Geek News: Latest Technology, Product Reviews, Gadgets and Tech Podcast News for Geeks



Gazelle

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 12:12 PM on February 26, 2012

Gazelle If you have old gadgets lying around your house, there are a couple things you can do with them, keep them, throw them in the trash, try to sell them on Ebay or Craiglist or you could use Gazelle. Option one isn’t very practical. Option two is bad for the environment and is illegal in most states. Option three can be a hassle. The best option to me is option four, Gazelle. Whenever I have an old gadget I want to sell or get rid of I go to Gazelle. Currently I am waiting for the box to ship my iPad version 1 to them. I am going to get $140.00 for it, which will go toward the purchase of an iPad 3.

Gazelle has been around 2006. You can trade in your old gadgets for money or recycle those that aren’t worth anything. Around 95 percent of all items they receive are worth something, the other 3 percent they will recycle properly. They handle products in 23 different categories everything including cellphones, gaming consoles, laptops and mp3 players just to name a few. Gazelle takes data removal very seriously any data that is on the device is removed using the most secure method. Gazelle gets most of their business from people who wanted to get the latest and greatest and trade in their old device. Since the release of the iPhone 4s in Oct they have received over 150,000 iPhones in trade in. They are currently getting ready for the release of the iPad 3.

The thing I didn’t know about Gazelle is they have a store, where they sell the items they receive that are in good working order. So when the iPad 3 comes out you maybe able to pick up a iPad 2 for a good price. In fact many people will buy a device from the Gazelle store and then later sell the same device back to Gazelle to get some money. In case you haven’t noticed I am a big fan of Gazelle, so if you have old gadgets you are trying to get rid of you may want to check out Gazelle.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Steve Lee of Wave of Tech

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TVman Wireless DTV Tuner by Dediprog

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 12:07 PM on February 26, 2012

TVman Do you want to watch over the air TV on your laptop or tablet while traveling, then the TVman Wireless DTV Tuner by Dediprog maybe what you are looking for. It is a digital TV receiver that allows you to watch over the air TV. It transfers the signal to any computer or tablet by Wi-fi. So there are no extra wires to carry around. The cord is the antenna. Because it doesn’t depend on 3G connectivity you get a full high def signal. Unlike other options available now which depend on the 3G signal and are often compressed. Dediprog distributes the product themselves and also  through other vendors. They expect to sell it in the US for around $100.00. It is available now in Japan and South America. They hope to have it available in Europe within 3 months and the US by end of the year.

Dediprog also showed off a second item which combines the wireless DTV tuner with 3G. The device can be used as a mobile hotspot or a digital TV receiver. Dediprog is trying to build partnerships with various mobile service providers which would provide the 3G connectivity. They also need to get FCC approval for both devices.

Both products are small enough to fit into a man’s front pocket. You carry them with you and as long as there is an over the air signal available you can watch TV. Not sure how long the battery last or how far the wi-fi signal travels. I expect you need to be in the same room as the device, but that is an assumption on my part. Both products will works with Android, iOS and Windows. I would love to get a hold of the device to test it, to see what kind of signal it picks up

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Steve Lee of Wave of Tech

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Skifta by Qualcomm

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 11:55 AM on February 26, 2012

Skifta Qualcomm which is known for its silicon and wi-fi technology for handsets and tablets is spreading into software and service. One of the consumer products they are currently developing is called Skifta. It is a media shifting platform which works through  DLNA-certified and UPnP -compatible devices. DLNA protocol has been around for about eight years. Most TVs today which are over 36 inches and Internet enable are DLNA capable. The Web site of your TV’s manufacture should let you know if your TV is DLNA capable. DLNA is a nonprofit trade organization which enables the sharing of digital media between various consumer devices by defining interoperability guidelines. Because DLNA is a nonprofit organization they don’t have the money to spend on advertising and promotion, so its adoption has been slow but steady. The growth of the Smart or Connected TV market has help to increase its popularity over the last 12-18 months. Its biggest rival is Apple’s Air Play.

Qualcomm was showing off its software platform Skifta at CES 2012, which works with the DLNA platform. Think of Skifta as Airplay for Android. Once Skifta is installed on your Android device, it will go out and find any DLNA enabled device including TV’s, computers and the Playstation. You can then sending any media that is available on your network to that device. Skifta also gives you access to various Internet providers including Revision3, Ted Talks, Facebook and others.

Qualcomm is also developing a Skifta audio adapter which you attach to a receiver that is not DLNA enable and enable it. They are also making a DLNA platform that can be installed easily by the manufacture into a receiver. I installed the Skifta application on my Android phone and it almost immediately connected and found the media on my network. Once I set up an account it also let me pick up media from Revision3 and Ted Talks among others. Unfortunately I don’t have a connected TV, so for me its use is limited, but I love its possibilities.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Steve Lee Wave of Tech

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Swiss Voice: Landline Phones for the Modern Age

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 8:49 AM on February 24, 2012

Swiss Voice Swiss Voice has been making phones for over 100 years since 1893. They are known for their beautiful designs and technology. More and more people especially the younger generation are using their mobile phones as their home phones. Swiss Voice makes a line of beautifully designed phones call ePure which combine the security of a landline along with the mobility of a mobile phone. On the front of ePure you can dock your iPhone and recharge it or stream music from it. When a call comes in you can either use the hands free option or you can pick up the handset for a more private call. The handset can also be used as a speaker with a push of a button. So if you want to listen to some music in another room just take your handset with you, push the button and you will hear the music playing on your iPhone. Swiss Voice also makes a non-iPhone version that allows you to connect your smart phone by USB cable.

Swiss Voice also makes a station which plugs into both your landline and your network by Ethernet. It allows you to answer your landline number using your mobile phone. Currently, the ePure is only available in Europe and Asia, they expect to be available in the US in July 2012. The iPhone ePure version should round around $199.00, the non-iPhone version will be around $159. The base station will be $99.00. If you still have a landline or know someone who does, this maybe a nice option the security of a landline with the advantage of a mobile phone

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine Podcast

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ComplyFoam Replacement Earphone Tips

Posted by Andrew at 9:09 AM on February 23, 2012

ComplyFoam Replacement Earphone TipsIf you’ve got a pair of earphones or earbuds that just don’t quite fit your ears properly, then you’ll want to take a look at this interview with Nate from ComplyFoam.

ComplyFoam produce replacement tips for earphones and earbuds from a huge range of manufacturers – SkullCandy, Monster, Shure, Sony to name but a few. The difference between the OEM tips and the ComplyFoam ones is that the latter are made from memory foam which responds to body heat, expanding and fitting better. As a result, more exterior sound is blocked, giving a better listening experience.

The replacement tips are available in a range of colours and sizes, with prices around from $10-$20 for a set of three depending on model.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Andy Smith of Geocaching World.

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iMicroData new Filing System

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 9:19 AM on February 22, 2012

iMicroData If you’ve worked in an industry or government agency that is required to keep a lot of paper work. You know how difficult it is some times to find a folder and how often they are misfiled. iMicroData is introducing a new system which uses a systems of RFID tags and integrated circuits to enable users to locate folders quickly by title or keyword. The standard filing cabinet is modified electronically. The rails along the inside of the file cabinets are used to conduct both power and information. Each folder will have a conductive contact installed on the tab that sits on the rail and an integrated circuits and a led light installed along the top. There is a motherboard installed in the cabinet, which generates the system address of a given folder. When you want to search for a folder you go to the application on a computer, input in the keyword or title for folder and the file cabinet where that folder is will light up. Once you open up the cabinet up the correct folder will light up.

The system can handle up to 5300 cabinets or about 530,000 files. They are still establishing pricing but are looking at about $800 per three drawer file cabinet with folders included. Extra folders are expected to cost between $1.50 and $2.00. For more information about the product at the ImicroData Web site. This the type of product where a company can start small and build up overtime. There is a high initial cost, but overtime it can save a lot of money in man hours.

Interview by Andy McCaskey of SDR News and RV News Net 

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Panashiba AIO-101

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 9:13 AM on February 22, 2012

AIO-101How many of you have a docking station for your iPhone and than a separate one for your iPad. I bet many of you are raising your hands. That is the trouble with a lot of iPad or iPhone docks they will dock one or the other, but not both.  Until the AIO-101 by Panashiba.  The AIO-101 by Panashiba allows you to dock and charge either the iPad or theiPhone/iPod Touch. It has an FM radio and an alarm clock. It is also Bluetooth capable which allows you to use it with any Bluetooth capable phone to make hands free calls. It also has a usb port and an SD card slot, On the back of the device there are three HDMI inputs, where you can connect any HDMI capable device including a blu ray player or a video camera just to name a few. There is also an HDMI output which you can use to connect to any HDTV. You can then either watch the video on the large screen TV or on your Ios device depending on your situation.

Panashiba hopes to have this device available in the US soon and will run around $165.00. It looks like a pretty nice device, with a lot of capabilities. I would love to see how well it is made and if it works as well as advertised.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

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