Asus Eee…Desktop??

I have been excited since the Asus Eee laptop came out. The idea of a laptop the size of a hardcover book and a small price tags pretty much my dream. But, the downfalls: small display, small memory size, relatively small RAM, and a small processor. [7in screen, 900mhz, 4gb hdd, 512 ram].

Recently, Asus has released that they will be releasing a desktop version of their popular laptop, which they refer to as the Ebox. The desktop version will possess much more respectable stats. The most noted would have to be the 160gb HDD & the 2gb of RAM, both of which are standard on the base model. Also, the price is expected to be between $200-$300.

This would make desktops even cheaper than they already are. The only problem is the current trend of laptops. It seems that almost everyone prefers a laptop except for serious PC gamers. It’s going to be interesting to how well it sells.

Enter: Google Reader

Well, I’ve done it. I dove into the world of RSS. Surprisingly, it’s not that bad.

After looking over a few, I decided to use Google Reader. Heres why:

1. I don’t have to download anything new. (Which is sometimes a problem because I use both Ubuntu & XP)
2. I didn’t have to sign up for anything new.
3. Since I use a bunch of Google’s different services; I basically already knew what to expect and how to use it.
4. Check it from anywhere.
5. Easy to add new feeds in Firefox.

Those are the main reasons why I chose Google Reader. So far, I’m really enjoying it, which kind of surprises me. The only downsides are how many new things to read a day ( usually 100+ when I wake up and check it ) and the fact that I feel bad for not actually visiting the site. The fact that these sites pay so much for designers and all I’m doing is taking text and pictures from it kind of bugs me, for some reason.

If you check various sites a day [I have 4 folders + 6 sites extra in my Reader right now], then I highly suggest giving RSS feeds a try, Google’s in particular. I don’t think it’s an overload of information, because I still pick what I want to read in the feeds. Just being able to check one site vs. checking 10 sites is so convienient that I’d suggest it to everyone.

RSS Readers?

In this “information” age we are in, a lot of computer users are using programs called RSS readers, which basically grab headlines from whatever websites you tell it to grab. I believe almost every major news site has an RSS set up (CNN, ESPN, etc), but even blogs have them set up to give you their headlines in this form.

Now, I’ve never even used an RSS reader. I’m a traditional bookmarker, and I just check my favorite sites daily for updates. As of late, I have been seeing a lot of opinions on which ones are better than others. Mozilla’s Thunderbird has one in it, and I do use that to get my email, so I have considered that. I’ve also heard of Google Reader, which seems to be a pretty popular one.

I’ve always thought that I might get an overload of information this way. Also, this would be an easier way to check websites, so I feel that I might read more this way. (For example, I usually don’t keep up with popular news, just blogs.)

I have a feeling I might set one up this week. I’ll let you know how the whole experience goes.

Hello World

Well I’ve always wanted to start a blog, so here it is! Rejoice!

As I’m sure that your all aware of, I attend WVU. A great school, really. Pretty well known around the country, primarily for our football and partying. Even though I think that has been decreasing since I’ve been there, we are still the #1 party school in the nation. So for a first post, I figured I should share this.

Four electrical engineering students (two of which I’ve had class with) decided to create a beer pong table of epic proportions. Now, I’ve seen the automated ball washers. I’ve even seen lights. Both together, plus music sensors and moving lights to show the triangle and washers? And a flying WV logo? Apparently awesome enough to make it to Gizmodo.

$1000 + 400 hours of labor = drinking Natural Light on your awesome table. But it’s worth it.