John Lentz Jr.'s blog

We know and expect to pay top dollar for top quality items. Hitachi is relieving us of this burden with their new line of Luxury LCD HDTVs. With improvements in technology and economies of scale, Hitachi is now able to offer first rate televisions for fractions of what they used to cost. The upcoming UltraVision Series will offer 55-inch, 46-inch, and 42-inch screens complete with 1080p resolution and 120hz panel speed for $1800, $1300, and $1000, respectively. For those of us who do not spend all our time studying the TV market, this means you'll get a "good deal on a good TV".

For more information, go to www.hitachi-homeelectronics.us

We've all done it: left for a day away from the house or office with our favorite iPod or iPhone, only to discover the dreaded battery symbol is only one third filled, or worse, flashing. While this would have been little more than a nuisance in the past, in today's ever-connected world, not being available can be far more costly.

Fortunately, thanks to Belkin's Dual Auto Charger, you won't have to suffer, or even decide which product is more important. With its two USB ports, both your iPhone and iPod can find a home before their day-long adventures. Fortunately for the user in a hurry, it works under quick-charge and won't delay your adventure. Tell your friends not to worry – the USB ports are compatible with many kinds of technology, not just Apple.

At thirty dollars, people on the road for long periods of time may well find the Dual Auto Charger to be a boon.

Now that cell phones have become many people's primary timepiece, watches survive only by either complementing an outfit or doing more than just telling time. The Garmin 405CX is the latter.

The 405CX is built for the serious exerciser; it has the ability to measure your heart rate, calories burned, GPS location, and, best of all, it will send all of this information to your computer, relieving you of the chore of logging your progress after an exhausting day. This watch enables you to discern how many calories you're burning whether you're running on a treadmill or around the lake, and you'll never have to guess just how far you walked to get to lunch that one day. If you decide to take a detour through the forest and get lost, the GPS system can help guide your or enable you to send your location to any rescuers.

So if you're a gym rat who would prefer fresh air and a tan, the 405CX might be the perfect solution. With a stylish look and multiple wristbands to choose from, you won't look like Professor Frink from the Simpsons, but you'll sure enjoy that kind of brainpower that went into the watch's creation.

Available immediately for under 400 dollars, if the Garmin 405CX fits your niche, it will do so superbly.

You don't need me to tell you that times are tough. Some of us are brave and will tackle the depressing news head-on, but for the rest of us, escapism is looking more pleasant by the day. Television is the ultimate in escapism, because, regardless of whatever else is going on, your full attention is devoted to the program for that blissful and problem-less hour.

Vuzix's latest product, the iWear AV310 Widescreen, is the epitome of escapism. Looking like regular glasses, the iWear AV310 provides a 52-inch virtual screen to the person wearing them. Weighing less than four ounces and lasting upwards of 11 hours on one single AA battery, the glasses allow the ultimate escape from reality.

As interesting and desirable as this product is, Vuzix is in-tune enough to know that consumers can't be shelling out too much money right now. That's why the AV310 Widescreen costs only about $250.

Current trends in everything from clothing and manufacturing to electronics are to go green, that is, more environmentally friendly. Google Earth has always been green in quite another sense. Revolutionary for its ability to provide satellite images of much of the world, the breakthrough technology has been restricted to dry land until now. Sure, the ocean was in the picture, but its presence was little more than a blue blur and left much lacking. Given that the majority of our planet’s surface area is water, Google Earth finally lives up to its namesake in version 5.0 by including more detail of the ocean. Now you can view details of the ocean floor, as well as photos or videos of natural formations and wildlife relevant to that spot! Think of it as underwater street-level viewing.

In addition to underwater availability, Google Earth 5.0 includes takes a stab at the next frontier – space – by including a 3D map of Mars (Google Universe anyone?). Perhaps the most interesting addition is a historical viewer which allows the user to view certain locations as they were in the past.

Google Earth 5.0 is available right now for free through Google.com.

Official Google blog

Cnet’s live blog of the Google Earth 5.0 announcement

As technology improves, it is interesting to note that differing products move in opposite directions. Televisions and monitors get wider but thinner. Cars get faster but quieter. iPods get smaller and thinner despite more vibrant colors and extra memory. Laptops and their accessories keep getting smaller and more powerful, giving the consumer more power at his fingertips…errr…kneecaps.

Hawking Technologies, certainly a part of this ever-evolving technological world, has released their first Hi-Gain™ compact "Dongle" Wireless-N USB Adapter for extended wireless range. This wireless adapter fits right into a laptop’s USB port and makes use of 802.11n technology to find the strongest, clearest signal possible. With upgradable antennas, you’ll never have to settle for one that isn’t ideal for your situation. With security encryption and HWUN3 compatibility, the extender can boost your wireless connection up to 600%.

The easy to use drive is available now for between sixty and eighty dollars ($60-$80).

HDTVs are the wave of the future, but having one in every room is simply not affordable or practical for most people. Furthermore, the living room is not the only place in the house people want to watch TV: some people want to watch the evening news while eating dinner, the late night comics in bed, or the morning talk shows when getting ready for work. Buying a large HDTV for each of these rooms is impractical both financially and spatially.

ViewSonic recognizes this and offers a compromise: a smaller, less expensive HDTV that still packs quite a good picture on its screen. The 24-inch VT2430 delivers full 1080p resolution, high brightness, a 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and all the inputs you’ll need for your gaming or movie watching delight. At only $400, far less expensive than most HDTVs, the VT2430 is the perfect fit for that small spot in your kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom. Now, you can have HDTV all around the house and still have money in the bank.

Computers are like cars. Everyone has one or two, and we’re dependent on them everyday. If we must do without, it drastically changes our lives in the short term. However, very few of us actually know what is going on under the hood or deep in the system and registry files, and when disaster strikes, our ignorance is even more hampering.

Also like the car industry, there are professionals you can turn to for aid in resolving your concerns. TuneUp Software is the computing equivalent of a mechanic’s shop. Their latest update to their flagship line, TuneUp Utilities 2009, optimizes your machine for faster, healthier, and smoother performance. Compatible with Windows XP and Vista, Utilities 2009 offers excellent startup, uninstall, and performance optimization procedures. Offering a dynamic process that allows you to optimize the machine for your use, Utilities 2009 sheds the static mold you may find in some of its competitors.

TuneUp Utilities 2009 can be purchased for $49.95 via download at www.tune-up.com. Users of previous versions of TuneUp Utilities can upgrade to this latest version for a discounted price of $29.95. A 30-day trial version can also be downloaded at TuneUp's website.

2/09/09 UPDATE: TuneUp Utilities 2009 Updates Licensing Model: Three PCs Covered by Single License

Pandigital recognized the need for a “one size fits all” device for the kitchen by creating the Kitchen Technology Center (KTC), a product that combines the capabilities of a digital cookbook, HDTV, digital photo frame and Internet device into a single product. (Since it’s in the kitchen, you can be sure that it has spill proof covering!).

Now, each KTC will come pre-loaded with a selection of recipes to fit the season, including Drinks & Appetizers; Soups, Salads & Breads; Meat & Poultry; Seafood & Fish; Meatless Dishes; Sides; and Desserts. The KTC retails for $400 and is a good holiday gift choice for anybody who spends a lot of time in the kitchen.

Even though the transition from VHS to DVD seems recent to most people, it is time to prepare for the next transition: DVD to Blu-ray. (For people who have not kept up with it, Blu-ray became the winner in the new format war over high-definition movies by beating HD-DVD.)

OPPO is not wasting any time to make the jump, and recently announced their BDP-83 universal disk player. Predictably, the BDP-83 offers excellent sound and quality, including upconversion of regular DVDs. To speak technically, OPPO expects the new player to support BD Profile 2.0 (BD-Live), DVD, SACD, DVD-Audio, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio, but right now, only BD Profile 1.1 (BONUSVIEW), DVD-Video, SACD, and bitstreaming of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio has been mastered.

The BDP-83 should be available in early 2009 for around five hundred dollars.