Archive for: technology
Forgive the biblical format of the title, but an announcement of biblical proportions has been unleashed upon the public. Steve Jobs is authorizing a personal biography. After years of reading unauthorized books, years of wondering, years of rumors and speculation, the “official” book has been given the Steve Jobs blessing.
Is this going to be the honest look into his life that we want? Probably not, the unauthorized books will probably hold more truth then anything blessed by him, but for now, it’s an interesting topic.
Personally, as much of a fan of Apple I am, I also can’t deny the presence that Steve Jobs holds. While the company is definitely innovative, I see Steve Jobs walking down a hallway to the sound of the “Imperial March” from Star Wars, with guards on either side. Rumors of new hires being warned not to say “Hi” to Mr. Jobs or else they’ll be fired seem extreme, but not out of the realm of possibility. Do we really need an authorized book? Sometimes the mystique is better than the reality, but according to Macrumors.com we’ll be getting a look into his life sooner than we thought.
Unauthorized books have made him so mad in the past that he’s removed that entire publishing company’s line off of their stores shelves. Should be interesting to see just what he’ll allow us to understand, and perhaps we’ll become sympathetic to his processes.
Most of us remember that day where the USB ports on our computers just wasn’t enough. Some computer came with a couple, others with as many six, but we still ended up buying devices offering extra USB ports to connect all of our technology. There are a variety of USB Hubs out there, offering a bevy of port connections. But all of those selections are nothing thanks to the new USB device created by Thanko.
Imagine a board of 80 USB ports to connect your digital life. Let that sink in. That’s right 80 whole ports to connect cameras, mp3 players, mug warmers, fans, aromatics, printers, microphones, you name it. The board looks like an electrical grid and feels like you’d need a some sort of engineering certificate to work. It’s definitely not pushing for aesthetics but more for functionality.
Is this your ultimate fantasy or a nightmare of cord confusion?
But here’s the catch with the device. There is no data transfer, it only serves as a powering and charging station. So put those USB thumb drives away and don’t expect to get any data from here because charging is the only service this $165 device will do. Do you really have 80 items that need charging all at once? Maybe you do, but then the real question is why?
There are few things out there that are beautiful enough to just look at for hours. What if a TV was so beautiful whether it was on or off you could just stare at the amazing design? The Sony Bravia builds the aesthetic appeal to an all-time high with their new NX800 HDTV. A design that looks like something Apple would create, is sleek, monolithic, and clean. With the barrage of TV’s shown at CES earlier this month, this is one of those TV’s that is just jam packed with technology that any tech geek or otherwise will drool at what it has to offer.
Naturally the TV, being HD, offers up a full 1080p display. It comes in varying sizes ranging from 46-, 52-, or 60-inches with an LED backlit LCD screen. The two big ones for me is the integrated WIFI which opens up a lot of opportunities and the inclusion of an ambient light sensor is always nice for quick adjustments. The TV is also internet ready with its own set of proprietary widgets. I’d like to see these in action in the real world to see if it’s something people will actually use.
The Sony Bravia NX800 HDTV will retail at $2300 to $3500 so save your nickels and dimes and see if this TV is what you’re looking for in a full entertainment experience.
Sony Bravia offers full online and offline entertainment options.
The iGo Green Power Smart Tower can save up to 85% energy consumption.
Being “Green” is all the rage these days. I don’t know where this insurgence of care and concern for the environment sprung from, but it’s here in full force and all of sudden people are becoming aware of their carbon footprint on the planet. Don’t get me wrong, I do my part in many ways, but sometimes I think companies or people are expected to go to unrealistic levels just to be green.
Well the iGo Power Smart Tower is one of those instances where going green is made easy. It’s not unrealistic for tech users to have power strips filled with plugged in devices all running dangerously throughout the day. The iGo power strip is definitely innovation in it’s own right by monitoring our power consumption and also reducing consumption from devices not currently in use.
In some tests up to 85% of power is reduced simply because the strip is smart enough to identify which devices are not being used and which are. When you need to access your device, there is no lag, the iGo is quick to make sure power is there for when you need it.
Two of the plugs are stationary the rest are movable, rotating to fit all needs and sizes of plugs to ensure ease of use. Other features included with the iGo are an internal cable management system, two front mounted USB connectors, and a 6-ft power cable to ensure it can be place anywhere in a room and still reach a wall plug.
I believe when 2010 is over the market is going to be flooded with tablet options. I’m not sure this is necessarily a good thing for companies, but for consumers, the price war is sure to be in our favor. As all the tablet makers fight for our eyeballs on their devices, the deals are sure to make our pockets much happier, if not lighter. Nevertheless, the battle is sure to be a bloody one as tablets will get cut from production lines as consumers decide who will come out on top. With Apple just days away from making their announcement, which is rumored to be the announcement of the tablet, the market is alive with speculation.
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Palm who?
That’s a question that’s been asked time and time again. For awhile many of us have been saying “this is the year that Palm will close down,” yet year after year, somehow, they stay afloat. Palm is not necessarily the first name you think of when you think if innovation. In the past they’ve been known to put out some quality products, and die hard fans are loyal to them without question, but competition in today’s world has drastically changed. No longer the leader in PDA’s and smartphones, Palm had to drastically change things up when their market share started to slip. They never quite made it back to the top of the mountain, and even their most recent big release, the Palm Pre has fallen into the shadows of obscurity. An iPhone killer it was not.
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Exercising and technology have merged and now tracking your fitness levels has never been easier. As we approach a new year, many of us are already planning those gym memberships and in awe over dreams of losing weight. There’s nothing wrong with that, but sometimes we need a motivator, something to encourage us. Nike+ was an excellent introduction and pairing itself with Apple forged a relationship between two of the most recognized brands in the world. Nike+ has cornered the market in min-tracking devices for your exercising habits, but perhaps their days have been numbered by a new Adidas product.
Adidas miCoach more advanced than Nike+?
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It’s been recently brought to the world’s attention that the TSA has once again decided to do something…anything…in order to ensure that all is right with the world. Now I’m not one to enter into a political discussion on rights and policies, as it is not the purpose of this article, but rather to focus on the decision as it relates to technology.
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There’s no doubt that the skeptics who thought that Apple had no chance in theportable music player department hid when Apple’s iPod hit the market and took the mp3 music players by storm. Very few technological innovations make such an impact on our culture and yet Apple redefined what it is to listen, interact, and engage our music. Their style of minimalist design served them well with the generations of iPods to come down the line, but now times have changed.
The market for mp3 players has widened with lots of entrants, but few are capable of toppling the giant, so instead they offer an alternative to those not willing to give into Apple’s tight restriction to the Apple iTunes store. Nevertheless, iPods have had to redefine how they are interacted with and that’s when the iTouch came out. This unique tactile surface mp3 player gave users a unique experience that was unseen in the market for portable music players. Since then Apple has never looked back, and the iTouch has swelled in huge numbers.
From June to November alone, the market share grew 5%, which in Apple’s world is a huge market. Most of this is attributed to the apps that you can install on the mobile device and the bevy of games that Apple is turning to to keep users entertained and constantly in contact with their device.
But is there a deeper agenda then just the one present? Mac Rumors suggests that Apple is quietly turning the iTouch into the gateway device for future iPhone users. Similar to the concept of a gateway drug, it’s opening doors and increasing familiarity that users will appreciate and then look for something more substantial. That’s where the iPhone comes into play.
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Mobile phones are hot devices that are increasingly becoming the standard bywhich businesses are succeeding or failing. Companies not accessible via mobile devices are losing ground, while the device itself is starting to replace laptops and desktops for reading, searching, and geo-locating on the go.
Recently the LG Expo ($200) was announced and this mobile phone offers an interesting addition to the mobile lineup. Imagine carrying a smarphone with a small DLP Pico Projector attached to it, allowing you to display video with clarity and precision unheard of in a device so tiny and versatile. That’s what just happened, so stop imagining and see the reality.
The projector is optional, but the smartphone is no slouch either. This powerful mobile comes with a 1GHz processor, a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a 5 megapixel camera with flash, a slide-out keyboard, 7.2 Mbps HSPA wireless, microSD storage, and Windows Mobile 6.5. Not enough? Then go buy the projector because that’s about as good as it gets for a device in functionality.
The technological wonder comes with another release first as well, the distinct honor of being the first 1Ghz phone in the U.S. The phone will work on the AT&T network and be ready for purchase on December 7th.
Still not good enough for you? Then maybe you didn’t read the post. For the rest of us, it’s going to be interesting to see if the projector piggybacking on mobile device concept takes off.
Mobile media is huge. But you knew that. But what if there was a way to take the
tiny screen of your mobile device, and display it up to 60 inches of viewing pleasure? Perhaps you’re checking into a hotel and still don’t like the 32 inch screen they’ve given you. Perhaps what you need is a portable pocket projector.
The Cinemin Swivel Portable Projector created by WowWee has gotten extremely high reviews on many other sites. This pocket projector ($300) utilizes DLP projection technology to give the user that 60 inch experience. The internal battery is rechargeable for up to 2 hours of use, and overs a 90-degree swivel design allowing the user to choose how they wish to see their display.
This little pocket wonder is great for presentations on the go, watching videos at home, in your office, hotel, or anywhere that has a flat surface and you’ve got time to watch something. Now because the internal battery is only 2 hours, perhaps leaving it plugged into the wall for longer use is wise for movies, but otherwise, this little dynamo seems pretty sweet.
The Cinemin can connect to the iPod, iPhone, Flip Video, PSP, digital cameras, portable DVD players, netbooks, and smartphones with video-out functionality. To make this purchase even more attractive, the purchase includes a variety of international plug adapters to ensure that you are always able to access your media.
