technology
The best HDMI cables are the cheap ones
As we approach the holiday season, you're probably thinking about all the guests you'll have to entertain. I can't think of a better way to entertain the boys than with a new high quality TV. Just because you bought one of those new fangled really cool 3D TVs doesn't mean you have to fork over $100 for a "name brand" HDMI cable (regardless of what the teenage sales rep tells you). There are dozens of reputable blogs and audio video specialists that preach the same sermon.
Bring back the start menu in Windows 8 for free
Other related articles your may like to read: Bringing The Start Menu Back To The Windows 8 Desktop RetroUI - Bring Back The Start Menu In Windows 8 I recently discovered a new way to get the start menu back for free and improve the performance of your PC for free. When I was on Windows 7, I was using a free PC maintenance software called Soluto. I used Soluto to: Keep Windows up to date cut down boot time find out what programs are crashing find out what programs are using the most horsepower Easily install some of the most useful free software around After upgrading to Windows 8, I found out Soluto was compatible so I installed it then logged into their management web interface and saw a new option
Run any Android app on your Windows or Mac computer
Imagine being able to run [almost all] of your favorite Android apps on a standard Windows PC or tablet. Bluestacks does just that. Using a proprietary emulation engine, they allow you to run almost any Android app on your Windows PC. If there are some non PC android apps you absolutely love and can’t live without, you can now use them on your PC (or Mac or tablet). Windows 8 RT doesn’t have enough apps The biggest complaint I have heard about Windows 8 RT (aka Surface RT) is the lack of apps.
Corning unveils thin & flexible glass called Willow Glass
Glass is rarely an exiting topic but most tech analysts were extremely rilled up when we saw Corning's announcement of Willow Glass. It is a 100 micron thin flexible glass for LCD and OLED screens. This will allow manufacturers to come up with new and interesting mobile product designs... It seems that with all the flexibility and thinness, Willow Glass maintains the though Corning Glass qualities. Corning has said this will first be used in mobile phones. Here is hoping the Samsung Galaxy S IV uses this new product in wonderful ways.
Outage Analyser shows cloud service outages
Outage Analyser is a free website that compiles data from 150,000 Compuware Application Performance Management agents deployed at customer sites. This is an interesting administrator tool because it attempts to show the root cause of an internet service outage, regions that may be affected, dependent services and detected down websites. Each service provider has its own service status page (Amazon AWS, Google Apps health dashboard, Microsoft Azure Status Dashboard, Salesforce.com system status, etc). Outage Analyser is a neutral third party which attempts to aggregate most of that data (and more) and show it in an unbiased map.
Google apps & gmail will no longer be free for small business'
The Google blog has stated that the free Google Apps for business option is going away. Until now, a small business with fewer than 10 users could opt for the free version instead of the $50 per user per year business option. Google says this will be better for individual "who often have to wait to get new features while we make them business-ready" and better for business' "which includes 24/7 phone support for any issue, a 25GB inbox, and a 99.
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.
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.
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).
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.