For you guys looking to move over to WordPress like here at AskTheAdmin, you probably want to go with your own web host. What if you don’t have any cash yet? I mean it takes a few months for that Adsense revenue to kick in right? Well don’t fret, I have a solution for you. It’s a free webhost that supports PHP and MySQL. Guess what? That is exactly what WordPress runs on jack!

The provider is called 000Webhost, and here is a list of their free hosting features:

• 1500 MB of Disk Space, 100 GB Bandwidth
• Host your own domain
• cPanel Powered Hosting
• Over 500 website templates ready to download
• Easy to use website builder
• Free POP3 Email Box with Webmail access
• FTP and Web based File Manager
• PHP, MySQL, Perl, CGI, Ruby.
• And many more…

I personally use them for my custom Ninja themed URL shortening service, and I also set up a test WordPress blog so you can see what I’m talking about. You can have unlimited websites under your account as well, so if you want to be the next Internet mogul, you can get started on 000Webhost.

Know of any other free web hosting providers? Are they better than 000Webhost? Why? Share with the rest of the class in the comments!

-=El Di Pablo=-

Disclosure Notice: Although 000Webhost is free for you, I will get $5 per sign up as long as your account stays active for 30 days. A guy has to pay the bills doesn’t he?

Check this out:

HostGator is attempting to break the world record of all deals by offering up a 40% savings today and today only. Hit the banner below to automatically have the 40% applied today for the 4th of July!

Today only (July 4th, 2011) we will be offering 40% OFF ALL hosting plans and ALL Term lengths.

If you find your self camping or stuck in some bad weather I have some geeky cheap gear for you to protect yourself and your gear. I can even have you lighting your stoggies in the rain. This all came about because I have been trooping through snow and ice with this winter wonderland that is New York. I have taken to protecting my gear and myself in case of any nasty incidents. I grabbed a awesome weatherproof case for my phone from Pelican, Some water proof matches and a handy little pack axe from Coghlans.

Don’t be a softie on your next boy’s trip—before you leave the comforts of your home, be the man of the group with the right gear.  Pack your bag with the latest survival essentials from Coghlan’s(www.coghlans.com) and Pelican (www.pelican.com).

Pack Axe

So this little axe feels awesome in the hands and made me think of Dexter a few times. This is so small and light weight that you can throw it in your bag or car and not even notice it. We can use this for chopping up some fire wood or freeing something from somewhere. The Pack Axe is an indispensable tool for campers, backpackers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts who require a rugged, functional, space-saving axe. Its non-slip rubber grip is designed for comfort and it comes with a black nylon protective sheath.

Storm Matches

Ever try to light matches in the rain? How about a cigarette in a storm? These matches are pretty geeky and cool. Amaze your friends in bad weather by lighting their cigarettes. These waterproof and windproof matches can withstand immersion in water and cannot be extinguished by wind, making it the ideal match when out in harsh conditions.

i1015 Case from Pelican

The i1015 Case is the strongest iPhone case on the market. Designed for the iPhone and iPod touch, but also compatible with other smart phones like the Droid, the i1015 features a clear lid that allows users to watch videos or check playlists, and an external headphone to listen to the player while the case is closed, ensuring the device within the i1015 is always protected. This thing can be used in a storm but it can’t be submerged.  Water resistant, crush proof and dust proof makes it ideal for any nasty weather. It fits my HTC Touch Pro 2 and The Wife’s iPhone.

_TheSurvialAdmiN_

Yo Admin can you tell me what kind of memory is in my PC without me having to open the case? I want to see how much it will cost to upgrade but don’t want to dive into it unless I am going to do it. Dig? I have busted up one too many machines in the past. But memory is a good way to speed up my p4 machine it has 256mb right?

Jenny Needs Memory

Jenny yes 256mb of memory is not enough for anything nowadays!

You should but that rig up to at least 1gb. Memory is cheap just go to this link and you will be able to scan your memory and get all sorts of useful facts and prices. And wait there’s more…

You will also be supporting AskTheAdmin by making any purchases via these links.

Why you might ask?

Well it is an affiliate program we have been experimenting with. You buy stuff you need and they give us a little bit o’ cheddar for referring you over to them. It gets expensive running a website where advertising revenue brings in next to nothing. But I love helping you weirdos!

Awww don’t blush! I have seen your temp files and browsing history pervo!

But back to the hard sell…

Crucial makes your life easier by telling you how much memory your system can max out at and what type it needs and best of all how much its going to cost ya! What are you waiting for speed up your machines today!

Memory being the price it is can be a GREAT ALTERNATIVE to buying a NEW MACHINE! Support us to take over the fricking world get us up on our own dedicated server/line…

Maybe we could hire some more quality writers to give you more great information if we had more than .37 in the AskTheAdmin bank account. So instead of me carrying her on my shoulders help out! How does that make you feel? (It makes me feel like a guy in the train going from car to car saying Ladies and Gentleman I don’t mean to interrupt…) Feelings… Death Threats… In the comments!

_TheNeedsMoneyAdmiN_

ThinkGeek :: Stuff for Smart Masses

You can grab a track right from a audio stream.  Audials One will save the track to a MP3 that you can then listen to offline, burn it to a cd or throw it on your iPod. The application also has a built in search feature to scour the Internet for specific audio bytes and to top it all off it doesn’t care one bit about DRM or any other SILLY copy protection scheme.

You can actually play a DRM’ed track on your machine and magically strip it off when you are saving it as a MP3 – you can learn more via their tutorials here.

As I said before we have 5 copies to give away so step right up and enter our contest all you need to do is leave a comment on this post as to why we should give it to you. Be funny, be witty and this might just be yours. The publisher also told me if we see a lot of comments and tweets we can up the number to 10 or maybe even 20. Let’s see how much you guys need this..

A comment will get you one entry, tweeting about the contest will get you 2 entries (tag it #AskTheAdmin) and blogging about the contest will get you 3 votes.

The contest will go for one week from today! So get your entries in, starting NOW!

_TheJudgingYouAdmiN_

Kingston DataTraveler I – 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive DTI/32GB (White/Orange)

In recent months we have seen the emergence of the almighty Netbook. We’ve also been lucky enough to see the inevitable forces of Moore’s Law take their hold on the Netbook world and gave us some prices that are awesomely affordable. However, at Ask The Admin, we have access to some Moore’s Law action that is still pretty unreachable to most people. Moore’s Law states that as time goes by, computers, and their respective components, get stronger, faster and cheaper. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to make it our mission to take advantage of this trending and bring the savings straight to you.

Enter the Pearl White Asus EEE 900 Netbook PC. This ultra-portable little bad-boy touts a 8.9″ 1024×600 display, a 16GB SSD solid state drive, 1GB of RAM, a built-in 1.3MP web camera, and Windows XP Home pre-installed. It has everything you need to make all the connections you need to make while on the go. And it’s ultra-light, thin profile will make it a cinch to carry around. Best of all this exclusive, ATA only deal gets you FREE Shipping and $150 off the sticker price of $349 = you only pay $199! Click here to get in on this EXCLUSIVE Buy.com offer brought to you by AskTheAdmin.com.

Commodore 64 – The one you used to play Bruce Lee on ,8,1

Commodore64 back again to bring you the best deals we’ve found by tirelessly scouring the web for the best savings around. Father’s Day is around the corner, and time is running out to get dad that perfect gift. It’s no surprise that we get the best deals around because we have access to some of the best coupons and savings links around. We’ve picked the best of the best, and rounded them up for you right here. Check them out:

 
 

This little monster in a box packs quite a punch! It sports an Intel Dual Core T2400 @ 1.83Ghz. On top of that there’s plenty of Hard Drive space with it’s 60Gb 7200 rpm internal drive. And the graphics are brilliant with it’s 14.1 inch display which rocks a Radeon X1400 128Mb Graphics Array. You can grab this awesome little machine for 50% OFF the retail price of $1000. That’s right, just $499 for this awesome machine.
Click here to grab it while it’s still available!

 
 
 



 
 
 
This awesome little memory keychain hold a whopping 4GB in its new, low-profile Generation 2 design. Originally costing $65, we get the best deals here at AskTheAdmin, so now you can grab it for 34% off the retail price for just $41.95! Click here to grab it!

 
 
 
 
 



 
 
This gorgeous, Piano Black Plasma TV is a whopping 42″ Wide Screen and supports up to 720p HDTV. The awesome technology built into this puppy allows for a 100,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio! This Beautiful flat screen TV retails for $1000, but we would never let our readers pay retail… Click this link to get over $300 off and grab this TV for $698 + FREE Budget Shipping! That’s insane!

 
These are some awesome deals that are just too good not to share with our lucky readers. Enjoy!

 
Commodore64 (The one you used to play Bruce Lee on ,8,1)

 
 
 
 

That’s right boys and girls Microsoft has an awesome offer on the table and it appears it has been around for more than a month. AskTheAdmin reader and contributor Peter Diamond put me on in an email last night. Apparently Microsoft wants YOUR feedback on how you can use their services to evaluate their products and in return you get access to lots of Microsoft resources like Beta Support, free downloads of new software and loads of tools.

Of course you have to be serious about the program and submit your Full Name and contact information. You need to participate in giving feedback on the program and letting MS use it in a online post.

Users just text messaging Matt an email address will obviously be rejected. We know how much AtA readers LOVE giving out personal information – But, this could be your leg up in the evaluation efforts of new software evaluations like Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 – hell there is even support for Vista. What are you waiting for?

Just the TechNet Plus Subscription usually costs $350 find out more about TechNet here – http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/default.aspx.

You can find out more about this IT Momentum Program Here: http://blogs.technet.com/matthewms/archive/2009/02/17/it-pro-momentum-program-still-accepting-applications.aspx

All Microsoft wants for your free enrollment in this IT Momentum Program is a little feedback so they can write a blog article on how people are using these resources and if and how they help them. A small price to pay for all this support and help! I just signed up… What are you waiting for?? Tell them AskTheAdmin.com sent ya!

Here is how you go about signing up:

Email mhester@microsoft.com or please contact one of my teammates (U.S. TechNet Presenters) tell them that you want to be a part of the program and that you are willing to share you experiences with them! I just signed up and got my invite how about you?

Peter also sent us this link – http://www.microsoft.com/click/thrive/ It is a site dedicated to help you THRIVE as an IT Professional. Check it out.

Enjoy and go be productive young admin! Every dollar counts in this horrible economy!

[UPDATE for 3/3/2009] If you sent Matt a note requesting consideration but didn’t bother to send me your full name or more than a subject line of text to get into the program then your email was deleted.  Sorry folks, this is a professional program not a text message from your phone and I will not guess at your name.

_TheITProMomentumedAdmiN_

We have covered more than one Windows Home Server articles in the last year and that is why we were honored that HP let us review their new WHS before the rest of the world even knew it existed. If you missed our initial review of its older brother you can check that out here and here.

The new box is running a Celron 2ghz Processor with 2gb of memory. We also have 2 750GB SATA drives that are easily expandable via the easy access hard drive bays on the front with an additional two slots.

Now you can use your two drives seperately or as part of an array or as a mirror. But get this you can selectively mirror folders or files on two drives and not others. This is a great use of ingenuity as you can mirror your important files and save space by not mirroring your temp files or some other crap. Nice!

We have an eSata port on the front and 4 usb ports for even more expandablility.

The older model was also able to aggregate all your iTunes libraries across your network but this guy can now grab playlists as well as act as a central Time Machine backup location (MACS Only). This is great for restoring the wife’s MAC Book Pro after she nukes it!

It has a 10/100/1000 Gigabit ethernet adapter as well as Wireless capabilites to connect to your network. How about remote access to your internal clients? File sharing? Automagical backups for PC’s and MACS?

This is a sweet box at a sweet price. And the revisions keep getting better and better, because they listen to their users. More and more HP has become a better company than DELL and has far better support than they ever have.

Is anyone else seeing this??

I had someone ask me to get them a second copy of office 2003 for their shiny new laptop. Seeming I bought both the machines and the software I knew the machine was already loaded up and good to go. I mean come on would I give them a machine just so they can come back to see me as soon as they had to open a word document?

They proceeded to hand me a credit card. I smirked and said nah – this one is on me. He looked confused so I fessed up. Microsoft allows you to install retail boxed versions and even some oem software in a desktop and another portable device if you are going to be the PRIMARY user of the software. So boo-yah an EULA… (That’s End User License Agreement for those not in the know)… finally works in the little guys favor! You too can check your M$ software by going to help about and hitting the View EULA… Its a link near the bottom of the box. Look I’ll wait.

Installation and use. You may: (a) install and use a copy of the Software on one personal computer or other device; and (b) install an additional copy of the Software on a second, portable device for the exclusive use of the primary user of the first copy of the Software.

If that’s what you see you are in luck. Hey I’m just trying to save you a buck and what I think is common knowledge – well I let’s just say it isn’t. We all know you don’t read these things you scroll down and click I Accept.

It doesn’t matter if it said you were signing over your first born kid in plain English oh say page 7 of 12 of the eula… Yeah we know. It’s ok.

We won’t tell. Anyone know if this is true for 2007 as well? And a very happy birthday to me…

_TheEulaCrazyAdmiN_

It took a while, but I got my stickers, and I was a happy camper. I promptly removed my Windows sticker from my laptop, cleaned off the old adhesive with some rubbing alcohol, and replaced it with my shiny new Ubuntu sticker. I proudly showed the world around me that I didn’t answer to multi-million dollar, self absorbed, monopolistic software  companies like Microshaft. No, I did things on my own terms using free, as in FREE BEER, software available to anyone savvy enough to download it and install it!

I decided I would extend that same offer to you my readers, and anyone else that comes along that enjoys the freedom that Ubuntu Linux has to offer!

I will print out, and mail you a sheet of six “Powered By Ubuntu” self adhesive stickers free of charge! I am a big proponent of Ubuntu, and I want to spread the Ubuntu love to as many people out there as possible!

The sticker comes from the Free Software Stickers book that I blogged about quite a while ago. Sure, you can download the book yourself, print out the stickers and tape them to your laptop all ghetto style and whatnot. I on the other hand will print them out for you on nice, self adhesive sticker paper for a more professional look that says, “Hey, I’m not a douche bag!”

Here is a photo I snapped using my Blackberry of the one I have on my laptop:

So you want some right? I knew you did. All you have to do is mail me a self addressed stamped envelope to:

Bauer-Power Ubuntu Stickers
www.Bauer-Power.net
1520 Petree Street, Suite 632
El Cajon, CA 92020

When I get your envelope, I will return it with your sheet of FREE “Powered By Ubuntu” stickers!

For you Kubuntu users, I haven’t forgot about you either! Just change the address from Bauer-Power Ubuntu Stickers to Bauer-Power Kubuntu Stickers and I will send you stickers reflecting your choice in Linux desktop managers!

Please tell all your friends!

We love us some ThinkGeek stuff and now they bring us this new High-Tech Office-Based Prank Device. Perfect for your prankster Admin or lonely mad scientist type…

Or how about you??!?

Before we start, let me tell you I just ordered one and have the perfect person in mind for this! This do-hickey attaches to any available usb port on a PC or Mac and that is all the work you will need to do.

It costs $25 and is well worth the hours of entertainment you can get from watching your Marks, End Losers Co-Workers go crazy, pulling their hair out of their geeky heads because their computer is fighting back. This little guy emulates a keyboard and mouse and intermittently moves or types.

HOW GREAT IS THAT?

No drivers needed for the easy fix! Check out this information from their website. And remember if you buy one of these via any link on this page we will get some money towards AskTheAdmin’s pending upgrades! So help us by helping yourself to hours of fun!

With the advent of the incessantly beeping and easily concealable Annoy-a-tron, ThinkGeek has ushered in a new era of sophisticated office pranks sure to drive your co-workers bonkers while you snicker silently at your desk. Now the next advanced level in stealthy office-joke electronics is ready for your enjoyment. The Phantom Keystroker may look like a harmless circuit board, but it’s actually a devious contraption of unlimited office-based torture.

Simply discreetly attach the Phantom Keystroker to any extra USB port on your victim’s computer, no drivers needed. The Keystroker emulates a keyboard and mouse and periodically makes random mouse movements and types out odd garbage text and phrases. Your hapless co-worker pal will think his computer has been possessed or infected by a destructive virus. As he writhes in anger and furiously dials tech support you can rest easy with a job well done.

[Product Page]

Plus if you spend over $25 bucks they will throw in a Ninja Remote for FREE!

Check out our Ninja Remote Review.

And of course if you have been living under a rock here is our Annoy-o-tron review as well.

_TheYourNextAdmiN_

Well even if you don’t have an iPhone you can get in on the Free WiFi Goodness by simply changing your User Agent! There is a FireFox add-on that is supposed to make the changes for you via a toolbar. I downloaded it here. Some people have complained the tool bar does not show up after installing it. If that is your case then you need to go to tools- add-ons and click options next to the Extension (See below).

Either which way you get to change your user agent here are the settings you will need to emulate an iPhone:

• Description: iPhone
• User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en)
• App Name: AppleWebKit/420+ (KHTML, like Gecko)
• App Version: Version/3.0
• Platform: Mobile/1A542a Safari/419.3

You can also make the changes directly in the about:config box as show below:

To change the User Agent string, just enter about:config as an address in the address bar of FireFox, the location where you normally enter a URL (link). You should preserve the original value in case you want to revert (When they find a better way to identify iPhones!) You can get the original identifier when you enter just about: in the address bar. It will be the last line there something like:

Now to modify it press the right mouse button to get the context menu and select “String” from the menu entry “New”. Enter the preference name “general.useragent.override”, without the quotes. Next, enter the new User Agent value you want Mozilla Firefox to use. I added my name and a link to my web site to the original value. You can also pick one from the list of User Agent strings. Check the new value by entering about: in the address bar.

_TheLovesFreeStuffAdmiN_

HP configured her up with a Verizon Mobile Broadband card, pre-loaded the client software and gave me links to run Word, Excel or Powerpoint off of their Citrix server ala vpn connection. Now without an internet connection this thin clients abilities are limited. But that didn’t stop me from finding ways to use it, on my way home from work.

I was able to load up internet explorer while above ground, launch my blogger interface, start composing and then when I lose my signal I can keep on composing. As long as I save it when we come back above ground I am good to go.

I spoke with the guys (and gals!) from HP who showed me how to configure the Client to have built in applications (up to 300mb worth on my 1gb SSD). I also learned how to join this guy to my domain and push domain policy onto the machine. But even if you don’t have a domain you can use group policy tools to lock down USB and other options pretty easily.

The battery life was exceptional and I could go days without charging it. Another benefit of it not being the most powerful machine on the block. Users can not load up crap and bog the machine down… Verdict?

Phenomenal especially for Sales guys prone to losing their machines. This would be fantastic for any of those government officials that have been “losing” laptops with confidential information on it.

The HP 2533t weighs only three pounds and features a 12.1-inch diagonal widescreen LED display, adding a smaller and lighter option to the portfolio’s previously introduced 15.4-inch HP 6720t Mobile Thin Client. Integrated Wi-Fi certified WLAN provides access to the Internet, email and instant messaging while at work, home or any favorite hotspot, along with support for 3G broadband wireless via PC memory card slot…

…In addition, HP announced a portfolio of Citrix-Ready thin clients and blade client products is now available with Citrix XenDesktop, as well as being certified by VMware Inc. for compatibility with its VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

You know what I always say… “The Right Tool For The Job”, Well that is especially true here and I am glad to grab a few of these for “Loaner” machines around the office or sending someone into the field with a specific job in mind (Not playing solitaire – I’m looking at you Johnny boy!)

The model I had came with a VIA C7-M ULV processor, 1 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM and VIA Chrome 9 graphics. Price: $850.

_TheThinnerThanYouAdmiN_

The HTC Advantage X7500 is a powerful mobile office device that lets you work wherever and whenever you want.
Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 with Direct Push Technology, you have the office tools you need while on the road.
huge 5-inch VGA display provides you more than enough room for surfing the Web and viewing documents.

• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Built-in 8GB hard drive with miniSD expansion slot
• Laptop-style experience with a huge 5-inch touch screen display and detachable
• QWERTY keyboard
• TV Out feature to output contents on the screen onto an external display such as a Projector or TV when doing presentations or sharing photos
  print out documents by connecting to a Bluetooth or network printer
• 624 MHz CPU
• Always “on”, connect to your office, watch videos or listen to music anywhere
• Built-in GPS
• 3 megapixel camera with auto focus and flash
• HTC VueFLO for easy navigation

From:http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/26/hands-on-with-the-htc-advantage/

So we happened to get our hands on an HTC Advantage last week, and damn is this thing ready to rumble. The keyboard (which we just weren’t that fond of) snaps into place from a good inch away, and feels more like an industrial magnet than something you’d find on a consumer device. The VGA screen is fantastically large and bright, and played back full-res video without a hiccup. It even has an idle mode with a couple mini-widgets and an email ticker when the keyboard is magnetically latched onto the body to protect the screen (that VueFLO nav, we think). Check out the gallery to get a better sense of what you’re in for, but be warned: this is a
machine by and for handheld computing enthusiasts and cellphone nerds. So even
though HTC wants you to replace your laptop with an Advantage for short trips,
it’s still a beast of a connected PDA at heart.

Crucial!

_TheDealFindingAdmin_

Thats right a leather bound X series that retains extra heat for a premium price…

http://www.thinkpadreserve.com/

Enjoy!

_TheAdmiN_