Top 5 Giftmas Gadgets

As the holidays approach and each of us search for something to give loved ones and friends.  On our quest we have many types of people on our lists.  From the kids with their latest toys to the adults who never seem to get enough of the latest gadgets.  This article is to shed a unique perspective on some lessor thought about items, but sure to be a hit with the gadget guru.  Here are the top five contenders (yes there are many gadgets out there, but here is our recommendation):

1. Portable Zero Ink Printer.  Perfect for the on the go person that takes alot of pictures.  I'm sure that you already have a camera of some fashion but with the latest generation of portable, zero ink printers they allow you to print anywhere.  Another great benefit is they require no ink.  The magic is in the paper.  You can find these from $50 to $150.  Additionally these printers do not require a computer to print your photos.  You can print right from the memory card that is in your camera.  Follow the links below for more information and pricing.

Polaroid CZA-10011B PoGo Instant Mobile Printer (Black)


Pandigital Zero Ink PANPRINT01 Portable Photo Color Printer

Dell Wasabi PZ310 Portable Zink Photo Printer - BLUE

2.Quiet Comfort Headphones from Bose.  Sure to be a hit with the music lovers.  One can never have a better experience then with Bose.  They pay the highest attention to audio detail and they take pride in what they do.  The old saying of "you get what you pay for"  is very true.  Well work the money spent and they will last for years to come.
Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones
Bose® QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones
Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headphones

3. Logitech Revue (Google TV)   This little black device connects the internet to your TV, allowing users to stream movies, television shows and more from their favorite Web sites such as YouTube and Hulu. Sports fans will love it because you can check your fantasy stats online, while still watching the game using the picture-in-picture function.  Check out the great prices on this and many more like it below:
Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV and Keyboard Controller
Boxee Box by D-Link
Apple TV MC572LL/A (2010)


4. Microsoft XBOX Kinect   Gaming evolution has come a long way since Atari’s joystick. Kinect is a controller-less experience that tracks your actual skeletal movement allowing you to play video games without a handheld controller. Available only to Xbox 360 users, gamers will love to give this new experience a try.  Grab a friend or two and get up and moving today with the many interactive games and choices that is brought to you by this revolution in gaming.
Kinect Sensor with Kinect Adventures!

5. Nook Color   More than an e-book reader, less than a full-blown tablet, the Nook Color's artful compromises make for a compelling, color reading experience that is ideal for both books and magazines.  Combine that with the extras and apps that this device packs makes it a compelling choice and alternative to the IPad at a reasonable price.  For more on ereaders check out our previous blog " E-Readers, IPads and Kindles, Oh My!"   
Barnes & Noble NOOK ebook reader (WiFi + 3G)[B&W]


Happy trails and enjoy the adventure of live, also the gadgets that make it that much better!

E-Readers, IPads and Kindles, Oh My!

Considering getting a new flashy Toy for this holiday season.  By that I mean one of the latest hand held devices that are easier to carry around than a laptop and make it easy to get the information that you crave.  If you have or have not jumped on the bandwagon yet I would like to discuss some of the pros and cons to each of the devices such as the IPad, Kindle, Sony Reader, Nook, and other devices.

The E-Ink technology that runs the display seems to be the way to go if you are truly looking for a book like experience.  This gives many advantages.  First, it is easier on the eyes.  The display is not giving out a lot of light so most of the time you will need an external light to accompany it in dark lighting.  Second, the battery will last a lot longer because the display has less of a demand.  These two factors combined make these very attractive choices. 

On the flip side E-Readers serve a single purpose.  To read books.  Devices like the IPad and other color display devices like the IPad serve to a larger range of applications.  Ranging from games to email, web and more.  These devices are slowly becoming the favored choice over the laptop.  If you have not experienced one yet, stop by your local Apple store and take it for a spin.  I bet you will be hooked.

    

Top 5 Antivirus Software 2010

We have discussed a little about basic security in a previous blog.  Today, I would like to go further in-depth on a something that every computer user should have, antivirus software.  The following is a list of the top five home user antivirus software.  The things considered here were Price, Effectiveness, and Easy of Use.

1.Shield Deluxe - Antivirus Protection                                      

Shield Deluxe is a cheap antivirus software package that does a great job with keeping up to date with the latest in threats.  Its reliable protection with its free technical support make this a great package.

One of the new feature that I like is as follows from the manufacturers website:

"Family network protection
Manage the security of your home network from a single location. The Shield Deluxe software from other computers in the network can be remotely configured, while tasks such as scans, backups tune-ups and updates can be run on-demand or scheduled to run during off-hours."

In my mind this is that makes them standout.  Most software packages retail for between $30 - $50.  Right now they have a sale on for only $9.99.  Its not free but it is worth every penny.

Advanced Features:

• Low cost
• Total virus and spyware protection
• Free technical support
• Intelligent scanning
• Real time threat detection
• Hourly updates, Vista/Windows 7 compatible
• Decides best security actions to take
• Stealth web browsing
• Excellent extended parental controls
• Uses minimal system resources

2. AVG Free Edition Antivirus 2011                       

AVG has a several different lines of antivirus so you choose the free version or paid versions.  Each level gets you additional features.  You can decide what fits your needs and budget but I would recommend the free version. From their website:

"Millions of people around the world use AVG Anti-Virus Free for their basic online activities. Whether it's surfing the Internet, conducting web searches, or simply keeping up with friends on Facebook, AVG Anti-Virus Free has got you covered.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011 allows you to:

• Surf and search with confidence AVG LinkScanner's® real-time protection
• Stay protected on social networks with AVG Social Networking Protection
• Enjoy a faster running PC AVG Smart Scanning works while you're away and runs in low-priority mode when you return
• Stay up-to-date with the latest threat information from the AVG Community Protection Network and AVG Protective Cloud Technology

More http://free.avg.com/us-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free#ixzz14nQ0SRnd "

3. Microsoft Essentials       

Its seems that this is a little publicized antivirus software.  It does a great job of keep you safe at home.  It is very easy to use and the price is right.  Here is what Microsoft has to say about it:

"Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. 

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple."



4. Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus 2011                                         

Every day the danger of an attack on a computer system is constantly growing. Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus 2011 makes antivirus easy to use and provides protection from viruses, intruders, and other Internet-based threats. I found it to be a very comprehensive antivirus solution.

Click here to see more from the manufacturer:

5. PC Tools Spyware Doctor^™ with AntiVirus 2011   

Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus uses two powerful engines to detect and remove unknown threats faster.

• Antivirus guards your computer against malicious software.
• Antispyware helps prevents information sharing  and identity theft.

It defends your computer against malware attacks with multiple layers of protection using proactive, reactive and automatic protection to stop threats at every entry point. This software package now includes memory scanning, behavior profiling, and report cards to provide up-to-date protection and status monitoring for your PC.

Quick Overview - Display Technologies

Just a very quick overview of display technologies and recommendations.  Over the last few years we have seen many trends come and go.  Starting a about five years ago, CRT's  ( cathode ray tubes) were common place.  The emergence of LCD's and Plasma's were hitting the consumer market.  They are still very common in the market place and I would like to talk the time to take about the new wave of the LCD.  To me the choice seems pretty clear that LCD with LED back-lighting will be the wave of future displays.

Here's why:  In the older LCD displays they used something similar to a florescent light to shine through the LCD to display the image on the screen.  With the recent changes they are now using LED's to provide this light and a crisper, clearer picture.  LED's are a lot smaller in nature compared to the older LCD lighting which allows for greater contrast.   Samsung has a really good article explaining this change and I would highly recommend reading it before your next display/tv purchase.  Along with this change comes a much more efficient way to use energy which means you save on your power bills.  These technologies can be found in many manufactures including: Samsung, Sony, Vizio and others.  The Samsung article can be found here.

Basic Click Security

What is basic click security?  

It may not be a term that you have heard before, but the premise is simple.  The meaning is to think before you click OK on the next pop-up or before you download the next piece of "Free Software."  

Why you may ask? 

Well, let me explain...  Harmful programmers on the internet are relying on the "Wow" factor and luire you in to download their piece of harmful software.  They package it up to look like something useful and in most cases a functioning piece of software.  What you don't see is what is happening in the background.  After you have downloaded and start using your new, free software the damage begins.  Depending on the intent of the hacker they maybe gathering information that you are entering into websites or they maybe digging through your personal files on your computer.  Nonetheless they have moved in and don't plan on moving out anytime soon. 

Most of these types of viruses are getting harder and harder to remove.   There are many antivirus software companies out there that help in different ways.  My recommendation is to get one and make sure to stay up to date with it.  We can dive into specific recommendations in a different article but the main purpose of the topic today is to bring awareness to how your actions online can compromise your computers safety.   The only 100% secured computer today is the one that is turned off.   Feel free to email me for recommendations for your security needs compxbertz @ gmail .com .

So in conclusion the next time you find a deal that seems to good to be true, it just might be.  Remember the principal behind Basic Click Security.  Happy broswing.

This is another Computer Xbertz recommendation.

Hello World

Hello World

Hello World!  It seems so simple.  Two words, but in the programing world all languages are not created equal.  In one programming language it is a very simple to make these words appear to the user.  Yet in others it may take three or four lines.  In the programming world a Hello World program is often the introduction to how to use that particular language.  That being said I would like to make the equivilant of a Hello World program in this, my first blog.   Two simple words, Hello World.   The purpose of this blog is to provide a new perspective of computers, both hardware and software, to make your everyday computer experience more enjoyable.  To help support my efforts please visit some of the links on this page, or use the donate button.  In the programming language PHP (Hypertext Processor) this is how Hello World would look:
<?php  echo "Hello World"; ?> .

PHP is a common programming language that is used to run some of the most popular sites on the internet today.  For further details about PHP visit php.net .