Chris Pirillo » Electronics http://chris.pirillo.com News and Reviews! Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:35:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 © chris@pirillo.com () chris@pirillo.com() Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. chris@pirillo.com No no http://chris.pirillo.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpgChris Pirillohttp://chris.pirillo.com 144 144 How Do You Power Electronics in Your Car?http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-power-electronics-in-your-car/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-power-electronics-in-your-car/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:43:00 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7796 How Do You Power Electronics in Your Car? is a post from Chris Pirillo


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I dare you to go up to your significant other, and ask them if you can have a three-way. If they remain your significant other after that, you can let them know I’m talking about a gadget. It’s a three-way 12 volt adapter for you to use in your car.

This smart and compact mobile power converter converts 12-Volt DC to 110-Volt AC so you can use your electronics in the car. Can be used to power TVs, VCRs, DVD Players, Digital Cameras with Battery Charger and Electric Shavers with Battery Pack. The Smart AC Power Inverter has a Modified Sine Wave waveform, Overload Protection, Input Short-circuit Protection.

I’m lucky, because I have two places in my car I can plug things like this into. However, when I bought the Scrolling Digital Message System recently for my car, I knew I’d need extra plugins. This little inverter is perfect for my needs. I can plug in any three things that I may need to charge, and get ‘er done while on the road.

What other geeky driving gadgets do you have or want that I can check out? I’m always looking for cool new toys!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> How Do You Power Electronics in Your Car? is a post from Chris Pirillo


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I dare you to go up to your significant other, and ask them if you can have a three-way. If they remain your significant other after that, you can let them know I’m talking about a gadget. It’s a three-way 12 volt adapter for you to use in your car.

This smart and compact mobile power converter converts 12-Volt DC to 110-Volt AC so you can use your electronics in the car. Can be used to power TVs, VCRs, DVD Players, Digital Cameras with Battery Charger and Electric Shavers with Battery Pack. The Smart AC Power Inverter has a Modified Sine Wave waveform, Overload Protection, Input Short-circuit Protection.

I’m lucky, because I have two places in my car I can plug things like this into. However, when I bought the Scrolling Digital Message System recently for my car, I knew I’d need extra plugins. This little inverter is perfect for my needs. I can plug in any three things that I may need to charge, and get ‘er done while on the road.

What other geeky driving gadgets do you have or want that I can check out? I’m always looking for cool new toys!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-power-electronics-in-your-car/feed/ 7 How Do You Travel with Electronics?http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-travel-with-electronics/ http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-travel-with-electronics/#comments Thu, 01 May 2008 05:05:10 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/04/30/how-do-you-travel-with-electronics/ How Do You Travel with Electronics? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Jthermane24 from our live chat room writes: “Most of us like to travel. But when travel time comes… so does the electronics packing. I have made a set of top five tips for traveling with electronics.”

  • If you have a laptop, get a good quality laptop case. You need a sturdy one, so you don’t run the risk of the case or strap breaking, causing you to end up with a damaged laptop. When buying your case, why not take your laptop along? That way, you can see how well it fits inside, and how much room is left over for cords and other items.
  • Make sure you pack all the power cords for each device you are bringing. Even if you charged said device fully before leaving… bring the cord anyway. You never know when the device might die on you… just when you need it!
  • If you are traveling with multiple people, buy yourself a backpack to keep all your gadgets in. This way, yours won’t get confused with everyone else’s, and they’ll be easier for you to find when you need them.
  • Label all of your cords. You can use cheap plain white labels from the local WalMart for this, or even masking tape. Write on the labels what the cord goes to, and even where it plugs into if you aren’t sure you’ll remember.
  • Make a written list ahead of time of all the devices you are bringing with you. Check each item off as you pack it… and then refer to it when packing up to return home. You won’t forget a device at home OR in your hotel.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> How Do You Travel with Electronics? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Jthermane24 from our live chat room writes: “Most of us like to travel. But when travel time comes… so does the electronics packing. I have made a set of top five tips for traveling with electronics.”

  • If you have a laptop, get a good quality laptop case. You need a sturdy one, so you don’t run the risk of the case or strap breaking, causing you to end up with a damaged laptop. When buying your case, why not take your laptop along? That way, you can see how well it fits inside, and how much room is left over for cords and other items.
  • Make sure you pack all the power cords for each device you are bringing. Even if you charged said device fully before leaving… bring the cord anyway. You never know when the device might die on you… just when you need it!
  • If you are traveling with multiple people, buy yourself a backpack to keep all your gadgets in. This way, yours won’t get confused with everyone else’s, and they’ll be easier for you to find when you need them.
  • Label all of your cords. You can use cheap plain white labels from the local WalMart for this, or even masking tape. Write on the labels what the cord goes to, and even where it plugs into if you aren’t sure you’ll remember.
  • Make a written list ahead of time of all the devices you are bringing with you. Check each item off as you pack it… and then refer to it when packing up to return home. You won’t forget a device at home OR in your hotel.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/how-do-you-travel-with-electronics/feed/ 29 Radio Shack and Electronics Store Secretshttp://chris.pirillo.com/radio-shack-and-electronics-store-secrets/ http://chris.pirillo.com/radio-shack-and-electronics-store-secrets/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:06:08 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/21/radio-shack-and-electronics-store-secrets/ Radio Shack and Electronics Store Secrets is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Have you ever had questions while shopping in a Radio Shack, or similar store? Did the employees know the answers? Here are some secrets about stores like this that I bet you didn’t know, sent in by an anonymous Radio Shack employee.

  • If there is an item you wish to buy that is not carried in-store, visit the Radio Shack website. Many times, the item(s) can be bought and delivered to your local store, saving you the cost of shipping. The same holds true when buying “online only” items.
  • Even if the store has excellent customer reviews… check into purchasing a service plan. Something many people do not know is that you can return to a store within two weeks of purchase to get the service plan after all. If you don’t buy it during the original purchase, you can always return. Also, you can call the Radio Shack 800# yourself for techincal assistance. It’s the same number a Radio Shack employee would call for help if you took your item in to be fixed. Save yourself some time, and make that call from home.
  • When buying a new cellular phone or service, check at your local Radio Shack. Believe it or not, you can often get the same cell phone at a much lesser price than you will find anywhere else.
  • iGo Universal Chargers are around $30.00. Charge your wireless phone, PDA, MP3 player and more from your car with just the switch of an itips smart connector! You’ll never have to carry multiple chargers for your car again. Works with most wireless phones, PDAs, MP3 players and digital cameras with the switch of a tip.
  • Most people don’t realize that Radio Shack can get any product you may need… at any time. If they don’t have the item in stock, they’ll be happy to call around to other stores and locate one for you.

Radio Shack Coupons:

Find More Coupons

After the posting of this blog, I received the following email. It is something I think you all need to see.

I work for Radio Shack. We recently got a new District Manger. He wants us to have full time employees and two part time employees in my store. One guy was switched to full time. In the meantime, I only get three hours per week… total. Instead of getting rid of the new kid, they fired the guy who has been working in the store the longest… right in front of everyone. Even though I wasn’t fired, I will be forced to quit to find something with more hours. The Radio Shack corporation doesn’t fire people unless they do something horribly wrong or illegal. Instead, they make working conditions impossible, causing you to leave voluntarily. After working for them for a few years, I believe their corporation to be a disgrace. They sell things like audio wire at the astronomical price of $32.99, when they only pay just under $4.00 for it.
They create a condition where we as employees are forced to manipulate the minds of the buyer into thinking that a particular product is great, and in order for it to work… you have to buy all these extra things to make it work. Most of their products are actually “old”, believe it or not… they are mostly an outlet store anymore. You will rarely see the newest computers in Radio Shack. The models are usually at least a year old. Also, the products tend to not be what they say. A Gold contact isn’t even gold anymore. It is just a cheap gold coating. Inside is the same thing wire you originally had on say your tv. Yet, the Sales Associates are forced to tell you that their “gold wire” will give you much higher quality on your television. Face it, folks. This is the SAME wire you would use if you bought a standard red and white 12 foot AV cable at the local WalMart.
I have worked for this company for a long time, so I know what I’m talking about. Once I have left here for good, I will never step foot inside a Radio Shack again.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> Radio Shack and Electronics Store Secrets is a post from Chris Pirillo

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Have you ever had questions while shopping in a Radio Shack, or similar store? Did the employees know the answers? Here are some secrets about stores like this that I bet you didn’t know, sent in by an anonymous Radio Shack employee.

  • If there is an item you wish to buy that is not carried in-store, visit the Radio Shack website. Many times, the item(s) can be bought and delivered to your local store, saving you the cost of shipping. The same holds true when buying “online only” items.
  • Even if the store has excellent customer reviews… check into purchasing a service plan. Something many people do not know is that you can return to a store within two weeks of purchase to get the service plan after all. If you don’t buy it during the original purchase, you can always return. Also, you can call the Radio Shack 800# yourself for techincal assistance. It’s the same number a Radio Shack employee would call for help if you took your item in to be fixed. Save yourself some time, and make that call from home.
  • When buying a new cellular phone or service, check at your local Radio Shack. Believe it or not, you can often get the same cell phone at a much lesser price than you will find anywhere else.
  • iGo Universal Chargers are around $30.00. Charge your wireless phone, PDA, MP3 player and more from your car with just the switch of an itips smart connector! You’ll never have to carry multiple chargers for your car again. Works with most wireless phones, PDAs, MP3 players and digital cameras with the switch of a tip.
  • Most people don’t realize that Radio Shack can get any product you may need… at any time. If they don’t have the item in stock, they’ll be happy to call around to other stores and locate one for you.

Radio Shack Coupons:

Find More Coupons

After the posting of this blog, I received the following email. It is something I think you all need to see.

I work for Radio Shack. We recently got a new District Manger. He wants us to have full time employees and two part time employees in my store. One guy was switched to full time. In the meantime, I only get three hours per week… total. Instead of getting rid of the new kid, they fired the guy who has been working in the store the longest… right in front of everyone. Even though I wasn’t fired, I will be forced to quit to find something with more hours. The Radio Shack corporation doesn’t fire people unless they do something horribly wrong or illegal. Instead, they make working conditions impossible, causing you to leave voluntarily. After working for them for a few years, I believe their corporation to be a disgrace. They sell things like audio wire at the astronomical price of $32.99, when they only pay just under $4.00 for it.
They create a condition where we as employees are forced to manipulate the minds of the buyer into thinking that a particular product is great, and in order for it to work… you have to buy all these extra things to make it work. Most of their products are actually “old”, believe it or not… they are mostly an outlet store anymore. You will rarely see the newest computers in Radio Shack. The models are usually at least a year old. Also, the products tend to not be what they say. A Gold contact isn’t even gold anymore. It is just a cheap gold coating. Inside is the same thing wire you originally had on say your tv. Yet, the Sales Associates are forced to tell you that their “gold wire” will give you much higher quality on your television. Face it, folks. This is the SAME wire you would use if you bought a standard red and white 12 foot AV cable at the local WalMart.
I have worked for this company for a long time, so I know what I’m talking about. Once I have left here for good, I will never step foot inside a Radio Shack again.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/radio-shack-and-electronics-store-secrets/feed/ 60 Best Buy Cyber Monday Salehttp://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/ http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/#comments Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:53:04 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/25/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/ Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale will go live on December 1, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

]]> Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Cyber Monday Sale will go live on December 1, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-cyber-monday-sale/feed/ 7 Best Buy Black Friday 2007 Salehttp://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-black-friday-sale/ http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-black-friday-sale/#comments Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:00:47 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/21/best-buy-black-friday-sale/ Best Buy Black Friday 2007 Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Black Friday Sale will go live on November 28, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

Find More Coupons

]]> Best Buy Black Friday 2007 Sale is a post from Chris Pirillo

The Best Buy Black Friday Sale will go live on November 28, 2008. Until then here are the current coupons and deals at Best Buy:

Find More Coupons

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/best-buy-black-friday-sale/feed/ 4 Black Friday Coupons: BestBuyhttp://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/ http://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:03:55 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/21/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/ Black Friday Coupons: BestBuy is a post from Chris Pirillo

Yeah, BestBuy doesn’t have the best reputation among geeks, but the fact remains that they do a great job of getting technology into the average users life. Even if you’re not going to use these links, your father, mother, or friends would probably love these.

Find More Coupons

]]> Black Friday Coupons: BestBuy is a post from Chris Pirillo

Yeah, BestBuy doesn’t have the best reputation among geeks, but the fact remains that they do a great job of getting technology into the average users life. Even if you’re not going to use these links, your father, mother, or friends would probably love these.

Find More Coupons

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-bestbuy/feed/ 2 Newegg Couponshttp://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-neweggcom/ http://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-neweggcom/#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:55:45 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2007/11/21/black-friday-coupons-neweggcom/ Newegg Coupons is a post from Chris Pirillo

OK, here it is, the big one: Newegg coupon links. Try not to have a stroke.

Find More

]]> Newegg Coupons is a post from Chris Pirillo

OK, here it is, the big one: Newegg coupon links. Try not to have a stroke.

Find More

]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/black-friday-coupons-neweggcom/feed/ 5 How to Handle Remote Tech Support <em>Using <a href="http://www.gotoassist.com/chris">GoToAssist</a> is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party. </em> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMThttp://gotoassist.com/chris/ http://gotoassist.com/chris/ Network Tools for Windows You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">SolarWinds ipMonitor</a>: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">Download your free trial today</a>. Or, try their <a href="http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/">totally free tools</a>! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase <a href="http://store.solarwinds.com/s.nl/sc.16/.f">ipMonitor 9.0</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome Get Your Own Web Site Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">GoDaddy</a> includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">code CP2</a> at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order. <p>Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">CHRIS7</a>, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">GoDaddy.com</a>.</p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a> or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> and/or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMThttp://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ Coupons for Online Shopping <p style="color: red">This feed is fueled by Lockergnome <a href="http://www.lockergnome.com/buy/">Online Shopping and Coupon Codes</a></p> <p> Before you shop next time, see if we have <a href="http://coupons.lockergnome.com/">a coupon</a> first. </p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMThttp://coupons.lockergnome.com/ http://coupons.lockergnome.com/