MacWorld: It's The Event, Not the Tradeshow


MacWorld 2012

2nd Event – While CES has a much wider array of Apple-centric products/solutions than this year's Macworld/iWorld, the event was still an opportunity for the fans to see what all of the iTalk was about and to renew old acquaintances.

If you spent a few days in SinCity for Macworld I (CES) to see the star-studded array of Apple-centric hardware, software, semi-ware; it sorta' took your breath away.

Then you go to San Francisco to see Macworld II to see a lot of the same only with a dramatically smaller venue.

At Macworld I, there were thousands of booths and hundreds of thousands of people jamming in booths, standing in cab lines and hoping for a dinner reservation.

At Macworld II, there were hundreds of booths, thousands of people checking out stuff with credit cards in hand, hailing cabs, eating at charming out-of-the-way restaurants.

The biggest news at the event wasn't the stuff on the floor but:

  • Apple's blow-out results for the quarter in sales/profits
  • Apple's huge cache of money (nearly $100B) sitting in offshore accounts
  • Apple passing HP in PC sales
  • The assertions that Apple didn't care about the working conditions for employees at their suppliers (fortunately, Cook subsequently and vehemently said wasn't true)
Read more

Best Western Launches Stay 3, Stay Free Spring Promotion

Best Western Rewards Offer Marks Brand's 66 Years, 100-plus Countries

Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- THE WORLD'S BIGGEST HOTEL FAMILY invites members of its free global loyalty program Best Western Rewards to earn a free night. Marking the brand's 66th birthday and presence in over 100 countries and territories, the promotion will reward members who stay three separate times between February 6 and April 8, 2012 with a free night voucher, good at any BEST WESTERN, BEST WESTERN PLUS or BEST WESTERN PREMIER in the world until June 30, 2012. Register and view Terms and Conditions at www.bestwestern.com/spring.

"We continue to work hard to make Best Western Rewards the most valuable loyalty card in our guests' wallets," said Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of marketing and sales. "This free night is to thank guests for their repeat business, and to help them experience one of our three hotel types in the more than 100 countries where we serve travelers."

The Best Western Rewards spring promotion and related sweepstakes will feature heavily in the brand's social media channels this season (www.facebook.com/bestwestern and @TheBestWestern), as well as at the property level. Read more

Rdio Unveils New Android App

Total Redesign Delivers More of Rdio's Discovery Features and Instant Music Accessibility into One Streamlined Application

Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Rdio (www.rdio.com), the digital music service started by the creators of Skype, today announced the availability of a completely redesigned Rdio for Android app, now available as a free download from Android Market or as an update for existing users.

The new app offers intuitive navigation with one-click access to features previously available on Rdio for Android, along with several new enhancements and key features including collection, playlists, new releases, top charts, recommendations, and support for Android Ice Cream Sandwich's new remote control client. Now Android users not only have easy access to Rdio's catalog of more than 12 million songs, they can also take advantage of Rdio's rich social features and extensive music discovery options.

"With the Rdio for Android redesign, we were focused on bringing Android users the best mobile music discovery application possible," said Malthe Sigurdsson, VP of Product, Rdio. "We believe this launch further reinforces our commitment to creating the most visual, social and interactive experience of music across every platform."Read more

Verizon and Redbox to Create New Consumer Choice for Video Entertainment


Verizon and Redbox Joining Forces

Joint Venture Will Offer the Best of Both Worlds - Physical and Digital - to All Consumers Nationwide

Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon and Coinstar, Inc. today announced the formation of a joint venture that will create a new choice for quality- and value-conscious consumers seeking a simple and affordable way to access the video entertainment they crave. The venture's services will offer all of the convenience, simplicity and value of Redbox new release DVD and Blu-ray Disc rentals combined with a new content-rich video on-demand streaming and download service from Verizon.

The joint venture plans to introduce the product portfolio in the second half of 2012. It will offer subscription services and more in an easy-to-use, flexible and affordable service that will allow all consumers across the U.S. to enjoy the new and popular entertainment they want, whenever they choose, using the media and devices they prefer. Additional brand and product information will be revealed in the coming months.

"When you consider the core elements the parties bring to this venture – our powerful brands; our national rental kiosk footprint; our anytime, anywhere network presence; and our mutual commitment to customer-focused innovation – it's clear that Verizon and Redbox are a powerful entertainment team," said Bob Mudge, president of Verizon consumer and mass business markets. Read more

Pre-Order the Samsung Galaxy Note at Best Buy, Get a Free Flip Cover Case

by jessica on Mon, 2012-02-06 13:56


Samsung Galaxy Note

Did you catch the Samsung Galaxy Note commercial that aired during the Big Game on Sunday? You can now pre-order the device at Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile, or online at BestBuy.com/Mobile and get a free Protective Flip Cover Case (value of $29.99) when you activate the phone (while supplies last).

The Samsung Galaxy Note has all the benefits of a tablet but the functionality of a smartphone. It features a 5.3" HD Super AMOLED screen, a dual core processor, 8MP rear facing and 2MP front facing cameras, and 16GB memory expandable to up to 32GB with optional microSD card. And, as seen in the commercial below, the device features a new S Pen stylus which can be used to write e-mails, texts and more in free-form handwriting.

Samsung Galaxy Note Commercial:

Read more

X-Rite's Free February Webinars for Photographers

by jessica on Mon, 2012-02-06 11:49


Adobe Lightroom 3

February is in full swing, which means it's time to announce X-Rite's schedule of webinars for professional and serious amateur photographers. Four free webinars are offered this month – Editing Portraits in Photoshop & Getting Prints Back that Match Your Display!, Image Edits and Enhancements in Lightroom 3, For the Birds! Nature Photography with Maxis Gamez and Edit & Enhance Landscape Images in Photoshop – all which will help photographers gain new confidence and learn quick, easy and powerful ways to enhance their color workflow.

"This month, X-Rite hosts four completely new Webinars that will surely appeal to a range of photographers looking to improve their photography as well as color management skills," said Mark Rezzonico, vice president, X-Rite Photo Marketing. "And we're especially pleased to co-sponsor with Nik Software, professional nature photographer and bird specialist Maxis Gamez's nature photography Webinar."

February Webinar Schedule:

Editing Portraits in Photoshop

Thursday, February 9, 2012, 11:00 AM EST and 1:00 PM EST
Editing Portraits in Photoshop & Getting Prints Back that Match Your Display!

Spend an hour with host Joe Brady learning how to edit portrait photographs to create images clients will love. In this free webinar sponsored by X-Rite, Joe will share some of his favorite techniques, tips and tricks for adding shape, direction and finish to portraits. From simple blemish removal to complex reshaping of body parts, these step-by-step tutorials will enhance your Photoshop skills and improve your editing quality and speed.Read more

Virus Action Sport Performance Clothing Made out of Coffee Chars

by David Novak on Mon, 2012-02-06 08:35


Virus Action Sport Performance Clothing

We all know that coffee warms us up. It has to do with the phenomenon of drinking something hot somehow warms up our internals. But what about wearing it?

Virus, a California based clothing company, uses the left-overs from coffee production, otherwise known as Coffee Char, or coffee charcoal to manufacture their clothing. That's right; they repurpose the coffee remnants to produce base layer clothing. This coffee substance can trap body heat providing up to 10-degrees of added warmth. The Virus clothing is extremely efficient at eliminating moisture and odor as well. The grounds are recycled and processed into a natural fiber to produce a comfortable base layer fabric that traps heat close to the skin.

According to Virus, tests have shown that the garments' heat trap increases surface temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit and no chemical treatments or applications are used to provide these insulation properties. When body heat turns up the temperature and perspiration levels, additional features of the garment kick in. These include UV shielding and anti-odor properties, a function that the company says is due to the selection of compounds woven into the fabric that deter the growth of microbes.Read more

Super Bowl Party Cleanup Tips


super bowl party

The Super Bowl is great for fans and non-fans alike, the commercials are always a talker, but the mess from the party…. it's just a mess that needs cleaning up. Most of it can be trashed or recycled, but if the furniture is messed up, that can call for an expensive game plan.

So here are the top four ways Super Bowl parties trash your furniture and suggestions for cleaning it up.

1) INK: Your buddy uses a marker to write down all the wagers in the scoring pool. Except the number "12" gets written on the couch.

  • DON'T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks. The degreasing agents in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.
  • DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but for serious problems your local Fibrenew franchise can help.

2) FOOD OR WINE STAIN: Your brother-in-law eats an entire pizza and drops a greasy cheese and his fifth glass of wine on your leather loveseat.

  • DON'T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.
  • DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job. Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn't going to hurt as long as you clean up quickly before it soaks through.
Read more

Planning a Super Bowl Party on a College Budget


Planning a Super Bowl Party on a College Budget

Though the Super Bowl isn't an official holiday, it certainly gets the same special treatment. On the day of the big game, roads clear and stores empty as millions of Americans crowd around TVs to watch the perennial battle for the ultimate American sporting prize.

The game is free to watch but the cost of hosting a party adds up quickly. When you're working on a shoestring college budget, this can feel like a major obstacle to having the supreme Super Bowl shindig. While you probably won't be able to afford the coveted nacho-cheese fountain, there are still plenty of low-cost ways to set your party apart. As you plan your Feb. 5 festivities, keep a few of these affordable ideas in mind.

1. Create a Custom Centerpiece
If you weren't able to sell your parents on a 42-inch plasma TV as an essential school supply, you'll just have to make the most of what you have to work with. Get your friends to assemble easily portable TVs and spare coaxial cables a day or two in advance. Then, pick up a splitter from Radio Shack or any other tech store and connect multiple televisions for room-to-room, sports-bar-like coverage. Read more

PENTAX Optio VS20 Finger-Friendly with Two Shutter Buttons

by David Novak on Fri, 2012-02-03 15:22


PENTAX Optio VS20

When you position your camera vertically, getting the perfect shot can mean a stretch of the fingers to the shutter button when not holding the camera horizontally. PENTAX has the solution with its new Optio VS20 digital compact camera. The 16-megapixel camera packs an accelerometer, which will flip your image to the correct orientation and a second shutter release and zoom lever on the topmost side of the body for easier snapping. The company also thoughtfully included a second tripod mount, so there's no fussing with your stand required.


PENTAX Optio VS20 vertical

Other features include a 3-inch LCD, automatic picture modes including fish-eye. It'll capture 1280 x 720 movies with its independent video button (also recording in fish-eye) and variable aspect ratio.

Unlike most point and shoot, the two shutter release buttons - one on the top for landscape shots and one on the side for those portrait snaps - is a pretty useful invention. That said, don't mistake the VS20 as a one trick pony. It boasts a massive 20x optical zoom, which is very unorthodox for a camera of this size.Read more

Syndicate content