It seems like this same thing happened a few months ago.  I have several 500GB drives, and it seems like Windows was going slow, and then files get “read errors”.  I have to do an “offline” disk scan (since it is the boot drive) and it always gets stuck on a particular sector.  Since the drive is “dirty” it wants to run a scan every time so I cannot boot into Windows and have to connect the drive to another PC.

If I put that drive into a USB enclosure and run a scan then the drive appears perfectly fine.

Well it happened again.  I’m really not sure what the problem is.  All of these drives are Seagate Barracuda 500GB and all were previously installed in a QNAP 1U NAS.  The problem could be any of these issues:

• A batch of bad drives
• The NAS did something to them
• SATA controller on motherboard failing
• Bad SATA cable
• Windows drivers?

I really can’t believe that ALL of  the drives are bad, because they are less than a year old and in my experience Seagate drives are very reliable.

The QNAP NAS runs Linux and makes a billion partitions on the drives, and they were configured in RAID 5.  I really can’t believe that the NAS could modify the drives at such a low level as to muss them up.

I’ve tried to eliminate as much as I can by changing sata cables and using seperate SATA controllers on the motherboard.  I simply cannot figure out why I’m having this problem and it’s hard to diagnose because the problem cannot be immediately replicated… it happens over time.

So yet again I’m salvaging what I can from the drive and putting it on the new drive… which now has Windows 7.

One problem that I ran into was that certain programs would not launch at all.  After Firefox 3.51 ran once it would not run again.  The task appears in Task Manager, but cannot be brought up.  Same thing with Internet Explorer, and several other programs.

The culprit is HSMGR.EXE.  After I killed this process tree (and one for HSMGR64 since I’m on a 64-bit OS) then all the programs ran fine.

Make sure you run MSCONFIG.exe and uncheck all instances of HsMgr from the Startup tab to prevent this from happening again.

Now onto more testing with Windows 7!  The major issues I’m running into are the lack of drivers… and sometimes the Vista drivers don’t work.

The biggest step a webmaster can take in this direction is to automate as much as possible.

The less you have to do to run the site, the more time you have to write reviews, do testing, and chase after money.

Todays medium-sized sites usually are usually run by one person doing everything: writing code, implementing ads, testing, and writing articles.  Some people can duplicate their time with having a staff, but many tech webmasters are nerds, ad want to be in the nitty gritty rather than having to “manage staff”.  Finding good people is hard, and keeping them filled with things to do is also hard.  Basically until you can afford to pay your staff properly then you’re going to have to chase them down, too.  It’s one of those things you have to leverage: do everything yourself and have no time, or have a bunch of staff and chase after them.

The same thing goes with site design.  The best way to duplicate your time is to have a dedicated programmer.  Many webmasters do the “cheap and easy” route and use off-the-shelf software like Wordpress, Umbraco, or many other CMS systems… part of the “automation” equation of running your site.  The problem with off-the-shelf software is that it can look really amateurish without heavy modification, which requires programming skill or a hired hand.

Again, if you have a bunch of money (or a bunch of start-up capital) then you can hire a professional web design firm.  I’m lucky enough to have a strong web programming and graphics background, so I can do a lot of this work myself… but still it comes down to time.

One of the big secrets I’ve found from talking with successful webmasters is that straight banner advertising is not the ticket to financial freedom.  Unless you have the traffic like IGN or GameSpot then you’re probably not going to get more than $50 a month.  If you are actually able to pull over $150 a month then your site has the traffic potential to make much much more… but how?

The trick is one that many webmasters do not want to hear.  It requires a lot of effort, hence the reasons why many webmasters do not run their site full-time.  The good news is that once you put the effort in, then it is automatic and you can reap the benefits effortlessly.

The key I’m talking about is Affiliate Marketing… or “sales” if you want a simple buzzword.  Some webmasters tie into a system like shopping.com or Pricegrabber, which allows them to put up product ads on their content.  This pulls in quite a bit more money than banner advertising, but still is not nearly enough to make a living from it (again unless you have the traffic of IGN).

These ad firms pay you a certain amount of money, but they also take like 50% of the cut… but they make a lot more if they actually make a sale.  What if you cut out the middle man and have your own affiliate deals?  You may not make “25 cents per click” or whatever, but you can calculate that a certain percentage of clicks will be sales, of which you get a much larger cut.  If you do the math, then it can be very profitable, especially if you put your readers through a “sales pipeline” (which is a topic for another blog post).

So, one of the big “duh” features that I’m implementing into OCMS 3.0 is an automatic affiliate keyword tool, which will allow me to enter affiliate deals and automatically insert them into OCMS articles.  This is how “professional bloggers” make enough money to live from.
Like many others, though… it will take time and/or money to implement the features.  No dream can become realized if you just think about it.  Take action and make it happen!  It will take a lot of effort in the beginning, but once it’s done then you’ll find the money rolling in.

After consulting with John Chow and other successful web entrepreneurs, I have constructed a plan to make a real living from the site.

I am working on several opportunities that will finally allow me the freedom to work on OCModShop full time.  All of the attention focused on the site will translate into more frequent news, reviews, articles, and updates.  There are so many projects I’ve put on the back-burner because of all of the other stuff that gets in the way of running OCMS.

One of these projects is OCMS 3.0, which has been ongoing since January and is still a long way off.  The new version of the site will automate a lot of the back-end business, which is a major aspect of freeing up critical time.  Some of the other projects are day-to-day things like testing and reviewing new products.  Because of “life” happening, some of these reviews have been very very delayed.  Working on the site full time should make the vendors very very happy.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that all of what I have set in motion will come to fruition within the next month or so.

Unplugged doesn’t have the same satisfying feel as the other Rock Band games, as you don’t get to hold a guitar controller or realistically bang on the drums.  Instead, this rhythm game is played by pressing four main buttons: D-pad left, D-pad up, tiangle and circle.  You switch between tracks using the left and right shoulder buttons and go into Overdrive by pressing X.

The fun of Unplugged is introduced by managing all four tracks at once (Bass, Drums, Vocals, and Guitar).  If you play a phrase correctly then that instrument will continue to automatically for a short amount of time while you focus your efforts on other tracks.  Keep “all all of your plates spinning” and the song plays with all of its parts.

I’ve rambled on long enough about the gameplay aspects.

Just like in the other flavors of Rock Band, you eventually reach a point where you “beat” the game and unlock the “Legendary setlist”.  This setlet includes all of the songs in the game, and in the case of Unplugged consists of 41 songs.

I really couldn’t play all of these continuously in a row, because my hand tends to cramp up holding the PSP after about 5 songs.  Thanks to the PSP’s ability to “suspend”, I could pick up from where I left off.  It took a few days (as I casually play at night in bed), but I finally achieved Legendary Status in Hard mode on the PSP!  Yay!

I’ve overheard several people claiming that it should be Game of the Year, but I’ve felt that it was too soon to say such as thing, as Arkham is a relatively early contender for 2009.  Most of the games that receive awards come out in time for the Holiday season.

Without going into too much, I have to say that Batman: Arkham Asylum is definately a contender for Game of the Year for 2009.  Even if it is ousted by another contender, Batman is easily the best game based on a super hero or comic book.

The graphics are amazing, as it uses the latest Unreal engine.  The gameplay and action is easy to use, but difficult to master.  The level design is also amazing, as it mixes up many platforming and puzzle elements in a way that doesn’t get tedious.  Add into that the tons of bonuses and secrets, and you have a very satisfying game.

Batman: Arkham Asylum will certainly be on the OCModShop list of Top Games for 2009.  We’ll take a look at the other games as they are released in the coming months.  There are several titles worth looking at, but the lineup doesn’t feel as strong as 2008 or 2007 for that matter.

Batman is a great game that just about every one will like, and it’s out for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.  Do yourself a favor and just go buy it.  Trust me.

I have sinus problems, and they are severe and recurring.  If I don’t do something about them when I first feel the allergic sting of watery eyes and drippy nose, then I am quickly fighting off a sinus infection.

I totally freak the fuck out when I can’t breathe.  At night, I panic because I have an irrational fear of a stuffy nose.  Because of this panic, I also don’t like to take antihistamines, sleep aids or nasal sprays, because they make my body feel funny, which exhaserbates the panic.  Nasal sprays may help at first, but your sinuses eventually rebound and make you more stuffy than before.

Last year after a two-week sinus infection, the doctor gave me Flonase, which is a local steroid.  Steroids reduce swelling.  It’s local, so the medicine doesn’t go all through your bloodstream or produce weird side-effects.  Coupled with a NeilMed Sinus Rinse (which is part of my regular hygene routine), this produces the Shock and Awe campaign against my sinuses.  Sure, I still sound a little stuffed up, but my sinus problems are gone in a few days, rather than transforming into an all-out bacteria battlefield in my head.

Medicines do not work.  THere are a ton of them, and it’s a crap shoot if they are effective.  Medicines make you feel drugged or drowsy.  The only thing that definately works is a good sinus rinse… often.  For me, reducing the sinus inflamation (which is the cause of the excess mucus and stuffy nose) is only obtained by a local steroid such as Flonase.

WiiWare

You, Me, and the Cubes
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Experience a unique combination of strategy and skill as you maintain a level playing field in the physics-based action puzzler You, Me, and the Cubes. The action centers around Fallos, mysterious creatures that resemble humans and have an ability to balance on a playing field of 3-D cubes. First, create a pair of Fallos inside your Wii Remote™ controller by shaking it up and down. Next, determine suitable places for the Fallos to land, then fling them to the selected cube with a swinging motion. After that, the Fallos are on their own. If your placement is sound, the Fallos will remain stable and you’ll clear the stage after tossing a required number onto the cubes. But if the weight or locations of Fallos causes the cubes to tilt and sway too much, the Fallos will lose their balance and fall off. Adding to the challenge, you’ll find that some cubes have different properties, making tosses tricky and further threatening the stability of the Fallos. Guide Fallos through dozens of single-player stages or invite family and friends to join you in two-player cooperative mode.

Family Tennis
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Daddy, Mommy, Sarah and Billy return for some hard-hitting, fast-paced tennis action. Battle it out between the happy family members as you vie for the top spot. Choose from three different modes: Elimination Match, Free Match and Thrilling Rally. Play against the CPU or compete with friends. Elimination Match mode pits you against the CPU to test your skills, while Free Match mode allows you to play against another player under conditions of your choosing. Thrilling Rally mode lets you join up to three other players and rally to see who can get to 100 points first.

Virtual Console

Last Ninja 2
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) - Mild Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: The ninja known as the Mystic Shadow Warriors were the elite fighting force of ninth-century feudal Japan. The evil Shogun Kunitoki was once beaten, but he has gathered all his mystic powers to create a modern-day tyranny in Manhattan. Face your archenemy Kunitoki in the urban jungle and conquer him with your ninja skills. Transported to 1988 Manhattan by an unknown force, the ninja leader Armakuni must find a way to defend himself against the unknown dangers that lie before him. Will this be the final battle? Can you vanquish the evil Kunitoki once and for all?

Nintendo DSiWare

Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Prepare yourself for a lesson in tactics as you play through five strategy-based games in this Nintendo DSiWare version of the popular Clubhouse Games. Take on an opponent in the classic Backgammon, invade an enemy base in Field Tactics, sandwich your opponent’s pieces to capture them in Turncoat, create strings of five in a row in Connect Five and guess where to attack your opponent’s pieces in Grid Attack. Play by yourself or use DS Download Play to host as many as seven friends.

MySims Camera
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: MySims Camera is a camera application that utilizes popular MySims characters. You can take photos and overlay 3-D MySims characters to bring them into the real world. The 3-D characters can be animated, moved, scaled, rotated and cropped. You can also draw on the photos with the stylus or use the stamp tool to add more art and style. Create a unique frame and save the photos to the Nintendo DSi Camera album to share with friends. MySims Camera is a fun, creative experience for the entire family.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

“Sonic is one of the videogame industry’s most popular and enduring characters and we are thrilled to initiate this relationship with Sega to create Sonic-branded videogame accessories,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “We look forward to offering unique and exciting accessories to fans of this truly iconic videogame and popular culture character.”

About Mad Catz Interactive, Inc.

Mad Catz is a global leader in providing innovative peripherals for the interactive entertainment industry. Mad Catz designs and markets accessories for videogame systems and publishes videogame software, including the industry-leading GameShark videogame enhancements, under its Mad Catz, GameShark and Joytech brands. Mad Catz also designs and markets mice, keyboards, headsets, PC gaming controllers and other PC peripherals through its Saitek brand, and develops, manufactures and markets proprietary portable earphones under its AirDrives brand. Mad Catz distributes its products through most of the leading retailers offering interactive entertainment products throughout North America and Europe, and is expanding its distribution reach in Asia. For additional information please go to www.madcatz.com, www.gameshark.com, www.airdrives.com and www.saitek.com.

About SEGA® of America, Inc.

SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com.

Any nerd (or people who know nerds) can easily relate to the characters in this show.  There are a lot of jokes that are “geek chic”, and are just laugh-out-loud hilarious, although not everyone will get the jokes.

The character who really carries the show is Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons.  Jim was originally intended to support Johnny Galecki , who is an accomplished comedic actor who got is start on “Roseanne”.  Jim easily steals the spotlight because he plays the eccentric quirks of a “geek savant” so well and realistically.  I’m sure everyone has heard about “Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizrd-Spock”, which was made famous by Parsons.

It is for these and many other reasons why Jim Parsons was nominated for an Emmy as “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series”.  Jim was also the favorite to win by many entertainment bloggers.

The Emmy Awards aired last night on CBS.  Jim was up against many other seasoned actors such as Alec Baldwin, Steve Carrell, Jemaine Clement, Tony Shalhoub, and Charlie Sheen. In the end, Alec Baldwin won the title for his role on “Thirty Rock”.

I’m not trying to pull a Kanye, but didn’t Alec Baldwin win this award last year?  To which I raise my hand for a “Formal Protest” (as Sheldon would say). The other actors do a good job, as they should because they are well established, and we expect good things from them.  Jim Parsons deserved the award the most because he performs at a such a high level without the years of experience as these older actors.  Plus I hear he’s one of the more genuine and nicest people in Hollywood.

It is such an honor for a “rookie” to be nominated and even listed with these Hollywood heavy hitters.  I envision an award for Jim Parsons in the near future.  For now, he’ll have to live with the OCModShop award for “Best Geek in a television series”.

If you haven’t seen “The Big Bang Theory”, it airs tonight on CBS at 9:30pst.