Chocolate-covered bacon

Chocolate-covered bacon? Yep, the state fair is back in town - St. Petersburg Times

Chocolate-dipped bacon

If, for some strange reason, the thought of pig meat slathered in fudge doesn't give your stomach a tingle, then get with the times, man. In January, Time wrote about the proliferation of bacony delights on dessert menus in fine restaurants nationwide. Bacon ice cream has even popped up on Top Chef. Mark Boggs of Plant City saw chocolate-dipped bacon at another fair up north and tinkered in the kitchen with some recipes. He decided that freshly grilled Hormel applewood-smoked bacon worked best; for $5, you get four slabs with a cup of syrupy chocolate dipping sauce. Don't let the concept scare you — there is no meaty aftertaste, only a salty-meets-sweet flavor delivered via the peerless crisp-yet-chewy texture of bacon. Find it at Mavric's Chocolate Barn near Gate 2.

Best DVR Applications

Hive Five: Six Best DVR Applications

Earlier this week we asked you to share you favorite DVR applications,
and now we're back with the six most popular answers. This week's Hive
Five Call for Contenders was one of our tightest races yet, which is
why we're featuring six popular DVR apps instead of the standard five.

NOTE: If you'd like to roll your own DVR using your
computer, you'll need a TV capture card. If your computer doesn't
already have one installed, don't worry—they're not that expensive
(I've always had good luck with Hauppauge cards), and you can install them on your PC just like you would install any other PCI card (i.e., easily).

Build your own DVR

Hack Attack: Build your own DVR

With all the potential controversy and uncertainty surrounding TiVo firmware upgrades, the time to build your own DVR has never been better. With your own DVR, you can get all the benefits of a TiVo and more without the recurring cost for subscription. This week, I'm going to show you how simple it is to turn your computer into a DVR. After that, I'll show you a few ways that I use my DVR to take it beyond TiVo.

Whether you're using your current PC, repurposing an old one, or going all out on a dedicated DVR to put under your TV, you can get so much more out of your own DVR than you could ever get out of a TiVo.

Use your Wii as a Media Centre

Feature: Use Your Wii as a Media Center

This guide shows you how to set up your Wii as a media centre.

Tweaking your HDTV

Troubleshoot Your HDTV - Popular Mechanics

So you just bought an HDTV. You laid down serious cash for your new set, upgraded your tuner box and hooked it all into your surround-sound system. Then you turned it on and tuned into a whole new era of disappointment. Those HD pictures don't look as good as they should. The image breaks up into little blocks. Fast-moving objects aren't crisp. And standard-definition TV programs look like garbage. Is it your TV? Is it the fault of your cable or satellite company? The truth is that it could be either, or both. HDTV is still an evolving technology and plenty of glitches make it onto the screen. Some problems can be fixed with a simple adjustment, while others should send you back to the store with receipt in hand. And many problems have nothing to do with your set at all. Here's your troubleshooting guide.

Canadian banks - regulations may have saved them

The Galloping Beaver: Mr. Dithers may have saved the Canadian banks

It should come as no surprize then that suddenly the so-called over-regulated Canadian banking system is the envy of the global consumer banking sector and considered one of the most stable in the world. In fact, when Canadian banks have attracted the attention of the editor of Newsweek International, Fareed Zakaria, you might say they're a force to be reckoned with because they're so well regulated.

Canadian banks are well capitalized and poised to take advantage of opportunities that American and European banks cannot seize. The Toronto Dominion Bank, for example, was the 15th-largest bank in North America one year ago. Now it is the fifth-largest. It hasn't grown in size; the others have all shrunk.