Technically Chic

Zipcar Releases Android App (Get It While It's Still Hot)

2011-05-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

It's Still in Beta, Though...
Zipcar released an iPhone app for its car-sharing service a little while ago, but Android smartphone users were sadly left in the dark... Until now! Zipcar is released a public beta of an Android app that will make finding and reserving a Zipcar much easier. Read on for more details.

Hopefully the Honking Feature Can't Be Used Too Many Times in a Row...

Hot on the heels of a successful IPO, Zipcar seems to want to make its fleet of by-the-hour cars more attractive and convenient. The bike racks were a good start, and after doing a survey of members that revealed that "more than 90 percent of Zipsters use smartphones", it was a no-brainer to create this Android app. It seems to have all the required features:

"Zipcar's new Android application allows members to search for and reserve Zipcars by time, location and vehicle type. Members can use the application to view available Zipcars on a map, get directions to the vehicle location and extend or cancel a reservation. The application can also be used to honk the horn to locate a Zipcar, as well as lock and unlock the vehicle after scanning the Zipcard into the reservation. Non-members can download the app to search for vehicles and vehicle locations, learn more about Zipcar and initiate the membership application process."

Breakthrough in the Lab Could Mean Batteries that Charge in Minutes

2011-04-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Electrodes Made With Nanostructured Metal Foams
Battery technology is improving slowly but surely, and while progress might seem slow to many of us who are living in internet time, the improvements in energy density and charging rate are compounding nicely over time. One of the latest advances concerns the making of electrodes with "nanostructured metal foams", greatly improving how fast the battery can be charged. Read on for more details.

Researchers have been trying to use nanostructured materials to improve the process, but there's usually a trade-off between total energy storage capacity (which determines how long a battery can run before needing a recharge) and charge rates. "People solved half the problem," says Paul Braun, professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Braun's group has made highly porous metal foams coated with a large amount of active battery materials. The metal provides high electrical conductivity, and even though it's porous, the structure holds enough active material to store a sufficient amount of energy. The pores allow for ions to move about unimpeded. (source)

The beauty is that this method for making fast-charging electrodes is applicable to different battery chemistries, like lithium-ion or nickel-metal-hydride.
Charging electric vehicles at home might never take only minutes because few houses are wired with fat enough 'pipes' to completely charge a battery pack that quickly, but it could make fast-charging stations more convenient (and long trip practical), and battery-swapping stations (like what Better Place is working on) unnecessary. We're not there yet, but we're getting closer with each new breakthrough.
The challenge will now be to get this technology out of the lab and into commercialapplications, and before that can happen, the manufacturing process has to be made economical. But the higher the price of oil goes, and the more our lives become digitized, the more pressure there will be for fast-charging batteries to be commercialized. At this point it's more a question of 'when' than 'if'.

Did Sony CEO Howard Stringer Spill The Beans About An 8MP iPhone 5 Camera?

2011-04-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

We’re recently reported that very few new features appear to be solid for theiPhone 5. But a recent slip-up by the Sony CEO suggests that an 8-megapixel camera might be a definite upgrade for the next iPhone. read Charles Moore’s new article:

MacNN, Appleinsider,, CNET, and several other Apple-watcher sites reported over the weekend that Sony CEO Howard Stringer may have inadvertently revealed that Apple is gearing up to equip the iPhone 5 with an eight-megapixel camera.

9To5Mac’s Seth Weintraub, who attended the event, reports that Stringer, in a Talking Tech with Sony event interview with The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall in New York, commented that his company’s camera sensor plant at Sendai, Japan, is among 15 of the company’s facilities damaged by last month’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, and that the supply interruption will delay shipments of sensors to Apple. Since Sony sensors are not used in the iPhone versions 4 and 3GS, which employ 5-megapixel and 3.2 megapixel OmniVision camera sensors respectively, it’s not a major deductive leap to infer that the higher-resolution CMOS sensors sourced from Sony would most likely be destined for the next revision iPhone 5.

A PhoneArena blog from six weeks ago notes that OmniVision shares nosedived last summer when a rumor spread that due partly to complaints about a yellowish color shift in still photos shot with the OmniVision sensor camera, Apple might be moving to Sony for its next generation iPhone camera sensors — possibly Sony’s Exmor R sensor unit that is used in the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc and Xperia neo. That 8MP sensor is backlit to help it finesse low light conditions, similar to the way the iPhone 4′s 5MP OmniVision sensor does. Indeed, rumors of Apple dropping OmniVision in favor of Sony as its iPhone camera supplier are longstanding.

PhoneArena also reports that OmniVision has announced that it has an 8MP camera sensor of its own coming, the OV8820, which incorporates the same low-light performance enhancements, plus HD video at 60fps, and Full HD at 30fps, and which had been projected to begin mass production in March, but that production problems have occurred.

Not everyone agrees that Apple will use Sony CMOC camera sensors in the iPhone 5. Analyst Yair Reiner of Wall Street’s Oppenheimer & Co. is quoted by Appleinisider isaying he expects OmniVision to remain Apple’s camera supplier for the fifth-generation iPhone, corroborated by checks with contacts in Apple’s supply channels, dismissing the notion an Apple-Sony hook-up as “rather silly.”

Whatever, regardless of whether the iPhone 5‘s camera supplier is to be OmniVision or Sony, it looks like camera sensor supply problems may be a significant factor in Apple’s evidently postponing the iPhone 5 introduction from an anticipated Worldwide Developer’s Conference release until some time later in the year. With the iPad 2′s camera performance being that unit’s most unanimously panned feature in reviews, Apple will want to get the camera right in the iPhone 5, where it is arguably a much more important feature than it is with the tablet product.

Also, with Sony Ericsson rumored to be getting 12MP+ camera equipped phones ready for summer release, Apple will need at least the 8MP sensors to remain even ballpark competitive in that context.

// Posted by CharlesMoore on Tuesday Apr 5, 2011 Unde

Nintendo 3DS Game Lineup Round-Up

2011-03-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Nintendo 3DS is now on sale, and with it are 19 available games. That number will increase to dozens, and eventually hundreds as the months pass by, but until then the selection is sparse.

Nintendo itself has only released a handful of games for the 3DS, including "Nintendogs+Cats," "Pilotwings Resort," and "Steel Diver." With "Nintendogs+Cats," Nintendo's beloved virtual puppy game returns with improved 3D graphics and cats. Using the 3DS's pedometer, you can even take your Nintendog on a virtual walk with you, on your own two feet. This stands out as one of the best-developed and most attractive 3DS launch titles.

Many gamers are anticipating the future releases of "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," "Star Fox 64," and "Kid Icarus: Uprising," but they won't come out for a few months. The company is alsoplanning to launch a service where classic Game Boy, Game Gear, and Turbografix-16 games will be available for download, along with other Nintendo titles remade for 3D. Unfortunately, even that service will not be enabled until May.

The third-party side of the system, however, has some impressive titles, including Capcom's "Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition," Namco Bandai's "Ridge Racer 3D," EA's "The Sims 3," Ubisoft's "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars," and LucasArts' "Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars."

The latest chapter in the "Lego Star Wars" series uses Cartoon Network's The Clone Wars series as a backdrop. It's the same action-platforming goodness that's been around for years, but with a nice amount of 3D to make the various minifigs pop off the screen.

David Letterman's top 10 reasons to buy an iPad 2

2011-03-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

The iPad 2 has been getting a lot of attention since it arrived in U.S. stores on March 11. The lines at Apple Stores around the country were top news on many local TV stations, and the sleek new device has been popping up on shows in the five days since the introduction.

Last night, Late Show host David Letterman used the iPad 2 as fodder for his nightly "Top 10 List." While some of the "Top 10 Reasons to Buy an iPad 2" fall flat, there are several that are actually pretty humorous, including #7 which describes the three cameras that come with every iPad 2.

I'm just hoping that Letterman decides to start using an iPad 2 to display his script so we don't have to keep looking at his bald spot when he bends over to peer at the Top 10 list...

Click the read more link to watch Dave in action.

Technology getting in the way of zzzzzz’s

2011-03-08T12:33:00.001-08:00

Can't sleep? Almost all of us use some sort of technology -- be it, television, laptop or smartphone -- before going to bed, potentially disrupting our sleep for the night, a recent report said.

The National Sleep Foundation found that 95 percent of Americans said that they use technology within an hour before bed at least a few nights a week. The group said that using technology, particularly interactive ones such as video games, just before bed messes up our ability to go to sleep and stay asleep.

Six in ten said they use their laptops or computers before bed. Young Internet users -- about half of those in their 20s and younger -- report surfing the Internet every night or almost every night within the hour before sleep. About a third of young tech users play video games before bed.

About half of younger tech users also text message every night in the hour before going to bed, and one in 10 of the youngest cell phone users -- late teens and early 20s -- said that their cell phones wake them up after they've gone to sleep almost every night. (Via TechCrunch).

iPad the 2nd Generation...

2011-02-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

Its about that time. Time for rumors and guesses to start fying. According to MacNotes.de the 2nd generation iPad will be released on either April 2nd or 9th – at least in the United States. Release outside of the US usually occurs weeks later, as I am sure this is part of Apple's marketing strategy.

What to expect with the iPad 2...

Cameras

Since Facetime is now on the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPod Touch, the iPad seems to be left out. This is most likely one of the major changes to be seen in the iPad's design. Facetime, of course, means a front-facing camera, however, some reports have also suggested that the device may also include a 5-megapixel camera on the rear. A camera and facetime would allow users to totally multitask with their iPads.Since many rical tablets have rear cameras it is highly likely we will see this.

Thinner and Lighter

Analyst Brian Blair who predicts the rumor above also indicated that the next iPad will be thinner and made from one piece of metal, with a similar manufacturing process to that of the unibody aluminum MacBooks.

Now this one seems very likely. Apple always strives to improve upon its products, and often that means thinner, lighter, streamlined designs. Many critics already complain that the device is too heavy and too bulky, and I’m sure it’s safe to say Apple has been hard at work to make it the most desirable tablet on the market.

However, it’s unlikely that we’ll see an iPad with a smaller screen – Steve Jobs already quashed rumors of a 7-inch device during a quarterly earnings conference call, saying, “The reason we [won't] make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit that price point, it’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software.”

GSM-CDMA Radio

A recent report from AppleInsider talks about the predictions of Wedge Partner analyst Brian Blair, who says that the next-gen iPad will be a “world mode” device with both GSM and CDMA radios. The chip would mean that one iPad model would be compatible with various wireless carriers using different wireless technology. The device has recently been made available through carriers AT&T and Verizon, however, because the 3G model isn’t compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network, a mobile hotspot device is needed to allow for a connection over Wi-Fi.I’d say a GSM-CDMA chip isn’t too unlikely – many would-be iPad users may be put off by the thought of having to carry around a mobile hotspot accessory to use data from the carrier of their choice.

Better Availability

When the current iPad was first released it sold out in many stores incredibly quickly, and countless users went home empty handed having to wait until more stock was available. With “iPad 2,” this may not be the case.

A report says that there will be several suppliers for the new iPad allowing Apple to “ramp up” shipments of the device upon its release. Three companies are rumored to have already received certification from Apple and will begin shipping parts for the device in December.

This one’s a no-brainer. The current iPad was a nightmare to get hold of for many when it was first released, especially for those of us in the U.K. Apple will surely work hard to ensure there are more of the 2nd-gen devices to go around next time.

Carbon Fibre Housing

One rumor suggests that the next iPad will not be made from aluminum, and that instead, the device will sport an ultra-strong carbon fibre housing. Cult of Mac recently reported on a new patent application for a “Reinforced Device Housing” filed by Apple that details “an outer casing for an electronic device composed of “layered fiber-in-matrix type material,” i.e. carbon fiber re-inforced polymer.”

It’s not clear whether the carbon fibre housing is indeed for the iPad, however, the illustration on the patent looks very much like the rear shell of Apple’s tablet.

A carbon fibre iPad certainly sounds very desirable, but I’m not sure it’s all that likely just yet – maybe later on down the line.

Retina Display

Now that many of us are used to the luxury of a Retina display in our iPhones and iPod Touches, we’re anticipating a nice large Retina display in the next iPad. Slash Gear reported back in October on the prospect of this one, and I’d like to think we can expect this with the new device next year.

As an iPhone 4 user, switching to the iPad can often be a little disappointing when I stare at its slightly ugly display – it’s just seems outdated now – and I for one am keeping my fingers crossed for a Retina display iPad next year.

Bigger Storage

Another typical Apple move for new devices is often increased storage, and many reports have claimed the iPad will be available with larger storage options next time around. The new MacBook Airs have also fueled this rumor, as they use the same flash storage chips found in their tablet siblings.

Apple is already using 128GB flash chips in its new MacBook Airs, so it wouldn’t be too much trouble to stick them in the iPad. This is another rumor that I’d say we can safely expect.

What Do You Want?

So there’s a few of the features that are rumored to be introduced in the second-generation iPad. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a Retina display and a thinner, lighter design – these are high up on my wish-list for iPad 2, and will be deciding factors when I’m thinking about whether or not to upgrade.

’I'd love to hear what you want from Apple’s next tablet device. Leave a comment and let me know!

2011 Mobile Predictions

2011-01-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

With 2010 in the past, 2011 will bring an abundance of technology advances. The mobile industry will bring the majority of those changes.

Verizon iPhone. Since Verizon announced its iPhone partnership a large number of consumers will be switching from At&t to the largest carrier Verizon within the next few months. The iPad will gain the rumored cameras required for FaceTime, too. With Apple’s 2010 re-hire of Rich Dellenger, a user interface designer who created the effectivenotification system for Palm’s webOS, iOS will likely see improved notifications in iOS version 5. Thanks to more robust mobile broadband options, expect Apple to offer iTunes music streaming in 2011, as well. I don’t forsee any new mobile products from Apple, however, even though I think there’s a market for a smaller iPad.
Android Phone Improvements. Android phones will come closer to rivaling the user experience of Apple iOS devices, but they’ll still fall short. It won’t matter in terms of platform market share, and more developers will code for both iOS and Android, with a greater emphasis on Google’s platform if pressed to choose just one.
Android + Verizon LTE. Google will design one stock Android handset for Verizon’s LTE network.
Intel Chips. Intel will finally deliver on its Atom effort and get the chip in a few phones, but none will be blockbuster successes. While Android can be ported to Intel’s x86 chip architecture, few will tackle the effort because of investments in ARM technology. Instead, Intel’s best showing will be in Nokia MeeGo devices (more on that below). Even with a few available products, the gap between Intel- and ARM-powered handsets and tablets will continue to widen.
Speaking of ARM handsets… Although phones with dual-core processors will debut in early 2011, more than 25 percent of smartphones sold by the end of the year will use dual-core chips.
Microsoft Kinect. Microsoft’s Kinect product will keep the Xbox a leading platform and the device will continue to be used for various interface hacks. No other gaming platform will have a similar peripheral that unseats the Kinect as a top-seller. Microsoft will officially support the device in an update to Windows 7 and my son will still not be able to beat me in a Kinect game.
Nokia. Nokia’s smartphone market share will stabilize, but not grow beyond 40 percent as cheaper Android phones will flood the market by the second half of the year. The company will continue to tout MeeGo, which will become available in the form of six devices in 2011, not limited to handsets; I expect a tablet and netbook to run MeeGo next year. There will be talk of Microsoft buying Nokia, but it won’t happen. Windows Phone 7 on a Nokia device might, however, as a short-term trial strategy for both parties.
Smart home technology. Smart homes with web-connected automation will slip into mainstream conversation, but near-field communications will still be confusing to most due to a lack of mobile payment standards.
Tablets. The iPad will continue to sell in record numbers next year, but the combined sales of Android tablets will be close behind at the end of 2011. Consumers will still pass up Microsoft Windows 7 tablets. However, Microsoft will demonstrate a lighter, touch-optimized platform for tablets by mid-2011 and follow up with products near the end of the year. Research In Motion’s PlayBook will gain enterprise customers in 2011, but businesses will adopt the iPad, and possibly even Android tablets, far more heavily.
Metered Mobile Data. Although U.S. carriers will continue to rely on network offload solutions such as femtocells and more public Wi-Fi zones, at least one carrier will supplement current data plans with a truly metered trial option.
The Return of WebOS. HP will debut a half-dozen new webOS products: mostly phones, but at least one tablet too. Even though I expect a compelling interface and feature set, webOS still won’t see a market share higher than 6 percent in 2011 as developer mindshare is focused on Android and iOS.
Samsung Galaxy. Samsung will continue to leverage the Galaxy brand and approach with fewer new smartphone models in 2011. Instead, the company will take the lesson learned from 2010: design one base handset and tweak slightly for carrier customization. The company will sell 17 million or more such handsets as a result. The effort will carry over to the tablet space as well; I expect 5 million Samsung tablets to sell next year, both in 7-inch and 10-inch sizes. And while Apple will continue its digital audio player dominance, Samsung will grab a 5 percent chunk of the market currently held by Apple’s iPod: even more if Google Music is available in dozens of countries.
Motorola Mobility. Motorola Mobility will have a solid first year due to Android phones and tablets, but won’t see huge growth until it can gain additional large carrier partners and the backing they provide. And Verizon Wireless will still have the best Motorola devices with some exclusivity. Reference: By Kevin C. Tofel Dec. 28, 2010, 1:27pm PDThttp://gigaom.com/mobile/mobile-tech-predictions-2011/

Windows Phone 7 Review: Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have Ourselves a Race

2011-01-05T11:40:00.000-08:00

Windows Phone 7 is the most aggressively different, fresh approach to a phone interface since the iPhone. Everything is superflat and two dimensional. Ultra-basic squares, primary colors and lists. Fonts are gigantic and clean, white text on an almost universally black void. It's fluid. This spartan nature is emblematic of the entire OS, for better and for worse. You don't get a lot of choices; there are no custom ringtones, for instance. It just is how it is. And while it looks and feels very different in some regards, it's still uncanny just how deeply inspired Windows Phone is by the iPhone in its philosophy, versus anything else Microsoft or anybody else has made.

The interface is oriented around three core concepts:

• Hubs Essentially panoramic apps that span multiple screens. Ironically, what really proves the Hub concept works are the third-party apps that use it. It works perfectly with Twitter, Netflix, Foursquare and Facebook, swiping over a screen to get to mentions, or to see your friends checkins.
• Live Tiles These are the home screen's icons, and they update with fresh info like email counts. But the Tiles don't do quite enough to function as full-fledged widgets—the weather Tile, for instance, doesn't show the weather.
• The App Bar a semi-persistent menu/taskbar that hides deeper actions—like starting a new email or switching tabs in Internet Explorer. It's a necessarily evil, given how radically Microsoft has reduced the onscreen UI.

Windows Phone strikes the best balance of any smartphone between web-oriented and local storage, using the cloud for info like contacts and apps, tying itself to a PC (or Mac, with a basic client) only for big updates, music and video syncing. Contacts from Facebook and Google beam in, sync and integrate perfectly. Finding your lost phone, photo uploading and note syncing is built-in, automatic and free.

The core OS is very, very good, if embryonic in some ways, much like the original iPhone. It's really up to the apps to make Windows Phone usable. Microsoft won't have 250,000 at launch, but true to their word, it seems like they'll have a lot of what's needed, with the early launch apps feeling great. That said, it's still way too tricky to find things, especially given there ain't that much in the store yet. It could be the best platform launch yet.

The most polished UI this side of the iPhone: It just feels amazing, even if it is missing some things like copy and paste (coming next year, supposedly). A nearly perfect melange of Microsoft services—Bing (Maps and Search), Zune, Xbox Live, Office—in a cohesive, logical and typically beautiful way. (Though the more tied into Microsoft you are, the better experience you'll have, like Google and Android.) Native apps are almost gratuitously tasty eye candy. The keyboard is boss. Outlook mail app looks and works fantastically. Zune streams over the air. Even IE doesn't suck, though anything that renders poorly in desktop IE will also do so on the phone.

Dislike

Remember how iTunes wasn't so bad, and then Apple kept pinning on feature after feature, bloating it into a massive, disgusting corpus? Yeah, well, the Zune desktop client is slowly meeting the same fate now that's it used to sync your phone and as the browser for the app marketplace.

And in pursuit of a stark aesthetic, there's a radical reduction of elements on a WP7 screen: The home screen, for example, only fits eight tiles at once. So to get to something else, you've gotta swipe a mile or two. (The iPhone gives you access to 20 items; Android 2.2, up to 19.) No universal search to call up apps. No singular email app: Every email account creates its own tile, which sucks when real estate is so valuable. Browsing for apps is the single most painful experience of Windows Phone. Stumbling upon Netflix felt like a happy accident after 10 minutes of flipping through apps to see what was new. Loading app lists takes forever, and it's the one time the phone ever becomes totally nonresponsive. Annoying "Resuming..." screen pops up any time you lock the phone with an app open and then turn the screen back on. Sometimes the whole app reloads. It's highly annoying, like hitting a speed bump in a Ferrari. No multi-tasking.

Should you Get One?

Windows Phone 7 is really great. A solid foundation, it's elegant and joyful. True, a lot of that greatness is potential. But if anybody can follow through on their platform, it's Microsoft. Should you buy this instead of an iPhone or Android phone though? In six months, after the ecosystem has filled out, the answer will be more clear. But right now, Window Phone is definitely an option. Considering where Microsoft was just a year ago, that's saying a hell of a lot.

http://gizmodo.com/5668738/windows-phone-7-review

Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Women

2010-12-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

Admit it, picking the perfect gift for that special lady in your life can be difficult. When it comes to picking gifts men often choose so so gifts. My suggestion to the women out there, start dropping hints early. Here is a list of the top 10 gifts to give your lil' lady this holiday season. Not all of them are electronic but after all women are complex.

10. Just because women are generally less obstinate about asking for directions doesn't mean they want to stop at some shady gas station 100 miles south of the Oklahoma border on the way to a relative's house to get them. Buy her a Garmin or a TomTom Global Positioning System, and you're sure to make her day. However, if she's very opposed to learning new electronics, you need to be prepared to help her learn how to use it, or pick a different gift altogether.

9. An ipod Touch.Yes, we females love music and movies just as much as you do. The trick to buying one of these and getting away with it is to buy it in a very feminine color, like pink or purple. If the actual electronic only comes in black, buy a case that's feminine-colored, and she'll know you're not planning on using it 80% of the time. Plus, these players are some of the easiest to use.

8. A noise machine. Whether you snore loudly on a continual basis, like to watch late-night movies, or play your noisy video games into the wee hours of the morning as I have a tendency to do, your wife might appreciate a noise machine to keep out the clamor and get to sleep. Depending on her preferences, you can either buy a simple white noise machine, a machine with several nature sounds, like ocean waves, and even a dual noise machine with alarm clock.

7. Simple Camera, by purchasing a simple, point-and-shoot camera in a fashionable color, such as any metallic shade or a pink or light green, you'll score lots of points on Christmas morning.

6. Amazon Kindle. Amazon just came out with a better, revolutionized Kindle reader that has a bigger reading screen, background music capabilities, and more. This is a great option if she loves to read books and magazines. Even better, purchase a Kindle subscription to a magazine or buy a couple of her favorite genre book downloads, and you'll make her Christmas day for sure.

5. iPad. The iPad is the big ticket item this year. Everyone wants one but no one needs one. This will tickle her fancy Christmas morning.

4. Gift Cards. Let her pick out the perfect gift for herself. You cant lose with a gift card.
3. Digital Photo Frames. Capture memories and relive them over and over with Digital photo frames.

2. Perfume. Remember her sent and get her, her favorite perfume. She will love it for sure

1. And finally the number one sure way to make any girl happy this Holiday Season JEWELRY. As cliche as it is Diamonds are a girls best friend. You cant lose with this gift!

links:
http://www.overstock.com/guides/best-holiday-gifts-for-women
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/best-gifts-for-women
http://budgetstyle.about.com/od/specialoccasions/tp/gifts_for_women.htm
http://www.sheknows.com/holidays-and-seasons/articles/806638/top-25-christmas-gifts-for-her

Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Men

2010-11-29T11:57:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Men

10. External hard drives like the Seagate Expansion 250 GB Portable External Hard Drive are a great gift for any tech savvy guy. External hard drives provide many benefits to their users. They are a safety net that will protect your files/documents and pictures from computer crashes/ viruses. These handy tools also help unload the file storage on your PC's and can help speed up your computer. Most external hardrives range from $50 on up. The price mainly depends on the amount of space you need.

9.E-Readers are in this year with the launch of the Apple iPad many companies are finding it hard to compete with their simple e-readers. If you have a computer already whats the point of the iPad? The Kindle is less than half the price than the iPad and if all your looking for is a reader this is it. They are sleek and lightweight, and cause little to no strain on your eye. As an added bonus you can also purchase a E-books to go along with your gift.

8. Most men wont stop and ask for direction right? So get them a Garmin . You cant get lost with one of these.

7. One hot ticket item this year is the Flip UltraHD Video Camera . This is small and can shoot up to 2 hrs of HD video. Great for any guy on the go.

6. I know nobody want to buy an Adult Man video games, but after all it is x-mas. 2 of the items on my list are video games and will be some of the big sellers for video games this season. Halo Reach is the newest edition of halo and provides non-stop action through xbox an xbox live.

5. The Kodak PlaySport is a great gift for any x-treme guy. This audacious little camera can plunge up to 10 ft under water and capture the entire experience in full 1080p HD. And you don't need to worry about blurry footage when things get a little shaky. With built-in image stabilization, the Kodak PlaySort will stay steady as a rock. The bundle includes:

Kodak PlaySort Video Camera
Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery KLIC-7004
HDMI and AV cables
Wrist strap
User Guide
ARCSOFT MEDIA IMPRESSION Software for Kodak (PC only)

4. For the fitness guru in your family the Garmin Forerunner is the gift to give. This watch tracks your heart rate and calories burned. The GPS tracker tracks your distance and easily uploads and tracks all of your data on your computer. You can even connect it to a Bike Sensor and track your distance biking.

3. Number three is the newest edition to the X box family the Kinect . This Xbox add on provides users a unique hands free gaming experience. Read To Kinect or to not Kinect? below for more information on the Xbox Kinect.

2. Another Video Game. This years most anticipated and sought after game Call of Duty: Black Ops hit the stores hard. If your guys a gamer this is the game to get.

1. The number one pick is the 32 GB Apple iPod touch . This thing is pretty much an iPhone minus paying for service and being cheaper without all the problems the new iPhone 4 has been having. Get this for anyone in your family and they will love it.

Good luck with all your Holiday Shopping and let me know your opinions on my list or the products. I'd love to hear some feed back as I have yet to start Christmas Shopping!

~technically chic

Black Friday Do's and Dont's

2010-11-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Whelp its that time of year again....Black Friday is here!

When Black Friday comes around you know there are going to be tons of deal on electronics especially at big box stores like Wal-mart and Target. But we cant forget BestBuy!!

Since Black Friday is one of the most hectic days of the year retail wise HERE is a list of vital black Friday DO'S and DONT's

Black Friday DO's

Do your research, use print ads, internet ads, and tv ads to find out the best deals. Within the next two days an influx of sales information will be available.

Do your Homework! Stores have a markup percentage so even with those sales, purchasing on-line or retailer direct may be alot cheaper anyways. Don't be fooled by advertisements.

Do go to your favorite online stores. Many online stores are having Black Friday deals as well. Like amazon!

Do make a list. This list is vital it will help you know what your searching for

Do plot a path. Know where your going when your going, what lines you need to be in. Remember this day is a madhouse. The early Bird Catches the worm

Do plan your route. The stores aren't the only thing that will be busy. Plan your driving route to avoid major jams.

Do stay calm! People become frantic on this day. Take a deep breath. remember if you touched it first its yours!

Do dress for the occasion. Sneaks and comfy clothes you never know when you'll have to leap after something.

Do bring your ad's. Many stores will meet competitors prices!

Do buy yourself something. After all that work you deserve something special!

Black Friday DONT's

Don't stay up late thursday night. Make sure to get plenty of Zzz's and be well rested. Grab a cup of coffee to go before those early bird specials. A tired person makes for a grumpy annoyed person later in the day

Don't bring family or friends. If your alone you can focus on what you need and when, without having to worry about someone else.

Don't forget to rest. Grab a bench and catch your breath

Don't forget to eat. You'll need your energy.

Don't get ripped off! Watch your bags. Thieves can spot a vulnerable person and will take advantage of you.

Don't get in a fight. Its only a material object. Breath and let the other person make an ass of themselves

Don't rip off the tags

DO HAVE FUN!! Black Friday comes but ones a year and for the shopaholics its the best day of the year.

HAPPY SHOPPING!! and Happy Thanksgiving!

To Kinect or to not Kinect?

2010-11-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

By far the coolest/ most impressive thing out on the market as of last Thursday the XBOX Kinect. To all you naysayers out there yes Nintendo Wii led the path for motion sensed gaming, but the Kinect provides the most unique experience. Not only does XBOX/ Microsoft rock at their technology advances but they have blown Sony and Nintendo out of the water with this one.

Microsoft uses an advanced sensory system that pinpoints 48 key points on your body and can track two players. It uses four microphones and three video lenses to locate your body along with advanced infrared technology. This piece of equipment is awesome, with no remotes you can play games or control you video and audio settings. You can command the Kinect to play movies as easy as saying play or reaching up and pressing a virtual play button.

This game system is not for those lazy arm chair gamers it gets you up and moving. Kinect is packaged much like the Wii, with a Kinect adventures game that had some pretty fun interactive games. My favorite the kickball like one. Kinect even remembers your voice and body. Its a game system for anyone of any age.

On the style side of things the camera is sleek and black and not bulky like some systems. Its an ad on to Xbox 360 , however Microsoft has incorporated an updating system that will automatically update your Kinect when new features come out. Also with the Kinect you do not have to worry about remotes and cords laying around.

Not only does the Kinect look sweet and get you moving but it has a feature like Skype that can allow you to talk through XBOX live and windows live messenger. The Kinect is the first step into the virtual world. While playing with it you can only imaging future gaming systems. I cannot wait to get one! There are so many neat workout and dance move games. And if you like those shoot and kill games theres some of them too. Its even fun to watch people play.

The biggest plus to this system is the no remote/ voice activation feature. For me I know I hate when you cant find the remote or don't want to un-snuggle. Whelp this solves that problem just tell it what to do or wave your hand in the air. Truly a GREAT family gift or a gift for the person that has everything!

I hope Santa brings me one!

Actually I want the bundle!!

iPad or iFad?

2010-11-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Many people will be rushing out to get an iPad during their holiday shopping...My question is whats the big deal?

So I researched it....

Yes the iPad has some pretty cool features, its a convenient size and if you had one everyone would want to test drive it. So in a sense you could be miss popular or the "oohh look at her" girl for a short while. In all reality it is just a giant iPod. They do nearly all the same things and an iPad can't fit in your pocket or be attached to your shoulder while at the gym. Realistically its just a giant iPhone or a super thin computer without a keyboard. Besides the really dorky name it is a pretty pricey gift. The one to the left was the cheapest I found on Amazon. But I suppose if you are the type of person who owns everything and has money to spare why not. It has some fun Apps and is more convenient than lugging your laptop all the way to your couch. The woes of laziness....

Positives

Sleek and small
works better than the amazon kindle as an e-reader
Runs all iPhone apps
More functionality with larger screen
If you’re mainly a web surfer, note-taker, social-networker and emailer, and a consumer of photos, videos, books, periodicals and music—this is for you.
The iPad is thinner and lighter than any netbook or laptop
It has a decent speaker, and even a tiny microphone.
Long battery life
Very High Speed
easy typing
Generally the iPad apps are much better than their iPhone equivalents, but more expensive
there’s no contract. (By tapping a button in Settings, you can order up a month of unlimited cellular Internet service for $30)
It gives portable game machines from Nintendo and Sony a run for their money.
Apple expects more than 1,000 iPad-specific apps to be available at launch

Negatives

Basically is a giant I Pod touch
No physical keyboard
no Webcam
no USB ports
no multitasking.
No headphones with the device
Not as good for writing or editing longer documents
Not good for anything that requires Flash.
battery is sealed in and nonreplaceable
Memory, also sealed in and nonexpandable (ranges from 16 gigabytes to 64 gigabyte)
no stand but $39 iPad case works well.
iWork works well, a “serious content creation app”, but exporting to Microsoft’s formats (which only Pages can do) doesn’t work so well.
No Weather, Clock and Stocks apps.
iPad heavier than Kindle
Most people need two hands to use iPad
The iBooks app also lacks any way to enter notes, and Apple’s catalog at launch will only be about 60,000 books versus more than 400,000 for Kindle.
email app lacks the ability to create local folders – email app doesn’t include rules for auto-sorting messages
email app doesn’t include group addressing
No tabs in Safari
Wifi only version lacks GPS.
Wide screen view can be awkward. Either you have black bars in wide screen view or you get some of your image cut off in fill screen view.
There’s an e-book reader app, but it’s not going to rescue the newspaper and book industries says Pogue
At 1.5 pounds, the iPad gets heavy in your hand after awhile (the Kindle is 10 ounces)
You can’t read books from the Apple bookstore on any other machine — not even a Mac or iPhone.
When the very glossy 9.7-inch screen is off, every fingerprint is grossly apparent.
You can’t read well in direct sunlight
Pogue: “The bottom line is that you can get a laptop for much less money — with a full keyboard, DVD drive, U.S.B. jacks, camera-card slot, camera, the works.”
The new iBooks e-reader app is filled with endearing grace notes.
Apple says that 150,000 existing iPhone apps run on the iPad but many appear or small and dead center on the screen — or, with a tap, doubled to fill the screen, a little blurry.
Skype (even voice calls, through its speaker and microphone). Just no video
Pogue: The iPad is not a laptop. It’s not nearly as good for creating stuff.
Pogue: It’s infinitely more convenient for consuming it — books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on.
You will have to buy into the iTunes ecosystem, of course, to watch movies, read e-books and sync up the apps.
You have to purchase a $29 iPad Camera Connection Kit, which lets you connect a USB camera or import photos via an SD card.
Baig: “Many people will still need a more traditional computer. You can’t edit video on an iPad. And the virtual on screen keyboard that pops up when needed is fine for e-mails or scribbling notes, but I wouldn’t want to regularly write articles using it. “
No coverflow in iTunes

Most Definitely a FAD

So if you just want an e-reader Get a Kindle its a much cheaper price

If you are looking for more iPod features I recommend the Apple iPod touch . Its more convenient and you can do all the same things plus take it in your gym bag. If that does not tickle your fancy go for it. Its only money after all and you only have one life to live. Just remember to be happy with what you get!

<3 Modish Tech

Next.... Xbox kinect

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/04/01/neat-complete-list-positives-negatives-ipad-handson-reviews/