chriseckman.com

OK,

I have been slacking hard, working to much (and drinking too much). As you may or may not know I am, not only a geek but a MAC junky <insert bitch here> but, I also use windows (windows 7 review coming) and linux. All that said, I have used and enjoyed the microsoft Live Mesh but mainly on my work computer and at the time my girfriends pc for sharing files and troubleshooting. Today I decided to check the livemesh.com updates on rando chance and found that they now support MAC on limitted basis. I just installed it, reports will come soon.  Now for a linux app … yeah right.

Chris

I know, I know, this has been covered to death, but I have to talk a little about live mesh from Microsoft. As some might know my distaste for Microsoft but I would say that if you use the windows platform, like most of us do, and have a need for a shared space or remote desktop and don’t want to configure your router/switch for port forwarding this is a great option.

The set up is pain let all you have to do is install a very small application that not only sets up your shared folders but enabled remote desktop. Using it is just as easy, if you want to use the shared folders just click on the live mesh app and log in, at this point it will auto mount your “shared” folders and allow you others on your account to remote in to your pc.

The draw back (aka things i don’t like) I would have to say this is still in beta, so I will try to keep the crying to a min. Does not work with skydrive (another MS live service that offers cloud HDD space) for me this is a no brianer, I mean they gave you 5 gig for the “shared” folder and if you are using Mesh why not use skydrive +5 gig more (and that is whole other post). Adding users to your account, right now adding user is ok but it doesn’t really work as advertised. Once you can added an user but they can not get any of the Mesh features, soI ended up setting up a Live email account with nothing on it and giving it out.

Over all it’s not to bad of an service and it’s free, so for once I have to give MS the big thumbs up

-Chris

Hard Apple Cider take 2

I used the following ingredients

• 12 Red delicious apples
• 4 lbs of granulated sugar
• 1/2 lbs of Brown sugar
• 2 table spoons of cinnamon

How to:

Slice the apples in to quarters and clean any steams or seeds. Place in a 4 quart pot fill 3/4 of water (adjust as needed), bring to boil for about 30 mins. After you apple have soften slowly add granulated sugar 1 cup at a time until you have added 1 lbs then add 1/2 lbs of brown sugar and your 1st table spoon of cinnamon.

Bring pot down to a simmer for about another 30 - 45 mins while adding another 2lbs of granulated sugar and at the last 10 mins add your last table spoon of cinnamon.

Ferment as normal

I used this time around a champagne yeast. I will post the results in a few weeks.

-chris

**Update**

Kegged, smooth and sweet. Bottled, fizzy and not to dry.

Everyone really enjoyed it.