Edmund's Technoblasts

Edmund's Top 5 Father's Day Gifts under $100

On Sunday, June 21st get Dad a meaningful gift without breaking the bank. Looking for a great gift for the man who has everything, but you don't have much money? I have compiled a list of the 5 best gifts under $100 for dear old Dad.

1. Guitar Hero World Tour Wireless Bundle $89.99

Join Dad as he lives his dream of being a rockstar with this great family freindly game. This bundle includes the game and the guitar! Available for all major game consoles (Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, and PS2). Take a further look here.

2. Seagate Free Agent Go 320GB External Hard Drive $89.99

Give Dad a gift that will allow him to organize all his photos, music, movies and other multimedia in compact, stylish place. Ample storage space, USB 2.0 for fast data transfers, and bundled software for data encryption and synchronization. Cool gift for the tech savvy Dad. Click here for full specs. Visit Seagate.com to take a closer look.

3. Insignia Portable Speaker w/Bluetooth $59.99

An economical choice for the Dad who needs music "everywhere". The ability to connect to any portable device via Bluetooth makes this an invaluable purchase. Great sound for a small well priced speaker. Click here for more info.

4. Kodak EasyShare LCD Digital Frame $99.99

Great gift for all Dads. 300:1 contrast ratio, WiFi enabled, Mp3 player, wirleless picture mail, abd media card slots for easy photo uploads and it even plays mini-movies! A good idea to load it up with memorable pictures before presenting it to Dad.

More info here

5. Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 $70.95

Small, clips to virtually any flat panel easily and it captures HD quality video and pictures. Skype is bundled free to give Dad a great way to video conference with loved ones. Buy one here

As you can see there are great gifts you can get Dad for under a $100; so you don't have to resort to magic beans. Of course if buying a gift is not possible, spending quality time with Dad is priceless.

--Edmund

Edmund's Technoblasts

Top 5 Father's Day Gifts under $250

Father's Day is June 21, 2009. Show dad some love and appreciation by foregoing the uninspiring tie and opt for a tech gift that is sure to leave an impression and a smile on dear old dad's face.

1. Sony BDP S350 Blu-Ray Player $209 @ Best Buy

Regularly $249.99 this Blu-Ray player boasts 1080p, support for Dolby TrueHD, and BD-Live makes this a bargain from the company that invented Blu-Ray. Unbridled picture quality and impressive digital sound make for a truly cinematic experience. Click here to purchase and read reviews.

2. Microsoft Xbox 360 Arcade Bundle $199

As the #2 selling console in America the Xbox 360 offers gaming entertainment for all ages. A vast library of games, unbelievable graphics, and the award winning Xbox Live experience will make Dad a happy camper. Access to Netflix, and soon facebook are features that will make the Xbox 360 a device that the whole family can enjoy. Click here for more info and purchase options.

3. Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote $179 @ Best Buy

This item also retails for $249.99 but is currently on sale @ Best Buy for $179.99. Do you hate having 10 different remotes laying around, cluttering up everything? The Logitech Harmony One is a great solution to your multi remote loathing. Rechargable battery, support for up to 5,000 brands, usb connectivity for online updates and troubleshooting, compatibility with Windows and Mac, and CNET.com's editor choice award; need I say more?!

4. Samsung SL620 12.2 Megapixel Digital Camera $199

Sleek, compact, and lightweight. 5x digital and 5x optical zoom gives you up to 25x total zoom. High resolution with up to 8GB external storage can't be beat. Click here for a full spec of this execptional economic camera.

5. Garmin-nuvi 265WT GPS $204.99

First the price is $204.99 after a $125 instant price cut. Integrated maps, expansion slot, bright 4.3" touchscreen, turn by turn directions with voice and automatic re-routing when Dad misses the turn on his shortcut. Great accessory to bring on family trips and get-togethers and best of all it's portable so you can take with you on hikes or when you're exploring a new city! Click here for more info.

Just a few suggestions for those frustrated or at a loss on what to get Dad for Father's Day. Be on the lookout for my next post when I list the top 5 Father's Day gifts under $100. Happy Shopping.

--Edmund

Edmund's Technoblasts

iPhone 3G S

What's old is new

On June 9, 2009 Apple Inc. announced the iPhone 3G S. The S stands for speed (Apple's words, not mine), however you may not be able to take advantage of that speed due to AT&T not having viable network capability to support it.  There are features that are bundled with iPhone OS 3.0 and therefore will not be mentioned since any iPhone user can get them. Let's take a look at the new features of the iPhone 3G-S

1. Up to 2x faster than the iPhone 3G
   
2. Video Camera
3. 3MP Camera (still no flash!)
4. Voice Control
5. Compass
6. Accessibility

The Rundown: Mobile devices have had voice command for a very long time now so the inclusion of it on the iPhone is not exciting, it's expected. The fact that I can use it to control my music is a nice feature but not a wow factor. This is also true of the video camera, however, having the ability to edit out a clip of the video and post it to my favorite sharing site is a great feature. The camera has been upgraded to 3MP and has autofocus along with a feature that allows you to tap on any portion of the photo to adjust the focus on the tapped item-nice feature. Apple still has not included a flash, which is disheartening, because it would have made a world of difference. A digital compass is built in to the new iPhone which works with Google Maps to let you know which way you are facing by automatically rotating the map specific to your orientation-ok feature, but there are GPS apps that already does this for you. Another features is the Accessibility package, which includes VoiceOver-on screen reader, TTY support, High Contrast, and Mono Audio-channel audio signal to one earbud for those with hearing impairment.

Overall, the actual new features are not enough for me to recommend the iPhone 3G S. The form factor of the iPhone is what makes it a great and innovative mobile device. Apple has successfully integrated a phone and desktop into one device; however, going through multiple versions to get features that everyone expects and already has on other devices is what is keeping Apple from surpassing RIM in the mobile device arena.

-Edmund

Follow me on Twitter! twitter.com/edmundstarbanks 

Edmund's Technoblasts

iPhone 3.o

Upcoming iPhone/iPod Touch 3.0 update (Specific to users and not developers)


The bulk of the update for the iPhone/and iPod Touch are more for developers rather than end users. Great new ways for you to monetize your application and nickel and dime your customers. If you are hoping to create the next great app or be the next Trism story; then you should be very excited about this update, if not; then you should feel like Apple has finally got its proverbial head out of the sand (or something else if you prefer). The upcoming update for the iPhone and iPod Touch finally addresses many of the issues users have bemoaned about since their debut. Never mind the fact that Apple addresses end users at the end of the keynote. Now that the disclaimer that Apple should have expressed, let's take a look at what is in store for the end user.

The pluses: MMS, Bluetooth 3.o support/USB Tethering, Cut, Copy, and Paste, and core applications getting a landscape keyboard.

The minuses: iPod Touch users still have to pay for the upgrade-ridiculous.

Check back later when the final release comes out. At the moment Apple is on its fifth beta version, which you can only get if you are a developer.

--Edmund

Edmund's Technoblasts

Edmund's Top 5 Electronics Wish List

1. Archos 7 Internet Media Tablet
The Archos 7 has a gorgeous 7" touchscreen, which you can utilize with your hands or a stylus. Storage capacity is 160 GB or 320GB. This wonderful multimedia device boasts WiFi, built in speakers, email, contacts management, and up to 39 hrs of music playback and up to 10 hrs of video playback.(Full specs here) Throw in the ability to view attachements, read PDF's, attach periphials, REMOVABLE BATTERY (Apple take note!), and a kick stand to watch videos hands free and you virtually have the perfect media device. Did I mention that you can purchase an accessory to record live TV! For full portability opt for the Archos 5G which includes a slot for your SIM card for unlimited fun on your cell phone network.

2. Blackberry Bold
Quite possibly the best Blackberry to date. Sleek, crytal clear hi res screen, feature laden, and light as a feather; you can't go wrong with this device! See my previous post and full review by Clicking Here.

3. Samsung LN46A950 46" LCD HDTV
When it comes to HDTVs, Samsung knows what they're doing. 46" screen, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio with LED backlight, and of course, 1080p; need I say more? Yes! Take full advantage of 4 (yes 4) HDMI ports! 3 in the back and one on the side. InfoLink RSS feed for up to the minute news, sports and stock info. Stream video, photos, music and other media with the embedded patented DLNA ethernet port with a touch of a button on the TV's remote! Pardon my getting colloquial, but c'mon man! Take a further look here.



4. Pogo Plug  
Voted G4TV's best of the Best for CES 2009 and Popular Mechanics' 2009 Editor's choice, the Pogo Plug by CloudEngines is off to a great start. The best thing about the Pogo Plug is that using it is as simple as plugging it into the wall. Exactly! Plug the Pogo into any outlet, connect any USB storage device and voila! you can access those items on your wireless network. If you are thinking Apple's Airport Express; stop right there. There is nothing to install with Pogo Plug. Just register your Pogo Plug (How Pogo Plug Works) on their website with the unique ID and you are ready to go! You can even access the files via the internet on their website from any computer or mobile device-even iPhone/iPod Touch (no more clunky ftp sites)! (Visit the PogoPlug Site)

5. Oqo Model 2+
Another Popular Mechanics 2009 Editor's Choice, the Oqo Model 2+ is a fully functional PC that fits in your pocket! Touting 2GB of ram, Intel Atom processor, up to 120 GB of HDD storage or 60GB SSD (Solid State Drive a.k.a Flash Drive) your choice of Windows XP or Vista (stick with XP until Windows 7 arrives) and a HDMI port, this media device packs quite a punch. Since you have the full blown Windows operating system at your fingertips you can take advantage of using full blown Applications on the go in the palm of your hand! For more info click here.

Comments are always welcome.

Edmund Starbanks