Tech Universe : Weblog

OnLatte files their patent application

If you attended Siggraph in Los Angeles, or perhaps some other tech events in or around New England, you may have seen the foam printer from OnLatte, Inc which creates custom designs on top of your foam'd drink.... [Read More]

Posted at 11:00AM Sep 29, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Photobooks for relatives: $10

Unibind PhotoBook Creator is a binding system that lets you easily make your own professional hardcover photobooks at home in seconds.

It's about time to start bundling up all of those summertime photos, and/or "FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL" series (especially parents sending their oldest or youngest off to Kindergarten). It's a perfect thing to send out to the relatives (you know Grandparents love this stuff). For about $99, you can get the software, your own book, and additional books for the relatives are only $10....

Great as a holiday gift or to make unique photo album gifts for friends and family, Unibind now has 12 new PhotoBook holiday colors and styles available. www.myphotobookcreator.com
Price $99 for PhotoBook Creator (includes one photobook)
Additional PhotoBooks: $10/book

Posted at 03:09PM Sep 16, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Snow Leopard iPhone Cover

Totally fun iPhone covers.

Not only are there some beautifully embossed covers -
and a SNOW LEOPARD FUR PATTERN... or at least that's what I'll call it.

You could say, "put snow leopard on your iPhone"...

[Read More]

Posted at 12:00AM Sep 13, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Battery Packs for your iPhone

Kensington Computer Products Group, a worldwide leader in delivering smart made simple computing accessories for the mobile consumer, today announced that it has received Apple's "Works with iPhone" certification for its line of Battery Packs and Chargers for the iPhone 3G. The new iPhone 3G has received overwhelmingly positive response except for how quickly it drains battery power. Kensington has addressed this problem by offering a full line of battery packs and chargers that users can easily carry with them at all times. Now they can use all the exciting new iPhone 3G features as much as they like without ever again having to worry about running out of battery power. http://us.kensington.com/index.html

Posted at 12:00AM Aug 29, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Customers Love Apple

Tops customer satisfaction survey. [Read More]

Posted at 06:20PM Aug 19, 2008 by Heath McKnight in Prestige | Comments[0]

Apple Passes Google In Value

Holy cow!! [Read More]

Posted at 04:12PM Aug 14, 2008 by Heath McKnight in Prestige | Comments[0]

Apple's App Store Doing Extremely Well

Making some good old fashioned cash! [Read More]

Posted at 04:09PM Aug 14, 2008 by Heath McKnight in Prestige | Comments[0]

Let the sun kill the bugs

Let the sun zap your bugs...

It's August - and up from the swamp streams come the killer mosquitos. You know the bugs I'm talking about. The ones who take major hits of citronella before they slam into the back of your leg, beak first.

These are the mosquitos that leave bite welts the diameter of a U.S. nickel coin.

It's time to plant some of these solar powered zappers in the yard. You don't need to run extension cords out to the middle of the yard. just let them charge up during the day...

Using the UV radiation to ensnare pest. It can create instantaneous high voltage which is even more than 1000 voltage around the light. The mosquitoes will be killed when approaching to the light. $29
http://gadget.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00616

Posted at 12:00AM Aug 08, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Apple iTunes Store Sells 5 Billionth Song!

A new landmark! [Read More]

Posted at 06:56AM Jun 19, 2008 by Heath McKnight in Prestige | Comments[0]

FotoMagico gets nod from Apple Design Awards

"Best Mac OS X Leopard Graphics and Media Application Runner-up". The Apple Design Awards recognize technical excellence and outstanding achievement in Mac OS X software design and development. FotoMagico, already recognized 2006 as "Best Mac OS X User Experience Runner-up", makes it easy to create impressive slidehows. In its current version 2.2, FotoMagico supports powerful Mac OS X Leopard technologies such as Quick Look and iChat Theater and sports a brand-new Sharing Assistant that makes it easy to produce stunning slideshows optimized for DVD, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV and other media devices.

http://www.fotomagico.com

Posted at 12:00PM Jun 16, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

RocketLife outscores CVS and others

Visan www.visan.com and www.rocketlife.com, the inventors of ground-breaking award-winning new media technologies, announced today that RocketLife outscored four other mainstream sites: CVS, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Shutterfly and Snapfish in a recent study by InfoTrends on consumer preferences for Web-based digital photo applications.

RocketLife Tested by Independent Consumers Outscores on All Eight Attributes

Visan commissioned InfoTrends to conduct a series of focus groups to understand user experiences and preferences for creating printed photo products with leading web-based digital photo applications. To take RocketLife for a spin visit www.rocketlife.com.

Posted at 12:00AM Jun 05, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Lego Mac

There are always tons of cool little lego bits that you can find online. Some of theme are mac-friendly too.

Heath reminded me of some pieces I've seen. AND reminded me to open that LEGO BUILDER magazine sitting on the couch!

...and waiting for the latest Lego Playstation game....

For now you can find fun here: http://www.homeloo.com/

Posted at 12:00AM Jun 05, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Sony HD HandyCAM: HDR-TG1

Father's Day is coming up..... Yep.

And although he might say you shouldn't get him those Christian Audigier tshirts that he's been eyeing for months (if you have an urge to buy one.... check here),
ok - - so if he says no to the tees - you can get him the new Sony HD HandyCAM... after all, it's to use so he can take pictures of the kids!

And - - think of how the movies will look on the SONY HD monitor in the living room....

... it's expected to ship this week... so maybe you better ALSO get an Audigier tee to have something to give him over breakfast.

1920x1080 Recording
Record stunning, incredibly detailed video footage in the clarity of 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution.

Lightweight, Pure Titanium Body
Slim and lightweight -- only 8oz without the battery -- the HDR-TG1s body is constructed of high-quality pure titanium. Additionally, a Premium Hard Coating is applied on the body surface (except for hinge and lens ring area), providing superior resistance to scratches and fingerprints.

Switchable HD/SD Format Recording
Record and play back both High Definition (HD)4 and Standard Definition (SD) video.

It's under $900 at the SONY website >here<

Posted at 09:00AM Jun 02, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

IR for your heat

So it costs a little more than the old analogue style guage, but doesn't all technology?

Professional chefs have relied on this technology to accurate detect the surface temperature of a pan. The key to consistent results is a consistent technique. Generally, this is almost impossible for most people at home. Ovens vary, cookware varies, etc... This is why Thomas Keller's French Laundry restaurant (top in U.S.) uses a laser thermometer. If a pan needs to be 325F, it can be.

The culinary laser themometer uses infrared technology to easily and quickly measure surface temperature without touching the surface. The laser is merely a pointer to assist with aiming. Just aim, pull the trigger and the temperature will be instantly displayed on the LED display.

Great for pan temperature, BBQ, checking the performance of your oven or refrigerator, and much more. Plus, there's a cooking temperature reference guide on the side of the thermometer, insuring perfect results every time. As an extra bonus, this version of the Bonjour laser thermometer also has a probe thermometer for measuring internal food temperature.

Measures from 0F to 932F. Batteries included. It's about $80 US. Find a lower shipped price? They'll beat it.

http://www.chefsresource.com/bonjour-laser-thermometer.html

Posted at 09:00AM May 27, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

Summertime Tech for the BBQ

There are all kinds of cool BBQ tech on the market - and with the BBQ season upon us in the United States, a wireless thermometer might be something that starts the summer off right.

Now - I am not endorsing this one specifically - - and if I had my druthers, for a tech thermometer, I'd go for the cool IR type that Alton uses. But this one is REMOTE. So you can sit under the cool patio shade and watch the grill from 100 feet away - no need to get up close and point the thermometer at anything.

The remote has an effective distance of up to 100 feet. A belt clip and table stand are included. The stainless steel probe detaches for easy cleaning. The Oregon Scientific Wireless BBQ Thermometer makes a perfect gift for any outdoor (or indoor) chef! OREGON SCIENTIFIC WEBSITE

Posted at 03:24PM May 26, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

MacLife Remembers Mac OS 9

The classic Apple operating system. [Read More]

Posted at 08:18AM May 26, 2008 by Heath McKnight in Prestige | Comments[0]

Happy 10th Birthday iMac!

The little Mac that helped save Apple. [Read More]

Posted at 01:45PM May 08, 2008 by Heath McKnight in Prestige | Comments[0]

Apple is better? Oh really? No, really.

Computers are one of the most trouble-prone products Consumer Reports tracks in its annualproduct-reliability surveys. When it came to solving problems, wait time on the phone and the knowledge of support staff, Apple's tech support received high scores across the board for both laptop and desktop systems in Consumer Reports' latest survey featured in the June issue.

Consumers looking for stellar tech support should consider a Mac since Apple's topped Consumer Reports' latest Ratings of tech support services. The latest annual tech-support survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center draws on subscribers' experiences with 10,000 desktop and laptop computers. Results revealed that tech support solved problems for only about 60 percent of the respondents who used it. Apple's tech support was much more successful than others, solving problems more than 80 percent of the time.

The report which includes comprehensive Ratings and buying advice for tech-support services, desktops, laptops, all-in-ones, and monitors are available in the June issue of Consumer Reports, on sale May 6. The reports are also available to subscribers at http://www.ConsumerReports.org.

-source / PRNewswire:

Posted at 12:00AM May 08, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

June is only a month away: Save for a new HDTV

It's a little more than a month until Father's Day and (maybe) graduation, but it's time to start saving up for the HDTV.... cuz damn they're expensive. At least it's time to start thinking about the conversion date. In 2009, you'll need a new television if you want to grab program reception out of the air with an antenna (not with a dish).

Westinghouse is offering a bunch of new displays...

This Might Be Perfect For the Big Cheese -- Large-Screen HDTVs:

Reward fathers and graduates with the best and biggest LCD HDTVs. With sizes ranging from 42-52, Westinghouse Digitals new TX Series of 1080p HDTVs are designed to provide the ultimate home cinema experience. All sets have 1080Pure for 1080p resolution out of all HD connectors, an ultra high 5000:1 contrast ratio, and four HDMI connectors. Dads and grads will love the stunning picture quality in full 1920x1080 resolution. The ultra-fast response times and full suite of connectors make the TX Series the ultimate display for any gaming center or console. Pricing is as follows: The 42 TX-42F430S LCD HDTV is $1,199 MSRP; the 47 TX-47F430S LCD HDTV is $1,599 MSRP; and the 52 TX-52F480S LCD HDTV is $2,499 MSRP.

Posted at 12:00AM May 01, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]

24-inch 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo

Yes, the new iMac is out there with all of the crazy new specs... crazy.

It's really amazing how far the iMacs have come. Sure, even the Mac minis are really little muscle bots, but the 24" iMac is nothing short of fantastic.

The 24" iMac is setup with a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo.... dang. That's faster than my secondary machine. (2.5 Dual PPC). For $2,199, you get the whole rig - monitor + keyboard, 2G RAM - with the ability to put a Terrabyte of storage inside the thing.

If you're a pro user, you might have external drives set up, but the iMac is for the home Mac user. A Terrabyte of storage??

Why would you need so much storage at home?

Well, consider all of the new HD footage that your consumer video camera can take. Consider all of those high resolution digital pictures you can take with your still camera.

Think about all of those iTunes movies that you might want to download....

... a single Terrabyte starts to fill up pretty quickly.

Unfortunately, there are no upgrades for the video card on the Apple website, but the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB will do pretty well.

Posted at 03:13PM Apr 28, 2008 by ko maruyama in Prestige | Comments[0]