I was pretty disappointed when I logged into my Tabula Rasa account. Although the graphics were a definate improvement from what I could see and do with my old computer, it was still a major disappointment. I couldn’t see hardly anything besides my character stats. It was like playing in the dark, and I stumbled along blind for about as long as it took me to decide to order my new graphics card… like immediately!!

I wanted to play bad enough that I scraped together the funds, and now I am soooo glad that I did. Even though I did not get the top of the line, I am more than happy with my ATI Radeon HD 4670 which supports Blu-ray plus HD DVD, IceQ Cooling Technology, and a full Gig of memory. My gaming experience is taking on a whole new level of meaning! Now I can see everything quite clearly, and there are no spikes or glitches. I am simply amazed at the difference, and am not one bit disappointed. DELL did not make it easy, as they probably wanted me to buy their video card, but I wanted more, and I got it!

Well then, now that I have a new computer, new video card, and a 20″ flat screen monitor, it is time to get out there and kick some alien bootie! I am off to take on new missions in Tabula Rasa, and will really be able to let everyone know what I think now that my eyes are open… LOL

Modern technology is always bringing us fun gadgets and technololgies designed to make like easier and more enjoyable. Wouldn’t you want to take advantage of the latest in voice technology? Dragon NaturallySpeaking was created so we can talk to our computer and watch our spoken words instantly appear in documents, e-mail and instant messages. With a claim of 99% accuracy, this sweet application turns your voice into text three times faster than most people type. It even learns to recognize your voice instantly and continues to improve the more you use it. Hmmm… is it totally expensive, one might ask? Not for what it gives in value and time saving. Type at 150 Words Per Minute for $99! Just take a look at the following video created by a lady named Heather who has a blog called Boating in Beautiful British Columbia to see a great example of how to put Dragon NaturalSpeaking to use…

The above video is not the typical Dragon NaturallySpeaking video. It was created by a blogger named Heather from British Columbia. She writes a blog called Boating in Beautiful British Columbia.

In the video that she has created, she talks about Dragon NaturallySpeaking. She talks about using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. In fact in the video, she is using Dragon NaturallySpeaking while she’s talking about it but you don’t quite realize that until the video is about halfway done.

The thing that’s REALLY interesting about this video, is not the fact that Heather is using the software and it’s not the fact the software works for her so much as HOW she chooses to use it. She took Dragon NaturallySpeaking and sat down with her father who is 95 years old. She spent a few minutes with him getting the software tuned to his voice so that the computer recognizes his sentences and words. Then she’s lets her father tell some of his great stories to the computer which transcribes everything that he says.

You can tell just by watching the video and listening to her father that he really does have some interesting stories to tell. I have a feeling that I could probably listen to the stories myself quite a bit, enjoying them immensely. And that too is not really the cool thing about this video. Although I’d love to hear her father tells more stories, the COOL THING is that she’s using Dragon NaturallySpeaking to capture a piece of her family’s oral tradition.

I can think of hundreds of different stories that my family has shared with me over the years that have not been documented. Our family is slowly losing some of those great stories and unfortunately, as we are losing some of our family members. We survivors don’t know all of the stories ourselves that our parents or grandparents or our great grandparents knew. But this video shows that you can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to help capture some of those great stories that your parents and grandparents and great grandparents have probably told you dozens of times.

It’s something that we don’t always think about, but in a lot of ways those stories are some of the most cherished memories that we will walk away with from our family. And the sad thing is that our family cannot Be with us forever, but their memories can live on and this is where Dragon NaturallySpeaking really shows us its value. It’s true for $99 you can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking and you can type 150 words a minute. That’s a pretty good value for the software. It’s not too expensive and the benefit is tangible.

Now, you can get a useful tool at any computer store or Home Depot or Lowes, and if you don’t know how to use it well, then it really doesn’t matter what you pay for it. It is a waste of money.

Heather shows us a great way to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to capture some of the most valuable information and stories from her father that she might ever be able to record not only for herself but for her daughter and her grandchildren someday and great-grandchildren and many other branches of the family even.

So that’s just another great reason why they Dragon NaturallySpeaking is a pretty cool piece of software. $99 could help you capture your family history easily and even make it indexable too, so that you can search it from your computer. That’s just amazing.

My name Brett Bumeter, and I write about Dragon NaturallySpeaking. I’ve been writing reviews about it for almost 2 years now. You could say that I’m sold on the software, and I hope that this article and this video helps show you the value of using it as well.

Sincerely,
Brett Bumeter
Softduit Media
www.softduit.com

PS this article is about 630 words long and it took me five minutes to write and another minute or two to edit with Dragon Naturally Speaking 10. Even with editing time that’s close to 100 words per minute!

Okay, since my computer is my gateway into the Virtual realms, I just had to share. My old computer just wasn’t up to par anymore, and I waited anxiously all week for my new one to be built and shipped out. I ended up with a DELL Inspiron 518, Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz, 2×4MB), with 4GB DDR2 SDRAM,800MHZ- 4X1GB,DIM,M and a 500GB Serial ATA II Hard Drive(7200RPM).

I specified my wishes for a 20″ monitor with built in cam and mic, so I am totally happy with my new computer! The only thing I need to do at this point is upgrade my video card. I love to play games and am excited to enter some of the Virtual Worlds I have made note of, such as Second Life, so I will need to be sure of a great playing experience with good graphics.

Well then I am going to finish up my ‘work’ and head on over to play Tabula Rasa, which is a pretty fun game created by Richard Garriott. If you haven’t played it yet, they have a 7 day free trial, which I totally took advantage of to check it out. It is based on a future where Earth was invaded and destroyed, and the most skilled warriors must venture forth and survive on different planets against all odds. So I am off to explore the outer realms with my awesome array of firepower. I love it!! LOL

PS… If anyone happens along who plays this game, look me up. My first peep is named ‘Genifer Valentias’, and I am a warrior type. I wanted to learn the ropes and familiarize myself with the landscapes before venturing forth into the more brainy types of characters. Have fun!

I am just taking a quick moment to give my own virtual news. I am getting a new computer! I haven’t decided on all the specs yet, but it will definately be an upgrade from my current DELL. I have had this computer for 5 or 6 years, and although it has served me well, it is time for an upgrade. With all the new virtual applications, games, realities, and worlds I just need more. More everything! My video card is not up to par, and I want a bigger screen, and more RAM.

My son is coming over tomorrow to help me, so I can be totally certain of the best and highest specifications necessary for everything I need. I love to play online games, and I absolutely need the power to visit places to create educated reviews and keep up with the latest advances. I am ready to pass my baby dinosaur to my daughter (she doesn’t mind for a little while), and jump up into super speed! I simply cannot wait, and am soooo excited!!!

This is a very interesting question to me. I am totally into everything green, and environmental issues. Saving the planet, and helping nature stay healthy and green, is one of my top priorities and interests. So when I discovered a site with the same goals and aspirations as my own, I was all over it. Well I do not know exactly all the details from an experts point of view as Green.com is still in Beta, and I am still in exploration mode, yet I can relate what I see and understand thus far.

From all that I have gathered thus far, Green.com is a very friendly place to search and explore without the dangers and nasties which may occur in the general search engines. Apparently their goal is to create an atmoshpere which is generally related to environmental issues and, you got it, keeping the planet green and healthy. They are partnered by some top notch groups such as Defenders of Wildlife, Greenhouse Scholars, The Nature Conservancy, PlayPumps International, Project Explorer, Right To Play USA and Save the Children.

As quoted from the kids who started Green.com…

It all started when six kids met online. We call ourselves the O6, for Original Six. We’re very different, but we soon found out we have a lot in common. We also found out that if we work together, we can make a difference – both on the Internet and in the world.

So we made Green.com.

Green.com is a unique world – many worlds, in fact – where you can hang out with your friends, play games, search the best stuff on the Internet, and help make planet Earth a better place, all with no worries.

Inside Green.com, you can:

FIND THE GOOD STUFF. Chat, explore, and fly around! See great video clips and play games. Try out our search – it’s easy and safe. No spam, no junk, and nothing creepy or disgusting. It’s just what you’re looking for. Our encyclopedia, what we call the “Gno pages,” grows all the time, thanks to our members!

CREATE. It’s your world. Make your own avatar. Decorate your room – make it an underwater cave, a space station or almost anything else you can imagine! Write a Gno page to share stuff that you know and care about. Post notes to friends about causes you care about!

STAY IN TOUCH. Send notes to friends, pick up the notes they post for you, and see the latest news from Green.com and around the world. And, as a member, you get your own Green.com email address! Cool, huh?

Now, this is all sounds really good, but is it safe?

Green.com is a unique online world where kids and their parents can safely gather, learn, and interact with each other. We know the challenges of keeping kids safe online. After all, we’re parents ourselves. Kids want to hang out in the cool places and look for stuff on the web. But you’ve heard the Internet scare stories, and you may think the Internet is just not safe, period. Not us. We believe it can be safe and still provide all the things kids can’t wait to try.

That’s why we created Green.com.

Together, we’re committed to:

SAFETY. Although Green.com is new, the people behind it have helped build some of the best-known brands and websites – from The Muppets to Ask.com, Citysearch, and Match.com. Our parents’ area will give you tools to see who your child’s friends are, monitor chat and email, view search history, and set permission levels.

OPENING MINDS. Our goal is to bring the best Internet material into a safe environment – material that informs and entertains, that provokes thought, discussion, and further inquiry. Some of the industry’s best game developers are helping us create activities that capture imaginations and develop problem-solving skills. And we have the business presence and relationships to forge partnerships that bring Green.com the highest quality content in the world.

ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY. Green.com is a living, growing social community – one that deals with real issues and concerns. Our members can interact safely with users from all over the world, exchanging points of view, and hanging out together. We hope you will discuss, question, and even help to create the material on Green.com. Everyone can make a difference.

Okay, so I joined up and picked my name… Lady_Green. Now I am browsing around and checking out all the features. Oh cool, I get my own room! Now, first thing I am going to do is personalize my Avatar. Then I am going to create my space to my own personal tastes. If I like what I see and find, then I am going to let my daughter join up and create her own Avatar and space as well. A green place to explore, adventure, and play. How totally cool!