Starkou combines tripod and selfie stick

When I shoot video at an event, I take along two important items. One is an extendable selfie stick, to get my cell phone camera above a crowd. The other is a tripod to get a steady view of the action, often using a second camera. 

The Starkou Tripod Selfie Stick is a highly-portable device that can do either job well. And you get a wireless remote shutter trigger with the package.

The Starkou stick is made to be carried in a backpack or shoulder bag. It's too big and heavy to put in a pocket on your jacket or jeans. When fully collapsed it weights a little under 1 pound in an 11.5-inch tube. But that heft is one of its advantages. I've used cheap selfie sticks that can't hold at full extension and flimsy tripods that easily fall over. This one stands firm.

Using the Starkou required a bit of practice. To unlock the tripod legs, you first press button at the base of the tube. And it has to be pretty hard press to get the legs to slide down an interior tube and snap into place like an umbrella.

The clamp that hold a phone is made of strong plastic with rubber cushions at each end of the clamp. It rotates between vertical and wide-screen positions and holds each position without lock nuts. And the outer caps of the clamp each have a cold shoe mount where you can attack a microphone or fill light.

I was most impressed with the extension tubing that emerges in eight segments to a full 60 inches - almost to my chin. The segments are tucked snugly inside each other, so some muscle is required to get them out. But they stayed firm without any twisting or locking maneuver on my part.

Attached to the outer shell of the Starkou is a thumb-sized Bluetooth remote. Once paired with my phone, I could take single photos or start and stop video recording without touching the phone. I snapped several shots of birds dining at my back porch feeder while I was inside the house peeking out a window.

By: Ric Manning On 6/03/2023

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Pro-level tripod is a serious upgrade

I don’t consider my self to be a professional videographer, but have produced dozens of commercial product videos for online sellers. And I’m always interested in upgrading my equipment with pro-level gear. 

The GEEKOTO tripod I found on Amazon is definitely a step up from the consumer tripods that I’ve been using. Even the best tripod in that collection is a poor option when I use my SLR and have to worry that the rig is going to topple over.

The first thing I noted about this tripod is the quality of the materials. The legs are solid and stable, even when the tripod is extended to a full 5.25 feet. The head holds a larger than normal ball that rotates smoothly and easily locks into place. And the head is so sturdy that it can function as a low-angle camera stand when it’s separated from the legs.

The head platform can work with a standard sliding shoe or with a screw mount for a phone, light or other gear. I really like the large knobs that tighten the ball socket and the horizontal panning scale that helps you get a smooth pan.

My video highlights several of the tripod’s main features, including some that I have never seen on consumer tripods. One is the notch points that let you lock in each of the three angle positions for the legs.

Another is the hook built into the center post. It lets you add a weight or a secured line to the center of the tripod to provide an extra measure of stability. And the center post is reversible. Why would you need that? Let’s say you shoot from a position close to the ground but with a slight upward angle, perhaps for a remote shot. You can mount the head and your camera between the tripod’s legs and lock in the exact view that you want.

The GEEKOTO is going to be my go-to tripod, even when I’m traveling. It’s advertised as a travel tripod and it does indeed collapse down to a snug 20 inches. And although it is slightly heavier than most consumer tripods, its high quality is fair tradeoff for a few extra ounces.

By: Ric Manning On 10/24/2022

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MagSafe charger is a bedside buddy

Several years ago I scrapped the clock radio that had been my bedside companion. Didn’t we all? Who needs an alarm clock or a radio when we have a mobile phone? 

In its place, I bought a charging stand that had a platform with a Qi charger for my iPhone and an arm where I could attach a charging cable for my Apple. 

It was a good set up that worked as long as I was careful to put the phone and the watch in the precisely correct spot for the chargers to work. That didn’t always happen and I would often awake in the morning to find that one or both of my devices had not recharged because they weren’t settled in the charging sweet spot. 

That doesn’t happen with the Hatalkin 3-in-1 Charging Station. The phone charger uses MagSafe technology that grips my iPhone 14 and slides it into position no matter how clumsy and sleepy I am. And if I get a late-night alert, I can grab the phone, check the screen, and replace it and get back to snoring without coming fully awake. 

My Apple watch parks on a drop-down disk on the back of the charging station. That puts it out of view, and I miss seeing the watch’s always-on clock face that I could view from my pillow, at least the watch is hidden from my fumbling fingers.

This stand also has a third charging surface for my AirPods Pro charging case. It refuels all three devices using one 47-inch USB-C cable that comes in the box along with a matching charging block. 

I like to keep my Apple devices close bay, even when I’m in bed, so this stand is just right for my bedside table. It delivers a 15-watt charge and refuels my phone much faster than the Qi chargers I have used, so I may get another one of these stands for my desk or kitchen counter.

By: Ric Manning On 10/05/2022

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Drone has advanced features, nice price

I’ve wanted to get a personal drone for several years but the ones that had the features I wanted were beyond my budget. Then I discovered the EC 20 drone from UNTEI. 

This is a drone made for adults. It’s not a toy for the kids to play with a smash up. It comes with a high-resolution 4K camera and, a controlling app and GPS auto return home capability. The brushless motors are high quality and the battery delivers more than 40 minutes of flight time. 

The drone is east to pair with the manual remote. But for the advanced features you’ll want to get the WOWI FLY app which is available for free in the iOS and Android app stores. 

When the app is linked to the drone, you phone’s screen presents a view from the drone’s camera. That makes it easy to find your target for shooting video or taking still photos.

The remote has multiple control buttons including one-key launch, an emergency landing button, camera controls, and auto return. 

The WOWI app delivers more advanced options. For example, you can tell the drone to fly a circle pattern above your head or fly a mapped route by entering waypoints on your phone screen. You can also tell the drone to follow you from behind.

The EC 20 comes with a custom carrying case, a 256GB memory card and two rechargeable batteries. This is everything that I wanted in a drone that’s available on Amazon for less than $250.

Check out my video below to see how much fun I had learning to be a drone pilot.

By: Ric Manning On 6/06/2022

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This pouch makes tracker tags more useful

As I get older, I get a little more forgetful, so I'm happy to have  technology fill in the missing gaps in my memory. 

The contacts app on my phone remembers the telephone numbers and email addresses of friends and family members. A calendar keeps tract of important dates, my bank's website tracks and pays my bills, and a digital notebook stores my grocery shopping list.

And I was especially delighted to see the arrival of those little wireless tagging devices made by Tile, Apple, Jiobit and other companies. 

I've used them more than once to find my keyring and a misplaced backpack. And then there was the night when a tag steered me to where my car was parked in a massive (and unlighted) parking lot.

Now I've discovered a new accessory that will make these tags even more useful. It's a small zipper pouch called Tracker Keeper whose inventor is currently raising production financing with a campaign on Kickstarter. 

The Tracker Keeper measures about 3 inches by 2 inches - large enough to hold one of those tracker tags while small enough to be discreetly stashed in an unobtrusive location. 

That's the idea behind the Tracker Keeper. Picture the pouch strapped to the seat rail of a bicycle or behind one of the legs on a piece of machinery like an air compressor or gas powered generator. It can be easily attached to just about any item that might be attractive to thieves or vandals.

And although the pouch was designed to hold those diminutive tracking tags, it can also be used to stash and protect keys, cash or other small items. The pouch and zipper are made of waterproof materials. It has a sturdy D-ring to snap it on a carabiner and it's packaged with several attachment accessories: 3 nylon loop straps, 3 rubberized twist ties, and 10 zip ties.  

The Kickstarter campaign has a goal of raising $17,680 before the end of March. Backers who pledge $12 will get one Tracker Keeper with accessories. Supporters who pledge $80 or more get a retail pack of 10 keepers.

To get a closer look at the Tracker Keeper and see more reward options, visit the Kickstarter campaign page and follow Tracker Keeper on Facebook.

By: Ric Manning On 2/26/2022

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An app for a night on the town

Planning an evening out on the town typically starts with a lot of thumb work. You peck away on your mobile phone searching for restaurant websites and their menus. Then more searching for local concerts or sporting events. 

How about a movie? What’s playing and what are the showtimes? After you’ve juggled a bunch of apps and you finally have a plan, it’s time message your friends to see who’s in and where everyone wants to meet. 

That’s a lot of work that can make leisure seem downright exhausting. Isn’t there a better way?

A new app called hubub has a solution to all that juggling. Billed as a "Digital Concierge," the app helps users plan a night out by bringing all of those leisure-time listings together into one searchable app.

Once users install hubub and designate their home location, they are presented with lists of events, activities, and venues. Buttons for Concerts, Theaters and Sports display lists of upcoming events in each group. The app casts a fairly wide net, so events include those that might require a two-hour drive along with others that are in the user’s hometown.

Each list can be sorted by subcategories. The concert list can be narrowed to show jazz or classical music while sporting events can be filtered for football, baseball or even e-sports. 

The app is also well-stocked with listings for restaurants and bars. Users can also drill deeper into that data to find specialty restaurant types (Coffee, Brunch, Dessert) or cuisine types (Barbecue, Pizza, Mexican). In most cases, a link offering to reserve a table or order a meal takes you to Yelp where you can find reviews and links to the restaurant's website.  

My search for French food returned listings for a nail salon called French Tips and contractor named Jim French along with the Brasserie Provence, the best of the few French restaurants in my area. The list of vegan restaurants includes Taco Bell and Wendy’s.  

Other hubub listings are grouped under Things to do Nearby. That collection includes museums, movie theaters, art exhibits, libraries, and parks. These listings are all conveniently focused on locations that are in or close to my ZIP code. 

Want your friends to join you? The hubub app also makes that easy. Users can create groups by selecting names from their contacts app. Once you have found the concert or art show that you want to attend, click the Reserve button to add the item to your calendar, then hit the Invite Friends button to share your plan. Your hubub calendar keeps track of all the events in your (hopefully busy) social life. 

 

I found hubub to be a welcome time-saver and a valuable source of information about events and activities in my area. The app will get a lofty position on my iPhone and I expect it to give my thumbs a well-needed rest.

The app is available as a free download for iOS devices in the Apple App Store. For a closer look, watch the video below, visit the hubub website and follow @hubub_me on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 10/21/2021

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Rockstar Bingo beats the work-at-home blues

For most of my work-at-home friends, every day brings another round of boring business video conferences. And if they can't leave their house or stray very far from their keyboard and mouse, don't they deserve an occasional break to do something fun?

I think I might have a solution. It's a group game called Rockstar Bingo that's starting to pop up both online and in real-world bars and pubs. And it looks like a lot more fun than another Zoom call with the boss.

The game is like traditional bingo, but instead of a grid of random numbers, each player gets five-column digital card showing song titles and artist names in each square. The game host spins songs while players search their cards looking for a match. The winner, of course, is the first player to click a series of squares that spell B-I-N-G-O.

The game can be played at home among friends or family members, or in a pub or similar live setting. All it needs is a host to set it up, a list of players, and a collection of at least 75 songs. The host sends invitations to players who click to the Rockstar Bingo website to exchange their invitation code for a bingo card.

Once players have checked in, the host starts playing tunes and players begin identifying songs and marking their cards. Is that Pink Floyd's "Money" that I hear? Do I have that square? When a player fills in a row, they click the "Call Bingo" button to alert the host.  

Hosts act as the game's DJ. If they're using a paid version of the game, they can select a playlist provided by the game makers, upload their own playlist or connect to one of their personal playlists on Spotify. Rockstar Bingo also maintains a library of public Spotify playlists.   

Hosts can also consult a library of training videos to help them up their game with tips, graphics, checklists, photos and other media assets. There's also a Facebook community that's just for hosts and a Music Bingo Podcast.

In addition to bingo sessions with friends or businesses associates, Rockstar Bingo is also starting to be offered as entertainment in clubs and pubs, like a new spin on karaoke or trivia nights. The game can also be used to keep crowds entertained at sporting events or movie theaters during the warm up period or intermissions. 

Rockstar Bingo is available for free play with groups of up to six players. An ad-free premium version that allows custom playlists and supports up to 30 players costs $29.99 per year. For larger groups, Rockstar Bingo will provide a custom price quote.

For more details, check out the video below and visit the Rockstar Bingo website, their Facebook page and Instagram feed and @RockstarBingo on Twitter. 

  

By: Ric Manning On 8/26/2021

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Ubetalk app helps gig drivers stay in touch

When Uber and Lyft arrived in my city, I was among the first people who signed up to drive.

Over the first few months,  there was plenty of interaction among drivers. First there were official meetings, then occasional social gatherings where we swapped driving stories and shared tips and marketing ideas. Later, many of us installed installed a walkie-talkie type of app that let us talk on a group channel. 

But that was more than six years ago. Today, many of the initial drivers who I got to know have moved on to other jobs. And the last time I checked the walkie-talkie app, here was apparently no one on the usual channel. All I heard was silence.

Maybe gig drivers need a new and more convenient way to communicate with each other. That's the idea behind Ubetalk, a new iOS app created by someone who worked for several years as a rideshare driver in the San Francisco area. It's designed to let drivers connect with and share information with each other. 

Ubetalk (pronounced YOUBEE talk) uses a dedicated text messaging platform to share comments and questions. The app uses real-time GPS to connect to drivers who are in the same general vicinity.

Unlike the walkie-talkie app, Ubetalk uses text messages that can be entered from the phone's keyboard or dictated using the keyboard's voice input option. 

Using text avoids the garbled audio that I often experienced with the walkie-talkie app. And it leaves messages posted on the user's screen for as long as the app is in use. A separate segment called Report acts like a bulletin board for general information such as a street closing. 

Messages posted in the Broadcast part of the app disappear when the app is closed. Messages remain in the Report area, which acts like a bulletin board. In either case, the message authors remain anonymous. 

 

Ubetalk developer Alex Shin says the app was designed to appeal to a wide range of drivers, including those who do delivery gigs for Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Uber eats or Amazon as well as full-time professional drivers for UPS and FedEx and taxi, limo, bus and truck drivers.

Drivers can use the app to share updates and tips on traffic snarls, pickup and drop off locations as well as pay rates and surge areas. Users can also share information about new driving opportunities.

Jokes, funny stories and links to websites or social media platforms are allowed on Ubetalk. But the user license agreement prohibits messages that involve profanity, hate speech, drug use, copyrighted images or sexually explicit photos.   

Ubetalk is available as a free download for iOS devices in the Apple App Store. Shin says a version for Android devices will be released soon.

For a closer look at Ubetalk, check the video below and the Ubetalk website. 

By: Ric Manning On 8/17/2021

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GRAB AR app collects and organizes images

While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted almost everyone's work life, a few people I know used their time at home to start an e-commerce business. One found items at second hand stores that she sold on her website for a nice profit. Another bought goods in bulk to resell on his blog.

Although both enjoyed some success, they both complained that the process of getting their goods posted online was too long and too complicated. Photos of their items had to be edited, backgrounds removed, and titles, prices and descriptions added.

An app called GRAB AR would have been a good addition to their digital toolbox. The app puts those steps and more into a single process that runs on mobile phones or desktop computers.  

   

The app lets users compile a collection of images from a variety of sources including their phone's camera, their stored library, from QR codes or a web URL. Once the images are obtained, users can move or resize them, add titles and descriptions to each one and even remove backgrounds. 

Users can then share the collection with other GRAB AR users or post the images and information to their website. The app will also generate a QR code for images and collections and save collections in Word or PDF document format.

GRAB AR also helps web publishers to make it easier for their readers to grab and store or share posted content. The developers have created a snippet of code that can be added to websites to create a QR code for all image content. Codes can also be created within Microsoft 365 apps including Outlook, Sharepoint and Teams. And there's a set of browser plug-ins for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox browsers.

GRAB AR is available as a free download from the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. The ad-supported free version five image content items per GRAB collection along with 10 background removals per day. 

For more details about app and its features, check out the video below and visit the GRAB AR website. You can also find GRAB AR on Facebook and @grabarapp on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 8/16/2021

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Kids love this erasable tablet

Grocery lists. Notes to spouse. Sketches of my next billion dollar idea. It seems we're always needing a way to record something important - or trivial.

This LCD writing tablet provides an easy way to capture words or images without generating more paper waste. It's been very popular with our pre-school grandchildren who use it to draw cartoon figures, practice letters and numbers or play tic-tac-toe.

The Tecboss tablet has a 10-inch LCD screen that responds to a stylus that rests in a groove along the top of the screen. Use the stylus to record doodles or notes, then flick a lock switch on the side of the tablet to preserve them or click the button on the front of the tablet to erase them.

The tablet runs on a tiny button battery that should last for more than a year and some 10,000 scribbles.

The Tecboss tablet is available in a pink or gray case $15.99 on Amazon.

By: Ric Manning On 3/12/2021

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BeatBoxer headphones aim for the top

Now that engineers have figured out how to produce quality sound in Bluetooth wireless headphones, the race in on to see which company can build the highest high-end product.

A Hong Kong company called Sevasis Limited hopes to set the pace with a set it calls ReysorLink BeatBoxer.

BeatBoxer starts with 50mm Neodymium Drivers and adds sub-woofers and surround sound generated by a Qualcomm HD processor.  

It also steps up to Bluetooth 5.0. which delivers twice the bandwidth of version 4.0. That means low latency with no lag for gaming and music play.

It also delivers enhanced sound clarity with active noise cancellation to eliminate background distractions or interference.

BeatBox boasts impressive battery life with 35 hours of playing time and 350 hours in standby mode. If the headphones run out of juice while in use, a Type-C charger refuels fast enough to provide 5 hours of use in just 10 minutes.

Other features include:

• A dedicated Active Noise Control switch that lets users adjust the level of noise reduction.
• Dual built-in microphones for high-quality audio calls or game play.
• A mic port for users who prefer an external microphone.
• One-button activation to summon a personal assistant such as Siri or Google.
• A built-in SD card slot to play music, podcasts or audio books independent of the user's mobile phone.

BeatBoxer headphones are scheduled to be introduced Sept. 15 on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. The profile page on Indiegogo doesn't yet list pricing but it will take your email address to get on the list for news and updates, including early bird pricing. Fans who share information about BeatBoxer with #FeelTheMusic will qualify to win a free set.

You can get a closer look at BeatBoxer in the video below and on the ReysorLink website. You can also follow ReysorLink on Facebook, Instagram and @ReysorLink on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 9/04/2020

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Time Captis bundles productivity tools

My computer is centerpiece of my personal and professional life, so of course it's loaded with software that is supposed to help me manage that life. Maybe overloaded is a better description.

I've got calendars and address books from both Apple and Google. For note taking, I have to choose among Evernote, Notes and a couple of others that I've picked up over the years.

And I could really use an application to record the time I spend on various freelance projects. Right now, I use a homemade spreadsheet.

What I need is a dashboard for my digital life. Maybe what I need is Time Captis.

Time Captis is a productivity app combines all of daily go-to tools into one application that works on all of my computing devices. It manages events, contacts, notes and to-do lists while also charting how you spend your time.

The app presents a well-organized menu scree and poses a direct question: "What do you want to do?" From there you can click to add a contact, take a note, book an appointment, send a message, create a team or start the clock running on a specific project.

Time Captis can be particularly valuable when you're working on a group project - and these days group members are likely to be working from home and scattered to far-flung locations.

The Pro version of Time Captis lets an administrator assign access and permission levels for all the team members.

Teams can also be assigned their own color to highlight shared events and a To-do list that assigns priorities to each task can help focus everyone on work that is most important.

Freelancers will be impressed with the time-tracking element that calculates hours and minutes spent on a project. And users who have the Pro version can turn time reports into invoices.

Time Captis is a subscription service that can be used on the Web as well as on Apple and Android phones or tablets.  A basic version is free with a limit of 10 notes, 100 events or To-dos and 1,000 contacts. For $20 per month, the Pro version drops the limits and adds features such as team messaging and permission management and provides a team dashboard with time reports and chart views.

For a closer look, visit the Time Captis website or download the mobile versions from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. You can also follow @timecaptis on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 9/01/2020

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Texas company helps clients expand AV reach

When the Coronavirus arrived this spring, it thrust most schools and businesses into the unfamiliar territory on online communication with employees and students.

For many, that meant hunching over their laptops and tablets while they tried to quickly learn Zoom and other videoconferencing tools.

By now, organizations are exploring ways to broaden and improve their digital delivery platforms as they prepare for what looks like a long-term change in how they conduct business.

That's where vendors like  EIGPro enter the picture. The Texas-based company has spent years building and installing high-end commercial audiovisual systems for a wide range of clients.

For some, that means an upscale conference room with a video projector and integrated computer access. Others might be looking at equipment for an environment in which employees, customers, contractors, instructors and other groups are all working from home. 

Here are some examples from EIGPro's solutions list:

• Video Distribution
• Voice over IP
• AV over IP
• Interactive Smart Boards and Whiteboards
• Zoom Rooms
• Google Classrooms

This fall, many colleges and local school systems have said their students will get instruction in a  hybrid format. Some will attend live classes in school buildings while others will participate online from their homes or dormitories.

EIGPro has wired several educational facilities to support a variety of training and instructional formats. Classrooms and auditoriums can be set to support a teacher giving a live lecture while simultaneously streaming live video to remote locations. Students both on-site and off-site could ask questions and participate in discussions.

Businesses, hotels, entertainment venues and government agencies are also likely to explore new  AV options to let them extend their reach with electronic interaction. And EIGPro has extensive experience in wiring new construction for video and Internet access.

The EIGPro website has a portfolio of the company's projects and installations covering a variety of environments, with several jobs featured in video form on the company's YouTube channel. You can also contact follow the company on Facebook or Instagram and @eig_pro on Twitter.


  

By: Ric Manning On 8/01/2020

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AuthPass stores passwords across platforms

Passwords have long been the bane of the Internet. Experts have all these rules for keeping them safe: make it complicated, don't write it down, use a different one for each website.

And, how do you keep track of all those passwords, especially when you're constantly moving between your desktop computer to your laptop, tablet or mobile phone?

AuthPass could be the answer. It's a password manager program that stores and remembers all of your passwords and makes them accessible regardless of what device you are using. AuthPass supports all of the major mobile and desktop platforms, from iOS, Android to Windows, MacOS  and even Linux.

In addition to storing and retrieving passwords, AuthPass encrypts them to add a layer of safety. The programs use the KDBX file format and the KeePass Password Database. The password data files can only be viewed if the user has a master password, so there's really only one password to remember.

AuthPass will generate secure random passwords for each online account. The app supports  biometric locks, such as a fingerprint or face recognition lock, and it will generate multiple is you need one to share. And users can store their password database at a remote location using DropBox, Google Drive or iCloud.

For more details, visit the AuthPass website and check out the mobile apps on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. 

By: Ric Manning On 7/29/2020

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Actuators power home and office automation

Many of today’s highly-automated homes feature televisions that descend from the ceiling, curtains or shades that glide into place and wall panels that open to reveal rows of martini glasses or works of art.

How does that happen? It’s the result of unseen little workhorses called actuators.

I learned a lot about actuators when I browsed the website for Firgelli Automations, a company based in Ferndale, WA, that builds and sells a wide range of automation products for use in homes, businesses and industrial applications.

A good example of Firgelli’s products is its lineup of TV lifts. A lift designed to raise or lower a flat-screen TV from a cabinet can hold a TV weighing up to 135 pounds sells for about $600. A wall bracket with an electric swivel costs $90. And Firgelli has a $350 do-it-yourself kit that will drop a small screen down from a kitchen cabinet.  

When I worked for a large publishing company, we had desks that could be raised or lowered by pressing a button. The idea was to let everyone choose the a height that was most comfortable for them, one that would help prevent repetitive stress and back pain.

Some people would raise their disks to so high that they could work standing up.

It was actuators that made those desks work and Firgellialso has a line of ergonomic desks called E-desks. The line includes different leg configurations and a desk that incorporates a treadmill for people who want to walk while they work.

Other Firgelli products include brackets, controllers, motors, switches and slide rails.

The Firgelli website includes a collection of YouTube videos, like the one below, that show their products at work. In one video, a 7-year-old girl installs an actuator to raise and lower the lid on her toy box.

Visitors will also find other actuator projects described in the Firgelli blog and follow the company on Facebook and @FirgelliAuto on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 5/18/2018

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Mic-Lock thwarts audio snoopers

Last year CEO Mark Zuckerberg celebrated Facebook reaching 500 million monthly users by posting a photo of himself on Instagram. The background of the photo also made news.

One sharp-eyed viewer noticed that the Mac on the desk behind Zuckerberg had tape over it's camera.

No big surprise there - folks like NSA leaker Edward Snowden have warned us about snoopers getting access to our webcams. Even former FBI director James Comey covered his laptop camera.

But the photo also showed a bit of tape over the microphone port of the MacBook behind Zuckerberg.

Can snoops also listen to us throughout computer's microphone jack? The answer, it turns out, is yes. An article published by Wired magazine described one possible approach:

Researchers at Israel's Ben Gurion University have created a piece of proof-of-concept code they call "Speake(a)r," designed to demonstrate how determined hackers could find a way to surreptitiously hijack a computer to record audio even when the device's microphones have been entirely removed or disabled. 

And now one company has come up with an easy device to block that vulnerability.

Mic-Lock is a small device that looks like the plug end of headphones or earbud. The Mic-Lock developers say the device "tricks your computer" into thinking that it is connected to a live mic.

With the Mic-Lock plugged in, it becomes the computer's default microphone - but no audio is transmitted. In essence, Mic-Lock makes the computer or smartphone deaf.

The device is designed to work with Windows or Mac computers and with Android or iOS phones an tablets.

The Mic-Lock sells for $4.99 and is available on the Mic-Lock website.

By: Ric Manning On 12/07/2017

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New wearable device shares your location and environment

Now that our daughter is old enough to have her own family, she’s delighted to tell us about all the tricks she played on us when she was a teenager.

We would drop her off at the local shopping mall where she said she would spend the evening with her friends. But in fact, they slipped out the back door where boys were waiting to take them to some unknown house party.

I’m betting that her daughters will all have the Lotus by Seam as one of their required fashion accessories.

Developed by Seam Technic, the Lotus is a small wearable device that lets parents and friends keep track of loved ones by recording and transmitting a variety of environmental information including GPS location , photos and audio.

At home, her mother could use a mobile app to see what she sees and hear what she hears. And if any difficulties would arise, she could make a hands-free phone call while sharing her location.

The Seam system lets users record audio and still images captured from two button-style recorders, one facing to the front, the other with a rear view.

Users can share the data and images privately with up to five friends our guardians. Or, they can have the system trigger a call to an emergency phone number while still capturing GPS location data. The data logs are stored in the cloud for up to three months while the service is in its launch stage.

As a parent, I was especially attracted by the safety element of the Seam system. But Seam founder and CEO Drew Henson said he created the system primarily to help his family members feel more connected to him while he was away from home traveling the world. “It’s a seamless way to feel connected, social and safe,” he said.

The Lotus by Seam is scheduled to launch a funding campaign on Kickstarter on Nov. 1. The Lotus recording devices are expected to see for $119 but early supporters will be able to reserve them on Kickstarter for up to 40% less.

The Seam apps are available now for free in the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store. More details are available on the Seam Technic website and @Seam_technic on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 11/01/2017

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Kids Coloring Book keeps children focused

There’s plenty of electronic entertainment at our house, but when the grandchildren visit, I get out the coloring books and crayons. They love to color and we’ve found that coloring is a quiet activity that helps them focus on a task and feed their creativity.

And with the Kids Coloring Book app on a mobile phone or tablet, we can keep them entertained in the car, at a restaurant or just about anywhere.

The free app has a pallet of 72 different colors — no more lost or broken crayons - and a growing library of more than 130 pages with more added every week. The collection is grouped by topics such as animals, flowers, fruits and people along with topical themes like Christmas and Halloween.

The coloring options include Redo and Undo buttons to help make the finished artwork just right and the app saves work in progress and finished projects in the My Work section, which acts like a personal portfolio.

Finished creations can also be shared on social media channels including Facebook and Instagram.

To see Kids Coloring Book in action, watch the video below. The app is available as a free download for Android devices in the Google Play Store.

By: Ric Manning On 4/07/2017

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What's Doin'? connects users to local events

Gizmo Editor Review

I live in a fairly large city and there’s always something going. We have concerts, festivals, sports and loads of community events. But it’s never easy to find all of that activity. I have to go to one website for pop music shows, another for theater schedules, more for different sporting events.

The developers of a new app called What’s Doin’? has set an ambitious goal for themselves: Bring all those events and more under one roof. And I think they’ve made a great start.

When you launch the app, you’ll see some ads on the home screen. The events are one click away behind the calendar icon on a menu strip at the bottom of the screen.

The initial event listings are arranged by date. You get a snapshot of the event with the name and location. Click on a listing to get more details including a description of the event and the start time. A link labelled “Share this event” will open your email or messaging app to forward the listing to friends along with an option to post it on Facebook.

What’s Doin’? tracks your location. That’s a helpful feature if you’re in a new city and want to find a concert or other event nearby. Event listings tell you the distance from your location to the venue and when you click “View Map,” you get a route and driving directions.

A filter option, available under Settings, lets you fine tune what events are displayed. For example, you might be especially interested in business networking events or you want to tune out tune out auctions and garage sales.

It also has a slider control to expand or contract the size of the area being searched. I live about 150 miles from two larger cities, so I can watch for tour stops by my favorite bands.

What’s Doin’? also lets you add an event using a form to enter a description, time, location and other details, including a photo or logo. This could be a good way to spread the word about a sports team or the activities at a school, church or other organization.

And every time someone adds an event, it makes the app more valuable and useful. Because the app is new, the current amount of events is a bit sparse. But the app’s developers say they are working on adding more data as well as an option to purchase tickets through the app.

As word about the app spreads, more people will post events and that will make it more valuable for everyone.

For a closer look at the app in action, check out my video review below. You can also visit the What’s Doin’? website and download the app for free from the iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store.

By: Ric Manning On 3/06/2017

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WallTrek links English teachers with jobs in Asia

English has long been the lingua franca of international business. And as China and other Asian nations expand their roles in global commerce, the demand for people to teach English abroad is growing at a comparable pace.

According to the British Council, the number people using and learning English worldwide will grow from 1.7 billion in 2015 to 2 billion by 2020. That means that the demand for people who can teach English as a foreign language will also increase at a rapid rate.

A Chinese startup called WallTrek has created a new service that promises to quickly connect teachers to job openings in China as well as Thailand, Vietnam and other Asian countries.

Users of the WallTrek website fill out a form that includes a description of their dream job. “Submit your resume, go through the interview process, and in less than 10 days we will contact you with an offer,” the site says. “Our matchmaking system helps you find the perfect company, all while operating in real-time.”

WallTrek also its advanced candidate searching tools and video interviews will speed up the hiring process for schools and institutions that have open teaching positions. While many Americans and  English teachers from other countries take jobs in China, they typically stay no more than a year or two. That leads to constant turnover in teaching jobs and a continuing demand for more applicants.

An ideal candidates at WallTrek would be 24 or older and a native English speaker or non-native with excellent English. They would also have a Bachelor's degree, at least two years of full-time work experience and an EFL teaching certificate.

For more details, visit the WallTrek website and check out the video below. You can also follow @walltrek on Twitter and Facebook.

By: Ric Manning On 3/05/2017

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