Welcome to TheTechBlog.com - Here you'll find the latest Tech News, new gadgets and commentary! This site is moderated by Sam and Chase - Hosts of Tech Check on Fox6, and longtime high tech/computer radio broadcasters.
| Thursday, January 25, 2007 |
| Warcraft expansion sells 2.4 million copies in 24 hours! |
Okay, show of hands: Who out there is addicted to World of Warcraft? I certainly am - I even have WoW dreams sometimes - many of which make no sense whatsoever. Hopefully I won't need psychotherapy to quit. Apparently I'm not the only one hooked either, as Digital Battle is reporting that the brand new WoW expansion (The Burning Crusade) sold almost 2.5 million copies in the first 24 hours it was on sale! Devon, our intrepid roving reporter, claims that one local Gamespot store here in Central Alabama was inundated by customers who showed up at midnight to claim the game. With over 8 million players generating 90 million dollars per month for Blizzard has a runaway success on its hands unparalleled in the history of computer gaming. A word of advice: If you haven't played World of Warcraft yet, don't - hang onto your life. As for me - why am I typing this blog like a sucker when I could be adventuring?? (click the pic below or the link above for more on The Burning Crusade) |
posted by Chase Thompson @ 12:50 AM   |
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| Friday, January 27, 2006 |
| 7 Myths about the Challenger Disaster - 20 year anniversary |
Here's an interesting article leading into the 20 year anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. I imagine everybody 30 and over remembers where they were when they first heard the news that the Shuttle had blown up - I know I do. I was walking between first period and second period classes at O.G. Gresham Jr. High, when the ruckus started. Many of the teachers got television sets, and students in the halls poured into classrooms - not necessarily their classrooms - to watch the news. It was very, very sad.
The Seven Myths dispelled:
1. Very few people in the U.S. saw the tragedy happen live - (most networks had switched away when the disaster happened, and viewers were shown a tape delayed broadcast when the networks switched back)
2. Challenger Didn't Explode!
3. The Crew likely didn't die 73 seconds into the mission during the fireball pictured above - it likely happened 2 minutes after that when Challenger splashed down into the water at 200 m.p.h.
4. The dangerous solid rocket booster flaws were not the result of political meddling
5. An environmental ban didn't lead to a weaker O ring sealant.
6. Political pressure didn't force the launch that day.
7. The disaster was not an unavoidable price for progress - in fact, if the mission hadn't launched on a record cold day (for a launch) it's likely the disaster would never have happened. The low temperature's that day were more responsible for the O ring failure than most other factors.
See the article for more details - it's a good read! |
| posted by Chase Thompson @ 2:25 AM |
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| Friday, January 20, 2006 |
| Sony PS3 Vaporware? Maybe According to Microsoft... |
Here's an interesting read on the possible struggles that Sony is having with bringing the Play Station 3 to market quickly. While any new console in this day and age is going to be difficult to develop (How in the world did Microsoft only have 600,000 units ready to go last year?), but I wonder if this article represents an attempt by one major competitor to sow fear about the prospects of the other. This article has the direst predictions I've read about the PS3. If it's accurate, then Sony is in big trouble, and the PS3 may well be remembered as the crack that caused the dam to break. On the other hand, if this is merely a bit of corporate propaganda - it doesn't say much for Forbes, and even less for Microsoft/MSNBC. |
| posted by Chase Thompson @ 11:38 AM |
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| Great News!!! New Study: Cell Phones don't cause cancer! |
For at least 20 years, many people have wondered about the health effects of using cell phones.
I remember a study a few years ago that showed cell phone waves killed brain cells in rats. Well, the good news for this week is that a recent study shows no evidence that using a cell phone has an effect on the development of tumors. Now, I would sleep a whole lot easier if this particular study wasn't funded by T-Mobile, Vodafone, The Mobile Manufacturers Forum and the GSM Association! Anybody care for a steaming hot cup of Conflict of Interest with their scientific study?
/Chase Funny Videos Sports Videos Amazing Videos |
| posted by Chase Thompson @ 11:13 AM |
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| Sayonara Konica/Minolta |
Looks like Konica/Minolta has been assimilated by the Borg, er... Sony, and won't be making any more cameras, SLR or Digitial. Bummer if you just bought a Konica or Minolta, but it looks like Sony will support them for at least a little while. Only from the minds of Minolta....
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| posted by Chase Thompson @ 11:07 AM |
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| Tuesday, January 10, 2006 |
| Starbucks: The hidden, better, stronger and cheaper cappuccino! |
Okay, so this isn't Tech related, at all, really - but it's a good enough tip, and a good enough read that I thought i'd pass it along anyway. Did you know that the best (and most authentic) cappuccino that Starbucks has to offer isn't on the menu - AND -it's cheaper than the others? Wanna know to get this magical cappuccino? Read on - but be sure to come back when you're done!
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| posted by Chase Thompson @ 2:33 PM |
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| Pcworld's 50 Greatest Gadgets in History |
Here's a great article - the 50 greatest gadgets since 1950, with pictures. You've got the first remote control, first portable phone (a brick), first stylish cell phone (the Star-Tac) The Sony Walkman, and one of the ultimate time wasters of my adolescence: The Commodore 64 computer! This will give younger readers a good perspective on where we've come from, and the old timers a pleasant bit of nostalgia.
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| posted by Chase Thompson @ 9:25 AM |
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| Thursday, December 15, 2005 |
| More on the new website |
I've added some more videos to the new Safevideo.com site, There's now over 300 videos on the site - no pop ups either!
Check out our funny videos: Trunk Monkey, Funny Commercials, The Steve Ballmer Developers Video, The Kanye West and Mike Myers Video (SNL) , Napoleon Dynamite, DJ Southpaw, Baby Got Book, and some Classic SNL videos
We also have Music Videos: Switchfoot/Meant to Live, David Crowder, Delirious, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes/Here I am to Worship , and Eisley Telescope Eyes
We are also working on a computer help / computer advice section with a how to remove spyware video coming soon! You'll find a good (article on removing spyware there now)
/Chase |
| posted by Chase Thompson @ 9:43 PM |
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| Wednesday, December 14, 2005 |
| New Website: Safevideo.com |
First of all: TheTechBlog.com isn't quite dead....it's just resting. Keep checking back as it should be resurrected within a short time, probably with a new look - I've grown to hate this template!
Now, here's some big news! We are launching a new site, and it's almost complete! The site is Safevideo.com and contains over 200 (soon to be over 300) excellent short videos! The best part is that Safevideo.com is safe for work and safe for home - that means they are clean, and to the best of our judgement non-objectionable. That doesn't mean they are boring: Some of the best videos available on the internet are at Safevideo.com - check out the top 15 list on the front page!
Here's some other pages to check out:
Safevideo Sports Pages - Great basketball videos, soccer videos, football videos, soccer commercials, Barry Sanders videos, and even some baseball videos. You can even see the best football catch in college football history: Tyrone Prothro Video of Alabama against Southern Miss.
Safevideo.com has some great Amazing videos also: Free running videos, free jumping videos, extreme sports, etc.
Safevideo.com has some great classic videos like Andy Griffith Videos, I love Lucy Videos, and Classic Commercials
Commercial Videos
Funny Videos
More coming soon....Stay Tuned!
/Chase |
| posted by Chase Thompson @ 2:48 PM |
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| Tuesday, July 26, 2005 |
| Liftoff! |
by tollie
I've posted a considerable series of pictures from the LIFTOFF! of Space Shuttle Discovery on my personal blog, here. It was really amazing to see the orbiter - live - as it separated from the external fuel tank. This particular frame doesn't look very good, but overall the signal held up and the orbiter could be seen kicking it its jets as it manuevered away. Way to go NASA.
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| posted by Tollie Williams @ 9:22 AM |
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