jim's Aeonity Blog Friend Page

My Friends: frost, narcissa, mdeleon, david
My Blogs Previous Page Next Page

frost Caught by Harlan Coben a Mystery Thriller Book Review - Subscribe

Harlan Coben is perhaps one of my favorite authors. I love Harlan's Myron Bolitar series as such I read any book he puts out. One of Harlan's more recent book, Caught, reached my eyes and I decided to give it a read. Immediately I became immense in the book, I love a good mystery and I knew that Harlan would produce. I also enjoy how Harlan uses familiar characters from his other previous books and as such it makes you smile just seeing the name when they read.

Dislaimer, This review may contain a few hints and spoilers, if you know Harlan Coben and prefer not to know anything about the book, I suggest you stop here and just buy the book and read it.

A Viral Marketing Thriller
A mystery book about how Viral Marketing tear people's life apart hardly sounded interesting to me, but Harlan Coben was able to take the Internet Viral Marketing and make it into a great mystery. Wendy Tynes, who is a news reporter, has Caught yet another sick pedophile on her TV Show. However, Dan Mercer is not your average pedophile, and something about Dan has struck Wendy Tynes as being "off". While the trial for Dan Mercer is going on, a 17 year old girl comes up missing, Haley McWaid, who is a quiet girl, but also a perfectionist. Wendy decides to do some digging on Dan Mercer and some old school buddies, and what she finds will take you for one awesome ride.

Is everything as it seems? It appears not, and Wendy Tynes is bound and determined to unravel the truth, no matter what road it takes her down. With a bit of help from Win (Windsor Home Lockwood the Third appeared in the Myron Bolitar series) Wendy digs as deep as she can, but will she dig too far?

My Take
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The characters were laid out, in my opinion, great. If you have read the Myron Bolitar series, you will love the few appearances by Win in this book and it put a smile on my face. You will also find some brief appearances by Hester Crimstein, who is a TV Show Judge now. The book, Caught, is far from being predictable, which I love about a mystery novel. Caught also has many twists and turns and takes you for a thrill ride all the way through. In the end, I do not want to go into great detail, as I hate spoiling books, so I would highly recommend if you are a Mystery / Thriller book junkie, or just love Harlan Coben, check out Caught and give it a read, I bet you will find it hard to put the book down (I know I did).

External Resources
If you would like to see what Harlan Coben thinks about Caught, here is a YouTube video of his review:

0 Comments
Mood: glorious
KeyWords: thriller, mystery, book, review, myron, bolitar, win, windsor lockwood, wendy, caught, series, characters, familiar, fun, enjoyable, great, read, smile, immense, book, reading, author, favorite, harlan, coben, viral, marketing, trial, wendy, show, tv

david Microsoft Windows 8 Developers to Code in HTML5 and JavaScript Jun 14th, 2011 20:01 - Subscribe

This entry states that Windows 8 Developers are to Code in HTML5 and JavaScript for a more graphically pleasing interface. Wow, this must really rub Windows developers the wrong way, but is it a time for WC3 standards? Let's discuses!

Microsoft has stated to developers if you wish to developer in a more immersive and Flashy front end, than you are going to have to code in HTML5 & JavaScript if you want those immersive apps that go full screen and stay in that experience you going to have to use HTML 5 and JavaScript.

Most of us are probably thinking right now. FINALLY! Microsoft is going to adopt standards into it's platform. But developers are saying, "we have decades of experience in .NET, Windows platforms, in Silverlight, and now you want us to throw away all of that? None of us have done scripting languages before!"

Microsofts rebuttal will probably be, HEY Developers! You can continue using .NET, Silverlight, etc, but everything else will be HTML5 and JavaScript coding for a more beautiful interface.

Your thoughts? I was so happy to hear about Microsoft going HTML5 to stay compliant, but now I understand all of those that are hurt by it. Is it time for a change? Does all software need HTML5 scripting? Who cares if the UI is pretty, I am more concerned with it working and functioning at 100%, but is this possible? I suppose we will have to wait for the Microsoft Build Conference in September for developers.

External Links:
Microsoft confirms its Windows developer conference is named BUILD

0 Comments
Mood: good
KeyWords: No Music

frost Omaha Steaks Review Jun 14th, 2011 13:28 - Subscribe

When looking for easier way to obtain meals, I often look at fresh solutions, so to speak. When I came across this Omaha Steaks Mailer, I decided to take a look into Omaha Steaks and give them a try. My results are kind of mixed pleasures, but overall I was pleased with the product. What does get annoying is the constant mailers and phone calls. Luckily I can disable the phone calls, however, I cannot control the snail mail mailers. This is a minor annoyance, and some people may not even consider it an annoyance at all.

The Quality
Overall the quality is decent. I mean you could do just as good with a frozen steak on your own. My wife seems to think it is great quality for a frozen steak / meat and it has a great flavor. I think it is kind of so-so, the quality seems to be by preference. The burgers were very nice and easy to grill. They ship out the times to cook them, however, since we live in Colorado at a higher altitude those times needed to be adjusted. As part of a package we received some twice baked potatoes. They are almost always my favorite part of a steak dinner, and Omaha Steaks did not disappoint me with their twice baked. For coming out of a freezer, they tasted delicious, at least as good as the ones you can buy from your store's Deli section. I am not a huge hot dog / franks, fan, and unfortunately their Gourmet Franks did nothing to change my mind. They looked great, but in the end, they still tasted like a hot dog. I may try marinating them next time and see if I cannot produce a bit better Frank. My wife enjoyed them also, however, my little girl did not, which should not be surprising as she is almost 2 and can be a very picky eater. In my little test run, the quality of the food seemed decent, especially for being frozen and shipped.

The Ordering Experience
From start to finish the Omaha Steak experience could not be called "enjoyable", as when is spending money, and seemingly a lot money upfront, enjoyable? However, the easy of ordering online (I hate talking to sales people on the phone) was pretty simple, like most online ordering. With the optional account setup, I chose to setup an account. The process was basically, select what you want (in my case I just entered a promo code from the mailing). Overall, the ordering experience was simple and what was to be expected by today's standard of online ordering.

Breaking it Down
I think Omaha tends to over price their products, to intentionally "knock" down the price to make you feel like you are getting a good deal. I saw through this and broke it down to what it cost per each serving. Overall it is a decent deal, however, a membership to Costco with a vacuum pack sealer, could easily compete with the cost, and you would probably come out much better going that route. But for a small family, in my case 3, with only 2 adults this seems to be a decent deal. Why for the small family, well everything comes in it's own individually wrapped package. This is awesome as I can easily just make myself a burger and my wife a steak, if we both feel like something different, or if I am home alone watching the kid while my wife is going out. This aspect of Omaha Steaks was very appealing to me. I would imagine this being great for a single person, a small family, or perhaps an older couple whose kids have all left / gone off to college. If you have a bigger family, I would probably go the Costco / Sam's Club route, and I think that you would get more bang for your buck.

In the End
In the end I am buying another item from Omaha Steaks right now to give them another go, and it is a Father's Day special. Hopefully, it is a similar if not better experience. I do really think that this solution is not very frugal for large families and I do not like how Omaha Steaks "knocks" their prices down all the time. I mean really, it does make you feel like you are getting a deal, but it also feels like a scam. I know it is not a scam now, but I think it would present their appearance better having "real" prices and do "real" specials, instead of these constant specials and in my opinion, if you buy anything from them for their "real" price, you are a moron and you deserve to be wasting your money. Hope this review helps you decide if you want to give Omaha Steaks a try or not! Good Eatings!

0 Comments
Mood: smiley
KeyWords: omaha, steaks, review, decent, okay, mixed, pleasure, good, product, steaks, burgers, franks, hot dogs, online, ordering, experience, preference, test, trial, surprising, picky, food, frozen, delivered

david Nook Simple Touch Reader has a Web Browser Jun 14th, 2011 04:09 - Subscribe

Did you have the latest Simple Touch Reader by Barnes and Noble? If so you might be interested in knowing that it has a web browser.

The Newest Nook, The Simple Touch Reader has a web browser in side of it's system, and you don't have to root it. Barnes and Noble does not list the browser has a feature. I do not have one but it is said you can navigate to websites using the search bar. Reviewers have been stating that the browser is a little buggy, so I suppose that is why Barnes and Noble does not list it as a feature.

But is this the reason to get the Nook Simple Touch Reader? Black and white screen, with a slow refresh rate at 1 frame per second? Is the Nook cheaper than Amazon, or the Apple Bookstore? I guess if you want a reader, and browser you should get an iPad or Android Tablet.

2 Comments
Mood: good
KeyWords: Funeral For A Friend - She Drove Me To Daytime Television

david Gmail Now Allows Pasting Images and Screenshots into Email Jun 14th, 2011 02:09 - Subscribe

This morning Gmail Now Allows Pasting Images into Email.

So how does this work? Well first off you will need Google Chrome, so the idea is to simply copy the image from an email or from the web and paste it right into the message.

It is also said that you can even post screenshots. If you are on an Apple iOS device. simply hitting:

Apple iOS Devices
Command-Control-Shirt-4 will save the screenshot to your clipboard.

Windows Operating Systems
Print Screen, CTRL+C CTRL+V

Gmail states that while this currently only works in Google Chrome, they plan on releasing this features for other browsers. This is a great feature, and I can't wait to share it for others around the office.

0 Comments
Mood: good
KeyWords: No Music

david How to Optimize Your Mobile Devices for Efficiency and Productivity Jun 12th, 2011 23:04 - Subscribe

This entry explains How to Optimize Your Mobile Devices (iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Android Devices) for Efficiency and Productivity.

The trick in doing this is limiting the amount of slides or pages on your mobile devices. The less you move around your mobile device, the more time you have to do other things, like typing up a correct TPS report.

To do this simply create folders or directories and name them properly. When organizing I always keep my names generic. The only exception are the apps the I use constantly. (eg: mail, settings, contacts, calendar, and all first slide items.

Slide one is reserved for those apps that I use constantly. When I turn on the devices, 9 times out of 10 I am choosing one of these apps. (This also includes the lower dock items.) Slide two is for all entertainment, productivity, and all other multimedia consumption apps, this includes but is not limited to Coms, Deals, Education, Entertainment, Finance, health, Lifestyle, Music, News, Photography, and so on. Finally the third slide is for games. Notice that the game folders that I have created are based on category, and not brand or games I play the most. The reason I do this is so I can find things easily with less hand gestures and eye movement.

Keep in mind that the iPad, iPod, and iPhone search feature is there, but that will not limit your hand movements. I mean, we do our best to to type on these devices only when necessary right?

To those of you like me who have more than one mobile device stay consistent! All slides should be the same and all directories should stay organized from one device to the other. This is how I effectively save time and increase my daily productivity at work and at home.

I hope this helps you.

0 Comments
Mood: good
KeyWords: No Music

david Apple Game Center Friend Request Share Jun 9th, 2011 19:07 - Subscribe

Are you on iOS? Do you use Game Center, Plus+, or Open Feint? Well come share your username and give a list of games that you play, perhaps if we all share our usernames we can have a social group of friends playing Apple Game Center games.

Why don't we all share each others usernames / profiles so that we can share in the gaming iOS experience?

quote:
My Username on Game Center is:
davidpolancocom

My Username on Plus+ is:
davidpolanco

My Username on OpenFeint is:
davidpolanco

I have a great list of games that I play on a daily bases. Some of them include games such as:

1. We Rule
2. We City
3. Fruit Ninja
4. Infinity Blade

So what is your Game Center & Plus+ Username? I will be happy to add you to my friends list. Personally I believe this is a great way to play and interact with each other. If you play with in game gifts such as We Rule, expect more gifts. I don't know. I figured this would be a great way to share, and meet others in the gaming community. I don't mind being a guinnee pig since I live in public anyways. (being a blogger)

Please list your credentials as:
1. Game Center Username:
2. Plus+ Username
3. OpenFeint
4. Games that you play

I think if every one participates we can have a good list of gamers here.

19 Comments
Mood: good
KeyWords: No Music

david Rovio to Release Angry Birds on the Roku Box Jun 8th, 2011 20:38 - Subscribe

Rovio to Release Angry Birds on the Roku Box? Yep, and it's coming sooner than you think.

In the later part of the summer Angry Birds is to be released on the Roku Box. Personally I can't imagine playing Roku on my TV, but I think it would be pretty cool as a family game. Now is this anything like the Nintendo Wii with out the body movement?

Well either way, I think if the game gets released it should be free, but will it be ad-supported? Lots of questions, not many answers...I suppose we will have to way and see.

If you have a Roku Box be sure to check out the Channel Store every now again for the release!

External Links:
Roku bringing Angry Birds to the TV!

0 Comments
Mood: good
KeyWords: This Week in Google

frost Brueggers Bagel Sandwiches Review Jun 7th, 2011 15:18 - Subscribe

I love a fresh hot bagel for breakfast. The only thing to trump that is by throwing an Egg on it with some bacon and vegetables, thankfully, Brueggers in Lakewood, CO does just that! I have been a fan of Brueggers for a few years now and will generally have a breakfast bagel from them a few times a month. I am not one for crazy variety, if I find something I like I tend to stick with it. Brueggers offers me everything I need from my Bagel Breakfast sandwich, which I love so much!

A picture of bagels

Customer Service
Overall I would say the atmosphere at Brueggers is cozy. Whenever there is a line, I find the process to go quickly enough, as I have never waited for longer then 5-10 minutes from the time I ordered my Bagel till the time I sat down to eat it. I would call that being on the ball with service. The staff is wonderful and it is apparent they know what the are doing. I also truly enjoy their Punch Card system, buy 10 get 1 free. I usually get a "free" bagel every 2-3 Months, which in my mind is not a bad deal if I am going to be eating the Bagel anyways.

My Usual Order
As I stated, I tend to stick to something if it is good enough to stick to. At Brueggers, my favorite breakfast bagel is The Westerner on Jalapeno Cheddar. This is just an awesome bagel, I do get sort of sad when I go in hoping for my Westerner on Jalapeno Cheddar to find out they are out. The next best thing would be to have the Pesto Cheese Bagel, which is basically the Jalapeno Cheddar, just without the Jalapeno.

Overall
Overall I really enjoy Brueggers! From the speed of service, niceness of service to the quality of food, they really have their Bagel Shop down to a science. The next time you are out and about in the morning and looking for a great Bagel Breakfast, I would highly recommend stopping at Brueggers. They offer an awesome Jalapeno Bagel and of course my favorite sandwich inners, the Westerner if that is not your cup of tea, I am sure you can find something savory for yourself.

0 Comments
Mood: jinxed
KeyWords: bagels, brueggers, delicious, yum, lakewood, colorado, denver, breakfast, jalapeño, cheddar, fun, excellent, service, customer service, comfy, warm, hospitable, recommend

david How to Reset & Recover Google Chrome Cr-48 Laptop Jun 6th, 2011 00:53 - Subscribe

Recently I have experienced an issue with my Google Chrome Cr-48 Chromebook, and I feel that their may be others are experiencing this problem as well.

During the past 4 weeks or I set my Cr-48 down in replacement of my iPad 2. Keep in mind that I recieved my iPad 2 on the release date, but I continues using the Cr-48 for day to day use.

On one of these days I noticed after I authenticated myself in Google (logged in) on the Cr-48, and my tabs were loading, I was getting a message a few seconds later that stated.

quote:
Page(s) Unresponsive) - The following page(s) have become unresponsive. You can wait for them to becomse responsive or kill them.

Kill Pages or Wait were my options, and being the guy I am I decieded to wait. Well I waited for about 10 mins, and I recieved to log off my profile, and restart the Google Chrome Cr-48. After the 15 second reboot I logged back in to my profile, and I had the same issue. I tried another profile, (my daugthers) and I had the same problem, pages unresponsive. I logged off, and logged on as a guest, and what do you know. Pages unresponsive.

I decided to look around the Google Chrome Cr-48 forums and i found that I was not the only one experiencing these problems. Many of them (like myself) placed our Chromebooks in Dev Mode, but apparently this wasn't the issue.

A googler stated on the forums to disable the about:pages by simply entering about:pages in the address bar of the Google Chrome Cr-48, but this did'nt help either.

Others mention disabling flash, and other add-ons, but by then I was more interested in how to restet and recover my Google Chrome Cr-48 back to the day I received it.

How to Reset & Recover Google Chrome Cr-48 Laptop
1. Power down the laptop
2. Remove battery using the slide lock
3. Remove the small rectangular piece of black tape on the edge by the power prongs. (It's tuff to see, but it's there)
4. Once take is removed, slide the switch from the left to the right, then back to the left again.
5. Insert the battery that was removed from the Cr-48.
6. Now boot the Cr-48 Up

After that you should be good to go. The Cr-48 will reinstall it's self from it's partition and in a min or less you will be back to the welcome screen.

Here is a video to better help you with this, if you have any questions leave me a comment below and I will be happy to assist in any way that I can.

Reset & Recover Google Chrome Cr-48 Laptop Video Walkthrough

1 Comments
Mood: tired
KeyWords: No music