February 2012

SugarSync to Save all Your Media

One of the biggest downfalls to the digital age is the risk we all deal with of losing precious memories, such as photos. Most backup methods are either costly or cumbersome, which results in files not being backed up. When you have a hard drive failure or other loss, that lack of backup can be devastating. One option, which is the one I use for all of my photos and files, is SugarSync. SugarSync is a free program that allows you to automatically backup and synchronize files across multiple devices, such as your smartphone, tablet, laptop and desktop computer.

Metal SD Cards Can Take Whatever You Throw At Them

Samsung has armored your flash memory

I'm often impressed by the sheer durability of flash memory devices. I have a USB stick that I've accidentally put through the wash about four times and it still comes out with a perfect recollection of all the documents, pictures, and mp3s I've stuffed it with. I'm none too kind to my netbook or phone, either, but they still survive all the bumps and jostles I hit them with. Flash memory is the future for clumsy people. I certainly don't miss having to worry about breaking a spinning disc whenever I drop a device containing far too much vital info to be lost.

But even flash storage can fall prey to the elements sometimes. Specifically, those little cards that fit into cameras and numerous other recording devices. Not only are they the flimsiest receptacle for data, they're also probably the ones containing the most valuable of your files. If you're a photographer, a filmmaker, or a journalist, you're going to want to do everything possible to avoid losing your photos, footage, or sound bites, respectively. That's where Samsung's new three-proof brushed metal memory cards come in.

My Droid Really Shut Me Up

Don’t get me wrong, I love my Droid. From the moment I bought it, my Droid and I have been nearly inseparable. I remember walking out of the store, so focused on my new toy that I could hardly see where I was going. Though the novelty has worn off in the year and a half I’ve had it, I still take my Droid everywhere I go. There is one problem though, but it has its benefits too – I absolutely cannot stand to talk on it.

Ben Huh at the IN-NW Social Media Conference

Ben Huh spoke out against SOPA.

I didn’t get a chance to see all of the speakers at Seattle’s IN-NW social media conference at the Showbox in SoDo, but I did have the opportunity to see the founder of the Cheezburger Network, Ben Huh, speak out about SOPA and Internet copyright law.

Two Sites to Sell Your Old Electronics

Trade-in and Trade-up Your Gadgets

Technology is evolving at a rapid pace. By the time you purchase the latest and greatest electronic device, a newer model comes out on the model. If you cannot stand to be behind the times, and just HAVE to have that newest gadget, considering recouping some of your money from one of the sites that is specifically set up to buy your gently used product.

Let's take a look at two of those sites that do just that.

1) Glyde. Glyde is a service that allows you to buy and sell cool electronic products, like iPads, iPhones, Kindles, DVDs, and games. The site is easy-to-navigate. Reviewers note that the process of listing and selling your electronic gear is much less time consuming and complicated than selling on eBay. This site can be used to sell your older model electronic product to have money to put toward the newer model that is coming out.

Buying Budget Laptops

Last year, my husband and I both needed to replace our computers. His died completely and mine was on its way out, but we didn’t exactly have the budget to get fancy machines. So we opted for some low budget Acer laptops from Walmart. I remember Acer having quality components back when I knew anything about building a computer, so I was looking forward to using my new laptop. While I’m still writing on it, I wish I had waited until I had the money for a nice laptop.

SpeakToIt: Alternative to Siri

Now there are more personal voice assistants to choose from.

Siri, the personal voice assistant available on the iPhone 4S has been all the rage these days. But if you didn't have a iPhone "4S", you were out of luck. Until recently, that is.

A new alternative to Siri is the SpeakTolt ( pronounced speak - to- it) Voice Assistant. It costs $1.99 at the Apple App store, but it will be available for free this Valentine's Day for the first 100,000 downloads.

The app is an alternative for Siri wannabees on the Android platform. Now, 3GS and iPhone 4 users can have voice commands with their smartphone too.

How Private is Online Dating?

Not Every Dating Site is Private; Most Dating Sites ARE NOT so Private

My days of cruising through online dating sites in coffee shops are numbered; it’s not that I don’t want the entire world to know my ideal of a man--after all I write here--it’s that I don’t want my neighbors in the coffee shop to know what kind of guy I’m looking for.

I just came across THIS which is a blog expose on how much information on dating sites stays personal. The answer? Very little and it’s absolutely terrifying when you sit down and look at the data and how it works.

Turn it All Off, Baby

There comes a time in every gadget junkie’s life where he or she realizes that this addiction is getting in the way of real life. I know, I know, it’s hard to admit, but sometimes we get caught up in all of this glitzy technology and forget that there is more to life…like light, fresh air and even other people.

Do People Repair Computers Anymore?

I have an old laptop that has been threatening to die for quite some time. I replaced it about a year ago after I decided it was too untrustworthy to keep using, and my son enjoys playing kid games on it. I always meant to get it fixed, but never got around to it. Yesterday, we took it to a repair shop to get a quote and he told us it just wouldn’t be worth paying to fix it. Even one purchased a year ago would be easier to replace than repair, it sounded like. That got me wondering…do people even bother repairing computers anymore?

Experts Warn Of Impending Rare Metal Shortage For Tech Industry

Which could cause major price spikes for things like consumer electronics and solar panels.

Progress in the 21^st century means technology, and the two have been used interchangeably for over a decade. Telephones have been replaced by cellular phones which have been replaced by smartphones that just seem to be getting smarter. Computers get faster and more compact, solar panels are becoming more proliferous throughout the world, and the new trend in tech is “high-efficiency”. Incredibly, even as these various technological components become more complex, the price of purchasing them continues to fall precipitously, which creates higher demand. This cyclical nature of this process, however, is straining the world’s supply of rare metals that are used in the manufacture of everything from TomToms and iPads to compact fluorescents and solar panels.

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