For this Segment on News13 KMSB Fox 11, Andy Taylor visited with Tyler Butler and shared a couple of new Laptops for Productivity, Creating and Learning. First off is the Asus Zenbook S 14. 16GB and 1TB SSD This could be great as you may be thinking about Gift Giving for the Holidays. The Size is amazingly thin and super lightweight. While Everything under the hood is impressive, the design itself is amazing. Asus uses a process called Ceraluminum coating that is scratch and fingerprint resistant. This is a combination of Ceramic and Aluminum. The ZenBook S 14 is powered by a 72Wh Battery which not only can last throughout the day but charge quickly.
Inside it the ultra-fast Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Series 2 processor with a dedicated AI NPU (Nueral Processing Unit) with Microsoft Copilot+ all with the power of AI unleashed through the dedicated Copilot key on your keyboard. Also the screen is amazing and bright, The ultra-vivid 3K 120Hz ASUS Lumina OLED display – This Powerhouse retails for about $1499
Also on deck is the New Asus ProArt PZ13 – Tagged – “Where your Story Begins” This Two in One, Meaning a Tablet and Connected to a Keyboard, It weighs Less the Two Pounds is perfect for creators, Another 3k Bright Vivid Screen and and it’s powered by Snapdragon® X Plus processor – Looking for a way to easily organize your Content? 16GB of Memory and 1TB SSD It comes equipped with the ASUS exclusive AI-powered Story Cube app that helps you manage your photos and videos – To see the many different applications, check out https://www.asus.com/us/proart/ It Retails for about $1099
We had a great time looking at these devices with Power and Function!
In this Week’s TechtalkRadio Show, Andy and Shawn want to find out about Matt’s new studio setup which looks like it came out great! Matt shared his recent transition to a rack-mounted case, which he found to be more efficient and better for airflow. He also discussed his use of a Sony ZV-10 mirrorless camera as a webcam, which he found to be effective for blogging and vlogging. Last weeks show had a listener ask about Mechanical Keyboards which Matt explained and discussed his mechanical keyboard, the Keychron v1 Max, which he found at Micro Center. He highlighted its features, including a 75% keyboard layout, mechanical switches, USB-C and USB-A ports, a rechargeable internal battery, Bluetooth compatibility, and a switch for Mac or Windows. Matt also mentioned the keyboard’s customizable firmware and the ability to change keycaps for different layouts. He noted that the keyboard lights up and has a tactile feel, making it the quietest mechanical keyboard he has ever used. Take a look at the Company Website at https://www.keychron.com
Shawn found a great deal and decided to buy in for a Dji Power 1000, a solar generator that can charge devices and potentially run small appliances like an air conditioner. He bought it at a 48% discount from Amazon, using a code from Dji’s Black Friday email. Shawn plans to use it for camping and when out grabbing photos for astrophotography. The group also discussed other portable power brands like Jackery and Anker, and the possibility of using solar panels to charge the generator. Andy suggested that listeners might benefit from joining Dji’s mailing list for potential deals.
After a listener question from Allan, Matt and Shawn discussed the pros and cons of upgrading to Windows 11. Matt and Shawn expressed their dissatisfaction with the bloat and ads in Windows 11, while the listener sought advice on whether to upgrade now or wait until October when Windows 10 support ends. Matt advised Allan to pull the band-aid and upgrade, as Windows 11 will receive security patches and updates, but warned about the potential annoyance of ads and recommendations. Matt also advised Allan to back up his files before upgrading his operating system and to use a disk cleanup tool to remove previous Windows installations after a certain amount of time. Andy also shared a question from Dave about recovering data from an old IDE hard drive, and Shawn suggested using a USB to IDE adapter to connect the drive to a computer stating they aren’t to bad in price and easy to use. Shawn found one on the Micro-Center Website from Vantec. Another listener question handled the subject of Black Friday/Cyber Monday TV Deals and how to tell differences between some of the screens. All this and more featured in this week’s TechtalkRadio Show,
For this Week’s TechtalkRadio Broadcast, Andy, Shawn, and Justin discussed various topics related to technology and personal experiences. They talked about Matt’s computer issues, with Justin mentioning that Matt had moved his gaming computer into a rack mount chassis and was experiencing problems. They also discussed the importance of cable management, with Shawn emphasizing the need for flush-cutting zip ties to avoid injuries.
In the Photos, What a Non Flush Cut Zip tie looks like. Matt shared the Rack and then System with componants installed, then the finished product. The conversation then shifted to the topic of retro computer cases, with Andy sharing an article about Silverstone’s retro beige PC case. The team also reminisced about the past, discussing the effects of smoking on electronics and the challenges of cleaning them. The conversation ended with Justin showing off his new camera, The Sony A7 Mark IV camera. Justin explained the camera’s features, including its ability to shoot raw images, 4K video at 60 frames per second, and its built-in eye tracking feature. Justin also discussed his experience with Adobe Lightroom, a software he used to edit the photos he took with the camera. Andy and Shawn praised the camera’s quality and the benefits of using Lightroom for photo editing.
Another Project that Justin recently completed was installing permanent outdoor holiday lights. Justin shared his research on the company Jellyfish deciding to go with EnBrighten, in Justin study a more affordable option. EnBrighten lights come in 100-foot strings and can be individually controlled, allowing for various color effects and preset modes for different holidays. Justin also mentioned hiring a professional to install the lights, which cost him around $380.
A listener question came in regarding a request from the writer’s son for a Mechanical Keyboard. Justin explained the differences between budget keyboards and what can be found with a mechanical. Andy, Shawn, and Justin discussed their experiences with the Tyson-Paul boxing match and the issues they faced while trying to watch it. They shared their attempts to stream the fight, with Shawn mentioning that they eventually found an illegal stream to watch it on Discord. Justin revealed that he watched the fight somewhat legally through a live stream on X, which had 9 million viewers at its peak. The conversation then shifted to social media platforms, with Andy and Justin discussing their experiences with Twitter and the new platform Blue Sky. They expressed their dissatisfaction with the political nature of these platforms and their desire for a more curated feed. Justin mentioned that he has successfully curated his X feed to avoid political content. The team also discussed their presence on Facebook and Blue Sky, encouraging listeners to connect with them on these platforms.
Another listener question is handled, and it involved digitizing old VHS tapes and putting them of DVD. Shawn recommended not burning them to DVD. Shawn recommended using Legacy Box for digitizing old VHS tapes into a digital format, as DVDs are just taking up space. Justin suggested that the digitized content could be played on a TV via a USB slot. Shawn also suggested checking out the service’s website for a sale currently running at $8 per tape. In a segment from a couple of weeks ago, Andy mentioned his experience with the Epson FF680-W photo scanner and has found that Visioneer has a similar scanner and will work to check it out and compare its performance.
In this week’s segment, we focused on preserving cherished memories—our photos. Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed how natural disasters and unexpected home incidents can devastate precious keepsakes like photos. While flatbed scanners have been around for decades and are useful for digitizing pictures, the process can sometimes feel complicated. Companies like Epson have stepped up to simplify this through continuous improvements in both hardware and software.
Services like ScanMyPhotos.com offer an excellent solution for those who prefer to have someone else handle the scanning, delivering digitized photos in a convenient format. While these services are reliable, some people prefer a hands-on approach. For them, the Epson FF-680W is a standout option. Part of Epson’s “FastFoto” line, the FF-680W was featured in a memorable ad campaign with Shaq and his mom, Lucille, aptly titled “Preserve What’s Priceless.”
What sets the Epson FF-680W apart is its easy setup and remarkably fast scanning capabilities. It connects seamlessly to your PC or Mac, where scanned images can be stored. We demonstrated how effortlessly it can scan a stack of photos while integrating with Epson’s app, and the results were truly impressive. The Epson FF-680W is available for $499. For More Info, Take a Look at https://www.epson.com
Below is the First Look at the Scanner that we posted on Social.
In this Weeks TechtalkRadio Show, Andy, Shawn, Justin, Matt and Slick gather together to talk the latest in Tech but also after not bieng able to connect with a guest, they noted her expertise in UFO and UAP Studies. This was in advance of a show in Tucson at the Rialto by her colleague Luis Elizondo, who is a former head of the Pentagon program investigating UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) and has written a book called “Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs.” While the guest was unable to attend the radio show, the team decided to continue the discussion about UFOs. Shawn mentioned seeing unusual lights while trying to chase the Northern lights and the space station, but couldn’t attribute them to extraterrestrial sources. S!ick shared stories of lights moving in unusual ways in the Tucson area, but didn’t claim to have seen a UFO. Andy recalled seeing a string of lights on a drive between Phoenix and Tucson. The team agreed that while some sightings could be explained, others remained unexplained and intriguing.
Shawn reminded us about the early days of SETI@home, a distributed computing project that utilized home computers to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Shawn shared his experience of using the software, which involved processing raw data from satellites in the Gigahertz spectrum. The team also discussed the potential of other projects like HARPA, which uses CPU power to scan high-frequency radio signals. The conversation also touched on the concept of the “Great Barrier” theory, which suggests that advanced civilizations must pass a test of self-preservation before they can explore interstellar space. They reminisced about classic movies dealing with UFOs such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Mars Attacks”, and “The Day the Earth Stood Still” while Slick talks about the To Serve Man Episode on Twilight Zone and we find Justin isn’t a fan of the Classic Twilight Zone TV Episodes!
The Crew welcomes to the show Richard Neumann from Sub2R. The company has built a camera which is expected to retail for around $1,500 for the Square One model and $2,500 for the Studio 4 60 model, is described as having amazing quality. The camera is HDMI centric for the Square One model and SDI based for the Studio 4 60 model. Richard explained that the camera uses a Sony IMX 294 image sensor, larger format glass, and micro 4/3rd technology for ease of use and reasonable pricing. The camera is designed to be versatile, with interchangeable lenses and the ability to convert the video output to various formats. Richard emphasized the camera’s open architecture, allowing for innovation and customization.
Richard Neumann in a Square One Demo
Shawn shared with us a recent update in the DJI Air 3S Drone with a potential ban on importing the new DJI Air 3S drone due to concerns about forced labor practices and technology-based issues. Andy also talked about a product he recently shared on KMSB Fox 11 News 13, the Epson FF- 680W scanner. Shawn expressed interest in the scanner for his massive photo and video archive, as it could significantly speed up the scanning process. The team also discussed the importance of adding metadata to scanned photos for better organization and accessibility.
The Epson FF680W
A listener sent the team a question about using a physical keyboard with their iPhone, which led to a discussion about different Bluetooth keyboard options available such as the Logitech K480 and the Clicks System which the guys really liked, It is a actual keyboard that the iphone can snap into. They referred to the company website https://www.clicks.tech
You must be logged in to post a comment.