Philips AJL308 Photo Alarm Clock

Let’s be honest….no one likes to get up in the morning, especially to the sound of their alarm clock.

But this alarm clock may give you something to smile about.
The Philips AJL308 is actually both a clock radio and a 7″ color digital photo frame.

Of course the built-in alarms will wake you up, but what a way to start your day! Opening your eyes and glancing up at your favorite photos of family and friends.
Awww……

And on top of displaying photos this device will also play audio and video files by using the USB flash drive or Memory Card slot on the side.

Set up is easy –along the bottom you’ll find buttons for clock, tuner, photos and videos, music, and sleep timers.

You can choose to wake up to the radio, or several different sounds from nature, like birds singing, ocean waves, rain forest, and even several different relaxation tones for falling asleep.

What I really like about this device is that there is an option to have your pictures appear in a full-screen slideshow with added effects. This makes it exactly like a regular digital photo frame.

On the downside — the Philips photo alarm clock is pretty big -about 3 inches deep, 10 inches wide and 6 inches tall.

And both the image resolution and sound quality aren’t the best but overall it’s an innovative device to add to your bedroom tech.

The price for the photo clock radio is $130, which is very affordable considering regular digital photo frames will run you anywhere between $100 all the way up to $500.

Digital Camera Buying Guide

It’s Hot Tech Tuesday in the Plugged In world. And today, I don’t have any specific gadget to plug you in to. Instead it’s all about choosing the right digital cameras.

2008 is going to bring a new lineup of digital devices. You’re going to see smaller pocket size cameras, many of which offer a modest price between $120- $350, yet these devices will still pack a lot of features, including Wi-Fi, as well as touch screen capabilities.

But there are some things to look for while researching which digital camera may be right for you.

Most new cameras now offer at least 6 or 7 megapixels. A growing number even offer 10 and 12. But for the basic point-and-shoot photographer, six megapixels provide all the resolution you’ll need.

If you’re looking to take an occasional landscape shot here and there but are mainly taking snap shots of family and friends, there is really no need to go above 6 or 7 megapixels.

Other things to keep in mind would be image stabilization, which can compensate for camera shaking and minimize blurring.

Another helpful feature offered by many point-and-shoot cameras is facial recognition, which essentially detects and adjusts for people’s faces.

You’ll also want to make sure the camera you choose has rechargeable batteries and a charger. If you choose a camera that has disposable batteries, beware, the price adds up over the long run.

Another important feature is a low-light focusing feature. This is key when shooting in dim settings, like indoors.

And most importantly try the camera before you buy it. Make sure the camera’s menus are *USER FRIENDLY*. This really can be key to taking advantage of what your camera has to offer.

You’ll also want to evaluate the lag time between when you press the shutter button and when the camera actually takes the picture.

My digital camera is about two years old and I still absolutely love it. It’s one of the Nikon Coolpix. I love that the menu is super easy to use and that the screen is nice and big. The shutter time isn’t bad and even though it doesn’t have touch screen capabilities or built-in Wi-Fi, I think I’ll be hanging on to it for some time.

Apple’s New Products

Meet the new MacBook Air laptop computer
Price $1,799

This ultra-thin device fits easily into a manila envelope yet crams a full-size keyboard, 13.3-inch backlit widescreen display, iSight video camera, 2 gigabytes of RAM, state-of-the-art Wi-Fi and an 80-GB hard drive. Having said all that it only weighs three pounds and is under one inch thick…Wow!

It also has a new multitouch trackpad similar to the iPhone’s “multi-touch” screen with the ability to pinch, rotate, tap, swipe and scroll.

iPhone:

There is also new software available on the coveted iPhone which is a free upgrade for current iPhone users. Among the new features is an improved mapping function that can pinpoint your location in a snap.

Another iPhone update is the ability to send text messages to multiple people in a single message. And you can create “Web Clips” icons on the home screen that let you jump to favorite websites.

iPod touch:

Five new features are also available on the iPod touch (however, current iPod touch owners will have to pay $20 for the upgrade). The new iPod touch features include the new location-based Maps and Web Clips features, as well as Stocks, Weather and Notes applications.

Apple TV:

Steve Jobs also unveiled a major feature update to the Apple TV. You can now think of it as a media-on-demand device. The hardware will remain the same, but the entry-level 40GB model is dropping from $300 to $230. On top of that a free software upgrade–available in two weeks–will add several better features, including:

Direct onscreen ordering:
Previously, video content for Apple TV needed to be ordered through a computer and then streamed from that PC’s hard drive to the Apple TV. The updated Apple TV will allow direct access to the iTunes Store, so you can buy or rent movies and TV shows directly–no computer required. That is great news!

iTunes will also offer content from every major studio (Disney, Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, Sony, Miramax, and Lionsgate, and others).
Apple is promising more than 1,000 movies, available 30 days after the DVD release.

iTunes Movie Rentals:
And finally, Apple also confirmed the rumors of a new movie rental program. In the past, movies could only be bought on iTunes, at DVD prices. As of today, iTunes—as rumored– is kicking off movie rentals: $2.99 for older movies and $3.99 for new movies, plus a dollar more for the HD versions of each.

Here’s the cool part. You have 30 days to start watching a movie, and 24 hours to finish it once you start. In addition to being available on Apple TV, rentals will work on Macs, PCs, and all current iPods and iPhones.

For the latest news click here.

2008 Macworld

Monday kicked off another big week in the Technology world.

The 2008 Macworld conference starts today, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs giving the keynote speech.

Although this year’s Macworld conference probably won’t top last year’s–when Apple unveiled the iPhone, it will likely make everyone forget about the Consumer Electronics Show that took place in Las Vegas just last week.

I already talked about the 3rd generation iPhone that may be unveiled as well as a new/light laptop.

But one of the biggest announcements may help the sales of the Apple TV, Apple’s digital media receiver, which debuted last year.

Apple’s CEO may announce a movie rental service through iTunes.

So far, reports out of Hollywood that Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount, Lions Gate, and, of course, Disney will have rental agreements to announce with Apple at the conference.

Essentially you would be able to rent movies and TV shows from iTunes and use the Apple TV to watch them on your television, plus I’m sure view them on your iPhone or iPod.

Netflix recently introduced its own version of Apple’s TV–a new set top box that would link between your Internet and your television allowing you to watch any of the movies Netflix has available online. It’s almost the exact same concept Apple may offer. And on top of Netflix’s set-top box announcement it has also announced that starting immediately, virtually all Netflix subscribers will be able to stream as many movies and TV shows as they want from the online service without any additional charges! It looks like the competition is already on between Apple and Netflix. I can’t wait to watch Steve Jobs keynote speech today…I’ll have the details for you tomorrow.

Apple Speculation

The Consumer Electronic Show wraps up today in Las Vegas. Gosh, do I wish I could have been there, but maybe next year.

So far 2008 has kicked off in a BIG way, at least in the tech world from organic LED TVs, 150 inch plasma televisions, HD camcorders, robots, underwater gadget and plenty of other stuff. But believe it or not, it’s not over.

Starting Monday is the Macworld Conference in San Francisco.
The yearly Apple event is known for unveiling some pretty cool tech toys. Last year, the highly talked about and much anticipated iPhone was unveiled and Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs changed the mobile phone market.

So what could the black turtle neck and jeans guy possibly have up his sleeve for ‘08?

Speculation is swirling around a faster third generation or “3G” iPhone.

Others say it could be a new ultra light mobile notebook computer that would do for personal computing what the iPod did for music. Of course, it would be very compact/small but pack a lot of features, along with a touch screen, I would bet.

Whatever the Apple conference unveils, you know it’s going to be good. If only they would say the iPhone was going to drop in price to just $150, plus be offered through every wireless carrier—of course this is just wishful thinking.

The Consumer Electronic Show

A lot of emerging technology has been on display at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show.
But there have also been some milestones — like Bill Gates’ final keynote speech at the opening of the show.

He’ll be stepping down as chairman of Microsoft later this year in July, and he put together a video detailing exactly what his retirement is going to be like. It includes appearances from Matthew McConaughey, Jay-Z, George Clooney, Bono, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and others.

Click here to watch the video spoof. I love the scene with Gates and Matthew McConaughey, partly because it’s hilarious and partly because McConaughey is so hot!

Speaking of CES…there is a lot of buzz surrounding what the technology world will hold in 2008, from gadgets that have gone “green” to robot webcams that can fly.

In one of the biggest announcements so far, Sony introduced the first OLED or organic light-emitting diode televisions. These super-thin screens are just three credit cards thick and don’t require backlighting, so they rely on less power, even though they produce a brighter screen and sharper picture.

And it’s all about being eco-friendly in ‘08, so solar charging stations for your gadgets are also big this year at CES.

Heading even further into the Jetsons era, we have the development of consumer robots. WowWee introduced several that are pretty awesome. They play games, tell jokes, act as alarm clocks, mp3 players and more.

Another development in the television world: JVC introduced an LCD TV with the addition of an iPod dock. I actually can’t believe this wasn’t developed/introduced sooner.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are also undergoing a change. The company Cobra has introduced one with BIG text and simple features. They call it the GPS for seniors.

Panasonic has the world’s smallest HD camcorder–the size of your wallet!

New for PSP– Sony’s handheld entertainment system — is Skype. Essentially you will be able to use your PSP as your phone to talk to other Skype users.

For more on CES, check out Engadget, Cnet and PCMag.com.

New Year’s Resolution Guide

Well, 2008 is officially here and I’m back to work. Gosh!, it’s hard to come back to reality after the holidays. And speaking of 2008 everyone’s New Year’s Resolutions should be kicking in. I have several-as I do every year. One of them being to blog at least three times a week. I know it doesn’t sound hard, but it can be difficult finding the time. Blogging more was also on my list for 2007 resolutions. I was doing somewhat ok until November and I guess I just fell off the wagon.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolution may be, in order to accomplish it you need a plan! If you’re like most people (including me) you have to get motivated early or there’s no hope.

It also helps to write down your 2008 goals. I have mine on my refrigerator. And remember a resolution is all year long, not just January.

A good site to implement your New Year’s resolution is mygoals.com. This site is designed for setting and managing all of your personal and professional goals. Once you’ve set a goal, the site will send you email reminders to keep you on track to reaching it. The downside to MyGoals.com is that it does cost about $6 a month, but it may be worth it to reach that New Year’s resolution of yours.

If you don’t want to shell out any cash, here are a list of sites to help you stick to your 2008 resolutions for free, whether you want to lose weight, quit smoking, or pay off your credit card.

For basic tips on healthy, low-fat eating, visit the American Dietetic Association– eatright.org.

There’s also SparkPeople.com, which has just about everything Weight Watchers and eDiets have to offer without the monthly fees.
But you can’t go wrong with Weight Watchers, eDiets, Diet.com and Dietwatch.com.

If you’re looking to kick the habit of smoking, visit the American Cancer Society (cancer.org). For advice, support and encouragement for those who are trying to quit smoking visit quitsmokingsupport.com.

If your New Year’s resolution is to get rid of debt- check out Wesabe.com. This free site will help you manage your money and manage all of your finances.

And if you’re having a hard time sticking to your budget (which is another resolution of mine) it might be time you visited DimeTracker.com.
All you need is a mobile phone and computer access to start managing your money.
Once you create a free account Dime Tracker allows you to send text messages of what you spend to your online account.