Tech Critiques Tech Reviews

iPad Arrival

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 18:46:37 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 139

This week in the news we talk about Apple's press conference they had the week on January 26. And the big unveiling of the new Apple iPad tablet computing device. What kind of potential the iPad has and our overall impressions of it. My co-host Doug's been waiting a long time for the Apple iPad tablet to come out and we see if he is satisfied with what Apple has finally come out with. Also Google is already talking about a Google Chrome OS based tablet. As they show of pictures of a prototype tablet running the Chrome OS.

Reviews include
Logitech Touch Mouse
A cool new way to use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a mouse controller for your desktop computer.
Review Grade = B

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iPhone Life Saver

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:57:08 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 138

This week in the news we talk about iPhone and how it could save your life. A man in Haiti used his iphone to get first aid instructions that helped to keep himself alive while he waited for help from rescuers. Netflix has agreed to delay renting Warner Brothers DVD movies to it's subscribers. In an attempt to encourage consumers to buy the DVD's instead. And we don't think that is a very good incentive. We go over a top 10 list of the top selling video games for 2009. Which include games from the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Playstation's motion controller has been delayed until fall 2010. This is probably done to iron out the bugs in their motion control games and to give the developers time to make games for the new controller. We go over what Facebook's 2010 estimated revenue is compared to their actual 2009 revenue. And lastly Doug goes over the Apple rumors and what we can expect from Apple at next weeks press conference.

Reviews include
Sony BDP-N460
More than a Blu-ray Disc™ player, the BDP-N460 allows you to instantly stream thousands of movies, videos and music from the largest selection of leading content providers including Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube™, Slacker® Radio and many, many more.
Review Grade = A-

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Comand And Conquer for iPhone
Experience real-time COMMAND & CONQUER™ strategy as the Soviet or Ally factions. Control the battlefield with touch-screen power in up to 12 combat levels.
Review Grade = A

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Netflix Every Where

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:29:39 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 137

This week in the news we talk about more cool technology that was shown at CES 2010. Netflix has announced that they will soon have a streaming application for the Nintendo Wii. Which will probably be done by a free Netflix disc that you will need to insert into your Wii console. The Parrot AR.Drone is probably one of the coolest toys released at CES 2010. This new Drone comes with a iPhone application that allows you to remotely control it from the iPhone. This is something that has to be seen to truly be appreciated. Ford released their new car technology package called MyFord Touch. The new system consists of a 8 inch touch screen display and 2 smaller 4.2 inch displays to the left and right of the speedometer. The goal of the new system is to make everything accessible either by touch or voice and to keep the drivers eyes on the road. Kia has announced their new UVO (short for "your voice") infotainment system. UVO is similar to Ford's SYNC system which is also powered by Microsoft. Redbox is now offering up Blu-ray Disc's for rental. And get this the Redbox Blu-ray disc's are still only 1 dollar per rental night. No extra fees like other rental services for Blu-ray disc's.

Reviews include
Netflix
For only $8.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed to their TVs and computers and can receive unlimited DVDs delivered quickly to their homes.
Review Grade = A

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Google Image Swirl
Google Image Swirl organizes image search results based on their visual and semantic similarity and presents them in an intuitive exploratory interface.
Review Grade = B-

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CES 2010 Gadgets

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 11:19:56 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 136

This week in the news we talk about some of the new gadgets and technology announced at this years (Consumer Electronics Show) CES 2010. Garmin announced a new GPS model that has a cool new voice feature. Now you can have voice directions in your own voice from your Garmin device. GM and OnStar announce a new iphone application designed especially for their new Chevy Volt car. The mobile application will also work on Blackberry's too. This new Chevy Volt app allows you to see the status of your car battery along with other stats about the cars performance. Vonage has come out with a mobile application for iPhone and Blackberry. Their new mobile application works with your existing Vonage account and allows unlimited calling to 60 countries for a monthly fee of $25. You can now get iFixit manuals for free. Their take-apart manuals have been filled with detailed photographs and illustrations that clearly show the steps for replacing parts, and accessing components for servicing. Youtube could be looking to replace your cable company soon. As it is rumored that they are interested in starting a subscription service with premium content. Also Apple has announced that they are going to announce the new Apple Tablet at the end of January at a special event.

Reviews include
Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-Ray Player
Experience the new internet streaming features of this Samsung Blu-ray player. Which include streaming from Blockbuster, Netflix, YouTube and Pandora.
Review Grade = C

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Nerf N-Strike Elite for Wii
Bundled with a newly designed blue NERF SWITCH SHOT EX-3 blaster and attachable Red Reveal decoder lens, NERF “N-Strike” Elite delivers a blend of covert operation elements with over-the-top blasting missions.
Review Grade = A

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The Outer RIM

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:32:04 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 135

This week in the news we talk about RIM's Blackberry outage and how many people were unable to read their e-mail. RIM doesn't have an explanation for the e-mail outage but their engineers are working on the problem. Audi's new 2011 A8 will be the first production car to have built-in Google Earth navigation. The Audi A8 will be equipped with a GPRS/EDGE data modem to allow the constant data stream on updated maps and topography. Boxee is announcing a new Beta of their Boxee media center software. This long awaited beta of the Boxee software includes many new features that were unavailable in the previous Alpha version of the Boxee software. Apple's iTunes has a new trick up it's sleeve. You can now see iTunes songs from you web browser without the need to download and install the iTunes software. Maybe this has something to do with the recent purchase of Lala. RIM has finally released official Blackberry desktop software for the Mac. You will no longer have to download PocketMac for Blackberry or the Missing Sync for Blackberry if you intend to use your Blackberry with a Mac.

Reviews include
Xmarks
Sync and Backup: Xmarks seamlessly syncs and securely backs up your bookmarks.
Review Grade = A

Linksys WRT120N
The Wireless-N Home Router gives you a wireless connection that's twice the speed of Wireless-G so your whole family can share a broadband Internet connection and access files from almost anywhere in the house.
Review Grade = A

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YouTube HD

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:51:49 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 134

This week in the news we talk about how the FCC is investigating Verizon's new ETF's (Early Termination Fee) for smart phone users. And if they actually notify their smartphone customers about this change in their cell phone plan. YouTube is going Hi-Def with a new 1080p player could this mean YouTube is going for quality over quantity. Crytek is giving away their game engine and developers kit to universities. It hopes to get more developers on board with the Crytek game engine. Microsoft has banned 1 million Xbox live players for modifying their consoles to play pirated copies of xbox games. But will they still be able to use their Xbox. The NBA is now offering a new iPhone application that will let you watch live streams of NBA games and have live stats updates. Also in the news we talk about Apple buying Lala and what they intend to do with it.

Reviews include
Dragon Dictation
Dragon Dictation is an easy-to-use voice recognition application powered by Dragon Naturally Speaking that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or email messages.
Review Grade = A-

Google Chrome
A browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.
Review Grade = B+

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WiiMart

Fri, 4 Dec 2009 19:18:00 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 133

This week in the news we talk about a deal Walmart is having on Wii consoles. So don't feel bad if you have missed out on the Black Friday specials there are still plenty more deals to be found out there. If you have ever worried about thieves stealing your portable GPS from your car. Well now there is a device that should deter thieves, called Maplock. Mercedes-Benz is coming out with some new technology that allows you to control your car from your iPhone or Blackberry. The new system is called Mbrace and is retro compatible with many existing Mercedes-Benz cars. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey is coming out with a new company that has some technology based on the iPhone called the square iphone payment system. This could be the next big thing coming to the iPhone that allows merchants to scan and process credit card orders from directly from the iphone. Also in the news TomTom has released their iphone car kit which makes the TomTom iphone app and the car kit one expensive piece of kit.

Reviews include
Class On Demand Windows 7 Made Easy
This is a easy way to get familiar with Windows 7 from Microsoft. The Class on Demand training will answer your most urgent questions regarding the latest release of this operating system.
Review Grade = A-

Class On Demand Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Take a tour of the latest Mac OS X, Snow Leopard, in a series of guided lessons with award-winning Class on Demand expert, Tom Wolsky. These lessons focus on the information you need to quickly become comfortable with the powerful Snow Leopard interface.
Review Grade = A

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Google Chrome OS

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:09:59 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 132

This week in the news we talk about Google announcing their plans for the Google Chrome OS and how it will be launched sometime in 2010 initially only for netbooks. This could have a big impact on Microsoft Windows 7 and the Mac OS X operating systems. Sony announces firmware 3.1 for PS3 which includes some new features. The most significant of those features is social media integration starting with Facebook. There is a new video game contest out to see who is the biggest Gran Turismo fan. This contest coincides with the release of Gran Turismo for the PSP. There are some really great prizes for this contest so head over to the Playstation blog to more details. Car alarm manufacturer Viper has released a new iPhone Application called SmartStart that works with their new Viper car alarms. Allowing you to remotely control the alarm from your iPhone. Also in the news we talk about how the UK Judicial system is starting to use Twitter to serve court injunctions. But how will the court know it is really you.

Reviews include
Office Live Workspace
Microsoft Office Live Workspace allows you to store up to 5GB online
and it works with Microsoft Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It also allows you to view, edit and share documents with password-protection.
Review Grade = B

Motion 4
Start animating right away with the easy-to-use tools and intuitive interface in Motion 4.
Review Grade = A

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Netflix on PS3

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:53:15 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 131

This week in the news we talk about how Netflix video streaming is finally available for the PS3 console. And what kind of impact this can have on the Sony PS3 video download store. It also looks like YouTube is in talks with Hollywood studios to rent movies online through video streaming. Nothing official has been announced yet by YouTube, but things are starting to get exciting in the online video streaming world. General Electric has announced a new product called the VSCAN which is a ultra small portable ultrasound machine. The device is about the same size as a flip style cellphone and is meant to make medical equipment access easier for doctors and nurses. Microsoft, working with researchers at the University of Konstanz in Germany, have added video to navigational maps. This new feature can make Microsoft's efforts a strong competitor with Google Maps.

Reviews include
Photoshop on iPhone
a new Photoshop app for iPhone users that lets them edit photos from both their phone and their online library on Photoshop.com.
Review Grade = A

MotionX
MotionX-GPS is the leading GPS App for the iPhone. Over two million iPhone users have chosen MotionX.
Review Grade = A

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Jailbroken 3GS

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 18:53:40 -0500

Tech Critiques Episode 130

This week in the news we talk about how the Dev Team has come out with new software that allows you to jailbreak you iPhone 3GS with firmware 3.1. Coincidentally Apple has released iPhone firmware 3.1.2 which probably disables the jailbreak the Dev Team has just released. It looks like the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has a fine for bloggers who do not disclose that they are being compensated for product endorsements and testimonials. The fines can run up to 11,000 dollars per post. Magazine publishers are trying to come up with a way to move into the digital age. By creating a digital store front for consumers to manage their digital subscriptions similar to the way iTunes does with digital music. But will Apple beat them to the punch with the soon to be released Apple Tablet. Director Michael Bay has posted on his website the release date for the new Transformers 3 movie. So mark your calendars for July 1, 2011 and get ready to transform and rollout. Princeton University students and teachers enrolled in the Kindle DX pilot program don't really like the device. And they think it doesn't suit academic use very well.

Reviews include
RedLaser
The RedLaser app lets you search for online prices using Google product search. You can also keep a list of products and send them to yourself or a friend.
Review Grade = A

Wix.com
Wix offers you a simple powerful platform to make flash websites templates and more.
Reveiw Grade = A

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