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Archive for September, 2011

Information Overload – Elixir 2 for Android

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 8:19 AM on September 12, 2011

If you want information on your Android device, and I mean DETAILED information about EVERYTHING going on, then you will want to check out Elixir 2.  It bills itself as a “system information application”, and I would say that they are putting it rather mildly.

Elixir 2 will give detailed information on “displays information about battery, internal and external storage (sd card), cpu, memory, telephony, wifi, bluetooth, location, display, airplane mode, synchronization, audio, camera, camcorder, input devices, build, operating system, settings, configuration, clipboard, environment variables, features, java system properties, shared libraries”.

More importantly,  it allows you to make changes to screen settings, running apps, WiFi, BlueTooth, and various sensors like GPS, compass, microphone, and accelerometer.  It will tell you what’s using your battery, CPU, or memory so that you can make changes to better utilize your device.

There is far more information available than can be fully discussed here.  If you are a techy then this is probably a must-have app.  If you aren’t, you probably can still benefit by saving some battery life and killing processes that are slowing down your device.  The app is free (ad supported), and can be found at the Android Market.  You can check out a few screenshots below.

Elixir 2 main screen

Elixir 2 sensors

 

Elixir 2 system information

Robot Underpants: #19 08.12.11

Posted by Langley at 12:41 AM on September 12, 2011

This week: Langley talks about the new Sony Tablet and TWiT studios.

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VoCal For The iPhone

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 7:43 PM on September 11, 2011

You are going somewhere and you remember you have a meeting later in the day. You need to make a quick note to remind yourself to pick up some paper work. If you have an iPhone a quick and easy way to do it is by using the VoCal app from GZERO. With the VoCal app you simply tap on the application record your note then add the date and time and tap save.

In the VoCal app under setting you can set the default reminder to go off on the schedule time, or from 5 minutes before up to 2 weeks before the event. You can adjust the time of the reminder with each message. You can also set a reminder to go off within in a specific time such as in an hour using the quick entry option. You can also make any reminder recurring. You can either have an alarm go off or if you want you can set it to have the message go off. There is an option in setting to start a recording by bring the iPhone up to your ear with VoCal active. I didn’t like the way it works so I did not enable it. I also wish you could add the date and time within the recording, instead of manually, but I recognize that not realistic at this time. If you want you can have a reminder automatically sync to your default iCal calendar. You can also set a default snooze time. You can also set all nonrecurring recording to delete after a specific time. Below is a short video demonstrating VoCal

 

I just started using VoCal, but I already like it. I am constantly remembering something I am supposed to do later while walking. I simply pull out the iPhone, hit the VoCal icon,record my message, set the time and hit save. It is much easier than typing a note then sending it to iCal. VoCal is $1.99 in the app store and it is well worth a try

TMS #33 Figuring Out New Media

Posted by geeknews at 12:25 AM on September 11, 2011

Rob Greenlee and I talk tech and new media and look at where the future lays in the new media space along with a lot of other cool tech topics for the past week.

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Windows 8, As In It Boots In 8 Seconds

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 5:43 PM on September 9, 2011

Recently Microsoft rep Steven Sinofsky has been blogging about the next version of their OS, Windows 8.  He has announced and documented extensively the changes and benefits we can expect.  He showed off the Explorer ribbon interface and improving file management, to name two things.  Yesterday, however, Sinofsky wrote about the future of Windows start-up times.  If you are interested in the technical, very geeky, details of hibernation, cold starts, kernels, and the like, then I recommend you head over to his blog post for the details.  You will also find lots of graphs and charts that compare Windows 8 to Windows 7.

If you just want your PC to start up quickly when you really need it, without all of the technical jargon,then check out the video post below, which was included in Sinofsky’s post.  You will see a laptop with no power cord and no battery go from dead to ready-to-use in about 8 seconds.

Google Groups New Interface Looks More like Email

Posted by Jeffrey Powers at 11:39 AM on September 9, 2011

If you use Google groups, you might have noticed the switch to the new version. It is a little more colorful, using html5 and integrating into the other Google properties.

Google Groups Interface

Google Groups Interface

Google Groups is Google’s answer to message boards. Just like with Yahoo! groups, you can create a new group and invite friends to it. They can then read the messages, or interact (depending on how you have the group set up). For example, Todd uses groups to message subscribers of Geek News Central podcast.

Switching is not that difficult. Just choose to use the new Google Groups interface, then (when comfortable) select the button on top called “Switch to the new Google Groups”.

It’s got an email feel to this new version. The left pane is the groups you are in. When you select a group, the list of messages show up on the right. At the top, you are asked to adjust your profile – either update your name or attach this group to your Google profile. Then you can message away!

Does it change the email version?

So you don’t go to this interface. You end up emailling to [whatever]@googlegroups.com. You get emails and respond that way.

So far, nothing has changed there. You can still email to google groups and get messages either when they come out, on a daily digest or never.

Erasure’s Tomorrow’s World

Posted by Andrew at 10:50 AM on September 9, 2011

To preview their forthcoming album, Tomorrow’s World, pop duo Erasure have produced a tribute to the future-gazing BBC TV show of the same name. British geeks of a certain age will fondly remember this TV programme for introducing us to gadgets such as Walkmans, CDs and camcorders. It was also notorious for showing off products that promptly disappeared and never made it to market. The programme ran from 1965 to 2003 and drew over 10 million viewers at its peak.

Erasure’s tribute is a reworking of the programme’s soundtrack and has an accompanying video that includes many famous gadgets from the past. Here it is.

GNC #703 Chaos in the Valley

Posted by geeknews at 1:28 AM on September 9, 2011

Five days away from the Internet upgrade, and I am as excited as a 5 year old that is waiting for Christmas. Lots to share as usual, plus I talk about how you can get yourself a finders fee by helping the show.

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$3 Dollar Tablet Stand

Posted by tomwiles at 6:43 PM on September 8, 2011

Ever wander into the iPad/tablet accessory isle at your local big box electronics store looking for an inexpensive stand for your iPad, Nook, Kindle, or other tablet/reader device? If so, you know these things have a tendency to be rather pricey and may not even do what you want them to.

I’ve got an inexpensive, very effective solution you may not have thought about. Make a trip to your local hobby store, a dollar store, or any store that sells nick-nack type items. What you are looking for are small easels either made of metal wire or even wooden ones with folding hinges. These can sell for as little as a $1 and up.

I purchased the pictured wire metal easel from my local Hobby Lobby store for $2.99 plus tax to hold my Barnes & Noble Nook – about $60 dollars or so less than I would have paid for a specialty tablet stand.

Save your money and have an effective solution all in one fell swoop.

Epson’s BrightLink 455Wi-T

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 6:03 PM on September 8, 2011

BrightLink-455Wi-TOn Sept 7th Epson released the BrightLink 455Wi-T a high performance projector and table mount. It is being produce for Copernicus Education Products and it turns any tabletop into an interactive learning area. The area can be up to 60 inches in diagonal. There is also a pen that goes with it which will allow students and others to collaborate on projects and lessons. Because the BrightLink 45Wi-T is flexible you can use it on any flat surface including walls, whiteboards, and tabletops of various sizes. It will also work with widescreen notebooks and visual content. It has a light that produces approximately 2,500 lumens color and white light output. It has a native WXGA resolution of 16:10 aspect ratio.
BrightLink-455Wi-T

Back of BrightLink-455Wi-T
The Epson BrightLink 455Wi-T is currently available for an estimated street price of $2,199 through select dealers on a state-by-state basis. If you are a member of Bright-future the price is $1,699. Bright Future is a program created specifically for educators with special pricing and support including dedicated account managers, extended Epson limited warranty coverage for three years and a toll-free technical support number. Those who already have a BrightLink 455Wi can purchase the table mount for $189. Bright Futures members can get it for $129.00.

Epson is a global imaging and innovation leader dedicated to exceeding the vision of customers worldwide through its compact, energy-saving, high-precision technologies, with a wide lineup ranging from printers and 3LCD projectors for business and the home, to electronic and crystal devices. The BrightLink-455Wi-T is the latest in a long line of innovative products developed by Epson. If I was an educator or student the BrightLink-455-T is something I would want for my classroom.