How to Use Dynamic DNS

Dynamic DNS (DDNS) is a cool networking tool technique that even the home user can use to make it easy to reach computer networks without knowing their IP addresses. This tool is very useful for home users that set up a services such as a camera on their network and need to get access to it. It is also very useful to use with remote desktop to get to a home computer that is setting behind a router.

At a very simplistic level, DDNS allows you to name your network on the internet so that you don’t have to remember IP addresses. Your router reports your IP address to a web site running a DNS server to keep your domain up to date with your IP.

There are many different DDNS web sites, but my favorite is Dyndns. This site offers a free service for up to 5 devices. Follow these steps to set up your Dyndns account.

1. Go to Dyndns
2. Create an account
3. Under My Services / My Hosts select add host services
4. Next select a Hostname and an extension (mycomputer.podzone.net)
5. Select host with IP address under service type.
6. Complete the transaction as the site requires.

You are now done with the Dyndns part.

Next, you have to go into your router and set up the DDNS settings. Most new routers on the market now have DDNS capabilities, and most have built in account compatibility with Dyndns. All routers are a little different, but essentially you need to put the hostname you picked on Dyndns into the hostname field, give it your user name and password, and tell it to update when your router changes its IP.

After everything is setup, every time your router changes IP addresses it will report the change to dyndns and instantly update your hostname. So you never need to know your IP again, just the Hostname you picked.

Getting into your home network will also require some port forwarding, but that is another article. Just remember, most ISP’s block port 80 on your modem unless you pay to have it unblock. They do this so you can’t run a web server from your house without giving them extra money. Using port forwarding in your router you can get around that to access your computers remotely.

Did Apple Leak Its 4G iPhone?

There has been mass speculation surrounding the 4g iPhone leak that has recently hit the news. Did Apple leak its own phone in a super secret marketing ploy to create buzz around the new 4g phone. At first, when I heard this story, I thought that this could be a ploy by Apple to create buzz. But, the more I think about it, I don’t think so. Apple prides themselves on keeping new products secret until the release. This marketing strategy has work very well for them, even as recent as the iPad release just a few weeks ago. Many Apple users will buy any new Apple products as soon as they come out, even if it is just changing the color of a laptop from white to black. Apple creates buzz around its products by shrouding them in secrecy not showcasing them before they are finished.

In the past few years Apple has mastered the art of being at the edge of technology releases with products that have few technical problems and are easy for any user to operate. It seems that companies then follow Apples lead and try to come up with competing products. I am sure that Apple would not want its competitors to know that it is placing two cameras in its new phone, even though it does make sense. The launch of the 4G networks by AT&T and Verizon are truly going to change the way we use our cell phones. Do not compare the current Sprint 4G WiMax solution to the LTE 4G solution the other carriers are deploying. They are like night and day. The AT&T and Verizon 4G solutions are boasting speeds faster than most cable modems. Speeds of over 50Mbs are possible on a 4G phone. None of the companies want the others to know what their devices will look like, or are capable of.

Apple has been very successful with its current marketing strategy, I doubt they would change something that is working so well.

Remote Easy with Team Viewer Free

Do you ever get a call from a friend, relative, or co-worker that need help with their computer. Any time that I help a person with their computer I set up a great free piece of software on their computer called Team Viewer. Team Viewer is a free remote desktop type program that allows you to control a persons computer while they can still see it. It is similar to PC Anywhere, but it is free and very easy to use. With features in the latest version you can also keep track of all the codes you have installed on their computers. This gives easy access to help your friends out in a bind. Setting up is easy and takes no networking experience, Team Viewer is also very good at getting through firewalls and proxy servers to give access. I use it frequently to help members of my family with computer issues. This program also allows them to see what I am doing to help them out in the future. Make note that Windows 7 Home does not have remote desktop capability, this gives you access into those machines, a feature I use frequently on my laptop at home.

Beyond helping a friend, this program also has a quite robust advanced feature package. One feature that I really like is the offline local IP setting. This can be used to connect to computers from with a local network with no outside internet connection via the local IP address.

There are different levels of login access you can set within this program. The software can be installed as a service, in which the login credentials are static allowing the remote user to login upon boot up or any time there after. Or, a user can initiate a session from their desktop and a unique password is generated each time. In this example the user opens the software and gives the unique login information to their remote user over the phone. The pass code will expire as soon as that session has been completed.

The benefit of this free product is in it’s simplicity. Team Viewer Website Link

WePad Demo – Is that really all they have?

Evidently, this is the current Android answer to the Apple iPad. At first glance it looks pretty cool. It appears that it also has a USB port to plug in a mouse if you wish to. If you look a little closer at the demo it appears that the first device showcased does not have touch screen capability. Therefore, the mouse is not a luxury but rather a necessity to make it work. The next device with the touch screen appears to me to be a standard bulky touch screen monitor running android.
I am by know means an Apple guy, in fact, I own nothing made by them. I must admit thou that I did like the iPad when I got to test it out a few weeks ago.  It’s not only the OS but the hardware itself that gives apple an edge on this technology.  This poor video demo of the WePad gets an F from me.
If you take nothing more from Steve Jobs, understand not to showcase your product until it is ready to go. Hopefully, a real hardware company will develop a Pad that runs Android so we can see if it can compete. Lets just hope Goggle can get those E-mail issues all ironed out.

Will Blockbuster Knock out Netflix?

I don't think so.
TTSFQFN7BGNR

Which Computer Should I Buy?

If you have to ask the above question to your tech geek friend or the IT guy at work, then take my advise, go cheep. Computer geeks already know what they need or want to complete the task they are using a computer for.  99% of the rest of the world wants a computer that can go on the internet, edit and organize their pictures, videos, and music, write an occasional letter, and maybe do a power point now and then. It does not take an $8000 gaming rig to complete those tasks. If fact, most people don't realize they could probably get away with a $200 net book and be very content. As an example, I am a web developer and real computer geek. I am writing this Blog on a $325 Toshiba Laptop.  I do more on the internet than most people, including creating and uploading web pages with Dreamweaver, graphic design with Photoshop, Video editing with Adobe Premiere, and on and on. This is all accomplished with my $325 laptop. To be honest I use my Blackberry for most of my email and communication anymore, and barely even use my computer for that.

So, let me now answer the question. The following is a list of guidelines you should follow when buying a new computer. Unless you are going to play videos games on your computer, in that case good luck.  My advice to the novice computer gamer is to buy an XBOX 360 (Sorry PS3).

• Never, never, never, buy a used computer.
• A duel core processor or higher (unless you get a smokin deal, like under $300)
• At least 2GB of RAM
• At least a 250 GB Hard Drive (Enough for lots of Pictures and Music)
• Windows 7 (If you need to remote desktop into your computer you must have PRO or higher)
• Things like USB ports, Wi-Fi, and network ports, should all be included in all new laptops.
• Everything else is personal preference.
• If you only go on the internet then a net book may be for you. The technical specs are lower but, they are designed for internet browsing.

If you want something small get a net book. If you like a laptop with a big screen, get one with a big screen. If you want a web cam, then get a web cam. These things are preferences that you have to decide you are willing to pay for. The above list is the minimum you should get so your computer will run smooth for at least 3 to 4 years from now. Do not plan on any home computer to be effective after 3 to 4 years, the industry moves too fast with new technology, it does not pay to try to keep up. My advice is to find the least expensive deal with the above requirements and then plan on getting a new computer in 3 years. For a laptop you should spend between $300 and $400. For a desktop, the same price, plus the price of the monitor that is to your liking. Good Luck!!!!

Is Blu-ray worth the price?

So, I have my brand new LED TV and just got my free Blu-ray player from Vizio to go with it. I hooked up my new Blu-ray player and got it all set up. It plays DVD’s too. In fact, that is really why I wanted it, so I would have a stand alone DVD player. Yesterday I was at Target and decided to breakdown and buy a new Blu-ray movie for my new Blu-ray player. I took my 3-year old over to the movie aisle to see which movie she would like to buy. Something to note here, I do not buy a lot of DVD’s, we use Netflix, Netflix streaming, and redbox.

As we browsed the Blu-ray movies my daughter spotted the Monster’s Inc. Blu-ray, one of her favorite movies, and the Snow White Blu-ray edition. I went to grab the Monsters Inc. and then looked down at the price. I almost choked on my gum when I saw the price tag of $34.99. There were DVD players sitting there for less than that. Upon looking at all the titles, it occurred to me that a standard price for a Blu-ray was $30. No Blu-ray’s for me, I can get 30 movies from Rebox for that price.

I must say that the jump from VHS to DVD was dramatic and changed the industry of home entertainment. Does Blu-ray do the same? I don’t think so, at least not yet. When looking at a movie in SD (Standard Definition) DVD quality vs. Full HD 1080P I can’t really see that much difference. Yes, it looks a little better, but not $34.99 better.

Blu-ray does have many capabilities that have yet to be marketed and used, such as 3D and beyond. It’s storage also opens up many possibilities in the gaming world. In this tech geeks opinion though, Blu-ray is not going to take over the DVD. For most people a technology must be dramatic for them to abandon their old ways and embrace the new. I do not think that Blu-ray offers anything significant to get most people to make the switch. This will be true unless the price of the players goes way down, the price of the disc’s goes way down, and everyone gets a 1080P television.

For the above reason I believe that streaming video companies will start to push Blu-ray products out of the market and take over the way the people watch their movies. I can stream Monster’s Inc. in 1080P 7 times for the price of the Blu-Ray disc (not that I would do that, I can get it free on Netflix Streaming). Sorry Blu-ray I don’t think you are worth it.

Do I need a Gigabit Network Switch in My House?

That question depends on what you use your home network for. If you are a gamer and use your home network to just play video games you do not need a Gigabit Switch. A network is only as fast as its slowest link. If you are using a cable modem with 10 Mb of bandwidth there is little or no reason to have a 1000 Mb (1Gb) pipe from your device to the modem. A gigabit switch will not make your connection to the online server any faster. Though bandwidth allows a user to move more information from point A to point B, it does not necessarily make your response time faster. Also, the fastest you can connect through a 10 Mb cable modem is 10 Mb, that is where the pipe gets clogged. Your internet bandwidth from your internet provider determines the speed, not your home network.

On the other hand, if you have many devices within your house hooked up to your network, and you wish to transfer large amounts of information across this network. A Gigabit switch will increase your capacity on your network and allow for this transfer to happen faster within your local network.

Something to note though is that all the devices you are connecting to the gigabit switch must also have Gigabit network interfaces to operate at this speed. Most network devices do not have Gigabit capabilities, but rather the standard 100Mb network connection. Fortunately, many new devices do have this capability.

To recap, a gigabit switch will not make your cable modem go faster. But, if you want more capacity on your home network for transferring videos and files then you should invest in a gigabit switch or router and gigabit network cards for your devices.

Is A Sound bar that good?

It seems lately there has been a large push in the home theater arena towards sound bars. The claims from manufacturers are that the sound bars are replacements for full surround systems. This week I received a free sound bar/subwoofer from Vizio in return for a marketing program I participated in after buying a new 55-inch LED TV. I was very interested in testing the new sound bar compared to my 7.1 in-wall surround system.
I am no audiophile, but I do enjoy clean and crisp audio from my home entertainment system. I hooked up my new sound bar and was surprised by the audio quality that it delivered. As I fired up the wireless subwoofer, the deep tones filled the room. The sound from this system was very impressive.
I must say though, that even though the sound was great, it did not replace the effects delivered by my true 7.1 surround system. In my opinion the sound bar / subwoofer system is a great alternative for those wanting affordable sound quality. But, if you want true surround sound effects, you must install a true surround system.

Which HDMI Cable Should I Buy?

Ok, so you just bought that $2000 LED TV and a brand new Blue-Ray player to go with it, and the guy that sold you the package now tells you that you need to buy an HDMI cable to hook it up. So he takes you over to the isle that has the Monster Cables, and shows you a 6 foot HDMI cable that costs $80. He then tells you that if you don’t use this cable the quality on your picture will be substandard. Does this sound familiar?

The standard of HDMI cable most commonly used on consumer products is known as High Speed HDMI 1.3a Category 2. The HDMI 1.3a Category 2 specifies that the cable has been tested at 340hz which includes resolutions such as 1080p60 and 2160p30.

In English, a HDMI 1.3a Category 2 cable has specifications beyond modern Blue-Ray Full HD standards, and even meets the future standards of Quad HD (You will have to buy a new TV in 6 years to get Quad HD)

On step above is the HDMI 1.4 cables, but you really don’t need one unless you are buying a 3D TV.

Skip the advice from the salesman and buy the least expensive HDMI 1.3a Category 2 cable you can find. You should be able to find a 6 foot cable for about $5 bucks on the net. If you must have a 1.4 cable use the internet to buy it.