“The Million DJ March will express the history of the culture and show appreciation to the people that are truly the backbone of music and entertainment.”

Well that was the quote I originally read on the Web site. It has since been removed and the site has gone through two visual design changes as well.  I’m not sure if this speaks to the uncertainty some feel about this Aug. 28-30 event in Washington, D.C., but it does make me question if they are clear on the message they want to present to the world.

Along with the above changes, the event itself has moved from a 72- to 48-hour event, and given the schizophrenic nature of these changes, I encourage anyone interested to check the Web site often for updates.

But hey … nobody ever said DJs were stable. =)

One topic tossed about online in discussion of this event is unionization of this base industry.  Can you imagine unionized DJs?

“DJ embargo on!!!!”

The silence of Duff-Duff music might make some people happy, but what about those who love the original old-school Hip-Hop from the likes of Grandmaster Flash.  I can’t imagine Flash would ever go on strike and *not* spin the music he loves, especially for the fans that appreciate his skilz.  Not to mention there would probably be a revolt.  Led by… well… me. =)

Because like many, I do need my DJ fix on a regular basis.

A lot of “DJs” have received criticism lately, especially those who now spin CDs instead of vinyl.  And don’t even mention those DJs who are now showing up in the club spinning what’s loaded on their iPod’s.  iDJ’s get no respect from purists, at least not yet.

That said, if “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” it might take A Million DJ March to move things forward.  Power to the people, or DJs in this instance.  And as the World’s Famous Supreme Team said, “Hey DJ just play that song….”

Peace!!

There are a lot of laptop care tips on the Web, like this one from wikiHow.  Laptop care tips are nice, but are there any “show your love” tips?  Well, that’s what I’m talking about here, tender loving care of the hardware!

If you do an Internet search for laptop care tips, you’ll notice most are repeated.  I’ll avoid that and pass along a few tips that you may not have read, starting with the cosmetic care. Then we’ll move on to internal hardware.

Laptops are like cars in that it’s almost as important how it looks as how it works. There are two parts of a laptop that are seen first and tend to create the biggest visual impression: the keyboard and the LCD screen.  Next would be the top cover and then the outer chassis.

A micro-fiber cloth with a little bit of water will work fine for most clean-up jobs. But, what if the LCD has a year’s worth of pen ink, dried finger oil or tape and sticker residue?  The micro cloth may not get the job done.  Try lightly dampening an old but soft cotton t-shirt with water, and then add a little bit of alcohol (50% isopropyl alcohol).  I use a spray bottle with a 65% water and 35% alcohol mixture.  It’s very convenient to spray the mixture on a cloth.  Gently wipe the area that you want to clean, but do not rub.  I’ve made many LCD displays look brand new doing this. The difference is almost night and day.   Very important that you do not use household cleaners as most contain ammonia, which is very bad for LCDs and other parts!

There’s nothing wrong with using alcohol unless you’re personally sensitive to it health-wise!  This article from handstands.com says otherwise.  It is only a problem if you use 70% and above alcohol as it will take paint off any plastics.   You have to use common sense and moderation with any kind of cleaner.  It’s not a bad idea to use gloves and other safety equipment like a mask.

Here’s another situation that isn’t mentioned on the Internet, but happens to a lot of people.  It involves the little rubber bumpers around the LCD display, and on the bottom of the computer.  Normally you can contact the manufacturer and request replacement bumpers to be sent for free, if the computer is in warranty.  Bumpers protect the computer like roller bladers use pads.  If you love something you would want to protect it, right?  A quick fix for bumpers not sticking properly is using two-sided sticky tape.  It’s really fast and easy.  Just take the old sticky stuff off the bumper, and then place the bumper on the tape and cut the excess tape around it.  Then place the bumper on its correct chassis position and you’re back in business.

Now to the inside of the laptop. I strongly advise that you do not use compressed air to clean the inside.  Digital Inspiration has a video on how to properly use compressed air to clean your keyboard.  Compressed air can push debris further inside the computer.  Of course some does come out but let’s face it — it’s not an efficient way of cleaning a computer.  It’s more advantageous to suck out the debris. It’s also very important that the dust and debris be removed from where the cooling fans pull in air.  If you push or pull air in the same direction as the cooling fan flows, then the heat sink fins can’t unclog properly.  It is better to back flush air through the system.  Over at Notebook Review you can see how a laptop owner had a hard time cleaning the fan and heat sink.

I use a low-power vacuum (like a portable hand vac), which I position to pull air out where normally cooling air enters the computer during operation.  It works wonders if you do it right and it prevents having to breathe the dust that compressed air blows all over the place.  It’s very important that you do not use a high-power vacuum that can suck bark off a tree!  The inside cooling fan could be damaged.  A fan vac should not spin the cooling fan to excessive RPMs.  To be extra gentle, you can hold the fan still with a cotton swab.

Well, that is it for now.  I really hope that you discovered some ideas that will help you show some love to your laptop.  If you have any maintenance tips, please share with a comment. 

A word of warning to the wary: gaming culture can be a bit rough. Viewing the material in some of these links can cause sleepless nights, strained sensibilities, and a general feeling of anger and/or disgust to those with an aversion to strong language. Consider yourself warned.

On that note:

My attention was brought recently to an article on the Boston Globe’s Web site about gaming addiction. In the article, Dr. Jerald Block reveals that many people he counsels through this “disorder” are somehow more ashamed of spending too much time playing video games than those who come to him for counseling for a pornography addiction. Despite the overwhelming demographic data pointing to the fact that a seriously large portion of our population spends hours each week gaming, it’s somehow more socially acceptable to spend more time looking at pornography, according to the article. Dr. Block is trying to get excessive gaming, Internet usage, and text messaging included in the DSM-V as a psychological disorder. Reading this interview got me thinking about myself and other gamers I know. We’re all so different. Do we have a psychological disorder?

The other day as I was checking out purepwnage.com, between bursts of uncontrolled laughter at the stereotypical antics of Jeremy, the main character, I began to wonder again how much truth was actually in the stereotype his character lampooned. Who is your typical gamer in 2008? Was this elusive creature anything like the “pro gamer” character portrayed by Jarett Cale?  Did they relish “pwning n00bs” with their “leet micro” so much that it became a lifestyle?

I decided to do a little digging on my own. The first article I found was from eMarketer, and it revealed that several studies from various sources revealed the average gamer was somewhere between the ages of 18-49, and was slightly more likely to be male (62% male vs. 38% female). The study did note the more ‘hardcore’ the gamer was, the more likely the gamer was to be male. A statistic I found surprising (though I have no idea why) was that 1 out of every 4 gamers was above the age of 50. Most adults today have lived with this technology for years, as 69% of American “heads of household” play games, the average gamer being 33 years old and having gamed for 12 years (here).

According to various sources online, gamers make better surgeons, are better prepared to manage multinational corporations, are more likely to be qualified for IT positions, and make all-around better employees. Conversely, other online sources suggest that gaming turns children into hardened killers, slows brain development, make us more aggressive, and is probably addictive (check this article for some straight dope on some of these claims). The gamer is either loved or maligned, depending upon who you ask. Being an avid gamer myself, I would tend to agree with those who say the geek shall inherit the earth (I just had to throw that one in there).

So once again, who is your average gamer? It would appear that there isn’t really any such animal anymore. On the “fringe” you’ll find gamers like the pro “Frag Dolls” and the gamers listed in Game Lemons’ 2007 article “Top Ten Hottest Girl Gamers (who are actually gamers).” Since female gamers are actually more prevalent than most people believe, I predict more “female friendly” hardcore game titles are on the horizon (yes, GeekSugar, it will soon happen I’m sure). For all of you hardcore ladies looking for a new MMO, I highly recommend my fave, Eve-Online (yeah, I know I plug them a lot, but I’m obsessed!). It’s gender neutral, highly engaging, and VERY competitive. I introduced my gamer girlfriend to the game, and she is absolutely “addicted.”

Elsewhere on the “fringe,” you’ll find groups of gamers that cater to the gay and lesbian communities. One such site, gaymer.org, provides a place for gay and gay-friendly gamers to get together and get their game on. Gaming seems to be rather prevalent in the gay community, as a survey conducted by Jason Rockwood at www.gaymersurvey.org noted almost as many homosexual gamers as heterosexual, and this particular survey was blog-pimped by IGN.com. Like the “girl gamer,” the “gaymer” isn’t as uncommon as many would tend to believe.

In my search for “Joe Average Gamer,” I did run across a Web site that broke almost every gamer stereotype I’ve ever seen, and for this, I love it. Enter Old Grandma Hardcore, the online matriarch of competitive gaming. As noted in the blog description (the blog is written by her grandson Tim), she is …”the video-game playing queen of her age-bracket and weight class. She will beat any PS2, XBox, GameCube, etc., console game put in front of her, just like she always has. These are her stories. She is absolutely real. She lives in Cleveland.”  This little lady recently screamed through Call of Duty 4 single player on VETERAN’S MODE, albeit probably with a profuse amount of cussing. Grandma, you break the mold, and you’ve won a new fan… errr… reader!

I would say that there’s nothing to be ashamed of. If you like to game, rest assured that you’re among a large group of very diverse people. Gamers are everywhere, and as immersive and advanced as gaming technology is becoming, there are only going to be more of us as time goes on, from every walk of life. As Grandma would say, “Game on, (expletive removed)!”

A number of you have asked for Linux tips on Your Blog. So with a tip of the hat, I’m pleased to pass along a nugget submitted by community member aikiwolfie:

A quick and very simple way to get web cams working in Ubuntu is to install a Gnome application called Cheese. Installation is very simple.

1. Open a terminal window.
2. Type sudo apt-get install cheese
3. Let the installer run and that’s it.

This works for Ubuntu 7.10 and 8.04. I’m not sure about earlier versions. But it won’t hurt to try it.

It’s easy to submit a personal technology tip or an idea for a Your Blog post. Just type your thoughts in the “Idea Submission” box in the upper right corner of Your Blog.

BTW, worth mentioning, for clarity, that if you have an idea related to *improving* Dell products or services, the best way to let us know is to post on the IdeaStorm site.

Error Message: Your files are corrupt.

“What? My files? My photos? My documents for work? My whole world? Corrupt? What do you mean c-o-r-r-u-p-t? AAAARGH!!! ”

If you have experienced this error message when putting in your USD stick, you know the fear and drama that undoubtedly ensues when the thought of losing everything sets in. A common reason USB sticks fail is because the CF connection gets worn or dirty. With most USB sticks having a retractable design and coming with a key chain ring for adding to external locations, it’s no wonder they get corrupted as often as they do.

Geek Sugar found a very creative and stylish solution for protecting your USD sticks. The MoMA Store features Giorgio Fedon Mignon cases as being used to hold small items including coins, vitamins, jewelry, USB sticks and more. They come in four stylish colors, are made in Italy of aluminum and PVC with a cotton base and sell for just under $15 USD.

Rather than throwing your USB sticks into the bottom of your bag (GUILTY!), junk drawer or hanging it on your purse or key chain, this is a nice simple way to keep chic and minimize the risk of corrupted sticks.

How do you carry and protect your USB cards? Looking forward to your comments and thoughts.

I wasn’t always an online terror. Many years ago, I was content to kill computer controlled pixels, completely divorced from any “real consequences.” I didn’t know the joy of player-versus-player combat. I had never read the exhilarating “smack talk” on my computer screen from opponents whose real location I could only guess about, or opened an e-mail from a victim threatening eventual revenge in a virtual world.

Eight years ago I responded to a friend’s invitation which would change that forever. Jeff had several computers at his house networked together and a cable connection, a commodity much rarer in 2000 than it is today. It was through him I discovered a treasure that would forever change my gaming world: Battle.net. Jeff introduced me to my first online game. That game was Diablo.

It was a shock at first seeing other players in dungeons flinging spells and arrows at each other. I was a complete n00b, and within moments of my initiation into this strange realm, an online adept was slinging “hacked” gear to me so that I could join him on his murderous player-hunting rampage. Despite the gifts given me by my new online friend, I died: HORRIBLY. I was hooked.

Several weeks later, I found myself again at Jeff’s apartment, this time to be introduced to a game that would capture my attention for well over a year: Diablo II. He and I played on his LAN at first, and for hours, we teamed together to defeat the evil hordes the game generated in randomly spawned environments. The day quickly succumbed to evening, and eventually, it was time for me to leave. I came back for more a few days later.

Within a few weeks, I was online at home, playing Diablo II at my leisure. After getting the expansion, Lord of Destruction, I quickly discovered “hardcore mode,” where character death was permanent, and was again quickly victimized by older denizens due to my inexperience. A few weeks later, after learning a few of their tricks, I had formed an alliance with several other players, and we embarked on our adventures together, finding ways to virtually murder the hapless. This continued for many months until I discovered the beta for Lineage II and continued my online rampage there.

Rumors of the development of Diablo II’s sequel were alive even in 2001, fueled by the hopes of the faithful Diablo players who even then were salivating for the next chapter in the epic story Blizzard had created. Last Saturday Blizzard finally made an announcement that many of us have been awaiting for eight to 10 years.  Diablo III is finally coming!

When I read the announcement, I was elated! As you can see from the cinematic trailer, this new installment in the Diablo universe promises to be every bit as dark and brutal as its predecessors.

Thank you, Blizzard, for introducing me to the wonderful world of PvP. My gaming existence would have been much less colorful without you. Thank you for agreeing to continue the franchise that started me on this journey. What to do now? I think I am going to pick up the Diablo Battle Chest and walk down memory lane to rekindle an old flame. See you online!

With the average price of gas well above $4/gallon (and closing in on $5), the cost of getting lost or wasting time looking for an address is at a historical high — and the return on investment of a good GPS system gets more attractive. Great deals make these cunning devices even more attractive.

With favorable notice from ZDNet and Crave on its unique features — and a limited-time promo dropping the price to $199.99 — the Navigon 5100 might be a great choice for digital nomads.

For me the most intriguing differentiators are:

• Free (no monthly fee) traffic updates.
• Lane change, speed and photo-realistic views of complex intersections (forewarned is forearmed), and
• Zagat ratings and reviews (for driving directly to that new place you heard about instead of circling around an unfamiliar neighborhood – not that I’ve ever done that).

Dell is launching a premium 24×7 warranty service called “Your Tech Team.” It’s the result of customer feedback on IdeaStorm and elsewhere, plus experience we’ve gained with a 30,000-customer pilot project in the New York metropolitan area.

The idea behind “Your Tech Team” is to offer consumers a one-stop, $99 option for all their Dell support needs. For details, recommend you check out Laura Bosworth’s post on Direct2Dell.

First off, in the interest of full disclosure, let me say – I like Windows Vista. However, one company can only do so much to ensure a smooth migration from one operating system to another for billions of computer configurations. We’re talking about being compatible with both software and hardware from the past two decades.

For example, my three year old uses an ancient (but small footprint) all-in-one computer. The computer is almost eight years old, but runs Vista well.  However, the two-year-old wireless network card didn’t have a Vista driver available.  I did eventually find one on the Korean version of D-Link’s Web site.  Somehow, I doubt this is Microsoft’s fault that it wasn’t readily available.

However, the Vista issues with software compatibility are another matter. While most of my Windows XP software runs just fine, that isn’t always the case. For a complete list of legacy software Microsoft has tested and certified for Vista, you should check out this Web page. I’d prefer not to setup a new PC, just for purposes of restoring an old backup or performing a numerical calculation on a pervious tax software package.

In this situation, Microsoft Virtual PC is a lifesaver. Computer virtualization is the white-hot field of having a complete, indistinguishable virtual computer (of any operating system) running on the physical computer under your desk. With Microsoft Virtual PC, your Windows Vista PC can run Windows XP without any appreciable slowdown. With Windows XP in a virtual PC consuming the whole screen, there is no way to visually determine Windows Vista as the true operating system installed. The virtual PC even connects to the network as a regular PC. 

My Vista PC running a Windows XP virtual PC within it.

Businesses use virtualization, for many reasons. The most obvious being, there are less pieces of equipment to purchase, organize and replace. This is eco-friendly, as idle virtual servers running on a single box take less energy. Quality Assurance teams like this, because they can quickly set up and remove a test environment without a lot of work.

A virtual PC is typically saved as a single file on the host computer. Microsoft has even started allowing entire downloads of virtual machines for software evaluations. This allows businesses to evaluate complex software installations in minutes, without modifying their network or servers.

Likewise, for the hobbyist at home, Virtual PC is a great place to install trial software. If you don’t like it, delete the Virtual PC. In this case, there is no chance of hosing your true desktop system or having your system changed. A list of my Virtual PCs can be seen below. 

My Vista machine has two virtual Windows XP machines. I test software on the temporary machine, and keep a fresh Windows XP installation around to start over with.

You can download Virtual PC 2007 free of charge from Microsoft’s web site. The download size is a mere 35 MBytes. There are alternatives to Microsoft’s software. VMware is Microsoft’s primary competitor, they also offer a free (but more limited) virtualization product. Likewise, they provide many Linux virtual machines with software preinstalled to evaluate.

Do you still have a copy of Windows XP on DVD? You may be installing it sooner than you think.

When I order the banana split at the local ice cream parlor, I’m under the impression that I’m getting the three scoops of ice cream, sliced banana, hot fudge, chopped nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top. With my purchase, I expect the works. Some PC- and console-game manufacturers are starting to see my ice cream purchase differently. For a base price, I can get the ice cream and banana. If I want to enhance the banana split, I can purchase additional toppings and customize my frozen treat. The same theory applies to microtransactions.

What started as a hot trend in the Asian PC gaming market has turned into a global gaming movement toward microtransactions invading most mainstream platforms, including XBOX 360, PS3 and the Nintendo’s Wii. Customers are paying a reduced amount for the basic game (or in some cases, getting it free) and are being charged for optional add-on content, such as new levels, weapons or avatar upgrades.

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion was the first game to introduce microtransactions, and customers had trouble understanding why they needed to purchase more game features to prevent characters from dying. While not all games are reliant upon microtransactions for domination, most new games are offering some form of after-purchase special. One subtle microtransaction is to purchase the suped-up “Gold” or “Special Edition” versions of the game, usually with a few extra levels or characters than the original version. Luckily for traditional gamers, some manufacturers, like Blizzard, are trying to buck the trend.

While microtransactions are catching on with casual gamers in Asia, Western gamers aren’t buying into the new business model. Most North American and European gamers see the extra charges as an annoyance. For games that rely wholly on add-ons, customers aren’t used to being nickel-and-dimed in order to achieve the best gaming experience when their favorites traditionally have been offered in a nice gaming package. Until manufacturers figure out a happy-medium, perhaps microtransactions need to make like a banana…