newsletter

September 1, 2018

And of course, I said yes! See the schedule at the bottom. Also, 368 is out. https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg368

Couple good deals on HD Homeruns that I found yesterday. From Best Buy US.

SiliconDust HDHomeRun – CONNECT DUO Solution for Free live OTA TV and DVR – Black $79

SiliconDust HDHomeRun – CONNECT QUATRO Tuner For Free Live OTA TV and DVR – Black $119

Now for the upcoming schedule:

9/6/2018	369	Mike Wieger
9/13/2018	370	Mike Wieger
9/20/2018	371	Erin Lawrence
9/27/2018	372	The Big BBQ / Grill Show
10/4/2018	373	Rich Hay
10/11/2018	374	Dewain Robinson
10/18/2018	375	Emily Prokop

Have a great weekend (holiday in the US) and thanks for listening!

Jim

August 7, 2018

Kevin Schoonover shared a link.

August 5 at [2:54] PM

Nice deal from SlickDeals:
960GB ADATA SSD $127.49 .13 per GB is the lowest I can remember for SSD. I have used ADATA SSD’s with no issues:

SLICKDEALS.NET

960GB ADATA Ultimate SU650 3D NAND 2.5" Solid State Drive $127.50 + Free Shipping

ADATA via Rakuten has 960GB ADATA Ultimate SU650 3D NAND 2.5″ Solid State Drive (ASU650SS-960GT-C) for $149.99 – $22.50 w/ coupon code AD22 = $127.49. Shipping is free. Thanks DJ3xclu …

August 7, 2018

I know, it has been a year. I haven’t felt like writing. Maybe that will change

I’m going to make a run at the newsletter for Home Gadget Geeks again, but with a twist. We have been getting lots of deals in the Facebook group lately, but I know some of you hate Facebook. So, I am going to post them to the Newsletter section of the site (https://theaverageguy.tv/newsletter) and let you know they are there with a quick email and a link back to the site. If you don’t want the extra email from me, now is the time to jump off. No judgment.

I will also be sending announcements about upcoming shows and things you should know. Maybe a sentence or two. If you have something to share with the community, like a good deal, post it to the FB group, shoot me an email to this address or tweet at me. I will drop it on the site.

I hope you are well. Wieger is back this week on HGG and we have some catching up to do. Lots of fun chat with Edward last week and catch it here if you missed it. https://theaverageguy.tv/2018/08/03/edward-weniger-from-alpha-btc-nebraska-mining-center-and-new-financial-services-kiosks-hgg364/

Hoping this is about as long as they get. Many will be much shorter with just a link to the site. Love your feedback as always.

Jim

September 1, 2017

I am fresh back from Podcast Movement and filled with a few new ideas I would like to try on Home Gadget Geeks. One of them is making better use of this email list. So changes are coming. If at any point it gets to be too much, please feel free to unsubscribe. So what will I change? Mostly frequency. They will be going weekly!

Now don’t worry. I am just going to send you a reminder about the most current episode, a short note if anything is happening in the community and the next four weeks of upcoming live shows. Pretty simple. Would love your feedback there too.

Here is the latest HGG. Had some video issues off of YouTube that would not allow me to export the video. So the live video is all I have and it wouldn’t let me download it. Put a ticket in with Google, but we will see. Did you know we have a Video RSS feed? Here is the link to the post: https://theaverageguy.tv/2017/09/03/mini-keyboards-blockchain-and-coin-mining-explained-and-virtual-headsets-hgg324/

REMINDER – The last Home Server Show meetup is approaching. Sept 30 in Indy. Get all the details at https://homeservershow.com/blog/blog/meetup-2017-registration-r1473/

And finally, here are the next 4 weeks. All shows are at 8pmC

9/7/2017	326	Paul Braren
9/14/2017	327	Nathaniel Lindley
9/21/2017	328	Rich Hay – What’s new in Windows 10
9/28/2017	328	International Podcast Day – We will be taking Podcast Gear with guest Dave Jackson

Hope you are having a great holiday weekend!

Jim

December 11, 2016

As of this email, you have just 14 days to go until Christmas. I don’t know about you, but I just started my shopping today. Yikes! I hope you are in better shape than I am. Playing catch up!

Looking forward to bringing you some great content over the next couple months. Make sure you stay tuned in!

Catch the newest post at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/12/10/dr-brian-friedlander-amazon-fire-with-alexa-and-wacom-bamboo-hgg287/. Brian Friedlander joined us!

I would love to have you join us live during the holiday season. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

Here is the most current schedule

12/15 – Amber Gott from LastPass
12/22 – Jon Larson and a review of Home8 Security System
12/29 – Shonna Dorsey
1/5 – Kevin Schoonover

If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

Jim

November 20, 2016

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States, its always a good reminder to let those who are closest to you know what you are thankful for. Since you are a newletter subscriber and I am thankful for you, let me share with you few things that are special to me.

1. My partner in crime and spouse Sarah! She has had the patience to let me podcast for almost 6 years now, every Thursday night. With HGG crossing the 285 mark this week, that is a lot of time given up on her part. I am thankful for her and her partnership in the podcast. She is a real trooper.

2. My partner in the podcast platform and founder of Maple Grove Partners, Christian Johnson. Christian has been a part of the show since day one and now provides web and media hosting for me through MGP. He makes sure that I have fast servers, secure connections and the best possible service! He is also a good friend! Thanks Christian

3. My current Co-host Mike Wieger. Mike came along as the perfect time to help fill in as a co-host. Work has taken up a few Thursday night lately, but I know that will not be forever. Mike brings balance to the Windows focused force and is a awesome tech guy. It really helps that he lives in Omaha too! Thanks Mike!

4. All the many guest we have had on the program. Over 6 years and 285 episodes, they have all had a guest. Home Gadget Geeks has many friends and I am grateful for those guests taking 2 hours out of their week to join us live! They are the true magic in what we do. Shout out as well to Lastpass who continues to financial support the show a year at a time and all of our Patreon Supporters who commit each month to help financially. You guys rock!

5. And you the listener. While I would still podcast even if no one was listening, it’s a lot more fun when we have them. To the 25 or so who show up each week live (and you know who you are!) and to the 2,000 or so who listen to the audio or video each week, thanks. I love to hear from you and love your suggestions. Keep them coming

Catch the newest post at https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg285. Rich Hay joined us!

I would love to have you join us live during the holiday season. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

Here is the most current schedule

11/24 – Thanksgiving (US) – No show
12/1 – Ross Brand from http://livestreamuniverse.com/
12/8 – Dr.Brian Friedlander – https://www.linkedin.com/in/assistivetek
12/15 – Amber Gott from LastPass

If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

Jim

November 13, 2016

It’s been a busy fall and I hope all is well with you. Things are humming along there at theAverageGuy.tv studios and we are looking forward to some pretty awesome guests over the next 8 weeks!

We have done some interesting Home Gadget Geeks over the last couple weeks. This week we had Randy Cantrell from Leaning Toward Wisdom Podcast on the podcast and we talk about HiFi and Music. Catch the entire post at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/11/12/randy-candrell-from-leaning-toward-wisdom-changes-from-hifi-to-wifi-hgg284/

I would love to have you join us live during the holiday season. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

Here is the most current schedule
11/17 – Richard Hay, Microsoft MVP and chief at http://www.windowsobserver.com/ We will catch up on Microsoft news for sure
11/24 – Thanksgiving (US) – No show
12/1 – Ross Brand from http://livestreamuniverse.com/
12/8 – Dr.Brian Friedlander – https://www.linkedin.com/in/assistivetek

If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

September 10, 2016

Our guest Chad Bostick bring some perspectives from a guy who is trying to be an entrepreneur in the tech space. We also chatted about the new iPhone 7 update and what it means for the average consumer. Lots, and I mean lots of great conversation!

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/09/10/chad-bostick-from-hellotechpros-apple-iphone-7-announcement-hgg277/

Last Call for the Home Gadget Geeks Stickers for those Patreon Supporters who pledge $3 to the network. I will be taking what inventory I have and giving them away at the Home Server Show Meetup. Get your now and I will mail it to you before I leave for the meetup! Find the details at https://www.patreon.com/theaverageguy.

I am in and out over the next several weeks. The live show will always have a pre-recorded video if we are not live Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

9/15 – We will be off this week and getting ready for the Home Server Show Meetup. Get registered for the meetup at http://homeservershow.com/meetup-2016.html
9/22 – No live show this week! Jim is on the road in Dallas.
9/29 – No live show this week! I will be at the University of Nebraska for a career fair that night!
10/6 – Joel Rushworth – Windows Phone MVP

If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

September 4, 2016

Last Call for Fantasy Football! We draft on 9/6. jim@theAverageGuy.tv if you want in!

I can’t wait to get this mower! At $3000 its still a little pricey for me, but someday! Erin is a new guest to the network and is a super huge girl geek! We looked at the Husqvarna Robotic Mower and covered it top to bottom. Maybe something to thing about for the spring? Have a listen!

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/09/03/hands-on-review-of-the-husqvarna-robotic-mower-with-erin-lawrence-hgg276/

I am in and out over the next several weeks. The live show will always have a pre-recorded video if we are not live Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

9/8 – Chad Bostic from http://hellotechpros.com will cover his gear. I was a guest on Chad’s show at http://hellotechpros.com/jim-collison-people/
9/15 – We will be off this week and getting ready for the Home Server Show Meetup. Get registered for the meetup at http://homeservershow.com/meetup-2016.html
9/22 – No live show this week! Jim is on the road in Dallas.
9/29 – No live show this week! I will be at the University of Nebraska for a career fair that night!

If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

August 28, 2016

Football season is almost upon us (most of you really don’t care) but there is still a chance to join us for the TAG Fantasy Football league. Reply back to this email and we will get you invited

Last chance to get a HGG sticker for August. Pledge link is below.

We had Mike and Mark on the podcast Thursday night and man did I get hungry! Have a listen at the link below.

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/08/27/getting-hungry-with-all-things-grill-and-bbq-tech-hgg275/

I now have new Home Gadget Geeks Stickers (see above) for the next 20 Patreon Supporters who pledge $3 to the network. I will mail it to at the end of the month! Find the details at https://www.patreon.com/theaverageguy. Paul Braren was nice enough to tweet about it. https://twitter.com/paulbraren/status/764248356549951489

We have some great guests coming up in the next several weeks. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

9/1 – No live show this week.
9/8 – Chad Bostic from http://hellotechpros.com will cover his gear. I was a guest on Chad’s show at http://hellotechpros.com/jim-collison-people/
9/15 – We will be off this week and getting ready for the Home Server Show Meetup. Get registered for the meetup at http://homeservershow.com/meetup-2016.html
9/22 – No live show this week.

If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

August 14, 2016

I got so wrapped up in the weekend, I forgot to put a note out. Sorry about that. Glad no one noticed! I remembered on the way home from church tonight. Guess it will give me a chance to see how this newsletter does on a Sunday night!

We had Dewain Robinson back on and he had some new gadgets. The OnePlus 3 and a new Moto 360. Of course we covered the latest with Windows 10 and some other Microsoft news. Catch the latest below!

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/08/12/windows-10-updates-the-oneplus-3-and-the-moto-360-hgg273/

We have some great guests coming up in the next several weeks. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

8/18 – JC Fulknier from http://resetplug.com/
8/25 – Mike Howard and Mark Robinson join us to talk BBQ and Grill Tech! Yum
9/1 – No live show this week.
9/8 – Chad Bostic from http://hellotechpros.com will cover his gear. I was a guest on Chad’s show at http://hellotechpros.com/jim-collison-people/

If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

August 6, 2016

Chris Nesi from http://www.chrisnesi.com/ joined us for 272 and we had a great discussion around how educators are using technology to teach better and stay better connected. Not your typical gadget show, but well worth the listen. Our kids education is serious business and I love to give time to those who are in the trenches doing the work. Big thanks for Chris for joining us. Find the show below

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/08/05/chris-nesi-from-house-of-edtech-talks-successful-education-collaboration-hgg272/

I now have new Home Gadget Geeks Stickers (see above) for the first 30 Patreon Supporters who pledge $3 to the network. I will mail it to at the end of the month! Find the details at https://www.patreon.com/theaverageguy

We have some great guests coming up in the next several weeks. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

8/11 – Dewain Robinson is back! This time to discuss Azure for the Average Guy.
8/18 – JC Fulknier from http://resetplug.com/
8/25 – Mike Howard and Mark Robson join us to talk BBQ and Grill Tech! Yum
9/1 – No live show this week.

Hope you enjoy the new weekly format. If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

July 30, 2016

I hope you too advantage of the FREE Windows 10 offer that ended July 29th? Most of my systems were already upgraded and I now have 2 (the Kangaroo in kitchen and my Surface Pro 3) in the Insider Fast Ring getting all the most current updates. Anyone can join the Windows Insider Program at https://insider.windows.com/ I would also follow windows updates at https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/

We had Nathaniel on the program this week and talked all about Chromebooks. Tons of info and some good insight on where Chromebooks are today. Have a listen at the link below.

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/07/30/catching-up-on-chromebooks-with-nathaniel-lindley-hgg271/

At the end of the show this week, I created a new Home Gadget Geeks Sticker (see above) for the first 30 Patreon Supporters who pledge $3 to the network. I will mail it to at the end of the month! Find the details at https://www.patreon.com/theaverageguy

We have some great guests coming up in the next several weeks. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E
8/4 – Chris Nesi will cover Education Tech http://www.chrisnesi.com/
8/11 – Dewain Robinson is back! This time to discuss Azure for the Average Guy.
8/18 – JC Fulknier from http://resetplug.com/
8/25 – Mike Howard and Mark Robson join us to talk BBQ and Grill Tech! Yum

Hope you enjoy the new weekly format. If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

July 23, 2016

We caught up with Rich Hay from WindowsObserver and discussed the upcoming Anniversary update for Windows 10 and what is coming in the latest release. PLEASE NOTE: The free upgrade to Windows 10 WILL expire on July 29. If you haven’t done it yet, hopefully you have good reasons. Otherwise, now is the time! We talk features, updates and current issues.

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/07/22/what-is-up-with-windows-10-and-ben-chu-from-infocus-talks-kangaroo-pro-hgg270/

We interviewed Ben Chu from InFocus as well. Be sure to have a listen. Very interesting conversation about the Kangaroo Pro device. Have a look at the Pro on Amazon at http://amzn.to/29HyO45

I got the chance to spend last weekend in California with my Marine son who is stationed in San Diego. Also had my High School 30 year reunion in San Jose on Saturday. It was a blast! It’s great to go back and see all those friends and catch up. Facebook as made that so easy! I love the technology that we get to have in 2016! Make doing Home Gadget Geeks even more fun!

We have some great guests coming up in the next several weeks. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

7/28 – Nathanial Lindley and Chip from http://makingdadshow.com will talk about Chromebooks
8/4 – Chris Nesi will cover Education Tech http://www.chrisnesi.com/
8/11 – Dewain Robinson is back! This time to discuss Azure for the Average Guy.
8/18 – JC Fulknier from http://resetplug.com/

Hope you enjoy the new weekly format. If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

July 16, 2016

Happy Saturday Morning Everyone!

This week, Edward Weniger from Alphabitcoin here in Omaha joined us for a discussion around where Bitcoin is today. Not the discussion you think it is and I really enjoyed it the longer we chatted. Catch the post at:

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/07/15/an-update-on-bitcoin-with-edward-weniger-from-alphabitcoin-hgg269/

We interviewed Ben Chu from InFocus on Thursday night, but it will play in episode 270 next week. Be sure to have a listen. Very interesting conversation about the Kangaroo Pro device. Have a look at the Pro on Amazon at http://amzn.to/29HyO45

We have some great guests coming up in the next several weeks. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

7/21 – Ben Chu from InFocus (See https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg241)
7/28 – Nathanial Lindley and Chip from http://makingdadshow.com will talk about Chromebooks
8/4 – Chris Nesi will cover Education Tech http://www.chrisnesi.com/
8/11 – Dewain Robinson is back! This time to discuss Azure for the Average Guy.

Hope you enjoy the new weekly format. If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

July 9, 2016

It’s been a while since I sent you all a note. I have been struggling with using the mailing list and not really sure what to say. I have decided that I am going to give weekly updates a try. Each weekend when I publish the podcast over at http://theAverageGuy.tv, I will send out a short note about what has been published and what is coming up. If weekly is too much for you, feel free to unsubscribe or let me know via a reply. Love to hear your thoughts.

This week, Kevin Schoonover joined us for a discussion about the upcoming Windows 10 upgrade free offer expiring. We talked about mesh networks and using Paragon Backup with a Drobo. I have included the link below.

Catch the latest at https://theaverageguy.tv/2016/07/08/windows-10-free-upgrade-ending-mesh-networks-and-drobo-is-back-hgg268/

I mentioned at the end of the show that I have been thinking about adding a touch screen monitor for the kitchen with the Kangraoo PC as the driver. Been looking at this monitor – http://amzn.to/29xpGAE

Thoughts? Have you ever purchased JUST a touch screen monitor?

We have some great guests coming up in the next several weeks. Join us live if you can at http://theAverageGuy.tv/live, 8pmC/9E

7/14 – Edward Weniger from Alphabitcoin (See https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg223)
7/21 – Ben Chu from InFocus (See https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg241)
7/28 – Nathanial Lindley and Chip from http://makingdadshow.com will talk about Chromebooks
8/4 – Chris Nesi will cover Education Tech http://www.chrisnesi.com/

Hope you enjoy the new weekly format. If you would like to support what we do financially, use our Patreon page at http://theAverageGuy.tv/support

Jim Collison

January 2016

What a Year it has been!
First and foremost, thanks for listening to Home Gadget Geeks or Cyber Frontiers in 2015. We had a big year at the network and I am very excited to be podcasting in 2016. Here are a few network stats for the year that I would like to pass along to you.
120,538 downloads of Audio/Video Feeds thru RSS feeds 333,806 minutes watched on Youtube with 37,407 views and an average watch time of [8:55]. The #1 Youtube video for the year was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SzEe3K8jms

The network on Spreaker has grown with the new Android and iPhone app now at http://homegadgetgeeks.com. We ended December with 421 Downloads and 324 On Demand listens for the month. Those numbers continue to climb!

Second, thanks being the best community in the world. We have about 300 on this email list now and some 1500 to 2000 who listen to Home Gadget Geeks every single week. You join us live, keep the chat room active, post on Facebook and overall have great things to give. Thanks for being awesome!

As you think about 2016, here are a few ways to can continue to contribute to the community.
Tell a friend! If we do a show that you like, drop it on Twitter or Facebook and help get the word out!
Join the Facebook group and jump in the conversation. http://theAverageGuy.tv/facebook
Join us live on Thursday nights for Home Gadget Geeks.
Just keep being awesome!
In mid January, I will get the opportunity to head to San Diego and see my son Tim graduate from Marine Boot Camp. Excited to see him again and see the changes that have taken place. We are very proud parents and look forward to the weekend. Many of you have encourage me during this process. Thanks for your kindness. It means a lot.

Looking forward to an awesome 2016!

Jim

November 2015

I know it has been quiet from my end and I totally missed the October newsletter, but I have some good excuses.

October is by far the busiest month for me recruiting at Gallup.

1. Between September 10th and the first week in November, I had been out to Washington DC, twice!
2. Trips to Iowa State, Northwest Missouri State and the University of Nebraska Lincoln a couple times for Gallup recruiting.
3. The Home Server Show meetup with Dave McCabe in Indy.
4. Podcasted at the Heartland Developer Conference in Omaha.
5. A driving trip out to Colorado Springs to see my Mom.
6. And last but not least, I trip to Seattle via Portland to visit family and 4 days at Microsoft for the MVP Summit.

In there I still podcasted a couple times and did a few more podcasts for Gallup! Wow. That was crazy.

I also saw my #4 son off to the Marines on 10/24 and have been thinking about and writing him often. He is such a good kid and is going to make a great Marine. I am writing this note on the very last moments of Veterans Day and I want to say thank you to any and all of you who have served to protect our country. I was US Army between 1986 and 1992. Thank you for your service!

On December 3, 2015, Home Gadget Geeks celebrates it’s 5th year on the internet. I have invited Christian Johnson and Andrew Morris back for the Anniversary episode and we will do a little look back. Love to have you join us live! 8pmC. http://theAverageGuy.tv/live

I have trying a new sponsor out. Don’t feel the pressure to purchase, but I would like some feedback from you on this one. Would you use them? Have you used them before? Prices reasonable? Let me know. jim@theAverageGuy.tv. The link is below

Black Friday $10 Udemy Deal – 48 hours only!

Starting November 22nd, Microsoft is going to start offering the original Band for $79. I will include that link below too.

Microsoft Band v1 now $79! While supplies last. – All starts November 22nd.

Thanks for hanging on during my busy month of October! We will continue to push out podcasts long after our 5th Anniversary and well into the future. Thanks for listening to them all!

Happy November!

Jim

August 2015

Hard to believe it’s already the middle of August! 2015 is just flying by. I know most of you are busy with back to school, so I will keep it short.

First off, thanks again for listening! And thanks to all of you who drop me notes from time to time. I love doing what I do for this community. Got a chance to say it in HGG 224. If you missed it – https://theaverageguy.tv/2015/08/02/the-hands-on-of-podcasting-and-walk-thru-of-the-process-for-the-average-guy-hgg224/

We are starting our first ever Fantasy Football League with TAG. Mike Wieger is behind it and I thought it might be fun for some of you. Send me a note if you would like to join us and Mike will get you added to the list. No pressure. We are limited to about 20.

If you haven’t checked out the new http://KnowITGuy.com, you should give it a try. 4 KnowITguydes for now and more to come. If you have suggestions or want to add a KnowITguyde to the site, let me know and we can get it started. Would love to have some help with this one.

If you have given up on Home Tech Tips in your podcatcher, you might want to look again. Starting next week we will be trying out a new format with Silicon Prairie News Chief Ryan Pendell. 15 minutes of tech news and nothing else. Would love your feedback when we get it started.

Last call for the Meetup in Indy on September 12. http://homeservershow.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9270-the-official-meetup-2015-thread/

Thanks again for being a great community!

Jim

July 2015

You never expect your podcasting co-host to pass away. On Saturday May 16^th, I lost the co-host for a podcast that I help produce for Gallup. Theme Thursday was a 34 part series that was birthed by a coworker Curt Liesveld in the spring of 2014. I didn’t really know him until we started working together on that project. After that I met with him almost every week for some kind of meeting. I really enjoyed hanging out with Curt

After his death, what came next was unexpected and uncharted waters for me. Never before had I worked so closely with someone and then lose them so quickly. Sure, I have been around people close to me dying before. My Dad passed away just 2 years ago. But with Curt, no one saw it coming. It was sudden, swift and way too early. I was in shock.

Returning to work the next Monday was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. Curt was loved deeply by many and there were reminders of his work everywhere. Working though the grief both inside myself and with those around me was important. We cried a bunch, we laugh a bunch and we celebrate his live for what he was, a great man. I will miss him for sure and he changed me in ways that will have a lasting impact for years to come.

Why am I telling you this? Because many of you know me and have been listening to me podcast for 3 or 4 years. We are like family and I wanted you to know. And even with tragedy, there are stories that emerge that make it worth it. This one even has tech in it!

A Story – Saving Curt’s pictures

18 months ago, Curt approached me with a computer problem. I had just started working with him on Theme Thursday and his computer at home had crashed. I think he had taken it into a computer place and they told him they would need to reformat his hard drive.

Problem: All the pictures he had taken over the last several years and maybe all of his digital life, was on that hard drive.

Of course I asked him if he had backed it up and he had not. I told him to bring me the computer and I would see what I could do with it. He brought it in several days later.

When I got the PC home, it was just a matter of removing the hard drive, putting it in a hard drive dock (which all tech guys have of course [Cable Matters® SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to SATA Hard Drive Docking Station http://amzn.to/1T53WuR]) running Recuva (https://www.piriform.com/recuva) against it and I think I was able to recover about 95% of the pictures on the drive including some files and documents as well.

I tested the drive and it was indeed going bad, so it all when back to him a couple of days later, new OS drive installed and data back on the drive. It’s what we do as tech guys. Right? I gave him the lecture about backing stuff up and even gave him a code for CrashPlan. He return the favor with a $100 gift card to Starbucks and was very happy to have the memories back. Work I have done a hundred times in my career.

Fast forward to May and the loss of a friend. After the funeral, I got a note from his wife asking if I was the one who had saved all those pictures. She told me that if we hadn’t gotten those back, they would have had almost no pictures for the family or the funeral. It took me a while to recover emotionally from that and never before have I seen the tech work that I do be so important.

Listen, I know that we all get impatient with our family, friends and even customers when it comes to tech support. But never miss out on an opportunity to make someone’s day, month, year or even something very important that will make a difference at the end. It’s all worth it! They just don’t know how important it is yet!

Thanks for letting me skip a month on the TAG newsletter. May and June where crazy months and I am so grateful that you listen to the podcasts as often as you can and that you are such a great community. It matters to me and you matter to me. If I can ever help you in anyway, please reach out and I will do what I can. If I can’t help, certainly one of the thousands who listen can.

I am still feeling a bit sad as I had to just watch a video recap of Theme Thursday that we made to celebrate the work that Curt did. It’s a little easier now than it was 2 months ago.

What you do always matters!

Jim

May 2015

I find it fitting that I am writing this newsletter on May the 4th, Star Wars Day! What a nerdy self made holiday it has become. I like to have fun with it and wore this to work today. http://laughingsquid.com/darth-vader-as-the-worlds-greatest-dad/

April was a busy month with lots of tech activities. Let me roll through them just in case you missed something.

Infotec 2015

This was the 3rd year in a row that I was able to record tech interviews at a local Omaha Conference Infotec 2015 http://infotec.org/ . Later in the month I will have them all produced and you can find them at http://theAverageGuy.tv/infotec2015 . During the sessions, I had the opportunity to interview both Aaron Dignan from Undercurrent – http://www.undercurrent.com/ and Katie Linendoll – http://www.katielinendoll.com/ who was a super fun interview. I will post them to the site as they are ready.

Chance to be on Home: On

Early in the month I was on Home: On with Richard Gunter over at the DMZ. If you missed it, you can catch the replay at https://theaverageguy.tv/2015/04/06/jim-joins-richard-gunther-on-home-on-045/

Ask the Podcast Coach

I continue to work Saturday mornings with Dave Jackson on Ask the Podcast Coach. Saturday mornings, [9:30]C/[10:30]E at http://askthepodcastcoach.com. It’s a fun and fast paced podcast for podcasters that always has us guessing when people call in their questions. You should think about joining us just for the fun of it sometime.

Be Smart on Air Interview

I was also interviewed on a podcast from Sweden called Be Smart On Air with Niilo Alhovaara. A fun 60 minutes where we cover the ins and outs of Google Hangouts. You can find that at https://theaverageguy.tv/2015/03/23/be-smart-on-air-interview-with-niilo-alhovaara/

Meetup 2015

The Home Server Show / Surface Geeks / Average Guy Meetup prep is in full swing. Sept 12, 2015, the official post is now here: http://homeservershow.com/forums/index.php?/topic/9270-the-official-meetup-2015-thread/

Thanks again for listening and all that you do for the community. It means a lot that you listen week after week! Its one of the best communities I have ever been a part of, ever!

Jim

Here are all the links:

The site – http://theAverageGuy.tv

On Twitter – https://twitter.com/jcollison

On Twitter (Network) – https://twitter.com/TheAverageGuyTV

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jcollison

Our Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaverageguy/

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimCollison

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/user/theaverageguytv

Email – jim@theAverageGuy.tv

Amazon Affiliate Link (TSF) –

Call in your questions or comment at 402.478.8450

Listen on Spreaker – http://theaverageguy.tv/spreaker

April 2015

March has been a month of growth for Home Gadget Geeks podcast. On one hand, we have been picking up new subscribes to this newsletter at an alarming rate. At the beginning of the month we had 75 people who had subscribed since June of 2014. By the end of March, we are just north of 280! If you are new to the newsletter, thanks for joining and great to have you! I’m just not sure they are all real signups. So hard to tell.

At the same time, we are seeing a similar explosion with the Video Small offering of Home Gadget Geeks. Most of the new videos now get between 50 and 200 downloads per episode. This one has been getting 1000 to 2000 for the last 10 episodes and I have no answer for that either. Good problem to have but it’s some crazy numbers. If you are wondering about all the subscriptions options for all the podcasts on the network, visit http://theAverageGuy.tv/subscribe.

Kingston sent me a 5 in 1 Mobile Storage and Charging device to review. It’s was an interesting gadget and I did a review of it this month. You can take a look at it here: https://theaverageguy.tv/2015/03/22/hands-on-review-of-the-kingston-technology-mobilelite-digital-5-in-1-mobile-companion/

I also did a fun “off network” interview with Niilo Alhovaara from Sweden who does a podcast called Be Smart on Air. It was a fun 60 minutes with Niilo. You can catch that replay at https://theaverageguy.tv/2015/03/23/be-smart-on-air-interview-with-niilo-alhovaara/

Mike Howard joined me this month for a Home Tech Tip around Mediasonic. If you missed it, its just a short 15 min overview. You can find it at https://theaverageguy.tv/2015/03/13/hands-on-review-of-the-mediasonic-hfr2-su3s2-proraid-hard-drive-enclosure-htt014/

Speaking of tech how-tos…some of you out there have some great ones and we need to hear about it. If you would like to join us on Home Gadget Geeks and do a 15 to 30 minute segment on the gadget review of your choice, I’d love to try you out for the show. Send me an email at jim@theAverageGuy.tv.

Likewise, if you have a guest, product or company you would like us to feature on Home Gadget Geeks, and would be willing to help me broker the interview, please let me know. I would love to get some new guests on the program and would love your help. Email jim@theaverageguy.tv and let me know.

Thanks again for listening and thanks for subscribing to this newsletter. I enjoy making each and every podcast that I do and it’s great to have a community that cares! I hope you have a great month!

Jim

Sent from my iPhone

Here are all the links:

The site – http://theAverageGuy.tv

On Twitter – https://twitter.com/jcollison

On Twitter (Network) – https://twitter.com/TheAverageGuyTV

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jcollison

Our Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaverageguy/

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimCollison

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/user/theaverageguytv

Email – jim@theAverageGuy.tv

Amazon Affiliate Link (TSF) –

Call in your questions or comment at 402.478.8450

Listen on Spreaker – http://theaverageguy.tv/spreaker

March 2015

If there was a theme for me in February, it was travel. An early trip to the University of Florida in Gainesville for a couple days, a quick day trip from Omaha to Dallas and week long visit to the nations capitol and the Gallup Offices in Washington DC rounded out the month. Lots of miles, lots of hotel rooms and lots of podcast listening.

From a gadget standpoint, I have really come to appreciate the idea of noise cancelling headphones. Last fall I did a review on an Audio Technica pair (https://theaverageguy.tv/2014/11/05/hands-on-review-of-the-audio-technica-ath-anc7b-svis-noise-cancelling-headphones/) and I again used them full time this trip. It really does make a huge difference when you have to be on a very loud aircraft for hours at a time. My only complaint is that this model is tight on my head and causes a bit of head fatigue have several hours of use. I tried a pair of the Bose headphones on in the airport and they are much more comfortable and light. They are also twice as much! If you are in the market for something like this, I will let you decide.

Starting March 12, we will have a new host joining me on Home Gadget Geeks. Mike Wieger is a podcaster and tech guy from http://wiegertech.com/ and hosts his own show called Open Mike Night at http://omnpodcast.com/ and a brand new podcast he does with his wife called Suit and Scrubs at http://suitandscrubs.com/. He also lives in Omaha! Mike will bring a wealth of knowledge around tech and gadgets and will be a huge addition to theAverageGuy.tv network. Open Mike Night will transform into a completely Apple focused podcast and join the list of podcasts over at http://thegeeksnetwork.com/.

On Home Gadget Geeks 205 this week, we toyed with this idea of taking more of your input to the show via you leaving a voicemail message. This is a segment that I would really like to do more of and really need your help in doing it. Have a quick tech tip that you would like to share? Tech question that you would like answered? Comment or update us on something we covered in a past show? CALL and leave me a message. 402.478.8450. Love to hear you on the show!

Jim

Sent from my iPhone

Here are all the links:

The site – http://theAverageGuy.tv

On Twitter – https://twitter.com/jcollison

On Twitter (Network) – https://twitter.com/TheAverageGuyTV

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jcollison

Our Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaverageguy/

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimCollison

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/user/theaverageguytv

Email – jim@theAverageGuy.tv

Amazon Affiliate Link (TSF) –

Call in your questions or comment at 402.478.8450

Listen on Spreaker – http://theaverageguy.tv/spreaker

February 2015

January came and went so fast, we are a week into February and I am still trying to get the newsletter out! I guess better late than never!

I wanted to share some stats with you this month. These aresStats from the network and just thank you for listening, watching and supporting TAG! I am so grateful each month that I have the best listeners in the world! Thanks

For the month of January 2015, the audio version of HGG and Cyber Frontiers was downloaded 15,134 times. HGG198 that was released on Jan 10th has been downloaded 1075 time for the audio and the video small was downloaded 907 times, leading the Video Large format by almost 2 to 1. Cyber Frontier episodes are now in the 400 range for the audio downloads and a couple hundred for either the video small and large.

The experiment with using Media Fire for the video RSS provider continues to go very well and I have no reason to change. I have 1TB of storage out there and get 10TB of bandwidth as well. What I don’t use each month rolls over (ever heard of that?) and I have about 50TB in the bank at this point. The video downloads in some cases have almost caught the audio only! Its been well worth it to provide those.

Besides RSS, Youtube and iTunes, TAG Podcasts are now available on a bunch of different Platforms. Let me list them for you.

Spreaker – http://www.spreaker.com/user/theaverageguy

Audioboom – https://audioboom.com/channel/Theaverageguy

Podomatic – http://hometech.podomatic.com/

Mixcloud – https://www.mixcloud.com/jcollison/

Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/theaverageguy

Vimeo – https://vimeo.com/theaverageguy

ShoutEngine – http://shoutengine.com/HomeGadgetGeeks/

Audiomack – http://www.audiomack.com/artist/jcollison

If for nothing else, they are interesting options to look at for hosting media.

We are off to the races here in 2015. If there is anything I can do to help make it a great tech year for you, please let me know.

Here are all the links:

The site – http://theAverageGuy.tv

On Twitter – https://twitter.com/jcollison

On Twitter (Network) – https://twitter.com/TheAverageGuyTV

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jcollison

Our Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaverageguy/

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimCollison

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/user/theaverageguytv

Email – jim@theAverageGuy.tv

Amazon Affiliate Link (TSF) –

Call in your questions or comment at 402.478.8450

Listen on Spreaker – http://theaverageguy.tv/spreaker

January 2015

Happy New Year from the AverageGuy Network!

First off, thanks for being a part of what we do with the podcasts. There are many options now when it comes to listening to tech podcasts and yet you choose to listen here! Thank you very much. It means a lot to me.

Second, I am excited for what 2015 holds. While we are already lining up shows for January and February, I’d love to keep hearing from you on what you favorite topics are and what guests we should book. Got ideas? jim@theAverageGuy.tv. I will see what I can do.

With it being the new year, a couple things you might want to be thinking about with your own personal technology at home. Call it a check list for the AverageGuy. These items have been keeping me busy over the last couple week.

Backups
Are your local backups still working on your devices? PC, tablets and phones. Have you actually tested one to make sure it will restore? If you are not currently backing up anywhere, you know I like CrashPlan. http://crashplan.com will get you started.
Home Server or NAS
If you have a separate and local backup device like a Home Server or NAS, have you checked all the drives in the box to make sure they are all spinning? If you haven’t setup local storage like this before, something like QNAP is a great way to started. Have a peek at this and let me know what you think. Had a listener pick one up a couple months ago and gave it good reviews:
QNAP TS-420 4-bay Personal Cloud NAS
UPS
Not the guys who bring Amazon packages but and Uninterruptible Power Supply. Have you checked the battery in your UPS lately? If you don’t have solid UPS, maybe now is the time to get one? I bought one like this a couple years ago now and it has worked great for me. I will need to replace the battery soon however:
APC BR1000G Back-UPS Pro 1000
It’s 2015, do you know where all your data is?
Is there some that just needs to go away? Do you need to gather your pictures into a single location and organize them? Start a 2014 AND a new 2015 folder right now and get the year started right.
Taxes
Have you starting gathering what you need for your Taxes (US folks esp)? Have you thought about all the docs you need? What software are you going to use? I have always been a H & R Block guys but maybe you have your favorite. Are you ready to file?
Need for Speed!
Is your cable modem or DSL box the most current and are you getting the speeds that you are paying for? Use http://speedtest.net first and see what your up and download speeds are. Then check what you are paying and for what. Do they match? It might be them, but it might be you too. Old equipment might be the problem. When I went from a Docsis 2.0 to 3.0 cable modem last year, I saw a huge change in my speeds. I changed to this one, but your equipment might vary. Check with your ISP for details. In some cases you can install them yourself.
ARRIS / Motorola SurfBoard SB6141 DOCSIS 3.0
Your Website
Finally, if 2015 is the year you start your own website (or you don’t like your current host provider), we just might have a great deal for you. Christian has always been a big help with it comes to hosting TAG. For the last year or so, TAG has been hosted on equipment at the MapleGrove site that is part of a company owned by Christian and Gary. This year, they are opening up that same hosting option to you. For just $10 a month you can get some seriously pro hosting and not have to deal with a company you don’t know. Check out https://maplegrovepartners.com/website-hosting/ and let me know if you have any questions. It currently powers TAG, could it power your next site?If you are considering purchasing a domain, TAG benefits from http://theaverageguy.tv/hover These guys are easy to work with and have no hassle domain hosting.