Andy TaylorLeave a commentComputers, Hardware, TechtalkRadio, TTR Website, , , , , , ,

The MOS Organizer – Magnetic Organization System

The MOS Organizer
The Magnetic Organization System

Cables, Cables, Cables!! It seems that we can never get rid of our cables. They probably wouldn’t be that much of an issue if they didn’t always seem to fall behind the desk or turn into a mountain of spaghetti. Cable organizing devices have come along that usually place the cables out of site and still require some fumbling to find them when needed. That’s where Andrew Adams and Greg Peterson put their concept to work on Kickstarter.

The MOS or Magnetic Organization System helps eliminate cable and cord clutter with its base made up of a stylish anodized aluminum that can be wall mounted or set on the top of a desk to easily access the cord needed. Two other options in the MOS look is  a white plastic or black plastic base. A fine example of the use of the MOS is the plug in of a cell phone device to transfer files to the computer. No having to fumble through a desk or finding the right cable, this MOS device easily helps eliminate the frustrations of cable mess!

Priced at around 25 bucks the MOS also ships with 3 color coordinated ties which can be used on the cables without a great deal of metal in the base. The MOS is one of those devices that will sit on the desk, you may not think about it much once it’s in use however you will likely appreciate what it “brings to the table!” My only concern is to remind this is a magnetic device. While it can sit on your desk, preferably not under your monitor, you will want to keep your cell phones and other electronics clear of this. It certainly looks good on the desktop and more projects are funding through Kickstarter to bring these items from Andrew and Greg to manufacturing.

For more information on the Magnetic Organization System, take a look at http://www.mosorganizer.com

The Kickstarter Project can be found at this link

RayvenLeave a commentTTR Website, ,

Comic Con 2012 Year of the Spider

Are you excited? I am. It’s the year of the Spider, Man. After last year, spending 6 hours refreshing my 3 windows in hopes of retaining a couple of tickets for Comic Con 2011, the service they used just plain sucked. It took forever, and when you finally go to the registration page, entered your name and info, it redirected you to a “ we’re sorry but (insert crummy ticket company name here)’s page is at capacity, please try again later.” UGH! Nightmare. But after 6 hours , I got my tickets. That was the horrible beginning.

This year, however I am pleased to announce that the ticket process was a breeze. In early February I received an email telling me I needed to register for a “member ID” before February 29th in order to register for tickets when the time became available. I was apprehensive because they said they’d email us to let people know when their window time frame was to buy tickets. It claimed you would be able to buy as many as 6 tickets. Yeah right, I wont get in and I’ll have to take a day off , I thought. I was hesitant to even register but since we’ve been going since the late 90’s I figured I could try it once again. After all, I do love me some comics, inside scoop on new movies and shows, and of course the swag ain’t bad either. What the heck.

So last Tuesday I didn’t get an email but my better half did. I, in fact got an apology email that they were still working on providing enough logins for people to all register. Whatever, I was getting a ticket somehow. Saturday was the day , 8:00am. Cool! I thought, at least they didn’t make us do it on a weekday as I had dreaded. They also sent a PDF of how to purchase tickets and what to do and not to do. For example, you’d have to wait a turn to purchase and it would refresh on its own every 160 seconds to show your place in line.

8:01am #9211 – I hoped we’d get tickets. While he waited I saw online that many people had trouble with the link from their email but when they went to the website, no issues.

8:34am – Our turn. After processing our wait time, it directed to a page to purchase our tickets. By 8:36 we were done and had two tickets for Saturday.

Thank goodness they reformed their ticket purchasing practices. This was a lot less of a headache than last year. Saturday is the best day to go. I cant wait to blog about what new things are in store for the geek world! Here’s to a great Comic Con 2012!

If you didn’t register early or get a chance to do so , word is they will be opening up the remaining tickets to the public after this round of sales. Good Luck!

RayvenLeave a commentTechtalkRadio, TTR Website, , , ,

One More Disney Day-saster

February 29, 2012 marked a epic day in Disney history. Disneyland and Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme parks announced on New Years Eve that they will be remaining open for a full 24hours for guests to bring in the Leap Year with a full day of Disney Magic. Beginning 6am on Wednesday and closing at 6am the following morning guests could pul an “all-nighter” in either resort park. It was advertised as a 24 hour par-tay. Along with their experience, guests would be greeted by characters dressed in PJ’s , all night DJ parties, and special foods and merchandise for purchase as only Disney knows how.

The line up began the prior evening around 9:30pm. Yes, people actually stood in line from 9:30pm until 6:00am to get into Disneyland. Was I there? Not a fat chance in … errrr… Mr. Toads Wild Ride that I’d wait that long; but I’m a passholder so I can go whenever I want. Believe me, those people were serious about getting in because that night had to be one of the coldest nights I remember in a long while out here in So. Cal. Why were they lined up? To get exclusive Mickey Ears and Commemorative Pins for the first 2,000 guests. Trouble was, there were over 3,000 guests lined up by 10:30, so not everyone received their freebies. Not to worry, there were special hats available for sale inside as well.

From what I could gather by social media terms the day of “ One More Disney Day” portion was rather calm. Cue lines were average for a typical February weekday. People seemed to enjoy themselves rather fondly for the most part. The park even did some filming of ABC’s television show “ Modern Family” throughout the park.

The first sign of crowds didn’t show up until the after work crowds began attending the events. After social media reports from Twitter and Facebook came about the short lines and overall crowd indexes being rather calm, annual passholders began pouring into Disneyland. So much so, that around 10:30pm Disneyland turnstyles stopped and the parking structures were at capacity. For those of you who aren’t quite up on Disney knowledge that’s 85,000 people. There were so many people waiting to get in, the lines extended around the promenade and looped back under the monorail gates (easily a couple thousand people). They even stopped selling tickets at one point. These long lines continued and the park opening and closing off and on until 6am the following morning. What a nightmare for the guests and castmembers. There weren’t even lines at this point, just mobs.

Lets cut to inside the park; these are the hidden tales that Disney doesn’t want getting out. Inside the crowds were so thick it was hard to make out castmembers or security. As the evening grew into the wee hours of the morning, reports on social media outlets told tales of underage drunkenness and bottles of alcohol being thrown into Rivers of America. I am sure it was quite a scene and Walt was probably turning in his grave. They clearly were not ready for this 24 hour charade and needed to beef up security instead of chili dog menus.

Overall, reports were that everyone had fun and ‘twas an overall experience to be had by many. You couldn’t pay me enough Disney dollars to deal with the crowds but that’s because crowds aren’t my fortay. Maybe next time Disney decides to do a day of fun in the park, they may decide to presale tickets or some type of lottery for passholders. The One More Day of Disney Day-saster may be avoided and people may not leave feeling left out of the mix.

On yeah, as of 8am on March 1, immediately 2 hours after the park closed, Ebay had merchandise for sale from the Leap Day celebrations. Currently, a hat and pin combo are going for around $50.00 ; about half the price of a one day ticket. So maybe if you missed out, you can say you saved yourself the hassle of the crowds and cut your costs by purchasing them there. 

Andy TaylorLeave a commentComputers, software, TechtalkRadio, ,

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Today (Feb 29th, 2012)

The idea to put out Microsoft Windows 8 before the end of the year really shouldn’t be thought as a way to make a few bucks before the predicted Apocalypse but a way to keep the profits rolling in for the software developer.

Honestly, I thought I might just be using Windows 7 till the end of of time. I had finally moved off Windows XP with a brief stop in VistaVille to a great experience with Windows 7 X64. The sturdy Operating System has served well and honestly will continue to do so for I am sure years to come. Will Consumers feel the same? Will they take the plunge and try out something else that looks again like a new interface to learn? This is certainly the question Microsoft would like to see answered with today’s Consumer Preview “beta” rollout and launch in Barcelona Spain. Spain? Why not Seattle?

Word of Caution, while TechtalkRadio has not looked at the technical preview which was made available for developers last September, I would always recommend not installing the Consumer Preview on a production machine, meaning a system you use day to day and is imperative to your operations. The goal of the Consumer Preview is not to give you free software or let you taste the sweetness like a candy at See’s sampled by the lady in the white dress, its purpose is to see how the software interacts with various hardware and software conditions.

If you want to try it out, you should be able to download an ISO of the Windows 8 Preview but also remember , over time this will time out and you will be required to purchase or go back to that copy of Windows Vista or Windows 7!! For more information on this Consumer Preview, Check out http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/home

RayvenLeave a commentTTR Website, , , ,

Happy Caturday Everyone!

Ok, that phrase was used what?? In the 2006’s? Anyhow, welcome back to a new year and a new collection tech related reviews!

There’s no doubt that there are a plethora of cat toys and trinkets at ThinkGeek.com . From automatic cat feeders and automatic lazer toys, to treat mazes and wearable digital cameras, there is a company that stands out above the rest. The “Catit Senses” brand offers a variety of linkable feline fun that will get your little kitty purring in no time.

Here is the finished product. Very sturdy and simple.
Here is the finished product. Very sturdy and simple.

I recently received the “ Catit Senses Massage Center” to review. The box was very simple and all of the information was on the outside. It has a gum stimulator on the top that the cats can chew on (instead of your computer wires and cables) and some ridges on the outside for them to rub against and scratch themselves. I was kind of surprised there wasn’t a scratching post part which would’ve fit nicely at the base, but they added comb-like brushes there instead.

It was very simple to put together, just a matter of snapping the top onto the white base, and setting the rubber no-skid mat on the bottom. It came with a small cup of catnip to sprinkle on it as well. Now to get the cat to check it out!

I set the Catit Senses Massage Center out in the walking path of El Capḯtan Negro, our feline friend, to see what he would do. At first he circled it a few times just checking things out. I thought about the catnip aspect, so I added some to the gum stimulator cup and around the base to see if that would get him to explore. He immediately went for the gum stimulator and chewed it a couple gnaws and that was the extent of that. He walked over to the counter where the box was ant began rubbing his cheeks onto the corner of the box! I immediately thought of my grandmother “ Those kids would rather play with the package than the expensive toy inside!” she used to say when we were young geeks.

The next day, I relocated the Catit Senses Massage Center to the floor figuring maybe location change would suffice. I also added the rest of the catnip around the massage center thinking that more is better. He walked over to it after a while, rubbed his cheek on the nubs at the top, then walked away and I’m sad to report has not played with it since. “How in the world am I going to review a product that my cat isn’t interested in?”, I thought.

El Capitan Negro testing out the gum stimulator feature

A few hours later, I put it outside thinking that the playful stray cats outside would enjoy the feeling of a massage. Nothing… not a one of them even sniffed at it. I don’t know if it were because it scared them or they just plain weren’t interested. I figured if any of them would play with it would’ve been the smaller stray cats because they always play with leaves, sticks, etc. Nope.

So basically, my review is this: it was not effective with my cat nor stray cats. The product, however seemed to me very well made and user friendly. I wish I would’ve got El Capitan to use it more. Maybe in the future I will have an update. Let us know if you have tried other cat toys like this and what worked for you. Happy Caturday!