Wireless Wednesday for 3/16/16 - A Laptop for Every Budget

Besides a home and a car, a laptop is one of the most important purchases you will make. And many people make this purchase each year, for whatever reason.

While it's a personal decision, it's also a tech decision and finding the right laptop to meet your needs and budget can be tough.

Have a listen:

 

1.   HP Stream  - Under $200   - For the Budget Conscious

The revolutionary HP Stream is a stylish, affordable Windows-based PC that lets you store your content in the cloud for easy access in more places.
- Comes in 11" or 13" displays
- Free Cloud Storage for Data
- Free Office 365 Personal Included
- Dual Core Processor
- Thin and Light

 

2. Microsoft Surface Line-   Starts at $400

The Microsoft Surface line always gets a lot of exposure, especially when it comes to being in a partnership with the NFL. Surface models start at around $400 and give a full Microsoft experience in laptop or tablet mode.
There’s no limit to what you can achieve with the versatility and power of Surface. Do great things.

 


3. Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 Special Edition -  $699 at the most

Great for business use.

The Del Inspiron 11 measures 0.76 by 11.8 by 7.9 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.98 pounds, a compact and attractive system.

11-inch 2-in-1 with the performance of a laptop and the convenience of a tablet in one small device that makes it easy to take with you anywhere.
The $600 “Special Edition” review unit represents the top tier of the system, and came with a sixth generation Intel i3 core processor, 4GB of DDR3L memory, and 128GB hard drive.

The Inspiron 3000 doesn’t look like a two-in-one, and that's a good thing.
A powerful laptop/tablet device.
 


4.  Razer Blade Stealth  -  $1199  and won a "Best of CES" award

www.razerzone.com
Many people don't know about Razer, the maker of quality laptops
The Stealth (QHD) is a thin, attractive system with an all-aluminum body measuring 0.52 by 12.6 by 6.1 inches (HWD).

    0.52” Thin and 2.75lbs
    12.5” 4K and QHD Touchscreens
    6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 Processor
    Chroma Keyboard - 16.8 Million Colors per Key
    8GB dual-channel onboard memory (LPDDR3-1866MHz)
Windows® 10 (64-Bit)

The Razer Blade Stealth’s highly durable chassis is CNC-milled out of aircraft grade aluminum. The ultra-sleek finish and thin form factor adapts perfectly to any situation. Together with up to 8 hours of battery life, you’ll be able to play casual games on the train and power through your daily work.
 

5. Acer Predator 15    $2000-3000

- The ultimate gaming notebook

Acer Predator 15 G9-591-70VM Gaming Notebook comes with these high level specs: 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ Processor 2.6GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.5GHz, Windows 10, 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M with 3 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM, 16GB DDR4 Memory, 128GB SSD, 1TB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM), 8X DVD-Super Multi Double-Layer Drive (M-DISC enabled), Acer True Harmony Premium High-Performance Sound System, Two Built-in Stereo Speakers and Subwoofer, Built-in Digital Microphone, Secure Digital (SD) card reader, Killer Wireless-AC 1535 802.11ac Wi-Fi featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology (Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, Gigabit Ethernet, Built-In HD Webcam, 1 - Thunderbolt 3 (Full USB 3.1 Type C) Port, 4 - USB 3.0 Ports, 1 - HDMI Port, 1 - Display Port, 8-cell Li-ion Battery (6000 mAh), Up to 6-hours Battery Life, 7.5 lbs.

 

App of the Week:

Wallapop

Wallapop, the free iOS and Android shopping app where people can sell items locally that they no longer need and buy from nearby neighbors the ones they can’t wait to get their hands on - ranging from cars, to iPhones, vintage treasures, baby gear and more.

There are several differences between Craigslist and Wallapop:

·         Craigslist is not available via app

·         Wallapop takes 30 seconds to post an item for sale, while Craigslist is much more cumbersome

·         With Wallapop there is an exact geolocation available, so you can find items that are extremely close to you and immediately see how far away the items are. This feature makes the buying/selling process much easier and is not an option through Craigslist

As for safety concerns, when consumers are buying and selling items online through any service, they should use caution and meet in a public, neutral space. Wallapop user safety is a top priority and they have tips available to keep it a happy and safe process.
·         Get set up in 60 seconds – effortlessly sign up with Facebook or Gmail, pick your neighborhood, snap a picture of your first item, set a price and DONE!

·         Anonymous messaging keeps identities safe – answer questions about your listing or set up a time to exchange while keeping you and your contact information safe and sound

·         Locate a “pop-up thrift shop” – use the geo-locating filter to find the treasures hiding as close as 0.25 miles away in your friendly neighbors’ garages

·         Quick cash! - sellers walk away with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars, and buyers get products they’ve been craving without costly price tags

·         See it to believe it – On Wallapop a photo is required to ensure the quality of every item is transparent, right from the start

 


“With more people shopping via mobile, Wallapop is the logical choice for discovering great second hand items. Other online marketplaces aren’t available for mobile, and take several minutes to register and post an item. With Wallapop, almost anything you no longer use anymore can be posted in as little as 30 seconds, and is just as simple for customers to discover the perfect high-value items locally.”

“We all like extra cash in our pockets, and Wallapop provides users with an easy, fast and free way to get rid of items they no longer need. We recommend though that both users and buyers shop wisely. When buying via the app, make sure you meet in a public, neutral space and do not go alone. Safety should always be top of mind. Happy shopping!”

-Maria Grasso, Director of Media Strategy, Wallapop

Wireless Wednesday for 9/9/15: New NFL Technology

With the NFL season kicking off in a matter of hours, Rick and Mitch take a look at some of the new technology debuting this season in the National Football League.

Have a listen:

1.   Referees looking at "Instant Replays" on tablets

** This was tested in the preseason
instant replay reviews by referees.

“Now, instead of waiting for the referees to go under the hood, they will be able to view the image on the tablet and say: ‘Look at this angle. The guy is out of bounds,’ ” said Jeff Tran, Microsoft’s director of sports and alliances from the devices and studios marketing group.  “And he’ll be able to share it with the other referees in the crew, and they can make the determination on the challenge.”

2.  A Pen -   but not just an ordinary pen

A pen that allows coaches and players to diagram on the screen “ under any weather conditions. ”The pen function allows coaches to annotate on top of high-resolution images in different colors to help players visualize the instruction. During the preseason trial, the pen will also allow coaches to annotate over film clips, too.

There’s also an application on the Surface Pro 3 that is a digital version of a whiteboard that coaches use in meeting rooms to diagram plays.

3.  NFL's Extension of the Partnership with Twitter

The National Football League and social media giant Twitter have entered into a two-year partnership that will make more multimedia content available to roughly 300 million Twitter users. Details of the deal indicate that the NFL will triple the volume of photographs and in-game highlights that are distributed on the social network.
That covers highlights from the start of the NFL pre-season all the way through Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016. Besides video of the most exciting plays during games, NFL’s social media team will be publishing infographics as well as overall game recaps specifically developed for the Twitter audience. Of course, the NFL also has agreements with social networks like Facebook and online video distribution networks like YouTube, thus it’s likely similar content will be available outside of Twitter.

While Twitter representatives declined to comment, it’s highly likely that NFL content will be integrated heavily into Twitter’s “Project Lightning.” Demoed to Buzzfeed during June 2015, the new format will package content from ongoing real-time events into a new design for users. This content will be hand-selected by a team of editors within Twitter and attempt to provide more comprehensive coverage of events like award shows, sporting events and important stories trending in the news.
 


4. App Evolution

The NFL and its teams, with help from tech innovators, have launched a slew of apps for fans. The league launched NFL Now last summer, teams have launched their own follower-focused apps and The New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers have launched game day, venue-oriented apps. All are essentially about raising engagement with fans.

NFL partner Verizon Wireless offers NFL Mobile which can allow users to stream live primetime matches and more. It’s safe to assume that AT&T’s buy up of DirecTV, if approved, will result in a NFL Sunday Ticket app for its 100 million plus wireless subscribers.

The league offers yet other apps/services and all the content to power the apps and other distribution channels. But are more needed or is what’s available enough? And you can expect the league to enhance and advance NFL Now for its second season debut. To recap, it provides live non-game content and on-demand programming customizable by team and player.
 

5.  NFL Expanding "Live Streaming" to fans outside the US

NFL is still trying to figure this out, but live streaming of NFL games will be avaialble to fans in more countries.
 

6.  One thing we won't be seeing in 2015 will be Drones hovering over the line of scrimmage
Not a single drone has flown -- at least not for football purposes -- in training camps. Some teams have been delayed or deterred by FAA regulations, but based on recent conversations with multiple coaches, there remains a fair degree of skepticism about the current value and necessity of drone videos.

Advocates say a drone's ability to hover close to the line of scrimmage offers a unique vantage point for teaching and correcting mistakes. As of now, however, only a few NFL decision-makers agree.

"We looked at it hard, and for us it's just not there yet," Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.


App of the Week:

NFL CONNECT

* Free for iOS, Android and Windows
Watching your team take on its hated rivals can really stoke your competitive fire. If you want to channel that energy into more than screaming at your screen, consider downloading NFL Connect. This free app puts you in a head-to-head competition with friends and rivals during a live game. You win by predicting and connecting in-game events such as touchdowns, penalties, and sacks.
To participate in this Bingo-like battle, you and your opponent choose a matchup—the Sept. 10 Steelers vs. Patriots game, for example. Each of you is given a game board of 16 randomly generated events that will likely happen during the football game. The goal is to be the first to connect a string of four consecutive events. “Connecting” gets you on the leader board where you’re ranked with other top players. As a bonus, a built-in chat feature lets you talk trash throughout your match.
 

Wireless Wednesday for 5/29/13: With Mitch Evans - French Open and CTIA

Mitch and I talk some French Open tennis and gadgets that were introduced at CTIA and of course, the app of the week.

 Have a listen:

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/29/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 1’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/29/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 2’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/29/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 3’ on Audioboo

Show notes:

_______________

1.   Download the official French Open app for up to date scores, draw, schedule, and highlights

 

CTIA–The Wireless Association, the proven authority leading the mobile movement since 1984, just held CTIA 2013 in Las Vegas, what news came out of the show?

2.   Kevo electronic door lock

It's hard to overstate the cool factor of Kevo's electronic locks for your home's front door. The power of Bluetooth stands behind the nearly keyless entry, which requires just a smartphone app and the touch of your finger to secure and gain entry to your residence.

Military-grade security layers help manage the app's security, and immediately wipe and deny entry in the event of a misplaced or stolen phone.
With the smart device within about 4 feet of the door, you simply lock or unlock it by tapping your finger (or elbow or nose) on the lock face. An LED ring lights up green when the door unlocks, yellow when it locks, and blue while it's processing. A red flash denies entry.
 

3.  Ericsson's 'smart window'

Ericsson has taken the saying "window of opportunity" to new levels. At CTIA, the company highlighted two novel approaches of integrating mobile technology into your everyday window pane.

One demonstration embeds a cellular antenna inside a glass, which can increase reception inside buildings and trains -- potentially turning a dull offline morning commute into a more productive trip. Ericsson also decked out a window with IR sensors around its edges. With these sensors, users can swipe and tap the window to carry out tasks like switching on a light bulb or turning down music.

Though these "smart windows" won't come to market anytime soon, Ericsson is scoping out companies to license out this useful, future-thinking technology.
 


4.   Caterpillar announces they will make a rugged Android smartphone

Yes, Caterpillar, the heavy machinery manufacturer.

This new B15 is running Android Jelly Bean with a 4 inch display, ability to withstand a 5.9 foot drop, shatterproof glass and water submergence of 3.2 feet for 30 minutes.
The Cat B15 is designed for field workers and active lifestyle folks (snowboarders, mountain bikers, etc.).

 
5.  Jennifer Lopez and Verizon announce a partnership

Jennifer Lopez and Verizon Wireless made a little noise at CTIA after they unveiled a partnership to create a Latino-centric shopping experience for mobile devices.
Viva Movil is, for the most part, an extension of Verizon's retail arm, and will sell Verizon phones and service plans. Core services such as customer care will continue to be handled by Verizon.
Lopez will be the face of the brand.

 
App of the week: 

The Eye Browser app - Try on sunglasses aye eyewear virtually to see how they look on your face
Free

Wireless Wednesday for 5/15/13: With Mitch Evans - Pet Gadgets

May is National Pet Month, so that means Mitch and I talk about pet gadgets and an app of the week where you kind find out what is the best treat for your dog.

Listen to all three parts and the show notes are below.

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/15/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 1’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/15/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 2’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/15/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 3’ on Audioboo

______________________________________________________________________________

Show notes:

May is National Pet Month - Some pet gadgets  maybe even some for Pearl the Puppy

1.   PintoFeed Automatic Pet Feeder - $129

Feed your pet via Wi-Fi and your smartphone

 Pintofeed has taken this a step further with their automatic pet feeder that is controlled with your smartphone. When connected to your home WiFi network, the Pintofeed can be accessed by multiple users with different access levels. It has a food capacity of 5 pounds (expandable to 10 with a separate add-on) that is kept fresh with their specially designed freshness seal. The feeder is powered by an A/C adapter and 4 D-batteries; has an internal memory to ensure your pet gets fed if the network or power goes out.

 
2.   Doggie Doorbell by PebbleSmart

If your dog is an indoor/outdoor dog, you probably have a scratched up doorframe where he digs when he wants to be let in or out.  The Pebble Smart Doggie Doorbell, an Indiegogo project, gives you a doorbell that you can train your dog to push to let you know when he needs the door opened. 


3.  Crittercord

Rick's defense against the cord chewing ways of Pearl the Puppy.
They are heavy-gauge, so they resist even the most determined chewer.  They’re also infused with citrus scent and a bitter taste that won’t wash away that should make the cords less attractive to your pet.  They are sized to fit standard outlet cords or USB and smaller computer peripherals cords.  Each size is available in a 6-foot length; the outlet cord size is $11.99 and the computer peripherals size is $7.99.


4.   Ridogulous Pet Collar - smart pet collar  -  $120

Modern technology gives us the power to interact with almost everything around us: from our TV to our fridge to our front door.  With that newfound connection, we can do amazing things.

To capitalize on this, we’re building something incredibly personal by creating the smartest dog collar ever.  Your dog wears the collar and is wirelessly connected to the rest of your world through your smartphone.  Things like location tracking, activity monitoring and health scanning provide peace of mind and security, while interactive games and "pack leader" competitions bring the fun!!
If you understand these tech terms, congrats.  If not, just take our word that they are top notch:  GPS, GSM/GPRS, Bluetooth 4.0, Accelerometer, inductive charging, internal memory, microphone, speaker and more. 


5.   StiKitty Mat - (In development) $45

A mat that cleans the paws of your cat.
Fashioned after a cleanroom tacky mat, the Stikitty is a quest to bring the world's cats and their humans an innovative, effective, and stylish fix to cat litter mess.

The Stikitty Base, a brand new product that improves the performance and style of the tacky mat. We want your pet to be happy and healthy.
Gets litter and other dirt off of cats paws

 

App of the week: 

Treat Matchmaker - online at http://beefeaters.com/treat-matchmaker/
By answering questions about your dog, this app will tell you what is the best treat for your dog.

Wireless Wednesday for 5/1/13: With Mitch Evans - Digital Life House and Mother's Day

An informative "Wireless Wednesday" this morning as Mitch and I talk some hockey, some clay court tennis, the AT&T Digital Life house and possible Mother's Day gifts.  Also the app of the week.

Listen to all three parts.

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/1/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 1’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/1/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 2’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Wireless Wednesday for 5/1/13 on 92.9 The Game Part 3’ on Audioboo