Technobabble

Dog Food Delivery?

Dan Gray — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:58:40 +0000

While there are lots of things that make you run out of the house at the last minute, for a dog owner, dog food has to be at the top of the list. Think about the number of times you’ve had to make a last minute trip to the market, just to keep Fido fed. [...]

Chevy Cruze ECO: Is America Ready to Shift (Again)?

Dan Gray — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:54:36 +0000

It’s been said that approximately ten percent of the new cars sold in America today are equipped with manual transmissions, with the numbers slipping dramatically over the years. Have Americans become too lazy to shift gears for themselves? Enter the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze ECO. The Cruze ECO uses a tiny turbocharged 1.4-liter four cylinder engine [...]

Do Fuzzy Slippers Impact Productivity?

Dan Gray — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:50:27 +0000

I’ve been working from home for longer than I want to remember. Things tend to blur from one day to the next, from one week to the other, from month-to-month, and dare I say it, between years. When you have a home office, the daily ritual of getting dressed for work can slip by the [...]

Honda CR-Z: the Hybrid with a Stickshift

Dan Gray — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:53:41 +0000

Hybrid cars aren’t all things to all people. Until now, folks that enjoy shifting gears for themselves have been left out of the party … there were no hybrid cars available with a manual transmission. Enter the Honda CR-Z Hybrid : the only hybrid available with a stickshift. Can a stickshift sell a sporty car? [...]

Is School Open Today?

Dan Gray — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:52:07 +0000

Is it a snow day? Remember the list? In times past, we huddled around the AM radio on those snowy mornings, waiting to hear if our school district was called. These days, we often have to check the school web sites for the happy word (or not) before the sleds and toboggans are pulled out [...]

Ford Focus Electric Slashes Charge Time

Dan Gray — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:56:16 +0000

The drumbeat for the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf has been inescapable. As the first two mainstream electric cars to hit the market, the Volt and Leaf are leading the way and creating awareness. As folks become accustomed to the reality of mainstream electric vehicles (EVs), the shortcomings challenges of electrification come to light. Charge [...]

How Much Will You Spend on Gas This Month?

Dan Gray — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:37:21 +0000

The pain at the pump is increasing, with the national average price of gasoline cranking up to over $3.00 per gallon this month. The Energy Information Administration reports that the national average price of all grades of gasoline hit $3.013 per gallon back on 12/6, rising to $3.037 on 12/20. The primary cause is the [...]

How Many Sump Pumps Are Enough?

Dan Gray — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:46:43 +0000

A flooded basement is never fun. After years of procrastination, a second sump is being installed here at Rancho Indebto. The peace of mind should be worth an amount exponential to the cost of installation. While we get by just fine with one sump under most conditions, when the torrential rains head our way, it’s [...]

Buying a RAID

Dan Gray — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:57:28 +0000

I finally bought a new RAID last month … after putting off the purchase for eons … Working with video demands a massive amount of storage space. While most high-end folks are completely digital these days, I still cling to my MiniDV tapes. My ultimate offline storage device is a big rolling cabinet filled with [...]

Faster Than a Tesla?

Dan Gray — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:54:32 +0000

Want a screaming fast, wickedly exclusive electric sportscar, but can’t fit into a Tesla Roadster? The Li-Ion Inizio is built to accommodate professional basketball players. You might need a professional basketball player’s salary, though… as all that E-performance doesn’t come cheap. Once you can fit into a supercar, it’s all about what it can do. [...]