CHRISdotTODD

I have always waited for prices to drop on computer games before I buy them -- not only is it easier on the pocketbook, but I can be sure my system will run them (see requirements below). I typically look at what Target and Fry's has to offer, and I recently found a great RPG, Sacred. Not only was it just $10, but PC Gamer named it RPG of the Year in 2004. Sacred is a Diablo style RPG with three ways to play: Hack and Slash (1 player) Cooperative multi-player (up to 4 players) LAN & Internet play (up to 16 players) Now I have just played the Hack and Slash, but then again I want a game that has an ending. Sacred is divided into 4 Acts (see the Sacred website for descriptions of each Act), with about 15 hours of game play each. That number can go up or down depending on how much time you spend on the 200+ side-quests. I am now in the middle of my second time playing, with my second character. Sacred offers a total of six different characters to choose from: Dark Elf: Using e

We're just a little more than a year away from the end to analog TV broadcasts. After February 17, 2009, your old analog TV will no longer be able to pickup analog TV broadcasts, as the government is freeing this bandwidth up for new usage. There are many options for your old TVs, if you're not ready to replace it. You can apply for a $40 coupon from the government to go towards a digital tuner. Go to the TV Converter Box Program website, ran by the Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to find out more -- you have until March 31, 2009, or until coupons run out (the site does not list how many coupons are available). The TV Converter Box Program website is full of good information (try the FAQs ), as well as there are many other sites with good information. You might start with the Dallas Morning News' Tech Writer, Andrew D. Smith and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association . If you have cable or satelli

I was working through some what-if analysis in Excel, and I wanted a simple way to adjust some values within my calculations based on input from my colleagues. I did my typical spreadsheet creation, section for input values and sections for outputs, and a graph of the output. Now I wanted my graph to update whenever I changed the input values. I could easily type in a new value, but that quickly got tedious. Using Data Validation , I was able to create drop-downs for the inputs that frequently might change. Here's how to do it. Create your worksheet, with a section that lists your input values In a new column, list the values you want in the drop-down (it must be on the same worksheet) Put your cursor in the field where you want the drop-down and go to Data | Validation... On the Settings tab, select List from the list labeled Allow Also on the Settings tab, click the table icon next to the Source field and highlight your list (step 2) Press Enter to accept Click OK With the n

I found this video on the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) from Yves Behar, the designer of the OLPC.

My work laptop is a Dell Latitude D810, and it has always ran hot. More recently on a business trip it crashed three times, which I am convinced is due to the high temperature. I found a utility, SpeedFan , which allowed me to monitor various temperatures. SpeedFan indicated very hot (flames) for many of the components, but it wasn't capable of turning the fans on or up. Further, it didn't give me any indication of what temperature was dangerous to my laptop. In searching for threshold temperatures, I found another, more useful utility, 18kfanGUI . 18kfanGUI was developed by Christian Diefer of Germany specifically for Dell laptops (see his compatibility chart). Using 18kfanGUI, I am able to get my fans to turn on or up sooner, and therefore keep the temperature of my laptop lower. Christian also hosts a Forum , which appears to be very active, so you can support beyond his manual and FAQs. Now, my laptop is a bit noisier, but I am much more comfortable in knowing that my lapto

I receive a weekly email from ZDNet called Download Digest (which I read about every 4th one). It is their weekly recommendation of software; much of it is useless, but occasionally there are some nuggets. In addition, there is a section on recommended TechRepublic articles. These are recycled over time, but again there are some nuggets. For example, if you're not real Internet savvy, you might be interested in 10 things you should do to a new PC before connecting it to the Internet . (Note that you must sign-up for a free account to access TechRepublic.) Here are some TechRepublic tips and guides that I believe people may find valuable: Powerful PowerPoint Presentations : This wont teach you how to make better presentations, but it will teach you how to use PowerPoint to its fullest capability. How do I...Migrate from Outlook Express to Mozilla's Thunderbird? : If you haven't yet switched to Thunderbird for email, this article is helpful in getting you through the proces

Not really computer related, but rather solved with a computer... I have one of those 6-piece block puzzles that has been apart for some time. I decided to look online to see if I could find a solution. First I learned that it is called a 6-piece Burr puzzle; then I discovered that there are too many different combinations that I would be luck to find a solution. Then I ran across an IBM Research site on Burr puzzles . After looking through many of their solutions, and not finding a match, I discovered their applet to solve any Burr . I just entered the cuts of each of my 6 pieces, and within seconds it had the solution for me. And if that wasn't enough, it showed me piece-by-piece how to reassemble it. Truly I am impressed.

Micheal Wesch of Kansas State University , with the help of his students ... a team of cultural anthropology undergraduates led by Dr. Michael Wesch and human interaction on digital technology. exploring the impacts of digital technology on human interaction on digital technology put together this superb video on the Information R/evolution. Check it out and see what you think. What a change.

Windows has an annoying way of asking every five minutes whether I want to reboot after a Windows Update. Of course most cases, I don't because I'm working. Well I learned that there is a way to change the length of time between nags. Go to the Group Policy Editor (type gpedit.msc at the Run prompt) Expand the window to Local Computer Policy | Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Update Double-click on Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations In the dialog box that opens, click Enable and enter a high number such as 1000 minutes Click OK and close the Group Policy Editor

As most of us know, over time our PC just gets slower. This is due to temp files, old registry entries, a full hard drive, and a host of other "features" of a Microsoft OS. Fortunately, PC World just released an article on Cheap and Free Tools to Put Zip Back in Your PC . The PC World article covers four subject areas: Speed Freaks Optimize for Speed Internet Boosters Application Boosters For Speed Freaks, the one fully free tool is Cleanup Assistant . Cleanup Assistant will scour your hard drive and remove unnecessary files for you, e.g. duplicates and caches. In the Optimize for Speed category, there are four free tools mentioned. Three of them look to optimize your Registry: Eusing Free Registry Cleaner , CCleaner , and Auslogics Registry Defrag . In addition, CCleaner will also look at removing unnecessary files, similar to Cleanup Assistant. The final free tool in the Optimize for Speed category is Advanced Windows Care 2 Personal, which its primary utility is to clean u