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Teriyaki Chicken
Another really quick and simple dish for tonight, and it will totally ‘wow’ anyone you cook it for as it’s so flavourful! It’s not a proper Japanese, just a Matt version that is quite similar to the Teriyaki Chicken at Melbourne’s Edoya Japanese Restaurant on Russell Street, Melbourne.
Australian Government to censor the Internet
If you’re like me you’ll be furious when you read the latest information the Australia Government has released on the proposed ISP-level filtering of online content.
Duncan Riley has stated his concerns over on his blog. Duncan was also responsible for the Techcrunch article that I linked to in my article back on the 9th of January this year, Big Brother Down Under.
The full report can be downloaded from the ACMA website on pdf.
How To: Install a 3G USB modem on EeePC
I’ve spent the last 3 days hacking around on my Asus EeePC 701 trying to find information on how to install my USB 3G modem, Vodafone 3G to be precise, on it. I was directed to a number of different websites prompting me to download a load of different drivers and all sorts of other stuff the the EeePC.
As it turns out it is really simple, and takes about a minute.
Here’s how (it’d be useful for you to turn on your Asus EeePC now);
- On the ‘Internet’ tab open up the ‘Network’ icon, this will take you to Network Connections
- Click on ‘Create’ to start a new connection
- Select the type of connection, for the 3G USB modem select GSM / 3G (UMTS) / HSDPA, click ‘Next’
- Select Hardware, huawei E-220 /dev/ttyUSB0 and plug the modem into the first (closest to front) USB slot and click ‘Next’
- Network Registration, click on ‘Search’ to find the modem and 3G service. Once you get the list select your provider by clicking on their name and click ‘Next’
- Login Data, select the operator location you’re in, ie. Australia - Vodafone, then click ‘Next’
- Name your connection, ie. Vodafone 3G, and click ‘Next’
- You can now choose for this connection to start at system start, and also when you finish the wizard. It’s up to you but I prefer to start mine manually. Click ‘Finish’ and you’re done
In your Network Connections list you should now have your new 3G USB Modem connection, right click on it and select Connect and after a short period of connection time you will have yourself a 3G USB Modem connection. Go browse the internet, download some emails, chat, etc.
Hopefully your install goes as smoothly as mine did.
Social networking, the never ending saga
Yesterday, in honour of my birthday and in the spirit of getting organised, I decided to go around to all my social networking websites to update my profile on them all, change the photo over, and make sure they’re all setup properly.
My god I didn’t realise I had so many profiles!
There’s a handful of sites that I use on a daily basis, twitter, facebook, friend feed, last.fm, and flickr, but then there’s an even larger number of sites that I use at best once a week or even down to once a month in some cases.
So where does it end?
Every week it seems like there’s a new social networking startup that you just have to be on or die, I’m so far over it but somehow i doubt that will stop me form signing up….lol… From now on however I will be doing my best to actually stick to sites that have decent API’s where you can pull data from, ie. my flickr feed over on the right, my latest tweet, my vimeo videos, and shortly I’ll have my last.fm latest tunes there as well.
What’s the point of this post? Not a lot really, it’s more just to have a rant that there’s a ridiculous number of social networking websites out there and I’ve got to say I reckon that most of them are pointless.
End Rant.
CPR Flashlight, how does it work?
I saw this article on Engadget about the XFT CPR Flashlight that actually talks you through delivering CPR to someone and thought it was quite an interesting product, and a couple of days later we actually receive one in the office direct from the manufacturer.
As you can see in the photos it’s quite a simple looking product, LED torch at one end, a few buttons for turning the torch on and the CPR instruction, and a speaker on the end so you can hear the delivered instructions.
How does it actually work? Well first of all you can use the LED flashlight by simply press the green ‘LIGHT’ button, which is the first button in the array. To access the CPR instructions you use the ‘ON / OFF’ button, from there you are prompted to select the patient’s age, your choices are ‘ADULT’, ‘BABY’ or ‘CHILD’, via the A, B, and C buttons. Once you have done that you are then prompted to call your local emergency service number, 911 in the US version or 000 in Australian version. After the emergency call command you are then talked through checking the patient for signs of life, then we get into the CPR.
Rather than type out all the CPR commands, which would also make for boring reading, I’ve captured this short video of the whole process.
So as you can see this is potentially a lifesaving device for around the home, in your car, in your laptop bag, etc. So what’s it worth? Well the Australian version will sell for around $29.95 I believe, considering this has the potential to save the life of a loved one then I think it’s very affordable.
Pain Gone - What is it, How does it work, Where can I get one?
I’ve been receiving a number of comments and emails from readers of this blog asking about the Pain Gone pain relief device that I’ve mentioned a few times here. I figured I’d do a quick video with all the information on it so you have a better idea of what I’m talking about.
Enjoy!
Oh and if you missed the link it’s Targeted Pain Relief, and our eBay shop is here, or just send me an email at mathew.packer [at] gmail.com
This Months Sponsors are….
Skype - Skype is just plain awesome. Sick of paying high call costs on your landline and even having to pay line rental as well? Check out Skype and see how much you can save by having your phone run off of your dsl, even if you only use it for out going calls it will save you a bunch of money.
Lastminute - We’ve been using Lastminute for years at work, we use it for booking pretty well all of our work travel and accommodation. There’s always loads of great offers available.
Go Daddy - Want to buy your domain names cheap? Want quality hosting at an inexpensive rate? Want to sell some of your domain names? GoDaddy can handle it all, quickly, simply, and inexpensively.
Napster - Sick of paying for individual songs? Napster might just be for you. Check out their free 7 day trial and find out just how much music you can get for next to nothing.
and last but not least
Apple - I’m an Apple fan boy, you all know that. Apple makes awesome computers, their software is simple, but most importantly solid and secure. Looking to replace your old Windoze box, check out the new iMacs.
Red Nose Day - blogging for charity
This month on my blog I’m blogging for charity, Red Nose Day to be precise. Every dollar I earn through the advertising on my blog I will donate to the Red Nose Day charity, if you would like to donate you can by heading over to the donate online page of the Red Nose Day website.
So what is Red Nose Day?
Red Nose Day - Friday 27th June 2008
Red Nose Day, held annually on the last Friday in June, is the major fundraiser for SIDS and Kids. Funds raised through Red Nose Day activities assist us in providing our vital services and programs.
About SIDS and Kids
SIDS and Kids is an international leader in the field of health promotion, dedicated to the elimination of sudden and unexpected infant death. Best known for SIDS-related research and education programs, in 2002 SIDS and Kids changed their name to reflect the expansion of services, and now provide much-needed counselling and support to all Australian families who have suffered the sudden death of an infant or young child, regardless of the cause. This service is provided free of charge, and available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Who benefits from our services?
Since 1990, the SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping program has been instrumental in reducing the SIDS infant mortality rate by 90%, equaling more that 4,500 Australian babies’ lives saved. However each month approximately 200 Australian children die suddenly and unexpectedly from causes such as stillbirth, neonatal death, SIDS, a fast onset illness, drowning, poisoning, fire or motor vehicle accident. SIDS and Kids have a wide range of well-established programs and over 28 years experience in supporting families at this time. Their professional counsellors and trained volunteer peer supporters work together to help families through the tragic death of their child. More than 60 people are affected by the death of a child. SIDS and Kids programs are offered free of charge to all family members and friends who need support. For as long as they need them, SIDS and Kids are there!
Why a Red Nose?
In 1988, the Red Nose Day concept was adopted by SIDS and Kids organisations around Australia. Since then, people, cars, and buildings around the nation have joined in the fun. The red nose always brings a smile to people’s faces. By wearing a red nose you can be silly for a great cause.
Where do Red Nose Day funds go?
Proceeds from Red Nose Day assist us in providing the following vital services and programs:
- 24 hour, 365 days a year crisis outreach and ongoing bereavement support for families and the community following the sudden and unexpected death of an infant or young child from 20 weeks gestation to 6 years.
- Our SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping Program, an evidence-based health promotion campaign which offers practical advice to parents and health professionals about how to best reducce the risks of SIDS and sleep accidents.
- Research into the causes and prevention of sudden and unexpected death in the perinatal period and infancy.
So far this month this blog has earned around $10.00 via Adsense, hopefully I can get the sort of dollars I did last month as it would be really nice to give a decent donation to Red Nose Day.
CPR / AED Awareness Week
Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Each year, about 310,000 coronary heart disease deaths occur out-of-hospital or in emergency departments in the United States. Of those deaths, about 166,200 are due to sudden cardiac arrest – nearly 450 per day.
- Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors.
- Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, which causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Less than one-third of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR.
- Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
- The American Heart Association trains more than 10 million people in CPR annually, including health professionals and members of the general public.
- The most effective rate for chest compressions is 100 compressions per minute – the same rhythm as the beat of the BeeGee’s song, “Stayin’ Alive.”
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
- Unless CPR and defibrillation are provided within minutes of collapse, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.
- Even if CPR is performed, defibrillation with an AED is required to stop the abnormal rhythm and restore a normal heart rhythm.
- New technology has made AEDs simple and user-friendly. Clear audio and visual cues tell users what to do when using an AED and coach people through CPR. A shock is delivered only if the victim needs it.
- AEDs are now widely available in public places such as schools, airports and workplaces.
CPR/AED Awareness Survey
- Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they were willing and able to do something to help if they witnessed a medical emergency.
- Few Americans (12%-20%) are confident that they would know when it is appropriate to perform CPR or use an AED.
- At most, roughly four in ten are extremely or very likely to perform CPR on an adult (39%) or child (37%) they know personally.
- Less than 17 percent of Americans believe they are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
- The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Heart Association between January 8, 2008 and January 21, 2008 among 1,132 U.S. residents aged 18 and older.
Public Policy for CPR/AEDs
The American Heart Association supports state public policy initiatives that:
- Promote the access and use of AEDs and establish quality AED programs in high-risk locations
- Encourage bystander CPR and CPR training for professionals who may need to respond to medical emergencies
- Promote increased quality and appropriate use of 9-1-1 systems
- Extend Good Samaritan legal liability protection to all users of AEDs
The American Heart Association also supports increased funding for the Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices Program, which gives communities funding to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in rural areas and trains lay rescuers and first responders to use AEDs.
Blog Income May 2008
It’s been a while since I’ve posted an income report on this blog, and to be honest it was pretty well because it was earning next to zero dollars, but this past month I made some changes to this blog and well it’s proven to be quite successful.
So what did I do;
- removed all the Google Adsense code
- signed up with Commission Junction for affiliate sales
- signed up with Amazon for affiliate sales
- added in Google Custom Search
So why did these changes prove to be successful?
Let’s look at the first point. Google is pretty good at targeting the right type of ads to be displayed in your Adsense code blocks on your blog, but there are times where they either get it completely wrong or where the get it right but the advert payments are so low that it’s pointless having the advert. At one stage every advert was for dating websites and other random crap that had no reflection on what I was actually writing, so why on earth would anyone click on those ads and earn me money….
Adsense Adverts earned me $11.93 in May.
After I removed all the Adsense code I decided that I still wanted to have some advertising on my blog, but instead of random junk adverts I wanted things that actually reflected my blog topics, as well as this I wanted to actually advertise things that I used and therefore can recommend to people. I signed up on Commission Junction and got myself an affiliate account. With this I am able to specifically select advertising that is relevant to my blog, and in fact I decided that I only wanted to advertise companies that I dealt with in day to day life like Apple, Skype USA
, GoDaddy
, Moo, Calumet Photographic
, and Last Minute
. What a decision that turned out to be.
Commission Junction affiliate advertising earned me $97.00 in May, with an EPM of $32.51 and an EPC of $692.84.
I’ve actually had an Amazon Affiliate account for a while now but never really used it properly, this month I decided to use on of their widgets in my sidebar to see if it would get any use. It did. I had around 25 searches from it, and 2 purchases were made.
Amazon Affiliate advertising earned $1.57 this month.
For the last 2 weeks of May I installed Google’s Custom Search code into my menu bar, deleting the default WordPress one. This search bar allows people to search my article archive, as well as allowing Google to place targeted adverts in the search results, again this turned out to be a great change also.
Google Custom Search earned $10.05 with a CTR of 73.33% and an EPM of $670.19.
In total my blogging activities on this blog earned $120.55. That’s an increase of around $115 from April which is quite a substantial increase.
I’m not sure whether these numbers will continue to stay like this or whether they will increase of decrease, however I much prefer having the control over what adverts are shown on my blog and will definitely continue on with affiliate advertising as they are proving to be a lot more profitable than the low EPM adverts that Google Adsense was previously providing.
In conclusion, if you’re publishing a personal blog, or one that has a variety of topics, and Google Adsense isn’t earning well for you then maybe it’s time you investigate Commission Junction where YOU get to choose the advertiser and the products that you’re comfortable with.
