Hi-tech Gadgets

Computer Care: Plenty of gadgets for Dad to marvel at for Father’s Day

By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com


POSTED: June 15, 2013 12:07 a.m.

My dad was into gadgets. He liked to be on the cutting edge of electronics. OK, this was the late 1960s so nothing was really small or cheap yet. But when pocket calculators initially arrived on the market, they were about three-quarters of an inch thick and about the size of a cellphone.

So what, you say. But they also cost more than $100 each. My brothers and I each got one that year from our dad and it was just after I learned to work a slide rule. Anybody out there remember those?

If my dad were around today, he would marvel at the gadgets we have available. Father’s Day would be easy for me. I’d make sure he had a cool smartphone, a tablet computer, a GPS for the car, an electronic tire gauge and the brightest LED flashlight I could find on Amazon.

But he’s been gone for a while now, so I must buy these toys for myself (or suggest to my girls that dad could never have too many gadgets).

When I get emails from stores like newegg.com, tigerdirect.com or thinkgeek.com, I stop and browse their wares, thinking how much my dad would have enjoyed all of today’s technology.

Some are absolutely useful, while others — perhaps not so much.

Fans of the “Doctor Who” sci-fi TV series may be familiar with the Tardis and the Doctor’s special pen. Well, you can get these online now. The pen may not open locked doors or shoot a laser, but they make cool noises and flash multiple colored lights.

For the computer geek dad, there are endless USB gadgets that plug into laptops, from lights and fans to mini-refrigerators and coffee cup warmers. What dad wouldn’t appreciate one of those?

Everyone talks about pen drives. I bought a pen that unscrews to reveal a 4 GB flash drive. Now that’s something I use.

How about a pizza cutter looks like the Starship enterprise or a multi-tool that folds to fit on a key ring? Now these are both cool and practical.

I love flashlights. Aside from the indestructible ones that I use to peek inside computers (see gorillagadgets.com), I also carry a one watt, one cell (AAA) minilight that fits in my shirt pocket and is incredibly bright. I never leave home without it. Really. (See cyberguys.com)

I just ordered a portable water filter from beprepared.com that is the size of a straw from a Big Gulp. They have some really cool things on their site for the outdoors type as well as survivalist.

For clever, useful items all under $10, check out tmart.com. I got a couple of lithium ion batteries and a charger there for my high-end LED flashlight. It was a no-name battery, half the price of brand names, but ended up working just great.

If you’re into solar power for your lights and gadgets, check out sheepleg.com for a large variety of alternative energy products. They also carry camping and outdoor items.

Coolest-gadgets.com carries tech products for your Apple device, PC (USB), games and kitchen as well as solar powered toys, spy tech, home theater and wearable technology. It’s worth a browse.

If you want to see if there is a coupon to save you a buck or two at your online store, try looking at retailmenot.com, couponcactus.com or coupons.com/coupon-codes. Between them, they have hundreds of coupon codes to shop with online.

Don’t get frustrated or give up if you get a few dead ones. Some may be expired, but lots of them do work and will save you money.

Many online retailers that are covered include Amazon, Best Buy, Sears, Macy’s, Wal-Mart and Target, among others.

Did I mention that I love Amazon? They sell everything; plus shipping is free if you have their Prime membership and stuff arrives quickly. Should something happen and you have an issue, Amazon stands behind what is sold on their site. I’ve never had a problem with them that wasn’t resolved quickly.

So if you still haven’t gotten your dad something for tomorrow, get him a gadget. So what if it arrives a few days late. Get him a card in the interim. Even if he can’t really use that gadget, he’ll still appreciate it.

In 10 years, you’ll both look back and have a laugh at the what was today’s hi-tech toys. Compared to the holographic portable communicators we’ll probably have by then, a USB-powered refrigerator may not sound that great in comparison.

But since we can’t beam ourselves to where we want to go or Skype in 3D, I think a cool beverage device next to your dad’s computer may still suffice.

I know my dad would have been glad to get one.

Happy Father’s Day!

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Computer Care: We love our gadgets, but sometimes too much

By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com POSTED: October 15, 2011 1:00 a.m.

Everything we use is getting smaller. We now hook our gadgets to our belts or put them in our pockets or purses. The bag cell phone of the early nineties is finally smaller than Captain Kirk's communicator.

Whether your communicator has a touch screen or a slide-out keyboard, it is still quite diminutive in comparison to what we've used in the past.

The average smartphone of today has more capabilities than the computers aboard the Mercury space flights of the '60s.

The computer has gone from our desks to our laps and now to our ears. We lost the mouse and full-size keyboard, but many other features remain the same. We still browse the Internet and check our email. That is what most of us do regardless of the size of the device. As its size got smaller, its intelligence has grown and ours seems to have decreased.

What I don't understand is where we use it, and why. It's bad enough to come across a driver not paying attention to the road due to texting, but checking email is another matter altogether.

Sure, I get email, lots of it. However, I can wait until I get home to check it. I tell my clients that I only check my mail twice daily and that if they really need to reach me to send a short text or call.

The world has become such an impersonal, selfish place. With the influx of these omnipresent gadgets, we're turning it into an uncivilized society. People carry on conversations in the streets and in stores not with those they see, but with those they hear.

My wife was recently ringing out a customer at her store and tried to tell her how much her purchase was. The woman snapped at my wife that she was on the phone. Really?

There needs to be a modicum of civility to using smartphones. Speaking loudly in public to your spouse on the phone is impolite. Texting and answering emails while with friends is rude and doing it behind the wheel is dangerous.

Teens need to learn early on that just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done. Parents aren't always there to say, "It's inconsiderate to others. Turn it off."

We've all heard that ubiquitous buzz from three rows behind us in the theater, or that annoying glow from three rows in front.

People tend to speak more loudly on their cells than they usually do. When in a booth at a small restaurant or on a line somewhere, it can get quite annoying to the ones around them.

Many are unaware of their behavior. Others simply don't care.

I usually don't rant here, but this has been festering in me for some time. How would you like it if I said you have to go check your horoscope for a minute while I respond to a text message?

Go now. Read something on the next page. I'll be right back.

It may sound discourteous and inappropriate, but that is the equivalent of what is happening. The use of small electronics has turned us into a rude society.

The PC police won't ever tell you that what you're doing is wrong. Let your conscience tell you that.

I'm all for technological advancements, small gadgets and mobile computing. They are great. It's just that we live in a civilized society and while a part of that, there are certain unwritten rules to follow.

While speaking of small electronics, I would be remiss not to mention the recent passing of the great computer genius, Steve Jobs. Although I never got around to buying any Apple products, I've always admired the man and his contributions to society.

Always the PC guy, I've never had the pleasure of owning an iMac. My kids can't believe I don't have an iPod or use iTunes. My wife thinks I need an iPad and my clients are amazed to discover I don't use an iPhone. All in good time, I suppose.

Jobs had an avid imagination, an eye for design and with desire and expertise, he put them together into the techno-toys we all know and love. His contributions to the computer industry are immeasurable.

He started out in his garage building computers; went on to work in the movies with Pixar and Buzz Lightyear and was the cornerstone of Apple, who put miniscule computer gadgets in our pockets.

Imagine what the world would be like without the devices Jobs made for us.

Imagine what else he could have done for us had he lived on.

To infinity and beyond, Steve.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

High tech devices are here

Computer Care: High tech devices bring the future to the present
By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

POSTED: May 28, 2011 1:00 a.m.
Twenty-five years ago, my most high-tech device was an electric typewriter. Now I have GPS in my pocket and a Bluetooth in my ear. Being the techno-geek that I am, I can't help but wonder what the future holds.

I can only speculate what it'll be like in a few years, but I can tell you what we'll be using next year.

Cloud computing has taken hold recently. For those not in the know, the Cloud is the Internet. Instead of using your computer for storage, you can use a company's, via the Internet, often for free.

But more is coming. Soon apps will be available.

Actually some are already here. Currently Google has its Google Docs and Microsoft is working on a similar version of its own.

Many of the services are free, others are subscription-based.

According to Google, their Docs are a "software as a service" office suite. The same documents one can create with an installed office suite can be created in their cloud for free.

Documents can be shared and edited by multiple users simultaneously. Google Docs is one of many cloud computing document-sharing services. The majority of them require user fees, whereas Google Docs has none.

Google's Chrome laptop will be out this summer. Acer and Samsung will be the first to have the Cloud-based laptops. The operating system, in the Chrome browser with all apps and storage, will be on the cloud. You can switch computers and log onto your account to continue working.

If you lose your laptop, you can still access your stuff by logging on and recovering your docs with another computer. They are reportedly to be in the $300 range.

Sales of tablet PCs like the iPad and book-readers like Kindle and Nook are on the rise.

More computers are being sold with Linux, a free alternative operating system. In a bad economy, no one wants to spend money if they don't have to.

No matter what type of computer you will be using, chances are it will have some type of solid state hard drive in it (like the flash memory in your digital camera or your USB storage device). Conventional drives have moving parts; these don't.

Already, hybrid drives are in some of today's computers; part conventional, part solid state. They will be more apparent in the near-future.

A new kind of memory, ultra-rapid, non-volatile read-write magnetic memory, will also soon be in computers. They are supposed to be much faster and consume less power than what we use today. Although magnetic, it has no moving parts. Researchers say it should be in devices in 3-5 years.

Processors that began as a unit will go from dual to quad-core and be faster still.

If you look around, you'll realize computers, in one form or another, are ubiquitous. They are everywhere, not just in our desk and laptops. They're in our phones, cameras, televisions, stereos, thermostats, watches, kitchen and laundry appliances and even on our pets.

As microchips grow smaller and cheaper, they will appear in more and more devices.

Mobile computing is becoming easier as cellphones get smarter. While some PCs are getting more like phones, more phones are getting like PCs. Many connect to the Internet for web browsing and email. With the abundance of apps available, anything done on a PC can now be done on a smartphone.

Each phone company has its own operating system, making it confusing for the consumer. Perhaps one day Android, Apple, Windows Mobile, Palm and Symbian will merge to one ... nah.

Your smartphone will soon be used as a payment mechanism. According to Google, they along with Verizon, ATT, Sprint and T-Mobile, are building Google Wallet, a payment service that would let users buy goods from various vendors by scanning their mobile phones instead of a credit card. Their service should debut this year.

Another company offers Card Case, a feature within its app that also allows customers to purchase things without having to swipe a card. You open a tab in the app, say your name during checkout and are sent a text message receipt. See it at squareup.com.

They also offer a device for mobile merchants that will allow you to swipe a credit card. The free device will attach to most phones' audio ports. Their rates are 2.75 percent, which is not bad.

It's hard to keep up. The 1 terabyte (1,000 gigabyte) storage device you may have today is 50,000 times the size of the 20 megabyte hard drive from a 386-SX computer of 1988.

Even though Moore's Law states that computing power doubles approximately every 18 months, Murphy's Law says that just when you get to the point where you really understand your computer, it's probably obsolete.

Technologically it's been a great ride, full of thrills and breath-taking moments, even if the tickets have been expensive at times. I'm not always first in line for the next ride, but I always look forward to it.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

USB Gadgets for your PC

Computer Care: USB port options run the gamut

By Arthur Glazer
arthur@glazerthepctech.com

UPDATED Dec. 18, 2009 10:09 p.m.

I am a gadget freak. This should be no surprise to you since you know that I fix and write about computers. Some of the coolest gadgets for computers come in the form of USB-powered devices. So let’s depart today from the usual "how to fix your computer" and find some practical and unusual gadgets for it instead.

A quick primer: USB is Universal Serial Bus, a device-type and port on computers, invented in 1996. It's the flat, rectangular-shaped plug. We are currently at version 2.0, which is 40 times faster than its predecessor, version 1.1. The latest incarnation, USB 3.0, is already here, but we won’t see the devices for it for a few months. They will be faster yet.

When you hear USB, you probably think of flash drives, maybe a mouse, keyboard, webcam or laptop cooler pad. But there is more than that - much more. I have portable storage devices, laptop lamps, Bluetooth chargers and hubs in my collection, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface.

The pocket flash drives that started with a mere 16 megabytes, now store upward of 128 gigabytes (from Kingston). FYI: 1,024 MB = 1 GB. You can get an 8 GB stick now for $20.

Today’s USB flash drives not only store your data, but can encrypt it, password-protect it and tell you how much space you have left on the device. There are also those with biometric fingerprint scanners or facial recognition for real security. These are a far throw from the old vanilla 2 MB drives of the last decade.

If you’re using Vista or Windows 7, alternatively you can use today’s flash drives to boost your system’s memory instead of using it for storage. This is especially helpful if you don’t have much memory to begin with. Windows will ask you what you want to do with the device when you plug it in.

It’s worth noting that not all USB flash drives are the boring black plastic type they started out as years ago. You can now get them decorated with jewels, carved from hardwood or a chunk of steel. They can be for the keychain or pocket, neck or wrist or double as a pen. You can of course, still get black plastic.

Desktop USB units are able to store terabytes of data now. (A terabyte is 1,024 gigabytes.) But more common are the 300-500 GB desktop devices and the 100-300 GB portables.

If you want fancy, there are more than storage devices built for USB. On the practical side, you might consider getting someone a laptop lamp for late night computing or USB personal fan; a multiport hub (I’ve seen from 2 to 16 ports in all shapes and sizes), a keyboard vacuum, beverage warmer, mini-water cooler or mini-fridge as a gift this holiday season. How about a smoke-sucking ashtray or an aroma therapy dispenser? All are great gifts for the desk. There are also shavers and neck, leg and foot warmers. These all plug into a USB port.

Everyone needs a digital card reader. Most have multiple slots one will most certainly accommodate your cameras card. Some even read your phone’s SIM card.

For fun, you can get a mini-aquarium, a missile launcher, TV tuner, microscope or a lava lamp, all USB-powered. Did I mention lava lamps? How about a Mr. Spock USB Pez dispenser?

The nice thing about USB as compared to other type devices is that you can hot swap them. By that, I mean you can plug or unplug them at will. With other port types (video, PS2, serial), you need to power down the system to do that. If you plug in a PS2 mouse, for example (the small round plug), without turning your computer off first, it won’t work. With a USB mouse, it doesn’t matter if you do or not.

Speaking of mice, there are always wired and wireless USB mice (and keyboards) to consider. For the wireless, you plug one part into the USB port and it talks to the device, sans cord.

So where can you find these things? Mostly online, I would guess. Look on Web sites like thinkgeek.com, cyberguys.com, coolest-gadgets.com and usbgadgets.org. The last two, especially, have an extensive listing of unique and affordable USB gadgets. In the neighborhood, check out Frys, as they always have a good selection.

USB gadgets have come a long way from just being small storage devices and printers. Swiss Army knives now have an option of a USB flash drive folded into them. You can play your old vinyl LPs on a USB-powered turntable or slip on a pair of computer-heated slippers.

I not only look forward to the upcoming USB technology, but I’d like to see what they think of putting it in next.

Keep this information in mind while shopping this week. Have a happy computing season and to all a good byte.

Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly. Arthur welcomes your computer questions and ideas for future columns.