DISH Hopper is somethinng to jump for

The new Hopper system from DISH Network may not be perfect, but it comes closer to the ideal of a home video network than anything else I've seen. DISH CEO Joe Clayton introduced the new service at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and DISH made the first packages available early this spring.

The Hopper is a set-top box that serves as the hub for the whole house. It has a beefy 2-terrabyte hard drive and three satellite tuners. You install the Hopper in one location, then add smalls receiver called Joeys to TVs in other rooms. The system uses your existing cable connections to communicate with the remote boxes, so there's no new wiring involved.

The Hopper contains a central DVR, so you can tag a show to be recorded from any room and watch in in any room. And it's robust enough to capture and store several programs, even if they were all being broadcast at the same time.

Like other cable and satellite services, DISH offers a range of programming packages. The Full Monty has eight HBO channels, seven Starz channels and six versions of Encore plus niche channels like Russia Today, RFD-TV, and Planet Green and more shopping and pay-per-view channels than anyone could ask for. The only thing missing, says my daughter, is a fitness channel.

A key feature for Hopper users is something DISH calls PrimeTime Anytime. Once you turn it on, the Hopper will record all shows broadcast every night between 7-11 p.m. on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. The shows stay on the Hopper's hard drive for up to eight days.

For remote access, the Hopper can be outfitted with an optional Sling adapter to deliver live or recorded programs to a computer, tablet or mobile phone. I've used it to watch sports at the office and movies at a coffee shop.

The Hopper also has apps. There's a Weather Channel app that delivers a local forecast based on ZIP codes. You can also log into your Facebook and Pandora accounts. Instead of Neflix, DISH offers on-demand movies and TV shows through Blockbuster @Home.

One more feature deserves to be mentioned. When your remote control goes missing, as it inevitably will, there's a button in the front of the Hopper and the Joey that will make the remote start beeping and flashing. That's something someone should have come up with long ago.

Prices start at $99 for current DISH customers who want to upgrade to the Hopper. New customers get the Hopper and up to three Joeys for free when they order a mid-tier or higher programming package.

By: Ric Manning On 4/29/2012

Continue Reading

Karotz: A digital rabbit stands guard

When we're out of town, we use a white rabbit keeping an eye on the place.

With a couple of clicks on my smart phone, the rabbit will send me a photo from the kitchen or the back yard. Sometimes it's a shot of the cats staring through a window at the bird feeders outside. The rabbit can also speak a short message that I type into the phone, though that trick is a lot more fun when there are people at home to hear it.

The magic rabbit, called Karotz, is more than just another electronic gadgets. It's creators call it "the world's first intelligent Internet companion."

Karotz is one tech-savvy bunny. Besides talking and taking pictures, Karotz will read news headlines, sports scores and weather reports, play music from Internet radio stations and give you verbal updates from your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

Karotz also listens. His voice recognition software responds to simple voice commands like "What's the weather forecast?" Karotz iasn't as smooth as Apple's Siri, but he comes close.

Like smart phones, Karotz can be customized with apps. The Karotz.com website has more than 100 free apps that deliver news from sources like Reuters and NPR, play games or tune in web radio broadcasts. Want to hear the Canadian national anthem? There's an app for that.

Karotz has a USB port on his backside for music files and it responds to little plastic keychain fobs called Flatnanoz that can be programmed to activate specific apps.

Not everything about Karotz is cute and cuddly. The setup process can be a little daunting, especially for non-techies, and the documentation could be better. But there's no arguing that Karoutz is something different.

By: Ric Manning On 4/22/2012

Continue Reading

Samsung claims the middle tablet

The Galaxy Tab 7.7 is one Goldilocks would love.

It’s the Android tablet that slips neatly in between a full-sized tablet with a 10-inch screen and a larger smart phone with a 4-inch display. One is too big for a coat pocket, the other too small for movies or serious work.

For some people, the Tab’s 7.7-inch screen size will be just right. It has a gorgeous high-resolution screen that doesn’t quite match the Retina display on the new iPad, but looks pretty close.

Samsung does match Apple for a clean design and a super-thin body. And the tablet comes with a full complement of features, including front and rear cameras, a memory card expansion slot, Bluetooth, WiFi and Verizon’s 4G LTE network.

Available at Verizon stores and online, the tablet costs about $500 with a two-year contract.

By: Ric Manning On 4/18/2012

Continue Reading

Warpia offers improved video conferencing

We’ve used Skype to get a tour of our son’s apartment in California and to greet a new baby in London, England.

But once we got comfortable with video gabfests, we soon wanted an easier and better connection. Our family members have to bunch up to get into the picture captured by the camera on my laptop computer. Sound and picture quality is a constant hassle. And, it would be nice to display video on our big TV without having to fuss with video cables.

When I tried Warpia’s ConnectHD, I got a video conferencing experience that was much improved on all counts.

For one thing, it’s wireless. ConnectHD will transmit a video call, slide show, PowerPoint presentation or any other content from your computer directly to a digital TV up to 30 feet away. The picture and sound travel from a tiny USB dongle that plugs into your computer to a combination receiver and camera that can park above your TV screen.

An HDMI cable connects the receiver to the TV and it stays put. You don’t have to string cables every time you want to have a video call on the TV. And the wireless connection supports the high-definition 1080p format, so the picture is always clean and clear.

The lens in the ConnectHD camera has a wide-angle view. That means everyone on your end of the conversation can get in the picture without bumping heads.

I set up the ConnectHD system in our kitchen using our 26-inch LCD TV and a Windows netbook computer. I installed Warpia’s software and had everything working in about 15 minutes.

The camera’s view took in the kitchen’s center island and most of the rest of the room and it’s built-in microphone picked up everyone’s voices. Nobody had to crowd around the TV or shout to be heard. Incoming audio also sounded much better coming from the TV than when we did Skype calls on the computer with its tiny (and tinny) speakers.

The ConnectHD system, including the USB transmitter and combination camera and receiver, costs about $200. It’s available at the Warpia’s website and through Amazon or other online sources.

By: Ric Manning On 4/15/2012

Continue Reading

Close, but not quite a shave

If you're a guy who goes days without shaving, you run the risk of being mistaken for a homeless guy, or a Hollywood actor.

But that "designer stubble" doesn't come easy. A man who wants to look like Jake Gyllenhaal needs some high-tech grooming tools

Remington's new Touch Control Beard and Stubble Trimmer has way more precision than ordinary hair clippers. The cordless trimmer offers 175 different beard lengths, from 0.4 to 18mm, and a digital display that lets you find and lock in your preference. It also has a motorized comb and self-sharpening, oil-free blades.

The trimmer's battery lasts for about 40 minutes of mowing and can be recharged using an USB cable, so you can look trendy without leaving your computer.

The trimmer costs about $50 at Walmart or from remingtonproducts.com.

By: Ric Manning On 4/13/2012

Continue Reading

A dash of iPad safety

Yes, Apple's iPad cover is bit of magic with it's magnetic wake-up switch. But it doesn't protect the slim and slippery tablet from slipping through your fingers. Mine looks much more secure tucked inside its Dash folio case from X-Doria.

The felt surface delivers a firmer grip with a stylish look that sets it apart from ordinary leather folios. The cover also folds back into a typing or viewing stand. And, just like Apple's cover, it has a magnet inside that puts the iPad to sleep or wakes it up.

$50 at x-doria.com.Screen guard

By: Ric Manning On 4/03/2012

Continue Reading