HomePlug AC-Power Network Extender

Easy Ethernet in any Room!
It should be a prerequisite that any place a geek calls home come wired with Cat 5 Ethernet in every room. Sadly this is not often the case and the geek is left to fend for him or herself when connecting that new Tivo, game console, or media center box. Wi-Fi is just too slow for the streaming video needs of the modern geek and stringing cables across the room and drilling through the floor are a pain. Now you can solve those networking dilemmas in a snap with the HomePlug AC-Power Network Extender. The HomePlug transmits ethernet over your existing AC power system at speeds up to 200 Mbps. Setup takes less than 5 minutes and it works on virtually any network. Simply plug one HomePlug box into your network hub and AC outlet. Take the other box anywhere else in your home and connect to another AC outlet and any device that accepts an ethernet input. Done!






Important Note
You will need at least two HomePlug boxes to get a network going. If this is your first HomePlug purchase you will want to buy the Starter Kit containing two units. This will give you the equivalent of one ethernet cable run allowing connection of one remote device. You can buy additional single HomePlug units and add them to your network at any time.

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Cellphone Signal Extender

Say Adios to Bad Reception
A lot of technology goes into making your cellphone work. So you would think that we would be more understanding of dropped calls and garbled conversations. Nope. Nothing gets geeks into a seething tech frenzy like poor cellphone reception... and it doesn't help that we couldn't resist the glossy black smoothness of the iPhone and AT&T sucks for cellphone service. Sad.
Well quit staring at your one-bar-worth of signal strength and pick up this handy Cellphone Signal Extender for your home or office. Simply mount the included antenna near a window and run the coax cable to the base booster unit. You get 2500 square feet of prime signal area (enough to cover 2-3 rooms on two different floors). We went from 1 bar... to 5 at the ThinkGeek secret headquarters and made our iPhones very happy in the process.






Installation Summary:
Just so you know exactly what you are getting into, here is a brief description of what you'll need to do when you get the Cellphone Signal Extender home.

1. Determine a mounting location for the external antenna. This can be indoors near a window, an outside door, in the attic, or on the exterior of your home or office. Basically you want to find the spot where you have the strongest signal... even if it's only one bar.
   
2. Attach the external antenna to your chosen mounting spot using the included screws & hardware.
   
3. Run the included coax cable from the external antenna to the base booster box. Place the box in a central location where you most need improved cellphone reception.
   
4. Plug in the base booster box.
   
5. Done. Happy calling!

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ABCs Of Bulb Gardening

Flowering plants that overwinter and multiply by means on fleshy stems of leaves are called bulbs. The bulbs we grow in our gardens today are native to temperate zones all over the world, the woodlands, meadows and mountains of the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North America. The Dutch have been extremely successful over the centuries in collection and hybridizing new species of bulbs and improving them for reliable garden performance. Tulips in particular, once played an important role in the Dutch economy.






There is no easier plant to cultivate than a bulb. Planted at the right time, in a loose, well-draining soil, bulbs will bloom punctually year after year and even spread (“naturalize”) if conditions are to their liking.

By planting a sequence of spring-, summer- and fall-flowering bulbs at the appropriate time, you can enjoy their blooms practically year ‘round.

Fall (late September through late November) – Plant hardy, spring-flowering bulbs: tulips, narcissus (includes all types of daffodils), crocus, eranthis (winter aconites), erythronium, fritillaria, hyacinths snowdrops, scilla, hardy cyclamen, lilies. In California and milder areas of the Southwest, also plant ranunculus, freesias, anemones and paperwhites outdoors. Store tulips, crocus and hyacinths in refrigerator for 6-8 weeks before planting. In all regions, store potted bulbs in refrigerator for forcing indoors.

Winter – In California, plant prechilled- hardy bulbs outdoors. In all regions, remove sprouted bulbs from refrigerator for indoor forcing.

Spring – Plant more tender, summer-flowering bulbs: achimenes, gladioli, alliums, calla lilies, tuberous begonias, ixia, crocosmia, dahlias, cannas.

Late Summer – Plant the late bloomers: fall crocus, fall- and winter-blooming hardy cyclamen.
Click here to browse bloomingbulb.com for #1 quality plants and bulbs.

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