February 2013

PlugCam problems? Try these tips

The PlugCam is cool. It uses your home powerlines to create a security system that needs no wiring and doesn’t even rely on your wi-fi. It’s easy to configure and easy to use. But what if it doesn’t…

Read More

Nielsen ratings to include streaming

Our habits have changed. It’s been two generations since everyone sat down in front of the family’s only television every night to watch something from the major networks. We all got multiple TVs, then computers, then…


Hands on with Vanco’s HDMI IR Control Kit

What do you do when you want to control a device in another room? You have several solutions. We’ve always recommended the NextGen MultiRoom Extender as a way to add RF capability to any remote control. It’s a…



Another Home Brew antenna?

This is a very quick post because I just came across another antenna design which is easy to build, looks like it may also be omni directional with some gain and picks up VHF and…


How to install a legacy DIRECTV system

While it’s true that the DIRECTV world has moved to SWM technology, there are times when a plain legacy install is the best way to go. You may be replacing parts and have no need for…


Should you uninstall Java now?

It’s a black time for Java. There was a time when Java was an essential part of the World Wide Web experience. It was so pervasive it showed up in unlikely places: Blu-ray disc players and…


Living without the scourge of .NET

It’s probably on your computer right now. It’s called the Windows .NET Framework, and it’s probably sitting there taking 2 or 3 gigabytes of space. (That’s ridiculous right there. It wasn’t that long ago all of…



“Undefined OSD” error?

We’ve read several cases where a DIRECTV receiver will fail to boot and the only message will be “Undefined OSD.” Courtesy of our members texasbrit and litzdog911, here is the solution (originally posted at the…