Do You Sell or Buy Used Electronics?

Revisions:

12-26-12: Initial release.

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So the holiday seasons are over, and you might have gotten new electronics under the tree? If so, what do you do with your old ones? Do you keep them around lying in the dust, recycle them, donate them, or go through the hassle of selling them?

The PSX-Scene.com – Legal Playstation News for Enthusiasts

Revisions:
4-5-11: Initial release.

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Do you own a Sony game device? Maybe its a PS1, PS2, or a PSP. Did you know that all Sony game products are jail-breakable or moddable? I am a proud owner of several Sony devices, and I have taken great joy in jailbreaking them to do things that the consumer was not able to do in the first place. The greatest feat of it all is being able to make backups of my games so then I can preserve the original copies.

However, we know that the Playstation scene is a constantly moving force. It is can be tough sometimes to find good and legit news that isn’t faked, or maybe you want to know about the latest homebrew programs or hacks for your favorite Sony device. Where do you get started?

[Weekly Wrapup] Wanna buy MySpace?; Tweets Hit Techmeme

MySpace Is For Sale

Big news:  MySpace still exists.  No, I’m not kidding.  And they’re for sale.

Parent company News Corp. has admitted that they are considering selling MySpace, just a day after announcing massive layoffs affecting nearly 50% of their staff.  “News Corp. is assessing a number of possibilities including a sale, a merger and a spinout,” spokesperson Rosabel Tao told Bloomberg.  News Corp. bought MySpace in 2005 for $580 million, but the site has been declining dramatically and it has proven unsustainable.  It was one of the first large social networking sites, but it was quickly overtaken by Facebook.  MySpace recently tried to make a comeback by redesigning the site and calling themselves “the leading social entertainment destination powered by the passion of fans.”  MySpace was originally cool because it gave musicians a place to hang out virtually and share music.  The redesign is probably an attempt to recapture that initial appeal.  But their 65 million users simply fail to compare to Facebook’s 600 million users.  If News Corp. wants to sell, they need to sell now.

Tweets Hit Techmeme, Blogging Officially Dies

Tech news aggregator Techmeme has announced that tweets can now become headlines or discussion posts on the site.  This is yet another indicator that Twitter is becoming a mainstream source of news and information, which is a big step forward for Twitter as a company.  But could it also be an indicator that blogging is dead?

I sure hope not.  But a blog aggregator full of arbitrary tweets sounds like a recipe for disaster in the blogging community.

Techmeme says tweets are not taking over the site; they are going to be tactfully blended with the other types of headlines:

Since 2007 I’ve been asked about 200 times about whether we would introduce a “Techmeme for tweets,” i.e. a Techmeme made up of just tweets. My answer for this has always remained “no”. Any news site aiming for a certain level of comprehensiveness can’t limit itself in such an arbitrary way. Most of the time, the best headline for a story, and the best link for a story is, well, a story, not 140 characters. But omitting tweets from Techmeme wasn’t the best approach either. We believe a mix of blog posts, articles, and a smattering of tweets (plus other new forms of content), is the best way to distill what’s happening right now in technology. We hope you’ll agree, enjoying Techmeme all the more, and will maybe even contribute something to Techmeme now that it requires only 140 characters.

[Weekly Wrapup] New MySpace; HDTV Deals; Beatles On iTunes

This Week:

• The New MySpace
• Best Buy HDTV Deals
• Apple’s BIG Announcement:  The Beatles Are On iTunes
• Donate To Wikipedia!

The New MySpace

MySpace has finally rolled out the long-awaited redesign of their website.  Is it good?  Kinda.  Great?  No.  Better?  Definitely.  I did a long piece on United Tech Guys about the positives and negatives, but to sum it up, the negatives outweigh the positives.

MySpace is dropping the “a place for friends” tagline in order to become “the leading entertainment destination that is socially powered by the passions of fans and curators.”  This is an attempt to redefine what MySpace is as a whole, so as not to be the loser in the battle against companies like Facebook and Twitter.  The new design is cleaner and more organized, without a doubt.

The negatives include the backlash on Twitter, the busy and disorganized homepage, the head-start that Facebook has (with 500 million users, compared to MySpace’s 61 million), and quite a bit more.  Also, have you seen the MySpace Logo Video?  Bizarre.  Very bizarre.  

[Weekly Wrapup] Facebook Inbox & Deals; Google Instant Previews & Buzz Settlement

This Week:

• Facebook’s “Gmail Killer”
• Google Launches Instant Previews
• Google Buzz Class Action Settlement
• Just How Much Will Facebook Deals Cost You?

Facebook’s “Gmail Killer”

We’ve been hearing rumors for a while now about Facebook’s secret “Project Titan,” a fully featured webmail client that we hear is unofficially referred to internally as its “Gmail killer.”  Now we’re hearing that it will be officially unveiled at the event Facebook is holding on Monday.  It is expected that users will be able to acquire their own @facebook.com email addresses.

Facebook has the most popular photos product, the most popular events product, and soon a very popular deals product.  They could easily integrate these (and other Facebook services) seamlessly into their inbox project.  Facebook could also kill Gmail’s new priority feature because they can easily track who you interact with and prioritize emails accordingly.

Internet – How it affects us.

In the past 20 years, the internet has changed the common man’s life in more ways than previously imagined. Earlier restricted only for communications between Military Agencies and Research Organisations, today we see avid internet-users of all age-groups throughout the world. This exponential growth is in itself a testament to the success and popularity of the internet.

Recent years have seen a huge jump in terms of the amount of services accessible on the internet. We are also seeing a majority of companies reaching out to their customers through the internet. The internet has helped us achieve feats in many sectors which were earlier thought to be impossible. Who would have thought that you could talk to a friend sitting in another country at the touch of a button? Or packaging companies could deliver international parcels within the accuracy of the hour? Or socialize with our friends even without leaving the house? The list is endless. The internet is a tool for development – both personal and industrial.

The internet’s impact on a person’s life is not superficial. It affects the lifestyle and behavior of individuals to their very core. This can have both – a positive as well as negative impact on the users of the internet. I have tried my best to explain these impacts under the following points:

1. Kids and Teenagers
   • Internet access in every household has led to a surge in the number of kids and teenagers who use the internet. No longer do kids need their grandma to help them learn the alphabet or the numbers – they can do it on their own, at the touch of a button – not only do they see the alphabet, but pre-recorded voice even pronounces it for them. No longer do children need books with sketches on them – the internet is filled with interactive websites which respond to each touch of the user. I think that soon the internet would be a more popular way of teaching kids as it preserves the spirit of the book and combines it with interactivity of the web – animations, videos, links, etc.
   • Internet is now an in-separable part of many teenager’s lives. Not only does it eliminate the need of encyclopedias or dictionaries, it enhances the education experience. Since we are looking at the impact of internet as a whole, it would be foolish not to talk about non-educational experiences. The internet acts as a socializing hub – sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, GMail, Hotmail are the new rage among teens. Emails have obliterated the letters. Waiting for a friend’s reply for a week is only heard in bedtime stories of our parents. Virtual “Walls” have replaced verbal communication. Instead of sitting with friends and marveling at old photographs, we now upload it on “FaceBook” and wait for the critics to comment on it, wait for the number of “likes” to increase. Not that this a bad thing – infact, throughout history many people have either opposed development or favored it. I fall in the latter category. But in trying to keep up with all the status updates, notifications, comments, tweets, emails and what-not, most children are wasting their constructive time on not-so-important-in-the-long-run activities.

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What do you think? How has the internet affected you? Has it changed you in some way or the other? Tell me about it. Comment

PS. I’ll be adding more categories in different posts about how I think the internet has affected other sections of the population. This post marks my comeback to the Underground. *The Original iPhone Exploiter – Soon coming up with OS 4.0 unlock jailbreak for 2G (old/new), 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4*

The underground, limitless possibilities?

The underground has been here for quite some time now and have helped many people.
Although helping them in text format is all good and well and with the new Underground e-book coming out why stop there? and why not expand our horizons a little? or.. a lot?

Proposition #1
The Underground official chatroom and i dont mean this like skype where you might talk to one Underground member. But I mean something like ventrilo where the underground members can login and join the room and get troubleshooted through there or just have a talk, start a few games why not? i mean im sure by now the Underground members are well aware of tunngle by now thanks to VersatileNinja i feel that this idea will help promote the Underground for what it does but help a lot more people in a simpler environment although i have not ran this idea through anyone this is why this blog is here.

Proposition #2
As i hope you are aware of a program called logmein although i bet this idea will be shun and not taken seriously but hear me out.
This program brings troubleshooting to a whole new level and long with a chat function from the Proposition above getting help couldnt be easier with an underground member guiding you through what you do though with logmein or taking over the operation entirely

I believe this may cause some people to worry about some security issue’s im sure in a community like this that should not be a problem ( also in logmein you can block the remote user taking control and let them observe and guide you through).

THIS HAS BEEN TESTED!

I use this system of logmein and a voice chat (skype) and i find it makes the process infinitely easier and a lot quicker than the regular text base help.

But Armsdealer? theres tutorials on the internet!
True but each computer is different and some steps may need a work around and with someone there doing it specifically for your needs will make your life easier and probably theres because they dont need to reply to a million comments but instead promote this site

[How To] Play Street Fighter IV (4) Online Using Tunngle (or Hamachi) – Live Not Required

Revisions:
9-26-09: Initial release
1-1-10: Added more hints. Removed youtube video until I upload the new one.
4-8-11: Added dropbox link. Added video tutorial!
11-25-12: Rewrote the whole guide, added new video link. All discussion about Chinese program is removed

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When I initially wrote this blog post, I had a tutorial referencing a Chinese program that allowed you to play 1vs1. The problem with that program was that it was not stable, and it wouldn’t work right all the time.

Since 2009, I have found a GFWL keygen file that allows you to take various GFWL games and play them online. Rather than go through all the steps, everything that you need to know is at the Pastebin link below, and I have also pasted my youtube video as well. Enjoy!

Text Tutorial
Pastebin

Video Tutorial

Skype – A Great VOIP Application

Skype is one of the first programs on the Internet that takes advantage of VOIP technology.  What is VOIP?  In short, it is the transmission of voice from PC to PC (or even PC to phone and vice versa) using the Internet.

Did you know that the creators of Skype were also the same guys who had started the P2P network from Kazaa?  In fact, the Kazaa network gave them the knowledge they needed to build upon it and use Skype as the next platform using the same P2P concept.

Skype is zero configuration. All you need to do is create a Skype account, add your friends, and just hit the call button! In fact, you can get into conference call with your Skype buddies up to 8 (or is it 16) or so members and have a conversation.  The voice clarity is surprisingly clear, and its better than any teamspeak or ventrillo chat.

Once you Skype, there is no turning back. One of the great uses of Skype is to not only call friends, but also getting in touch with those who live far away.  For example, I can call my friend in Skype who lives in Australia, and don’t have to worry about paying long distance fees!  PC to PC communication is free, and now you can get it for various smart phones to have the Skype program installed.

If you want to talk underground, you can even reach me. My Skype username is versatileninja.  Sometimes it is just easier to talk about the concept rather than type everything out by hand.

Before you get Skype, I highly recommend you use a headset!  Sure, you can get one of those Skype USB phones, or a desktop mic, but it is not as convenient as a regular headset or even a bluetooth headset!  Last night there were three of us online (Hail2King, Voltaire, and myself), and unfortunately Hail had lent his headset to his brother.  Voltaire and I were on Skype, and we tried to go around using Gizmo to add Hail into the conference call so we could hear him speak, but in short it was not worth the effort, nor did it work as planned.

It is funny that as simple as having a headset avaialble would enable all three of us to talk at the same time without having to go through hoops, but sometimes if you have lemons, life doesn’t want to give you lemonades. 

Do you have Skype? Maybe another different VOIP application?  Let us know what you think about it!

How Useful Is Google Voice? Enough to Make Free VoIP Calls.

When I first heard of Google Voice, I had NO clue what this was all about. Nada. I slowly found out information through the various postings online, then was finally moved to make an account. But then I started thinking. How useful can Google Voice really be for someone like me? Most people I know use a phone. Not an iPhone or an Android phone, but a regular phone. Some with unlimited texting, some without. What benefits are we (or just me) getting here? If I want to make a phone call, why would I ever want to make it through Google Voice if I could just dial away on my cell phone?

But then I found out that you could send free text messages. Hooray! That’s useful. But then I realized, it’s only free if its not forwarded to your mobile device. Ok, so I disabled my phone in the gVoice settings, but now what? I’m getting free texts, but only when I have wifi. So what else can I do with this thing? I don’t have a lot of phones that I want to sync with 1 number. I don’t get too many voicemails. Nor do I have a serious need to screen calls. And I don’t change my number, so this “universal” number isn’t a big deal.

But then I found something that would make this whole deal a little more worthwhile. Free calling from a computer. As a heavy computer user, making free calls from my computer would save a whole lot of time, plus it would allow me to keep my hands free off an actual phone. Can’t use bluetooth all the time, needs some recharging, plus my phones are never around when I need it.

Here’s how:

1) Make a Google Voice account. Then head over to gizmo5.com and sign up for an account there.

2) After signing up for Gizmo, you can download the software if you so choose (I did, but you can make calls via a web browser.) Then go to my.gizmo5.com, go to the settings page, enter your gVoice number, and enable the gVoice setting.

3) Scroll down and copy your gizmo SIP number. You won’t need to ever use this number again, just copy it for now. Go back to voice.google.com and set up a new phone via the settings tab. Use the SIP number from gizmo and set the phone type to gizmo.

4) Follow the standard Google Voice procedures to enable the gizmo phone. I downloaded the software, so it was easy to use the num keypad to enter the confirmation number.

5) Now you can go to gizmocall.com to test your mic, or use the gizmo program itself.

Here’s how to place a call using the Gizmo program.

Start the Gizmo program, and log into it. Then go to the gVoice page. Place a call like normal, but use the Gizmo phone instead of your normal phone. The Gizmo program should then ring, pick up and follow the standard gVoice phone call procedure.

Do NOT place a call in the Gizmo program itself, you will be charged. Make all calls via the gVoice site. Also, any calls made to your gVoice number will ring your Gizmo program, so you can leave it open if you want to receive calls.

And that’s it! For support, contact us or go to Lifehacker.

Voltaire.