Look for this to be a trendsetter, the telyHD, a set top device you put on top of your big screen TV that does HD Skype video calls.
It’s powered by the Android operating system and is meant so your whole family can sit on the couch and been seen via Skype.
But I’m also seeing a big business use here, in conference rooms as a remote conferencing tool for meetings.
It delivers 720p HD video, high quality audio and works with ayone who has a Skype compatible device, be it a computer, tablet or smartphone.
You plug it into your TV by the HDMI port and it has no subscription cost other than the $249 cost of the telyHD gizmo.

Skype video in HD on Livingroom Bigscreen is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

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Probably the most advanced of the various wearable devices and matching smartphone apps to lose weight is the Bodybugg, a Bluetooth-connected gizmo that syncs up with smartphones and, by USB, to your computer to help you lose weight.

Billed as a “personal calorie management system,” I picked up one this morning to test out and use on another blog called Superhealthyme, a personal year long experiment into healthy living, nutrition and exercise.

To that same end, I just published a book on Amazon that details what I’ve been learning – How to Cut Body Fat Through Nutritious Eating.

The Bodybugg armband is kind of what the Jawbone UP wristband would be if it was all grown up. I reviewed the UP a few weeks ago.

The $149 Bodybugg measures total calories burned in a day, and with a website and the smartphone app, lets you record nutrition and calories info on the food you consumer. It’s supposed to be 90% accurate. If so, it will help me “do the math” on what I take in and burn, key information that I explain in my book on how to cut fat, lets me instantly know what I can eat and what I can’t.

I’ll do a video review and a full post on the Bodybugg in a day or so, after I make sure I have it all figured out. But my early impressions are that it is one of the most advanced devices for weight loss that I have ever seen.

This is all part of a growing trend of using technology to plan and do exercise and maintain healthy eating habits.

Hmmm. That may be another book, especially as people embrace their New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get in shape.

Big Trend: Apps and Wearable Gadgets to Help You Lose Weight is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

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There’s been lots written about how well that “Find my iPhone” feature works. A Portage, MI man can attest to that today after he got distracted while loading his kids in the car over the weekend and left his iPhone on the roof of his car.
You can see where this is going, right?
Back home, Dave Shires realized he didn’t have his phone.
But using the “Find my iPhone” feature, it quickly popped up on a map.
He drove to the intersection, relieved that the iPhone was working and still sending out a signal.
At the intersection, he didnt see it. But on another phone, he called his number.
He heard it ring!
Then he found it.

It looked like this. It had been run over.
Indeed, it took a beating, but kept on pinging.

Good news, bad news in lost iPhone is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

PC Mike's Tech and Gadget Blog - Tech and Gadget News and Reviews :

With 800 million users, Facebook has the traction when it comes to Internet action. So it’s no wonder that scamsters and con artists are turning to it in droves, especially during the holiday season.

The scam du jour these days has to do with free gift cars. Ths scamters say Starbucks, Macys, Kohls or Costco are giving away big buck gift cards and all you have to do is click such and such a link to get one. Of course its a phishing site aimed at stealing your personal info or tricking you to give a credit card number to “verify” your legitimacy.

Don’t fall for it. Period.

How’d they get your name? Often times, you “friended” you. Scamsters troll Facebook, friending everyone they can. They may lie low and lurk for a while, gathering your friends names and friending them. Then, when it’s time to run their con, they send your friends a note, pretending to be you.

The solution? Don’t automatically accept every friend request you get. And, of course, don’t buy the “free” come on. Nothing in life is really free. Get that through your head and you’ll never be a victim.

Facebook scams running rampant is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

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Probably the most disappointing yet much-hyped product that I’ve seen in a longtime has been the recent introduction of the Jawbone UP fitness wristband. Almost everyone I heard of who bought one when it went on sale last month had to return it because it stopped working. Ordinarily, that would be the end of the story.

But Jawbone, which makes what are arguably the best bluetooth headset, didn’t bury the problem with the Up. Instead, it tackled it full on with a pretty bold move.

In a letter sent over the weekend to UP buyers, CEO Hosain Rahman candidly admitted the product “has not yet lived up to everyone’s expectations – including our own.” He said company engineers had found an issue with two specific capacitors in the power system that affects the ability to hold a charge in some of our bands, one of the more common complaints and, indeed, the reason I returned my first one.

Then, Rahman mad a very gutsy offer:

“… for whatever reason, or no reason at all, you can receive a full refund for UP. This is true even if you decide to keep your UP band. We are so committed to this product that we’re offering you the option of using it for free.”

Besides the offer, Rahman said “We’ve temporarily paused production of UP bands and will begin taking new orders once these issues have been sorted out.”

I’m impressed. So much so that instead of a refund for my balky UP, I opted to receive a credit from Jawbone which I will use to purchase a  second UP once it goes back on sale. Their candor in admitting the issue and their generous offer shows real integrity. That has assured my loyalty.

Jawbone tries to be on the Up and Up is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

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Here’s a Christmas Display all you Angry Birds lovers will love.

Angry Birds Christmas Display is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

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Maybe it’s because I’m deeply immersed in using every sort of social media I can find to share on a project I’m working on involving a health and wellness site I just launched but when a reader sent me a link to this video about “sharing,” I had to, ah, well… share it with you.
If you are into Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare and all those gazillion other social media sites… enjoy.
If you are not, well, go ahead and shake your head.
Me… I love it:

Addicted to sharing: Gotta Share! is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

PC Mike's Tech and Gadget Blog - Tech and Gadget News and Reviews :

Expect 2 PM Wednesday, Nov. 9, to be a bit unsettling for some folks. That’s the day the U.S. will institute the most comprehensive and far reaching test of it’s emergency notification system ever. Unlike the ones most people are used to that occur from time to time on local stations, this one will last three full minutes and involve all radio, TV, cable and satellite providers across the country at exactly the same time.

It will be what those apocalyptic movies show the President doing just before, say, a giant meteor would come crashing to earth or a war-of-the-world alien invasion or, a terror attack. Except this is a test, this is only a test. A really big test.

It will be run by FEMA and the FCC and is the very first time the nation has tried an Emergency Alert Notification using the Presidential activation code.

Here’s the official notice, as sent out by various public agencies:

The Test is national and will come from FEMA.  It will be over 3 minutes in length.  It is usually 10 seconds for weekly tests and only 1 minute for monthly tests.
2)    All radio, television, cable and satellite operators will air the test at exactly the same time.  Viewers and listeners usually change channels when a test comes on.  This time it will be on every channel simultaneously.
3)    The system test will take place on 11-9-11.  The date may have significance to some citizens.
4)    The test is happening at a time when national security is on high alert and the economy is causing great national anxiety.
5)     “THIS IS ONLY A TEST”
Broadcasters have taken steps to prepare their listeners and viewers by airing PSAs (public service announcements), covering the test in the news and having their on-air personalities discuss the test during programming.  The PSA messages use the exact language approved by the FCC and FEMA.

According to officials, a Emergency Action Notification message will be relayed from the White House Communications Room to 61 Primary Entry Point radio stations across the United States, who will then broadcast the alert to 25 Local Primary I and 25 Local Primary II stations, and in some areas to Local Primary Spanish stations, to air for their audiences.

The audience will hear “This is a test” several times, but the scrolling text message at the top of TV screens will read “The Primary Entry Point System has issued an Emergency Action Notification for Washington, DC” to test what a real Emergency Action Notification message would display on television sets. FEMA says the purpose of Wednesday’s test is to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the current system and identify improvements to better serve communities in the preservation of life and property.

The FCC explains the need for the test this way:

Although local and state components of the Emergency Alert System are tested on a weekly and monthly basis, there has never been an end-to-end nationwide test of the system. We need to know that the system will work as intended should public safety officials ever need to send an alert or warning to a large region of the United States. Only a complete, top-down test of the Emergency Alert System can provide an appropriate diagnosis of the system’s performance.

Because the national alert comes at a time of heightened security concerns over terrorism, officials are aware that many won’t have seen the spate of announcements they’ve been sending out telling people that the even Wednesday will be only a test.

And there may be unexpected glitches in getting things back to normal, especially for cable customers.

Cable providers like Comcast are expecting a bunch of calls from customers whose normal programming is interrupted. “Comcast is taking proactive steps to inform and prepare our customers for the nation’s first Emergency Alert System test,” says a company notice sent to subscribers. “It is important to know that during the test, Comcast programming will be temporarily interrupted. Because of this interruption, any DVR recordings scheduled during this time will be interrupted and may even be lost. As soon as the test ends, you will be returned to your regularly scheduled programming.”

Additionally, says Comcast, Video On Demand will be interrupted during the test, but customers can pick up where they left off following the test by accessing their programming in the Guide under “Saved Programs” and clicking “resume play.”

But in case things don’t return as normal, Comcast says:

While Comcast does not anticipate an interruption, in some rare cases to fully restore programming, customers may need to: Use the cable remote control to channel up and then channel down; Power down the set top box. Power the box back on to fully restore programming. (The location of the power button may vary based on the type of set top box you have.) If you experience the Emergency Alert System message for more than five minutes, please do the following:
Power cycle your cable box by unplugging the power cord from the outlet. Learn more about power cycling.
Wait 30 seconds and then plug the power cord back in
The guide data and Video On Demand content will take a period of time to fully restore. Please wait 20 minutes before choosing Video On Demand as this might result in other errors with your box.

Remember, 2PM Wednesday is the time. it’s coming. This is only a test. Really.

Big Emergency Notification Alert may cause confusion is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

PC Mike's Tech and Gadget Blog - Tech and Gadget News and Reviews :

Not sure what I’m missing here but I’ve had my iPhone 4S for three weeks now and I have noticed no significant battery issues, despite a spate of negative reports in the tech media.

And, yes, I do indeed use location notifications on lots of apps – the suggested cause for what many say is a fast drain on the 4S batteries.

Only one in those three weeks have I run out of juice, and that was after watching lots of live football on my iPhone while on sitting in the passenger seat on a fairly long Sunday drive the other day.

Most days, I unplug my iPhone 4S from the charger about 7 am and don’t plug it back in until around 11 pm. I am me getting low but the power hasn’t run out.

I don’t get any more battery time than with the 4 it replaced but I don’t get any less, either.

How about you? Share your experiences in comments.

What Battery Woes with the iPhone 4S? is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

PC Mike's Tech and Gadget Blog - Tech and Gadget News and Reviews :

Here’s another silly tech word.

Preorder.

As in  this news release from Verizon: “Customers can pre-order the DROID RAZR for $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement and data plan at www.droiddoes.com/DroidRazr.

Whatever happened to just putting something pn sale?

Apple and it’s iGismos, that’s what started this whole preorder tactic of getting more hype. But the marketing trick work. So all the competition now uses it.

That said, the Droid RAZR looks pretty slick, returning to its anorexic-slim 7.1 mm design, offering new  4G LTE speeds, a very bright 4.3-inch Super AMOLED  display.

It’s exclusiove to Verizon Wireless. Pre-orders will ship no later than Nov. 10. Maybe before.

Droid RAZR goes on “preorder” is a post from the: PC Mike Tech and Gadget News Blog

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