Sorry about that long break, AllStuffNerdy is back and will resume posting on a daily basis starting June 1st, 2015.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
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Twitter: Follow us @allstuffnerdy
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If you have a business you would like us to mention at the beginning of a post, check out our gigs on Fiverr:
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky
apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve
shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our
store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Thursday, October 02, 2014
Windows 10 - Codename "Disappointment"
Just last Tuesday, Microsoft had a press-only meeting where they showed off the desktop version of the coming Windows. Strangely, they called it Windows 10. What about Windows 9? The speaker said that the changes they were introducing were so revolutionary, they felt the need to reset the counter (kind of like Apple with OS X). When they said that I started to panic. Last time someone from Microsoft said that on stage, we got hit with Windows 8. And that didn't have a happy ending no matter how you put it. From what I saw at the confrence, the concept of "the same Windows everywhere" seemed promising. If Microsoft executes this correctly desktops, laptops, tablets, Xbox Ones, and Windows Phones will all be running the same Windows platform to create a universal app API (so now can we play Xbox games on PC?)
Now just yesterday they released a Technical Preview of Windows 10. If Microsoft had codenamed one of their operating systems "Disappointment", it would be this. I encountered my first disappointment during install. It absolutely refused to upgrade on my main desktop from Windows 8.1 Industry Pro. I did, however, manage to get it working on my laptop as an upgrade from Windows 8.1 Industry Pro. After setting it all up like a new PC, I was presented with the desktop. I clicked Start. I messed around with the Task View (more on that later). And that was it. Really Microsoft? When you say your next operating system is going to be revolutionary, I better be absolutely blown away. The Start menu was condensed to look like the Windows 7 start menu but with live tiles. Task view allows you to have multiple desktops so that you can quickly switch between screens of programs. The only other differences were modern (formerly metro) apps are now windowed and you can do a universal search from the Start menu or the task bar. On a more positive note, I did notice a HUGE performance increase. In Windows 8.1 and 10, the OS automatically runs maintenance tasks while your computer is inactive. In Windows 8.1, it would have a tendancy to take about 5 or so minutes to stop doing maintenance when I started using my computer. During this time, apps would crash, my mouse would freeze, and even the Start screen was sluggish to load. Now in Windows 10, maintenance stops immediately when I move the mouse. And even without that issue, I saw apps opening and running faster. Unfortunately, a lot of apps seemed to freeze or crash once I started using Task View. I don't blame Microsoft for this as this is a new feature and developers will need some time to help modify their app accordingly.
I am going to say I am completely disappointed. I may have been expecting too much, but that's Microsoft's fault. If you really wanted to blow me away, here's what I want:
So let us know in the comments, what do you want to see in Windows 10? Did you download the Technical Preview? What did you think? Leave your response in the comments below.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/U9s2Ld
Twitter: Follow us @allstuffnerdy
Google+: https://www.google.com/+AllstuffnerdyBlogspot
If you have a business you would like us to mention at the beginning of a post, check out our gigs on Fiverr:
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Now just yesterday they released a Technical Preview of Windows 10. If Microsoft had codenamed one of their operating systems "Disappointment", it would be this. I encountered my first disappointment during install. It absolutely refused to upgrade on my main desktop from Windows 8.1 Industry Pro. I did, however, manage to get it working on my laptop as an upgrade from Windows 8.1 Industry Pro. After setting it all up like a new PC, I was presented with the desktop. I clicked Start. I messed around with the Task View (more on that later). And that was it. Really Microsoft? When you say your next operating system is going to be revolutionary, I better be absolutely blown away. The Start menu was condensed to look like the Windows 7 start menu but with live tiles. Task view allows you to have multiple desktops so that you can quickly switch between screens of programs. The only other differences were modern (formerly metro) apps are now windowed and you can do a universal search from the Start menu or the task bar. On a more positive note, I did notice a HUGE performance increase. In Windows 8.1 and 10, the OS automatically runs maintenance tasks while your computer is inactive. In Windows 8.1, it would have a tendancy to take about 5 or so minutes to stop doing maintenance when I started using my computer. During this time, apps would crash, my mouse would freeze, and even the Start screen was sluggish to load. Now in Windows 10, maintenance stops immediately when I move the mouse. And even without that issue, I saw apps opening and running faster. Unfortunately, a lot of apps seemed to freeze or crash once I started using Task View. I don't blame Microsoft for this as this is a new feature and developers will need some time to help modify their app accordingly.
I am going to say I am completely disappointed. I may have been expecting too much, but that's Microsoft's fault. If you really wanted to blow me away, here's what I want:
- Cortana (Personal Assistant, similar to Siri on iOS)
- Let me control my computer with the Kinect (make use of those big metro tiles)
- Pull down notification center (like on WP 8.1)
- Better multi-monitor support (Windows 8.1 doesn't play very nicely with multiple monitors)
- Trackpad gestures
- Add hotkey for Task View (unless I'm missing something)
- Swipe keyboard for touch enabled devices
- Syncronizing of WiFi passwords across platforms
- Call and Text notification forwarding (similar to the feature in OS X Yosmite where you can answer a call on your iMac)
- Performance increase (use less memory)
- Make OneDrive sync EVERYTHING in my home directory (not just the OneDrive folder)
- Swap out Miracast support for a more common standard (UPnP? DNLA?)
- Allow streaming from Xbox to PC
- Make use of Windows Azure to make more settings available to be synced across all my devices
- App sharing for families (similar to Family Sharing in the Steam game client)
- Battery saver app (disable cores, lower screen brightness, spin down hard drive, I don't care. Just give me my 8 hours of battery life back. 4 hours is unacceptable)
- Bring back the WEI (Windows experience index)
- When I download an app, if I own multiple devices logged in under the same account, let me choose to also have the app automatically download on any devices I select.
- Let me scale live tile app tiles 4x the large size so I can actually read what the live data says
- If I double click on a live tile (or something else), open the app straight to whatever it was showing in the live tile data. For example, if the twitter app shows an update from someone, I should be able to open the twitter app and immediately see that post. I understand that this is more of an app developer thing, but Microsoft should really add it to their modern app API
So let us know in the comments, what do you want to see in Windows 10? Did you download the Technical Preview? What did you think? Leave your response in the comments below.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/U9s2Ld
Twitter: Follow us @allstuffnerdy
Google+: https://www.google.com/+AllstuffnerdyBlogspot
If you have a business you would like us to mention at the beginning of a post, check out our gigs on Fiverr:
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
New Windows Phone 8.1 Update - texting and folders
 |
| The update screen for Windows Phone 8.1 |
If you have never heard of Windows Phone before, let me be the first to say you are missing out. For an in-depth review and comparison against Android and iOS, read this first -> http://allstuffnerdy.blogspot.com/2014/06/tech-wars-mobile-os-edition.html.
Here's what's inside the update:
App folders:
This is something almost every Windows Phone user has been asking for. Microsoft did a similar thing in Windows 8.1 with "App groups", but no one cared because they were all complaining about the metro interface as a whole. As you can see from the screenshots below, It's a nice addition that will help reduce clutter on your home screen. It works the same way as on iOS, just drag an app tile on top of another and it becomes a folder. And you can resize the folder just like with app tiles. the supported sizes are small, medium, and wide.Multi-message forwarding:
I'm not quite sure if this is something I would ask for in a phone operating system, but I have come across a few experiences where this would be handy. For example, I was once asked to forward about 36 pictures in a text to someone else. Unfortunately, because of the high quality of my camera and the size limit of MMS messages, I could only send about 4 images in one message. So I ended up sending 10 messages (9 with the pictures, one to confirm they had received it. The whole process took about 5 minutes. Later that day, someone else asked me to do the same thing, so there goes another 5 minutes. With this update, all you have to do is select all the messages within a thread you would like to send, and hit forward. Dead simple.
App corner:
Basically, it's the same thing as kid's corner. There are few differences though. The first being you have to either launch it through settings, or pin it to your start. The other thing is it's not as restrictive as kid's corner. Internet and search options are available. You can turn any combination of them on and off. Microsoft says it's for "when other people use your phone". Right...like I would ever trust someone else to do whatever they want on my phone.
Other stuff:
I'm sure Microsoft fixed some bugs here, some memory leaks there, and lowered it's resource use. But on my Windows Phone, I noticed no difference. Props to the developers though, it's still a great mobile phone operating system.
Friday, July 18, 2014
iCarryAlls iPad Cases
On April 3rd 2010, Apple released one of the most
revolutionary pieces of technology of our time, the iPad. This device would
forever change businesses, schools, and everyday individuals. Unfortunately,
the iPad had a small issue, it was prone to breaking from drops and bumps. This
was solved with the massive amounts of cases and covers that hit the market
shortly after its release. A company named iCarryAlls has taken the concept of
an iPad case to the next level with its line of innovative leather cases.
 |
| iPad Zippered Leather Padfolio With Bluetooth Keyboard and Angle Viewing - Part number 312 |
Their line of next generation iPad cases have a slot for
your iPad with a kickstand along with several pockets and space for a notepad.
Right now they offer cases that fit the iPad Air and the iPad 1/2/3/4
generations. They also have a separate line of cases that fit the iPad Mini. Some
of the higher-end ones even have space for a Bluetooth keyboard (included with
the case). For the notepad space, the cases support Legal, A4, Letter, and
Paper Pad. They also allow you to pick from a variety of colors. If you’re
left-handed, no problem. They offer an option for that too. And for added
personalization, they allow you to engrave your name or your business name on
the front of the case. And the best part about all of it is it’s much more
affordable than other business-oriented iPad cases out there. Most of them sell
for just under $150 (USD). If you still can’t find what you want, they offer a
service where you can submit a custom design and they will make it for you. All
you have to do is fill out a description of the design, upload a photo or two
(optional), and send it off and they will get in contact with you.
If you don’t own an iPad, no need to worry, they also have a
great selection of cases for the Microsoft Surface and a wide range of Android
tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy and the Nexus. They also have cases that are
designed for the Kindle Fire. If you don’t own a tablet at all, they also have
laptop cases for MacBooks, ChromeBooks, and a range of Lenovo laptops.
If you want to purchase a case from iCarryAlls, you can check
out their website at http://www.icarryalls.com/.
Or you can check out their products at Amazon along with customer reviews from
customers at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st_review-rank?keywords=xiaozhi&qid=1405474427&rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A541966%2Ck%3Axiaozhi%2Cp_89%3AXIAOZHI&sort=review-rank.
So let us know in the comments, do you own an iPad? Will you be buying an iCarryAlls iPad case? Let us know in the comments below.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/U9s2Ld
Twitter: Follow us @allstuffnerdy
Google+: https://www.google.com/+AllstuffnerdyBlogspot
If you have a business you would like us to mention at the beginning of a post, check out our gigs on Fiverr:
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
So let us know in the comments, do you own an iPad? Will you be buying an iCarryAlls iPad case? Let us know in the comments below.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Friday, June 20, 2014
Club Internet - Making the World Wide Web a bit wider
Since the dawn of the human race, humans have always been trying to find faster and more efficient ways to do things. We now live in the age of the internet where we can order pizza with just a few clicks, send a message to a friend knowing they received it the second you sent it, or even work from home with the power of the internet. Most tech savvy countries such as the US and most of Europe have steady internet connections but still, lots of people (particularly the elderly) don’t use the internet at all. Also, surprisingly people even below poverty line in 3rd world countries can afford mobile internet (EDGE or GPRS at least) and initiatives like Google’s Project Loon and Facebook’s Internet.org are planning to make internet available to everyone everywhere. But the question is, how to teach these people to use the internet? Club Internet aims to answer that by creating a simple app that teaches people of any language in any country how to use the internet. The app is loaded with tutorials that teach people using hands-on teaching techniques so that the concepts stick. It teaches users how to use lots of popular websites such as Facebook, Wikipedia, Skype, Yahoo, and of course Google. The tutorials are written for people who have never used the internet before. It offers tutorials in small bits so people don’t get bored with it. This company aims to help connect the 4.3 billion unconnected people to the internet and become avid users. Right now the company is a small start-up relying on angel investors and contracts from larger tech companies. They are also looking at making deals with OEMs to get this kind of app pre-installed (which would be quite useful). Now while this will help at connecting people in third-world countries, it can also be used to help teach people here in the US and Europe. Imagine someone in a retirement home getting this app. They learn how to use Skype and can chat with their children/grandchildren who live too far away to visit. This app has lots of potential and there are lots of plans to expand it in the near future. The company has 3 founders, Hassan Baig (Duke Alumni and ex-KPMG), Sophia Pervez (ex-IBM) and Fahad Rao (ex- Convo). You can check out their beta website at http://www.clubinternet.co/.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/U9s2Ld
Twitter: Follow us @allstuffnerdy
Google+: https://www.google.com/+AllstuffnerdyBlogspot
If you have a business you would like us to mention at the beginning of a post, check out our gigs on Fiverr:
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Tech Wars-Mobile OS Edition
 |
| Copyright 2014 Joshua Zenn. All logos within are property of their respective owner(s) |
iOS vs Android. Their makers seem locked in an infinite battle. And now Microsoft has (re)entered the mobile arena with Windows Phone 8.1. It's time to put these mobile operating systems to the test. Now before we begin we have to explain that we are only using CONSUMER editions of the operating systems. That means that WP 8.1 Developer and iOS 8 are excluded.
| iOS 7.1 | Android 4.4 | Windows Phone 8.1 | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | June 29, 2007 | October 2003 | 2004 | Android 4.4 |
| Fanbase | 410 million (2012 | 900 million (2013) | Unknown (less than 5% of market share) | Android 4.4 |
| Apps in app store | more than 1 million | 950,000 | 120,000 | iOS 7.1 |
| Kernel/code roots | Darwin/Unix | Linux | Windows Kernel | NA |
| Device support | Apple branded hardware | Most ARM based phones with at least 512 MB RAM | Microsoft branded hardware (mostly Nokia and Samsung at the moment) | Android 4.4 |
| Screen sharing support | Airplay | Chromecast | USB or Miracast | WP 8.1 |
| Voice Assistant | Siri | Google Now | Cortana | WP 8.1 |
| Developer program | $200 USD a year plus you must own a Mac | one-time $25 USD fee plus any computer that will run Java | $90 yearly fee plus any PC running Visual Studio 2013 | Android 4.4 |
| Enterprise device management | Yes, certificates | Unknown | Yes, Microsoft Exchange | Tie, iOS and WP |
| Emulators | Yes, only on Macs with the Developer Program | Yes, with devkit. And boot a fully functional version with the x86 project | Yes, included with devkit | Android 4.4 |
| Developer previews | Yes, requires full DevCenter subscription | Yes, but only on supported devices | Yes, using app with free AppStudio account | WP 8.1 |
| Built-in browser | Safari | Chrome | Internet Explorer | Three way tie, category eliminated |
| Unlock methods | Jailbreak | Root | None | iOS 7.1 |
| "silent" mode | Do Not Disturb | Unknown | Quiet Hours | WP 8.1 |
| Winners | Average user | Developer | Buisness user | Overall Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Phone 8.1 | Android 4.4 | Windows Phone 8.1 | Tie, Windows 8.1 and Android 4.4 |
So for this episode of Tech Wars, we divided up the results a little bit differently. Now can break down each section to show how we selected a winner.
Average user:
Windows Phone just barely won this catagory with it's amazing "Quiet Hours" mode that supports geofencing, calender events, and manual triggers. It also has the most flexible screen-sharing function and it has one of the best voice assistants. We chose Cortana as the best voice assistant because Cortana can intelligently display more information than Siri and Cortana is also very expandable through the Windows Phone API.
Developer:
Android took this catagory by storm by having an extremely cheap developer program and a universal devkit that works on just about any computer that is capable of running and compiling Java. It also has a decent emulator and there is an unofficial port to the x86 (32-bit) PC platform.
Business user:
As discussed above, Quiet Hours is an amazing feature of Windows Phone 8.1. And a "silent mode" is a must for any business professional. Windows Phone also has Cortana and offers the best support with enterprise profiles by integrating with your business's already-existing Microsoft Exchange services. And it also offers a nice screen-sharing feature so you can give presentations using the included Microsoft Office app.
Overall Winner:
Windows Phone 8.1 is great and all, but Android has an iron grip in the market share holding 900 million device registrations. Plus Android has lots of apps already in it's app store. But Windows Phone 8.1 is feature rich in almost every other category. So this Tech Wars ends in a tie.
So let us know in the comments, do you agree with our pick? Would you have picked something else? Do you think we left out a worthy competitor? Let us know in the comments. And stay tuned every Tuesday and Thursday for more Tech Wars.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_iOS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Phone
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Google All Access - Overview
 |
| http://play.google.com |
Google All Access was launched around 2013 by none other than Google as part of its massive Google Play store. It's a subscription based service running at $9.99 after a 30 day free trial. The library includes a large selection of songs including the more obscure bands on the market. As for right now, it only works on Android and in-browser. Supposedly there is an iOS app being created but no other sources have confirmed this. Google All Access streams high quality audio at 320 Kb/s. However Google All Access will by default select the quality based on your internet connection. So you will have to manually set it if you want to lock in the quality. In our experience, we loved it. At least during the free trial. Compared to Grooveshark (the winner of our last Tech Wars), the only reason I would still use Grooveshark is because it's free.
So let us know in the comments, are you going to try out Google All Access? Or are you going to stick with another service? let us know in the comments. And remember you get a free 30 day trial if you sign up here: https://play.google.com/about/music/allaccess/#/
Sources:
http://www.maximumpc.com/google_play_music_all_access_vs_spotify_2014
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Tech Wars - Blogger vs Wordpress
 |
| Copyright 2014 Joshua Zenn. All trademarks in the image are property of their respective owners. |
| Blogger | Wordpress | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free (requires external host) | Blogger |
| Created | 1999 | 2003 | Blogger |
| Owned by | Wordpress | Not scored | |
| Websites that use it | Unknown | 60 million | Wordpress |
| Main programming language | AJAX, HTML5, CSS3 | PHP | not scored |
| Main features | Dead simple design and customization | Expandable through plugins | Wordpress |
| Limitations | Must be hosted on blogger server with a *.blogspot.com domain. Limited customization. | Must have own hosting service. Difficult setup for newbies. | Tie |
| Allows posting media (pictures, video,...) | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Search engine friendly | Yes (duh, it's run by Google) | Yes | Blogger |
| Allows editing source code | Yes (it's well hidden in the template settings) | Yes, once you learn the file structure | Wordpress |
| Allows use of custom domains | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Hosting | Google servers only (as of 2010) | any hosting service or free hosting on wordpress.org (with limited functionality) | Wordpress |
Despite being somewhat difficult to set up, it is the most feature rich and has the largest website share. We didn't have any data showing the share Blogger had on the internet, but we did have sources that indicated that Wordpress was the #1 most used blogging platform. The only thing Wordpress is missing is it's not search friendly. Blogger sites all use the *.blogspot.com URL template. Therefore, according to Google, blogspot.com gets one Alexia score in the search engine. and since the blogspot.com "website" has so many backlinks and content (not to mention it's run by Google), it does get a higher ranking in Google and other search engines compared to its Wordpress counterpart. So with that, Wordpress dominates the Blogshere, making it a winner for today's Tech Wars.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Monday, June 16, 2014
Top alternatives to PowerPoint
PowerPoints are overused. Schools force their students to use it when presenting any kind of material. And then those habits transfer over into the workforce. PowerPoints used to show how serious the presenter was by putting forth the effort to create an awesome looking visual to go along with his/her presentation. Now we live in a time where even children in elementary school can assemble a PowerPoint with little to no effort. And the other issue is PowerPoints are very lacking in visual effects. You might as well just write on a whiteboard. Here are our picks for a better presentation platform:
1. Prezi
Despite being cloud based, making all of your presentations public, and giving you limited cloud storage, Prezi is our top pick. Prezi allows editing slides just like you would edit a normal PowerPoint. But it includes powerful visual effects that can capture your audience's attention. It also includes the ability to embed videos, pictures, and sound. And it also supports multi-user editing in real time. It also has a feature similar to PowerPoint where you can share a link and others can watch your presentation on their devices in real time as well. You can check it out at prezi.com
2. Powtoon
If you are a fan of putting animations and lots of graphics on your presentations, Powtoon is for you. Powtoon includes a bunch of animations of cartoon-like characters that can make for a fun and attention-grabbing presentation. You can check it out at powtoon.com
3. Apple Slides
In all seriousness, we just ran out of ideas. But if you want to change things up for once, take a swing at Apple Slides. users with a free Apple ID can access it online from iCloud.com. If you own an Apple mobile device (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch...) you can also access your presentations from the cloud (assuming you own the $15 USD app). You can check it out at icloud.com
4. Google Docs
Besides being almost the exact same thing as PowerPoint and Apple Slides, it does support cloud saves along with real-time collaboration. you can check it out at drive.google.com
So what presentation software are you going to use for your next big presentation? Let us know in the comments below.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/U9s2Ld
Twitter: Follow us @allstuffnerdy
Google+: https://www.google.com/+AllstuffnerdyBlogspot
If you have a business you would like us to mention at the beginning of a post, check out our gigs on Fiverr:
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
1. Prezi
Despite being cloud based, making all of your presentations public, and giving you limited cloud storage, Prezi is our top pick. Prezi allows editing slides just like you would edit a normal PowerPoint. But it includes powerful visual effects that can capture your audience's attention. It also includes the ability to embed videos, pictures, and sound. And it also supports multi-user editing in real time. It also has a feature similar to PowerPoint where you can share a link and others can watch your presentation on their devices in real time as well. You can check it out at prezi.com
2. Powtoon
If you are a fan of putting animations and lots of graphics on your presentations, Powtoon is for you. Powtoon includes a bunch of animations of cartoon-like characters that can make for a fun and attention-grabbing presentation. You can check it out at powtoon.com
3. Apple Slides
In all seriousness, we just ran out of ideas. But if you want to change things up for once, take a swing at Apple Slides. users with a free Apple ID can access it online from iCloud.com. If you own an Apple mobile device (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch...) you can also access your presentations from the cloud (assuming you own the $15 USD app). You can check it out at icloud.com
4. Google Docs
Besides being almost the exact same thing as PowerPoint and Apple Slides, it does support cloud saves along with real-time collaboration. you can check it out at drive.google.com
So what presentation software are you going to use for your next big presentation? Let us know in the comments below.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Top Five Things To Do With Remote Control Software
We all have our reasons to remote control our computers. Here's our top five list:
1. Remote IT support.
It happens. Someone calls you asking you to "fix the Windows" again. And trying to tell an inexperienced person how to open the Control Panel over the phone can be really difficult. Remote control software can get everything done in about 30 seconds.
2. Emergency file access
You're at work about to give a big presentation. Then the whole NAS network goes down. Great, there goes your PowerPoint file. But then you remember you had a copy on your computer at home. All you have to is fire up a portable version of your remote control software, connect to your computer, open up a web browser, and just email it to yourself. Problem solved.
3. Web filter bypass
This is an easy one. If you need to access a blocked website (we all have our reasons), just remote control your computer. Then open up a web browser on the client and you have unrestricted web access (and unmonitored in most situations). If you do this a lot, I recommend taking a look at bitflush.com. For more information about BitFlush, read here: http://allstuffnerdy.blogspot.com/2014/02/bitflush-do-everything-online-securely.html.
4. Multitasking
For this one you will need more than two computers. If you have a bunch of older single core computers (like me), then just fire up RC software on all of them. Then on one computer you can alt-tab between the connections to all of the computers. Giving you a "multi core" computer.
5. Pranks
We've probably all done this at some point in one way or another. Of course you can stick a wireless mouse adapter in the back of a co-workers computer and make a run for it. But RC software makes it easy to do it from a safe distance.
So let us know in the comments, what is the funniest prank you have ever pulled involving a computer? Drop your response in the comments below.
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Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Game Corner - TitanFall - Review - Guest Blogger
There's not much to say about this game that hasn't already been said, good or bad. This game, for starters, is my all time favorite shooter. I'ts fresh take on the re-used Call Of Duty and Battlefield concepts is what makes it stand out from all the others in a way. The gameplay style is a breath of fresh air, with fast paced gameplay as well as unique concepts of it's own. It's lack of content is not a good sight, but it makes up for it with the overall experience you have while playing.
I think one of the best parts is the overall customization possibilities, which is added to drastically by the titans. Everything is balanced by a basic system of strengths and weaknesses such as range, fire speed, aim speed and so on. All of the weapon, skill, and titan combinations can be countered by something else, which helps to lessen the problem of campers which is prominent in most other shooters. What also helps bring this problem down is the map setups, which give people a lot of vantage points, all while keeping them from being too inaccessible to other players.
The only problem with this game that I hope will be fixed in the future is the matchmaking, which sometimes matches you in a team with very low experienced players, or puts the other team in the same situation, which can make the game very frustrating to the newer and older players alike. The players are matched at random, with no regard to skill level. Other than this problem, the game is completely worth buying for any fan of shooters, or people who just want something fresh. It's incredibly addicting, fast paced, and overall a great buy.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
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Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
I think one of the best parts is the overall customization possibilities, which is added to drastically by the titans. Everything is balanced by a basic system of strengths and weaknesses such as range, fire speed, aim speed and so on. All of the weapon, skill, and titan combinations can be countered by something else, which helps to lessen the problem of campers which is prominent in most other shooters. What also helps bring this problem down is the map setups, which give people a lot of vantage points, all while keeping them from being too inaccessible to other players.
The only problem with this game that I hope will be fixed in the future is the matchmaking, which sometimes matches you in a team with very low experienced players, or puts the other team in the same situation, which can make the game very frustrating to the newer and older players alike. The players are matched at random, with no regard to skill level. Other than this problem, the game is completely worth buying for any fan of shooters, or people who just want something fresh. It's incredibly addicting, fast paced, and overall a great buy.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Saturday, June 14, 2014
CPUID CPU-Z - System Stat Checker
Have you ever needed to check how much memory you have? Or how about seeing if your PC meets the minimum system requirements of a new game? But the thought of opening up your computer sends chills down your spine. Or possibly you don't have enough time. CPU-Z is here to help. CPU-Z is a tool designed to show all of your system information at a glance. It can show CPU clock speed, CPU family, power usage, APCI functions, DMI connections, and a whole lot more. And the best part is it offers an easy way to export everything as a HTML or TXT file. And the export function is easy for non-techy users to find. So now you can pull someones stats remotely when they call again about the "Windows not working". You can download the installer here: http://www.cpuid.com/downloads/cpu-z/1.69-setup-en.exe. And you can download a portable version that can run from a flash drive (requires that PortableApps is already installed on the flash drive). Get it here: http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/cpu-z-portable.So leave a comment below, what is the most difficult situation you have ever been in with someone else's computer? Drop your response in the comments below.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Friday, June 13, 2014
Game Corner - ORION: Dino Horde - Review and Walkthrough
Hello blog readers. A fairly recent game has come around to my game library and I think it's worth a mention here on AllStuffNerdy. The game is ORION: Dino Horde.
The game is developed by Spiral and is built on the Unreal Game Engine. Now before we proceed, we need to discuss game engines. Most big-name games (with the exception of Call of Duty), are built completely by scratch in code. However, when most games are starting out, they like to start with game engines. These "code frameworks" allow the game designer to build a decent game without worrying about getting swarmed with millions of lines of code. Now game engines do come with a major drawback. They tend to perform poorly on older hardware. The reason is game engines have lots of code libraries which can be used by the game designer to design their game, which takes up a lot of memory. This is why we are giving ORION a bit of a handicap in this review. And also because it's a relatively new(er) game.
Now on with the review. The game has no story in it. period. The game offers both solo and online multiplayer. You can set the multiplayer server to be Steam friends only, or public for the world to join. At the moment, multiplayer servers are limited to 5 active players (the rest are given the spectator role). Upon entering, you will be given the option of choosing between 3 different classes. There's the assault class, the support class, and the recon class. All of them have access to different powerups and weapons (more on that later). Once you choose your class, you will spawn either inside a building or just outside a building depending on the map. For the Survival and Conquest modes, you cannot do anything until you activate a generator located about 500-1000 ft away from your spawn. All buildings will be disabled until one player goes to activate it. The player who activates it will receive 100 credits. Once the generator is activated, players will have 60 seconds to buy new weapons and powerups. After the 60 seconds have expired, a horde of dinosaurs will appear and attempt to attack the generator to bring it offline. If the generator is offline for more that 5 minutes, all players lose the round. Players will have to use their weapons and powerups to defend the generator. If a player loses their shield and their health, they will enter a state where they move very slowly and can only use their pistol type weapon to fight. This is similar to when your player is "bleeding out" in Call of Duty. To be restored back to normal, you must either kill a certain number of dinosaurs (which is determined by the difficulty setting), cause a certain amount of damage to a larger dinosaur, or being revived by another player. Any player can revive a fallen teammate by holding a button for a few seconds. This does, however, make both players vulnerable to attacks from nearby dinosaurs. Players of the Support class can instantly revive players using their support powerup.
Overall, this is a really fun game. The concept is really good and the game has potential. As one reviewer on Steam put it: "You can fight a T-Rex in a mech. That's all you need to know." However, I do have a few complaints. First off, the music is off. It sounds like it belongs in a calmer game like Zelda, not an action packed game like this. My other complaint is that it doesn't run nicely with older hardware. I have a 6 year old gaming PC that has been upgraded with a more modern graphics card (AMD Radeon 7750), and this game lags a lot. It just might be my single core computer not being able to handle it, but most other games run just fine (HAWKEN, JC2, NFS: Hot Pursuit...). I think this is the first game I have ever played where I had to turn down all the settings down to minimum to get decent performance. But as I said before, we are giving this game a handicap since it does rely on a pre-built game engine.
The Conclusion:
******* 7 stars out of 5.
The game has a nice concept with a lot of replayability. Granted it can lag sometimes and it has room for improvement in its soundtrack, but it's easy to look past that once you start playing it. You can get it for yourself through the Steam client (steampowered.com).
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Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
The game is developed by Spiral and is built on the Unreal Game Engine. Now before we proceed, we need to discuss game engines. Most big-name games (with the exception of Call of Duty), are built completely by scratch in code. However, when most games are starting out, they like to start with game engines. These "code frameworks" allow the game designer to build a decent game without worrying about getting swarmed with millions of lines of code. Now game engines do come with a major drawback. They tend to perform poorly on older hardware. The reason is game engines have lots of code libraries which can be used by the game designer to design their game, which takes up a lot of memory. This is why we are giving ORION a bit of a handicap in this review. And also because it's a relatively new(er) game.
Now on with the review. The game has no story in it. period. The game offers both solo and online multiplayer. You can set the multiplayer server to be Steam friends only, or public for the world to join. At the moment, multiplayer servers are limited to 5 active players (the rest are given the spectator role). Upon entering, you will be given the option of choosing between 3 different classes. There's the assault class, the support class, and the recon class. All of them have access to different powerups and weapons (more on that later). Once you choose your class, you will spawn either inside a building or just outside a building depending on the map. For the Survival and Conquest modes, you cannot do anything until you activate a generator located about 500-1000 ft away from your spawn. All buildings will be disabled until one player goes to activate it. The player who activates it will receive 100 credits. Once the generator is activated, players will have 60 seconds to buy new weapons and powerups. After the 60 seconds have expired, a horde of dinosaurs will appear and attempt to attack the generator to bring it offline. If the generator is offline for more that 5 minutes, all players lose the round. Players will have to use their weapons and powerups to defend the generator. If a player loses their shield and their health, they will enter a state where they move very slowly and can only use their pistol type weapon to fight. This is similar to when your player is "bleeding out" in Call of Duty. To be restored back to normal, you must either kill a certain number of dinosaurs (which is determined by the difficulty setting), cause a certain amount of damage to a larger dinosaur, or being revived by another player. Any player can revive a fallen teammate by holding a button for a few seconds. This does, however, make both players vulnerable to attacks from nearby dinosaurs. Players of the Support class can instantly revive players using their support powerup.
Overall, this is a really fun game. The concept is really good and the game has potential. As one reviewer on Steam put it: "You can fight a T-Rex in a mech. That's all you need to know." However, I do have a few complaints. First off, the music is off. It sounds like it belongs in a calmer game like Zelda, not an action packed game like this. My other complaint is that it doesn't run nicely with older hardware. I have a 6 year old gaming PC that has been upgraded with a more modern graphics card (AMD Radeon 7750), and this game lags a lot. It just might be my single core computer not being able to handle it, but most other games run just fine (HAWKEN, JC2, NFS: Hot Pursuit...). I think this is the first game I have ever played where I had to turn down all the settings down to minimum to get decent performance. But as I said before, we are giving this game a handicap since it does rely on a pre-built game engine.
The Conclusion:
******* 7 stars out of 5.
The game has a nice concept with a lot of replayability. Granted it can lag sometimes and it has room for improvement in its soundtrack, but it's easy to look past that once you start playing it. You can get it for yourself through the Steam client (steampowered.com).
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Game Corner - ORION: Dino Horde - Overview
This post is a game review on the game Orion: Dino Horde.
As far as this game goes, it is a great game. I would give it a 3.5 review. It has a lag you wouldn't believe, but you would have to lower all of the graphics settings so it runs perfect. This game supports keyboard and mouse, and the X-Box 360 Gamepad. I recommend playing online multiplayer because it gets boring on solo.
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Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
As far as this game goes, it is a great game. I would give it a 3.5 review. It has a lag you wouldn't believe, but you would have to lower all of the graphics settings so it runs perfect. This game supports keyboard and mouse, and the X-Box 360 Gamepad. I recommend playing online multiplayer because it gets boring on solo.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Tech Wars - Important announcement!
Welcome to Tech Wars! Every Tuesday and Thursday we take two or more tech services/products and put them side-by-side to see which one prevails. Follow us on Twitter (@allstuffnerdy) to get updates when a new Tech War comes out. To see more Tech Wars articles, click the "Tech Wars" link at the top of the page.
Hello blog readers. Unfortunately there is no Tech Wars article for today. The first reason being that the items we were going to review have not arrived yet, so we can't do a comparison without any real-world experience with the device/service. The second reason being we are a little stumped on ideas. If you have a great idea for our next Tech Wars article, just drop a comment below.
Hey blog readers! If you want to follow our meaningless updates, check out our pages here:
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/U9s2Ld
Twitter: Follow us @allstuffnerdy
Google+: https://www.google.com/+AllstuffnerdyBlogspot
If you have a business you would like us to mention at the beginning of a post, check out our gigs on Fiverr:
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Hello blog readers. Unfortunately there is no Tech Wars article for today. The first reason being that the items we were going to review have not arrived yet, so we can't do a comparison without any real-world experience with the device/service. The second reason being we are a little stumped on ideas. If you have a great idea for our next Tech Wars article, just drop a comment below.
Joshua: http://fiverr.com/armmaster17
Brandon: http://fiverr.com/maltzy
Spreadshirt: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
Check out our SpreadShirt shop for our awesome selection of geeky apparel. We offer Mens, Womens, and kid sizes of T-shirts, Long-sleeve shirts, and hoodies in addition to coffee mugs and more. Check out our store here: http://allstuffnerdy.spreadshirt.com
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