Product Reviews, Tech Trends, and More

It may seem slightly crazy, but believe it or not, there is no built-in way to manage a collection of PDF documents on the iPad. You can view them as attachments in email, but there is no way to save or bookmark the files. Not to worry – the folks over at Good.iWare LTD have got us [slightly insane] iPad early adopters covered with their app, appropriately titled, GoodReader. –> read more

Continuing with their run of April news announcements, Apple has just released an update to their popular MacBook Pro line of notebook computers. Not much has changed, but what has, is significant. The new pro machines have been updated with Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors, offering substantial performance gains through the use of a new 32-nanometer manufacturing process, Turbo Boost, and Hyper-Threading. –> read more

For those not familiar with Adobe’s excellent photo management/editing software called Lightroom, think of it as Picasa or iPhoto on steroids. Adobe took the management/RAW processing side of Bridge and some of the popular post-production features of Photoshop and made one solid application. I could get into why this program is great for amateurs and professionals alike, but the purpose of my ramblings is to discuss how Adobe has handled the Beta testing of the upcoming version 3. –> read more

What do you get when you combine one million pixels of image resolution, a compact form factor, and fully automatic shooting? A versatile digital camera that Epson calls the PhotoPC 650. The 650 brings the ease of a point and shoot 35mm to the sub-$400 digital camera market. –> read more

Over the last few years geotagging has become more and more popular with photographers – and with good reason, it’s nice to know where that photo was taken. The problem is that most compact cameras and even professional digital SLR cameras do not come with this ability built-in. So how are the amateurs and professionals doing it? –>read more

This holiday season there is no doubt that many digital SLR cameras will find their way into peoples homes and hearts. With sub $500 cameras from Canon and Nikon, the barrier to entry has come down to a very low point. Before you start filling those memory cards, consider making a small investment in the following items. –> read more

A few months back I determined it was imperative that my aging Lane Furnishings leather “executive chair” take on an early retirement. Lacking the proper support for days spent in front of a computer I went in search of an affordable ergonomic chair. After sitting in about 20 chairs at Staples and Office Max (or maybe it was Office Depot) I felt discouraged. Most of them were overpriced, gimmicky, and unsupportive. I quickly realized I wasn’t going to find my pick in a retail office supply store. –>read more

The Netflix PS3 streaming disc was dropped into my mailbox early Saturday morning, one day later than I had anticipated. As was expected, it shipped in the familiar red envelope, the only difference being the PS3 logo beneath the standard Netflix insignia. A red CD sleeve that read, “Use every time to watch instantly,” encased the disc. –>read more

In what may be the slickest design for a USB thumb drive yet, LaCie’s iamaKey brings 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB of storage to a drive no thicker than your house key. Measuring just over two inches in length, this little guy features USB 2.0 transfer speeds, PC and Mac compatibility, and the ability to blend right in with the other keys on your key ring. –> read more

Over the last decade or so, we consumers have had the word “convergence” thrown at us in every which way. “In the future”, they said, “there will be no more computers. You see, your computer will be your TV, and your TV, well, that will be your computer.” That’s what they’ve been saying, and it is not like they haven’t tried. Manufacturers have made various attempts to bring this dream into reality, but have found very little success. See, it’s not that consumers are turned off by the idea of having the ability to use their home TV as a computer, it’s just that it is not practical to do so. –> read more