Vista is Here

Microsoft launched Windows Vista to consumers today! It is the first major upgrade in more than five years to the Windows operating system. The launch is huge for Microsoft but is Vista really going to live up to all the hype?

Vista is one big step above the current Windows XP, and Microsoft expects Vista to be its most successful PC operating system yet. There are a couple different versions of Vista available to choose from: Basic, Ultimate and then two different versions specifically for home and business. The prices range between $200- $400 depending on which version you choose. Vista’s software is also available via download.

With the Basic version, you’ll get improved security, but Windows Vista Ultimate is where all the nifty new graphics come into play. With the Ultimate version you’ll also get glass-like interface and flip 3D, which lets you flip through folders on your PC screen, plus a pimped-out media center.

There is just one problem. If you have an older computer it probably won’t be able to handle an upgrade to Vista Ultimate. People who want to upgrade older PCs to Vista Ultimate may have to install more memory, or even a bigger hard drive.

The new Vista system is going to give you better security than that of Windows XP, with more-restrictive firewalls and new anti-spyware filters.

The bottom line in my opinion… If your computer is acting fine, wait a year until the price of new Vista-compatible computers goes down. Unless you need a new computer, hold on to XP a little while longer.

But if you can’t wait to get your hands on Vista listen up.
All Best Buy(Geek Squad) stores will have demonstrations to show you how Vista PCs work with other electronics, such as digital cameras and video camcorders. Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA and other retailers will have technicians available to install Vista for you. Of course there will be a fee and prices vary.

You may also want to check out Microsoft’s Web site. You’ll find video demos explaining Vista’s capabilities.

Chips, Pop and an iPod

Forget the old-school vending machines. The ones packed full of high-calorie snacks and sodas are now facing a high tech challenger.

It’s the new trend in vending machines. They are coming stocked with not snacks or pop, but consumer electronics. You’ll find iPods, MP3 players, cell phones, headphones and more. These new machines are the latest development in the vending machine industry.

At Ross Park Mall you can pick up a video iPod, nano or shuffle, plus get your headphones and iTrip all in one purchase. Or hit up the Motorola vending machine for a Razr or maybe the Moto Q.

Get this: If you’re getting a new cell phone you’ll have the option for a new wireless plan; and you have a thirty day return policy and a customer service number to call if you have questions or problems. I think these high-tech vending machines are awesome. You just have to get used to using your credit card to purchase a device. It also may feel a little weird spending $300 while standing at a vending machine, but then again people spend thousands of dollars while sitting in front of their computer everyday.

These vending machines are equipped with robotic arms, conveyor belts and baskets ensuring your device stays safe. The number of machines that dispense consumer electronics still remains low so be prepared to find empty shelves and “sold out” signs.

You can also expect to see these vending machines popping up at airports, department stores and college campuses across the country this year. Check out my Plugged In video story.

Forget Your Average Chain Hotel

A vacation getaway sounds great right about now with those chilly temperatures outside, right? But forget the usual chain hotels. Tablethotels.com is a site with thousands of unique hotels from around the world. Only hotels which have personality and are obsessed with details make it on this site.

Each Tablet Hotel is subjected to a rigorous review process. On the home page you can search by hotel name, destination, simple getaways, or great deals on great hotels. You can stay at a hotel in Brazil, Thailand, or Jamaica for under 100 US dollars a night. You’ll find different categories of top ten lists. Choose from Best Hotels Overall, Best of North America, Best of Asia, Best Value Beach Hotels, Unusual Hotels, and of course Romantic Hotels. The list goes on and on.

I love the site because of the amazing photos. When you click on a specific hotel images will appear across the top that are just stunning! Some of the places are so beautiful I couldn’t imagine getting the chance to vacation there. I’d feel like true royalty.

Tablethotels.com will also do the booking for you. And let’s say you want to book a certain hotel, but it is full. The site will provide a similar hotel in the area that is available.

Make sure to sign up for the free newsletter. Just enter your name and email. Then every two weeks you’ll receive a newsletter that highlights newly selected hotels with a focus on a particular region of the world. Check out my Plugged In video story.

Tip on Pimp Your Blog

On the blog below make sure you click on the “more” tab under the Little Jack widget. You can feed and play with him. I love it!!!!

Pimp Your Blog

The blogosphere has exploded! According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, something like 12 million Americans now have a blog. So, with millions of people blogging, you want to make sure yours stands out! That’s where widgets come into play.

Widgets are elements of a blog that make your blog more interactive. Widgets can be an ad, game, cartoon, playlist or photo album. A great widget site is Widgetbox.com. Widgetbox.com has more than 500 different widgets from sites all over the Web.

Here is how it works:
1. First you have to register. It’s free, don’t worry
2. Find a Widget.
3. Choose from a list of categories.
4. Search through the pages of widgets until you find just the right one for you.
5. Click on ‘Details’ and then click on ‘Get Widget’.
6. Choose which blog service you use and then paste the HTML snippet you see below into your blog. And that’s pretty much it.

Here are just some of the widgets I’ve installed.

Daily Puppy
Little Jack
Magic 8 Ball
Pacman Game

This site has tons of great widgets. Some involve you using the widget creator’s site, but that’s no big deal. Just beware, this site is highly addictive. I did have some problems uploading my widgets to Blogger, but I finally got it to work. Have fun pimping your blog.

MySpace for Baby Boomers

MySpace for baby boomers has finally arrived!

If you’re not quite ready for that AARP card, then ReZoom.com is your place online. It’s a new Web site for those over 45! The site says it is redefining life for an ageless generation. It is packed with pages devoted to living well, being well, traveling well, investing well and building ‘A Better World’.

Under the My Zoom tab you can create your own personal place online and then invite family & friends to join in a secure environment. There you can share photo albums, calendar, address book, live chats, and group forums.

ReZoom.com also lets you rediscover the music that influenced your generations. Under the ReZoom Radio tab you can listen to the music you love for free. You can choose from 50s Rock and Roll, 60s pop, classic soul and others.

Under ReZoom America you’ll find inspirational stories about individuals in the center of their lives embracing what’s next.

ReZoom offers you video demos throughout the site so that you can learn what the site is all about.

The site is definitely worth exploring. I found the pages to be full of interesting stories, articles and tips. Rezoom is a great site for adults to get plugged in to the online world. Check out my Plugged In video story to learn more.

Hot Tech Tuesday: GPS Shoes

More and more companies are focusing on developing GPS technology to track you, your friends and family wherever they go. Now the technology is headed to your feet.

A new GPS tracking device will hit the ground running next month in these high tech kicks.

They’re called Quantum Satellite Technology… made by a Miami based company called Isaac Daniel. The sneakers are embedded with GPS technology that can locate the wearer anywhere in the world. There is even an emergency button wearers can press to send a distress signal.

The sneakers are planned to hit stores in March at a price of $325 to $350. A limited number of shoes are available at isaacdaniel.com and will be delivered in February.

These shoes may be a parent’s dream. Kids can forget their GPS cell phones or watch, but they’re not likely to forget their shoes, giving you the ability to know where they are at all times. They are on the costly side. (OK, ridiculously expensive.) But as they become increasingly popular and production increases the price will drop. This is just another example of how technology is a part of our everyday lives, in almost everything we do, and now what we wear. Isn’t it crazy?

Buy or Wait

Now that 2007 is here new technology will be hitting shelves in no time. If you’re thinking about buying a PC, flat screen, digital camera or another tech device listen up! You could end up buying something that will soon be outdated. USA Today had some helpful tips on whether you should “buy now or wait.”

Can you believe that in 2005 a 40 inch LCD TV retailed between $3,000- $4,000? Today that same TV is about $2,000. If you are a TV/movie fanatic then the time to buy that Flat Screen LCD or Plasma you’ve been drooling over is near. My opinion, wait until after the Super Bowl when prices will drop slightly once again.

What about that DVD player to go with that TV? The time to buy is not now! There are two competing types of high definition players on the market- HD DVD and Blu-ray. One will eventually win out over the other, but until then hold off on buying. I’d hate to end up with the player and a collection of movies that ends up losing in this fight.

If you haven’t upgraded to a new digital camera lately, the best time to buy will be June. After Father’s Day and graduation, look for prices to drop once again. This year, look for 8-10 megapixel cameras to appear, giving you even better picture quality.

Video camera prices are as low as they have ever been, so buy, buy, buy! And within the next two years tape cameras (mini DV) will be history, being replaced by models that burn directly to DVD. They are already on the market and are just a little bigger than that digital camera you store in your pocket.

If you are interested in a new PC, hold out until later this year when Microsoft’s Vista is available on all new computers.

And wait until the new PS3 and Wii are widely available. By then you’ll have more games to choose from, plus the price may even fall slightly.

Apple iPhone and ‘Apple TV’

It had been rumored for months. Tuesday, Apple finally made the leap into the mobile phone business, unveiling the long awaited iPhone at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco.

It’s part phone, part iPod, part multimedia device. The iPhone uses “multi-touch” technology controlled by the touch of your finger. The new device automatically synchs your music, movies and photos through Apple’s iTunes digital store. The iPhone also lets you surf the net and synchs e-mail content and nearly any type of digital content stored on your computer.
It has a 3.5-inch screen and 2 megapixel digital camera and is one of the thinnest phones on the market.

Across the bottom you’ll find four key icons.

1. Phone- Just touch the name or number you want to call. You can synch contacts from a PC or Mac. And a visual voice-mail feature lets you jump to the messages you care about the most. Plus, you can send short text messages using a virtual “qwerty” keyboard.

2. Mail- Send and receive e-mail. The iPhone works with Microsoft Exchange as well as other standard e-mail services.

3. Web- You get a full-blown version of Apple’s Safari Web browser to surf the net.

4. iPod – Rapidly scroll through album covers using the Cover Flow feature, but you cannot wirelessly download music purchased from iTunes. You still must dock the device.

Across the very top you’ll find your text, calendar, photos, and a 2 megapixel camera. There are also icons for calculator, stocks, Google Maps, weather, quick notes and a clock.

Of course, the iPhone comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. Apple claims the battery life will give you up to five hours of talk time, including watching video or browsing the Web. Apple says you’ll get 16 hours if you use it just for audio.

At $499 for a 4 GB version and $599 for 8 GB, the devices aren’t cheap. Cingular is the exclusive wireless carrier for the iPhone thus far and service plans will be announced before the phone is available in June.

So if you won’t be able to live without the iPhone and you currently use another wireless carrier, you’d best switch come June. I would assume eventually the iPhone or a similar version of the original will be available to all wireless carriers. I would imagine that Apple would be limiting sales if they stay exclusive to Cingular for an extended period of time. But then again, you never know.

One thing I do know … I have to have that phone! It is the most ridiculously cool device I have ever laid eyes on. It would look fabulous in the palm of my hand.

But enough about the iPhone. Another big announcement from Apple on Tuesday was the unveiling of the “Apple TV.” It’s a set-top box that lets people stream video from their computers to their television. This device will be available in February for $299.

Check out my two Plugged In stories: Meet the iPhone and iPhone Packs High Tech Extras.

I have to say, with the Consumer Electronic Show this week and the MacWorld Expo, 2007 is kicking off BIG in the tech world.

Consumer Electronics Show

The Consumer Electronics Show in under way in Las Vegas. It’s the international showcase for the latest technology and gadgets in the digital age we are living in. This is the 40th year of CES. With more than 2,700 exhibits spanning 30 football fields, more than 150,000 visitors are expected to pass through the doors of the 4-day event.

I would love to be at CES. Every type of gadget and technology imaginable is there. The emphasis this year is on a living a “connected” lifestyle, a-k-a- technology that keeps you connected where ever you go. One thing is for sure: HD TVs are dropping in price. There’s now 60 inch plasma for $3,000 dollars. And the war between HD DVD and Blu-ray players may be over. LG Electronics has come up with players for both formats, but it will cost you $1,500.

SeenOn

We’ve all seen stuff on TV or in movies and music videos that we’d like to own.
I see things everyday on TV that I either want to wear or want to have for my apartment. Whether its clothes, shoes, accessories, or maybe a car, SeenOn.com is worth checking out. This site could have you looking, smelling, or even driving like your favorite celeb in no time
The site will identify the brand and the store or vendor so you can get the exact product you saw on TV. They have a huge list of TV shows to choose from and you can browse a certain show by character or by episode.
There are more than 7,000 brands of apparel, housewares, health & beauty, even packaged goods. The site just launched in November so it is still in beta form. The downside: since the site finds the exact items you see on-screen, you’ll probably pay a pretty penny. Let’s be honest, celebrities don’t wear cheap clothes when they can get the designer stuff for free. Regardless, the site is still worth checking out!

If you’re not looking to empty your wallet check out Like.com. I actually mentioned this site before right after it first launched. I like Like.com because I can’t afford to dress exactly like a Hollywood celeb, but I still want the same look for less. This site shows what your favorite celebrities are wearing and how you can get same look on a budget. You can pick the price range you’re willing to spend. Both of these sites will bring us even closer to our celebrity obsessions.

First Blog Of 2007

2007, I can’t believe it! And I can’t believe I haven’t posted since Dec. 12. I guess I took a slight hiatus. Ooops…December was a busy month for me.

So topping off my New Year’s Resolution list is to blog at least four times a week. I have to say, we have such a variety of blogs on thePittsburghChannel.com, but mine is slightly different than the rest. I recap on my Plugged In story of the day, provide links, additional information and some opinion. This blog is great for people who can’t watch video on their computers.

Anyway, here’s what I thought was big online and in the tech world in ’06.

Obviously, online video has to top the list. YouTube.com became the Web’s largest and most influential site in ‘06, creating a new era in online entertainment and the introduction of “vlogs”–a.k.a. video blogs. YouTube also became the home to viral marketing, promoting a product or service over the Internet. (Remember the Rolling Rock Ape Ad?) Time Magazine named YouTube as the “Invention of the Year,” and Google bought the video sharing site for a cool $1.65 billion in October.

And who can forget the absolute chaos over Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3?

Smartphones also exploded in 2006, with the QWERTY keyboard and Internet mobile software. BlackBerry, Treo, Moto Q, BlackJack and others are all the rage for the young and professional.

Apple made news with its redesigned iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle. Meanwhile, Microsoft finally rolled out its iPod challenger, the Zune.

2006 also brought the world of social networking – and, of course, don’t forget the blogosphere. It’s not who has a blog; it’s who doesn’t have one.

You’ve also been introduced to “Plugged In” in 2006. I can’t believe I’ve been reporting since May.

Here’s what I think will happen in the tech world in 07.

YouTube may finally see some competition. Look for sites that let you create, edit, and remix your video right online. Full blown TV will head to the web in 2007. TV networks will put your favorite TV shows and new ones specifically produced for the net on their websites for your viewing pleasure.

Wi-Fi will be everywhere in 2007, not just in downtown Pittsburgh. With wireless Internet available on smart phones, PDAs , laptops and other handheld devices, Wi-Fi needs to be everywhere to keep you connected at all times. And the majority of all new computers sold will be laptops for our on-the-go lifestyles.

Google’s stock will continue to rise as Microsoft, Yahoo and others try to catch up.

In 2007, you can expect new and exciting things to come, not only from Plugged In and thePittsburghChannel, but from the world of technology. Happy New Year!