PCMag.com’s 10 Best Free travel apps

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Parent Category: Gadgets

Category: Media

Published on Wednesday, 30 June 2010 17:51

Written by FFTraveler Staff

PCMag.com’s Lead Mobile Analyst Sascha Segan has named the 10 free travel apps that make traveling — or planning your next trip — a breeze. So if the summer heat makes you  stir-crazy, just grab your smartphone and start planning your next adventure. 

1. Google Maps
The single most useful travel app is available on every smartphone, and in fact on any Web phone. Google Maps tells you where you are, where anything else is, and how to get between those two spots. When I needed diapers in Barcelona on a Sunday, Google Maps knew where the three nearest OpenCor convenience stores were, and even gave me subway directions.

Read more: PCMag.com’s 10 Best Free travel...

Digital Experience! 2010

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Parent Category: Gadgets

Category: Media

Published on Monday, 21 June 2010 15:12

Written by Brad Balfour

Digital Experience! is a technology media event held Wednesday, June 23rd, from 6-9 pm, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Though this event is only open to full-time editorial press and analysts, it offers a mini overview of current tech developments and tools that will ultimately be out there for everyone to enjoy.

Below is a full list of the companies that will be presenting --look out for m,any of these products to be in stores this fall or winter: 

3M
• The 3M™ family of pocket projectors, the MPro150 boasts one of the most robust feature sets of any pocket projector currently on the market, combining several presentation tools into one compact, efficient device optimized for the on-the-go professional.

Acer
• A new line of consumer PCs, which are being introduced the week of June 21 for the back-to-school season.

AT&T
• The latest gadgets from new phones to e-readers and digital photo frames as well as its newest innovations in technology for small business customers such as the recently upgraded YP.com and YP Mobile applications.

Audyssey
• Award-winning technologies that power many of the industry’s leading audio products.

Barnes & Noble
• Its eReading offerings, including the award-winning NOOK™ eBook Reader, free BN eReader for iPad™ and other popular computing and mobile devices, and the Barnes & Noble eBookstore.

Belkin
• A new line of energy management products for the home as well as its latest accessories for the iPhone 4, iPad, and Kindle.

Buffalo Technology
• Their latest products with be at Digital Experience!

Case-mate
• Accessories made from unique materials and finishes such as natural wood and cork, Indian Textile crafts and a range of colorful leather and Swarovski crystal cases.

Cue Acoustics
• New editions of their flagship product, The Cue Radio, Model r1 including many new software features and custom options.

DeLorme
• The world’s first hand-held GPS with SPOT satellite communications capabilities for all outdoors’ enthusiasts.

DivX
• A high-quality video experience across any kind of device including the more than 300 million DivX products that have shipped into the market including mobile phones, digital TVs, Blu-ray Disc players and gaming consoles.

Duracell
• Its Smart Power line up including the Duracell myGrid charging pad, now compatible with Apple and micro-USB mobile devices.

Bitbop
• An easy-to-use, wireless entertainment service to view favorite full length TV shows on demand and ihun high-quality mobile video resolution via a monthly subscription.

FrameWizard
• A distinctive digital frame with patent-pending software to create magical Moving Memories™ unique to each photo.

GE Digital Cameras
• it’s feature-packed Smart Series, designer inspired CREATE by Jason Wu and the newest high-performance bridge camera that rounds out the Power series --  find a camera that suits every lifestyle and occasion.

GiiNii
• Magic, a 10.1-inch, portable, Wi-Fi, POP3, touchscreen, tablet-style digital picture frame and some digital picture frames with a new user interface that makes them very easy to use.

HP
• Stylish All-In-One Desktops and notebooks with amazing sound quality, a new Mini for education, and brilliant new monitors.

Iomega
• A new lineup of direct-attached HDDS, including USB 3.0 high-capacity portable and desktop hard drives, Mac Edition portable and desktop HDDs, and exciting new youth-oriented Skin™ Drives.

iRobot
iRobot will be in attendance accompanied by its best home cleaning robots. The Roomba vacuum cleaner, Roomba Pet Series, Scooba floor mopping robot and Looj, the gutter cleaning ‘bot. Demos of all products will be conducted live at the booth.

Kingston Technology
• Its most popular USB Flash drives as the next-generation DataTraveler Mini Fun returns with an updated look.

Kobo
• A global eReading service that enables users to read virtually any book on their iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android or Palm Pre.  Kobo features more than 2 million eBooks, including catalogue classics and best sellers available for $9.99, and 1.8 million books are free.  Kobo has also developed its own eReader device which will be available this summer for just $149 at Borders online (www.borders.com/koboereader) and soon at Borders retail locations.

Kodak
• New consumer digital photography products and services that make it easier than ever to capture the moment you want and to share it with the people you love.

Lenovo
• Their latest offerings for the Idea and Think computer lines.

Livio Radio
• The all new Carmen digital radio recorder by Livio Radio, bringing portable, on-demand internet radio to your vehicle.

Logitech
• New webcams, the fantasy collection of mice and keyboards as well as the Logitech companion box for Google TV.

Magellan
• Its latest navigation GPS devices, as well as new iPhone accessories.

M-Edge Accessories
• Their colorful, versatile suite of 13 new iPad accessories.

Microsoft Windows
• The hottest Windows 7 PCs as well new free tools available now for chat, photos, movies and more to let you easily connect, create and share what matters to you across all your devices and the web.

Mint by Evolution Robotics
• An intelligent floor cleaning appliance designed exclusively for hard surface floors that automatically dusts and mops floors with the press of a button. Similar to the way dishwashers and washing machines have transformed the way you do routine chores, Mint is transforming home floor cleaning.

Mitsubishi
• Fully immersive 3D Video and Audio on its new 82" 3D DLP Home Cinema TV.

Music With Me
• How to wirelessly sync iTunes music with your BlackBerry.

Neato Robotics
• The new, smart, powerful Neato XV-11 robotic vacuum for electronically cleaning floors

Nikon
• Its latest D-SLR and COOLPIX camera lines.

Nokia
The latest in our exciting devices and services.

NVIDIA
• A collection of NVIDIA Optimus-enabled notebooks that deliver the performance of discrete graphics from a notebook while still delivering great battery life by automatically and seamlessly selecting the right graphics processor for the job between an NVIDIA discrete GPU or an Intel integrated GPU.

OTRS
• A new iPhone app for business, making OTRS Help Desk and Service Management mobile.

Pandigital
• Its new Pandigital Novel, a 7-inch eReader with integrated Barnes & Noble eBookstore, full color touch-screen LCD display, Wi-Fi connectivity, and multimedia capabilities as well as its line of digital photo frames and scanners

Parrot
• The recently announced AR.Drone, the quadricopter you fly with an iPhone/iPod touch, in addition to luxury Bluetooth, iPhone and iPod accessories for home and play.

Phiaton
• its latest high-performance headphones, earphones and music docking stations for music lovers who appreciate authentic sound reproduction, eye-catching design and superior technology.

Plantronics
• Their new Spring Product Line-Up!

Poynt
• The all-in-one local search app for BlackBerry and iPhone.

Rebit
• SaveMe™, the "ridiculously easy" backup for PCs, and the brand new NetSmart™ software, the only fully automatic backup that supports Network Attached Storage.

Rebtel
• The launch of free international calling via their latest app for Android.

RIM
• The latest BlackBerry smartphones, applications and accessories, including the new the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and the BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphones.

Roxio
• The first personal editing suite for the creation and enjoyment of 3D video.

Russound
• The Russound Collage Powerline Media and Intercom system distributes networked accessed music and intercom communication over a home’s residential electrical system. Components provide access to two-way transmission of audio, CCTV signals, data, and internet media with metadata feedback without the need of running new zone-to-zone wiring.

Samsung Electronics
• The latest mobile pc products, printers and LED projectors and monitors.

Samsung Mobile
• Its latest handsets and Bluetooth® accessories.

SIRIUS XM Radio
• XM SkyDock, the first satellite radio controlled by an iPod touch or iPhone; XMp3i, portable, battery-powered, satellite radio and MP3 player; XM onyX Dock & Play Radio, a user-friendly and easy-to-install satellite radio option for the vehicle and beyond; SIRIUS Tabletop Internet Radio to listen in any room of the home using a wired or wireless high-speed Internet connection; and apps for the iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry and Android-powered smartphone devices.

Solar Components
• The JOOS Orange, the world's best portable solar charger, at PEPCOM's Digital Experience on June 23, 2010 (the first public unveiling of the device).

Sonos
• The Sonos Controller for iPad — the next great way to control and play music all over the house –- as well as showing off the sleek, new black Sonos S5.

Sound ID
• The new Sound ID 510 Bluetooth headset — the only headset on the market to be compatible with the new Sound ID EarPrint App (available for free from the App Store) – enabling iPhone users to customize sound settings for the 510, turning it into a one-of-a kind sound system programmed to their very own hearing preferences, while also providing the ability to control sound quality on both sides of the call.

Sprint
• America’s first 4G phone – HTC EVO™ 4G as well as Sprint’s latest eco-friendly and prepaid device line-up including a special sneak peak at Virgin Mobile’s new handsets coming in time for the holidays.

Synology
• Their latest NAS Server management software, DiskStation Manager 2.3, in addition to their 2010 line of DiskStations.

TeleNav Inc.
• MyFord Touch, Ford’s newest in-vehicle system using TeleNav GPS and LBS technology, which combines the reliability of an embedded navigation product with the real-time information of a connected, off-board solution.

TiVo Inc
• The new TiVo Premiere box, the one device that bridges the gap between TV and the Internet with one remote, on one HD interface, all on the biggest screen in your house.

T-Mobile USA
• Their latest products and services.

Toshiba
• All-new line of redesigned Satellite consumer laptops, which are out just in time for back-to-school, including the Satellite A665 and Satellite M645 feature-packed entertainment laptops, the Satellite A665 3D Edition and the sleek and slim ultrathin Satellite T200 Series.

Validity
• Password Independence

Verbatim Americas LLC
• The MediaShare Home Network Storage Solution to share, store and stream.

Vue
• The Vue™ personal video network - a wire-free system that combines real-time remote video viewing and the Internet - will be unveiling VueZone Mobile for the Blackberry and Android platforms, which allows users to quickly check on their homes and businesses while on-the-go.

VuPoint Solutions
• Its Magic Wand™ Portable Scanner, a portable, battery operated scanner.

Webroot
• The first consumer security solution designed to protect you, not just your PC.

Western Digital
• Its newest products including: WD TV® Live Plus HD Media Player, My Book AV DVR Expander™, WD Photos free photo viewer app for iPhone® and iPod Touch®, My Book Studio LX ™ external hard drive, and the ever-popular WD VelociRaptor® hard drive.

Wild Planet
• The new Spy Video TRAKR, the first open source, programmable RC vehicle that digitally transmits color video and audio and enables users to create, download and share custom apps.

Wi-Ex
• Award-winning line of consumer cell phone signal boosters for the home, office and outside including the now shipping zBoost-METRO for urban single-story homes, as well as its "2010 zBoost Your Life Holiday Profiles", connecting consumers with the perfect zBoost for the holidays.

Green with Product Envy at Pepcom's EcoFocus

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Parent Category: Gadgets

Category: Media

Published on Thursday, 17 June 2010 15:54

Written by Laura Blum

You wouldn't believe the green-fangled contraptions displayed at EcoFocus, the Pepcom technology expo that took place in downtown Manhattan's Metropolitan Pavilion on April 22, 2010. Even the jaded journos and industry insiders who eat and breathe high tech seemed impressed venturing around the floor and into the sustainable future.

Ecologically conscious only begins to describe the shared motif of these high tech gizmos that made you feel smarter and more virtuous just pronouncing their names. Other criteria for inclusion in the showcase were clearly wowee and kewl.

Pepcom follows up this event with three other "Focus" demo events in New York before the close of 2010: Digital Experience! (June 23); Holiday Spectacular! (September 15) and Wine, Dine & Demo! (November 18). Beyond New York, Pepcom also offers press gatherings in Los Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Some 200 media types sampled the refreshments and wares at this year's EcoFocus. At the SodaStream booth, they could accomplish both simultaneously.

By turning your tap water into Cola, Root Beer and Ginger Ale, this ultimate eco machine means to save the planet soda by soda. The list of flavors goes on – and for un-Cola kids, there are sparkling water essences such as Lemon-Lime and Berry – but whatever your imbibing pleasure, the real joy comes from SodaStream's reusable plastic bottles.

Just knowing that you're no longer contributing to America's annual consumption of 30 billion plastic water bottles should add some fizz to your day; eight out of every 10 of those non-biodegradable throwaways will plug a landfill for hundreds of years, not to mention the waste of fossil fuels and water that go into producing and distributing them in the first place.

Yet no amount of carbonated beverages could quench one's thirst for a new phone. So another sweet stop was the Sprint table, where the Samsung Restore was being shown. Like its predecessor, the Samsung Reclaim, the freshly designed Restore seeks to send an environmentally friendly signal. Sheathed in a cover composed of completely recycled materials with a body made of 27 percent recycled stuff, it features an AC adapter stamped by Energy Star (the energy- and cost-efficiency program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy), and contains no toxic materials such as PVC. 

And once you move on to your next gadget, 77% of it can be recycled. The packaging is also green-minded, and its charger consumes less than the 30mW in standby. So even if the number keyboard on its front didn't slide sideways to reveal a QWERTY keyboard, the svelte (4.6 inches x 2.1 inches x 0.6 inch) Restore weighing 4.32-ounces would find a welcome home in my hand bag.

Next it was on to the laptop corral. Toshiba's newest Netbook, the mini NB305 especially caught my attention. As is the case with the rest of the Toshiba PC lineup, it's rated gold by green electronics agency Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), and meets the Energy Star 5.0 standard. Tweaking the assets of the Toshiba NB205, this successor has a 10.1-inch diagonal TruBrite LED backlit display and an Intel Atom N450 processor, making it a smarter, more power-efficient bear. And its battery life rating is up to 11 hours, meaning you could really get something done on your next flight to Istanbul.

Other features that make it a hardy travel companion are its 250GB hard drive, supported by a Hard Drive Impact Sensor that keeps data from being knocked about, and its USB port with Sleep-and-Charge that lets you charge your sundry gizmos whether the unit is switched on or off or has drifted into sleep mode.

Did I mention that it only weighs 2.6 pounds? That alone could be reason enough to make your wallet $349.99 to $399.99 lighter.

Also on display at EcoFocus were ecologically sound paint, alternative lighting and energy fixes.  But for this fan of easily portable writing devices, the laptop computer stations drew the loudest clucks of appreciation.

For the full skinny, look into: http://www.pepcom.com/ecofocus2010-web.pdf.

EcoFocus
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street
New York, NY  10011