Articles by Zek

Farewell to Blockbuster Video

Editorials

Farewell to Blockbuster Video

I haven’t set foot in a Blockbuster Video in at least six years. Yet when news broke this week that the final stores were closing, I felt a little bit sad. The experience of going to the video store was so much more than just clicking a button on a remote, and it made me realize how many great memories I have thanks to Blockbuster. When I think of Blockbuster, my first thought is the store I used to visit in Brighton, MA. I was working for Borders, and my schedule was always way off from my friends, so I…

Amazon Offers Indie Bookstores a Small Cut to Sell eBooks, But Will Anyone Bite?

eBooks, News & Features

Amazon Offers Indie Bookstores a Small Cut to Sell eBooks, But Will Anyone Bite?

  It’s no secret that “Amazon” is a dirty word among independent booksellers. They’ve fought against carrying Amazon-published books, railed against Kindles, and fought Amazon’s no-internet-sales-tax stance. But Amazon really wants to win over the indie booksellers, so they’ve rolled out Amazon Source, an affiliate Kindle program for indie booksellers. Because when someone hates you, they’ll totally sell your competing product…

Google Voice Cuts Off Third Party Apps

News & Features

Google Voice Cuts Off Third Party Apps

Are you still using Google Voice? Better hope it’s an official Google Voice app, because third-party access is being yanked later this year. Most users won’t be affected, unless, of course, you use Windows Phone … then you will definitely lose Google Voice early next year!

Innovation Is Creeping Back into the eBook Market!

eBooks

Innovation Is Creeping Back into the eBook Market!

It feels like after the initial excitement of eBook readers and eBooks taking off, the market had leveled off. There’s still book growth, but as tablets overtook dedicated readers, and Amazon settled happily into the number one spot, the improvements slowed precipitously. But now that Barnes and Noble is showing a new willingness to enter the market, it looks like the signs of innovation are back!

Doctor Who Is Very Bullish on Paperbacks!

Gear Bits

Doctor Who Is Very Bullish on Paperbacks!

  I am slowly working my way through Doctor Who; I just watched the fourth season episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp”, when the Doctor and his traveling companion Donna meet Agatha Christie. The episode is amusing all by itself, but what really had me cracking up was the end …

Technogel Contour Pillow Review - the End of the Triple Pillow Alliance!

Reviews

Technogel Contour Pillow Review – the End of the Triple Pillow Alliance!

For the longest time, I couldn’t sleep unless I had at least two, if not three, pillows crammed under my head. For the past few weeks I’ve been testing the Technogel Contour Pillow, and I haven’t used another pillow since. What could be so great about the $169 Contour to cause the early retirement of the “triple pillow alliance”?

Great Deal on Grass-Fed Meat at Amazon Local!

Gear Bits

Great Deal on Grass-Fed Meat at Amazon Local!

Concerned about the quality of the meat at your local grocery store? Do you want to have a better idea of where your beef and chicken was raised and processed? Unfortunately, it can be expensive to try direct mail order meat, especially grass-fed meats. Luckily, Amazon Local has an amazing $99 deal for a huge kit of grass-fed meat!

Twitter's Board and Gender Politics in Business

Editorials

Twitter’s Board and Gender Politics in Business

Twitter came under some fire this week for the lack of gender diversity on their board. Their CEO was defensive saying he wasn’t going to add women simply to increase diversity, implying there are no women qualified to sit on Twitter’s board. It isn’t just Twitter- this “no women are qualified” attitude spreads unfairly throughout Silicon Valley.

Surprise, Car Batteries Can Explode - Even Those from Tesla!

Editorials

Surprise, Car Batteries Can Explode – Even Those from Tesla!

News broke this week that a Tesla Model S caught fire after hitting a piece of debris on the highway. People buzzed about safety, and Elon Musk posted a letter explaining why the Model S is actually safer than most gas-powered vehicles. My reaction, however, wasn’t fear about Teslas – I was happy someone had a weirder “exploding car” story than me! Several years ago, I drove a 2000 Nissan Altima. It had been my grandmother’s, and since she barely drove it before I used it, it had the original battery. Fast forward several years and several thousand miles, and…

What is HTC's Future with Windows Phone?

Editorials

What is HTC’s Future with Windows Phone?

I like Windows Phone quite a bit, and am rooting for it to succeed as a viable third option in the mobile phone market. So I was quite excited to see that Microsoft and HTC still intend to work together, even with Microsoft’s purchase of Nokia. But the rumor of dual-boot Android/Windows Phone devices send a shiver down my spine. Yes, the latest rumor from Windows Phone Central is that HTC is investigating the feasibility of a dual-boot phone, which is intriguing, but I think will ultimately be very damaging to Windows Phone. There’s already a perception that developers are…

Why the LA Schools iPad Fiasco Was Self-Inflicted

News & Features

Why the LA Schools iPad Fiasco Was Self-Inflicted

iPads are cropping up everywhere, from homes to work and even in school settings. But can an iPad truly be secured to the satisfaction of a conscientious IT department? One expert says no, and a high-profile example may prove him correct. The city of Los Angeles has been planning to roll out iPads to their students, but it backfired slightly for them this past week. They initially rolled out the iPads with web restrictions, and within a few days many of the schools realized they underestimated the ability of children to circumvent technological roadblocks. All the students had to do…

"My Way", Remixed via Clips from "Breaking Bad"

Gear Bits

“My Way”, Remixed via Clips from “Breaking Bad”

I am not sure how I will contain my excitement/fear in the buildup to Sunday’s “Breaking Bad” finale, but I am insanely grateful to the Internet for generating content that eases the wait with humor. I cannot fathom the amount of work that went into this fan video that remixes clips from Breaking Bad into a spoken word version of “My Way”, but it is worth watching and rewatching! Fair warning: While the video does not show specific plot lines, many of the clips may be spoilers for events and scenes through the first half of Season 5.  

PetTrak Keeps a Virtual Eye on Your Pet

Gear Bits

PetTrak Keeps a Virtual Eye on Your Pet

Pet tracking devices have been something of a mixed bag in my house. We tested the Spotlite, which worked well even if it was a little bulky, and the Tagg, which single-handedly gave me as many gray hairs in one malfunctioning afternoon as three months of parenthood has managed. Still, the concept is a good one, and more companies are entering the growing pet tracking market. eTrak, which has a great deal of experience in GPS tracking, is debuting their PetTrak product today! It looks and functions similar to the other devices we have tested, a small device attaches to…

The Rise and Fall of My Lumia 928

Gear Bits

The Rise and Fall of My Lumia 928

I know … you opened this to hear how I’ve given up on Windows Phone, regretted jumping ship, and am moving to more mainstream phones. Sorry, but the rise and fall here is far more literal: my phone took a spectacular triple flip dive out of my pocket today, and the results were right about what you’d expect when phone meets concrete. It started out as a pretty typical walk with my dog. I had my Lumia 928 in the pocket of my workout pants, a pocket that was deep enough to hold the phone easily. My dog was feeling…

Barnes and Noble Is SHOCKED That iOS 7 Is Almost Ready

eBooks

Barnes and Noble Is SHOCKED That iOS 7 Is Almost Ready

The release of iOS 7 is hardly a surprise…unless, of course, you’re Barnes and Noble. They’ve apparently wasted so much time updating their NOOK app that it won’t be up to date for iOS 7’s release. So, if you’re an iOS fan who uses NOOK, you have to choose-your books or your phone? Sadly, this is not a joke. Barnes and Noble released an email today explaining you shouldn’t upgrade to iOS 7 if you use your NOOK app regularly. See, they’re not sure if you can read your books. Maybe it will work for you, or maybe you’ll get…

The Avalanche of 5S/5C Cases Cometh!

Gear Bits

The Avalanche of 5S/5C Cases Cometh!

Did you preorder a new 5S or 5C? As always, all your favorite case companies are right there to make sure your new baby is properly coddled and swaddled … whether you’re looking for style or protection, the major players are happy to offer up the right accessory. Speck is quick to remind everyone on their website that many of their iPhone 5 cases will fit the 5S nicely, plus they have new cases just for the 5S coming soon as well. Case-Mate says the same thing, though some of the styles appear to be an acquired taste, including unusually…

Businessweek Clarifies the Twitter IPO News So You'll Sound Smarter Discussing It

Gear Bits

Businessweek Clarifies the Twitter IPO News So You’ll Sound Smarter Discussing It

Confused about the Twitter IPO? Don’t know an S-1 from a 5s? Trying to figure out how Twitter makes money? You’re not alone! Businessweek has a clear rundown on the broad details surrounding why Twitter waited to go public, why they’re filing confidentially, and when you can expect to get all the details on how the company makes money. We don’t know a whole lot beyond Twitter’s now-infamous tweet, but this article cuts through some of the conjecture and will make you sound smarter at this week’s quiz night.