Author: Andy Taylor

It’s always great to get new Electronic Gadgets! Yes, the Feeling of Unwrapping a new 50″ Flat Screen TV, A Computer with todays Bells and Whistles or a new Home Stereo with iPOD and Satellite Radio Integration. Problem is, as we collect more gadgets and help our national economy (A Reason I try to pass by Gloria before asking for something new) we have to find a way to get rid of our older electronics.

While my friends at the Consumer Electronics Association are calling for more Green Products the older large footprint TV’s and Computer Monitors are still a problem to dispose of. Non Working devices can’t simply be tossed into the trash as parts inside those units can be hazardous. Recycling is good not only for the clutter in your garage but also for the Environment. I am not providing this link as a way to convince yourself or a family member of the need to upgrade your devices but plain and simply – take a look at how green eco friendly devices can not only save space but also the energy bill. Check the link here for a savings calculator http://www.digitaltips.org/green/

Electronics Drives are very important in the Community and one such event for us here in the Tucson Area is the Electronics Drive put on by the University of Arizona Bookstore. Starting tomorrow July 13th through Saturday July 16th 2011, the UABookstore will collect used Junk Electronics and dispose of them at a California Recycling Facility courtesy of Apple. The Hours of the event are from 10am to 4pm and items will be collected at the UABookstore Loading Dock. Think nobody takes them thier Junk Electronics? Last year they collected 47 Tons!

For More information on the Cyberjunk Collection check out the UA Bookstores Link http://www.uofabookstores.com/cyberjunk/

Man suspected of using spyware to take pictures of women in their homes | goodrich, harwell, victims – News – The Orange County Register.

Before you trust your Computer to Repair, Since this has Information and Access to Information, Ask Around and Check References – If it all checks out, you can have a long lasting business relationship with this repair shop, or person. I have heard horror stories from some of my customers who have had work from shops that wouldn’t return data, systems or in some cases did work not needed.

Please check references and Ask around before you get the work done!

Yesterday Afternoon we received one of the latest Webcams from Creative, the Socialize HD AF. There are a ton of great features with this Webcam which go beyond the clear picture and small footprint of the webcam. We know that the average user for this webcam will be getting it to connect with friends and relatives across the country or in some cases, calling the user from the garage home studio to the dinner table (Sorry Gloria!).

I connected the Socialize HD AF to my laptop first to see how it would work with a minimal of settings. The Minimum system requirements for the camera call for an Intel Pentium Dual Core or AMD Equivalent at 1.6ghz with 1GB of RAM and Windows 7, Vista or XP SP2 or Higher but will also work on the Mac OS X 10.5 AND Linux Kernel 2.6!

 The settings on the laptop were basic with 1Ghz AMD 3200, 2GB of RAM and we were able to install the camera without running the install CD. To benefit from integration with the Socialize HD AF, users will want to install the included software which allows for one touch recording or photo taking and installing to YouTube or Photo Bucket. I wasn’t a fan of the integration of the facebook uploads which were giving the Creative App a little too much freedom with my wall. The ability to take photos with the Live Central 3 Interface is non complicated to use and gives users the option to record video or snap a photo and even adjust the quality in which to do so. Even on the Laptop with the minimal requirements we were able to use the photo overlays to create some fun graphics as well as video avatars to enhance a fun creation. We only had a couple of them on the laptop that wouldn’t allow it. On our Production Behemoth in the office we were able to use all the features and the results of streaming video in 720p was impressive. 

I was also impressed with the Wide Angle glass lens which captured more and provided a nicer picture then the previous webcam on our desk. Photos are capable to capture at 10MP which means users could blow them up to 8×10 rather easily. This is not native however and is handled through software enhancements. A Responsive auto focus feature can be used for those that do not want to manually adjust focusing.  A 4x Digital zoom is also available with this camera which featured a lengthy USB 2.0 Cable.  While more powerful, the camera features a smaller footprint then previous webcams and folds up nicely for transport with your mobile computer. A microphone on the camera picks up audio quite well and allows the user to speak at regular levels and still be heard. for those parents concerned with the kids accessing a web-cam, Parental Control with password protection is also available with this unit.

For those looking for 1080p HD Video, Creative has another camera on the market for this type of capturing, the InPerson 1080. The Suggested retail pricing for the Socialize HD AF  is 69.99 on the Creative Website.  For More Information take a look at http://www.mylivecam.com