Chih Long Liu's Web Site

Links

Here are a bunch of links to website I frequent these days. Note that these are merely reflective of personal browsing habits and in no way represents an endorsement of any kind of the website listed here.

Disclaimer: descriptions of each link should be interpreted as statements of my opinion on the website, not statements of fact.

I list "VF" as a Visitation Frequency measure on a scale of 1-10 (1 = less than once per week; 10 = more than once every 3 hours)

Computer Hardware and Internet

• [H]ardOCP -- A hardware news and reviews website for PC hardware enthusiasts. News are frequently updated throughout the day. VF = 9
• Dan's Data -- An Australian electronics website containing an eclectic collection of hardware and software reviews (everything from LED flashlights, super-strong rare-earth magnets, and model tanks to digital cameras, computer cases, and CPU coolers). Also contains numerous guides (most quite useful and interesting, some rather humorous, like this guide on How to Destroy Your Computer, and a steady column of letters, which some in the hardware enthusiast community are calling as the PC hardware equivalent of "Dear Abby" letters. Most web contents are written in a tongue-in-cheek and often humorous tone. Updated several times a week. VF = 8
  Be sure to also visit his blog, which he started in mid-2006. (VF = 9).
• Anand Tech -- A hardware news and reviews website for enthusiasts. Less frequently updated but good solid reviews, and a good reputation in the PC hardware enthusiast community. VF = 7
• Storage Review -- A comprehensive hard drive storage review website, complete with an active community forum. Considered to be one of the best hard drive review sites on the net (as of 2004). They've slowed down more recently (2005-2006), mainly because the rate of increase in storage capacity of hard drives has somewhat plateaued during this period. VF = 5
• Firing Squad -- A hardware and gaming software reviews website aimed mostly at PC gamers. Since I'm not really into hard-core gaming anymore, I hardly visit this site these days. VF = 1
• Gibson Research Corp. -- Home of SpinRite (a low-level hard drive data recovery program) and ShieldsUP!, a comprehensive on-line computer port prober and vulnerability tester. The site's main theme is computer and Internet security, and has lengthy and interesting descriptions on a number of important security issues. Also contains a number of useful and nifty utilities. Particularly useful are the Security Now! podcasts, hosted by Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte, and include discussions on a wide variety of topics, such as malware, the nuts and bolts of TCP/IP, strong passwords, WiFi security, DDoS attacks, rootkit technology, crypto, virtual machines, and DRM in Vista. VF = 9
• CDR-Info -- A hardware reviews and news website focusing on optical technologies, primarily CD and DVD burners and optical media. VF = 6
• Tom's Hardware Guide -- One of the oldest and more prominent general PC hardware reviews and news websites. Originally reputable, it had fallen into disfavor by the PC hardware enthusiast community around 2000-2004. They have since cast off their grassroots beginnings and emerged as a large PC technology website. The quality and balance of their content has improved more recently but tends to be a little inconsistent, which is hardly surprising given how large the site has become. VF = 2

Recreation

• Daystrom Institute Technical Library (Star Trek)
• Star Trek Official Web Site
• The Mike Jonas FAQ (Star Trek)
• OCF Berkeley Webcam (for those of you who are really, really bored and want to see a streaming real-time live view of a computer lab at UC Berkeley....)

Cool Online Deals

I frequent the following sites whenever I am considering an online purchase. Cumulatively, I've saved thousands of dollars via the online coupons and deals that are posted frequently (often daily) at the following sites. [No, I'm not being paid by any of these sites to post their links; I just feel that if I can save money on cool deals, then you can too....]

When visiting online bargains websites, it is strongly recommended to take advantage of the bargain IMMEDIATELY, if you have sufficient interest in purchasing the item. Many such deals last only 1 or 2 days; some of them expire mere HOURS after they are posted. Also, watch out for online deals that heavily rely on a bunch of rebates to bring the price down (see next paragraph).

One word about mail-in rebates, -- avoid them if you can, or prepare yourself for a potential paperwork fight with the clearing companies that handle rebates. Many such companies are reputable, but there are also some that have poor track records, and from which you are unlikely, if at all, to get your rebate money back. Also realize that stores often employ rebates to increase traffic to their website or B&M locations, and to clear out inventory on items that may be soon discontinued or obsolete.

• Techbargains - lots of daily deals, most frequently on electronics, but often covers other areas as well. Also has a listing of online coupons and some tips on rebates. Updated every 3 hours or so. Highly recommended. VF = 10
• Slickdeals - daily deals, like Techbargains but updated only once daily, and tends to be considerably more sparse. However, this will occasionally post deals that are missed by Techbargains. VF = 6
• Flamingoworld - a site that lists online coupons. Its lists are a little more comprehensive than Slickdeals but often doesn't cover the deals that Slickdeals posts on their site. VF = 3
• My Coupons - a very comprehensive coupon listing site. Also has a "Look what I found" message board that posts online deals/coupons that may be difficult to find elsewhere. VF = 2
• ebates - a rebate web site that gives you a percentage rebate for online purchases that you make to common venders (e.g. Dell, Staples, Barnes and Noble, etc.). Rebates range from 1-25%, and they mail you a quarterly check. I've received over $550 from them from the past two years of purchases. VF = 2

Donald Ying

• Donald's primary home web site
• [dying - the.second.incarnation] (Another of Donald's web sites)
• DYing's Deep Thought Home Page! (Yet another of Donald's web sites)
• DYing's SCUACC Home Page! (and yet another of Donald's web sites)
• Donald (a page about Donald when he spent a summer at UC Berkeley)
• The ESAFTPFSSSSTDIUOTSN NIEAQ! (things to do on a UNIX system if you're bored)
• Donald also has an on-line diary (note: he makes a strong distinction between an on-line diary and a web log, or "blog", which he strongly says this is not). It is meant to be difficult to find, and so (supposedly at least) reaches a rather select audience based mostly on word-of-mouth (or email). Nevertheless, some pages got indexed onto Google, so it's not impossible to find. If you really want to find his on-line diary, think three....