2012
Monoprice 8320 Earphones - Amazing $7 headphones you have to try
I love headphones and have relied on these 2 models as my go to devices: UE Triple-FI 10 - for pure sound quality Etymotic HF3 - for everyday use with a mic You wouldn’t catch me dead with a sub-100$ pair of headphones because they usually sound as good as music playing through a can of soup. Imagine my surprise when I tried the Monoprice 8320 and found them decent (they cost less than $7). The only reason I tried these was because of the Monoprice name.
Does Internet Explorer (IE) suck less?
Chances are you are probably using Firefox or Chrome to read this blog entry. If you are, you are in good company as most of my readers follow the same pattern. Over the years, most of us have moved away from IE because it was slow, non-intuitive and just plain ugly. It seems Microsoft has been secretly listening to your complaints and is now using it to advertise Internet Explorer. They are hoping you will give it another try by claiming version 10 sucks less.
Instagram on iPhone makes you vulnerable to hacking
A recently discovered vulnerability on Instagram for iPhone makes your account vulenrable to hacking. This vulnerability was discovered by Carlos Reventlov and he explains how a hacker can seize control of a victim's account. The description he provides is: The Instagram app communicates with the Instagram API via HTTP and HTTPs connections. Highly sensitive activities, such as login and editing profile data, are sent through a secure channel. However, some other request are sent through plain HTTP without a signature, those request could be exploited by an attacker connected to the same LAN of the victim’s iPhone.
True Utility Keychain TelePen
The last essential keychain tool I want to talk about it the True Utility Telepen. It's a stainless steel telescopic pen that shrinks to 50mm when closed and extends to a comfortable 115mm. When fully open, it is easy to hold and write with and closed you'll hardly know its there. Like my 2 other keychain tool recommendations, this is an everyday carry (EDC) type of item that you will find useful. Think of how many times you struggled to find a pen?
Surface Pro will be too expensive
Like many tech enthusiasts, I am anxiously waiting for Microsoft’s Surface Pro to hit the market so I could get one. After all, it is supposed to offer the ultimate tablet experience while being able to run all my “normal” Windows apps. Microsoft finally announced pricing for the Surface Pro tablet and many stood there in shock. Depending on which version you pick up, it will cost you $899US to $999US (plus one of the keyboard covers). Let me be clear, the Surface Pro will cost too much.
Swiss+Tech Utili-Key 6-in-1 Keychain Multi-Tool
You can't use what you don't have and yesterday I wrote about my favorite keychain attachedUSB key. Today I want to share with you my favorite keychain multi-tool. The Swiss+Tech Utili-Key is a very portable, keychain attached multi-tool that: Flat Screwdriver Phillips Screwdriver Micro-Sized Screwdriver Straight Blade Knife Serrated Blade Knife Bottle Opener Demand a little more and you can graduate to its slightly more capable older brother the Utili-Key XT 8-In-1. Which has:
LaCie PetiteKey the ultimate USB key for professionals
We've all heart the old saying "the best camera is the one with you" referring to the benefits of having smartphones with cameras. The same can be said for USB keys. A USB key left in your desk drawer or home office is of no use. This is why I love the PetiteKey product from LaCie. It is the newest iteration of their immensely popular imakey launched in 2009. Compared to its older brother, the PetiteKey is 30% smaller. The PetiteKey is waterproof to 100 meters and LaCie even says the little guy will survive a spin in the washing machine.
Microsoft Safety Scanner - Free Windows malware cleanup tool
Everyone knows there is no perfect antivirus product do there are times when you may want a second opinion about your PC's health. This is the market Microsoft is trying to help with the release of its new Microsoft Safety Scanner. The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free download and performs and on-demand scan to detect & remove virus', spyware, malware and host of other nasty infections. The Microsoft Safety scanner is designed to work with your existing antivirus solution and does not replace it.
Review of heart rate measurement apps on IOS
There are plenty of reasons why you may want to regularly check your heart rate. After a recent run, I wanted to compare the performance of: Cardio Buddy 0.99$ Instant Heart Rate 0.99$ Wahoo ANT+ Heart Rate Monitor (Check belt and ANT+ key for iphone) $99.00 The measurements were taken within seconds of each other so I could be sure nothing else could impact the results. First up was Instant Heart Rate. To use this app, you gently plate your finger in front of the back camera & flash.
LongURL shows what's really hiding behind that short URL
A technique used by hackers is hiding a malicious URL using a URL shortening service like Goo.gl, TinyURL or the automatic shortening done by twitter using the t.co address. There are plug-ins for most browsers that show the actual URL however you may not want to install another browser plug-in (that may compromise your security or slow down the browser). LongURL performs this function without having to install anything. 1. GO to LONGURL 2. Enter your short URL
Splashtop IOS App Review update - Don't buy it!
UPDATE: In September, I wrote about Splashtop and loved how it worked. This article is an update to that review. During my original review, I was using Windows 7 and Splashtop worked like a champ. I loved it and recommended it. Then I upgraded to Windows 8 and started to experience strange issues. After I made sure the issue wasn’t from a misconfiguration, I opened a support ticket with Splashtop (which cost $9.99 when I acquired it mid this year).
Gangdam Style Christmas Light show
With the popularity of Gangdam style, this was bound to happen. Someone has created a Christmas light show to the popular song. It sure is entertaining. I wonder how long this setup took to design and build.
Windows8 TIP - Remove ads from built in apps
Some of Windows 8's best built in apps (aka bundles with the OS) and 3rd party apps are ad-supported. Many think its OK but for those that find this mildly annoying, keep reading. A writer nicknamed Olsn has written a very interesting article over at Indiegamr ezplaining how to get rid of those pesky annoying ads. It seems each app-supported app has a special hidden folder where all of its ad data resides. You simply make some modifications to those files and can get rid of the ads.
Canada's great north get's added to Google Street View
Google has taken one more step towards mapping this big blue marble we call Earth. In August, a team of Google Street View mappers flocked to the city of Cambridge Bay, in the northern most territory in Canada called Nunavut. Google says: To get a sense of what it’s like to live up in the north, you can walk down Omingmak Street, make your way to the bridge (where locals fish for Arctic Char) and head out to the Old Stone Church.
Is the D-Link SharePort Mobile Companion a travelers best friend?
Anytime I travel, the one thing I absolutely want is wireless in-room internet. Most hotels offer some kind of wireless service but often it is slow, overloaded or isn’t accessible everywhere in the room. The best solution to this problem is to bring along your own router and convert the in-room wired connection into your own personal wireless network. Being a one bag (carry-on only) traveler, everything I bring has to be useful and small. The D-Link SharePort Mobile Companion is the right answer (DIR-505).
RetroUI - Bring back the Start Menu in Windows 8
I wrote an update to my article entitled : "Windows8 TIP - Bringing The Start Menu Back to Windows 8." I talk about RetroUI and why it may be the best Windows 8 app to bring back the start menu. I recommend you take a quick look at the update section of that article (at the bottom).
The Bing Top Searches of 2012 Report
Bing has just released its list of most popular searches for 2012. It has broken down its list into categories. Under its Tech > Consummer Electronics category, the top 10 searches were: iPhone 5 iPad Samsung Galaxy S III Kindle iPad 3 iPod Touch Xbox PlayStation 3 iPhone 4S Windows 8 It's interesting to note that the top 5 searched NEWS stories were: iPhone 5 2012 Elections 2012 Olympics Hurricane Sandy Honey Boo Boo Reality Show It is interesting to note that the release of the iPhone 5 was the top searched news story on Bing.
Nexus 4 available but not for Canadians
Google has started selling the 8GB and 16GB versions on the Google Play US store (which will likely sell out quickly again). Unfortunately Canadians will have to show patience and wait. How long will Canadians have to wait for the Nexus 4? You're guess is as good as mine. Google hasn't provided an ETA.
WineSkin is the ideal way to bring back Wine from your trip
One of the joys of travelling is discovering new tastes and bringing some of it back with you. Bringing back some souvenir alcohol is a great but most travelers worry about the bottle breaking in transit and leaving an indelible mark on your valuables. The WineSkin may just be able to solve your problem. The WineSkin is a thick peal-and-seal bubble protection system for your alcohol. Using it is very simple. Insert your favorite 750ml (or smaller) bottle into the WineSkin Peel and press the seal (the inner seal) against the vinyl covering Form fit the rest of the WineSeal around your bottle Peel and press the seal (the outer seal) against the vinyl covering The WineSkin is a single use item but you can find a 3 pack for $9.
Steripen review - Guaranteed clean water for the business traveller
As a business travel, I have visited some exotic cities and learned how important clean drinking water is. Water purification is done differently in each country and not all systems match the cleanliness we have come to expect. Other times countries have old or ill-maintained water distribution systems which infect the entire water network. Regardless of the reason, I have come to distrust tap water is most non-western countries. Even bottled water may not be safe. I once caught a vendor in Thailand who was extracting the clean water from the bottles [by making a small incision in the bottom of the plastic bottles], replacing it with local tap water and then resealing the bottom with a dab of crazy glue.