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What with MP3 players, iPods, CD players, cell phones and all kinds of other gadgets, it seems like just about everybody is wearing earphones these days!
It may seem like a weird analogy, but the same adage about treating your feet to the best goes the same (at least for me) with earphones (or headphones as they used to be called).
With that in mind, it's hard to beat Shure's i3c Integrated Sound Isolating Earphones + Mobile Headset (some name!).
Not too surprising to find out that no other group of consumers will have as profound an impact on the media business over the next 10 years as the "Millennial Generation," today's 9- to 28-year-olds. (This from Frank Magid, president and CEO of Frank M. Magid Associates, at the annual Promax conference in New York City.)
Today, this group numbers 79 million, one million more than the Baby Boomers in this country, and have grown up using multiple media platforms at the same time.
Dell has announced plans to provide free recycling of any Dell-branded product for consumers around the world as part of its new global recycling policy. (Does Dell have a windmill farm, too? But I love this graphic.)
"We have a responsibility to our customers to recycle the products we make and sell," said Michael Dell, chairman of Dell. "Our direct relationships with consumers allow us to offer this easy and free service and we encourage others in our industry to do so as well."
Currently, Dell offers consumers no-charge recycling of any brand of used computer or printer with the purchase of a new Dell computer or printer.
Even if you don't do too much traveling, this a must-have digital camera accessory!
(Works with other gadgets, too.)
Digital Foci's Memory Card Travel Case organizes and protect your valuable flash memory cards with smart stackable slots that let you hold as many as eight memory cards of all different types: CompactFlash I/II, MD, SM, MMC, SD, miniSD, MS, MS Prod, MS Duo and xD card.
Now here'a a really good idea for summer fun in the sun (and water) -- Allsop's Splash Pack DriPod!
(And the way it's been raining in the Northeast, this might work well ...)
I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.
Whether we’re talking cassette walkmans, CD players or iPods, portable music allows us to create a soundtrack for nearly every moment of our lives.
The Arcadia Project is calling itself the very first fully community-funded and community-assisted PC game ever attempted to be built from the ground up!
A company called Stormcloud Creations will build Arcadia: Guild of Heroes (aka The Arcadia Project), which will enable pre-order users to play actual builds of the game and suggest ideas as its being created.
The project is in the beginning stages now, with several builds already having been released.
The game itself is a management game with a role-playing game sensibility.
Don't know why I'm so excited about this movie, but Click finally opens today in a movie theater near you.
(Also don't believe I'm actually going to see it this afternoon as part of a birthday party celebration.)
Here's the plot summary (courtesy of Moviefone -- can't believe it's actually now AOL Moviefone ...):
Click focuses on a workaholic architect, Michael Newman, (Adam Sandler) who discovers a universal remote control which allows him to fast-forward and rewind through different parts of his life.
However, when the remote begins overriding his choices, life goes from calm to chaos overnight.
We all spend too much time at the computer, whether at work or at home. (What did we ever do in our free time before that gadget was invented?)
With the idea of making that desktop experience as humanly comfortable as possible, Fellowes offers a full line of "workspace ergonomics" products that make it easy on the body. These include wrist supports, copyholders and both foot and back rests.
It's a very simple premise -- why not create a light-weight battery that allows you to charge any number of mobile devices, rather than having a dedicated battery for each device?
Simple, but apparently not that easy to do -- until now.
APC's new Mobile Power Pack (UPB10)allows you to simultaneously charge and power your mobile phone and handheld computer using USB charging cables (sold separately, but you probably have them already).
I like a good stereo system in my office, but have never wanted to get bogged down with "regular size" component systems (those are for chillin' out at home).
Looking at micro component systems that don't break the bank, JVC has always been a very good choice. And actually, very good value for the money.
Interesting piece in today's Chicago Sun-Times about a plan to give traveler's free access to power up their laptops and other mobile devices at O'Hare and Midway airports. (No more looking for an open duplex -- maintenance -- outlet in any of the seating areas?)
Last month, 40,000 air travelers paid $6.95 daily for the right to access the Internet at O'Hare and Midway airports. But what good is wireless Internet access if passengers have no place to recharge their dying BlackBerries, PDAs and laptop computers?
Gadgets are hold to let go of -- even when they're just gathering dust.
Now it's possible to trade in your old electronics gear and gadgets in exchange for a Circuit City gift card.
EZTradeIn.com provides Circuit City customers with a way to trade in used (working) technology products in four easy steps:
Trade-in categories include:
In another sign of the ever-growing importance and influence of video games, EchoStar and its DISH Network satellite television service have announced that it will offer a new interactive application called DishGAMES as part of its “DishHOME” interactive channel 100.
DishGAMES will feature 16 games from PixelPlay’s branded games including ASTEROIDS MEGA and CENTIPEDE MEGA. It will also include prizing, score submission, leader board and tournament capabilities.
To subscribe to DishGAMES, customers can select an on-screen “subscribe” button using their remote control which will connect them directly to the interactive TV customer service application.
There is MP3 life beyond the world of iPod (yes, there is!) as HandHeld Entertainment has added a number of punk rock concert videos, hip hop, gospel and metal concert videos to its download store at ZVUE.com through a deal with Music Video Distributors.
The titles include video from legendary punk rockers as Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, Iggy and the Stooges (Iggy Pop) and New York Dolls, in addition to comedy films from former Saturday Night Live comedian Jim Breuer (left) and cult indie films like Southlander.
This agreement follows HandHeld’s announcements of a music partnership with eMusic, the addition of Latin music videos from Sunflower Entertainment, the acquisition of 1,500 full-length films and television shows from Worldvision Cinema, comedic movies from Fun Little Movies, extreme sports videos from TotalVid, independent films from StoryPIPE.com and classic TV programs and cartoons from LikeTelevision.
Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is a family man whose busy career as an architect does not leave much time for his wife Donna (Kate Beckinsale) and his two kids. (You already know something is wrong, terribly wrong, here.)
Unable one day to determine which of his many remotes turns on the television, he decides he needs a universal remote that does it all. On his search for the perfect device, he meets Morty (Christopher Walken -– always a scary guy) who gives him a one-of-a-kind remote that has magical powers.
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Have you heard about Sony selling electronic products in automated kiosks?
Yes indeed! Reminds me of the amusement park game (or diner lobby game) where you put your buck into the machine and you get to operate a giant claw that tries to pick up a stuffed animal or some other goodie.
(Please, if you have ever won that this game, let me know. I am sure to be impressed.)
Actually, what Sony is doing is installing branded kiosks in three shopping malls this week that will allowing purchasers to see the selection of electronic items behind glass walls, touch the screen to read about product information or watch movie trailers and then make a purchase delivered by a robotic arm.
For 40 years, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been the launch pad of technology and 2007 promises to be nothing short of spectacular. Registration for the 2007 show in Las Vegas (Jan. 8-11) opens today!
Don't miss a chance to experience the excitement of the newest technology in the CE industry!
Students are using a new ring tone to receive messages in class — and many teachers can't even hear the ring.
Some students are downloading a ring tone off the Internet that is too high-pitched to be heard by most adults. With it, high schoolers can receive text message alerts on their cell phones without the teacher knowing.
As people age, many develop what's known as aging ear — a loss of the ability to hear higher-frequency sounds.
Anybody out there Squidoo? Now that is the question.
Squidoo is a new online platform and community that makes it easy for anyone to build a single page -- called a lens -- on a topic, idea, product or cause he or she is passionate about. These lenses in turn help finders get unique, human perspectives instead of computer-selected and often irrelevant search results.
I thought notebook computers were supposed to be small (hence "notebook" in the first place).
Well, according to eWeek Magazine, Dell, Acer and Samsung are testing the waters for super-sized laptop computers that look more like briefcases than notebooks.
Driven as much by technology as demand, these new notebooks with 19- and 20-inch LCD monitors are looking for an audience -- high-end gamers, not mobile executives?
Who would ever think that the Wall Street Journal is must reading for real gadget guys and gals? (let's not use "gadget gurus" please)?
Well, today's edition has a very interesting article about how Creative Technology (best known for its Zen line of MP3 players) is suing Apple over violating its patent on the navigation technology and the method of organizing and accessing music.
Can't believe it's taken me a day to recover from the excitement and mob scene that was the DigitalLife preview!
I expected a lot -- and I wasn't disappointed as companies from A (Ageia) to Z (Zone Labs) exhibited their latest goodies prior to the actual DigitalLife show this fall in New York.
With that in mind, let's take a look at what Ageia and Zone Labs were showing.
Now get ready for this!
The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, the oldest movie company in America (established in 1895), has signed a distribution deal with Strom Magellan to release “Mutoscopes” worldwide.
Celebrating all things digital, more than 40 companies will showcase the latest HD-DVDs, high-performance gaming devices, digital cameras, movie download services, ultimate mobile workstations, iPod accessories, universal remote controls and digital music keyboards at DigitalLife in New York at the Javits Center from October 12-15. (Love this show.)
Next week, we will be able to take a sneak peak at some of the products that will be shown in the fall. Participating companies include Alienware, Altec Lansing, HP, Humax USA, ITVN, Kodak, Logitech, Pepper Computer, Seagate, Toshiba, United Online, Vongo, WowWee, Zone Labs and many more.
Love or hate Microsoft, there's no doubt about that it's always interesting to hear what Bill Gates has to say about the future or technology and science. You may not agree with him, but he does have way of shaping what all of us are doing -- and how we do it.
Happened to have the opportunity to get a firsthand preview of Microsoft Office 2007 -- and while I didn't get to see everything under the hood, there were a number of very useful redesigns, tweaks and improvements to Microsoft Word and Excel (didn't get to see much about Outlook and PowerPoint).
Much ado on the Microsoft site about the new Office user interface -- "The Ribbon" (below).
And it does work better for me once you begin the get the hang of it.
Great article in USA Today earlier this week about how a potent combination of computer companies, tech entrepreneurs and philanthropic folk are working together to bring the digital age to the Third World (and the rest of the world).
Here's an excerpt from Kevin Maney's article:
It's a mini-movement. There's former Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab chief Nicholas Negroponte with his $100 laptops [that's one in the photo], funded in part by Google. There's chipmaker AMD with its 50x15 program — funding projects that can get 50% of the world's population on the Internet by 2015.
