jeff's blog

It is all in the solar panel, and the good ones are usually really expensive. This high-efficiency Generator solar panel bag from Voltaic Systems is affordable for what it does … charge your gear! One hour in the sun will fully charge most cell phones, MP3 players or cameras. The solar panel Voltaic uses will generate up to 15 Watts of power,  plus it has a 58Wh Lilon battery built into the bag (which helps facilitate the charging process).

The most common adapters come with the bag, which is made out of recycled drink bottles. You have a choice of five different colors — distinctive orange, silver, green, white and a more discrete black. The MSRP of the Generator laptop-charging bag is $499 and can be found at select retailers. Check out their site: www.voltaicsystems.com to locate the retailer nearest you.

Why do we take so many pictures? Because we don't have a video camera, right? eStarling now has a WiFi digital picture frame that supports video! Yes, you might say, “Why, that’s a television!” Well … not really. You can shoot a video with your cell phone, and immediately upload that video to the eStarling ImpactV for your friends or family to share the memory. This company has even developed an iPhone App that enables your iPhone to easily upload content to the ImpactV.

The quality of the video and pictures on the frame is great. You can even send YouTube videos, movie trailers, news clips, music videos, etc. Any video with a maximum of four (4) minutes in length can be sent to this device. I am sure your creative minds can find a way to integrate this into your life. Here is the link to the company site, www.estarling.com. The MSRP for the 8-inch ImpactV is $199.

Take a musical journey through the decades with music from each genre. The classics from the 70’s through today’s greatest hits should be BIG fun. This edition of Guitar Hero for the Nintendo DS has an all-new library of music, characters and venues. Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades can be purchased with or without the Guitar Grip, an ergonomic extension that mimics a guitar fret board. Now you can practice on the go, sharpen those skills, and rack up more points for your all time high score. On a local wireless network your friends can join in to play together in co-op mode, or you can challenge one another in a Guitar Duel. The MSRP on Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades is $49.99 with the Guitar Grip, and $34.99 for just the software.

For more information read the press release.

Whether you are starting a new business, or growing your existing business, Web TechTools has solutions for you.

Does your business need cutting edge technology solutions? Is your hobby generating income? Have you always had an idea that you wanted to make a reality, and not known where to start? Are you ready to start a business? Does your existing business need updated technology that solves problems? If your answer to any of these questions is “Yes”, then go here: www.webtechtools.com. You are in luck because Web TechTools has great solutions you might need to get started, move to another level, or just make sure you are doing what your business needs to do in this NEW world. Read more

Uncle Milton is an innovator of technology for kids. Children are curious and always full of questions - why not foster this curiosity? Your little ones might be interested in knowing what Fido is up to when they are in school, or away on vacation. Uncle Milton has created the Pet’s Eye View Camera to capture the images from the animal’s eye view. The camera is attached to your pet's collar. The little camera can be set to take a picture every minute, every five-minutes, or every fifteen-minutes. MSRP is $49 and you can find Uncle Milton products in most BIG box retailers and on their web site: www.unclemilton.com. There are many more products this company "innovates" for children.

The VW-100HD features Runco’s SuperOnyx chipset which will have you mesmerized with anything you may be watching. The VideoWall system (model VW-100HD) from Runco is exactly what the name describes – a video wall. The MSRP of the VW-100HD is $39,995 and it is shipping now. If you are buying this, or even considering buying this product, your CEDIA (or other highly reputable custom installer) will make sure you have the right stuff to maximize the effectiveness Runco intended with the VideoWall. Runco dealers are all good people who are selected with care to sell the Runco brand. There are many more in depth reviews than this one (of course), and I can only say, "WOW! Runco, you guys are doing a great job!"

Read the press release for more information.

You are about to start … Check out the gallery to understand what you are capable of creating. PhotoFiddle.com can even deliver your final product (fiddled photo) on a stretched canvas frame. The ease, and quick turn around on a PhotoFiddle project will amaze you. Why buy something useless for your family this Holiday Season? Give them a digital photograph that you shot, and upload the photo to PhotoFiddle and create a piece of art. You will be remembered as the family artist for the rest of time.

What impressed me the most about PhotoFiddle was how EASY it was to create an account, upload a photo, have the photo additionally altered (by the pros at PhotoFiddle), and then shipped home for my enjoyment. The packaging is well done with the care of a prized art dealer with little white gloves to hold the Fiddled Photo. Prices range from $34 - $3,400. It all depends on how large and creative you want to be with your photo. Give them a shot, tell them we sent you and go fiddle.

If I had to assume something, I would assume that Sony has their sensor inside the Nikon D3X 24.5 megapixel D-SLR camera for the professional. The D3X can shoot up to five frames-per-second (fps), and 14-bit files that are 138MB when processed. The exclusive Scene Recognition System from Nikon is a feature in the D3X. This feature further refines the auto exposure, auto white balance and autofocus calculations. The D3X also features the exclusive Multi-CAM 3500FX focus module. This module has 51 auto focus (AF) points. Nikon ensures their "over-delivery" on what this camera is capable of producing, and I would encourage Canon to pay attention, Nikon is on your heels.

Here is a great review of Nikon’s D2X . Keep an eye out for Imaging Resource’s D3X review soon.

Read the press release for more information.

The Mirage MX home theater system is standing tall with their small 5.1 surround sound speaker system. One speaker will fit in the palm of your hand, and there are five of them plus one subwoofer. The MSRP of these amazing speakers is $1,200, which is in line with high-end competitors to Mirage. The company will also sell individual MX stereo speakers for $150 each so consumers can add more if they choose.

The recognition from consumer electronics aficionados who are part of the International CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Awards program recognize the Mirage MX home theater system as being among the best designed and engineered products for 2009. The Industrial Designers Society of America also gave Mirage a wink and a smile for their design efforts on the MX home theater system.

Read the press release for more information.

Well, it looks like Blockbuster is finally embracing the future. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ’em – right? I say this because ON-DEMAND movies from Blockbuster appears to be a brick and mortar store killer. They have to do something in this new era of digital entertainment, and this is a step in the right direction.

The MediaPoint player from 2Wire is simple, clean and has HDMI outputs for quality signal transfer. The video-on-demand services in the market today are great, but lack the availability that consumers crave. What I mean is, a new release might not be available for 60 days with traditional on-demand services. Blockbuster is saying new releases will be available within 30 days on-demand. Rentals will start at $1.99, which means new releases will most likely be more. Comcast in my market charges $5.99 for HD titles rented on-demand. The exciting thing about this release is the competition that Blockbuster brings to the table.