer. And as soon as it has found one, you get some options on when you will send your game, or if you don't want to send it at all. The one thing I really like about Goozex compared to Swaptree, is that it doesn't seem to penalize you when you don't want to go through with a trade. For shipping you can print out one of their labels, which cost you about three dollars, or use your own method. As soon as the person receives the game he or she will give you feedback on the overall condition, and that is when you get your points. Also while putting games in your offer queue, you should put games in your "Request Queue" as well. You will still be able to move ahead in line, even without enough points to get a game. Once you have enough points for a game in your request queue and you are the first person in line, Goozex will alert you when someone is going to ship it to you. Now along with points you need to have tokens, in order to get a game. Tokens are a dollar each, but you have to buy at least five at a time. As you buy in bigger bulk you do get a discount.
As for trading movies, I'm sure the process is the same, although I don't us the feature. I do know you can trade DVD's, Blu Ray, And PSP movies. If you use it, tell me if there are any differences. Thanks for reading, and please feel free to ask any questions.
Also if you do decide to sign up, PLEASE click this referral link: Sign Up/Referral

Broken Guitar Hero Drums Or Guitar?

Ever rocked out so hard on your plastic drums and/or guitar and then all of a sudden your whammy bar keeps sagging down, or maybe your red pad is unresponsive. Don't throw it away and spend $70 on a new guitar or even $100 on new drums, just take a visit to powertuneplus. Where for a little time and maybe a small price, you can fix those broken drums or guitar on your own. I know your thinking "well I can't fix anything to save my life!" Don't worry there are photos and written instructions for each step of the process to fix your problem. Before you get started mending things on your own, you should try and get your equipment replaced by Activision first (even if your 90 day warranty is up).
Now if you fail to replace your broken controller then please proceed to the website above and repair it yourself. What is nice about the website is that each repair guide is detailed with an estimated difficulty level and estimated time. For now there are only 3 guitar and 2 drum fixes that are addressed. As more problems are discovered, I'm sure more fixes will be found. All of the guides work for only Guitar Hero World Tour accessories, but one fix does work for the Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul guitar.
I haven't tried any of the repairs myself because I haven't needed to fix any of my guitar hero controllers, but I will definitely use the website if any problems occur. I believe that it is a great thing that I can easily and quickly find help on problems like this and I hope you use it to its full advantage. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, leave a comment below.

Like Video Games, Movies, Books, Or Music CD's?

Then Swaptree.com is the place for you.  I found out about this site on Yahoo.com and thought it was a great idea.  In a way, it's like ebay or craigslist.  You post all of the games, books, cd's, and movies you are willing to trade.  You do this by typing in the UPC or ISBN code on the item (its the scanner number, on most things).  

After you put in the items you have, now is the FUN PART!  Finding all of the things you want, add as many things as you'd like.  After that, you just sit back and wait for swaptree to find someone who has an item you desire.  It took about a day for me to receive an email notification of a potential trade, but for some people trades could be found INSTANTLY.  What's really cool about it, is that it is not always a trade between two people, sometimes you will get three way trades.  So the person you are getting the item from is not the same person you ship the item to.  I like how it is smart enough to create trades like that.  Swaptree looks all around the U.S for people to barter with and so that just makes the chances of you getting what you want THAT MUCH GREATER.  

Shipping is very quick and easy because you can print out the shipping label at home (no special paper or ink needed).  So far i've done one trade and sent the game to Spokane, Wa and it cost $2.74 for the label.  Even though I had to go to the store to buy packaging for the game, I still found it rather easy to do.   It cost me only $2 (it was a bigger game case), normally packaging would've cost me a dollar.  So $3.74 to send the game seems pretty reasonable to me.  I'm in the process of another trade where I'm sending a game to Pennsylvania and the label cost me the same thing ($2.74).  

A little more information about the site is that it cost you a dollar a month (for label and tracking fees).  And of course you don't have to use their shipping labels, it's just a simple method that is provided.  Also you don't have to accept every swap that is offered to you, but one thing about rejecting too many trades is that swaptree will limit the amount of swap's it finds for you in the future.  So if you go on a vacation, you can just pause your account and you wont have to deal with any of that.  Click the link above to to visit the site and see it for yourself.

So far, I'm liking the site and it is very straightforward and I hope that you find it to be that way too.  Have questions/problems?  Write it in a comment and I'll try my best to answer it.

Update: Just received my first game.  It was really quick!  Was not expecting it today.  So just letting you know people on this site can be trusted.