Internet Finds FFVIII's Promo Website is Still Up and Running

Let's face it: the internet is a very fickle place. What's here today could easily be gone tomorrow with the flip of a switch. On a smaller scale, that switch is expected to flip eventually. Products become obsolete, companies go out of business, or for whatever reason traffic dies and leaves behind an empty wasteland of information that's good for nothing but racking up server bills. However, in the past couple of decades a few relics of an era gone by have managed to slip through the cracks and remain online, presumably tucked away in a forgotten folder on some shared server hosting multiple other sites of more present importance. It's long been known that the original Space Jam promotional website is still around (and serving as a living reminder of how hideous '90s internet could be), but a more recent find may be even more impressive.

‘Text Me Merry Christmas’ Brings Holiday Cheer Up-to-Date

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say ‘Christmas music’? Chances are good that it’s at least half a century old, if not significantly more, even if the particular interpretation you think of happens to be the creation of a contemporary artist. And indeed it’s true—Christmas has become an inconsistent mesh of the old and new over the past decade or so. Various tech products now top the charts as the hottest gift items under the tree, but that tree itself is planted firmly by the river of tradition. One might even get lost just imaging walking in a winter wonderland without Google Maps these days. Well, now Straight No Chaser, creators of the legendary acapella version of the 12 Days of Christmas, are back to make their mark upon the holiday season again with ‘Text Me Merry Christmas’, a new song for a new generation saturated in smartphones. Oh, and Kristen Bell’s in it, too. Because, you know, I’m pretty sure she starred in some little movie about winter a while back, if that had anything to do with it.

Turkey Tech – Geeks, Beware Black Friday Deals

It’s that time of year again: the week in the USA where we give thanks for what we have one day and beat each other up for what we don’t have the next. As businesses continually find more and more ways to market Black Friday, it’s practically become a bigger thing than the holiday preceding it. Every year consumers look for steeper price cuts on bigger and better things, and the pressure’s on retailers to deliver according to expectation. Now, competition and capitalism are great things, and there definitely are some great deals to be snagged out of it on November 28, but let’s face it: Black Friday is all about profits, not deals. The enticing offers are there to get consumers into stores buying things they wouldn’t usually buy in greater quantities than they’d usually go for. At its core Black Friday is just one of the world’s biggest gimmicks, and to make it work businesses are oftentimes willing to cut prices at all costs, so to speak, including total honesty. That’s not to say you can’t trust anyone, but if you’re smart, you will keep your eyes open to know which deals to trust and which not to. Here’s a few tips to help you do so.

So long iTunes, Hello Amazon Music!

If you’ve frequented this website for any length of time, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I am no great fan of Apple. However, despite my frustrations with their devices, I’ve long been a fan of iTunes as a digital distribution platform. Sure, there are far better music and video players out there, but when it came to downloading content for those alternative applications to munch on, iTunes was my go-to source for years. Unfortunately, after so long of Apple holding this one last mark on my good side, they have finally struck the death blow to our relationship, and as it turns out, they’ve done me a great favor. I will probably never put my own money into iTunes ever again (I’m still open to gift cards—you know, just FYI), but contrary to my prior expectations, I also don’t think I will ever miss it at all.

Why?

Kickstarter Project Raises $70,000…for Potato Salad

Oh, internet, you’re so funny.

The website Kickstarter has drawn a lot of positive attention in the last couple of years. Numerous individual efforts and major productions alike have found their way to market thanks to crowd funding provided through the service. It’s safe to say the world is a little bit better for enabling all manner of entrepreneurs to fulfill their dreams and simultaneously bestow upon consumers some really great products that otherwise wouldn’t have seen the light of day.

But not every Kickstarter project is so noble. Whenever a website gets very popular, you know it will draw in that certain someone who just doesn’t take things seriously. So how does one such person make the news? Well, what’s different about this jokester is that his project is just about as awesome as the real deal. That, and real money is involved. Lots of it.

3 Addons to Improve Your YouTube Experience

If you are a PC user armed with Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, then you already know that you’ve got the web at your fingertips. What you may or may not realize, however, is just how deep your prying little hands can go. These days it seems we are less content with just browsing the web than ever. We want it customized to suit our tastes and needs. And when it comes to major social services, well, the devs can’t get by with changing anything without enduring the wrath of the world (until everyone forgets what they were angry about and adopts the changes like they’ve always been there). But the truth of the matter is, if you see something around the web that you want changed, with a little know-how you can change it—at least for your own, personal browsing experience. With the recent changes Google applied to YouTube that idea may well be music to your ears right about now, so today we’re going to take a look at three addons for Firefox and Chrome that, while not changing everything back to how you’re used to, will make your browsing experience a bit more interesting and useful.

How to Purchase Japanese iTunes Music/Apps in the USA

Piracy. If you’ve been around the internet very long, you’ve certainly heard this word plenty of times. There’s even a good chance you’ve heard a variety of perspectives on the issue, ranging from diametrically opposing it to considering it free advertising. And in truth, piracy is stupid: you’ll likely be locked out from certain features, get lower quality content than the real thing, and constantly have to battle countermeasures. But worst of all, the content creators are stripped of the support they deserve for their work. Of course, things are not always so clear cut. What if the content creator has not published their work in your country? Is it possible to steal what there never was a license for in the first place? As foreign media continues to rise in popularity here in the US of A, more and more people are asking themselves this question. Answer it however you will—your position is difficult to defend, no matter what stance you take. But what if you could avoid the question entirely? Isn’t there a better way?

I remind you this is the internet. Of course there is! Supporting your favorite content creators overseas is always the best way, and in this world where everything can be turned into a business there are lots of fine folks around the interwebs who are happy to help you do just that…without buying a plane ticket.

Dropbox is Dead: Long Live Copy?

No other company has so popularized cloud storage as Dropbox. It wasn’t the first to try and certainly not the last—most notably, Microsoft joined in with Skydrive and Google with Google Drive—but something about Dropbox’s style and effectiveness set it apart as the go-to option for synchronizing files over all the many electronic devices we are now expected to have. But now we have another contender: the aptly named Copy. And it really brings the storage space. Lots and lots of it. Will this new kid on the block dethrone Dropbox?

Tip: Download Playstation Games With Amazon

n former days, the famous online retailer Amazon had a section containing extensive listings for downloadable PS3 titles. It was sort of like a second Playstation Network where shoppers could give their money to Amazon, whom they trusted over Sony, and in exchange get redeemable codes for their Playstations. It seemed like a good setup all around, but for reasons unknown Amazon has closed the service and shows no intent on reopening it. The hacks of 2011 are well behind us now and Sony has made every effort to regain the trust of their customers, but some may still prefer not to put their credit card information into their console. If that sounds like you, then you’re in luck: there is still a way.

YouTube Tape Mode – Nostalgia, Web 2.0-Style

It would appear that the digital realm has gotten bit by the nostalgia bug as of late. Coverage is hot for Ubisoft’s upcoming 80’s sci-fi shooter, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Square Enix can’t seem to stop re-releasing the Final Fantasy games of yesteryear, and now Google has joined in as well with a special effect for YouTube that you won’t want to miss. At least you won’t if you’ve been around a few years. Sound mysterious? Let’s take a look.

When WiFi won’t Work (Tip)

So you check in to the hotel after a long day of travel, find your room, unpack your bags, and kick back on the bed with your laptop to catch up on the interwebs. Only problem is…all you get is a blank white screen. What’s going on? How can you get past the issue to start browsing? Turns out the answers are simpler than you might think. Today’s tip is quite basic, but it can be handy in a multitude of situations.

YouTube: the Future of TV (Micro-reviews)

With online streaming of movies and shows gaining popularity, the internet has made itself a very viable option for major productions in recent years. While YouTube may have begun as a creative outlet for non-professionals, its insane success and popularity has made it a choice option for professionals seeking to join in this pioneering effort to bring big-screen quality into streaming video. Here’s my top 3 list of real productions that are available to watch in full at no cost on YouTube.

Full-Browser YouTube Trick (+Bonus Trick)

Here’s a quick tip for the week: ever wanted to watch a Youtube video while checking up on email, Facebook, Google+, or something else? Well, the obvious solution is to just make a second window with Youtube occupying half of the screen…but when you want the video, why should you settle with comments and ratings and such that you’re not reading taking up some of this space as well? And what of the video itself? Is it too small on the small setting to occupy all of the available space, and too large on the large setting to see properly?

Homepage Service iGoogle is Shutting Down, Need Alternatives?

Despite getting an update only a few months ago to improve the look and functionality of their personal homepage service, Google has just announced that it will be closing the book on iGoogle for good as part of its ‘spring cleaning’.

If like me you’ve been a loyal user of the service for a few years now and aren’t sure where to turn, don’t worry too much; you’ve got until November 1, 2012 to figure out a new solution. However, there’s no point in procrastinating and putting more stock in a service that’s on its way to the grave. Check out the full post for a few tips on how to deal with this change.

Mechanical Turk – Turn Clicks Into Cash

Let me speak to the RPG gamers out there for a moment. Have you ever thought it would be great if only in real life you could go out and slay a few easy monsters to earn some spare cash? Well, ok, maybe it would take more than a few, but wouldn’t it be nice if all you had to do to get a little extra income was to grind away at a simple task for a bit?

Well, it turns out Amazon already has a way for you to do just that, and it won’t even cost you a penny to get involved.