Our 7 Favorite Tech Products of 2011 (Hardware)
Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 December 2011 09:35 Written by Alan Sunday, 1 January 2012 07:00
2011 has come to an end, but it was a great year in the tech world. It will probably be remembered as the year of the tablet, with iPad sales going crazy, Android tablets beginning to make a dent in Apple’s sales, and Windows 8, with it’s tablet interface, being unveiled. It’s tough to look back and pick just a few items to put in a post like this, but after thinking it over, and narrowing down the choices, we arrived at 7 great pieces of hardware. Some we own, and some were just here for review.
The list below contains links to either the product’s website, or to a place it can be purchased. We’ve also included links to our reviews of the items, if there was one written. A lot of hardware comes through here in a year, and a whole lot more hits the tech market, so articles like this are always subjective, based on personal taste and what you have actually had a chance to try out. With that said, let’s get started.
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EXOPC Slate
The EXOPC Slate wasn’t the first Windows 7 tablet to hit the market, but so far it has held up as the best one. This 10 inch tablet has a great screen, solid hardware, and performed flawlessly during my review. You can read that review here. Buy
Skytex Skypad Alpha
This may be a Windows-based website, but Android is a killer mobile operating system. While a Windows tablet is about productivity, Android is about fun. And yes, I know that Windows 8 aims to change that and that you can be productive on Android, but I am stating just the basics here. The Skytex Skypad Alpha is a low-priced Android 2.3 7 inch tablet with a growing reputation. It was so good in fact, that I bought one for each of our kids this Christmas. Find out more here.
RedEye
RedEye turns your Android device into a universal remote control. Once you have set it up, it will send out signals to all of your home theater gear. Think of it as the next generation Harmony. You can turn on and set multiple devices with one click. A full review will be coming soon. Find out more here.
Nikon Coolpix s3100
When it comes to digital cameras there are two names to think about – Canon and Nikon. When our daughter’s Canon became outdated we replaced it with the Nikon Coolpix s3100. It’s a super-slim, 14 MP, 5x zoom, 720p shooting, bargain. Buy
Gateway NV55S02u
This is my current laptop of choice. In fact, I am writing this article on it. It’s a 15 inch notebook with an AMD Quad-Core processor, 4GB of RAM, a webcam, 500 GB hard drive, and a Radeon HD card. What more could you need? You can read the review here. Buy
Epson Deskjet 3050 J610
Once again this is a product that I liked so much that I bought it. It’s fast and economical, and it delivers great pictures and text. It has wireless built-in, which makes it perfect for today’s home. Review. Buy
Netgear WN2000RPT WiFi Extender
Netgear provided a review unit of this wireless extender and I like it so much that I bought one. The review I wrote was for GNC, and you can read it here. If you like it, here’s a link to get one. Buy
3 Good Sources to Track Hurricane Season
Last Updated on Sunday, 24 July 2011 09:59 Written by Alan Friday, 5 August 2011 07:00
With the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane season getting into full-swing, and expected to produce an above average number of storms, this is a good time to look at ways to keep track of tropical weather. If you live in an area where tropical weather can become a factor, then you definitely need to keep up-to-date on the latest developments. That’s why today I wanted to point everyone towards some good sources of news and information about tropical storms.
The Weather Channel’s Tropical Update Center
The Weather Channel, one of the most watched and trusted TV channels, as well a trusted web site, has an excellent page that shows news for both the Atlantic and Pacific basins. The news gives updates of the development of systems, strength of existing systems, and news of their movement. The map also can be switched between such options as Advisories, IR Satellite, storm track, projected path, satellite images of different areas of both oceans (as well the Gulf and Caribbean), and more.
NOAA’s National Hurricane Center
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, better known as NOAA, run the National Hurricane Center. The NHC is responsible for all reporting and investigating of tropical developments – AKA the ones who fly the planes into the storms to get readings. They are also responsible for issuing all watches and warnings.
Their website offers maps of outlooks, active storms, and marine forecasts. There also other maps available depending on the current situation. In addition, they offer season summaries, reports, and tracking charts.
Yes, Google Earth. They have actually added weather information to keep users informed. According to Google “You can also keep track of the current tropical storms through Google Earth, where we’ve made tropical storms part of the “default-on” Earth experience (just make sure “Places” is checked in the left Layers panel).”
They no get you stot only cover the US with Atlantic and Pacific information, but also several other areas where such weather exits, like the Indian Ocean and Tasman Sea.
“In Google Earth, you’ll find information on a storm’s intensity, heading, as well as the latest news and advisory information. Where available, we also provide links to download the historical and forecasted storm positions as a KML file. Be sure to turn on the “Clouds” layer under the “Weather” menu in the left Layers panel to visualize the magnitude of each storm.”
There are three good places started, but I am sure many more exist. If you have, please share it in the comments below.
Bing Gives the UK a New News Page
Last Updated on Monday, 4 July 2011 11:49 Written by Alan Monday, 4 July 2011 11:49
Bing announced today that Bing UK now has a brand new “news browse” page “that makes it easier than ever to scan headlines and pinpoint news.” The new enhancements include more UK sources to help make the page more relevant to the users there. Pictures have also been added to each search result. For browsing, the page now features separate categories, including top stories, world, UK, business, politics, entertainment and sport.
To check it simply visit bing.com/news and be sure to give them feedback about what you like, dislike, and want to see added. Bing point out that According to a UKOM/Nielsen survey their news service has now surpassed Google News in the UK in terms of readership.
