Wireless Wednesday for 12/2/15 - Sports Tech for the Holidays

Rick is a sports tech writer, so we talk sports gadgets, products and tech for the sports-minded and active individual.

Have a listen to both parts:

1.   Smart Rope (Smart Jump Rope)

Smart Rope - the next generation of jump rope, equipped with fitness tracking and real-time display capabilities.

Beautifully designed and (most importantly) portable, Smart Rope is the perfect gift for the fitness junkie in your life.

Smart Rope displays your fitness data mid-air, while you jump, through 23 high-quality embedded LED lights and pairs with your smartphone, via the Smart Gym app, for easy tracking and sharing of your jump count and calories burned.

Smart Rope retails for $89.99 and is currently available online at http://store.tangramfactory.com.
 



2.  Harman Kardon JBL speaker line in partnerships with NBA

JBL and the NBA partnered to elevate the NBA basketball experience for fans around the world wherever they enjoy the sounds of the game - at the arena, in their homes, in their cars, or on the go.

This is a partnership that will make the company the official headphone, speaker, and audio partner of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NBA Development League (NBA D-League), and USA Basketball. This unprecedented partnership is the NBA’s first-ever marketing partner in these categories and HARMAN’s first partnership with a professional sports league.

Products include the Flip 2  NBA, the Clip NBA and S300 NBA

 
 


3.  Tennis Racquets, tennis bags, tennis shoes

Sometimes the holidays and winter is the best time to buy tennis gear.
New racquets from Wilson and Tecnifibre and bags and shoes from other manufacturers.
 



4.   Binoculars (What to Look for and Buy)

Magnification is the degree to which the object is enlarged. With a 7x35 binocular, the object will appear to be seven times closer than without the aid of a binocular. The number immediately following the "x" is the diameter in millimeters of the objective (front) lens. The larger the front lenses the more light that is allowed to enter the binocular. A 10x50 binocular has 10 times magnification with a 50mm objective lens.

One as an example: The black 10x42 Aculon A211 Binocular from Nikon is a handheld fixed-magnification optic with multicoated aspherical lenses and an ergonomically-designed housing. For the redesigned Aculon series, Nikon packages the Aculon A211 binoculars with environmentally-friendly Eco-Glass elements composed of responsibly-sourced arsenic-free material. The Aculon binocular's Porro prism design delivers enhanced depth of field, and its multicoated aspheric optical path delivers the image clarity and flat FOV demanded by nature observers.
 


5.  Bio Mech AccuLock Ace Putter

AccuLock ACE is their latest putter and since it was designed from the body out, the developers say it takes the thinking out of putting and frees up your movement to hit the putt you want. The putter has a PGA Tour professional singing its praises is Heath Slocum as he put it into play and is having success.  “It just feels natural and more athletic. To me it’s just easy and makes sense.”
Dr. Frank Fornari is one of the inventors and co-owners of BioTech, he and BioMech's John Cunningham are traveling around the country hosting clinics and showing golfers what the AccuLock ACE can do for their golf game.
Note: The AccuLock ACE is designed so that the grip rests against the inner portion of the forearm, stabilizing the hands, arms and shoulders (a method that will remain legal after the anchor ban on Jan. 1, 2016)
 



App of the Week:

Master Lock Padlock and App

For Gym Lockers, Storage Units and more...

Master Lock recently announced their new Bluetooth Smart Padlocks, and we’d love to send over samples for you to test and review. These new smart padlocks turn any smart-enabled device into a key, eliminating the worry and hassle that surrounds forgotten combinations or lost keys.  

Master Lock Bluetooth Smart Padlocks Overview:

o   Download free Master Lock Vault eLocks app and sync lock with Activation Code

·         Functions:

o   Invite guests to share digital keys

o   Remove guests who no longer need access

o   Schedule unlimited guest access or restrict access to day and night

o   Receive tampering alerts

o   View padlock’s activity history

·         Indoor and outdoor models are available for purchase online (indoor $49.99, outdoor $59.99)

 

Wireless Wednesday for 11/25/15 - Black Friday

*  Two days and counting until Black Friday...

A couple Black Friday stats:

- 133.7 million - The number of people that shopped during 2014 Black Friday weekend
- Over 17% of items will actually be more expensive on Black Friday than they currently are on Amazon.com.

And some Black Friday deals... so have a listen:

1.   Need a 32" Flat Screen TV?

Target and Kohl’s both with a Westinghouse 32" LED TV for $99.99 on Black Friday
Includes 3 HDMI inputs, a 60hz refresh rate, a contrast ratio of 1,000:1, USB input for picture mode and also a PC input for those that want to use this as a PC monitor which is also very convenient.
 

2.  Zagg.com  -  Accessories and more for your mobile devices is having everything 40%-60% off for Black Friday

That includes.... .  Zagg's Messenger Universal Keyboard

One keyboard for all your devices...  from Zagg.com   $69.99  also one coming for iPad Pro - take with you on your golf trips
Features
    Universal compatibility and Bluetooth® capability syncs with Apple, Android, and Windows operating systems as well as with virtually any computer, tablet, or smartphone.
    Island-style keys in an 8-inch or 12-inch typing area* offer a natural typing experience so you can email, take notes, and blog faster.
    Magnets secure the cover when not in use and activate the keyboard’s sleep/wake function to help preserve battery life and ensure you can enjoy up to three months of typing between charges**.
    The built-in stand provides an ideal viewing angle for any device.
    A durable cover provides a secure grip and protects your keyboard when not in use.
 
3.  HP and their storewide Black Friday Spectacular  - Windows 10

- Laptops, Desktops, Printers, Accessories, Monitors
all at www.HP.com
 

4.  For Gamers... Bundles  - Bundles can save you money

- With a bundle, you not only get a game system, but also a deep discount or free game or two
Examples:
 - At Gamestop  - $299 Xbox One Gears of War Bundle – Save $50 and get Gears of War Ultimate.
- At Sam's Club -   PS4 Uncharted Bundle for $299
 

5.  Deals on Apple Products?

Check with the Apple Store

Various other stores put a few of the Apple products on sale.
Staples for example:
    64GB iPad Air 2 - $449 - $150 Off
    iPad Mini 4 - $299 - $100 Off
    iPad Air - $319 - $80 Off
    iPad mini 2 - $239 - $60 Off
 

App of the Week:

Zip, the Question Answer App  for iOS or Android

You put in a question with two possible answers and then the question is crowdsourced.
You can then answer other's questions as well. It's fun, addictive and informative.
The original idea behind Zip, the Question Answer App, was to settle arguments, and now, it’s also introducing a whole new, simple and proprietary way to communicate with media outlets (i.e. TV, radio, print, digital, etc.)

The rapidly growing interactive app is revolutionizing everyday conversation and mass polling.
www.thezipapp.com


 

Wireless Wednesday for 11/18/15 - New Home Tech

We are starting to get into the season where we start thinking about holiday gifts and that usually starts with thinking about items for the home.

Rick steps up to the plate this week some of the newest technology for the home.
Rick and Lindsay celebrated their 8th anniversary last night

They use these gadgets around their home.

Have a listen to both parts

1.   Keurig Kold

Now discounted down to $299.99

The brand new Keurig is making cold drinks and not just any cold drinks. Actual drinks like Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Sprite and more.

Something for everyone
She likes seltzers, he wants mixers for cocktails. Want a Coke®? How about an iced tea? Or maybe a refreshing flavored water.
Get what you want, when you want it, at the push of a button.
http://www.keurig.com/content/kold-landing

See the variety of beverages available
http://www.keurig.com/kold-beverages/c/koldbeverages101

 
 

2. Epson EcoTank Printers  Super tank Printers

* They really are awesome!

No fuss, no mess, helping the environment

Epson's new EcoTank line of Supertank all-in-one printers features revolutionary ink replacement technology that offers an unbeatable combination of convenience and value, with super-high-capacity,
refillable ink tanks and ultra low-cost replacement inks. These all-in-one printers come with enough ink in the box to print for up to 2 years1, so you can print thousands of black and color pages before replacing ink.




3. PHV Mac Peephole Viewer (Makes your peephole larger and records)

Website: www.brinnousa.com

Motion is detected through the peephole and the image is captured and stored automatically whether you’re home or away.

    Traditional Peephole from the Outside
    3.0" TFT LCD Display on Inside
    1.3MP CMOS Color Image Sensor

The PHV MAC by BrinnoUSA is the peephole for your home that takes images of anyone or anything that is out front. This battery-powered device features an LCD screen on the inside of the door to display the photos, which stores still shots as well as video on a Micro SD card and includes dates and times of when the sensor was activated. The batteries inside last for 9,000 triggers, and can be powered for a little more than 6 months. The playback feature allows you to view a time-lapsed video with all images with one press of a button.
Price per Unit: $139.95
Website Link: http://www.brinnousa.com/peep-hole-viewers/brinno-motion-activated-peep-hole-viewer
 
 


4.  Epson Home Cinema 1440  - for your holiday decorating
Use for those inside or out

Immerse yourself in a winter wonderland and bring the holiday cheer to your own door this season with the Epson Home Cinema 1440 ($1,699.99) and AtmosCheerFX. Whether you’re waiting for Santa’s arrival, or want to simply enjoy the digital snow while you bundle up in front of your warm fireplace, enjoy festive and cheerful digital decorations for the entire family and neighborhood with joyful and festive holiday scenes projected onto windows, doors or walls.
 

 5. The Fizzics Beer System

Makes any beer taste better.  $169 available at Brookstone stores - creates a draft beer taste and experience from a bottle or can

Provides enhanced balance and sensational mouthfeel of aromatics, body, and texture with all of your favorite beers

Compatible with any size can or bottle, up to a 64 oz. growler

Scientifically engineered using patent-pending fluid and gas technology to enhance your beer—no separate CO2 or Nitro canisters necessary!

Simple to use: just put your beer into the unit, place the tube into the beer, close the lid, then pull the tap handle to pour and push it to create the perfect foam head
Works with just about any style of carbonated beer, including IPAs, Pilsners, Lagers, Stouts, and more.

Review: No longer are expertly poured, quality draft beer experiences exclusive to high-end craft beer bars. The Fizzics™ System is built to stimulate all 5 of your senses to deliver a sublime beer experience and sensory fusion. It provides an aromatic bouquet, accelerated fizz, enhanced flavor, better mouthfeel, and a visually appealing head for a perfectly poured pint that tastes just how brewers intended!
 



App of the Week:

TouchCare
A new app designed to keep patients in touch with their doctor through an app.

From follow-up care to medication refills and educational consults.
Tis the season to be sick! We all know being under the weather sucks, but now with an app called TouchCare you can enter your symptoms and connect with your own doctor at the click of a button from the comfort of your home. Say goodbye to waiting rooms! TouchCare is completely free to download and use with your own doctor. It’s also HIPAA-compliant, so you can rest easy knowing your medical information is safe and secure.
This telemedicine app just launched a major update to its software with several new features to make physicians’ day-to-day operations even more efficient. One of the newest features, The Practice Dashboard, allows practices to easily delegate workflow to the right staff members, including scheduling telemedicine appointments on behalf of physicians.

The update announcement comes on the heels of rapid telemedicine growth across the nation and the addition of two new impressive names to TouchCare’s Board of Directors, former U.S. Senator Joseph Robert “Bob” Kerrey and Brad Wilson, the president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.
 

Wireless Wednesday for 11/11/15 - The New Lexus RX Line

Rick attended the Lexus RX Regional Media Preview in Charleston, South Carolina over the weekend.. He got a first look and a preview while test driving the new 2016 Lexus RX  vehicles including the RX 450h.

Have a listen to Rick and Mitch (both parts):

1.  Lexus is top brand in Consumer Reports' reliability survey

The best and most reliable transmissions and the best reputation in the auto industry for performance and cutting edge technology
http://www.lexus-int.com/models/RX/

2.  History of the RX line  and it's the top selling Lexus line in the country

Since the launch in 1998, the Lexus RX has proved immensely popular with those needing the flexibility of a sport-utility vehicle combined with the driving comfort of a luxury sedan, all wrapped in an attractive, elegant package. The all-new RX’s mix of sharp creases and curves represents a bold evolution in the model’s styling, sharing the same design DNA with other recently-launched models in the Lexus lineup.

This perennial best-selling luxury crossover adds advanced new redesigned hybrid and gasoline powertrains, sophisticated safety technologies, driver aids and welcome new convenience and technology features to make this the best Lexus sport-utility vehicle offering to date.


3. Exterior - Safe and Sporty

The RX with all-new sheet metal makes a powerful visual statement right from the start.

The front features a completely new fascia that’s highlighted by an emboldened spindle grille with a chrome-plated border and triple L-shaped LED headlamps. Together with the redesigned fog lamps, this gives the RX an elegant yet futuristic aura. Muscular front fender flares add to the vehicle’s sporty attitude.  The RX has a dynamic profile that minimizes drag and decreases front and rear lift. All this makes the vehicle more stable at high speed with a sharp reduction in wind noise. A truly innovative styling element is the blacked-out C-pillars, which provide the illusion of a floating roofline never before seen on a Lexus.


4. The redesigned instrument cluster offers the driver instantaneous information with a quick glance at its large and easy-to-read gauge faces.

An available color heads-up display (HUD) projects pertinent vehicle information to the driver’s windshield, while the information display area, featuring an available 12.3-in. monitor with full-screen map, is situated atop the center stack.
 
 

5.  Performance and Stability

When it comes to delivering precise, controlled handling, the new RX offers impressive dynamic capability. The entire chassis has been fortified to provide better stability and control through turns. The vehicle’s body structure has been strengthened with added stiffness, helping to drastically improve its handling response while reducing engine and road noise in the cabin. The vehicle also features innovative technology, such as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), each system designed to recognize potentially dangerous situations and make automatic and often transparent adjustments to ensure the car remains in control when entering and exiting corners. Also, All-Wheel Drive improves the RX’s handling performance and stability on both dry and slick surfaces alike.

6.  Cool New Technology (For those in the back seat)

A Rear Seat Entertainment system is available that includes large 11.6-in. flat-panel LCD displays that offer exceptional high quality viewing from a range of angles, screen tilt adjustment from 0 to 50 degrees and a convenient HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) input port located on the center console rear end panel.
 

App of the Week:

TrumpMeOver.com

TrumpMeOver.com is a transformative experience from the creators of Grokker. At TrumpMeOver.com, users can upload a photo of themselves into animated Donald Trump GIFs that creates a series of custom experiences, shareable on social channels.

 

Wireless Wednesday for 11/4/15: - Tech News of the Week

With the holiday shopping season and the end of the year upon us, Rick and Mitch take a look at some of the hot topics and the tech news of the week.

Have a listen to both parts this week:

1.  Activision Blizzard Buys 'Candy Crush' Maker King for $5.9 Billion

There must be a lot of people still addicted to Candy Crush. With the mobile device revolution, the video game industry is alive and well.

Who makes more money: Hollywood or the video game industry?

The video game industry made twice as much money in 2013 than did the film industry.
Worldwide box-office revenue for the film industry in 2013 was $35.9 billion (source Theatrical Market Statistics 2013).

Worldwide revenue for the video game industry in 2013 was $70.4 billion (source: 2013 Global Games Market Report).

Video game maker Activision Blizzard has acquired Candy Crush creator King in a $5.9 billion deal.

The combined company will reach more than half a billion monthly active users in 196 countries. Activision CEO

Bobby Kotick says he has "long admired King for consistently creating incredibly fun, deeply engaging free-to-play games that capture the imaginations of players across ages and demographics."

Together, Activision Blizzard and King will have a portfolio with top-grossing mobile games (Candy Crush Saga), as well as successful console (Call of Duty) and PC (World of Warcraft) titles.
 


2.  Samsung Sells More Phones than Apple

Samsung Electronics Co. is selling more smartphones than it was this time last year. But under the hood, there are fewer reasons to celebrate.
Last week, the South Korean smartphone giant celebrated its first quarter of year-on-year mobile profit growth since 2013.

Samsung has been selling more cheaper smartphones, and fewer high-end premium devices, than it did even compared to Samsung’s rocky 2014, according to numbers from data firm Counterpoint Technology Market Research.

Samsung doesn’t separately disclose smartphone sales numbers.

Samsung shipped 84 million smartphones in the third quarter of 2015, 6.3% more than during the same stretch last year and more than the No. 2 and No. 3 players, Apple Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co., combined, according to Counterpoint.

But while 55% of its smartphones were priced at $301 per unit or more at this time last year, that high-end segment has fallen to just 40% of Samsung’s overall smartphone sales, Counterpoint said.

Phones priced $200 or below now account for 38% of total units shipped at Samsung, versus 30% this time last year.

So while Samsung is indeed shipping more smartphones, it isn’t charging as much for them — or making as much money from them.
 

3. HP Is Now Two Companies

Hewlett-Packard. The tech giant starts trading Monday as two separate companies: HP Inc., and Hewlett-Packard Enterprises. HP Inc. (HPQ) is responsible for the PC and printer businesses, while HP Enterprises (HPE) will sell hardware like servers to businesses. Hopefully customers get better PCs, better printers and more innovation.

 


4.  NASA Study Shows Net Gains For Antarctic Ice

Apparently, now that we don't send things into space anymore, NASA has time to look at glaciers.

A widely circulated NASA study published in the Journal of Glaciology, and reported by UPI, says that Antarctic ice has measurably thickened in recent decades, a conclusion at odds with earlier findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "which in 2013 suggested gains were not keeping up with losses."
The new tallies reveal an annual net gain of 112 billion tons between 1992 and 2001.
 

5. T-Mobile is Giving Customers a Free Cell Tower

Yea, really.

The cellphone carrier announced Monday that all T-Mobile customers with a "Simple Choice" plan can now receive a free mini cell tower for their home. The 8.5-inch square gadget blasts out T-Mobile's 4G-LTE network to a 3,000-square-foot radius.

T-Mobile has done this kind of thing before. It previously gave out free Wi-Fi routers that allowed customers to make calls and texts over their home Wi-Fi networks.

What T-Mobile announced Monday is different: The mini tower (T-Mobile is calling it a CellSpot), lets customers connect to T-Mobile's cellular network -- not Wi-Fi. That means in places where they received one or no "bars" of service, they'll now get a full, speedy connection.

 
6.  Technology Making Waves in the Sport of Curling

Somewhat like Major League Baseball never allowing metal bats due to fears that advanced equipment could trump human ability, the World Curling Federation, the sport’s governing body, is now being forced to actually address similar concerns about a new broom head.

The Winter Olympic sport where players vigorously sweep brooms to guide heavy stones down the ice – may be having its aluminum bat moment.

At the center of the controversy is the swatch of fabric affixed to the outside of the curling broom. In place of a smooth fabric head that has become the norm in the past two decades, the new technology uses a fabric that feels rough to the touch. Known as “directional fabric,” curlers claim these broom heads are making curling stones do things on the ice that seem so unnatural they could sweep athleticism and other currently necessary skills right out of the game. These new broomheads are very forgiving.
 

App of the Week:

Google Maps - new feature for Android - it gives you advice

Reviews and ratings speak volumes about an establishment, but to help you make quicker decisions, Google Maps for Android now displays at-a-glance details about best times to go, atmosphere, and more.

To gather this information for our community, you might have seen questions like “Is this place family friendly”— now, they’ll appear as notifications on your Android device based on your location history.
Search for any type of business and give it a try