Andy TaylorLeave a commentBluetooth Technology, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Entertainment, Hardware, Health and Fitness, TechtalkRadio, Zensorium, , , , , , , , , ,

Jim Barry from the Consumer Electronics Association

Jim Barry, the Digital Answer Man from the Consumer Electronics Association visited with Andy Taylor and Mark Stine on KMSB Fox 11 Daybreak to share some of the latest gadgets and talk about the trends during the show.

We also get a chance to first hand see what some of the awesome new technology we may see this year or coming in the next few years!

We talked about the growth in Technology on our vehicles and some of the announcements focused on this technology inside vehicles!

From the Mobile In Car, we talked about Mobile Wearable Technology. Some of the Products we took a look at in this first segment were:

The Scosche Rhythm  – This wearable technology allows you to wear this pulse monitor to check and manage your pulse rate, calories burned during a workout, the distance of your workout and of course others such as speed, rate or repetition and your pace.  Many people listen to music while working out and The Rhythm allows you to not only monitor your workout pattern but at the same time control your music within the Rhythm interface.  More Info at http://www.scosche.com/rhythm

The FitBit Flex – This Wearable technology not only helps to monitor your activity but can be used to monitor your sleep! The FitBit can monitor how often you wake up, how long you slept and can even gently wake you up with a slight vibration in the wrist unit! The FitBit Flex doesn’t just report, it gives you goals to hit. Pre set your activity levels and as you approach these goals, LED lights will illuminate to show you are working towards your goal! More Info at http://www.fitbit.com/flex

The Tinke from Zensorium – In the Wearable Health category we also took a look at the Zensorium Tinke which plugs directly into your iOS or Android Device and then monitors your Heart and Respiratory Rate as well as a few others checks for keeping you aware of your wellness and fitness.  You can find more info at http://www.zensorium.com/tinke/

During the segment we also talked about Wireless Technology with Wireless Speakers, one that looked like a large coffee mug from iCreation called the Speecup. It’s design makes it not only handy to fit into a coffee cup holder in a car or as Mark Stine put it, In a golf cart – great for the ride on the greens  but also resonates some great sound in this small form. The Speecup also can be used with gesture technology which means not having to fumble to push a button, a gesture of the hand across the top can perform functions such as answering a call with this Bluetooth connected device. For more info check out http://www.icreation.com

Jim is always a blast to have on the show! Part Two will be posted in a few days!

Andy TaylorLeave a commentComputers, Hardware, TechtalkRadio, TTR Website, , , , , , ,

The MOS Organizer – Magnetic Organization System

The MOS Organizer
The Magnetic Organization System

Cables, Cables, Cables!! It seems that we can never get rid of our cables. They probably wouldn’t be that much of an issue if they didn’t always seem to fall behind the desk or turn into a mountain of spaghetti. Cable organizing devices have come along that usually place the cables out of site and still require some fumbling to find them when needed. That’s where Andrew Adams and Greg Peterson put their concept to work on Kickstarter.

The MOS or Magnetic Organization System helps eliminate cable and cord clutter with its base made up of a stylish anodized aluminum that can be wall mounted or set on the top of a desk to easily access the cord needed. Two other options in the MOS look is  a white plastic or black plastic base. A fine example of the use of the MOS is the plug in of a cell phone device to transfer files to the computer. No having to fumble through a desk or finding the right cable, this MOS device easily helps eliminate the frustrations of cable mess!

Priced at around 25 bucks the MOS also ships with 3 color coordinated ties which can be used on the cables without a great deal of metal in the base. The MOS is one of those devices that will sit on the desk, you may not think about it much once it’s in use however you will likely appreciate what it “brings to the table!” My only concern is to remind this is a magnetic device. While it can sit on your desk, preferably not under your monitor, you will want to keep your cell phones and other electronics clear of this. It certainly looks good on the desktop and more projects are funding through Kickstarter to bring these items from Andrew and Greg to manufacturing.

For more information on the Magnetic Organization System, take a look at http://www.mosorganizer.com

The Kickstarter Project can be found at this link

S!ickLeave a commentComputers, software, , , , , ,

Windows Upgrade Offer Registration Now Available

“…registration is officially open for the Windows Upgrade Offer…If you purchase or have purchased an eligible Windows 7 PC anytime between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 you will be able to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99 (U.S.)…

“Registration for the Windows Upgrade Offer is only for those who buy an eligible Windows 7 PC between June 2nd and January 31st, 2013.

“Did you already buy an awesome Windows 7 PC prior to June 2nd (or have a Windows 7 PC not eligible for the offer)?…Starting on October 26th, you will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99!”

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/08/20/windows-upgrade-offer-registration-now-available.aspx

https://windowsupgradeoffer.com/

 

Andy TaylorLeave a commentComputers, software, TechtalkRadio, ,

Windows 8 Consumer Preview Today (Feb 29th, 2012)

The idea to put out Microsoft Windows 8 before the end of the year really shouldn’t be thought as a way to make a few bucks before the predicted Apocalypse but a way to keep the profits rolling in for the software developer.

Honestly, I thought I might just be using Windows 7 till the end of of time. I had finally moved off Windows XP with a brief stop in VistaVille to a great experience with Windows 7 X64. The sturdy Operating System has served well and honestly will continue to do so for I am sure years to come. Will Consumers feel the same? Will they take the plunge and try out something else that looks again like a new interface to learn? This is certainly the question Microsoft would like to see answered with today’s Consumer Preview “beta” rollout and launch in Barcelona Spain. Spain? Why not Seattle?

Word of Caution, while TechtalkRadio has not looked at the technical preview which was made available for developers last September, I would always recommend not installing the Consumer Preview on a production machine, meaning a system you use day to day and is imperative to your operations. The goal of the Consumer Preview is not to give you free software or let you taste the sweetness like a candy at See’s sampled by the lady in the white dress, its purpose is to see how the software interacts with various hardware and software conditions.

If you want to try it out, you should be able to download an ISO of the Windows 8 Preview but also remember , over time this will time out and you will be required to purchase or go back to that copy of Windows Vista or Windows 7!! For more information on this Consumer Preview, Check out http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/home