Tech Toys

A lot of environmentally-conscious consumers are realizing that many electronic peripherals draw small amounts of power even when they are turned off. While there is still some debate as to whether these “phantom” or “vampire” loads actually add up to a significant amount of electricity, for those who want to save this power usage, the USB EcoStrip offers a very convenient way to shut off all the peripherals attached to a computer when not in use.

The USB EcoStrip looks like an ordinary power strip. However, this device communicates with a connected computer by a USB cable. When the computer is on, the EcoStrip allows power to flow to its outlets just like a normal surge strip. However, when the computer turns off, the EcoStrip cuts off the power flow, effectively stopping the devices plugged into it from drawing power when they are not in use. After all, if your computer is off, the peripherals connected to it won’t be needed, right?

Certainly this seems like a great idea, but consider a couple of things. At $44.95 plus about $10 in shipping, will you save enough electricity to generate a return on your investment? It is certainly possible, but you should carefully consider how much power your devices draw when off to make sure it will be worth it to you. Of course, if you are considering this device for purely environmental reasons, then that probably won’t matter much. The other thing to consider is that things like routers and networked printers are shared network devices, which means that other users may want to use them even if the nearby computer is off. So it would make no sense to connect things like that to the USB EcoStrip, since they really do need to be on all the time. For some people, those devices make up the majority of peripherals connected to their computers, so the USB EcoStrip may not really serve any purpose in those cases.

Overall, I think the USB EcoStrip is a great idea for those users who would make effective use of it. If you have come across an interesting technology product, let me know and I may feature it as a future Tech Toy of the Month!

While you can’t yet buy this tech toy, I thought it was interesting enough to talk about. Basically, imagine a regular wooden ruler … except that the ruler has no markings. Yet it can measure extremely accurately. How? Read on …

Basically, you lay the ruler down and place a pencil (or pencil-like object) at some point on the ruler. Then you can draw along the ruler and the measurement is displayed in its digital display. You can also simply touch points along the ruler and the measurements are displayed. The ruler is able to calculate the measurements by using sensors along its side. Read some more about this new type of ruler here.

While this particular device may or may not be a commercial success, it uses technology that certainly will be used in other applications. Look for similar devices to hit the market soon. Just remember, you read about it here first!

Back in the fall of 2007, I wrote a couple of articles (part 1, part 2) about the Nintendo Wii, where I talked about how the control system of the Wii was the beginning of a new era in physical interaction with computers. Since that time, Nintendo has made improvements to the accuracy of their controllers and has introduced an entirely new device, the Wii Fit. You’ve likely heard of the Wii Fit – it is already the 5th best selling console video game of all time and it’s only a little over a year old!

The simple explanation of the Wii Fit is a video game fitness system. It combines the use of an electronic balance board and the motion-sensitive Wii controllers with video game-based exercises. I’m not going to go into too much detail of the system, as you can get a great overview at http://www.nintendo.com/wiifit/. Basically, you can do simple things like running in place, step aerobics, hula hoop, leg extensions, and push ups. The Wii can calculate how fast you are going or how much effort you are exerting and keep track of this information. However, the system also has more advanced features like Yoga techniques, tightrope walking, skiing, and some other interesting games. In addition, the Wii Fit can measure your weight, calculate your body mass index (BMI), and calculate your center of balance. It uses all this info to determine your “Wii Fit Age”, which is a simplified calculation of your overall health.

While certainly the Wii Fit is not a replacement for a traditional exercise program, it can provide a very good workout. The Wii Fit really seems to excel in balancing games and exercises, due to its balance board controller. While balancing may not seem like it would be good exercise, do note that many physical therapists use balance exercises as a core part of their therapies. Having good balance is a lot harder than it seems at first, as it requires strengthening many muscles throughout your body. As with any exercise program, consistency is key. Because the Wii Fit is in your home and is fun and easy to use, people are more likely to use it consistently. Also, by keeping track of progress over time, it can help provide motivation. People can see how far they’ve come and when they start to slack off. This is especially useful when competing with others in their overall fitness scores. Families can play and exercise together, keeping track of their progress and having a lot of fun doing it.

By combining exercise with fun and motivation, the Wii Fit has become an extraordinarily popular video game unlike any other to date. It seems the Wii Fit has fans in every age category. If you haven’t yet tried the Wii Fit, find a friend that has one and give it a try. Just make sure you are dressed appropriately, as you will likely sweat a little (or a lot!).

This month’s Tech Toy is a pretty simple device, but for the right type of user, it could be incredibly useful. At first glance, the Incase Power Slider seems to be a normal case for an iPhone 3G. Upon closer inspection, it seems a little thicker than most cases. Closer inspection reveals that this case is more than just a case. It is in fact this extra functionality that makes the Power Slider so unique.

The reason the Power Slider is thicker than most cases is because it holds a supplemental battery, in which the manufacturer claims that it more than doubles the battery life of the iPhone 3G. Additionally, the Power Slider allows users to charge and sync the iPhone without needing to remove the iPhone from the case. For users who heavily use their iPhones, the additional battery life could be a godsend. And unlike other supplemental batteries, the convenience of having the battery encased within a fairly slim protective case that also allows charging and syncing can make the Power Slider a great solution.

The Power Slider is an example of the type of accessory that we can carry at The Tech Spot. If this Tech Toy interests you, please contact us so that we can gauge interest. Or if you know any heavy iPhone users, pass this article along. Regardless, we can special order almost any technology product, so please don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.

I am usually not easily impressed. I had a client ask me the other day, “you don’t get excited about much, do you?” I had to answer honestly, “no, not usually”. It’s just in my nature to remain calm and try to think things through rationally before coming to conclusions. So when something actually makes me say “wow” out loud, I think that says a lot. I had a “wow” moment when trying out the Radius Atomic Bass Earphones back at the MacWorld show in January. Don’t let the name fool you, these earphones (more acurately earbuds) are not just for bass-heavy music. I can see that many people will appreciate these earbuds for reasons more than the sound.

Let me start off by saying that the first thing that impressed me was not the sound from the earbuds, but the way they fit into my ear. I am very picky about earbuds. Most low-cost earbuds don’t fit quite right, seem to fall out too easily, and leave my ears feeling sore. These earbuds seemed to fit like a glove, so to speak, and are incredibly light. I can’t see a way that these buds will fall out without actually tugging on the cords. Once set into my ears, they seem to “disappear”, as I can hardly tell I am wearing them. The cords connecting the earbuds seem heavier than the buds themselves. So my first impression was that these earbuds were very well designed and as long as they sound decent, I’m going to be happy with them.

More than sounding decent, however, my “wow” moment came when the music started playing. The name Atomic Bass is quite accurate. I could not believe that such little earbuds could produce such a big sounding bass response. Honestly, words can not do these justice – you must try these earphones yourself to understand. One problem with many bass-heavy speaker products is that they sacrifice overall tonal quality to highlight the bass response. However, I feel that these earphones have a very good tonal quality to them. I also conferred with one of my employees who is also a musician and much picker about audio equipment than I am. He also agreed that these earbuds gave a very good quality sound for the price.

Which brings us to the last reason that I think people will appreciate the Atomic Bass Earphones. Most earphones of this quality cost at least $100. The Atomic Bass Earphones are only $40. There is also model with a microphone for iPhone users that are only $50 (the microphone models also work with any iPod that can use a microphone, such as the iPod Touch 2G). It is going to be very difficult in my opinion to find a better overall pair of earphones for the price. But if you’d like more opinions than mine, Radius‘ web site has links to other reviews as well.

I was so impressed with the Atomic Bass Earphones that we are going to carry them in our store. We will carry the black color earphones to start with and special order the other colors that are available – maroon and silver in the earphone only models; pink, red, and silver in the microphone models. If you’d like to try them out, we should have demo models arriving soon, so feel free to stop by and check them out.

If you have any ideas for future Tech Toys of the Month, send them in today!

This particular Tech Toy, now in its second revision, has been a fairly unknown device to this point. However, it is now starting to get more attention from some mainstream media in part due to some controversy. As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Not that this device is generating the bad publicity, but rather those that fear it are doing more to publicize it by complaining about it.

The Kindle is a wireless, portable, e-book reading device. Lighter than a paperback and as thin as a magazine, the Kindle lets you download books in less than 60 seconds and hold over 1500 books in its memory. The Kindle, or devices like it, have the potential to do for books what the iPod did for music. Today it is not uncommon for people to carry their entire music collection with them. Soon it may be the same for their library.

I won’t try to explain every feature of the Kindle, as Amazon’s web site does a great job of it.

As with other recent media technologies, certain media groups are complaining that this new technology could hurt their business models. It seems to me that those who embrace new technology and figure out how to best make money with the new technology do a lot better than those who fight to keep the status quo.

If you enjoy reading books, newspapers, or magazines, the Amazon Kindle 2 may be in your future. Be sure to read more about this device, as it has the potential to be a much sought after device if it keeps getting more and more publicity.

If you have any ideas for future Tech Toys of the Month, send them in today!

When I saw this gadget listed in a magazine, I knew instantly it would be the next Tech Toy of the Month. I generally look for things that are fairly new, are easy to understand and use, and solve a real-world problem in an elegant way. The Bushnell Backtrack fit all three criteria to a T. If you are an outdoors-person or tend to get easily lost, this device may be a must-have for you.

Basically, the Backtrack is a GPS device that can store up to three locations in its memory. Later, a stored location can be recalled and the distance and direction to that location provided. So simple, yet so useful. For example, if you are camping, it would be very useful to store your base camp in the Backtrack so that you could find your way back if lost. Hikers could mark the beginning of their hike. Hunters could mark where they entered the field. People shopping at a large mall can mark where they parked their car. People on vacation can mark their hotel’s location.

The real key for this device is its simplicity, both in usage and form factor. There are many other GPS devices out there that can store locations. However, most of those GPS devices are much more complicated to use and are fairly large. The Backtrack only has a few buttons, is designed to only be a location finder, looks and works for the most part like a compass, and is small enough to keep in a pocket or purse. Additionally, they are reasonably priced, approximately $75 for most models.

I can see that the Backtrack (or copycat devices that will undoubtedly be produced) will likely become a staple at camp sites, hiking trails, and hunting grounds. For their low-cost and usefulness, this type of device alone could result in the safe return of countless people who would have otherwise become lost in the outdoors. Who wouldn’t send their kids off to summer camp with one of these devices? Who wouldn’t take one themselves when exploring unknown areas, whether wilderness or urban?

So be sure to check out the Bushnell Backtrack and remember where you heard about it first!

If you have any ideas for future Tech Toys of the Month, send them in today!

To some people, this month’s tech toy may seem like one of the most unlikely combinations of technology out there. But in reality, sewing machines have been getting more and more high tech for quite a while now. However, the Quattro 6000D from Brother is quite unlike any other sewing machine before it.

Not being a seamstress, I don’t really know much about what makes a good sewing machine. But this machine does seem to have some impressive features, including a large 4.5 x 7 inch LCD display, a 50 square inch workspace, and embedded runway lighting. This machine is so new that pricing information is hard to find, but it appears to retail for $9000 – $13000. This probably explains why Brother has a special financing deal that lets you pay for this over 36 months.

To find out more about this product, take a look at http://www.brother-usa.com/homesewing/quattro/ and http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/30/the-quattro-6000d-this-aint-your-grandmommas-sewing-machine/
If you have any ideas for future Tech Toys of the Month, send them in today!

It is very difficult to recommend digital cameras, as there are many factors involved in matching a digital camera to a particular individual’s picture-taking style or preferences. For the most part, an “average” user will probably never use most of the features in today’s digital cameras, if they even understand what those features accomplish. Honestly, I usually recommend to find some good values, read on-line reviews, and try to take a few pictures with the cameras before making a decision. Today’s digital cameras are almost all good enough for average users to take good-quality family or hobby pictures. So I’m not necessarily recommending this month’s Tech Toy as the camera you should buy, but I am highlighting it because of one very interesting feature.

The Nikon Coolpix P6000 is one of the first digital cameras to integrate a GPS receiver. No, the camera will not help you with directions, but it will encode your pictures with your current GPS location when you take them. This practice is a fairly new but quickly growing phenomenon called “Geotagging“. Basically, with the right software that can recognize geotag data, anyone looking at your pictures will later be able to see exactly where you were on a map when you took the picture. Certainly some people may not think this feature is anything special. But I’m sure there are people who are in the market for a digital camera that would probably buy this camera because of this feature.

Again, I’m not necessarily recommending this camera. Reviewing the specifications it seems to be a fairly good camera and would probably serve most users very well. At $499 MSRP, it might be a little pricey for many users. However, for those that do a lot of traveling I can see that geotagging their photos may be a feature they appreciate. So if you fall into that category or you know someone that does, the Nikon Coolpix P6000 may be worth checking out.

Again, if you need help purchasing your holiday technology gifts, attend our class this Tuesday, November 11th. If you can’t make the class, please contact me with any questions you may have.