News & Features

Can You Hear Me Now? Dragon ID Lets You Log In by Voice

News & Features

Can You Hear Me Now? Dragon ID Lets You Log In by Voice

For years Nuance, makers of Dragon Dictation, Dragon NaturallySpeaking and, although unconfirmed, the force behind Siri, has been collecting data on how we speak, what is different from one voice to the next etc. Data collection is a big deal but, unlike Google collecting data so they can better target ads and generate revenue off you, Nuance has been collecting data in order to advance their voice-recognition technology. (Of course they want to advance their voice recognition technology in order to generate income but that middle step is an important one.) In recent weeks we have seen Nuance begin to…

Twelve South SurfacePad for Air Brings Luxury to the MacBook Air

News & Features

Twelve South SurfacePad for Air Brings Luxury to the MacBook Air

We’re huge fans of TwelveSouth and love watching their relatively small portfolio slowly grow as new products are added. That only seems to happen a few times each year so. Well, this is one of those times and, while the new product is not something you NEED, and is not something that is completely NEW, it is something that those of us who use a 13″ MacBook air will want to consider. The Twelve South SurfacePad is a razor thin layer of premium Napa leather that cushions and protects the wrist rest area of your MacBook Air, while giving your…

Toshiba Unveils New Ultrabooks!

News & Features

Toshiba Unveils New Ultrabooks!

The world of laptops has had a very disruptive series of events over the last few years. There’s the whole netbook craze, which evolved into a tablet movement, and meanwhile, on the high-end, the MacBook Air line remains the gold standard for a lightweight, but powerful computer. Hence why Intel and Toshiba rolled out a trifecta of Ultrabooks today; lightweight computers for everyone’s needs! First up, the U845W for $999.99: Satellite U845W: The World’s First Ultrabook with an Ultra-Wide 21:9 Cinematic Display The entertainment-optimized Satellite U845W offers premium features and design in an ultra-slim form factor. Designed with movie enthusiasts…

iPad-mini? iPod touch HD? iPhablet? A Gear Chat

News & Features

iPad-mini? iPod touch HD? iPhablet? A Gear Chat

The new… iPod Phablet I blame Francis. After all, he got the ball rolling when he asked the team:   Apple 5″ device, how likely are we thinking? I still have my bets on a smaller iPad, but not sure about 5″.       Carly jumped in with: Unless they bump the iPod touch to 5in to differentiate it.       Chris then said: I could see them doing that to the iPod touch possible, but not the iPhone.       I (Dan) then commented: That’s the post I was roughing out- the case for the iPod…

Kobo Hits a Growth Spurt!

eBooks, News & Features

Kobo Hits a Growth Spurt!

If you doubt there’s a three-horse race for dominance in ebooks, look no further than Kobo’s big announcement this morning. They are crowing about “triple-digit growth” in downloads, sales, and eReaders. Now, they are still trailing B&N and Amazon, especially in the USA, but they are likely pulling lots of sales from Sony, Google Books, and other small players. It’s also worth noting that Kobo is a huge international ebook player. They are owned by Rakuten, a Japanese company, and they have a strong presence in Canada as well as in the UK, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Australia, and New…

Nokia and Warner Bros. Bring Fun Lumia-Movie Mashup

News & Features

Nokia and Warner Bros. Bring Fun Lumia-Movie Mashup

I love the cool product mashups that have been increasingly common these days. Just as chocolate and peanut butter go together to make a delicious peanut butter cup, so too can two other seemingly different products combine to do something neat. For example, Nokia and Warner Bros. have teamed up for an exclusive partnership that brings the awesome Nokia Lumia smartphones together with The Dark Knight Rises. That partnership kicks off today (in the US) with the launch of The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR) mobile app. It is exclusive to Nokia Lumia devices. The app lets fans access film trailers,…

On the Way! Elevation Docks Begin to Ship, Kickstart This!

Crowdfunding, News & Features

On the Way! Elevation Docks Begin to Ship, Kickstart This!

The Elevation Dock is one of the Kickstarter projects I have been most excited to see actually ship. I love my iPhone but hate the way most docks make it a challenge to put your iPhone in or remove it. After all, the 30-pin connector is the most vulnerable part of the iPhone other than the screen (and I would argue it is in first place). The Elevation Dock solves that problem with a metal dock that looks great and promises to be easy on the iPhone when yopu dock and undock. (Read the Kickstart This! post here.) Well the…

Tabula Project Seeks to Bring Affordable, Teacher-driven Tablet Computing to School

News & Features

Tabula Project Seeks to Bring Affordable, Teacher-driven Tablet Computing to School

Tablets are finding their way into more and more settings and among the most powerful is education. I know I have been setting the stage for us to use iPads in a variety of creative ways come the fall in everything from pre-school to bar-mitzvah to High School. One thing that gets overlooked in too many places these days is the fact that the iPad (or any other tablet but let’s stick with the one that makes up more than two out of three tablets sold) is simply a tool. It is not a replacement for good content and great…

DryCASE's New Backpack Keeps Your Gear Dry and You Happy

News & Features

DryCASE’s New Backpack Keeps Your Gear Dry and You Happy

As a frequent rider of mass transit, specifically buses, I have to be prepared for the elements.  This includes making sure my gear remains safe if I happen to incur a sudden downpour or get caught in a snowstorm.  While my current gearbag, a Swiss Gear Cobalt does an ok job but I still wonder with the thunderstorm season upon us here in Central Ohio.  That’s why the bag above from DryCASE peaked my interest. The bag is the DryCASE Waterproof Backpack.  This bag has many features a lot of bags don’t that will help the stuff inside stay bone dry as…

AViiQ Portable Charging Station with Cable Rack System Now Avaialable

News & Features, Travel

AViiQ Portable Charging Station with Cable Rack System Now Avaialable

We reviewed AViiQ’s portable travel station last August (read the review). It is a great way to charge and sync numerous devices from one wall outlet. It also is a convenient and “clean” way to carry a charge/sync hub in a compact accessory. It was not, however, without it’s faults. Primary among the issues I found was the fact that the cable management system, consisting of overlapping fabric slots, wasn’t the easiest way to keep everything neat and tidy. Now AViiQ is back with an updated version. It costs a bit more than the original (which appears to still be…

BCO Skins, The New Skin Kids on the Block

News & Features

BCO Skins, The New Skin Kids on the Block

There are numerous companies currently producing decorative and protective skins for electronic devices. In fact, it is a fairly crowded market and anyone seeking to enter it had better have a great product, superb customer service, and a steel backbone – because it won’t be an easy ride. BCO Skins, a new kid on the block, recently reached out to Judie and me. Here’s the thing, we’ve worked with a number of different companies including some of the “big guys” like Bodyguardz and Zagg and we’ve always been quite happy with their various offerings. (We’ve also bought skins from companies…

Slacker Lands on Roku AND Windows 8 Preview!

Music Diary, News & Features

Slacker Lands on Roku AND Windows 8 Preview!

Yesterday Slacker made me a rather happy Roku user– they launched Slacker Radio on the Roku set-top box, thereby bringing my favorite internet radio and on-demand service to the streaming media center my family uses on a daily basis. Here are details on the Roku integration: Slacker, Inc. today announced the launch of Slacker Radio on Roku, the leading streaming platform in the U.S. Slacker Radio listeners in the U.S. and Canada can now enjoy the personal radio service on Roku’s popular streaming players. The Slacker Radio lineup includes more than 200 expert-curated music stations, personalized ESPN Radio and ABC…

Murse-Off

News & Features, Reviews

Murse-Off

Had you told me not long ago that I would happily be carrying a murse I would have told you you were nuts. It’s not like I’m insecure in my masculinity but… there are limits. And the whole murse-thing crossed a line for me. That was then. This is now. The New iPad is so fast and the iOS apps that run on it have become so powerful, that it is now possible to carry the iPad instead of a notebook and not feel like you are compromising much- if at all. Yes, the iPad means there is now the…

Trygger iPhone Camera Case

Crowdfunding, News & Features

Trygger iPhone Camera Case

Trygger Camera Case: iPhone 4/4S Polarizing Filter Case Status: $6,919 pledged of $25,000 goal Closing Date for Funding: Tuesday Jul 3, 7:05am No offense to you, or your burgeoning photography skills, but cellphone cameras suck. Even with the iPhone 4’s auto-focus and auto-exposure features, it’s hard to create frame-worthy images. While capturing beautiful moments isn’t impossible, it’s certainly a challenge to even the most deft photographers. Indie casemaker Trygger is ready to change that. With the introduction of their KickStarter project, the company aims to enhance iPhone photography through a polarizing filter attached directly to their new case. Maybe it’s…

FDA Declares High Fructose Corn Syrup Is NOT Sugar

News & Features

FDA Declares High Fructose Corn Syrup Is NOT Sugar

If you’ve seen those corn industry commercials that claimed “your body can’t tell the difference between ‘corn sugar’ and ‘cane sugar’” and had to pause the tv from laughing at the idiocy of that statement, good news. The FDA agrees and has denied the corn industry the chance to rebrand high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as “corn sugar”, on the grounds that it is not, in fact, sugar. From the New York Times: “HFCS is an aqueous solution sweetener derived from corn after enzymatic hydrolysis of cornstarch, followed by enzymatic conversion of glucose (dextrose) to fructose,” the letter stated. “Thus,…

Father's Day Gifts: A Dashboard For Your Wrist

Gear Bits, News & Features

Father’s Day Gifts: A Dashboard For Your Wrist

Express your auto-enthusiasm with the Max Speed Speedometer Car Watch. If you’re one of the few people out there that stills wear a functioning watch, innovative retailer Gadgetsandgear.com has the piece for you. Why bother pulling out your smartphone when you can check the time at lightning fast speeds, right on your wrist? Obviously inspired by a modern dashboard, this fashion accessory could be the perfect gift for the Forza fan or Top Gear freak in your life. Hidden behind the speedometer design is a standard Quartz movement, protected by a water resistant case for all of your auto-scuba expeditions….

In a Sea of Canceled TV Shows, How Did YOUR Favorites Fare?

Gear Bits, News & Features

In a Sea of Canceled TV Shows, How Did YOUR Favorites Fare?

I had started to write about canceled shows last fall after the abysmal Charlie’s Angels was unceremoniously dumped along with Playboy Club and a couple of others. What stopped me? The cancellations never seemed to end! But then the season settled in and suddenly it was time for holiday breaks, then mid-seasons shifts and so on. But now we are nearing the end of Season Finale month, and the networks have spent the last few weeks compiling lists of shows that will or will not be returning – and they have been BRUTAL! I will list them all out in…

Move Over, Nuisance Needles, Here Comes the Hypospray Courtesy of MIT Scientists

News & Features

Move Over, Nuisance Needles, Here Comes the Hypospray Courtesy of MIT Scientists

(Jet-Injection Device image courtesy of the MIT BioInstrumentation Lab) When I was a kid and a bona fide Star Trek junkie, I always was impressed by the clever futuristic gadgets that were mainstays of the series. One of these, the hypospray, was particularly memorable to me. Got a shipmate howling and baying at the moon due to some bizarre disease or injury? Need to do the Vulcan Neck Pinch sans Vulcan and sedate a distraught character? Well bring along Dr. McCoy with his hypospray and you are but a PFFFFFFFFFFFT! away from relief. See Mr. Sulu below? He’s about to get…