Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Six Must Have Apps!

Did you know- there are over 500,000 apps just on the iPhone side alone? How do you know which are the best to download? I am working on a media tour with Myxer Social Radio to give you some of the must have apps in your arsenal!

And on that note – let’s start there….

Myxer Social Radio– (music) Myxer Social Radio is all about listening to the music you love with friends. With Myxer, you can login on your computer (through your Facebook account) or through the app and create custom listening rooms with friends. Example: I love country music and so do some of my friends. I tell Myxer some of my favorite artists and it will create a custom room of that genre. My friends on Facebook can then see that I’ve created that room and can join the room. Or you can join already existing rooms. You can then chat in the rooms and even create custom video messages for friends!

ZocDoc - (medical) It’s that time of year -- flu season, colds, etc., and trying to get to a doctor is a hassle within itself. It takes on average about 3 weeks to get an appointment. ZocDoc is a free app that allows you to search for a doctor in your area. You can search by specialty, insurance and reviews and you will be able to see the available appointments. Forty percent of booked appointments see a doctor within 24 hours while the other 60 percent see a doctor within three days.


Camera+ - (photography) This is one I love year round but it’s especially great for the holidays. It is the must have photography app. You can simply edit any photo taken on your smartphone: apply borders, add filters like Hipster, Antique, Black and White and Tailfins to kick your photos up a notch from amateur.

Postagram- (entertainment) Postagram is a an app that allows you to upload pics from your smartphone and create a virtually postcard.  You can then send this postcard to friends and family for $.99.  Ton of different designs to choose from plus the card pops out!


Houzz - (productivity) Houzz is the Wikipedia of interior design. If you’re someone that loves to flip through magazines to get new ideas for your home, this is for you. There are nearly 200k full screen photos that are uploaded by over 30k professionals and sorted by room and style. There’s over 20k pictures on bathrooms alone! You can save ideas you like to an ‘Ideabook’ and share your thoughts with others.


Glympse – (productivity) Glympse allows you to send an update of your location to anyone through a custom link. It gives them a certain amount of time to follow you on a map through that link. Great for meetings so people know when you will be there.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Skin Your Tech - Deals for Cyber Monday

I've always thought ColorWare is a pretty amazing site.  It allows you to trick out your hardware (from headphones to iPhones to even a Segway) with custom colors.  It uses a highly specialized scratch resistant liquid plastic coating.  This coating is applied as a "final step in ColorWare’s proprietary coatings process."

Colorware DSi 

Colorware iPhone

But the site is way too expensive.  A custom colored iPhone alone is base price $1400.  Plus, you have to send in your model or order new.  This means wait times.  

The alternative?  Go the cheap route and use some of my fave sites to make a statement.  These sites are having sales for Cyber Monday.  With the travel around holidays or just the casual regular trips to the cafe or just work -- might as well add a little style to the devices you use most.

Gelaskins. 20% off everything.  Pros: You can design your own.
  

MacStyles.  40% off everything plus free shipping.  Pros: Can use accents to do minor decaling.



MacSlaps.  25% off entire catalog.  Pros: Nice transparent, clean look.
 

Cyber Monday – CNN Part Three

Binary days are over for 2011.  But there is one last nerdy holiday... and its today!  Yay! Cyber Monday.  Had a chance to chat with the amaze Brooke Baldwin on CNN today... here are the deets...



Last year Cyber Monday pulled in just over a billion in sales this year projected at 1.2 billion.

10 of the top 20 fastest-rising searches on Google right now are Cyber Monday related. These include: cyber monday deals 2011, best buy, walmart, target, cyber monday deals, macys, kohls coupons, sears, office max

Cyber Monday General Insights - Google
• Year over year
o Searches for ‘cyber monday’ are up by 125%, year over year
o Searches for ‘cyber monday coupons’ are up by 50%, year over year
o Searches for ‘cyber monday sales’ are up by more than 5,000% since November 1
o Searches for ‘cyber monday deals’ have grown by 600% since November 1

Best Deal Sites?
• CyberMonday.com
• RetailMeNot.com
• Savings.com
• Overstock.com
• Amazon (for lightning deals) - (Cyber Monday in 2010 was their peak day with more than 13.7 million items ordered worldwide across all product categories – that is a record-breaking 158 items per second. Interestingly Kindle Fire is best selling item across all of Amazon right now)
• Make sure to hit the ‘Like’ button on your favorite stores!

My personal fave deals today.
• 4GB Flip $44.99, PC Connection
• $1.99 albums, Google Music
• Shanalogic 15% off
• Jambox $150, Amazon.com
• Nook Simple Touch, $69, Overstock.com

Tips for protecting yourself.


Beware of Scams.

Your inbox will be full of promotions from your favorite stores. Read carefully. It still amazes me how smart phishing schemes are these days. Scammers will lure on hot ticket items….

Beware of phishing schemes.
I can create a fake photoshop ad trying to lure you to a malicious website in about ten minutes. Beware what mail you are opening and where it is coming from. No company, including your email or favorite store provider, needs your password or credit card information. Usually, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Use credit cards instead of debit cards.
You’ll be better protected from fraud and face less liability in the event of your card being stolen. Also, you have time to dispute credit card charges and stop payment to a creditor, whereas, debit charges are taken from your bank account immediately.

Shop only on certifiably secure websites: https.
Look for web addresses beginning with https:// before entering any credit card information and also the little padlock in the lower right of your browser. This signifies a secure connection.

Remember Restocking Fees!
I realize the sense of urgency on a one day deal, but be careful when it comes to purchasing big ticket items for gifts – often times opened laptops and big electronics can result in restocking fees up to 25%. If you’re not 100% sure it’s what they want, ask.

Don’t make purchases on public wi-fi.
Public wi-fi is easy to tap in to and hackers can easily steal your information --especially dangerous on days like Cyber Monday.

Protect your smartphone.
According to The National Retail Federation found that 53% of consumers are planning to shop on their smartphones this holiday season. And 34.8% of tablet owners will make a purchase on their device. For your smartphone download an app like Lookout for mobile security. This app will also allow you to wipe your data should it go missing. (I can’t tell you how many of my girlfriends set their phones down in stores when looking at something or trying something on)

Create a second email address.
Unless you want promotional emails for the next 10 years don’t give your go-to email address to retailers. If you haven’t already

Friday, November 25, 2011

Cyber Monday – CNN

As discussed on CNN – here are some tips, site and things to know about all things Cyber Monday.




Cyber Monday was a phrase coined in 2005 and since then, the shopping holiday has only seen a substantial annual increase in growth.  Last year, comScore recorded a $1 billion online shopping day, so you can bet other retailers are ramping up on all fronts to cash in this year.
According to a shop.org survey, 8 out of 10 online retailers are expected to offer specials on Cyber Monday this year.

And the best part, over half of the people shopping online Monday, will be doing it at work.  Might as well just start giving people the day off...

Beware of Scams.
Your inbox will be full of promotions from your favorite stores.  Read carefully.  It still amazes me how smart phishing schemes are these days.  Scammers will lure on hot ticket items….

Beware of phishing schemes
I can create a fake photoshop ad trying to lure you to a malicious website in about ten minutes. Beware what mail you are opening and where it is coming from.  No company, including your email or favorite store provider, needs your password or credit card information. Usually, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Use credit cards instead of debit cards.
You’ll be better protected from fraud and face less liability in the event of your card being stolen.  Also, you have time to dispute credit card charges and stop payment to a creditor, whereas, debit charges are taken from your bank account immediately.

Shop only on certifiably secure websites: https.
Look for web addresses beginning with https:// before entering any credit card information and also the little padlock in the lower right of your browser.  This signifies a secure connection. 

Remember Restocking Fees! 
I realize the sense of urgency on a one day deal, but be careful when it comes to purchasing big ticket items for gifts – often times opened laptops and big electronics can result in restocking fees up to 25%.  If you’re not 100% sure it’s what they want, ask.

Don’t make purchases on public wi-fi.
Public wi-fi is easy to tap in to and hackers can easily steal your information --especially dangerous on days like Cyber Monday. 

Protect your smartphone.
According to The National Retail Federation found that 53% of consumers are planning to shop on their smartphones this holiday season.  And 34.8% of tablet owners will make a purchase on their device.  For your smartphone download an app like Lookout for mobile security.  This app will also allow you to wipe your data should it go missing.  (I can’t tell you how many of my girlfriends set their phones down in stores when looking at something or trying something on)

Go-to deal sites.
CyberMonday.com
RetailMeNot.com
Savings.com
Amazon (for lightning deals)
Make sure to hit the ‘Like’ button on your favorite stores for first-to-know deals


Saturday, November 19, 2011

Black Friday- Apps, Sites, Tips - CNN

The ultimate shopping holiday has almost arrived and believe it or not people are already starting to camp out!  According to the National Retail Federation, up to 152 million people plan to shop Black Friday weekend, which is more than the 138 million who planned to do so in 2010.

But today’s modern day Black Friday shopper is digitally savvy.  According to a survey by InMobi, 60 million mobile users will shop on Black Friday using their smartphones and 21 million intend to purchase goods directly from their mobile devices.  

If you’re shopping in store or online make sure you are equipped with the most powerful weapon this year for leads, deals and coupons-- the smartphone. 

Below are a few APPS, WEBSITES and SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS to ensure you get the best bang for your buck!

APPS
According to the study, 45 percent of shoppers will use their phones for price comparisons while shopping, up from 22 percent last year.  That’s where you turn to barcode scanning apps. :

Red Laser, ShopSavvy, TheFind -all good options.  These apps allow you to scan the barcode of any product and see if you can find it cheaper at another store or online.  I was using TheFind at Best Buy the other day to make sure I wasn’t getting ripped off on a Blu-ray player.  I checked other local electronic stores and online.  You can even receive coupons with these apps. 


 
















Savvy.com  (app and website)
Next up, there’s a new app that launched this week and tackles a problem a lot of us can relate to – price adjustments. According to Savvy’s research, consumers missed out on over $20 billion worth of price adjustments during 2010 holiday shopping spending – approximately $177 per U.S. Household.  How many of us are afraid to buy something because it might go on sale in the next week or two? Fear not -with this app you can scan receipts from 41 of the most popular stores and if there is a price reduction, it will alert you so you can take your receipt back to the store.  You can also set it to let you know when something goes on sale.  For now I recommend the desktop version as there are a lot of bugs in the app – I've been speaking with the founder and he assures that will be fixed hopefully just in time for Black Friday!



Catalogue by TheFind
Great for tablet users. Catalogue compiles 70 top stores catalogues and circulars so it’s easy to flip through access plus you can select the products you want from your favorite stores and save them.  It’s an iPad and Android app so it’s easy to flip through.  Nice to have year round too because it has back issues. 



SOCIAL MEDIA
You can bet that retailers are ramping up on all fronts of social media to leverage sales.
According to Shop.org, nearly 74% of retailers will use their Facebook page to reach out to shoppers, up from 57.1 percent last year. And nearly 60% will turn to Twitter to announce Black Friday deals. 

Walmart, Target, Toys R Us and Lowes first turned to their Facebook pages to release their sales and contests.  So, make sure you are following your favorite brands for sales and deals.

SITES
Here are a number of sites that aggregate Black Friday deals and coupons!  Check 'em all!

TGIBlackFriday.com
Gottadeal.com
RetailMeNot.com
Savings.com
FatWallet.com


For more Black Friday coverage stay tuned to CNN and for all things nerdy check back often!

All About the Jetpack - A revisit.

Last year on CNN we discussed the Martin Jetpack.  The Martin Jetpack was named one of Time Magazines 50 Best Inventions in 2010 and has been over 27 years in the making.  Though its early 2011 availability was pushed back perhaps it may see timing aligned with another jetpack that was unveiled this week and received a lot of media attention– the JetLev.  The JetLev will hit retail early 2012 for a pricetag of $100,000. 

The JetLev operates different than the Martin Jetpack and both have very different objectives.  JetLev is manufactured by MS Watersports in Germany, though it should be noted it will be carried state-side.  It is a water-propelled pack powered by a 250hp engine that pumps 1,000 gallons of water per minute through a 33- foot hose. It can generate up to 500lbs of thrust.

The JetLev can support individuals from 4.9 to 6.5ft and in terms of weight 88 to 330lbs. It takes to heights of up to 30 ft in the air and also comes in a bevy of colors.  It hits top speeds of 47km/h and touts several hours of air time thanks to a 26-gallon fuel capacity.

It foremost use will be as a resort and recreational device.  Individuals will need to be trained but it supposedly only takes “minutes” to figure out. 


And because I simply have to... here it is in an epic #fail.




Switching gears – lets briefly compare it to the Martin Jetpack which uses two ducted fans for lift. It is considered a more ‘practical unit’ – (still weird calling a jetpack practical albeit sci-fi).  It is designed by engineer Glenn Martin and as noted has been nearly 30 years in the making.  It successfully completed a 5000 feet climb in May of this year. The initial climb scaled 800 feet/minute (it actually had to be slowed down because the chase helicopters could not keep up on the climb!) Skipping the morning commute is not a problem with capability to travel up the 31 miles at speeds of up to 63mph and altitude of an estimated 8,000 feet.  It can be piloted for a half hour.  Since it is considered an ultralight vehicle, or sometimes referred to as a backpack helicopter, no license is required in the US. 

There was interest from the Department of Defense in using in Search and Rescue Operations, emergency response, and also to enable jet pack experiences around the world. 

Here is a look at the Martin Jetpack.


My thoughts ---I’m not holding my breath until both of these are released.  I am also more so looking forward to the Martin knowing the amount of R&D that has went in to it.  Stay tuned….

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Tablet Wars - CNN - CBS





I have been discussing Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble's Nook Tablet on both CBS Early Show and CNN the past two days. (Click here for CBS TV segment) I have been fortunate to have spent a few days with a Fire review unit and was impressed with the specs, speed and overall performance especially at a pricetag of $199.  See below for deets on both devices and how this will likely shake up the tablet world.   


In the world of electronics, 2011 is the year of the tablet and the iPad has reigned - owning an estimated 82% of the tablet marketshare and selling 39 million plus as of September. Other brands would kill for a slice of this pie. But to date, the 100+ tablets have failed to impress, mainly because they can’t undercut the iPad in price or match the specs.
But, I’ve been covering the tablet space closely and I think for the first time we might actually have some viable competition, which is nice because it will give consumer’s options heading into holiday season.
First, let’s start with Kindle Fire:
The quick and dirty specs: 7” screen, it runs off a customized version of Android, access to songs, movies, apps, newspapers, magazines, dual core processor, new Amazon web browser (Silk), and decent battery life 8+ hours continuous reading. But here’s the kicker… it comes at a pricetag of $199 that’s $300 cheaper than the iPad.
Next, Barnes and Noble’s Nook tablet:
Pretty similar specs, 7” form factor, also sports a dual core processor, access to e-books, movies, apps, a little bit more memory and storage space with a pricetag of $250.

(More specs below)
But the bottom line is the pricepoint for the consumer. With the brand recognition and price tag, expect the Kindle Fire to be the second hottest tablet.
Is there anything that these tablets are missing?
Both tablets do not have front and rear facing cameras. That means no option to video chat, take pics or HD video. Also, they will only have a few thousand apps out the gate (expect that number to grow quickly).  However, they won’t come close to the iPads 100k+apps just made for iPad and 500,000 in the Apple App Market.
How are pre-order sales stacking up?
According to eDataSource – Amazon took 500,000 pre-orders from September 28 through October 28 and the hype continues to grow.
And expect the tablet wars to be in full swing in retail.
Barnes and Noble has just rebranded their storefronts with a special Nook area just for one- on- one assistance with devices – they’re hoping that the firsthand customer service offered in their retail stores will help boost sales. And Amazon, who is known for its online sales, will be selling in over 16,000 stores from Best Buy to Target to Radio Shack.
It will be interesting to watch it pan out. I think a lot of buyers will see that $50 difference and impulse shop.
Amazon cashing in on the eco-system. 
Amazon is reportedly taking a hit on the device, well, because they can. Since they distribute e-books, music, movies – they are trying to wrap this device around the ecosystem - trying to become a consumer’s one stop shop. So here’s the deal.  You buy the tablet, but then for $79 more you can get a year of Amazon Prime. That gets you free 2 day shipping on Amazon.com – (hoping you buy products), free access to their e-book lending library (access to thousands of e-books to loan out as long as you want), and free access to content like instant stream of movies and TV. Smart.
SPECS FOR THE NERD AT HEART:
Size:
iPad: 9.7” screen
Nook: 7” screen
Kindle Fire: 7” screen

Weight:
iPad: 1.3lbs
Nook: 14.1oz
Kindle Fire: 14.6oz

Operating System:
Both run on Android 2.3
iPad runs iOS

Speed:
All have dual core processors

Storage:
On-device storage: Kindle Fire 8GB (80 apps, 10 movies, 800 songs, 6,000 books)
Cloud storage options for all Amazon content
Nook tablet: 16GB (up to 10,000 books) (can add additional 32GB to microSD card)
iPad: 16GB+

Cameras:
iPad: front and rear facing cameras; video chat; HD recording
Nook: No camera
Kindle Fire: No camera

Connectivity:
iPad – Wi-fi/ 3G
Nook: Wi-fi only
Kindle Fire: Wi-fi only

Battery Life:
iPad2: Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to
music
Nook Tablet: 11.5 hours of continuous reading and 9 hours of video playback with
wi-fi off
Kindle Fire: 8 hours of continuous reading and 7.5 hours of video playback with wi-
fi off.

Apps Available:
iPad: 500,000 apps (140,000 made just for iPad)
Nook: several thousand at launch
Kindle Fire: several thousand at launch
(Amazons also smart in offering Hulu Plus, Netflix, etc --- taking cues from Apple and
not limiting content)

Pricepoint:
iPad: Starting at $499
Nook: $249
Kindle Fire: $199

Content:
Kindle Fire: (At launch) 400+ full-color magazines and newspapers
(At launch) subscribers will receive free three- month trial of 17 Conde Nast
magazines
Nook: 234 magazines and 36 newspapers +
Apple: 240 publications

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Tune in to NHL Network!

Two things I have been in love with my whole life: sports and tech.

That said - I am excited to be hosting a new show 'Around the Rink' on the NHL Network.  And also excited to be reunited with some of my fave ESPN'ers. (You havent lived a life of sports until you've rocked the 860 in Bristol)  Show airs first at 5:30 Sunday and throughout the month.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Lightning Review: Jawbone UP - CBS

Another fitness gadget?  How does it stack up?  Here is the link to my review on CBS Health Pop.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Apps for Making Extra $ - CNN

Want to earn some extra cash?  Want a schedule that is flexible?  Wow, that sounds great right?  Well… there’s an app for that. 

As discussed on CNN this evening here are some apps for the unemployed or those just trying to make some extra money:
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is an app and website currently available in 6 cities.  Anyone can post jobs to the site and those looking for some extra cash can compete and bid for these jobs.  There are over 2k bidders or rabbits, as they are known, nationwide and due to the success, the waiting list is thousands long.  The waiting list takes about 5-7 days to go through especially considering there is a five stage criminal background check.  (The TaskRabbit goes through a five-stage criminal background check that includes an online application, a video interview, a series of background checks and an online quiz.)

So what kind of jobs are on the site?  Jobs can range from delivering cupcakes to offices, doing someone’s laundry, cleaning an apartment or the most popular-- assembling IKEA furniture.  Tasks are paid online, no cash needed.

Great for flexible schedules and picking up some extra cash -- some rabbits make up to 5k a month!

Gigwalk
Gigwalk is a free iPhone app.  It uses your iPhones GPS to tell you where simple one- off jobs are located in your area.  An example of a job is to capture data like street signs, capture photos of a business or report product placement and signage.  

Most jobs take about 20 minutes to complete and you make about $4-7 per job although there are a lot of $10 jobs on there, too.  After completing jobs in a timely manner, you also earn points called 'street cred' which can allow you to unlock even higher paying jobs.

More than 140,000 gigs have been posted and clients of gigwalk include Microsoft, TomTom and MenuPages.  Gigwalk is currently in 8 cities.

CheckPoints
Also, CheckPoints is another app that works in similar fashion.  It's available for iPhone and Android users.  You earn points for checking in to stores and scanning product barcodes. In a particular store, there can be around 8-11 products to scan. Points can earn you airline miles, gadgets and Amazon and iTunes giftcards. 

What's the downside?

Note - you have to find the extra time, obviously!  I was testing out Checkpoints  and I was running around a busy Walgreens scanning 8 products for a half hour to get me 300 points.  I need 2,500 points for a $25 Amazon gift card.

When it comes to the higher paying jobs (~$10) in Gigwalk, many of the jobs require you to download and use the Microsoft Photosynth App.  With the app you take panoramas of the businesses and add these photos to Bing.  Kind of annoying to figure out the first few times. 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Fire up the randoms!

Miss your fix of rando gadgetry?  Fear not.  @teluric and I are back for more funz.

Turbine LED Watch
Brace yourself, its only a concept but it's still awesome.  Designer is Peter Fletcher.

Rubix Cube Earrings, $15













Currently in production, I actually think this is a great idea for $40 for runners or elderly.




Post-it Note Watch, $14
File under, why didn't I think of that?



DJ Scratch Turntable, $40
This officially geeked me out. 



















BBQ Man Candle. $12


Super-Hero Caped Socks, $15
Also now available Ninja Turtle option, $25

Vintage Typewriter Tie, $30
Yay for cool, quality dude-wear!













Darth Vader Lego LED Torch Light, $30


Crazy Cat Lady Board Game, $17
Ive already purchased my sister the crazy cat lady figurine now this is a must.  
 


 Thanks to GeekSugar for this gem.  WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?  This is creepy and weird.



And for funz....




 

Copyright © 2012 Katie Linendoll