Homemade Parabolic Antenna

October 14, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber
bandwoiewurp

Here’s an entertaining and very easy way to boost your wireless Internet signal– use a soda or beer can! In the video done by Kim Komando, she uses a beer can, but I think a soda can would do just as well. The technique is surprisingly easy, lol!

In case you are wondering, the beer can becomes a parabolic antenna. While quick and easy, I think the last thing I’d want dangling from my router is a slashed beer can. It just looks…. informal, lol. Even a fancy soda can would be a little messy-looking, I think. Instead of a can, you can use a sheet of aluminum foil wrapped around a piece of card stock paper or cardboard.

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Posted in computers, free stuff, Internet. Tags: , . Comments Off »

Dell Coupons For You

April 7, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber

Looking to grab a deal on a nice Dell desktop or notebook? Before you hit that “Click to Buy” button, check out the many Dell computer coupons available online. I have saved an incredible amount of money by using coupon codes. Admittedly, some coupon codes can be a little difficult to find; they may seem buried within scads of information or other clutter from the search engines. So it helps to have a bookmarked cache of coupon code websites. Here’s a very good one I’ve recently come across: BestOnlineCoupons.com. They site is well-organized and easily searched. They have many, many stores with coupon codes. Besides the Dell coupon codes, they have large listing of the “big names” like Macys, ProFlowers, Old Navy, 1-800-Flowers, Orbitz, Overstock.com, Best Buy, Expedia, Office Depot, Walmart and more. Lots of stuff!

Coupon codes are the darling of online shoppers. They are for me, anyway. ;) I never buy anything until I search for applicable coupon codes. Dell coupons are not always very easy to find online, either!

So remember Mrs. Mecomber, now– never buy anything online until you have looked for coupon codes online! You can seriously save a good deal of money with very little effort. I also recommend that you do bookmark the most reliable sites; this way, coupons are easily at your disposal. :)

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Posted in free stuff, Internet, online shopping. Tags: . Comments Off »

Stop the Junk Mail

March 28, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber
jkmail9874

Spring is here! You know what that means! Birds are coming back, grass is starting to grow, and the mailbox is glutted with catalogs and credit card offers from everyone under the sun. UGH.

Well, here’s a good website to visit that shows us how to stop junk mail. Catalog Choice started up in 2007 to help folks manage the massive mounds of mail clogging their home mailboxes. Please be aware that Catalog Choice helps you manage REAL mail– physical mail that fills your mailbox on the curb– and not webmail or email.

You can sign up for free and choose to opt out of individual companies on a list. You can also join Catalog Choice’s premium Unlisting Service for $20 a year. Catalog Choice will work as your “agent” to erase your address from all the marketing lists. Believe me, getting off the marketing lists is a LOT of work.

Catalog Choice has a nicely organized website where you can learn more about managing your “snail mail.” There’s a very good FAQ page, and even a blog with information about the service and tips about how to manage mail and other goodies. Catalog Choice is even working with communities to provide a “mail preference service” for city residents. It includes (so far): In Chicago, IL; Berkeley, California; Tompkins County (including the city of Ithaca), New York; Marion County (including Salem), Oregon; and Kansas City, Missouri. Pretty neat!

Check out the site. This may be your ticket to limiting the massive amounts of junk filling your mailbox.

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Posted in business services, free stuff, office utilities. Tags: , . 1 Comment »

Grab Some Free Loot

March 8, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber
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Gotta love the Internet. What a GREAT place, haha!

Yes, I just did some online shopping and saved a ton of money with coupon codes. AND I found a couple of great websites where you can get free samples and freebies delivered to your door. I hit the jackpot!

I have been looking for free samples of make up. Do you have any idea the befuddling array of choices for makeup?? Do we really need 1,398 choices for mascara and 5,187 choices for foundation?? It’s insane. I wandered around my local retail store for about 25 minutes, trying to make heads and tails of all the stuff there. Problem is, you can’t sample anything. You have to BUY it ($20 or so) and *hope* that the stuff matches your skin and doesn’t give a rash. I have very sensitive skin and eyes, and the makeup makes my eyes burn after a while.

Anyway, the best method is to sign up for free samples, and test out the stuff before you blow your money. :D The websites are loaded with all sorts of goodies. :D All free, too. Find books, money, cars, clothes, food, health, music, movies, perfume, pet food, travel… lots of stuff. Check it out. Remember to use a basic webmail email address when signing up for free stuff, too. This keeps your personal email separate from your “freebie” email, and makes everything easier to manage.

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Get a Break on That New Gadget Purchase

March 5, 2011 — Mrs. Mecomber
fe9027409

Whew, electronics are expensive! Prices were trickling down a little for a while, but the past year (2010) they’ve all popped back up. I was looking at new computers recently, and was stunned to see some of them priced $1500 or more! Ouch. It’s difficult to really get a good price, or even realize what is a good price, unless you follow the market.

However, there’s always Savings.com deals. I strongly recommend that you peruse the coupon website for deals BEFORE you click the “Buy Now!” button. I have saved literally hundreds of dollars with free coupon codes and promo codes. Savings.com is one of my favorite coupon sites because it’s very well organized, neat, is not cluttered with advertisements or flashy banners, AND they have a very knowledgeable group there. Savings.com has a unique section where you can ask a question (such as where to find the latest deal on such-and-such) and a helpful member will try to answer your question promptly. So Savings.com is more than a simple coupon site– it’s a knowledge base, too. And it’s all free to use.

You can find coupons for all sorts of stores and stuff: HP, Dell, Buy.com, Best Buy, Staples, loads and loads more. Remember Mrs. Mecomber– never buy anything unless you first check for coupons and promo codes! Taking a peek at Savings.com is a good habit. :D

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Test Your Firewall

November 2, 2010 — Mrs. Mecomber
firewalla-02384

So you have a firewall. How do you know that the firewall is working properly? Here’s a terrific resource for checking your firewall strength: GRC Shields Up! The site has been around a long, long time (I remember it waaaay back about 6 years ago now! Maybe even older!). I rely on it to tell me how my firewall is performing. It’s free to use and it’s very comprehensive.

Basically, Shields Up! attacks your computer. No, not with a virus– with packets. The system will inspect your computer’s ports for vulnerabilities, and inform you of them after each test. You are then given some recommendations for improving your security.

You DO use a firewall…. right?

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Posted in free stuff, security programs. Tags: , . Comments Off »
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