CMUThought Community Thought » Consumer Media http://www.cmuthought.com Building a Community One Thought at a Time Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:17:30 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Create your new home http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/create-your-new-home/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/create-your-new-home/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:53:12 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1801 I have always wanted to purchase land up in the mountains and have a log cabin home that we could use for summer and winter vacations. I have seen the pictures where you have the rustic furniture that gives it that lodge type feeling with the exposed log beams above and a gigantic stone fireplace. I would create our new home with a large great room that overlooked the trees and mountain’s while keeping the bedrooms off to the side of the home in order to create that open feel. That would be my idea of a great second home so that you have a place to get away with family and friends.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/create-your-new-home/feed/ 0 Using Pinnacle Studio v 12 http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/using-pinnacle-studio-v-12/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/using-pinnacle-studio-v-12/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:58:57 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1798 If you own a digital camcorder then you know that having a great video editing software package can make or break your whole experience. While the new digital camcorders come with basic editing packages you really need to invest a solution like the new Pinnacle Studio Ultimate v12. I have been using Pinnacle software for the past few years and am looking to upgrade to the latest version for several reasons. One of the biggest ones is that you can now edit in HD by using the formats that I have on my video camera and output to HD and Blu-ray formats. Keeping with Pinnacles easy to use interface the most novice camera operator can create great looking videos and DVD’s in just a few simple clicks. They have great feature where you just load the video clips and then put it to your favorite music and it will create a video matching the beats of the music. It really is a nice feature if for example you have lots of footage of a soccer tournament for example and want to create a quick and memorable keepsake for the team.

The Pinnacle Studio comes with a ton of features that cannot all be listed here but you can find it on sale at buy.com for under $50. It will also come with a green screen which you can place behind a video shoot and then magically drop in a background of your choosing. The creation and editing possibilities are almost endless and the overall quality and value is tough to beat. Pinnacle continues to upgrade it’s software to make sure it plays well with the most current operating systems and digital camcorder settings. So don’t let your videos go to waste and upgrade your movie editing capabilities with Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 12 I know I will be.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/using-pinnacle-studio-v-12/feed/ 0 The new race in car insurance http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/the-new-race-in-car-insurance/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/the-new-race-in-car-insurance/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:45:36 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1769 Have you noticed that most car insurance companies are now offering different services like providing coverage for your boat,motorcycle, and RV. These new offerings are a signal that car insurance companies are trying to attract new customers and provide a convenient solution for their existing and new customers. The days of having multiple carriers to provide coverage is coming to an end. I love that the insurance companies have all come up with some sort of mascot to help brand their services which in todays environment makes total sense. With more and more people using social media and recommendation from their facebook friends being able to put a face on a company will make the purchase that much easier.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/the-new-race-in-car-insurance/feed/ 0 Find your next fax/printer at buy.com http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/find-your-next-faxprinter-at-buy-com/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/find-your-next-faxprinter-at-buy-com/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 01:23:50 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1762 If you are like millions of Americans who work at home you need to make sure that you have the most productive tools at your disposal. Having the ability to work from home should not be a hindrance to your productivity because you have limited access to the tools that you would have at the home office so that is why the 4 in1 solution from Lexmark like the PlatinumPro 905 can give you a complete solution. With it’s intuitive 4.3 inch touchscreen display you can easily print/scan/copy/fax with ease. Through it’s intuitive display you can create your own apps to help simplify the most common tasks and you can even view your documents on the screen before printing. This wireless printer makes it simple to print in color from anywhere you are within your home so that you have the ultimate in speed and convenience. With an  industry leading 5 year warranty and low black and white print costs this all in one unit will start saving you money right out of the box.
I would love to have this type of solution in my home office that could save space and money. Currently we have a separate fax and printer which add up in supply costs as well taking up precious space on my desk. The Lexmark Pro 905 is now on sale at buy.com for under $300 and they are even offering free shipping. You will also find some great deals on the latest desktop and laptop technology. Saving over $100 on this purchase can help extend your budget to purchase other items that you will need to have to provide the convenience of the corporate sitting in your own home.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/find-your-next-faxprinter-at-buy-com/feed/ 0 Do you have a green thumb http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/do-you-have-a-green-thumb/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/do-you-have-a-green-thumb/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:52:36 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1739 Do you have a green thumb?  Well, I don’t, and I have had to learn from experience.  Perhaps it is a genetic problem, because my mother wasn’t much of a planter either.  Everything she planted almost always died.  The only thing she could keep alive was her “mother tongue” plant, which for those of you who know, lives even under the most difficult circumstances.You can find some great house support resources through the forums at Home Tips plus where people just you like you are sharing tips and tricks on how to make their gardens and plants better.

So, what do plants need?  Sunlight, a good source of nutrients from its soil, and of course water.  Each plant’s needs in these areas are different of course.  For example you would not want to give a cactus too much water (such as flooding it everyday).  Something like a cactus should be watered maybe once a week since it is made specifically to survive in a desert environment.

In order to provide the right sunlight, many people chose to build a nice greenhouse.  But, for those of you who may not be able to afford a nice greenhouse for your plants, a great second choice might be some window planters.  Window Box Planters are a great way to have your plants get great sunlight, and yet they will be right next to the house so that you can just open the window, lean outside and water them, or cut off what you need (such as a flower, or if they are herbs, you can cut some of the plant off for cooking).

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/do-you-have-a-green-thumb/feed/ 0 The new Samsung TL220 DualView http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/the-new-samsung-tl220-dualview/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/the-new-samsung-tl220-dualview/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:43:08 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1735 I have recently started to look at the Samsung TL220 DualView camera which is one of the first of it’s kind on the market. The unique feature that is possesses is the dual lcd screen with one on the back and one on the front. This is a great way to be able to take those self pictures which most of us do on a regular basis. The rear LCD screen is an intuitive touch screen making navigating that various functions easy for anyone. With the dual view LCD you will never have to retake your pictures when you are trying to snap photos of you and your friends. It also possesses an impressive 12.2 megapixels and image stabilization to help reduce blurry pictures. And plus it offers burst shot mode which allows you take multiple pictures at once in order to get those action shots that many point and shoot cameras have trouble getting. You can also shoot HD movies that can be stored to the optional SD card in H.264 format which allows you to record and store twice as much as the MPG 4 format. This camera offers a ton of features that will make your pictures standout but most importantly it is user friendly and offers high end features for a great price.
You can now find it on sale for under $200 which is about $100 less than it was almost 8 months ago. I am looking to buy this camera to help capture our kids sporting moments and upgrade our current 5 MP digital camera. My family and I have played with this camera in the stores and the dual view screen is pretty cool with the touch screen feature.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/the-new-samsung-tl220-dualview/feed/ 0 Can you get quick weight loss http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/can-you-get-quick-weight-loss/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/can-you-get-quick-weight-loss/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:29:37 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1730 You can find various diet supplements and compare prices even the ones with the popular weight loss supplements. Many supplements acts like an appetite suppressant and helps to trick the brain to thinking that it is full. This presents a quick weight loss option for many and along with a balanced diet and exercise this may be a helpful tool in the fight against obesity. Those that are trying to lose weight should carefully weigh the options and ask their providers before starting any weight loss program.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/can-you-get-quick-weight-loss/feed/ 0 Watching what our kids eat http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/watching-what-our-kids-eat/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/watching-what-our-kids-eat/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:27:22 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1727 There is a thing as being under weight and that can create problems for people that don’t eat enough. I know we mainly suffer from people over eating and that makes us unhealthy as a society. There are weight loss pills that were once only available via prescription are now available over the counter. We should really watch what we eat more closely and our school systems should focus more on eating a healthy diet. Schools do educate children on this subject currently, but I think they could do a better job at the high school and even college levels. We retain more knowledge from those years than we do our elementary and middle school days. Education needs to start as early as possible, but continuing it in high school is what more school systems need to adopt.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/watching-what-our-kids-eat/feed/ 0 finding a solution by accident http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/finding-a-solution-by-accident/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/finding-a-solution-by-accident/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:17:25 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1724 Originally rogaine was being studied for a treatment for hypertension. During the studies they noticed that while it was not as effective as some of the currently available options on the market in treating hypertension the subjects in the study were reporting hair growth. This was an interesting turn of events for a drug that would have otherwise gone by the way side and now has helped millions of men in their fight to regain some or all of their hair. This helped pave the for other solutions like a hair loss shampoo that can help slow the loss of hair. Their are several options available to both men and women who are looking to stop or slow hair loss.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/finding-a-solution-by-accident/feed/ 0 Western Digital My Passport 320GB http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/western-digital-my-passport-320gb/ http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/western-digital-my-passport-320gb/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:36:39 +0000 admin http://www.cmuthought.com/?p=1686 With the price of digital cameras and camcorders so cheap these it seems that everyone has one. We have both and while they are great for taking movies of the kids games sometimes being to share those movies with family while we are visiting can be quite problematic. We have burned some of the movies on DVD which are great but them come to find out that someone can’t read them for some reason. That is why we have been looking for a better solution for sharing and storing our video and pictures. We have been looking at some of the new more portable hard drives and wanted to make sure they were durable and password protected. We were able to come across the newest line of Western digital portable hard drives on sale at buy.com.
For all those people out there who love to take digital pictures and movies and wondered the best way to take those with you when you are  not on your computer then take a look at the Western Digital My Passport 320 GB portable hard drive. This sleek new drive comes with the reliability and protection that one can take comfort in. The size of the actual device makes it very portable and the plug and play feature to easily move files between computers is awesome. Just to think about a year ago we were paying the same amount for a 64 GB thumb drive and now can get 5 times the storage for the same price.

]]> http://www.cmuthought.com/2010/07/western-digital-my-passport-320gb/feed/ 0