Latest in Offbeat

Unless you're either really lucky in life (and use cards everywhere you go) or really unlucky in life (and have no money to spend) then you will use cold, hard cash on a weekly basis. Money is usually a physical object, with coins and notes weighing down your pockets. But it isn't always physical. Some currencies are virtual, existing in the digital realm but having no weight or substance. Bitcoin is one such virtual currency
Keep Reading »

This edition of Sound Sunday is dedicated to the wonderful genres R&B, Soul, and Hip Hop. Discover the life & work of Toronto singer/songwriter Rochelle Jordan, who has worked with Drake, LA-based singer Jason Chen, who recorded a mixtape with his favorite Chinese music, Grammy-nominated singer and actor Omarion, whose debut album went Platinum, and [...]
Keep Reading »

April Fools' Day is, depending on your individual point of view, either a pathetic waste of everyone's time and energy that you try to avoid as much as possible or 24 hours of fun that marks a welcome break from the doom and gloom which dominates the rest of the year. The Web was once virtually free of April Fools' Day pranks, but now it's awash with them each time the calendar clicks over to the fourth month.
Keep Reading »

This edition of Sound Sunday rocks. Open your ears to pop rock, post rock, stoner rock, math rock, and ambient rock albums, many of which are instrumental. Happy Easter! Note that name your price albums can be downloaded for free by entering 0 in the price field. That said, we strongly recommend you to donate [...]
Keep Reading »

By no means am I a male model. So, it is not without some hesitation that I embark down a road giving people advice on how to take a better self portrait. Then again, having spent more than a decade posting my mug on the Internet in various forms and on a variety of websites, social networks, forums, blogs and even on television - I've learned a few interesting things about what makes a really good self-portrait, and what doesn't.
Keep Reading »

If you spend a lot of time on your computer you probably spend a lot of time sitting. Slowly, over the course of hours, you may experience pain. The pain goes away after a few minutes or hours – at first. Over time, however, minor pains can add up to serious health concerns. Ergonomic office chairs help, but are also expensive, which is why most people don’t buy them.
Keep Reading »

Sound Sunday is a weekly feature that promotes budding artists, independent labels, and legal music downloads. To honor the release of Depeche Mode’s 13th album Delta Machine, this edition presents a small selection of independent electronic, new wave, and synth pop albums. Enjoy the synthony. Note that name your price albums can be downloaded for [...]
Keep Reading »

This weekend I had the unfortunate luck to drop my iPhone flat on a hard pavement. It landed with a thud that told me what to expect when I turned it over. The back of the phone was covered in small cracks, making their way across the entire phone. I was mortified. I never thought I would be one of those people. I instantly decided that I need to do what I should have done all along - buy an iPhone case.
Keep Reading »

Batteries are batteries right? Sure, and computers are computers, and tires are tires. Oh, what's that? You say there's a big difference between a Mac and PC, and tractor tires and car tires? Well, so too there are big differences between the different types of batteries that are available. Obviously the physical sizes are different like your AAA's and your D's, but the differences go deeper. The construction and composition of the charge generating materials can be significantly different as well.
Keep Reading »

Sound Sunday features legal and free music downloads. We cover genres from A to Z and artists from around the world. This edition ranges from pop to death rock and was made possible by over 20 different generous artists. Note that name your price albums can be downloaded for free by entering 0 in the [...]
Keep Reading »

This is the longest edition of Sound Sunday ever. Here are all the wonderful EPs, free songs, and full albums that were left over after spring cleaning. My list is now all clear and ready for fresh suggestions and submissions. I’m very much looking forward to filling it again with all the amazing talent that [...]
Keep Reading »

With the introduction of ever more sophisticated smartphones and tablets into the market, and the availability of some of the most amazing apps out there, it should come as no surprise just how dramatically technology has transformed the family. Today, there may actually be more communication between parents and kids, even though much of that communication is via text messages. These days, women that are running a family are filling more roles than ever before.
Keep Reading »

Myths are more common than most people will admit. They perpetuate because they sound like they could be true - and nobody has time to fact-check every last detail. Eventually, as the myths are repeated time and time again, they sound more factual than the truth. Technology is as susceptible to myths as any other niche. Let’s set the record straight.
Keep Reading »

HAM radio. If you even know what it is, it conjures up images of grown men hiding in dark places with glowing vacuum tubes and devices with knobs and twiddle-bits. They're talking across the world about who knows what. They're part electronics guru, part mad scientist, part excited kid. These are the guys that preceded the computer gurus of today. These are the guys that could reach across the world when no one else could.
Keep Reading »

The music featured on Sound Sunday is determined by chance. My own taste merely has a mild influence. I filter for sound quality and aim to compile a balanced mix. But in the end it comes down to what the web has to offer. And that always includes buckets full of high quality electronic music. Note that name your price albums can be downloaded for free by entering 0 in the price field.
Keep Reading »