Popular Technology

Kodak Exits Stage Left

2012-02-09T22:22:00.004-05:00

Kodak has announced that they will be getting out of the camera business. This once American icon, recently filed for bankruptcy, and is giving up on one of their core businesses. I can't say I am disappointed. Kodak never really made a successful transition from film to digital. Their competitor in the film market, Fuji I thought did this much better. Before we lament them, let us look at

Linksys PLSK400: Powerline AV 4-Port Network Adapter Kit

2012-01-29T23:03:00.000-05:00

There are basically 3 ways to connect a computer to your internet modem: 1- Wired with CAT 5e cable 2- Wirelessly via a WiFi router 3- Wired via a Powerline adaptor As you build out your home network there are multiple considerations, including the ease of which dedicated Ethernet cabling can be run, the wireless coverage, the location of the modem, and the bandwidth requirements. A

Panasonic DMC-ZS9

2012-01-08T23:14:00.000-05:00

After my frustration with Canon, I moved on to a new Panasonic, at least partly because it wasn't a Canon, it had manual controls even though it is a point and shoot, and the lens is made by Leica. Well, going from an 8 MP 4x zoom, to a 14 MP 16x zoom was a big move up. While not technically a superzoom, and still able to fit into a large pocket, the lens is equivalent to a 24 mm to 384 mm in

Next Gen WiFi

2012-01-08T23:01:00.000-05:00

WiFi has been stuck for a while, as the standard went from "b" to "g" (with a detour to "a"), then seemingly endless "pre-n," and most recently "n." Because it took so long to go from "pre-n" to "n," I think it made the true "n" somewhat anticlimactic. The current "n" gear is certainly solid and stable (I use a Linksys E4200 these days), but it hardly feels next generation a year after it

Canon PowerShot A590IS

2011-12-21T22:37:00.001-05:00

I have had the Canon PowerShot A590IS since January 2008. It is an 8 MP point and shoot, and the two things that attracted me to it were the manual controls, and that the power source is 2 AA batteries. I have used NiMH's in it, but for the last year, the thing simply eats batteries. After a full charge, the thing goes dead in a few hours- at best. There are fixes out that that may have

Amazon Text Fail

2011-10-12T21:23:00.001-05:00

So, I order a new TV on Amazon. There is an option to have them text me updates as the set makes it way to my house. This would be great, as I would like to know when it is coming so I can be home and ready to sign for it. Yesterday, I go to the Amazon site and figure out that the set has shipped from the Amazon warehouse in Indianapolis. Wow, the set is coming sooner than I thought. However

Amazon Kindle Thoughts

2011-09-28T21:42:00.000-05:00

Today was the big day that Amazon announced the latest crop of their Kindle line. A recurring theme of Bezos is that Amazon is building premium products at non-premium prices. This is a fine strategy, and unlike some others, I believe that they are following the economy where folks want cheap and value above all else. They have been slowly cutting the prices of their readers for years, and

Amazon Basics Flash Cards

2011-09-27T21:39:00.000-05:00

While I have a drawer full of flash cards, it seems like I can always use one more. Especially as memory becomes less expensive, they do seem like a bargain. I spotted today that Amazon has a line of their own branded flash cards, and like most things Amazon they are quite cheap. They are SD cards, available in the 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB sizes. Their are Class 4, which are standard

Ultrabook: Size Does Matter

2011-09-14T21:41:00.001-05:00

For quite a while, I simply don't get why the standard screen size for a notebook is 15.6", as I find that it is simply too large, and it becomes more of a desktop that folds, rather than a mobile computing device. For the record, I currently use an 11.6", a 12.1", a 14" and a 15.6" notebook. Care to guess which one gets the most use? For a while, the 14 incher has by far gotten the most use

Windows 8 Developer Preview

2011-09-13T22:36:00.004-05:00

There have some miscellaneous glimpses at the next version of Windows, so far dubbed Windows 8. It is currently in Developer Preview, and can be downloaded, although this is not for the faint as it will not be stable at this point. There are several new features to it, but overall it looks to me like it was designed from the groundup for tablet computing. It nicely integrates into the cloud as

Asus Eee PC X101 MeeGo Netbook

2011-09-12T21:05:00.001-05:00

Announced at CES last year, Asus' cheap inexpensive netbook is coming to market. It is available at select retailers for the sub-$200 price point, although Amazon is currently at $226. The high points are a "slim is in' thickness of a svelte 0.69". Another high point is that the drive is a solid state one. However, there are definitely compromises at this price, such as the single core Atom

Windows 8 Boot Time

2011-09-09T21:37:00.000-05:00

I always turn my computers off when I am done with them, so a faster boot time would be something I would appreciate. I have been pleased how Windows 7 boots much faster than Vista, and would like to see that trend continue. Wondering what that phrase at the end of the video means that she can't wait for us all to get this soon... MaximumPC

Samsung Cannot Be Fixed

2011-09-08T21:53:00.003-05:00

So, I brought my HDTV in for service, and on the 800 number from Samsung, they did tell me that this sounded quite like a capacitor issue. I was also promised that it would be done at no cost to me. Well, not so much... I brought the set in, and I was then told that there was a $25 bench fee for diagnosis, and of course, this was not covered. Well, I did want this fixed, so I went along with

ViewPad For Peorder On Amazon

2011-09-08T21:32:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like 7" is the new 10" as I am expecting to see more 7" tablet devices in the coming months. I have to say that it makes sense to me as when I used a 10" iPad, the thing always felt too close in size to a small notebook, yet without as much functionality. I think the 7" size should be a better niche for the tablet space, with an extended battery life as well. At any rate, the

Samsung HDTV Issue

2011-08-25T22:05:00.004-05:00

I bought my first HDTV back in 2007, a 26" LCD from Samsung. After researching it ad nauseum, I figured out that Samsung had the best picture. I was pleased with the purchase, but have to admit that over $700 for the thing was kind of steep, but chalked it up to being on the cutting edge, and figured it was the price of hi def admission. Besides, this was an investment in enjoying TV, and was

Acer Bets Wrong & Loses Big

2011-08-24T22:25:00.002-05:00

I can fully admit that I am just slightly opinionated on technology. I have gone through more computers than I can count easily, and often get asked what to purchase. My list of what not to buy goes long. It starts with Casio which sold me a watch, and it literally self destructed within a few months, and the company never answered my letter. It moves on to HP which IMHO ruined Compaq when

Download Some Crapware

2011-08-23T22:38:00.003-05:00

CNET's Download.com was consistently a safe source of software on the internet. The downloads were always fast, and certified to be spyware free, and not to mention quite plentiful. While I would sometimes hesitate to grab software from some site I was not familiar with, I never thought twice about downloading stuff from there. Now CNET is apparently making a turn for the worse by wrapping the

HP TouchPad

2011-08-22T22:29:00.003-05:00

The HP TouchPad seems to have gained a second life over the weekend. While it was significantly dismissed and neglected at the $399 price point, it is simply amazing how it has flown off of shelves at the fire sale price of $99. Did I rush out to buy one? Well, I was of the opinion that it was not all that great, and I simply did not want one at any price. Sure if you make something cheap

Buying a GPS

2006-08-12T21:15:00.000-05:00

As we're all going to be taking some more car trips with the current airline situation, I'm going to be recommending the Garmin c320. It has a great feature set, and should suit most users. Plan on upgrading the included SD flash card, and the maps.

I'm going with the Palm

2006-02-12T15:04:00.000-05:00

Would you believe that Amazon ran out of the iPaq? I'll buy the T/X.

iPaq 1955

2006-01-20T11:58:00.000-05:00

If you've been looking for a solid but inexpensive Windows-based PDA for mobile Web browsing, you might want to check out the latest offering from Hewlett-Packard. The company's newest iPAQ is the rx1955, a slim and lightweight mid-range handheld that sports Windows Mobile 5.0, Microsoft's most up-to-date operating system (OS) for mobile devices.Physically speaking, the rx1955 appears almost

Joining Forces

2006-01-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

Hi All!As you've probably noticed, I've been a little less active on this site over the last month or two. That has been because I have been working on setting up a more formal relationship with the website TechNudge, and am helping to found TechNudge Live.Over last year that Popular Technology has amassed around 10,000 page views, which is decent for my first effort at an online website.

Robot In A Box

2006-01-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

Robotis takes a serious robotics kit, with actuators, grippers, sensors and wheels, and packages it up in a toy like format. The kit itself looks like a big Lego box, but at an MSRP of around $900 for the large one, $350 for the small, is in a completely different league.The Bioloid kit is a hardcore but accessible robotics workshop, make no mistake there. It comes with a C-like programming

Open Source CPU ???

2006-01-09T22:02:00.000-05:00

Wanted: Hardware designers for the GeekPUHave you any insight on CPU design? Think you've got a good idea that doesn't exist today? Want to see it in operation? Let's put our heads together and see what we can come up with for a new CPU design, to be called "GeekPU."The funny thing is that these guys are serious! I give them an A for effort, and an A+ for enthusiasm. They want to undertake a year

Smaller SD Cards With LARGE Capacities

2006-01-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

Personally, I think that Secure Digital flash cards are plenty small. They are no bigger than a postage stamp, and their biggest shortcoming, in my mind, is that you have to be careful not to lose them! However, in the world of electronics, smaller is always better, and SanDisk is moving in that direction.At the Las Vegas CES, they are introducing the miniSD card, available in a 2 GB capacity. If