To The Moon And Back

I bought a new domain just recently and wanted to try using blogspot as my host. One, it’s free and two, there are so many cool blogger templates out there that I’d like to try. You’ve all probably tried using a custom domain successfully but I wasn’t fortunate. I tried to follow all the steps from the Blogger.com help page but my changes are not taking effect. So I asked a friend who’s currently hosting her blog at blogspot and she sent me the following:

 The steps are for domains registered at GoDaddy but I’m sure it’s almost the same with other registrars.

1. Log in to your blogger account and go to Settings > Publishing

2. Set the publishing to your blogspot address

3. Log in to your GoDaddy account and access the domain that you want to update

4. Select ‘Enable Forwarding’
- Select 302 Moved Temporarily
- Forward to http://name.blogspot.com

5. Select ‘Enable Masking’ and click OK

6. Open a new browser and type your new domain http://name.com. It should now redirect to your blogspot address (http://name.blogspot.com). It might take a while before the domain gets redirected to blogspot so be patient

7. When the domain redirection is working, go back to GoDaddy account and access Namerservers

8. Check Hosting Name Servers then click OK.
Your namerservers should now say:
Name Server 1: NS51.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
name Server 2: NS52.DOMAINCONTROL.COM

9. Now, click ‘Total DNS Control and MX Records’

10. Under the CNAME section, click ‘Edit’ for the www entry

11. Under points to host name, change @ to ghs.google.com

12. Login to your blogger account then go back to Settings > Publishing

13. Change publishing to custom domain and type in your new domain:
http://www.name.com

14. Save Settings

15. Check redirect name.com to www.name.com

16. Save Settings

Now this may all seem redundant and the original instructions might have worked with you. However, I know a couple of friends who experienced the same problem using their custom domains so I don’t think there’s any harm following the steps above.

Let me share with you my latest web find. I believe both novice and advanced email marketers will appreciate what this site has to offer. Their main service is ViperMailer, a fully functional email marketing software that lets you send professional email campaigns easily.

So what is email marketing really? An excerpt from their site here:

As defined by ViperMailer, email marketing is a means for your company, group or publication to routinely maintain contact with your clients, contacts, or subscribers via an email building and express delivery system. People like to receive emails from familiar places rather than offers they did not want or ask for i.e. SPAM.

Here’s what you can do with ViperMailer email marketing software are:

Contact group / Email list management
User-friendly control panel
Newsletter campaign statistics - delivery, opened email and link click tracking
Powerful email creation editor that lets you use HTML, attachments and automated opt-out feature
Create proof users for graphical and spelling mistakes
Free professional mailer templates

What’s really great about this company is that they offer email marketing training for free. Simply click the Education tab to gain access on helpful resources and articles about email marketing. Here you will learn how to maximize your email marketing software, building trust with recipients, how to write effective campaigns, call to actions and many more. Aside from these great documents, you can even get a head start by reading the 19 Steps to Launching a Successful Email Marketing Campaign at www.EmailMarketingAuthority.com.

This is the most popular topic in twitter now - video games. At least, within my contact list. Everyone seems to want to buy PSP for their husbands (lucky men!) and in order to justify the purchase; we all talked about our favorite video games.

I’ve already said several times how I’m not so crazy about video games but for the sake of making my husband happy, I’m more than willing to do my research. I went online to read on getting started in gaming and searched for PSP games as well:

* Daxter
* Burnout Legends
* Lumines
* Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
* World Soccer Winning Eleven 9
* Wipeout Pure .
* SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo
* FIFA 06
* MLB 06 The Show
* Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

Now Lumines I can play but I don’t really care for the others on the list. Only when a friend told me that I can download the old time favorite video games did I manage to re-consider getting one. Some of the games that I can download are Mario Brothers 3, Adventure Island, The Sims, Mahjong, Bubbles, Collapse, and hundreds more. Of course, PSP is not just about games. The one thing that really convinced me to get one is the built-in WiFi. I’m a sucker for any gadget that has WiFi connectivity - my laptop, phone and now PSP. And did I mention that we can watch movies and listen to music too? Of course, we already have a portable DVD for that but you can never have enough gadget right?

In the US, at least.

I received an email last week that the Apple’s famous revolutinary phone is now available at *half the price. The iPhone 3G has fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store. And just in case you forgot, just like its original counterpart, this phone has rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser.

Before you can purchase and activate iPhone 3G, you need the following:*
Credit card
Social security number
Valid government-issued photo ID
Current wireless account number and password or PIN (if you’re new to AT&T)

If you already own an iPhone, remember to sync it with iTunes one last time before you get your new iPhone 3G.

Click this link to find where you can purchase one and please, don’t forget to send one for me. iPhone 3G will be sold on a first-served basis only starting today at 8AM.

I’ve never appreciated how useful portable storage can be until I met a client last Monday. I didn’t want to bring my laptop because one, I haven’t replaced my battery yet and two, I just don’t see myself lugging something heavy without a car. So thanks to my ever reliable portable hardisk, I just saved all my designs and finished website and then plugged it in my client’s computer. My husband learned about this and wanted to have one for himself. He needs to bring it with him in the office all the time so he can’t possibly share mine. So I promised him I’ll get him one if I earn extra this month.

I’m choosing between the two -

Western Digital 160GB
My Passport Essential USB 2.0
Portable Hard Drive - Real Red

Western Digital 320GB
My Passport Essential USB 2.0
Portable Hard Drive - Intense Blue

The only difference is the capacity but they both have the following features.

From Buy.com

Simply Elegant
# Combine a beautiful new gloss-red case that fits smoothly in your hand and pocket with mega-capacity for all your digital content and the worlds most popular portable drive just got better than ever.

Easy
# Installation is a snap because you don’t really “install” this drive; you just plug it in and it’s ready to use. There is no CD to install; the included software loads from the drive the first time you plug it in.

Smart
# Powered by the USB bus. No separate power supply is needed.

Big capacity that fits in your pocket
# This compact drive fits easily in your pocket or purse, weighs only a few ounces and with capacities up to 320 GB, you can take tons of photos, videos, files and music with you wherever you go.

Synchronized and secure
# WD Sync synchronization and encryption software lets you take your critical data with you. Plug My Passport into any PC, edit files, read e-mail, and view photos. Then sync all of your changes back to your home or office computer. Your data is protected with 128-bit encryption. (Windows only)

Includes Google software
# Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web searches with included Google software. (Windows only)

But for twice the capacity size, you only have to pay about $45 extra for the blue model. Not so shabby eh? Now you can bring all the photos, electronic books, videos, music, even scrapbooking kits with you wherever you want to go.

Want to know our most cherished and useful purchase so far?

It’s the Coby 7″ Widescreen TFT Portable DVD Player.

Compact portable design
Swivel screen with 180-degree display
7″ Widescreen (16:9) TFT color display
DVD, DVD±R/RW, CD, CD±R/RW, JPEG, and MP3 Compatible
Anti-Skip Circuitry
Dolby Digital Decoder
Digital and Analog AV outputs allow for use with home theater systems
Audio/Video input jack for video games, VCRs, or other AV sources
Headphone jacks for private listening (x2)
Multiple language, subtitle, and camera angle support
Parental lock control

This was just a last minute purchase, a couple of days before we went on a trip. I figured I’d need all the help I could get when entertaining a toddler on a two-hour trip. We didn’t have a budget for this but we bought one anyway. And because we paid for it in cash, they gave it to us for $130 instead of the original price of $142. Not that big but it was enough to pay for our dinner in a restaurant that day. The graphics quality is good for the price and although the video stops once or twice on bumpy roads, I am perfectly satisfied with it.

I was hesitant to buy this at first because what I really wanted was to buy those DVD players that can be mounted inside the car. Those types were a bit more expensive so we bought the laptop-type instead. To my relief, the monitor swivels so you can fold it and put it in a bag that you can latch on your car seat’s headrest. And when were not in the car, my daughter watched her DVDs inside the hotel room while my husband and I watched on the big TV. No competition / fighting on whose turn is it to watch. We we’re nothing but happy and peaceful vacationers.

Tracking devices have always been a controversial topic because of privacy issues. However, I believe that services like GPS Tracking can save time and even lives when used wisely. In fact, Lightning GPS has created a solution especially for law enforcement to help them do their jobs efficiently.

For personal use, GPS Tracking can be a great gadget for parents who are always worried about their children. There are always cases of missing children anywhere in the world that parents just can’t relax enough when their kids are not with them. Lightning GPS have several GPS Tracking devices for kids that you can choose from. There are GPS jackets, GPS strollers, GPS clothing and GPS backpacks developed both for outdoors and indoors to help parents informed where their children are at all times. You can never be too safe when it comes to your child’s safety.

So yes, I approve tracking devices as long as it’s used for safety and saving crimes. I don’t think using one on your spouse, even if you’re suspecting him/her of infidelity, will help you solve your marital problems.

My husband has conspired with my daughter in convincing me to buy them a Nintendo Wii. I’ve already established before that I’m not crazy about video games and my husband knows this. Hence, the need to use my daughter. He also sent me the URL for Shopwiki.com so I can learn more about this game console. I admit I’m just giving them a hard time but the truth is, I’m really planning to buy one this Christmas. They can get really charming and cooperative with household chores when they need to buy something.

I checked Shopwiki anyway just to see what kind of Wii games would they recommend. There are lots of arcade games that I’m sure my husband will love but what I’m really looking for are Wii Board games. There’s monopoly, newlywed’s (to check how compatible you are with your spouse), High Society, Lost (yes, the TV show), Harry Potter and lots more. Call me what you want but I actually got excited when I saw the 12 in 1 Board Game (chess, checkers, Othello, snakes and ladders, etc). And above all else, I’d really love to try out the Tennis games using a tennis racquet remote. I saw some blog posts about people who have one and can’t help but notice how fun it looks.

So, does it show how excited I am to get one? Just don’t tell me husband or else he’d stop kissing my A_ _.

Have you heard about Phone-007? It’s a special telephone that you can use to record phone calls or conversations nearby in a discreet manner. All sounds are then stored in a secure network so you can listen to it via phone anywhere in the world or through the web. This type of service may be intrusive but according to the website, there are tons of cases where this phone actually helped people catch a cheating spouse, monitor a baby, or find out what their teenagers are up to.

It may be invasion of privacy to some but I think it depends on what you plan to do with this spy phone. And if you’re the owner, you can do what you want to ensure the safety of your kids or home. Now, for working mothers, there’s no better feeling than knowing that their babies and toddlers are being taken care of by their nannies. Think of Phone-007 as a nanny cam. Instead of recording videos, the spy phone can record all sounds your baby (or nanny) makes even when the phone is not in use. Wherever the mom is, she can just dial the Phone-007 access number to listen to recordings or download audio from the web. This process also applies to checking on your teenagers or elderly at home. You can make sure that everyone at home is safe or not doing what they’re supposed to when you’re not around.

We’re going on a much-deserved getaway this Friday. We only booked one night but since it’s my birthday, we might consider staying another night. The travel, I hope won’t take that long because it’s been a year since we tried traveling with a toddler. And that was in my in-law’s car where we watched movies the whole time. She didn’t mind the three-hour drive because she spent it watching all her hi5 and Harry Potter DVDs.

Just this afternoon, it suddenly occurred to me that we should go ahead and purchase a dvd player for our car. It will definitely make the travel more tolerable for the little one. We have been looking for car DVD players for some time now but still unable to find one that’s right for us. I saw some brands for a folding DVD player at Shopwiki and instantly like the fact that they are lightweight but sturdy. The prices are so much lower too compared last year. There are also headrest monitors but you can’t take this anywhere else once you installed it.

I’m still keeping my options open. I asked my husband to scout the local malls tomorrow and see if he can find a good deal. I’m sure there are 0% interest promos at this time of the month.