Friday, November 30, 2012

Stream your life live with Looxcie

So you found a great hiking trail or an interesting neighborhood walk. You could describe it to your friends - or take them with you.

The Looxcie (as in "look-see") is a small video camera that works with your Android or Apple smartphone to capture video of what you see. The video is captured on your phone where you can store it or upload it to the Internet.

A new feature lets you use the Looxcie to broadcast live streaming video to selected friends or the general public. Let's say you're getting a house tour from a real estate agent or watching your daughter's soccer game. A friend or family member can join you using the LooxcieLive app.

The camera doubles as a Bluetooth headset and comes with a collection of ear loops. You also get a clip to attach the camera to the bill of a baseball cap.

The Looxcie's video quality isn't a good as what you get with newer smartphones and it lacks advanced features such as image stabilization, so it may not be the best choice for capturing an off-road bike ride.

The Looxcie costs about $150 at verizonwireless.com and other online sources Looxcie apps that help you manage, share and stream video are free.


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

iPad + iCade = Asteroids!

An iPad and iCade cabinet from Ion Audio will take you back to the days when video games were played standing up with a roll of quarters in your pocket. Ion's iCade is a miniature version of the stand-up arcade games, complete with a sturdy joystick and trigger buttons.

Open the top of the iCade and slip in the iPad so the screen faces you like the TV screen on an arcade machine. The controls use use wireless Bluetooth technology to direct the action on the screen.

The case comes with a free download of a game from the Atari Greatest Hits app at the iTunes Store. The lineup includes Atari classics like Asteroids, Centipede, and Battlezone.

The iCade costs about $70 at amazon.com.


Monday, November 26, 2012

Portable labelmaker organizes your life


Need to bring a little order to your household chaos? Maybe your life could use some labels.

Dymo sells a slew of label printers for a variety of jobs, from printing paper address labels and postage at your desk to making plastic or waterproof labels for industrial uses.

Dymo's LabelManager PnP (for plug-and-play)is small, inexpensive and very portable. It's powered by an internal rechargeable battery, so it doesn't need an AC outlet. And Dymo's LabelManager program is stored on the printer. That means you can connect it to any Mac or PC, indoors or outside, and immediately go to work.

The device prints black text on half-inch-wide strips of glossy white tape that has a peel-and-stick backside. The tape sticks to plastic surfaces, like Tupperware containers, and printing doesn't smear when it gets damp, which should make the labels useful in the kitchen.


Dymo's software lets you print text in varying sizes, horizontal or vertical, in bold, italic or underlined format. It only prints one line, so don't don't plan to use the PnP to make postal address labels. You can also insert a logo or photo, but on a half-inch surface, don't expect a lot of detail.

Replacement tape cartridges, available in several colors, cost about $12. The printer costs about $50 at amazon.com and it's also available at most office supply stores.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Neato's robot cleans the floors, works when we tell it to, and keeps the cats entertained.  It may be the best home appliance invention since the microwave oven.

Like other robotic vacuums, the Neato XV-11 combines a brush and suction collection system with battery-powered propulsion and hands-off navigation in a disc-shaped gadget. The robot draws power from a base station that sits against a wall and transfers power over matching metal bands.

When the Neato goes to work, it starts by finding the perimeter of a room, then methodically moves back and forth until it covers the entire surface. The device uses a laser to identify walls, furniture, and other obstacles and it create a room map that's stored in its memory. When we tested one, it hugged walls and vertical barriers, threaded its way around floor lamps, chairs and table legs, backed up when it met an obstruction and determined a route around the roadblock. It moved easily from rugs to hardwood to tile and didn't get tangled in carpet fringe or power cords. 

The robot can be contained in a designated area by closing doors or laying down a strip of boundary tape that Neato provides. You can place the robot in a room and let it go to work, or program it to wake up start cleaning on a schedule.

The Neato XV-11 costs about $400 at neatorobotics.com or from retailers including Sears, Macy's and Lowe's.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Yurbuds make earbuds stay put

Earbuds might be just fine for a slow walk around the block, but wih serious exercise, the buds can  hurt your ears or fall out. That was the problem that drove Seth Burgett to invent Yurbuds, a pair of soft silicone tips sculpted to fit snugly in the ear -- and stay there.

The original Yurbuds are built to slip over most ordinary earbuds, like the ones that come with MP3 audio players and some smartphones. They sell for $29.99 at yurbuds.com. To make sure they fit correctly, customers are asked to upload a photo of their ear along with their order. The company uses the image to calculate which tips would best fit your ears.

 With the tips locked into place, the headphones deliver high quality sound while keeping out perspiration and letting in enough ambient noise to stay safe.

The Yurbuds Inspire series includes tips, earbuds, and cable controls. Prices range from $39.99 to $59.99 at the Yurbuds website, at specialty athletic stores, and at national chains such as Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods.

If the new Yurbuds don't fit as well as you think they should, owners can return them with a photo of their ear to get a different sized replacement.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

These apps deliver a lift for holiday shoppers

TGI Black Friday app
If you plan to do battle in the Bargain Wars on Black Friday or the following weeks, you might want to take along some digital ammunition. 

There are apps for savvy shoppers that can turn your smartphone into your secret weapon. Both Apple's App Store and Google Play for Android devices are stocked with free programs to help you plan your assault and insure that you get the best prices.

To find those big discounts and the “Doorbuster Specials,” check out the mobile apps from Brads Deals, DealNews, or TGI Black Friday. Each app shows items and prices listed in newspaper circulars for stores such as Costco, IKEA, JCPenney, and Staples. 

The BradsDeals.com and DealNews.com websites also compete to see which one can post a sale flyer before its official publication date.

> Read more at MyWell-Being.com
 

Monday, November 19, 2012

V-Moda headphones have the sound of your brand

Dr. Dre isn't the only music entrepreneur with a line of headphones that mix high performance with high style.

The M-80 Crossfade headphones from V-Moda deliver superior sound built on strong bass line that was crafted to enhance dance tunes and club mixes. But acoustic numbers are also treated well and even low bit rate MP3s come to life when heard through these on-ear phones.

V-Moda was launced by DJ Val Kolton and fashion designer Joseph Bucknall who wanted to create what Kolton called "the perfect 'fashion cymbal' of a true dance and DJ culture."

The Crossfade headphones are light enough to make them a great companion for listening with portable devices. They come with two cables, one with controls for Apple devices, and one for other portable gadgets.

The phones have a solid, industrial look with quality touches like a microfiber headband cover and fabric cable wraps. The brushed-metal plates on the ear cups can be replaced with one or a dozen different shields that V-moda sells for $25. For $50, the company will produce custom shields feature your name or logo. Why advertize Dr. Dre on your ears when you can can advertise your own brand?

The Crossfade M-80s cost $230 at v-moda.com.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

SpyNet's watch is for junior James Bonds

The SpyNet Video Watch turns older kids into pint-sized versions of James Bond by capturing still photos, audio and color video.

Mini-spies can view the videos on the watch’s screen or transfer them to a computer. The watch also has a built-in lie detector. I don't know how it works, but it could be a problem when parents start telling stories about Santa Claus.

The watch, made by Realtech costs about $50 at amazon.com.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Guitar Link lets pickers quietly rock out

Behringer's Guitar Link is a gadget that will appeal to both guitar hackers and serious musicians.

The device connects an electric guitar's 1/4-inch cable to a Windows or Mac computer through a USB port. It also works with the iPad and Apple's Garageband program, if the iPad has a USB adapter.

The supplied software takes the incoming signal and reprocesses it to mimic a variety of amp settings and stomp boxes. Players can easily change their sound settings and make digital recordings of their performance.

The device also has a 1/4-inch headphone jack with a volume comtrol so players can rock out without rattling the windows.

The Guitar Link costs about $35 at amazon.com.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Smart Cycle Racer keeps kids active indoors

Fisher-Price's Smart Cycle Racer is a bicycle that interacts with a TV, so kids can combine exercise, fun, and learning, even on bad-weather days.

When the bike is connected to a TV’s audio/video input plugs, the screen shows a country road that kids negotiate by pedaling and steering. They also use a built-in joystick to master a series of learning games and puzzles along the road. Mom and Dad can change the scenery and the games by buying cartridge packs for about $25 each.

The Smart Cycle Racer costs about $95 at amazon.com.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Petraeus plays SecDef in new Call of Duty

I played a few missions in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 after the game was released today, but I haven't yet met David Petraeus. The former army general and CIA director turns up in the game as the U.S. Secretary of Defense greeting troops aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Barack Obama in the year 2025.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow showed the game's Petraeus scene on her show tonight and a story posted on CNet includes a statement from and other sources from Activision Blizzard, the game's developers, that saysthe former general is in the game just because the designers thought it would be cool: "General Petraeus was not paid, was not involved in the creation of the game, and has not been asked to endorse the game."

CNet also posted a video of his cameo appearance.





An MP3 boombox for little fingers

Three-year-old Lucas loves music. He sings along from his car seat when we play "The Wheels On The Bus" and other songs as we travel to our house for a weekend visit. So, for his birthday, he'll get his own-kid-sized boombox loaded with his favorite songs.

The Discovery Kids MP3 Boombox works like a music player for grown-ups. Songs are stored in its internal memory or on an SD memory card.

The player has stereo speakers, a plug for headphones and a small display screen that shows track numbers and song titles. The volume knob and other controls are oversized for tiny fingers and the case is built to take playtime punishment.

The player costs about $45 at amazon.com.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Fitbit upgrade links to phones


The Fitbit was our pick of the litter when we reviewed several new pedometers a couple of months ago. The Fitbit is a paperclip-shaped gadget that tracks your footsteps and records your progress on personal website dashboard. It also uses Bluetooth to sync data directly from the device to your desktop computer.

In September, Fitbit announced plans to release an upgraded version that will use Bluetooth to also sync to a mobile phone. This review at Ars Technica says the sync-to-phone function will work with Apple's iOS but is not yet available for Android phones.

Fitbit is taking pre-orders for the new $99 Fitbit One. If you want the Fitbit Zip, which will track footsteps without the Bluetooth syncing, it's available now for about $60. 
 

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Like all the best fashion models, Mattel's Barbie will have a new look for the holidays.  This time Barbie gets a high-tech element added to her wardrobe: a digital display built into the front of her t-shirt.

Mattel's Barbie Photo Fashion Doll has a digital camera lens built into her necklace and controls on her belt. Girls can take photos from Barbie's point of view, then turn them into shirt designs or use a pink USB cable to upload them to a PC or Mac computer.

The doll costs about $45 and it's available Toys R Us and other toy stores.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Even kid-pads deserve an upgrade

Just like Apple and Google, LeapFrog also has a new upgraded version of its popular LeapPad tablet. The LeapPad2 has front and back cameras to capture still photos and video.  The tablet has five pre-installed programs that focus on drawing, reading and music.

Geekdad James Floyd Kelly -- and his two preschool kids - gave the new version high marks in his column at Wired.com.

There are hundreds more apps, ebooks and learning games available from the LeapFrog library but they cost about $25 each - a lot more than Mom and Dad pay for their apps.

The LeapPad 2 comes in green or pink and costs $99 at amazon.com .

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Neat Receipts clears the paper clutter

The Neat Company is in business to bring some order to that stack of bills, business cards and documents that typically clutter up your desk.

Their flagship product is a $400 scanner called NeatDesk. You feed in your bills, receipts, business cards and assorted documents. It not only makes a digital copy of each one, it also identifies, sorts and organizes them. Names and phone numbers go into your Outlook or Address Book, tax documents get routed into a tax folder and receipts get collected in a PDF.

And all that clutter on your desk magically disappears.

Neat also has a scanner that's both portable and more affordable. The NeatReceipts is a single-sheet scanner that connects to the USB port on a PC or Mac and is small enough to easily slip into a laptop computer bag. 

While you can stack 10 business cards or a 50-page document on the desktop version, the portable scanner reads just one sheet of paper at a time. But they both use the same software. You can tell the scanner that you're feeding it a business card or a sales slip before you scan, or just let it guess each document. When I fed it a restaurant receipt, it captured the date, total cost, the tax amount and categorized it as "Meals/Restaurant." I only had to type in the name of the restaurant.

NeatReceipts was especially good with business cards. It made a complete image of the card and it filled in the correct fields with the contact's name, phone number and email address. If you want to get the text from a document, scan it to a PDF, then open the file in Adobe Reader and copy the text. NeatWorks software will also store and index PDFs that you already have.

But it's best trick is how it can handle a group of receipts. It collects the dates, amount, and other information from several receipts, exports the data into an Excel spreadsheet and bundles everything into a single PDF to email to the person who reimburses your business expenses.

For any frequent business traveler, that's a sweet dream.

You can find the NeatReceipts for about $175 at electronics or office supply stores and at amazon.com.

HDMI splitter shares the wealth

If my family gathers in my home office tonight to watch election returns and surf the Internet for political insights, the screen on my laptop computer just won't do. But I've got that problem covered. With one button, I can shoot the image from my computer's screen to both an external monitor and to the 32-inch digital TV mounted above my desk.   

The video traffic director is an UltraAV Mini HDMI Splitter from Accell, a company that makes a variety of cables and digital signal devices. The takes an HDMI signal from a computer, DVD player or other sources and shares it with multiple display devices. In my case, I'm using the Accell splitter that supports up to four external displays. That model costs about $100. Accell makes other splitters that support more or fewer displays.

A row of lights on the front of the splitter shows how many cables are connected and in use, but there are no switches to individually turn an output on or off. In my setup, the splitter also reset the display resolution, making text a little less sharp. Fortunately, I don't plan to be doing any word processing or spreadsheet work on the big screen. For browsing the web or watching videos, the Accell splitter delivers everything I expected.

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