2012
Joby Gorillamobile for iPhone 4 /4s review
The best camera is the one you have with you and in most cases, that is my iPhone. This convenience first motivated me to start taking more pictures with it and I was hooked. Before my iphoneography journey, I always wanted the best dSLR with the most megapixels. After all, wasn’t that what photography was about? Wrong! Real photography isn’t about capturing the most realistic highest quality image. Real photography is about capturing a fleeting moment. It is about immortalizing an emotion so it can be revisited over and over.
Camera+ update for iPad and iPhone 5
I have been using Camera+ on my iPhone for many years and absolutely love it. It is fast, has tones of useful features and is a huge improvement compared to the built in Camera.app. The latest update (v3.5) now brings iCloud Sync and iPhone 5 specific feautres: iPhone 5 & iOS 6 support - We’re calling this the biggest, fastest Camera+ ever. Take advantage of the taller screen of the iPhone 5 to see more photos in your lightbox and enjoy a larger editing preview area when you’re working with your photos.
How to deal with stress - tips and tricks
Stress is one of the most prevalent and damaging factors in our modern lives. Eventually we will all reach our “breaking point” and how we handle that situation determines the quality of our lives. Each person’s situation is unique but there are enough common traits for me to provide some guidance on how to manage stress better. Exercise I try to exercise (in the gym) at least 3 times a wekk. I find that exercise has a natural calming effect and research shows that a good workout releases a bunch of beneficial hormones.
BitCasa review update and new Chrome plugin
There are lots of cloud storage services to choose from and each one seems to have a specific specialty Carbonite – Offers unlimited backup for 5$ but only for your internal hard disks Dropbox – Offers online storage but primarily a good tool to sync files between devices GDrive – Online web storage with some basic sync functionality and many others Each has its strengths and weaknesses but the 2 major stumbling blocks for me are security and data limits.
Remotely access your PC from your iPhone and Android with Splashtop
There are lots of good reasons why you may want to remotely access your PC from your phone or tablet (iphone, Android, iPad, Nexus, etc). If you’re looking for a way to do this without a monthly service fee then your options are limited. You can always buy the LogMeIn Ignition app for $129.99 (not a typo) and this is an app I like a lot but it has one limitation, you can’t stream audio or video from the PC to the remote device.
Try something new to re-energize yourself
We are creatures of habit and sometimes nothing can be more energizing that trying something pleasurable and new. Find something you have wanted to do for a while and just commit to getting it done ASAP (start it as soon as possible). You will get a rush of the happiness hormone (dopamine). For some people, this becomes the catalyst that launches them in a new and better direction. It is a simple yet very powerful idea.
The power of NO!
Most people are in the business of pleasing others and find it difficult to set boundaries and say no. Remember that always saying yes means you are always putting others before you. It is important to ensure that you give yourself permission to be a little selfish and let people know you have limits. This is one of the most rewarding things you can learn and it will also greatly increase your productivity. Saying No everywhere The above tip is useful for all aspects of your life and shouldn’t be restricted to business only settings.
A fantastic $60 headphone amp
If you are wondering why you may need a headphone amplifier (amp) then take a look at my previous blog entry here. After buying a decent pair of headphones, a headphone amp is the next best investment if you want to get the best possible sound quality out of your media player (e.g. iphone, Android, ipad, Cowon media player or other). Chu Moy headphone amp The Chu Moy (CMoy) headphone amp is an extremely popular do-it-yourself headphone amplifier project that can be fun and easily customized to your equipments specifications.
Made by a Canadian - The Java programming language
One of the most popular computer programing languages in the Internet Age is called Java. Java was created by a company called SUN Microsystems (later acquired by Oracle). Most people don’t know that the original Java language was created by Dr. James A. Gosling. Dr. Gosling was a Canadian who received his bachelor in computer science from the University of Calgary in 1977. In 2007 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (Officer is the second highest civilian honour)
Proud to be Canadian
Over the last 15 years, I have conducted business in over 30 countries and even spent a couple of years living overseas in Asia. Anytime people found out I was Canadian, they were friendly and very curious about how life was as a Canadian. One of the most memorable was in Vietnam. The local customs agents spent 15 minutes asking “what life was in a “great” country like Canada”. They called it a land of opportunity where they thought anyone coming in has a chance to build a better life.
The iPad is cannibalizing PC sales
Traditional PC OEMs quickly dismissed the iPad as a PC add-on, but now Forture is reporting information from a Needham & Company that clearly shows that the iPad is eating the OEMs lunch. It seems more and more customers are choosing the iPad instead of a traditional PC. As an example Mac shipments to schools in Q3 2012 fell by 0.1% while overall PC sales dropped by 13.9% (keep in mind Apple sold 1 million iPads to schools during the same period).
Order Windows 8 upgrade for new PCs now
If you bought a new windows 7 equipped PC after June 2 2012, you are entitled to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 PRO for only $14.99 and you can do it now here. Unlike the older Win 7 upgrade offer which moved you from Vista to a basic home version of windows 7, the new offer moves you to the best Win 8 version available. Windows Media Center If you use Windows Media Center, you may be disappointed to learn that it will be a purchasable upgrade in Windows 8 Pro.
Apple's next press even is scheduled for September 12
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone but Apple has finally confirmed that it will hold a press conference on September 12 at 1300EDT. Although they don’t mention what will be announced, analysts assume it will be the next iPhone and iPod. Pundits and Apple watchers believe the 7 inch mini-iPad will now be announced and released in October. Now we wait and see.
Spotify coming to Canada
In the latest management report published by the Luxembourg based Spotify, Canadians were given some good news, Spotify will expand into Canada. The world's biggest streaming music service currently operated in 15 countries and their Canadian expansion is part of a larger move solidify its leadership position (other possible expansions include Asia and South America). Although revenues are increasing rapidly, Spotify is still losing money hand over fist. The biggest US competitor Pandora still has no announced plans to re-enter the Canadian market (because of the high per song royalty fees demanded in Canada).
CHROME EXTENSION - Tab Packager
There are dozens of free web URL shortening services (like bit.ly, goo.gl, etc) but what about sharing a bunch of open tabs? Why would you want to share tabs? Students may do it while working on projects, workgroups conducting research, etc. Instead of having to copy all the URLs one by one, you simply install the tab.bz Chrome extension, click on one button, choose which tabs to share and voila.
CHROME EXTENSION - Clearly by Evernote
I love Evernote and the way it captures ideas. At the end of 2011, they released a browser plug-in called Clearly. It is an extension with sole job is to make reading the web easier and more pleasant. What does it do Anytime I see a worthwhile article, I click on the Clearly extension in my browser, and it automagically transforms the page by getting rid of navigation, advertising, links and other superfluous content not related to the article. For multipage articles, it automagically merges everything into a single page nicely flowing layout.
Chrome extension - Awesome Screenshot
For various reasons, Google's Chrome browser has won my heart and mind. Sure it has some annoying shortcomings but overall it's an excellent browsing experience. Over the last couple of months, I have discovered some interesting extensions that increase my productivity when working with Chrome. This blog entry is about one such extension called Awesome Screenshot. Once installed, it allows you to quickly take a snapshot of an entire webpage or her chosen subsection.once the content has been captured, you can then add various annotations (such as circles, lines,arrows and text).
Microsoft Windows 8 Pro will cost $199 after the $39 promo ends
The Verge is reporting that Microsoft Windows 8 will cost $199 once the initial promo price of $39.99 for the online downloadable (or $69 for the retail) ends January 31 2013.
Quickly setup a Windows 7 WIFI Hotpot with the free Connectify app
Check-in to any major North American hotel, and chances are they will offer free or affordable WiFi access. But venture out to Europe or Asia, and you may find that your hotel only offers a traditional wired connection. With the popularity of smart phones and tablets, wired connectivity simply isn't an option so most experienced business travelers, usually carry a small WiFi router with them for these types of situations. That means there's one more item that you have to carry with you.
US consumers not interested in 4G LTE
Christopher M. Larsen, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, recently shared some interesting information with AppleInsider that show some interesting believes about 4G LTE. Out of the 3000 US consumers that were survey, 46.8% do not feel the need for 4G LTE. 25.7% of those surveyed, believe that all 4G technologies are to same. Which of course is a false belief! With all the rumors swirling about a new iPhone sometime in September, the analyst also revealed that 55% of those surveyed, showed some interest in purchasing the new device when it is released this fall.