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Newstips Electronic Editorial Bulletin Issue # 2010-11b
Hot news for a frosty fall
In this issue:
New Direct X 11 benchmark demo video stars Antec... Kids 3-8 have
something to learn from Franklin... Iconosys delivers Collision
Watch for Android... Boogie Board in use as early Alzheimer
countermeasure... Tiffen has a screw-on cure for photo winter
wash-outs... Zoom 3G modems get a new gee whiz via T-Mo...
Special Report: Mini-booms in service landscape... Reviews:
Native Union MMOH1 handset; Buzz Killer Card; Wendy's Pick 2, APC
Protection Policy, The Pee-Wee Herman Show... plus our commentary
on Marty's gout cure
New Direct X 11 benchmark demo video stars Antec
If you're not a gamer, you may not be aware of Futuremark 3D Mark
benchmarking software, but you don't have to be a gamer to
delight in the "High Temple" DirectX 11 tech demo on YouTube.
Antec (also well-known to gamers) is a sponsor & you'll see their
logo all over the rugged vehicle that's in a lot of the shots. If
you want to know more about why Antec & gamers resonate; ask
Veronica; you can also ask what Antec has that make non-gamers
interested. Contact: Veronica Feldmeier, Antec Inc. (Fremont, CA)
510-770-2150 vfeldmeier@antec.com http://antec.com
Kids 3-8 have something to learn from Franklin
Aline is putting together a "Mommy kit" of Franklin Learner
Series products, each a handheld electronic device with a fun way
to use play to help 3-8 year olds improve the fundamentals of
literacy, from words to numbers to patterns. It's a great series
of gifts & stocking stuffers that we think will intrigue you into
a review or other coverage, so please ask for one. Contact: Aline
Boutin, Franklin Electronic Publishers (Burlington, NJ)
609-386-2500x4434 aline_boutin@franklin.com http://franklin.com
Iconosys delivers Collision Watch for Android
New Iconosys Collision Watch (Android, $99/year, Website
download) is now available. It uses tech in the phone to detect
that a collision seems to have happened then sounds an alarm for
up to 3 minutes; if the user does not silence the alarm, the app
notifies family or friend or medical contacts; if they don't
respond, it notifies emergency services (like 911), Ask Wayne.
Contact: Wayne Irving II, Iconosys Inc. (Laguna Hills, CA)
949-335-5350 wi@iconosys.com http://iconosys.com
Boogie Board in use as early Alzheimer countermeasure
Reports from a PC user's group tell us that the paperless Boogie
Board ($35) passive LCD tablet is finding a role in normalizing
the lives of some early Alzheimer sufferers. Their loved ones or
caretakers leave them notes each day on things they need to do &
that reminder seems to help renormalize their lives a bit.
Contact: Kevin Oswald, Kent Displays (Kent, OH) 330-673-8784x161
koswald@kentdisplays.com http://KentDisplays.com
Tiffen has a screw-on cure for photo winter wash-outs
As snows arrive, many people are surprised when the subjects of
their photos or videos are underexposed. One reason for that is
that beyond visible brightness, a lot of UV brightness in the
scene overwhelms the cameras auto-exposure sensors. The simple
answer is also the best protection a lens can get: a Tiffen UV
Protect filter. Ask Hilary. Contact: Hilary Araujo, Tiffen
Company (Hauppauge, NY) 631-609-3216 haraujo@tiffen.com
http:/.tiffen.com
Zoom 3G modems get a new gee whiz via T-Mo
Last week's announcement from T-Mobile of a no-contract $15/month
data plan (we won't be surprised if the other carriers respond)
makes a Zoom 3G USB Modem even more of a no-brainer for people
who want or need to connect when not near a free hot spot. As we
mentioned last time that can also make sense for even occasional
travelers when connecting to the Web isn't a hotel or motel
freebie. Terry won't treat to the carrier fee, but he's eager to
have you review the Zoom 3G modem model that works with yours.
Contact: Terry Manning, Zoom Telephonics Inc. (Boston, MA)
617-753-0087 terrym@zoom.com http://zoom.com
Special Report: Mini-booms in service landscape
When we hit our favorite auto service bay (for an oil & filter
change, then add a serpentine belt, 2 tires & a ball joint) a
chat with the owner revealed business has been thriving for the
past 2 years. Signs from other businesses also suggest that for
things at a car's price level, repair was more popular than
replace. We can guess (but can't confirm; queries to Best Buy &
Micro Center went answered) consumer electronics repairs &
upgrades subbed for some replacement sales. Real estate agents
tell us that volumes are strong but pricing is down, suggesting
that buyer-borne repairs may be part of the landscape. We bring
this up now with a note that the costs of repairs are seldom
endured for frivolous items & that service can't extend product
life expectancy forever, which suggests that recent service
upticks are part of a transition that will end up favoring new
product sales, perhaps in the next year or two. Frivolous
purchases (as in a lot of CES) tend to be based more on the
ability to find a way to afford than on any ratiocination, so
bets there are off.
Special Report Bonus Review: Native Union MMOH1 handset
Back in high school (50 years ago), friend Charlie often drove &
would surprise people by pulling an old-style Bakelite phone
handset out of his glove box (the other end of the coiled cord
just dangled) & looked like he had a phone in the car. That came
to mind when we got in the Native Union MM01H handset for review;
its design has a similar look, comes in 7 colors (we got yellow)
& has a BlackBerry/iPhone style plug at the other end of the cord
plus a sculpted button mid-handset. We jacked it into our
BlackBerry & the audio in both directions was excellent, not to
mention more comfortable & natural for long conversations than
earbuds or most headsets. Bottom line: the stylish Native Union
MM01H handset is useful & fun.
Special Report Bonus Review 2: Buzz Killer Card
In the early days of digital networks, many frustrating problems
sprang from connectors or cables introducing anomalies (impedance
mismatches, echoes, etc.) that rounded the square edges of
digital pulse trains, making them hard to read. The Buzz Killer
Card is a thin, coated metallic plate about the size of an index
card. Theoretically, it brings those corner-rounding effects to
pulses generated by a cell handset's internal circuitry, reducing
the annoying buzzing sound that things like radios or intercoms
or speakerphones can pick up when a handset is near. Our ability
to confirm this was frustrated by our own handset (BlackBerry
Bold); no matter what we tried, we couldn't get any radio,
speakerphone, amplifier or anything else to pick up a buzz from
it. Bottom line: for people with handsets less well designed than
our BlackBerry that do introduce a buzzing noise, our
understanding of the fundamentals leads us to believe that an
inexpensive Buzz Killer card can be an effective
countermeasure.
Special Report Bonus Review 3: Wendy's Pick 2
We were talking to their PR agency about a lunch's effects on
personal productivity when they suggested we review the Wendy's
"Pick 2 for $4.99" menu involving any of 4 half-size salads along
with any of 7 other selections, We chose their Apple Pecan
Chicken Salad (hold the pecans & select a fat-free French
dressing) along with a 10oz baked potato (adding only chives) for
a total of 490 calories & 6 grams of fat. We could have chosen a
bottle of water instead of the potato (220 calories, 6g fat). The
worst case would have been the BLT Cobb Salad with a Junior Bacon
Cheeseburger (680 calories, 42 grams of fat). Our salad was very
satisfying with a variety of flavors & textures; the potato was
piping hot & very filling. We finished the meal at noon & had no
hint of peckishness until well past 4, no energy sag at all
through suppertime. Bottom line: Wendy's Pick 2 meals offer some
healthy & satisfying options for keeping personal productivity up
throughout an afternoon.
Special Report Bonus Review 4: APC Protection Policy
We wrote months back about the pattern of power failures that
blitzed one of our APC backup units, causing it to continually
recycle from off to on & back, which blew one of our 24" monitors
& is probably behind graphics card problems we've been having. We
sent the monitor back to Westinghouse for repair; they had to
replace the main circuit board & noted that power surges could
well have been the cause of its failure. This week, we are
retiring that graphics card in favor of a new one. A couple days
ago, we finally got the response to our claim under the American
Power Conversion Equipment Protection Policy: $134 if we sign a
release form that says, in part, "It is understood and agreed
that this settlement is the compromise of a doubtful and disputed
claim." The settlement (which will take another fortnight to
arrive) is a little less than the outbound & return shipping
costs for the monitor. Bottom line: the APC Equipment Protection
Policy appears to have more promotional value than actual value
to users.
Special Report Bonus Review 5: The Pee-Wee Herman Show
The official opening night is still an upcoming event, but we had
a chance to see "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" on Broadway at the
Stephen Sondheim Theater. The basic premise (from the original
Groundlings sketch as shown on the 1981 HBO special) has been
updated with characters from the TV series, some edgy comments
only adults will get about the events in real life that led to
the cancellation of that show & some new twists on the familiar
characters. You guys will especially like how Conky & Magic
Screen feel threatened when the playhouse gets wired to go online
& the very Pee-Wee interpretation of the first moments of being
connected. Chairy gets a solo, Cowboy Curtis & Miss Yvonne
really, really like each other, Mailman Mike's anger management
therapy seems to be working & Jambi gets to do a tiny tribute to
slapstick. Bottom line: The Pee-Wee Herman Show is more fun than
ever.
Those elections & tech
Record numbers of organizations have been able (for the first
time this year, thanks to a Supreme Court decision early in the
year) to fund their own pro or con campaigns on issues or
candidates, but the fascination factor is in where they spent it.
Most of the money went to traditional media, largely broadcast,
where most of the reach involves only older voters. Social media
has been more effective at younger voters, but doesn't seem to
have done much to change minds. An even more interesting trend is
to early voting (the new name for absentee ballots, thanks to
some relaxed eligibility rules) which hits both older & younger
voters who then vote before campaigns in either traditional or
social media are in full swing. Whatever tech is behind polling
seems as maladjusted as ever with way too many polls showing an
outcome amazingly consistent with the results that the sponsors
of the polls prefer to have the public believing. Once the
elections pass, try this poll with your readers: Which Web site,
TV spot, newspaper ad, talk show, social media or other outside
communication - if any - influenced the election choices you
made? Contact: Martin Winston, Newstips (Novelty, OH)
440-338-8400; marty@Newstips.com http://Newstips.com
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Newstips Bulletin [Novelty, OH] +1.440.338.8400 http://Newstips.com
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