How to improve Prius seats

Don't know how practical this is, but at this link someone adds lumbar support and heat to a factory Prius seat.

I am going to have to do more research on this, I really would like to replace my current car with a Prius, but the factory seats in a Prius are crummy.

Here is Rostra link, the company that sells the aftermarket lumbar support.  They can be bought here http://www.summitracing.com/parts/RPC-250-1454 though there are two models and I am not sure this is correct model for Prius.

How to be Green with Apple iPad & Blackberry Playbook

Alternate Title:  How to mirror iPad & Playbook to VGA Monitors.

I got a Blackberry Playbook recently, thought I had the right mini HDMI to HDMI cable so I could mirror using HDMI connections on TV.  Turns out I need a micro HDMI to HDMI cable/adapter, so I will be getting a micro to mini HDMI adapter tomorrow.  Then I can use the mini HDMI to HDMI cable to hook it up.

My bad, I didn't know there was a micro and a mini HDMI.

Bright side of this frustration, I learned some useful things today while resolving this mistake, I now know I can get a HP HDMI to VGA adapter to connect the Playbook to older VGA.

Sources:

    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackberry-playbook-f222/playbook-vga-port-603867/
    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackberry-playbook-f222/question-about-hdmi-535900/

    http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/computer/categories/cables/1/accessories/NP031AA%2523ABA

Also now that I understand bit more about HDMI & VGA, I think we will probably get a iPad VGA Adapter for the iPad my girlfriend got a couple of weeks ago http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC552ZM/B

We originally got the HDMI adapter for the iPad, because I knew her TV had a HDMI connection, now I know we can use VGA.  The way the adapters were labeled at the store we bought the stuff from, I thought the VGA was for the iPad "1" not the iPad 2, live and learn.  Now I know the VGA adapter will work for iPad 2.

Since the VGA adapters for the Playbook & iPad will let us mirror the tablets on the old VGA monitors that we have sitting around.  I realized that this is a lot greener than several of the other options I had been considering for our computer needs. 

Reusing is a lot more efficient than Recycling.  Since Recycling involves breaking stuff down and remaking a new product.  It also saves money.  $30 for an adapter lot less than the $200 for a new monitor. Plus we will have both type of adapters for both tablets.  So when out of town, we can still us them as netbooks or DVR's at hotels or convention centers with full size or large screens by using the TV's, Monitors, or projectors that are available on site.

We are using the iPad & playbook like Notebooks with bluetooth keyboards for heavy typing with email, spreadsheets, blogging, & writing.  For doing email, spreadsheets, writing, or blogging the VGA monitors will work as well as the newer monitors IMO.

Yes I know how much these tablets cost, but we replaced a pair of old XP desktops, that needed new OS & new hardware to make functional again, with these tablets, so we really are reusing and saving money.

I got almost 7 years out of my XP machine, and my girlfriend got closer to 10 years.  So if we get another 3-5 years use out of the monitors we bought with them, that is a lot of years out of a monitor.

Have to see how long they last, but so far they are doing everything for us that the old desktops did.  Additionally they are far more portable than a laptop.

I have tested both tablets on Blogger.  Works fine, just log in to Blogger like you would from a PC and go!  No apps needed.

Have also tested streaming movies from iTunes on the iPad to the TV with HDMI adapter http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC953ZM/A?fnode=MTc0MjU4NjE

The Blackberry Playbook does youtube playback at 1080 perfectly.

Live streaming from Twitch.tv works fine at 720 , I am a big Starcraft 2 fan so this was important reason for me to get a Playbook over one of the other tablets. 

I think this set up will also make the tablets very useful when people are in the hospital.  With this set up it is easy to watch a movie on the hospital TV that you bought or rented from iTunes and dowloaded to the iPad. 

If you have wifi you can even stream Netflix, or in my case I would be able to see the live streams of Starcraft 2 Tournaments.

You can view pictures or email sent to cheer up the patient.  You can even use the video conferencing with other friends and family in other parts of the country, or even the world. 

Probably only time that I personally would be interested in video conferencing.  That is something that would have cheered me up when I was a patient.

I think it also would have helped me to cheer up friends and family when they were the patient in the hospital bed and I was part of the cheer squad.


Check back for updates on iPad and Playbook.  I will test the VGA adapter for the iPad, though I am certain it will work.  I will also be testing the Playbook on all the other major streams for SC2.

How to design a Beautiful Webpage.

If you have the money I think I would hire the owner of this site.

How to decide between iPhone 4 & iPod touch

Iphone 4 vs Ipod Touch?

Wondering which one to get?  I found this really good review.  I have decided I will add a Ipod touch eventually to my mobile electronics collection.  But my SO will be getting a Iphone.  One note, see below for specs, but the cameras are the same.  Might be different software for enhancing but the specs from Aplle's website are identical.

I prefer my Blackberry for most things.  But the Touch will work far better for games, and I will also use it for podcasts and such for office or car use.  Won't worry about using up my phone's battery that way, or more likely forgetting it in the car when I need to make a call or check messages.

See also iPod touch specs & iPhone 4 specs from Apple