Chris Pirillo

Is There More to Life than Gnomedex?

Chris — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:58:15 +0000

After today, it feels as though Gnomedex is my life! I’m not complaining, though. We’ve been quite busy getting things ready for all of you to descend upon Seattle in just a few short weeks. We announced some ticket price drops today, in the hopes those of you hit hard by the economy may be able to join us. We’ve opened up ticket types, as well. I also wrote an in-depth blog post, answering some questions from a potential attendee. I certainly hope the answers I gave will help any of you who are still on the fence as to whether or not Gnomedex is a “must attend” conference for you.

Even though we’ve accomplished so much today on the conference front… I didn’t forget the rest of the community! I spent much time reading everything you’re doing. Keeping up with your thoughts, dreams, passions and ideas is something that I make a regular part of each and every day. To me, this wouldn’t even BE such a great community without all of your contributions. It’s not MY community - it’s OUR community.

If you aren’t posting anything… what are you waiting for? You can blog on Lockergnome or Geeks, or you can contribute to a forum discussion on Geeks. Heck, you can start your own Group, even! Come hang out with us in chat… and just try and keep up with everything going on in there!

In the meantime, here’s what your peers have been busy with:

Is There More to Life than Gnomedex?

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Xbox Game Review

Chris — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:09:23 +0000

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It’s a good thing I have a friend like Michelle here in Seattle. She’s a gamer - and I am not. I like to play casual games, but I just never quite got into RPGs. It would be silly for me to attempt to give a review of one, since I honestly don’t know how to properly play them!

Michelle’s been a gamer for years, and her specialty is RPGs. She admits to being hooked on Oblivion, although she does expect to spend quite a bit of time with this copy of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. She loves the fact that the game gets into the storyline quickly, and gives her a lot of opportunities to kill things. Would you believe she’s an expert marksman in “real” life?! I do.

Sacred 2 is the superb 3D enhanced sequel to the original Sacred, and provides more action, monsters, scenes, weapons, combos and feedback for even more fun. The game features a massive, seamless and dynamic world delivering hundreds of hours of free-form exploration. You can choose to play on one of two campaigns: the “Light” or “Shadow” side (much like Alliance vs Horde in World of Warcraft). There are six different types of characters to choose from, each with their own look and capabilities.

The only real drawback that Michelle doesn’t like is the camera angle. She says the camera kind of is behind the character, and above it. She keeps having to zoom in while in combat, and the camera tends to just revert to being zoomed out on its own. The controls are apparently a tad different than with other games, but is easy to get the hang of.

All in all, Michelle thinks that this is definitely going to be a game you’re going to spend hours losing yourself in if you are into RPGs.

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

Chocolate Covered Grasshoppers

Tips for Programming and PHP

Chris — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:40:24 +0000

Community member “a_v58″ sent me a short list of PHP tips. These days, people are rabid in their thirst to learn more about PHP. If you want to become a programmer, you should know what you’re doing when it comes to PHP. The following tips were sent in to me by Andrew. They are solid tips, so I wanted to pass them along to all of you.

Don’t be tempted to use packets such as WAMP or XAMPP that install and configure Apache, PHP, MySQL for you automatically. You’ll learn more by installing them one-by-one and configuring them manually. After a quick Google search, you’ll find a list of recommended configurations for PHP and/or Apache - depending whether your machine is a server or a development machine. I recommend installing in this order: MySQL, Apache, PHP.
Remember to sanitize your database inputs. To avoid this, understand what this is and how this works. Google or read on Wikipedia for “SQL injection.” Use functions such as ‘addslashes’ and ‘get_magic_quotes_gpc.’
When you think you did everything right and you don’t understand why something isn’t working, look at your code carefully, debug it, and possibly run a ‘var_dump’ on all the variables to see whether something is faulty. If you still can’t figure it out, take a break and get some fresh air. Come back to the problem with a clear mind.
Don’t be afraid to ask on forums or the community questions. Remember: there are no stupid questions. However, if for every little mistake you ask, and you don’t figure a couple of questions on your own… no offense: programming may not be right for you.
Why choose PHP? It has a syntax similar to C/C++ (which are some of the used frequently for desktop applications. PHP.net has almost everything you might need to know - including examples and user-contributed notes (which may contain exactly what you need).
When somebody asks you a question, don’t be afraid to answer. You’ll either help that person by teaching him or her something new (or be corrected by someone with more experience - in which case, you’ll learn something new).

Sure, it’s a starter list of tips - extremely rudimentary for some. That’s where you have the opportunity to suggest your own PHP starter tips in the comments stream below. :)

Tips for Programming and PHP

Save $100 on Windows 7 Professional Upgrade

Chris — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:06:15 +0000

The Windows 7 Professional Upgrade will not be available until October 22, 2009. However, if you want to pre-order now, Amazon has a great deal, which saves you a hundred dollars.

Amazon even gives a price guarantee:

if the Amazon price decreases between your order time and the end of the day of the release date, you’ll receive the lowest price.

There is a limit of three (3) per customer, and is an excellent deal. At least, it provides some top-end insurance. The price may be lower, but it can’t go any higher than this if you order now.

There is a Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your system can handle Windows 7. A small download is required in order to make use of this resource.

And finally, there is this stated caution on the Amazon page:

“We recommend that you experience Windows 7 on a new PC. While we don’t recommend it, you can opt to upgrade your current PC from Windows XP or another operating system to Windows 7…”

In this economy, there may not be the extra funds to go out and buy a “new PC,” as suggested. The upgrade may be the viable economic route to go - but do your homework. It seems that a hundred dollars (less a penny and with free shipping) is an economical way to have access to this new operating system.

Save $100 on Windows 7 Professional Upgrade

Gnomedex 2009 for $99?!

Chris — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:27:19 +0000

As you might know, my conference (Gnomedex) is headed into its 9th year, this August 20th - 22nd, having come a VERY long way since its inception. We just posted a Gnomedex FAQ a few minutes ago, too.

Would you like to register for Gnomedex? Awesome.

For Gnomedex, everybody loves the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle for a lot of reasons: unlimited munchies, unlimited drinks, relatively steady WiFi in recent years, relatively comfortable chairs, ample room to move around, lots of natural light, etc. It’s certainly one of the fancier venues in which to hold a tech conference - definitely NOT cheap.

Today, I’m announcing registration changes that should make Gnomedex more affordable (and accessible) for anybody who has always wanted to go. Ready for this?

Full Passes are now being lowered from $500 to $299 - effective immediately. This is a full-access pass, and includes a scrumptious lunch on-site, seating in the Bay Auditorium, and access to a power outlet or two.
Hall Passes (aka Half Passes) are being introduced at $179 for two days or $99 for a single day. This is a partial-access pass, and doesn’t include a scrumptious lunch on-site, doesn’t include seating in the Bay Auditorium, and doesn’t include guaranteed access to an electrical outlet.

Of course, if you’d rather have a cash refund for the difference - we can arrange that, too.

Why am I cutting prices? First, I realize the economy is hitting all of us hard - but that doesn’t mean we should be kept from enjoying a world-class venue (with plenty of amenities) together. Second, I want to open up the hallways to more people - the conversations there are always amazing. We’ll have run of the entire top floor at Bell Harbor! It was like that a couple of years ago when the economy was doing better, and it was awesome. It’s still a single-track conference, officially.

Now, if you’ve already registered for Gnomedex, you might care to pay attention:

If you purchased a ticket at $500 or $450, you have one of three options: (a) You can invite a guest into the Bay Auditorium with you! That’s insta-savings for them. Spouse? Friend? Family member? Boss? Co-worker? Colleague? It’s up to you. (b) You can receive a $200 credit for the next Gnomedex event; (c) You can have $200 of your ticket cost donated to DonorsChoose.
If you purchased a ticket at $350 or $400, you have one of four options: (a) You can spend $100 more to bring a guest into the Bay Auditorium with you; (b) You can receive a “Geek” Care Package TBD (worth ~$100); (c) You can receive a $100 credit for the next Gnomedex event; (d) You can have $100 of your ticket cost donated to DonorsChoose.

We wanna work with everybody this year, and you know that we’re gonna do what we can do to make sure you’re happy (with these changes, or the conference in general).

The hallway should be full of sponsors and participants, and the auxiliary rooms will have the live video feed piped in from the Bay Auditorium. If enough people sign up before too long, we’ll be able to accommodate an “unconference” to run in the same building as the official conference itself. Moreover, a couple of lucky hallway pass holders may be selected to present their ideas on the Bay Auditorium stage!

I’m really hoping to pack the place this year - and hope that the new pricing proves it. We’ll be announcing more sponsors, speakers, and partnerships very soon. Don’t let that stop you from registering, because YOU are 90% of what this conference is about.

Attendees, past or present, are more than welcome to join Gnomedex.com at any time. If you have any questions, please ask through this form.

Gnomedex 2009 for $99?!

Gnomedex Questions and Answers

Chris — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:47:10 +0000

I received an email this morning from Nicole, a lady who is considering attending Gnomedex this year for the first time. She recently started a business based in New York, and had some questions about the conference. The questions are very good ones, and I decided that others may benefit from the answers, as well.

What is the overall theme, message or intended take-away of the conference? The theme this year will be the same one I chose last year - Human Circuitry. Interestingly enough, the attendees from last year defined Human Circuitry in many different ways. The common response, though, meshed with what I was trying to accomplish. Human Circuitry, put simply, is the point at which Tech and Humanity combine. We learned how we could raise money quickly for a worthy cause, using nothing more than Twitter. We had a spontaneous - and very moving/powerful - few moments of dancing wildly on stage with Matt, of “Where the Hell is Matt” fame. Another highlight that showed off Human Circuitry at work was hearing Amanda Koster talk about using her camera and the Internet to raise awareness of the plight of people living in Africa.
Are the sessions focused on action and strategy - or more theoretical? I’d have to say that they are focused on action and strategy. For instance, one speaker this year will be talking about the top ten ways businesses can and should make use of social media outlets, such as Twitter. We have speakers lined up this year who will talk about everything from social media, business online (and offline!), all the way to using the Internet to raise awareness for a cause.
Is there a high focus on innovation, and what’s “new” and “needed”? I’d like to think so, yes. The people who attend this conference are some of the best at what they do. The conversations that take place between and after sessions are usually the highlight of the conference for many people. You will be amazed at the contacts you can make, and the things you can learn from these conversations. A LOT of time is spent talking about what’s on the cutting edge, what we’re hoping to find / create / DO, and what just plain doesn’t work.
Is it very jargon-specific with advanced computer terminology and concepts - or understandable to a non-programmer? Gnomedex is not focused on programming. I can promise you that anyone and everyone will be able to understand what is being presented and discussed. Sure, there may be a few people who use big words, but hey! We are a room full of Geeks, after all! We’ve been fortunate in past years (and again this year) to be able to find presenters who are able to talk about their subject in “people terms”, and not “high-tech terms”. We do love developers, though - and there certainly are plenty who come (and this year, we have the Will Code for Green contest).
Since your audience ranges across many field and disciplines, do you have industry-specific break-out sessions or opportunities to learn/discuss/network?Officially, no. Unofficially, yes. Gnomedex is a single-track conference, where everyone attends the same sessions. We work very hard to make sure that our speakers will reach out to every sector of people / business who may attend. This year, we’re making available “half-access” passes so that people can watch the live video stream on-site in a room separate from the Bay Auditorium (at a lower ticket price). These participants will likely be self-organizing independent BoFs and whatnot. Again, I bring up the discussions that take place before / after sessions: this is the time and place where people find others with similar goals and interests. Contact information is exchanged. Ideas are shared. We also have our meet-and-greet party Thursday night, before the conference begins, which is yet another opportunity for you to network.
The conference seems clearly beneficial. Due to costs of travel and accommodations, I’m wondering if it’s “nice” to attend… or a “need” to attend. What would you say others have gained in the past from attending? First and foremost, people across the board each and every year have stated that they came away with renewed passion for what they’re doing. They are energized. They look at things from different perspectives than they might have prior to being there. They remember why it is they started on their journey, and have a renewed faith in themselves and their ideas. They come away having made new friends and associates. I’ve been told more times than I can honestly count that Gnomedex is inspiring in many ways. It’s not something that is easy to put into words… but it’s very tangible.
Is it very region-specific to the NW/Silicon Valley, or would the networking be on a broad scope, allowing me to benefit easily from my NY base? Ding! Gnomedexers come from literally all over the World! I know for a fact that we have MANY East-coasters joining us this year. Sure, there are several from my local Seattle area. There will also be people coming from Europe, NY, Florida, Chicago, Texas… I think you get the idea. Gnomedex is full of people from all over the World!

For those of you who have attended Gnomedex in the past, I’d love to have your responses to any and all of the above questions. Your insight and experiences are what drives this conference each year, and what convinces others to join you. Help to broaden your own network by taking a few minutes to share with prospective attendees what it is about the conference that keeps you coming back for more!

I might also note that since dropping the price last night, at least two people who are currently unemployed have signed up for a full-access pass. That’s how much previous Gnomedexes has influenced them!

Gnomedex Questions and Answers

Spam Increases Along with Security Issues

Chris — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:44:59 +0000

The unfortunate deaths of a number of celebrities recently has generated an increase in spam. Add political scandals to the news, and the junk mail really spikes upward. There has been (and will continue to be) a significantly higher volume of this junk email directed at your inbox. Not only is this spam a waste of your time, it can be dangerous. A current article illustrates that spam is a means of delivering malware.

Spam may seem like an everyday nuisance. As such, people tend to forget that it is a real danger. It is a means for hackers / criminals to access your computer. Some hackers don’t want to sell you any junk. The goal is to control your computer and/or steal your personal, confidential information for identity theft.

Over eight million people protect themselves from spam and malware dangers with MailWasher Pro. That number of people grows daily. It is simply one of the best ways available for handling spam. One of our security reviewers has used this product daily for almost a decade, so the recommendation for MailWasher Pro comes from years of experience with this legendary program.

MailWasher Pro is effective and it is easy to use:

Apart from being the most effective software to fight spam, you’ll find that MailWasher is probably the easiest anti-spam software to use. We took the view that if we can’t understand how to use a piece of software in under five minutes, then it’s probably always going to be hard to use. Why try and learn a whole lot of new icons and procedures? You want a program with a minimal learning curve, is easy to use, and looks attractive.

One of the ways that spam is handled is by means of filters. The problem is that sometimes the filter screens out legitimate email. And sometimes spam by-passes the filters. One of the great features of MailWasher Pro is that it allows the user to preview the email prior to downloading onto the computer. With a brief glance, you will be able to tell what is legitimate email and what is junk. And you do this while the email is not on your computer.

That’s right - you will be screening your email before you download it onto your computer. Consider this as viewing the mail at the server level instead of handling it while it is on your machine. That is an added level of security - you decide which email accesses your computer.

Why make the decision when the email is on your computer? That is simply dangerous. Mailwasher Pro allows you to make the decision at the server level - while the email is away from your machine. It is an effective, easy ,and brilliant way of handling the spam problem. MailWasher Pro works with Windows and is effective for POP3, IMAP, AOL, Gmail, Yahoo!, and Hotmail. Stop just downloading your email to Outlook or Outlook Express. Preview it first!

Now our readers have fifty per cent discount when buying MailWasher Pro. Yes - really - for a limited time, it is possible to buy MailWasher Pro at half price:

Use this coupon code: lockerg

This remarkable offer expires on July 8, 2009. (Contact us if you want this program in high volume. We’ll see if we can help.)

And one final point… MailWasher Pro has an active support system. It has a live technical support system, as well as a forum. We have been following the development of this program for many years. The founder is a friend of this site and runs a first class operation. It shows. This is just an excellent program. You will consider MailWasher Pro a “must-have” for every computer you own.

Spam Increases Along with Security Issues

What Little Things are You Missing out On?

Chris — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:56:41 +0000

Surely by now, you’ve come to realize that it’s the little things in life that matter the most: a hug from a good friend, a word of support from someone you respect, thanks from a boss or co-worker. These things can certainly make your day much easier to get through. Taking time out to do things that are important to no one other than yourself are also some of those “little things” that can make life so much more bearable at times when things are tough.

I’m just as human as the rest of you. I get so caught up in the things I have to get done, that I sometimes forget those little things. I don’t remember to stop and smell the proverbial roses as often as I should. I may not always be able to respond to each email I get (I DO read them all!). My schedule may be full, not allowing me to attend something you’ve invited me to. That’s the way life goes, eh? We can’t have it all, we can’t do it all, and we certainly can’t BE it all.

Think about how good you feel when someone supports or thanks you for something out of the blue. Remember what it’s like to be the recipient of a hug, phone call or email for no reason other than to say “hey, how ARE you?”. Reflect for a moment about how much easier life can be when you take time to do something you love. Now… here is my challenge for the day: go forth, and spread the cheer. Call someone up you haven’t talked with in awhile. Tell that person who may really need to hear it “hey - thanks - you ROCK!”. Send your Mom some flowers to thank her for putting up with your butt (note to self.. call florist!).

Once you’ve spread as much happiness to others as you can, sit down and make yourself calmer and happier. Do something for even a half an hour a day that will make YOU feel better. What is it you’d do with 30 whole minutes to yourself, to do as you please? You know my answer… I spend my extra time reading through what all of you are up to. Why don’t you try it out for yourself? You may learn something new, get a few laughs, or make a new friend… starting the circle over again.

What Little Things are You Missing out On?

How to Protect Your iPhone / iPod

Chris — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:51:37 +0000

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While my new iPhone 3G S was syncing for the first time, I decided to talk to all of you about protecting your device. Why do you need protection? What if you drop the phone? I’ve done it countless times - it’s easy to do! Having a good cover or case can cut down on any damage the phone or device may have received.

When I bought my original iPhone, I used an inCase slider case. When I changed to my iPhone 3G, I switched to something different. Now that I have the 3G S… I’m going back to my inCase. It’s lightweight and works very VERY well.

Another thing I recommend is something that can help your eyes. I use an anti-glare film for my iPhone screen. Not only does it protect the screen, it will also help your eyes. You can check them out for yourself to order one for your phone.

When applying the film to the screen, you want to be careful not to have any bubbles. You can use any credit card or similar object to slowly smooth the film into place. I can’t believe I nailed it on the first try this time! It usually takes me forever to get it aligned just right.

There are my two top ideas for keeping your iPhone and/or iPod protected from harm. Don’t mind the Geek behind the anti-glare screen muttering to himself. He’ll be ok eventually - I think.

collaboration software for Web-based interaction.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.