Gadgetry Report

Tool reviews, techie toys, and the latest gadgets

cellCONTROL Keeps You From Texting and Driving

App jammer ensures a distraction-free ride

I'll be honest--I'm not completely innocent of all texting and driving charges. I know it's a bad thing to do and causes more deaths and disfigurements than automotive phone calls. I know that, and yet I find myself replying to texts while behind the wheel of my car anyway. It's a stupid thing to do, even if I do my best to restrict myself to only typing when stopped at a red light. But a fair number of my friends who drive do the same thing, some without even hesitation or guilt. There's a reason those PSAs about texting while driving are up everywhere--it's actually super dangerous to have your eyes on your tiny phone screen while propelling an enormous machine forward at forty miles per hour. It makes sense hypothetically, and yet most of us can't put down our phones even for the time it takes to get from point A to point B.

Goodbye Remote. Good Riddens.

There's a new generation of both voice-controlled and gesture-controlled televisions coming soon.

Goodbye Remote. Good Riddens.

When the remote control was first introduced, it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not having to get up to change the television channel was just plain options. But these days, there's a remote control for practically every device. There's a remote control for the tv, dvd player, blu-ray player, surround sound, xbox, Roku box, cable box, and so on. I'm beginning to have more remote controls than shoes. Well, not really, but you get the point. And don't get me started on the lost remote.

Well, as you know, technology is growing faster than a speeding bullet these days. And that could mean a replacement to the remote control. Really? Seriously?

Apparently, there's a new generation of both voice-controlled and gesture-controlled televisions. TV program lovers can control these new-fangaled TVs simply by speaking to them or gesturing (nicely, of course) to them. Read more about Goodbye Remote. Good Riddens.

Google+: 90 Million Users

How does Google+ compare to Twitter and Facebook in terms of the numbers of users?

Google+? Love it or leave it, Google+ is claiming that the social networking site now has 90 million users.

Tame Those Wild Cables

One of the things I dislike most about a wired home office set up is all the cables. Between the power cables, connections for printers and peripherals, and the Ethernet cables for every Internet connected item, cables can become a huge mess. Now they don’t have to be, with the Cable Monkey Cable Organizer from ThinkGeek. Read more about Tame Those Wild Cables

World's Smallest Storage Device Weighs In at Just 12 Atoms

Iron atoms hold one bit in low temperatures

Every time they release a newer, smarter, smaller thumb drive, I keep thinking how much easier it would be to lose it. I can barely keep track of my hefty, palm-sized phone, let alone something actually smaller than the digit it's named for. Smaller technology isn't always better when it comes to those of us who live in chaos. I sort of miss those external hard drives that were the size of cinderblocks if only because I could always tell where the damn things were. But, as if to spite me, IBM has gone ahead and invented a storage device so small it actually can't be seen with the naked eye. They wanted to see exactly how much matter it took to store a single bit of data. They found out it took exactly 12 atoms.

Things I Want in 2012

Being very frugal and a gadget junkie is an awful combination. There are so many cool gadgets to get, but when you can’t stand spending money, all you can do is look and want. For instance, I would love a Kindle Fire, but I already have a Kindle that works perfectly well, so how can I justify getting another one? That being said, I can see myself caving and splurging on some form of technology this year. Here are just a few of the things I would get if I could talk my frugal alter ego into it. Read more about Things I Want in 2012

Is it worth it to become a mayor on Foursquare?

Why do people even play this game?

I didn’t know what geniuses did with their free time until recently: apparently, some of the geniuses “play Foursquare” which allows them to both impress their friends and family with knowledge of nearby restaurants and hotspots and become Mayors of unincorporated towns and municipalities like Microsoft which is a world in and of itself.

The idea of Foursquare is simple. As described by TechWorld:

Vertu: Crappy Phones for Rich Idiots

Nokia's luxury line confounds

Like that "I Am Rich" iPhone app that cost $200 and did nothing but display a glowing red icon, expensive but ultimately useless novelties have always perplexed me. They're amusing from a distance to those of us without buckets of spare cash, but does anyone actually buy them? Apps may not cost much of anything to make, but what about real, tangible goods with production costs? Hundred-dollar computer cables must have some kind of market for companies to keep making them and stores to keep selling them. $20,000 Nokia handsets must have at least one buyer in the world, or else Vertu wouldn't exist.

Safeguarding Your Child's Tech Gadgets

By implementing some of these safequard tips, these smart, high-tech devices can have a positive impact on your children in terms of both learning and

More and more kids are becoming acquainted with technology at a young age. They're exploring smartphones, iTouch, iPhone, and even iPad devices. But just how safe are these hi-tech devices in the hands of young children? After all, there's the opportunity that inappropriate pictures, videos, songs, and movies could make their way into the viewing field of a young child with a simple tap or touch.
Read more about Safeguarding Your Child's Tech Gadgets

BlackBerry's Post-Holiday Tablet Sale

The suffering PlayBook is indicative of a new trend in media storage

I think BlackBerry is feeling the heat. They went from producing the most coveted line of business-class smartphones to rolling out B-network cast-offs in only a few years. In attempting to gain relevance through a new line of gadgets, they unleashed the PlayBook a little while back. It seems as though they thought their brand still held some sway over consumers, as though a BlackBerry tablet would still be cooler, edgier, more desirable than an Acer tab or a cheap off-brand computer. Looks like they thought wrong. Having sold probably very few PlayBooks during the holiday season, BlackBerry is now offering all of their PlayBook models at some very drastic discounts.