Dash - The latest in GPS

So have you seen, tried or purchased the newest in 2-way GPS / Navigation systems? From their website:

Dash Express, the first two-way Internet-connected GPS navigation system. Dash delivers traffic and destination information in exciting new ways, and offers a wide range of new capabilities available from the car that makes a typical GPS practically obsolete. Dash is the smartest way to get from A to B, and find everything in between.

Please let me know if it's cool or a dud. America is eager to know.

/TDG

Palm introduces Centro

It's new and "nearly" free. Available exclusively from Sprint through Christmas, the super-slim CDMA device weighs in at only about 100 grams, and packs more power than many weighing (and selling for) meaningfully more.

According to Palm's CEO Ed Colligan, the company is putting substantial emphasis on penetrating not only the smartphone market, which represents 8% of the 157 million mobile handsets sold in the USA each year, but the broader mobile phone market. Launching for $99 with rebates, the device may soon be given away for free to newly subscribing Sprint customers.

So what do you think? Is Palm going in the right direction?

/TDG

Millions may miss digital TV deadline

On Feb. 18, 2009 federal law requires broadcast stations to turn off analog signals and transmit only in digital. Digital technology will give free TV viewers vastly sharper pictures and enable networks to offer a wider range of channels. A recent poll found that 61% of people who rely on broadcast TV were not aware of the digital shift.

The 80% of Americans who already have cable or satellite service won't be affected by the change. Neither will those who have newer, digital TV sets. Those who have an old analog TV hooked up to an antenna, will only need to buy a converter box, which will probably cost about $50. The federal government is going to hand out subsidies to help pay for it, and you have two years to get ready.

So did you know about this? Do you care? Let me know what you think...

/TDG

*New* at CES: All-in-one Computer/TV

From a recent visitor to CES that I found amusing. Make sure to read it in its entirety:

"Hewlett-Packard introduced the TouchSmart IQ770 PC today at CES -- an all-in-one system that runs Microsoft's new Vista operating system. Equipped with a wireless keyboard and mouse, it's part PC with a high-definition tuner, DVD drive/burner and speakers, and part TV and home-entertainment system. It also has the TiVo-like ability to pause, rewind and record TV programs.

What makes this TV relatively unique is its 19-inch touch-screen. With an interface similar to Windows tablet laptops, the machine has the option to control it without having to touch the keyboard, mouse or remote. It also has WiFi, which can be handy if you don't have wired Ethernet in your kitchen or living room.

The power of this hardware and the improvements in Vista are major steps in the right direction, but it's still Windows. It worked mostly as advertised, but when I tried to burn a TV show to a DVD, the system crashed and I had to press CTRL ALT DEL to restart it before I could watch TV or use the PC. I don't recall ever having do that with a TV set."

/TDG

GPS Navigation Systems

The perfect solution for people with a poor sense of direction -- a GPS Navigation system. My wife can't leave the driveway without one. The GPS in our Navigator (came with the car) has one major flaw -- it can't be programmed while the car is moving. I find this frustrating because there is no reason why someone in the PASSENGER SEAT can't find the nearest gas station as the family drives across the state on vacation. Can someone please tell me WHY would Ford assume that only the driver would be trying to program the navigation system while the car is moving. PLEASE. The car fits 7 comfortably. To think that I'd be driving alone in my 12 MPG gas guzzler is crazy.

And what about the new portable GPS systems available like Tom Tom, Garmin and Magellan? Anybody tried those? On your Christmas list?

I've seen and heard built-in Navigation systems from Acura that are voice activated. Now that makes sense. I assume that both the driver and passsenger can "ask" for directions. Speaking of asking for directions, has anyone noticed that Hertz and Avis took out the machines in their lobbies that printed out directions to hotels and other destinations? They tell me that now that they rent "Never Lost" systems, free directions at the touch of your finger tips are no longer available. Progress I guess.

/TDG

Digital Camcorders

Analog Video Cameras are old news. What's the latest with all-digital video camcorders?

I bought my first 8mm video camera right after my son was born. I still suits me fine; I haven't broken down an bought a digital video camera just yet. The only problem with my 8mm camera is that playback on my TV requires RCA connectors. Can't just drop a tape into the old VCR or DVD player. I suspect that all-digital video cameras are good for editing on a computer, but I would have to burn a DVD on my computer in order to playback my tapings.

Would love to hear from experienced digital video enthusiasts and hear how this new technology has changed the way they record, edit and playback their lasting memories.

/TDG

All-in-one Printer/Scanner/Fax/Copier

Our only 1 year-old InkJet just stopped working. Must be in cahoots with my cell phone. Why is it that every electronic device I own must break at the same time? Is that one of Murphy's laws? Car also broke the other day. Rear hatch stopped working. More on that another time...

So I just bought a new all-in-one HP OfficeJet today to replace the InkJet. Going to use it in the home office. For about the same price as an entry level DeskJet, I was able to get a printer that could also fax and copy. How cool is that?!?

First challenge will be to figure out how to set it up so that we don't have to get an extra phone line. I'm pretty sure that I can hook it up to my regular phone jack and still receive phone calls normally. Guess I'll have to read the instructions manual to figure that one out.

So if you try calling and it sounds like a fax machine answering, please be patient. It's probably just TDG playing with the settings. Should get things working before some other electronic device I own completely breaks down...

/TDG

Treo vs Q

While my Q was at the phone doctor, I got a Treo 650 as a loaner. Yes, the same Treo I had before. I didn't realize how much better the user interface was on the Treo until I got it back.

The touch screen is really a convenience. You don't even need a stylus. I'm so used to hitting the backspace key on the Q to get out of a screen I forgot how simple the "done" button is on the Treo.

So for those of you who are trying to decide between a Treo 700 series or a Motorola Q, here is my advise to you. For all-around ease of use, go with the Treo. If you are in a remote area with less then stellar cell reception, the Motorola is better for that.

So go with which ever suits your needs. I'm still using the Q but miss my Treo.

/TDG

What about HD Radio?

Found this definition on Wikipedia:

Digital [audio] information is transmitted using COFDM, a modulation method that has been used in a number of different digital television and radio systems, including DVB-T. In hybrid mode, the AM version can carry 36 kbit/s of data for the main audio channel, while FM stations can carry information at 96 kbit/s. HD Radio can also be used to carry multiple distinct audio services, called multicasting but actually more like multiplexing. Secondary channels, such as for weather, traffic, or a radio reading service, can be added this way, though it may reduce the audio quality of all channels on a station. Stations may eventually go all-digital, meaning they could no longer be heard on a regular [Analog] radio.

So in addition to having to upgrade all of our TVs to High-Def, our radios will soon be obsolete as well. I haven't given in and purchased either satellite or HD radio just yet. I really don't need to listen to sports talk radio in all digital surround sound while driving to/from work.

/TDG

Plasma, LCD or DLP?

With so many choices in flat screen TV's, how do you choose what's best?

I went with a 50" Plasma panel. Although the LCD picture seems a bit clearer, the price tag for a 50" LCD was out of this world.

I'm not too worried about the burn-in hype. From what I can tell, you'd have to watch TV constantly for hours on end EVERY DAY before it could ever become a problem.

On the other hand, now that we have a HDTV tuner and a DVR maybe I should worry about it...

/TDG

IM and SMS: When email alone just won't do

Instant Messaging ("IM") is really popular with the techies at my work. We're all using the Microsoft Instant Message program. It has me speaking in a whole new language:

• BRB - be right back
• TTYL - Talk to you later
• WFH - Working from home
• OOO - Out of office
• LOL - Laughing out Loud
• KIT - Keep in touch

I see new ones just about every day that I have to decipher. And since I'm on the phone constantly at work, it's an easy way for me to stay in touch with co-workers: the ultimate in multi-tasking!

And with the mobility of the cell phone, many co-workers are using text messaging ("SMS") to get their message across. So by land line, cell phone/PDA, IM and text messaging you can be sure that I'll get your message. Please KIT (keep in touch).

/TDG

Wireless Home Networking

Having a laptop with a wireless card is great. I can roam anywhere in my house and still be connected to the internet. I even can sit on the front porch.

So I had this bright idea. Instead of just having my laptop wireless, why not get rid all of the unsightly co-ax cable in my office. So when shopping for a new PC, I was suprised to learn that even some of the top of the line HP Pavilions do NOT come with a wireless card built-in. I had to buy a card with an antenna on it and install it myself!

So if you are planning to go wireless in your home, make sure you know how to hook-up your computers first. You may have more to do than you think.

/TDG

Going all digital with my cable company

I'm a Cox Communications subscriber. Being "The Digital Guy" of course I have their all-digital package: Digital Cable with HDTV and DVR service , Voice over IP phone service and Cable Modem. Presumably I get a bundle discount with this service. Cable modem costs $39 a month alone. I haven't tried to price the bundled digital services via 3rd party providers. Too much of a hastle...

So I just read how Cox is going to offer TiVo service on their DVR's coming in 2007. And we'll still be able to get video-on-demand services on the Motorola set-top boxes. Such a deal.

As if we didn't have enough reasons to watch endless hours of reality TV now Cox is giving us more wiz-bang technology to dazzle us with our viewing habits. I can't wait to see how fast my wfie fills up the 80 hours of programming space available in the DVR once TiVo arrives. Think I'll have to hardwire another external drive to increase capacity. Anybody have a screwdriver I can borrow?

/TDG

Finding the TV/Video Button on the Remote

Having one of my family member showing off pictures of their African Safari on their TV seemed to be a good idea. If only he could figure out how to get his DVD to display on his TV. THE DIGITAL GUY to the rescue!

You see, the problem was that the DVD player was hooked up to the TV's Video input. That would be using the Yellow RCA chord for you techno-savvy readers. So we were all ready to see the pictures he had made on a DVD, but "the DVD player wasn't working".

It turns out that in order to display the DVD picture on his TV, the TV had to be changed from standard broadcast TV mode to "Video 1" input. The video 1 input was where the DVD was connected.

It seems so simple that we would just put the DVD into the player and the TV would know to play it on the display. But TV's just aren't that smart.

When I was shopping for my home entertainment system, I was offered an $800 remote that could control all of this for me. Seems that simply pressing the "TV/Video" button on the TV remote is a far more economical approach. If it was only that intuitive.

/TDG

Wireless Headset or Fashion Statement?

Don't you kinda find it annoying how everyone now wears their bluetooth wireless headsets even when they are not on the phone? It's the new fashion statement I guess...

There are many different manufacturers of wireless headsets for a cell phone. Jambra, Motorolla and Plantronics just to name a few. What's the difference between a cheap bluetooth headset and an expensive one? What do you get for forking over $200 FOR AN EARPIECE?

I'm still concerned with all of the talk that cell phones will give us all brain tumors. What about the wireless headset? Isn't it a receiver too? And permanently afixing it to our heads may not be such a good thing.

/TDG

Digital Video Recorders

A DVR can change your TV viewing habits forever. Most can record about 80 hours of standard broadcast programming but recording HDTV broadcasts will net you less.

With DVR you can watch one program while recording another; alternatively you can simultaneously record 2 shows at the same time. One of the best features is that you can record a series at the same time each week simply at the touch of button. I highly recommend a DVR for anyone who regularly rotates a series of blank tapes on their VCR to regularly record their favorite shows!

What is the advantage of using TiVo vs. one from your local Cable company (or DISH Network)? With TiVo, you can program your DVR remotely via the internet. You don't need to home with your remote in hand to record your favorite show.

/TDG

Motorola Q and Goodlink together

For a long time, I had a Goodlink PDA for quick and easy access to my corporate email, calendar and contact information AND a flip phone. Still called the PDA a "Crackberry" because I couldn't put it down. It went with me everywhere -- to meetings, to my daughter's open house and even on vacation. When the opportunnity presented itself, I replaced it with a Motorola Q.

The Q came with Goodlink to sync my corporate email with the PDA. Seeing that I was accustomed to Goodlink, I didn't think much of it. At first, I found the Goodlink Phone interface for the Q ABSOLUTELY horrible. Fortunately, you can turn off the Goodlink Phone interface by going into the Goodlink preferences and clicking on the "system default" option.

Now that I'm using the default phone interface provided by Microsoft/Motorola I'm much happier. Only challenge is that I can't get the Active Sync software to download from the VerizonWireless site. Need to sync Outlook contacts with the phone so that i know who's calling...Next up: calling VerizonWireless customer support.

/TDG

Never buy film again!

Thinking of replacing your film camera with a digital camera? Lots of choices out there..you can spend a little or a lot of money depending on your needs.

We replaced our Minolta SLR with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel. This is our everyday camera. We are very pleased with how well it takes pitures. For my 5 year-old daugher, we got her a Kodak Easy-Share. For under $200, she has an easy-to-use 5 mega pixel 3x zoom camera. Only thing to decide after buying the cameras is what size memory disk to get.

Word of advice -- if you intend to backup your pictures from a flash memory card to a CD, beware that a CD can fit about 700 MB of data. Most flash memory cards these days hold 1 GB, 2 GB and more of data. Backing up more than 700 MB of data requires multiple disks and is not a trivial exercise -- just ask my very computer literate father!

/TDG