Ever notice how, whenever someone begins a sentence with the words, “no offense, but…” they will invariably proceed to say something that can only be taken offensively? Thanks for the warning, but…

Here are some of the things on LockerGnome.com and in our live YouTube stream that we chatted about today.

Are You Seeing Ads on Wikipedia? It Could Be Malware

The extension you installed on your browser could be injecting ads into your favorite websites — even the ones that never feature advertising at all. This discovery led to a blog post by Philippe Beaudette of Wikipedia explaining that any appearance of advertisements on the site may be the result of ad-injecting malware installed on your system. So how do you know if you’ve been infected with malware? Well, sometimes it’s as simple as checking the extensions installed on your browser. Other times, finding and removing malware on your system could be a lot like pulling teeth. You have to know exactly where to look for it, and how to pull it without causing damage to other important components of your system.

Give Yourself a Charge with the New Silicon Power Cell

Knowing how frustrating this is to travelers as well as others who are dependent on their device for business or entertainment, the folks at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and MTL (Microsystems Technology Laboratory) have taken steps to produce a new product, called Silicon Power Cell. This product, approximately the size of a thick cell phone, is really a little portable fuel cell that produces a whopping amount of juice. Using butane as its fuel, this device is actually the size of a cigarette lighter and has the advantage of allowing the fuel to be replaced by the user.

Geeky High School Graduate Gift Ideas

So, your teen is about to cross the platform, accept their diploma, and head out into either the working world or college. Choosing the perfect gift for your graduate can be a tricky task. After all, what do you give someone who’s heading off into the world for the first time? Well, we have a list of seven excellent geeky graduate gifts that are sure to be incredibly useful. Whether your teen is heading off to their first year of college, planning to move out to their first bachelor pad away from home, or simply hanging around the house a bit longer, there are a number of cool gadgets you can reward them with for having survived the madhouse we know as high school.

Raspberry Pi: Will You Take a Byte?

As one of the most unique and exciting products to be released this year, the Raspberry Pi has certainly gained a lot of interest. While the original purpose for the development of the Raspberry Pi was to provide an affordable device for British kids to learn about computer programming, it has now become so popular that the demand for the device is greater than the supply. Over 350,000 pre-orders have been made thus far, while over 4000 Pis have already been shipped to addresses all around the world. Let’s take a close look at the Raspberry Pi and whether or not it is worth purchasing.

10 Tips for New Players in Minecraft

A Gnomie recently bought Minecraft and asked for some tips in the Gnomies Facebook group, so I pointed them in Scotsman John McKinlay’s direction. Since there are many people who buy Minecraft and then have no idea what, where, or how to start with the game, he figured he may as well share these tips with the community at large.

Five Geeky Gift Ideas for iPhone Owners

Do you know a geeky iPhone owner? Finding a gift for someone who appears to have everything is a really difficult thing to do. Gift giving is quite possibly one of the most stressful social situations we as a culture put ourselves in, and locating just the right gift for a geek can be even more difficult. Cases aside, what do you get the iPhone owner in your life? Here are some suggestions that might help you out.

Leveraging the Millennials in Your Business

With a multigenerational gap in work habits now brewing between baby boomers and millennials, it’s imperative that IT leaders leverage the unique strengths of this new generation through effective leadership and engagement. Attend this interactive webinar with Paul Glen of LeadingGeeks and Chris Pirillo (that’s me!) of LockerGnome to learn: The generational differences in IT, perspectives of an IT leader versus an IT user, how effective leadership generates greater revenue, and more…

Pirillo Vlog 023 — Adults of the Corn

It seems that I grew up to be exactly what my high school nemeses said I would be: a geek. But where that expression was once a badge of shame, it now seems to encapsulate who I am rather than set me apart (in a negative way, anyway) from others. Bullies lack foresight, it would seem. I’m fine with who I am now, but mean kids will be mean kids — so it’s always been, and so it probably always will be. The key is to persevere in spite of the doubt that others might try and cast on your self esteem. If that’s your situation now, just hang in there. I know it sounds corny, but you’ll prevail if you believe in yourself.

Back Link of the Day

Thanks to Morgan Andrews of SimpleBotics for linking to LockerGnome in a conversation about practical robots in the home! If you’d like to be mentioned as a Back Link of the Day, link to one of our posts on LockerGnome.com from your site and — this is the important part — tell us about it!

Feel bad because you missed out on today’s live TLDR? Don’t despair! Join us live tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Pacific for the next edition of The LockerGnome Daily Report!

No Offense, But…

It seems that I grew up to be exactly what my high school nemeses said I would be: a geek. But where that expression was once a badge of shame, it now seems to encapsulate who I am rather than set me apart (in a negative way, anyway) from others. Bullies lack foresight, it would seem. I’m fine with who I am now, but mean kids will be mean kids — so it’s always been, and so it probably always will be. The key is to persevere in spite of the doubt that others might try to cast on your self-esteem. If that’s your situation now, just hang in there. I know it sounds corny, but you’ll prevail if you believe in yourself.

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Geek Done Good

What happens when your Web 2.0 standbys go by the wayside and years of your creative content suddenly disappears? Is Humantenna a new Microsoft project, or a bad Syfy network movie of the week? Is Sweden a Viking Dystopia? Do you know how to get Adobe Creative Master Suite for $49? What’s better for video: DSLR cameras or HD camcorders? Is there any excuse for getting all of your news from one source nowadays? Are you a grown adult who likes to blow off some steam on the playground every now and again? Want to try GoToAssist free for 30 days?

Here are some of the things on LockerGnome.com and in our live YouTube stream that we chatted about today.

TwoFruitsOneRobot introduces go! Travel South Africa app and a Real Reviews section.

Our friends at Two Fruits One Robot are at it again as they introduce the new go! Travel South Africa app and a Real Reviews section into the site’s repertoire. Do you use a BlackBerry, iOS, or Android mobile device? Then Two Fruits One Robot should have something to inform and entertain you!

Microsoft’s Humantenna: the Next Big Thing in Gaming?

t should be no surprise that the gaming industry is growing every day as it attracts new types of gamers and programmers from every walk of life and mainstream media coverage upon the release of hotly anticipated games becomes more commonplace. But the games themselves aren’t always the center of attention as new ways of controlling these games are discovered and we invite higher and higher tech into our homes where buttons and joysticks once sufficed. Microsoft is working on a thing it calls the Humantenna — is this the next big thing in gaming?

Online Privacy: Is Sweden a Dystopia?

What is a dystopia? It is usually an imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. In Sweden, every citizen is a number inside a computer, literally. A scenario like in the film THX 1138 is pretty much what exists in Sweden today — the only difference being that the film takes this concept to an extreme. But is modern-day Sweden a dystopia when it comes to privacy — online and otherwise?

How to Get the Adobe Creative Master Suite for $49

Thanks to Adobe releasing subscription-based access to its Creative Master Suite for a relatively low monthly fee, short projects or off-and-on necessity could make it possible for you to pay for just the time you use the program rather than having to drop hundreds of dollars for something you might use for a few months, or even just a year. So you could either pay full retail price for just the products you need, save some money and purchase them in a suite bundled with other complementary programs, or subscribe to the software you need as you need it. Here’s how to get the Adobe Creative Master Suite for $49.

Why Web 1.0 Needs to Make a Comeback

Web 2.0 has brought a lot to our big, bright Internet, but at what cost? Corporations pretty much control most of the content that goes back and forth, and backing up our creative expressions — from images to writing and beyond — seems to be a habit that a lot of us have fallen out of. Why worry about all of that content that’s up there today when it’ll still be there tomorrow, right? Well, that could be a problem if a company holding such content goes bankrupt and disappears one day, or its servers get hacked, or some major catastrophe destroys the data center? Then it’s all gone, daddy, gone. Here’s why Eddie Ringle thinks that Web 1.0 needs to make a comeback.

DSLR Cameras Vs. HD Camcorders for Video

Recently, Matt Ryan has found himself scouting around for a new prosumer video camera in hopes of finding something that is capable of capturing excellent video, above-average audio, and all with as little rolling shutter and moiré issues as possible. To his surprise, I discovered that HD camcorders are not the only big kids on the block in terms of video production. Where HD camcorders may still have some advantages, there is no question that the debate is becoming less about the shortcomings from one platform to another, but the advantages. Here, he pits DSLR cameras vs. HD camcorders for video.

How I Consume the News (Without the Television)

Not long ago, we pretty much had to feast on whatever the major networks wanted to feed us as “news” because we only had the passive theater of television and radio to bring it to us. Thanks to the proliferation of the Internet, however, we pretty much have no excuse if we settle for less as presented by one media outlet — we always have the choice to find better. Eddie Ringle, as young as he is, still remembers being at the mercy of the evening news via television, and he tells us how he gets his news without one now.

Pirillo Vlog 022 — Join us on the Playground

Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon? Is the new Mission Impossible movie a chick flick? Do you ever use your phone’s camera to prove that the store is out of something that your significant other wants? Are you in the rabbit habit? Have you ever ridden a seesaw sidesaddle? Is drinking wine from a box in a plastic cup with a straw the epitome of high class living? Are you strong to the finish ’cause you eat your spinach? Pirillo Vlog 022 has all the answers — and more!

Back Link of the Day

Thanks to WebDunnRight.com for linking back to our LockerGnome post about the legality of the Hackintosh! If you’d like to be mentioned as a Back Link of the Day, link to one of our posts on LockerGnome.com from your site and — this is the important part — tell us about it!

Feel bad because you missed out on today’s live TLDR? Don’t despair! Join us live tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Pacific for the next edition of The LockerGnome Daily Report!

Dystopian Viking Playground

Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?

Is the new Mission Impossible movie a chick flick?

Do you ever use your phone’s camera to prove that the store is out of something that your significant other wants?

Are you in the rabbit habit?

Have you ever ridden a seesaw sidesaddle?

Is drinking wine from a box in a plastic cup with a straw the epitome of high class living?

Are you strong to the finish ’cause you eat your spinach?

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Swinging is Disorienting

Can you lose weight on a dinner cruise? Could Cold War spy tech keep us networking in the absence of an Internet? Are your email contacts compromised? Will you like the updated Google OS? Why is shopping online better than shopping offline? What the heck was that thing on my lip last week? Can you run your car on orange juice? Is there anything you’d rather be doing than playing ocarina up and down the square?

Here are some of the things on LockerGnome.com and in our live YouTube stream that we chatted about today.

Open Source Weight Loss Week 1: the Rollercoaster

Recently, LockerGnome’s Matt Ryan embarked on a program that he calls Open Source Weight Loss (OSWL), whereby he shares every detail about his attempts to achieve his ideal weight and invites you to share your tips and similar efforts along the way. This was his first week, and he gives us an account of how he fared. Did you know that it’s typical to actually gain a few pounds at the beginning of such a regimen? This shouldn’t be discouraging, though, and he’ll tell you why in Open Source Weight Loss Week 1: the Rollercoaster.

Dead Drops Offer Global Offline Anonymous File Sharing Network

USB dead drops are a modern take on an old spy practice of dropping a message in an inconspicuous location known only to the two agents involved in the information exchange. With this project, started by Aram Bartholl in 2010, the information is being exchanged electronically by way of a hidden USB flash drive located in a public place. Because USB flash drives are fairly small, these can be difficult to find if you’re not looking for them. Here’s how USB dead drops can be used for anonymous file sharing if the Internet ever gets shut down or censored beyond comprehension.

Compromised Contacts Can Cause Confusion

When your email contacts list goes astray and gets polluted with bad links that can infect others with malware and viruses, it’s time to take a look at what can be done to clean house — and keep it clean. But as we all know, the bad guys are always one step ahead, and methods to solve the madness need to similarly adapt or else fall by the wayside as useless solutions. As Sherman DeForest tells us, compromised contacts can cause confusion; what can we do about it?

Updated Google OS: Why You Will Like It

Recently, LockerGnome’s Ron Schenone wrote about how the new Google Chrome OS seemed like an admission of a mistake. Now, with Google’s change of heart, he’s had one of his own. Find out why he believes that you will like the updated Google OS, and what you can expect from this bright, shiny, new thing.

10 Favorite Music Creation Apps for iPhone and iPad

Whether you play ocarina in the town square for fun or profit, or just like to make noise with gadgets, Scotsman and music aficianado John McKinlay gives us his favorite 10 music creation apps for the iPhone and iPad so that you can be equally enamored of them. Unless you’re one of those “serious” types. But if that’s the case, would you have even gotten to this part of the page? Hmmm?

Five Reasons to Shop Online

Online shopping has grown in popularity over the years due to its various advantages and benefits over traditional shopping at brick and mortar establishments. Matt Ryan’s recent LockerGnome article about pushy salespeople exposes a major disadvantage in shopping at conventional stores, particularly ones that specialize in technology. We all know the frustration and annoyance felt when regularly being pestered by a salesman who will just not take a hint. A considerable amount of time and money can be saved by doing your shopping online. Here is a list of five advantages of shopping online.

Pirillo Vlog 019 – Mystery of the Lip Thing

In this installment of the Pirillo Vlog, we had egg on our faces, mini-donuts in our hearts, and aliens (or possibly bug bites) on our lips. Well, just on my lips. Lip. Singular. This was the reason I had to postpone TLDR the other day — I didn’t want to infect the audience with whatever weird cooties I’d picked up on a recent excursion to Mars. Or Starbucks. One of those places. Join us as we try to solve the mystery of the lip thing!

Pirillo Vlog 020 – Join Us for a Free Midnight Snack!

If my Prius ran on orange juice, I could get 99.9 miles per gallon (according to recent readings). Since orange juice is now cheaper than gasoline, I’d really like to see if this can be done. Any inventor types out there want to get a Kickstarter project for an orange juice engine going?

Pirillo Vlog 021 – We’re on a Boat!

In this edition of the Pirillo Vlog, we peruse a farmer’s market (presumably to buy some farmers, though we just sampled a few on this visit), I get a whole bunch of LEGO (surprise, surprise), and Diana takes her first boat ride, ever! First impression? “Eww, it stinks!” It got better…

Back Link of the Day

Thanks to Vytautas Girdzijauskas (wish me luck on me pronouncing that correctly) of Neliberaliai for mentioning a recent LockerGnome post by new contributor Maximilian Majewski about where inspiration for writing can be found! If you’d like to be mentioned as a Back Link of the Day, link to one of our posts on LockerGnome.com from your site and — this is the important part — tell us about it!

Feel bad because you missed out on today’s live TLDR? Don’t despair! Join us live tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Pacific for the next edition of The LockerGnome Daily Report!

Ocarina Rollercoasters and Unpronounceable Boat Trips

In this edition of the Pirillo Vlog, we peruse a farmer’s market (presumably to buy some farmers, though we just sampled a few on this visit), I get a whole bunch of LEGO (surprise, surprise), and Diana takes her first boat ride, ever!

First impression? “Eww, it stinks!”

It got better…

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Motion in the Ocean

Orange juice, orange juice, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.

If my Prius ran on orange juice, I could get 99.9 miles per gallon (according to recent readings). Since orange juice is now cheaper than gasoline, I’d really like to see if this can be done. Any inventor types out there want to get a Kickstarter project for an orange juice engine going?

My own personal Pirillo engine still runs best on grape juice. You know what I’m talking about. Nudge, nudge? Wink, wink?

In any case, please don’t wave your beefstick in my general direction. Not even after midnight!

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Orange Juice is Cheaper Than Gas

In today’s installment of the Pirillo Vlog, we had egg on our faces, mini-donuts in our hearts, and aliens (or possibly bug bites) on our lips. Well, just on my lips. Lip. Singular. This was the reason I had to postpone TLDR the other day — I didn’t want to infect the audience with whatever weird cooties I’d picked up on a recent excursion to Mars. Or Starbucks. One of those places.

As it turns out, the thing came and went in the span of a half hour. While grateful it wasn’t something that decided to stick around for longer, it’s still a complete mystery as to what caused it. It could have been a bug bite, I suppose, but I’m not sure how an insect or arachnid landed on the one part of my anatomy that’s in constant motion.

Oh! And I also got a new LEGO set, courtesy of community member Julian. Want to see it? Tune in to this video!

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Allergic Lips Sink Chips

Hooray! Things went mostly as planned today! No weird allergic reactions to dust or space aliens or who-knows-what that made yesterday’s TLDR “unpossible” at its regularly scheduled time. On top of that, it’s Date Night! Not a bad way to top off the week, I daresay.

Here are some of the things on LockerGnome.com and in our live YouTube stream that we chatted about today.

Do You Need to Own a Suit to Work in Technology?

Do you think Mark Zuckerberg would wear a hoodie if Facebook targeted the business professional over students and alumni? Would Steve Jobs still have worn a turtle neck and jeans if Apple made medical supplies or software intended specifically for use in law offices? One can only guess what those answers might be. Since most of the people reading this are probably not CEOs running multi-million (or billion) dollar companies, we might wonder if you still need to own a suit to work in technology.

Logical Political Decisions: Oxymoron?

Is the concept of logical political decisions an oxymoron? Part of what prompted this piece was hearing arguments on NPR radio about a store in the city that wants to add alcohol to its sales. Opponents say there are already many bars and liquor stores in the neighborhood; we do not need another because they just breed illegal activity. The proponents argue that since there are already many sources of alcohol in the neighborhood, adding one more will not make any difference in the crime rate. Same data: different conclusions. Go figure.

Pushy Third-party Salespeople in Electronics Stores Need to Go

LockerGnome’s Matt Ryan really doesn’t want to be “that guy” who’s known for giving bad reviews about retailers or tech businesses. He loves his weekly trips to Fry’s and Best Buy because it allows him to see what geeks and non-geeks alike are being exposed to in the retail world. What products are being pushed right now, and what appears to be selling the most? But he’s pretty much had it with third-party salespeople at Best Buy. If he has one more pushy Clear representative stop him and his wife as they attempt to make a quick purchase, he’s apt to just quit going to Best Buy entirely. Here’s why pushy third-party salespeople in electronics stores need to go. Away.

Gilgamesh and Open Source Filmmaking

The Tube Open Movie is a Kickstarter-funded project that’s inspired by the expiration poem of Gilgamesh, and is an experiment in distributed collaboration. The idea is that the film itself — and all of its properties — are open sourced so that anyone with a mind to can modify and experiment with it. Think that big, corporate-owned Hollywood movie studios would ever do something like this? Not in this day and age! Want to know a little more about this unique project? Here’s a post about Gilgamesh and open source filmmaking.

Diablo III: 12 Years In The Making

For the benefit of those who haven’t played Diablo or Diablo II, Diablo III is an action-packed role-playing game that combines elements of the hack and slash genre. The highly anticipated release of Diablo III is imminent. It has been twelve years since Diablo II was released, yet to this day there are still people playing it. This speaks volumes on the longevity and detail of the games in the Diablo franchise. Gamers have high expectations for Diablo III and, considering the fact that it has taken 12 years for the sequel to be released, fans wouldn’t be too forgiving if the game slips up in the slightest. Here is a brief rundown of what’s to come in Diablo III.

The Science of Momentum in Portal 2

Gnomies John McKinlay and Kat Shaw have been creating Portal 2 test chambers that are as “devilishly deadly and difficult as possible.” But one thing they’ve been trying to figure out is the science of momentum as played out by the game’s physics, so they’ve been running some tests. If you want to play one of their evil test chambers and maybe help them out with some calculations, you should read about the science of momentum in Portal 2.

Pirillo Vlog: Stepping Outside of Our Mental Boxes

Believe it or not, I actually do have interests outside of the tech realm (though, admittedly, I do often find ways to merge them with tech); once in a while, I may share them with you. You may not agree with me, and that’s fine, but if it actually offends you when I mention something not related to tech or overall geekery, try and be patient — with yourself as well as me — because we’re all really just trying to step outside of our mental boxes from time to time, aren’t we?

Back Link of the Day

Recent back links probably exist, but no one’s been telling us about ‘em lately. Have you blogged about something you found on LockerGnome and linked back to us? You’ve got to tell us about it so that we can feature it here!

Feel bad because you missed out on today’s live TLDR? Don’t despair! Join us live on Monday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific for the next edition of The LockerGnome Daily Report!

Date Night is Great Night

What do you do for a living? Whether you’re a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, or someone in between, you likely have thoughts and opinions about things that are outside the realm of whatever it is that brings home the bacon (Mmmm, bacon!), right?

Believe it or not, I actually do have interests outside of the tech realm (though, admittedly, I do often find ways to merge them with tech); once in a while, I may share them with you. You may not agree with me, and that’s fine, but if it actually offends you when I mention something not related to tech or overall geekery, try and be patient — with yourself as well as me — because we’re all really just trying to step outside of our mental boxes from time to time, aren’t we?

Just because your profession happens to center around one thing — and other people may not expect you to stray far from that paradigm — doesn’t mean that you should feel confined to it. I’d like to be among those who would encourage you to step outside of that stifling comfort zone every now and again to experience something different from life whenever you can. Perhaps you’ll be among those who would, likewise, encourage me to do the same?

Speaking of which… let’s live life! Here’s a little piece of ours.

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Stepping Outside of Our Mental Boxes

No TLDR today, because I had a sudden attack of the Thursdays. Sorry, folks! Diana worked hard to keep me safe from its ravages, so we’re hoping to be able to proceed with our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.

And as long as I can avoid coming down with the Saturday Night Fever this weekend, all should be well.

Here’s what we talked about on LockerGnome.com today:

Abraham Lincoln Invented Facebook, and Other Popular Hoaxes

In his blog post dated May 8, 2012, Nate St. Pierre told a story about how he came across a patent filed by Abraham Lincoln in 1845. St. Pierre described the patent application as being a single-sided newspaper that featured a single individual complete with a photo in the upper-left corner, basic information, quick status update-styled blurbs, and a series of longer stories written to reflect personal experiences from Honest Abe, himself. But did Abraham Lincoln really create Facebook? Being a savvy LockerGnome reader, you probably don’t need Snopes to tell you that this was a hoax, yet some major “real” news sources picked up the story and ran with it.

Five Reasons to Play Tabletop Role-playing Games

It would seem that, with the proliferation of computer games based on popular pen and paper platforms like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Cyberpunk, and others, the days of playing these games in person with friends are coming to a close. Bags of 20-sided dice, stacks of resource books and handwritten notes, and worn battle mats are becoming less commonly associated with gaming as titles such as Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and World of Warcraft have moved in and put the old style of gameplay to rest. But we think that’s a sad thing, and here are five reasons to play tabletop role-playing games!

Informed Consent: if Your PC Breaks, It’s Your Fault

For Windows to operate without catching a virus, it needs an anti-virus program that will catch a bug before it makes itself at home on your computer. Knowing that, LockerGnome’s Ron Schenone is always looking for information on new anti-virus programs. It was while he was in one such search process that a commentary, written by William S. Platt in a recent issue of MSDN magazine, caught his attention. In the article, Mr. Platt describes his recent experience with Norton Internet Security and his interpretation of what he describes as implied consent.

The Advantages of Being Polylingual

Nad Saesneg yw fy iaith gyntaf, ac eto mae’n fy iaith o ddewis wrth ysgrifennu. Dros y blynyddoedd, drwy brifysgol a chwilfrydedd personol, rwyf wedi dod i werthfawrogi cymhlethdodau yr iaith Saesneg. Unrhyw iaith, wrth gwrs, ei nodweddion arbennig ei hun. Nid yw pwnc yr erthygl hon yw frolio bod llawer o ieithoedd gwybod yn well, ond yn hytrach i ymhelaethu ar harddwch o allu cyfathrebu â’r byd.

How to Create Your Own Portal 2 Test Chambers

Today, Portal 2 received a free update that allows players to design their own tests for other Portal fans to enjoy. You can build your own deadly chambers complete with traps and seemingly impossible puzzles that other players can attempt to solve. Here’s how to create your own Portal 2 test chambers.

Five Reasons to Switch to a Hybrid Car

With rising fuel costs and concerns for the environment as high as ever, the time has never been more right to switch to a hybrid car. Hybrid vehicles are powered with a combination of gas and electricity to reduce fuel consumption and limit emissions. Through the use of electricity, hybrids significantly reduce the amount of gas needed to power a car. It is a common misconception that hybrid vehicles do not offer the same performance as conventional cars. Once it’s understood how hybrid cars work, it is clear that hybrids are capable of providing the same level of performance as standard vehicles. Here are just five reasons to switch to a hybrid car.

Back Link of the Day

Thanks to John Gordon of Technology Droids for linking back to LockerGnome in a discussion about why social media is important to building a good business! If you’d like to be mentioned as a Back Link of the Day, link to one of our posts on LockerGnome.com from your site and — this is the important part — tell us about it!

Pirillo Vlogs

You want ‘em? We got ‘em! Hot off the ‘Tubes!

• Pirillo Vlog 016 — Smoothie Operator
• Pirillo Vlog 017 — The Free Popcorn Avengers

Knocking on wood, we should be good to go with a new TLDR tomorrow! Join us live at 3:00 p.m. Pacific for the next edition of The LockerGnome Daily Report!

Millard Fillmore Invented Snopes

Is this what a vlog should be? Or are we doing it wrong?

Are kiwis better than peaches?

What do you want out of TLDR? Should it be longer? Shorter?

Did you know that tape dispensers could be cute?

If some of your soybeans are tougher than others, go cry to your edamame.

Oh! This just in: Diana eats squirrel brains. Or does she? You’ll have to watch this video to find out…

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Are We Doing It Wrong?

People say that I have a high-pitched voice, but in today’s TLDR, I showed ‘em just how high my voice could get. Glass shattered, puppies howled, neighbors phoned the police, and Diana told me to shut the hell up. Mission accomplished!

You say you weren’t able to tune in? It’s okay. It just gives me more time to practice my high-pitched lady voice for next time around. It ain’t over ’til the bespectacled lady-voiced guy sings. Registered Gnomies get special filtering software to avoid the hardships of resultant hearing loss.

Here are some of the things on LockerGnome.com and in our live YouTube stream that we chatted about today.

Windows Media Center No Longer Free in Windows 8

Microsoft is expected to debut its “Release Preview” for its Windows 8 operating system in June 2012, with the release of the full version during the fall season. With many of us expecting great things from Microsoft, there are some changes being made to the OS that many of us could find disturbing. For the more adventurous among us, these changes will cause no concern. But for others, they could be enough to prevent us from upgrading to the new OS. For one, Windows Media Center will no longer be free in Windows 8.

Should You Buy a Used MacBook?

Gnomie Dennis Mercado recently asked if it’s a good idea to buy a secondhand or refurbished MacBook Pro. First, there is a difference between refurbished and secondhand. While they generally mean the same thing, a factory refurbished MacBook has been through Apple’s rigorous refurbishing process, which includes adding a one-year warranty to each and every MacBook sold through the refurbishing program. That warranty means that Apple will service the MacBook should anything go wrong within the first year, which is a guarantee you won’t get buying one secondhand from a private interest. There are other factors involved, of course, but we try and answer the question: Should you buy a used MacBook?

Five Frequently Forgotten Facebook Functions

Facebook functions are almost as varied as the company’s myriad privacy violations, but that’s neither here nor there. Because you’ve got so many settings and controls to toggle on, toggle off, check, uncheck, press, and unpress, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed by all the choices for moderating and modifying your Facebook information as it appears to you and others. But everything really is in your control, and here are five frequently forgotten Facebook functions that might help remind you of this fact.

Email Marketing with MailChimp: the Good and the Bad

MailChimp is an email marketing service that enables users to create email newsletter campaigns for their business. That’s not all though, as MailChimp offers a range of other services including announcement tools and bulk email plans. MailChimp comes with many unique and easy-to-use features, which we’ll be taking a look at in this review.

How Google Chrome Can Help You Learn a New Language

Google has produced a new extension for Google Chrome, and this one could help you learn a new language. It’s called Language Immersion for Chrome by Use All Five, Inc., and this extension allows you to select a language other than your own and configure the immersion level you wish to apply to pages as you browse around the Web. Once set, certain words and/or phrases will appear highlighted and translated in your selected language, making it easy for you to pick up on that second language as you become more and more familiar with common phrases used in articles.

How Should You Archive Data?

At a recent computer club meeting, someone asked, “What is the best way to save personal data?” The question was not about backing up data, but was about archiving valuable data sets for long times — at least tens of years. This provoked a discussion of the physical lifetime of writable CDs and DVDs. If the goal is to archive data to last for an indefinitely long time, then normal CDs and DVDs will fall short since both will develop problems over a period of years unless one spends some big bucks on special archival discs. In short, nothing lasts forever, but how can we save our data (photos, writing, etc.) in a format that will best stand the test of time?

48-Hour Gnomies Special for WordPress Starter Video Series

Are you interested in learning WordPress? BobWP’s Starter Series can help! You will learn about installing and setting up WordPress, creating posts and pages, categories and tags, and inserting media, links, widgets and plugins, and menus and themes. Also, for the next 48 hours, Gnomies will receive 40% off!

Back Link of the Day

Thanks to the kind folks at Printing Hub for linking back to a recent LockerGnome post about how to write great blog posts through storytelling! If you’d like to be mentioned as a Back Link of the Day, link to one of our posts on LockerGnome.com from your site and — this is the important part — tell us about it!

Feel bad because you missed out on today’s live TLDR? Don’t despair! Join us live tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Pacific for the next edition of The LockerGnome Daily Report!

Dude Talks Like a Lady

Air fresheners come in all sorts of wonderful and sometimes quite useless fragrances. Why don’t they make ones that smell like beef jerky? Molded plastic? old books? Sour candy? Bacon?

How about sushi? After all, who wouldn’t want their house to smell like raw fish?

Want to know why my childhood name was “Kit?” Watch the danged video and find out! What do I look like, here? Some kind of answerbot?

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

Ewok Jerky For Strength

Big forks and little pennies: Is there a use for either of them?

Diana shows us that the road to hoity-toity is paved with Weetabix.

With gas prices in my area currently spanning the $4.00-$4.25 range, try and tell me that I’m silly for leasing a Prius when I get 76.7 miles per gallon. I mean, I’m not trying to say that I’m not silly, but you’ll have to point at other places in my life where this is evident — I’m no fool about fuel!

Also: Never stick your banana in a refrigerator. (No, that’s not a euphemism.)

Hate to feel like you just started the story in the middle? Don’t get lost in the vlog fog! You can see the whole torrid tale (so far) over at the Pirillo Vlog Playlist page. We’ll be here when you get back — no rush!

Have you been enjoying our vlogs, but found yourself curious about what happened to our tech stuff? Ponder no more, because we’re still making The LockerGnome Daily Report (aka TLDR) on weekdays at 3 p.m. (we try and give you notice in advance of any variation, but that’s a pretty rare occasion). Drop by and chat technology (and other interesting geekery upon which we may stumble) with the usual YouTube audience, LockerGnome readership, and Gnomies, why don’t you?

A Rorschach Test on My Pants