Shameless Plug - Cheap Roku 2 XS

I really hate to post a direct link to advertise something for a product without a personal twist to it.  I'm keeping this to when I find some really great deal...

Seems today (26 March 2012) only Amazon's pushing the Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player for only ~$80.

Cashing in on the $8 Million MP3 player.

Alright folks.  So I just learned something neet.  That music piracy might be even more lucrative than robbing Ft Knox.  Now, first off, this is just between you and me.  We cannot share this with others, because if someone found out we'd have a SWAT team at our doors.
First, we need to really see exactly how lucrative this new scheme really is, and for that we call in experts.  Check out this amazing TED talk (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 TED Conferences LLC / Rob Reid)

Now the reality...  If our government says it is so... it's got to be true right?  So now we need to figure out where in the black market we can find people offering $150,000 for a single copy of an mp3.  I know I get a penny or two when someone downloads through my blog from Amazon.  I'll have the first year domain registration paid in 10 years or so at that rate, so I'm betting it's not there.  Is this the source of our national deficit?  Is this how China is going to undermine our market?  Hack itunes and steal our nation's worth?  Are we going from precious metal backed currency to a federal reserve to an itunes store backing our currency?  We need to decode this shit now and tap into untold millions!  

Tomorrow's blog entry:  The bridge market, when to buy and when to sell, on the NEXT episode of Plus Five Gear!

Upgrade Your CRT Monitor

So I've been trying to keep to reviewing stuff and the like as opposed to directly saying "GO BUY THIS!"  Well, I'm going to deviate for a post and target the rare person who still has a CRT monitor out there.  Flat panel monitors for your computer are more affordable than ever, so there's no time like the present (especially with that tax check in hand...  you DID file your taxes early and not at the last minute right?) to upgrade or at least make a lateral move.  Good example, my morning email ad from Tiger Direct included this animal: Acer 19" Widescreen VGA LCD Monitor No idea how long the sale price will apply, but $79.99 to clear extra desk space, take the extra weight off, and to allow you to take that old CRT monitor and turn it into a fishtank.  Only down side, this monitor does not seem to sport DVI or HDMI interface, so you are looking at the old school VGA plug.  

New Solar Technology

This is one that needs no metaphor.  Solar power as it stands right now SUCKS.  It's costs without government subsidies simply don't compare to the cost of the normal fossil fuel generated electricity over the long run.  Until now.  A US company has blown the roof off of china's stranglehold on the cheapest solar panels with a sweet new technology.  Check out the article:   http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/122231-solar-panels-made-with-ion-cannon-are-cheap-enough-to-challenge-fossil-fuels (thanks to Jack Spirko for mentioning this in his podcast today as well as some intelligent commentary that is worth listening to, go check it out)

My questions:  how long until this new process is usable in mass production? How long till we actually see these at the prices promised?  And will the price actually be as low as they promise, vs lower due to possible subsidies by our government, or even higher due to market influences and middlemen.  Either way, great stuff to keep an eye on in the years to come, not just for home power, but for useful power on the go.  That's better than +5 in my book.  +6 Vorpal Sword vs Power Companies... taking the head clean off our electricity bills.
In the mean time...  I'll stick to my Brunton 6 Watt Foldable Solar Array and Scosche SolBAT II Backup Battery for simple on the go power.