BarCamp Diaspora '09 draws closer

Registration for BarCamp Diaspora is still free! If you're not sure what a BarCamp is, here's a definition to help you out:

"A BarCamp is simply an ‘unconference’ - an ad-hoc gathering of people with the simple desire to share and learn in an open environment. Unlike a conference, at a barcamp everyone is both a speaker and a participant. The content is provided by all attendees based on their interests." - http://www.barcampghana.org/

BarCamp Diaspora '09, a follow up to barcamp Ghana '08, is the fist event of it's kind in the US, bringing together innovative minds to exchange ideas on doing business in Ghana. If you're interested in business and/or technology in Ghana, are an entrepreneur or just want to sit and share some ideas with fellow thinkers, BarCamp Diaspora '09 is the place to be!

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Google Chrome OS in the works

Google's at it again, and this time it's the endgame-- they're officially taking over the world! O.k, so i'm exaggerating a little bit (I actually really do love google and all it's innovations), but think about it: for so long, the only thing that most regular PC users (minus my geek roommates :)) have knew were the Windows and Mac OS's, so with the advent of the Google Chrome OS, we could be in for some interesting times.

Effects on Microsft you ask? I did an arbitrary search of the number of people using the google browser, google docs and the the google chrome browser. And you could guess the results: MANY! That said, could you imagine what could potentially happen to Microsoft's user base given all the bugs that the recent Vista OS came with? Also, since Google's OS is Linux based and open source, some expect it to be free (monitization would come from corporate use with all the additional bells and whistles. Ref: Gmail for corporations), which would be another HUGE blow to Microsoft whose OS's run the gamut anywhere from $75 to $300.

The Google Chrome OS should be available in it's bare-bones form mid-2010. I can't wait to see how all this plays out!

Here are some other places to read more about Google Chrome OS:

Google announces Chrome OS
Does the world need another operating system
5 questions (and answers) about Google Chrome OS

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My Samsung T240HD 24" widescreen HDTV CAN be mounted!

Not two days ago, I finally received my long awaited, much anticipated Samsung T240HD 24" widescreen HDTV. If you don't know anything about this piece of equipment, google it! Also, up until Friday, it was going for $299 at B&H, and if that's still the case, you should get one!

For a long time, I had wanted an external monitor to hook up my lap top too; I had also wanted a little flat panel TV for my room. So I decided to look into getting a hybrid and the top contender turned out to be the T240HD. Before I went out and got this thing, I researched every aspect of a TV/monitor hybrid you could imagine: internal speakers, component jacks, analogue, input, digital inputs, contrast ratio, viewing angle-- the list goes on for a while. And I compared the dell ultra sharp 2408WFP, the dell G2410, the V7 D24W33 and a few others. For each category I researched, and for each monitor/tv I looked at, the Samsung T240HD came out as number one, or a very close second, plus it cost a lot less than all of them, which made it (to me) a no brainer to get! Then I got it into my head that I wanted to mount it... and the problems began.

I consider myself a better than average web sleuth, so I was quite surprised when I couldn't seem to find any concensus on the web about whether or not the T240 HD could be mounted. To make matters worse, neither B&H nor Samsung (yes, I contacted samsung) staff members could tell me for a fact whether or not this thing could be mounted. The reviews on CNET, Amazon and other sites for this product didn't offer much help either-- non made mention of being able to mount it-- and some even went as far as saying it couldn't be mounted.

So, because I went through all this crap and finally (after about a month) figured out that this thing could indeed be mounted, I wanted to create a posting to help all who might want to mount their T240HD. I will take some photos later on and post them here, so check back later.

To mount you T240 HD you'll need:

- a Samsung WMB2400T - mounting kit (get it here: http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?edc=1534561&enkwrd=ALLPROD%3aWMB2400T+)

This kit acts as an adapter to enable you use a vesa 100 compliant mount with your T240HD HOWEVER, HOWEVER, HOWEVER this kit alone CAN be used to mount your T240HD-- that's what I've done, and it works PERFECTLY! NOTE: No where on the net will you find a less expensive deal. Also, though they don't have a photo of the mount on the web site, (I haven't figured out why yet) CDW is trustworthy and you'll have your mount in less than a week.

That's it. Seriously, that's all you need. The kit comes with screws and screw anchors. I'd suggest you get stronger screws and anchors so you're not woken up at 2am by your TV crashing to the ground :) -- what can I say, I'm a skeptic when it comes to those cheap low grade screws that accompany equipment.

So, that's it! Happy mounting. Remember to check back for some photos, or better still sign up to receive RSS or e-mail updates! Have a great week.

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BarCamp Diaspora 2009

On July 25th 2009 I'll be attending Barcamp Diaspora in D.C. If you're not familiar with Barcamp, it's something of a Podcamp...except more fun :). If you're not familiar with what a PodCamp is, well I can't help you! j/k-- Click the Barcamp badge below to learn more:



Hope to see you there!

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