Abongo delivers website details

When I want to know who’s behind a domain name or website, I usually start with a visit to whois.net to find the domain’s owner and contact information. Now I know about Abongo.com, a service that can deliver much more detail about a site and its host.

Abongo’s target audience is web professionals, including bloggers and system administrators who want to figure out how any site is hosted on the Internet. Abongo runs on dedicated servers from eight locations around the globe so users can see how a site looks and responds from different parts of the world.

A DNS query returns a map of where a site is hosted plus records such as Name, Alias, Mail and IPV4 and IPV6 records. There are other specialized tools for webmasters including a Host lookup, Tracert (trace route), Ping, Page Rank, RDNS, and Whois which tells you all the publicly available information on the ownership of the domain.

To give the service a free test drive, go to Abongo.com and enter any domain.

By: Ric Manning On 10/31/2014

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SoGo Mini Speaker promises advanced sound and features

Now that everyone has their music, movies and other media on their mobile devices, Bluetooth speakers have become required equipment. But those speakers still have lots of room for improvement. The ones with good sound are usually large, heavy, and not especially portable. And what passes for good design? A speaker that looks like a tennis ball.

NimbX Technology thinks it can do better. A lot better. The SoGo Mini Speaker promises high-quality sound, with rich bass lines, in a package that is small and very portable. And if the SoGo’s stylish design isn’t exactly what you want, you can customize it to match your own taste.

The SoGo can function as a wireless speaker for phones or connect it to a computer or tablet. It uses bone conductive technology which lets it use almost any surface, like a wall or a table, as a sound conductor to help increase volume and bass. Snap-on color plates give the speaker a variety of looks and support for near-field communication (NFC) lets it wirelessly sync with an NFC-supported device.

SoGo’s developers hope to raise $75,000 for production costs with a Kickstarter campaign. They’re offering a variety of rewards for backers, including one of the first SoGo speakers for backers who contribute $49.

By: Ric Manning On 10/30/2014

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Kickstarter campaign will back versatile Wi-Fi speaker

The developers of a new Wi-Fi speaker have high expectations. The makers of MOKIBOX say their creation will be “a product that provides people with a wonderful music experience. More easy control speaker with high-quality stereo.”

Okay, they have my interest and my curiosity. And, I have a few questions. How big will it be? How much will it cost? What are the audio specs.

Unfortunately you and I will have to wait until the details about the MOKIBOX are officially released. That will come when the developers open a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter in early November.

Meanwhile, here’s what the MOKIBOX folks told me: The speaker will be able to play audio files “via AirPlay and DLNA when a mobile device and MOKIBOX join the network. Even, without any Wi-Fi network, the new speaker could be used as a hotspot through which a Smartphone can connect and control it.“
 
So stay tuned.

By: Ric Manning On 10/30/2014

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Hubground wants a piece of your mind

Have you ever wanted to be part of the focus groups or survey pools who are asked their opinion about a new tech product? Here’s your chance. The folks at Hubground are building a new social platform and they want to get your opinions.

Hubground says it plans to release a number of social based products starting with one called Home Hub. “It will essentially connect people based on their interests and also give them news pertaining to their interests,” says Hubground."We want to create beautifully designed, easy to use, and feature packed products that will give users beneficial alternatives for social interaction."

The company says it will also focus on user privacy and security and says it is committed to not collecting or selling personal data to advertisers.

To share your thoughts with Hubground, you can visit this one-page website and answer 10 questions in their short survey. Hubground says the answers will help them get a better understanding of the market and help the company obtain financial backing.

By: Ric Manning On 10/30/2014

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Tiny Cuba speaker is a multitasker

I’m always on the lookout for another wireless speaker. Maybe one that’s smaller, cheaper or more functional. When I found the new Cuba speaker from Xoombot, it turned out to be all three.

The Cuba is a small plastic cube, like it’s name implies. It’s tiny enough to slip in a pocket or hand from your car’s rear-view mirror. And despite it’s size, Xoombot brags that Cuba’s sound beats anything that comes out of a smartphone.

And it does more than deliver sound. Press a button on the side of the speaker and it will send a signal to your misplaced Android phone to help you find it. And it can function as a remote trigger for your cell phone’s camera. Here's a list of seven things the Cuba can do.

Did I say cheap? How about free? The Cuba sells for $59.99 but Xoombot says it will give away more than 2,000 Cuba speakers to people who enter their email address on the company’s website. Just follow this link and register by Oct. 31.

By: Ric Manning On 10/30/2014

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Horrific crime leads to a apps for peace and forgiveness

If you want to know how to turn a horrible event into something positive, talk to Sue Henry. In 2012, her 72-year-old father was attacked in his home in Australia, severely beaten and later died. The attacker was eventually charged, convicted and sent to prison. Sue’s effort to deal with her conflicting emotions led her to create a website, blog and mobile apps called I Forgive You.

“What was left I realised was for me to be at peace with what had happened,” Sue writes on the site. “ I had to find it in my heart to forgive him. And it wasn’t something I was ready to share openly with my family or friends because I still couldn’t make sense of it, so I began to write things down. I wrote whenever something came to me, even if it was a small thing – for example “I forgive you for being a criminal” , “I forgive myself for harbouring thoughts of anger” .

I Forgive You invites users to record similar messages of forgiveness, gratitude, love, apology, thoughtfulness. The website also includes a blog and a list of resources for counseling and support services. The apps are free to download at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

By: Ric Manning On 10/30/2014

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Galactic Hero blends guns and gems

Browse the Google Play Store and you'll have no trouble finding a jewel-themed puzzle game. Or a game that features spaceships and aliens. But Galactic Hero may be the only game that combines the two.

In this match 3 puzzle adventure, you are a guardian of a galaxy that's being invaded by alien assault ships. To thwart the attackers, you must match three or more gems, jewels and alien artifacts in a row. Early in the contest, the aliens aren't so smart and you'll win a few battles. But as you move deeper through space, your foes get more clever and you'll need to improve your strategy - and sharpen your aim.

In addition to gem mining and matching, the game involves laser gun battles and high-speed races through space gates and portals. If you're successful, you'll earn the title of galactic war hero.

Check out screen shots and a video in the Google Play Store.

By: Ric Manning On 10/28/2014

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PDF Compressor puts bloated docs on a diet

With Adobe's PDF format, we're able to transfer and share large documents such as contracts, brochures and even books. But sometimes the size of those documents can make that process almost painfully slow. One solution is a PDF compression service that squeezes the file down to a more manageable size.

I recently checked out PDF Compressor, a free service that offers more features that many of its competitors don't have. For example, PDF Compressor will accept files up to 50 MG, far more than many of the others. It also allows you to upload multiple files, then take a break while the squeezer goes to work. Get a cup of coffee and when you return, the finished files are waiting to be downloaded, directly or in ZIP files. And, PDF Compressor doesn't ask for your email address in order to get them.

For my test, I uploaded a 49MB file that included text, handwriting and images. PDF Compressor reduced the file size to 6MB - an 86 percent compression rate - with no noticeable change in the resolution.

Got a PDF document that needs to go on a diet? Give it a squeeze at PDFCompressor.com.   

By: Ric Manning On 10/26/2014

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