As if buying Cingular Wireless last year just to get the iPhone on AT&T’s side and providing users with crappy 3G service wasn’t enough, AT&T is now going to try screwing us again with Satellite TV from DirecTV.

As a long customer of AT&T (couple years ago), I am glad I made the choice to never buy or use any of their products until they die a horrible death.  Well, literally, AT&T is full of crap and the only reason they are surviving is the fact that their deceptive marketing is so good.

Now, I don’t even like any cable or satellite companies, but AT&T, I do hate with passion. (Yes, only if their customer support team was able to refund all my monies that might change but heck, they are a big giant poop to me now.)

Help my cause and please boycott AT&T at all possible costs.  You can buy the iPod Touch, just don’t buy an iPhone with AT&T.  (crap, it’s crap, get the G-phone)

AT&T will market and sell a co-branded version of DirecTV’s satellite TV service after Jan. 31, 2009 — a deal that will leave Dish Network without a major reseller partner.

Financial details of the non-equity agreement, announced late Friday, were not disclosed.

DirecTV has similar agreements with Verizon Communications, which markets the direct-broadcast satellite service in areas where it doesn’t offer FiOS TV, as well as Qwest Communications International.

via gizmodo, multichannel

Here’s a cool hack I found on Yahoo News, it’s a hack that lets you watch free Amazon videos using the security hole:

(I don’t think this will last too long once Amazon finds out so we suggest you to take advantage before they close the security hole)

The free demo version of Replay Media Catcher allows anyone to watch 75 percent of anything recorded and 100 percent of YouTube videos. For $39, a user can watch everything recorded.

One Web site — www.tvadfree.com — explains step-by-step how to use the video stream catching software.

Amazon.com’s Adobe-powered Video On Demand service allows viewers to watch the first two minutes of a movie or TV show for free. It charges up to $3.99 to rent a movie for 24 hours and up to $14.99 to download a movie permanently.

Amazon starts to stream the entire movie during the free preview — even though it pauses the video on the Web browser after the first two minutes — so that users can start watching the rest of the video right away once they pay.

“It’s the traditional trade-off, convenience on the one hand and security on the other,” said Ray Valdes, analyst at research group Gartner.

However, even if a user doesn’t pay, the stream still sends the movie to the video catching software, but not the browser.

via YahooNews

When did Ctrl+Alt+Del phenomenon start?  Well, it probably goes back to the days of DOS operating system but Windows made it practical and famous with its blue screens of death.

These Control Alt Delete Cups will let you free yourself from stress by drinking the keys, not punching or hitting them with your fists.  (I have to admit that on many occasions using Windows 95 and 2000, I did punch out couple of Control, Alt, and Delete keys.)

via technabob

You know when it comes to New Years and Independence Day, you always get to see some really exotic, beautiful fireworks.  Well, all those fireworks are nowdays controlled by an ignition control system but here’s how to make one for yourself.

At the heart of my firework ignition system is an SX48 running at 50 MHz. I was able to make full use of the SX’s 36 IO pins. Thirty lines are dedicated to the 30 channels. Two lines connect to a MAX233 chip for serial port control. Another line is connected to a 7805 (TO-92) which monitors the state of the arming key. The remaining 3 lines are used to communicate with the PIC A/D converter via an SPI interface. The system was built with cost as an important factor. At $10 the SX48 Proto board was an easy choice with its incorporated 5V regulator, led and all the difficult surface mount soldering already done for me. I also designed 2 pc boards using the freeware version of Cadsoft’s Eagle. The interface board connects the SX48 Proto board and contains the MAX233 chip, A/D converter and 30 LEDs to represent the state of each of the 30 channels.

via hackedgadgets, DIY Page

Well, it’s not that often I tell my readers/newcomers about my money making secrets but here’s a heat map that I’ve created to maximize income from my blogs.

Now, this is a proven heat map for making the “most” money online with blogs.

It’s a rather “in-your-face” type of advertising where you force your visitors to really read your Adsense or Chitika ads.

Why do I do this type of “before-content” advertising?

Because it gives you the most bang for your buck.  Of course, if you have a million dollars of funding and you are simply trying to promote your brand, you could go without advertising.  But for people like me who depend on Adsense and Chitika to pay rent, it’s crucial that money keeps rolling in the bank, otherwise this site wouldn’t be paid for and there would be no more websites.

If you think it’s too much advertising, think of it this way.  (Provided you live in the U.S.,) Can you tell me how many full 20-second advertisements you see on every TV show?

Yes, probably 3 or 4 and you don’t mind it because you need to keep watching the TV show.

It’s the same thing in blogging and you need to really force ads down the readers throat per say.  It’s not the most nice way to make money, but heck, sometimes you gotta do what needs to be done.

Anyway, I hope this heat map helps you make more money online as I have worked on this for last 5-6 months or so optimizing it.  (Yes, I did the analysis and optimization for you so all you have to do is follow it.)

Now, please don’t complain there’s too many ads on this site unless you would like to pay for my rent and credit card bills.

via Insider Adsense Secrets Blog

You know those telepromopters that TV news reporters use to read their daily news?  Well, here’s a simply way to make a teleprompter for any type of presentations.  (This one is an example for a church but I don’t see any reasons why you wouldn’t use it outside god’s house.)

1. Whatever you do…. no matter what…. and this is job #1 so pay attention…. always have a paper copy of your notes in your suit pocket.     Allow me to repeat myself — Have paper backup of your talk.    To sum up this point:  Make sure you have your notes on paper, and easily accessible in case your computer dies.
2. Write your talk, refine it and get it to the point where you would normally print it out as notes. In my case I work from a hybrid of a bullet point outline & written-out quotations.
3. Enter those notes,  page by page into a power point presentation.   Use huge font, as it is irrelevant how many slides/pages you use.
4. Get a “wireless presenter”    You plug a small receiver into any USB port, then hold the tiny clicker in your hand.  My clicker is 1-1/2 inch across, 3-1/2 inches long and about 1/2 inch thick.  It fits easily, and unobtrusively into your hand.   No one will even notice it.

via ldsym

Here’s a fun fact for today.  The McDonald burger shown on the picture (left) is actually 12 years old while the one on the right is fresh.

There’s been no preservatives added to the burger, which tells me that McDonald’s packs enough preservatives to make you go bald and other nasty things.

Well, that might be true…  I will have to keep one of my burgers next time I goto Mickey D’s.

The burger on the right, off the paper is a 2008 burger.  I had to buy it to get the groovy paper and bag.

The meat is a tad darker, the bun a little less golden but in 12 years it will look exactly like that too.

Do you find this horrifying?

McDonalds fills an empty space in your belly. It does nothing to nourish the cell, it is not a nutritious food.

It is not a treat.

via wired, source

Here’s a brilliant pet clock from Japan.  It’s a clock customized for your dog or cat as time accelerated 7 times so you get a real “dog” (cat) years for keeping track of how old your pet is. (in his/her terms)

Thankfully though, this Pet Care Clock from Sega Toys is designed to do the difficult math for you. It’s your standard LCD desk clock that shows the time and date, but once you enter your pet’s birth date and specify their approximate size, the clock will also show you their supposed age. (Calculated with a variety of different formulas.) And if you’re the type who likes to celebrate a pet’s birthday you’re in luck. In theory if your dog is aging 7x as fast as you, they should also have 7 birthdays a year, and this clock will actually alert you to every single one of them so you can remember to pick up a gift and a cake on the way home.

via ohgizmo, Product Page

Here’s a great use for re-making stuff, use old batteries to make a death (or dead) star!

Dead Star is made from residual battery at the end of their duty. Left to itself, the sculpture will slowly cool down since there is no longer electronic activity taking place in it. The hundreds of batteries were once used to power appliances before they finish their cycle in a recycle facility. Retrieve from death, they were assembled again in this whole structure.

via make, Design Page