Windows Media Center is really a fantastic tool. It is a built in DVR, with all the functionality that you expect from your local cable company. And, by adding extenders, you can use your HTPC, using Windows Media Center, to provide both programming and DVR functionality to multiple TVs, thus eliminating the need for multiple […]

Introduction Not too many years ago I entered the DVR world.  With an HDTV and a FIOS DVR I’ve become liberated from the idea that I had to plan to sit at home on the nights when my favorite TV shows were on.  Of course everyone knows it’s impossible to be home all the time […]

HDMI is the standard for the best audiovisual output from a computer or A/V device.  But, as I found out recently, there may be times when a standard VGA cable may serve better. I recently hooked up my XPS 8300 Dell desktop to my HDTV. I wanted to see how Windows Media Center, built into […]

Suddenly there is a battle going on over whether Internet connectivity should be free or not.  Cities, schools, and large Internet mega corporations like Microsoft and Google all support the concept. Foes include providers who now garner $178 billion in sales from selling wireless services. This would be no ordinary Wi-Fi like at the local […]

Being without Internet service at home has not been that big of a problem with any kind of mobile device, i.e., laptop, tablet, etc. because of the growing abundance of free Wi-Fi hotspots. Libraries, restaurants like McDonald’s, Crystal, Starbucks, and Panera Bread as well as Barnes & Noble, and numerous hotels like Marriott, Hilton, and […]