October 21st, 2010
With thousands of different covers and cases available how do you pick the best iPad case? Well it takes a little research but more importantly some decisions about how you use your tablet and what you really need before you even start looking. Here is my guide to picking the right case for your iPad:
- Decide on a budget. There are fine cases for a few dollars and a few thousand and everything in between – so decide on what you are willing to spend before you go window shopping and waste time looking at items you would not wish to fork out on.
- Decide on your style.
Skins are the most lightweight, offering protection at all times.
Sleeves and carry cases offer protection when the tablet is not being used and allow you the freedom to use it unencumbered by a bothersome case.
Folio style covers protect the device at all times and can be used to prop the iPad up for viewing movies or gaming. They do add weight though and may get in the way if you use a docking station.
Leather looks good and tends to age well offering great protection but the cheapest leather may scratch and fade. Check for reviews on the quality of stitching, fit and the accuracy of cut outs for accessing controls.
Silicone feels good in the hand and being machine made should fit like a glove. It is easy to wipe clean but may attract lint.
Polycarbonate will offer the ultimate in shock absorbing protection, such as the ultimate Otterbox iPad cases.
Canvas and fabrics so long as padded offer more scope for patterns and fun prints and should be easy to wash.
- Choose a color range and you’re pretty much ready to start shopping.
Now you have answered a few questions you have more idea of where to start looking for the best iPad case to suit your needs. If you shop on-line the larger retailers will have lots of customer reviews that should help you narrow down your search even further till you have “the one”.
Tags: ipad cases, ipad covers
Posted in Accessories, Gadgets | Comments Off
October 20th, 2010
The old methods of talking over the internet are outdated. Since they are all based on text, they have a lot of limitations. There is no way to properly communicate the amount of emotion that goes along with the words that are being said. Although video chat is a step up from the traditional methods such as email and instant messaging, it still has a few problems. For example, most video chat programs only allow communication for two people. This is a problem for anyone who wants to talk with more than one of their friends at once.
New Faces and New Friends
One of the wonderful features of 3D avatar games is their ability to make it dead simple to meet new people. Compared to instant messengers, which limit you to adding people that you already know to a list of friends, these games let you enter topic based chat rooms. These chat rooms are a wonderful way to meet new people and start creating new friends that share similar interests. If you have ever wanted a convenient way to meet new and interesting people from the safety and comfort of your home, 3D avatar games are the perfect solution.
Keeping up with Old Friends
There is no reason that you can’t use this type of game to just keep up with your existing friends. Instead of being limited to chatting with one friend at a time, the chat rooms in 3D avatar games give you the ability to invite all your friends over for a group chat. In these chats you can all talk with each other without the hassles that are involved with instant messengers. Communication with your group of friends becomes much less like communicating over instant messenger and more like talking to each other when you are all in the same room. It is a much more convenient and pleasant way to interact with your friends.
Be Who you Want
3D avatars allow you to personalize your character’s appearance to match your own unique style and taste. You can dress your avatar to wear your favorite outfits. Because you are controlling it, your avatar will act essentially as a virtual version of you. It will acct just as you do, allowing you to be whoever you want to be in the virtual 3D environment. If you’re looking for an escape from reality, this type of game can be a blast.
Tags: 3d avatars, 3d chat, Avatar, chat, real time chat
Posted in Games, Gaming, Internet | Comments Off
October 19th, 2010
To those unfamiliar with the world of wireless – knowing which Kindle 3 to buy can be a touch difficult. Go with the more expensive Kindle 3G because if its more expensive it must be the best seems to be the average response to the dilemma. But often customers would have just a fine user experience if they went for the cheaper wi-fi only model instead. Here is a little guide to knowing which of amazon’s book readers are best for you:
The first thing to realize is that in all respects other than the way the device connects to the internet and Kindle book store, both 6″ Amazon readers are identical. So the only reason to choose the more expensive model is if you will benefit from the 3G capability that allows it to go on-line using the 3G mobile network.
To determine this you should think about where you will be using the Reader. If you have a wireless internet router at home and that is where you are likely to be when wanting to access the internet, then the wifi only version will serve you very well. For actually reading you do not need to be connected to the web, it is only when downloading material, accessing the internet or synchronising your library.
If you would prefer to be able to do all these things without looking for a wireless hotspot you should consider the more expensive model that has both 3G and wifi connectivity. But before you buy it do be sure to check the 3G coverage map to ensure there is a good enough signal in your area or you could be sorely disappointed.
We hope this has simplified the matter for you and explained completely that it is only with regard to wifi versus wifi + 3G that you need to think about when deciding which is the better Kindle 3.
Tags: kindle 3g, kindle wifi
Posted in EBooks, Gadgets | Comments Off
October 19th, 2010
A tablet? A netbook? A smartphone? Dell Streak is a little bit of all. Packed with a variety of features, it is by far the most talked about mobile device by Dell. Slim and slick with a vivid 5-inch WVGA screen, Dell Streak is beautifully designed and cofortable to use. The screen is made with Gorills Grass to make it a more durable portable device.
Dell has used the Google Android operating system and has enhanced features in the compact device. You can access over 38,000 applications via the Android marketplace and the number is growing. There is a clear Google Voice support and an integrated Google Maps app with a voice-activated search. Dell Streak is powered with 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 512 MB RAM.
Dell Streak comes with a VGA front-facing 5 megapixel autofocus camera that is tested to provide high quality snapshots. It is especially good for those professionals who are constantly working in the field and require web-based applications on their phone. There is Bluetooth, 3G connectivity and built-in Wi-Fi that enables easy access to downloading music and videos, updating social networks like Twitter and FaceBook, and staying well connected at all times through emails, sms and voice calls.
The price for this type of device is a little on the higher side at $300 with a 2-year contract and $550 without a contract.
Posted in General Tech | Comments Off
October 19th, 2010
Halo: Reach was launched with a big bang making sales of $200 million in its first twenty four hours on the shelve. It has even surpassed Halo 3 by 20,000 units sold on the first day. This makes it the biggest release by Microsoft so far. All games, movies and other entertainment launches this year have been outperformed by Halo: Reach. The only possible contender to beat this release might be the upcoming XBox Kinect launch. Microsoft has really been building the tension about Kinect and the accompanying games for Kinect and so it may just outsell Halo Reach.
The game that features a battle between humans and aliens, Reach, has been recorded as the biggest Halo hit so far. The company seems to be quite content with the first week’s sales figures in both United States and Europe. The UK gaming industry witnessed the fifth biggest game launch with the release of Halo: Reach. By October 16, 2010, Reach sales were over 5.55 million copies worldwide. The response was best in Europe followed by United States and Japan. The first-person shooter game by Bungie has been chosen by industry professionals as the top-selling game of 2010.
Posted in Video Games, XBox 360 | Comments Off
October 18th, 2010
Plasma TVs will soon be extinct. In its place are two competing technologies: LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and LED (Light Emitting Diode). What are they, and how do they compare?
Technology
Despite sounding like two completely different technologies, both LCD TVs and LED TVs share the same basic design. Namely, they both use LCD panels to display the picture. Where the two technologies differ is in the backlight. A backlight shines light through the LCD panel much like a projector shines light through a slide. Without the backlight, the LCD panel would not be visible. A TV labeled an LCD TV will have a CFL (Compact Florescent) backlight, while the LED TV relies on a LED backlight.
How Backlights Work
There are two different methods for backlighting the LCD panel. The first and more common method is edge lighting. In this setup, a light source that is located at the edge of the TV and is shined inward. Then a lens is used to even out the brightness of the light across the entire LCD panel. CFL backlighting uses this technique exclusively, while LED cheaper LED backlit TVs rely on this technology, too. The other backlighting technique is a full panel backlight. While these consume more power, they have one feature that edge lit TVs don’t: local dimming. With an edge lit TV, when the image that your TV is displaying is dark, the LCD panel blacks out the dark spots. But it can never fully blot out the backlight, which is why the blacks never look truly black. Local dimming solves this problem by turning off the backlight behind the black pixels.
Comparison
So how do the two technologies compare? Well, CFL LCD TVs are much cheaper. LEDs are expensive to produce. Also, LCD TVs are much thinner and lighter than full panel LED TVs. If having a cheap yet sleek looking TV is more important than the image quality, then go with a LCD. CFL backlighting is also produced in more dimensions than LED backlights, so there is more variety in size with a LCD TV.
But LEDs have two major advantages: longevity and a better contrast ratio. LEDs are solid state. There is no gas to excite, no coils to heat up. So LEDs last a long time. This is the primary advantage that edge lit LED backlights have over their LCD TV counterparts. The backlight on the LED TV will last longer. The other major advantage LED TVs have is local dimming. When you can completely turn off the backlight, your blacks will always be darker than when you can’t.
There is no obvious winner in the LED vs. LCD TVs comparison. LCD TVs will be cheaper for the foreseeable future, but LED technology consumes less power and lasts longer. Plus LED backlights can dim behind dark sections of the screen. Beyond blacks, both TVs produce similar images because they both use LCD panels. So the decision comes down to whether you care more about the price of true blacks.
Tags: led comparison, LED TVs, led vs lcd
Posted in TV | Comments Off
October 18th, 2010
If you need to connect with your family or friends residing anywhere across USA, Cisco Umi (pronounced as you-me) is an ideal choice. You can now have a video conference in HD video on your television set. All it requires is an HD television and broadband internet connection. Cisco Umi which includes an HD camera, a console and a remote can be integrated with your existing system to give you a superb audio visual chatting experience. The picture and sound quality is so clear, it feels like the people are right there in the same room.
Cisco Umi allows users to save their videos that can later be shared on FaceBook and YouTube or sent via emails. Even if the people you want to have a video chat with do not have a Cisco Umi, video call can be placed on and received on any computer that has a webcam and Google video chat. If the receiver is not available, video messages can be dropped that can be checked later or on your cell phone and laptops.
There are privacy controls in the device to ensure your system is not misused in your absence. You can place orders for your Cisco Umi on BestBuy from Oct 18. The retail price is $599 and a monthly fee of $24.99.
Posted in Internet | Comments Off
October 18th, 2010
If you are wondering how to install a home surveillance system you will be surprised that it is not as difficult as it may first seem. Since we have wireless technology today, as well as the internet, it is amazing how easy the home installation process has become for security cameras. With a high-tech network of intelligent cameras as well as streaming webcam, the systems offer a program that adds to your security without causing too many headaches. Since not all systems will be installed in the exact same way, you will need to check the detailed instructions that come with your system to make certain you follow each step correctly.
Starting with the Basics
Most of the starter security camera systems come with one camera along with the basic accessories to make it work correctly. Others come with six cameras offering both indoor and outdoor surveillance. Begin with the first basic step of loading the software on your computer.
The USB Receiver and Cameras
The next step involves plugging your USB receiver into an electrical outlet. Now, depending on the number of cameras you intend to use, it is time to position each one so that it can be utilized to the fullest extent possible. You should give the placement a lot of consideration. If you place a camera that is not capable of capturing the most important details then you are losing valuable information.
Why Place One or Two Cameras Indoors?
If you have a number of cameras you intend to place it will benefit you to have one installed near the front door and the backdoor inside your home. This is in case a prowler breaks inside your home. Chances are the camera will record detailed information that will help the police to put the burglar behind bars – and, that is exactly the purpose of the cameras.
Once the Cameras are Installed You Can Finish the Process
When the cameras are put in place, and they are operational, they will feed video to the receiver. This will then go to your computer. Once the computer software detects all of the cameras it will display each one onscreen. You will probably be given the option to record only when there is motion the camera can detect. You will also have the option to designate sections of the camera’s eye to concentrate on. In this situation it will record only when there is motion in this specific, given area. Now that you have learned to install a home surveillance system you will feel the peace of mind it has to offer.
Tags: home security, home surveillance system, security cameras
Posted in Cameras, Video | Comments Off
October 17th, 2010
Internet integrated Google TV by Sony has been launched and the shipment starts today. In an attempt to dominate the living room, Google TV devices had been introduced to engage people with even more web experience than they already do. Sony Google TV is available in 24”, 32”,40” and 46” 1080p edge-lit LED screens. LED screen is not available in the 24” size. It is a full HDTV that comes with four USB ports, Wi-Fi connectivity and four HDMI ports.
The internet TV software in the new Sony Google TV allows you to view YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Flickr, Twitter and more right in your living room. You can watch TV and browse at the same time and have a great multitasking experience. The default browser is Google Chrome and applications are powered by Android OS. The TV has a huge remote control with dozens of buttons. It looks like a combination of a Play Station controller and a keyboard. The prices range between $599 and $1399.
Posted in Internet, TV | Comments Off
October 15th, 2010
Way back when, during the first release of the much awaited Nintendo DS, Nintendog’s was THE game bundled with most DS consoles. Who could resist playing with cute little puppies? It seems that with the release of the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendog’s is likely to release another edition of its successful franchise along-side with the release of the much awaited 3DS. Nintendog’s and Cat’s will surely send young boys and girls home happily playing with their virtual puppy or kitten.
Reception of Nintendogs
Without a doubt this will be one of the best 3DS game out for a while. It is not because it is filled with action or has an engaging story line. It is because Nintendog’s has built up its own reputation in the past few years. And like the other games in the series, gives the user hours of mindless fun.
How Does Nintendogs Stand Against the Competition
Well obviously Nintendogs is not the most action packed game you would expect to play. With games such as Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy being released in parallel to the game, it’s hard to say how well the game would do in relation to them. But without a doubt the game will sell. After all the games target market is people under the age of ten. Anyone above that is just an added bonus.
What Sets This Game Apart From Previous Nintendogs?
With the 3DS’s new GPU (graphics processing unit) we can expect greater graphics for this game. We can expect to see more detail on the dogs and the environment which they live in. This adds a bit more realism to the game. With the addition of 3D, bouncing tennis balls look better and give the game a bit more excitement as it takes the gamer into the world of their dog or cat. No major features have been released and not much has been said. The 3DS’s planned release date is somewhere at the end of 2011 nearing the Christmas holidays.
In a Nutshell
With so many added features we can expect the game-play to be significantly improved. Obviously this game will use the 3DS features such as the front facing camera and the built in gyroscope and accelerometers. This will be a big step up in the world of gaming, with systems and games becoming bigger and “badder” as the years go by. This will be hands down one of the best 3ds games of the year just like its predecessors before it. As I said before, who can resist a cute ball of fur to begin with?
Tags: 3ds games, nintendo 3ds, nintendogs
Posted in DS, Gadgets, Gaming, Video Games | Comments Off