Chris Pirillo » information

Where do You get Your Information?

Chris — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:48:45 +0000

Where do You get Your Information? is a post from Chris Pirillo

When you need to learn about something, where do you turn? Dan sent me the following email:

Many people use the Web for learning new things and broadening their experience, but I’ve gotta be honest… I’m a total junkie for learning more about anything interesting (even if I’ve never heard of it before). Chris’s operation has helped me get my tech fix most of the time, but I continuously explore new sources for learning. I thought I might share some of what I’ve learned.

Here is Dan’s Top Five List of Free General Information Resources

Media Websites A lot of radio and TV stations are starting to put their content online. I don’t always have time to listen to NPR when its broadcast live, but the local talk radio station here has links to all the podcast versions of their programs. Of course, some people have become averse to old media, but for many they’re still a good source of current events and information.
Video and Podcast Websites Holding up the cutting edge of media creation, websites like Chris’s are VERY useful for specific interests (Chris is one of the best examples). There are individually run sites (like GeekBriefTV or Robert Krampf) which provide a stream of useful and specific information. There are also group sites (like Revision3 or KoldCast) that offer a collection of sources in one place.
YouTube and Google Video Everyone uses YouTube and Google, and there’s a surprising amount of useful and educational information available. Google video tends to have longer videos like full documentaries BUT the ‘@Google’ presentations are also fantastic sources of information. Check that YouTube channel out if you’re interested in learning more.
iTunes U Released recently, the iTunes store now has a section of entirely free courses and lectures from a variety of sources. I haven’t explored this source very much yet, but it has a great deal of potential.
The Ted Talks This source really is in a league of its own. The TED conference is an incredible compilation of knowledge from an unprecedented number of areas and experts. The talks range from shockingly informative to down-right awe-inspiring. There are lots of areas to choose from and they’re great to send to friends that you know would be interested.

How do You Deal with Information Overload?

Chris — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:11:28 +0000

How do You Deal with Information Overload? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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

The problem today isn’t that there’s not enough information. There’s too much. It’s not there aren’t ways to publish content on the Internet – there are an abundance. A lot of noise comes with that signal. So we’ve got different problems than we used to have. Information used to be handed to us from “on high”, as recently as a decade ago. Nowadays, information is just literally everywhere. It’s overwhelming at times. It’s impossible for me to keep up with the news aggregator, the email, the social networks…

Where does it end? How do you keep up with this information overload? It’s gotten to the point where I’ve had to start actually closing my system down. I love information. I’m an information junkie! I love teaching, learning, consuming, producing… I love it all. Imagine billions of people like me, though. How do we deal with all of it? I received an email recently about this very subject:

As it relates to hardware, Moore’s law does a good job of explaining the limitation of transistors in relation to the exponential growth of such systems. Is there an equivalent to Moore’s law for searching and assembling all of the information that is found online? What are we to do when the content becomes so overwhelming that we may have to design better tools just for managing and viewing information?

Are we relying too much on the machine to figure out what’s good and what’s bad? I think we are, and that’s where information overload is getting to be overwhelming. A few years ago, I was able to deal with it much easier. I think that’s because the tools just weren’t as good at putting the information together for us. It gets bigger and bigger.. and worse and worse… every day.

I believe the future of information overload is to go back to classic mode: humans and machines. The Internet is the connection between us. If I have a question about something, I’ll turn to someone I know, and who will have the correct information. What’s the answer to all of this information overload then?

I’m interested in hearing your opinions on this. Leave me a follow-up comment here, or send me an email to chris@pirillo.com

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

Windows Vista Stories

Chris — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:25:57 +0000

Windows Vista Stories is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – A few friends joined me live to discuss their opinions and thoughts about Windows Vista. We discuss issues, as well as what we each feel should be done to improve.

Four of my friends joined me for this discussion: Kat, SC_Thor, Wirelesspacket, and last but certainly not least… Datalore.

Everyone agrees that Vista was simply not ready for release when Microsoft let loose Vista on the general public. Unfortunately, we all also agree that it would take drastic overhauls to make Vista better.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Automatic Login for Windows Vista

Chris — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:49:22 +0000

Automatic Login for Windows Vista is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – I decided to give Vista another go, and reinstalled it on my computer, along with SP1. Being a fresh install, I had to go through and set everything up the way I had it before, including the way Vista logs me in.

I want Vista to automatically log me in each time I start the computer up. I wasn’t sure how to do this, so I went to Google. One of the first hits I came across actually linked back to our Lockergnome.com blogging network. Thankfully, this isn’t so hard to do.

To open this in the UAC (or User Account Control) in Vista, go to the start/search area of Vista, and type in NETPLWIZ. Once you get there:

UNcheck the box next to “Users should enter a username and password to use this computer”, and then press OK.
Type the username and password for the user you want to automatically logon to Windows Vista when it boots up and press OK
Reboot the computer

It’s that simple. Vista will remember the username and password, and you won’t have to log in every time you boot the computer.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Adobe Flash Privacy Settings

Chris — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:41:10 +0000

Adobe Flash Privacy Settings is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – If you’re watching this video, then you’re probably using Flash player. David wrote in wondering how to adjust the privacy settings, and whether his personal history is viewable by Adobe.

Adobe’s Flash Player is a widely used program that allows you to watch videos on any number of websites. It can also be used to play online games, as well.

You can easily check your Flash privacy settings by going to this video, or any online video, and right clicking on it. This will open up a small settings box, and from there you should click the “Advanced” tab. This will take you to Adobe’s site, where you can adjust your privacy settings, and view your history. On that page, it will straight out tell you that all information is stored locally… on YOUR machine… and not on their actual site. They do not access it for any reason, nor do they use it in any way, shape or form.

Instead of asking “who here uses Flash?”, the question of the day is… who doesn’t?

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

<param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/zMXKkPbmISM”></param><param name=”wmode” value=”transparent”></param></object> <a href=”http://chris.pirillo.com/”>Chris</a> | <a href=”http://live.pirillo.com/”>Live Tech Support</a> | <a href=”http://media.pirillo.com/”>Video Help</a> | <a href=”http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow”>Add to iTunes</a>

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Halo 3 Slayer

Chris — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:06:35 +0000

Halo 3 Slayer is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – You’ve seen me review the new Halo 3, and play the Oddballs custom game. This time, GamerAndy and I are going to try Slayer.

I received an advance copy of Halo 3 hanks to my friends at Edelman PR. I’ve already done a review on the game, and played Oddball .

I asked Andy if he’s tried Forge yet… he indicated he hadn’t, but thought it would be boring. Dude! Hardly! How cool is it when you blow things up, record it, play it back and freeze frame it… then take screenshots!?

Again in Slayer… just like with everything else on Halo 3 thus far… the graphics are just WOW. I keep using the word “astounding” over and over, but it truly is.

At least with Slayer, I died in vibrant color and detail! Who says I can’t be a true gamer? For those of you asking if you should get a PS3 or an XBOX360… just watch these videos, and decide for yourself.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Halo 3 Oddball

Chris — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:41:09 +0000

Halo 3 Oddball is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Watch as I play the custom game “Oddball” on my pre-release copy of Halo 3. I’m playing with my friend GamerAndy, and I got one point!

I received an advance copy of Halo 3 hanks to my friends at Edelman PR. I’ve already done a review on the game. Now I’m going to try out a couple of the custom games.

The active Camo is amazing. I continue to be astounded by the sheer beauty of the graphics in this game. Absolutely… amazing.

Oh yeah… and I didn’t lose!

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Halo 3 Sneak Peek

Chris — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:17:08 +0000

Halo 3 Sneak Peek is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – I was lucky to receive an advance copy of the new Halo 3 that is due out in a few days. I played it last night with some friends to test it out, and decided to do a short review today. In a nutshell, if you’re waiting for Halo 3, you won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to my friends at Edelman PR, I was able to get my hands on a perfectly legal advance copy of Halo 3. I know many people are anxious for the release, and will be standing in line for this game.

First, let me warn you that your disc may have a slight scratch on it like mine does. The little plastic thingie in the case doesn’t hold the disc in there very well. However, I am able to play the game with no problems at all.

Now… on to the good stuff! The graphics in this game are absolutely astounding!!! The detailing is amazing, and the “trash talk” on both sides is excellent. I have a feeling this will be the most popular Halo version yet.

I know, some of you want my gamertag. It’s Lockergnome. However… don’t waste your time. I’m more of a Tetris kind of guy. I enjoy playing this, I’m having a great time with the demo… but you can see me getting my rear kicked while I’m at it.

UPDATE ON SCRATCHED HALO 3 DISCS If you purchased a copy of Halo 3 and your disc is scratched, Microsoft will send you a free replacement .

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Ronni Bennett Live from Gnomedex

Chris — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:15:57 +0000

Ronni Bennett Live from Gnomedex is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – There are 35 million people in the US who are 65 and older. People don’t know or don’t pay attention to what elders need to use computers and the Internet. Ronni has set out to change that… and change it she has.

In 1995 Ronni was hired as the first editor of the CBS News Internet portal. She needed to talk to a writer one day and realized that she was the oldest person in the room, by decades. She was 55 at the time. At that point, she started researching what aging was all about – everything she found was about decline, debility, disease, and death.

A few years later she had a massive amount of material, and decided to start a blog about aging just to get the information she had collected organized. People started reading… a LOT of people.

During today’s session, Ronni asked for two volunteers. They had to put on gardening gloves and special glasses, and then get online. The point was to show the challenges facing older people who want to surf the Internet.

The issues that they had were difficulty typing, and vision was blurry. Dark colors on a black background was even more difficult than white text on black background.

Seniors are the fastest growing age segment online. Currently there are no more than 9,000 geriotricians in the US. Because there are so few of them, the challenge is figuring out how to take care of elders. If we can get enough elders online, we could monitor all their vitals over the Internet, which means much less trips to the doctor.

Many people 65 and older have never used a computer at work, and therefore end up teaching themselves how to use their computers. In Ronni’s own words:

“At first, Time Goes By was just a place to put my research and thoughts on aging. I had no further ambitions for it and no illusions that with such a loser topic, many people would want to read it. Four years after its inception, Time Goes By has become a complex mix of reporting on every aspect of aging: health and medical issues, ageism and age discrimination, media, technology, politics and public policy, cultural attitudes, marketing to elders, the important of language, love and sex, friendship, post-career careers, retirement, retirement living, family, the prospect of death and, certainly, humor.”

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Copy Your Old Tapes to a DVD

Chris — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:30:38 +0000

Copy Your Old Tapes to a DVD is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Last night, I picked up the new Sony VRD-MC5. This little device is amazing. It takes the complexity of configuring software to record things to DVD and completely wipes it out. Now, you can convert pretty much anything into DVD format with ease!

The new Sony VRD-MC5 is just awesome. It can’t get any easier than this, folks. You can plug in a number of different devices, such as a VCR, cam corder, USB drive, even your TiVo shows! Plug one in to the Sony, pop in a blank DVD, and let it do the work for you. No software, nothing to install or configure. Sony does the work for you! You can even take still photos and turn them into a DVD slide show… which is great to send to relatives who may live far away, and are missing you.

For around $220.00, this little device is definitely worth its weight in gold.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

10000th YouTube Subscriber Webcam Giveaway

Chris — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:00:29 +0000

10000th YouTube Subscriber Webcam Giveaway is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Every week, I give away a web cam, courtesy of uStream. This week, the giveaway was extra special!

Not long ago, I announced that when we reached the 10,000th subscriber on our YouTube channel, we would give away a computer. During the recording for this week’s Web Cam Giveaway, we reached that goal!! Thanks to everyone who has subscribed, and to all of you who watch our videos, and participate in our live shows. We couldn’t do it without you!

This week, our web cam winner is none other than neoyoshi. Congratulations!!

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Cali Lewis Live at Gnomedex, 2007

Chris — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 20:00:45 +0000

Cali Lewis Live at Gnomedex, 2007 is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Cali Lewis live at Gnomedex, 2007

About Cali’s Geek Brief

Geek Brief TV is a 3-5 minute video podcast, released 4-5 times a week. We cover news about technology, consumer electronics, and Web 2.0 projects.

We’ve gotten a lot of requests to make the Briefs longer than five minutes. So why don’t we? Our goal with Geek Brief is to keep people up to date on what’s happening in technology without investing a lot of time to do it. We don’t think technology should be boring, and we have a lot of fun producing Geek Brief. Plus, we’re two people, and as it is, one 5 minute Brief takes 7-12 hours, so increasing the time of the show would increase the production time. We’ve got to sleep at some point! :)

Geek Brief’s audience includes a wide range of people, from IT professionals to stay at home mothers, from teenagers to the age of 65 (if you’re older than that, I want to know about you!)

Our Story
We released the first Geek Brief TV December 23, 2005, never having done anything with video production, on camera or off. Three weeks later, we had 3,000 viewers, and got shut down by our hosting company because we were using too much bandwidth. PodShow came to our rescue and got us back up and running on their servers.

We now have millions of downloads a month. At exactly the 5 month mark, we announced that PodShow Podcast Network had made it possible for us to quit our day jobs and podcast full time.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Roving Interviews at Gnomedex

Chris — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:10:49 +0000

Roving Interviews at Gnomedex is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Molly Stanberry interviews Gnomedex attendees.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Roving Interviews at Gnomedex

Chris — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 19:00:52 +0000

Roving Interviews at Gnomedex is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – Molly Stanberry interviews Gnomedex attendees.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

Justin Kan Live at Gnomedex

Chris — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:45:39 +0000

Justin Kan Live at Gnomedex is a post from Chris Pirillo

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ -Justin Kan of JustinTV live at Gnomedex, 2007.

Justin Kan, better known as Justin Tv, founded a network of channels providing a platform for live video streaming online. The original Justin.tv channel was a pilot project that evolved into the Justin.tv network. Wearing a webcam attached to a cap, Kan’s camera began streaming continuous live video and audio at midnight March 19, 2007. Kan claimed he would wear the camera “24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

On April 18, 2007, Kan took a one-day vacation, and the capcam was worn by iJustine as she explored San Francisco. On May 29, 2007, Justin.tv expanded to the East Coast with a second 24/7 feed hosted by iJustine in Pittsburgh.

In the summer of 2007, Justin.tv became a springboard for more than 50 different channels. Beginning July 21, 2007, channels were listed by popularity, starting with the most popular on the left.

After describing how he got his start, Justin answered a few questions from the audience:

Q: Can you show what’s in the bag?

A: A lightweight Sony VAIO which lasts for 7 hours with extended battery using EVDO Rev. A.

Q: Will you be policing your content?

A: That is a concern, policing content on the site. If someone streamed HBO that would be horrible, as would adult-oriented content. They want to make it easy for the community to bring those issues to the attention of moderators for the site.

Q: When do more beta keys come out?

A: Arbitrarily as they decide to.

Q: What’s it like becoming an instant celebrity?

A: It was weird. He is an F-List celebrity in San Francisco. For a couple of weeks he was stopped on the street and asked for autographs. He didn’t want to be super famous, and after two months it got routine answering all the same questions from different people.

Justin then auctioned off the white space on his hat, and it sold for $750.

Q: How do you deal with copyright info?

A: He is an employee of Justin.tv and he has to make sure not to watch TV into the camera, or not to have background music come through. It isn’t protected under the DMCA, so you do need to be careful about that.

Q: What is the funniest thing that happened on camera?

A: It’s mostly funny for other people, like when people saw him doing the Naked Cowboy act.

Q: How do you get around the limits of people like Sprint with their limitations on video?

A: Sprint doesn’t enforce it, but they know that it is an issue. The hope is that these limits get removed by the mobile carriers, since the belief is that they want customers to be able to use their connectivity in place of what they have now.

Want to embed this video in your blog? Use this code:

Formats Available: MPEG4 Video (.mp4) Flash Video (.flv) MP3 Audio (.mp3)

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist 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.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: 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. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy 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 code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, 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 GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (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 VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.