Ever wish you could have your important files escorted across the internet by a rough-and-tumble English rogue in a high-performance European sedan, ensuring they get to a safe, secure destination? If you’re like me, you sure have. Data storage on “The Cloud” continues to grow in popularity, but many people are nervous about reliability and privacy of cloud-based storage, not to mention recurring storage fees. And that’s where the Connected Data Transporter Private Cloud comes in, giving you the convenience of cloud storage services, without the monthly fees, and with the peace-of-mind of having total control over the location of your data.

Getting started with the Transporter drive is a pretty simple process. First, buy the unit with the amount of storage you need: 1TB (terabyte), 2TB, or a bare unit, to which you add a hard drive of your choice. Then connect it to your home network, either wirelessly or with a wired connection. Once hooked up to your network, simply create a Transporter account, and you’re ready to easily and safely sync files and share them with anyone you want, from anywhere you have access to the internet. (more…)

“An Adventure 65 million years in the making”

Anyone who was of theater-going age in 1993 most likely saw the blockbuster Jurassic Park on the big screen.  I still remember going with my aunt and uncle to the new IMAX theater at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Being only 10 years old, I was already fascinated with everything dinosaurs, so this movie was a big thing for me.  I loved the experience and it certainly is one I will never forget.  To chase that nostalgia, I will undoubtedly be seeing Jurassic Park again on the big screen with the re-release, this time in 3D!

The movie continued the time-honored tradition of “summer blockbusters”. It captivated audiences of all ages.  To this day, it is still referenced as summer movie perfection.  From the thrills, scares and overall ingenuity of the dinosaur creators, Jurassic Park stands the test of time.  You probably even find yourself randomly quoting lines.  The last time the power went out at my house during a storm, I found myself thinking, “the raptor fences aren’t out, are they?”

Jurassic Park 3D is another movie that is taking advantage of the popular 3D technology. 3D technology has been advancing so incredibly fast these past few years that you can even enjoy movie theater quality 3D right in your own home with a variety of 3D HDTVs.   The 3D re-release will give audience members a chance to experience the thrills in a brand new technology.  You can even enjoy hearing Jurassic Park, the way it was meant to be heard. From the thunderous roar of the T-Rex, to the frightening hisses and howls of a pack of Velociraptors, find yourself in the middle of it all!

Jurassic Park has had an amazing run the last 20 years (please ignore the sequels).  People’s interest in dinosaurs and paleontology exploded when that movie first arrived, but for the movie industry  it was a giant leap in technological advancements.  The dinos looked and sounded as real as the screams from the audience members who saw them.  So if you are free this weekend, head out to your local theater and share with a younger generation the sounds and sights of one of the the best dinosaur movies to walk the earth.

The rumor mill for upcoming electronics is always churning.  One that certainly gets the most pre-release buzz is the Apple iPhone.  Recently, there were intriguing rumors this time, not for the new iPhone, but for Google’s newest smartphone, the Google Nexus.

The word on the street, and by street we mean online tech blogs, is that Nikon might be in the works with Google to have their camera equipment installed on the the next Nexus. It could have Nikon camera technology on board, with a “triple sensor” array. This works by combining three sensor layers, each with a smaller megapixel count, to create a single higher resolution image with better color rendering light enhancement.  Be on the lookout for more interesting tidbits about the Google Nexus as the release date slowly approaches.

TiVo has officially launched the TiVo Mini, a DVR extender box that lets users of select TiVo DVRs watch their content on other TVs without needing to purchase another  TiVo recording device for each room in the house.

TiVo is releasing the TiVo Mini as a companion device to regular TiVo boxes, as it can stream both live and recorded TV.  It can even take advantage of services like YouTube, Spotify, Pandora and Hulu Plus ; set up recordings and more. This is perfect for those TiVo fanatics who have more than one TV in their home,.  Stay connected and use the great features TiVo has to offer,

Last night, Sony announced the release of their newest gaming console, the PlayStation 4.  The news has been 7 years in the making since the release of the PlayStation 3 back in 2006, and since then, rumors, mock-ups, ideas and opinions of the next console have been swirling around the internet ever since.  With great fanfare and a 2-hour unveiling, Sony goes over the meat of their newest console with great hype, but no image of the final product.  This only adds to the interest and general excitement for the impending PlayStation 4.  Here’s what we know, thus far:

(more…)

At CES 2013 this year, it was pretty interesting to see appliances enter the fray of the world’s biggest electronics show.  One of the leaders in technologically advanced appliances has been Samsung.  They recently  announced their new 36” four-door refrigerator will have the industry’s first-ever automatic sparkling water dispenser.

It will be powered by SodaStream, which will allow you to pour yourself cold, bubbly water any time of the day.  The filtered sparkling water will come through the dispenser on the fridge door that already delivers water and ice.  Just add your favorite SodaStream flavoring and make soda in moments.

A luxury kitchen is more than the sum of its appliances. A focal point of the home, it makes a statement about you to your guests. Appliances serve more than merely the expected function, but personify and reveal your personality. This February when Jenn-Air unveils its Accolade™ Downdraft Ventilation System, it will command attention for both its iconic design and its extraordinary performance.

This 36-inch, super-premium downdraft ventilation system will generate a lot of noise in the media, but not in the upscale kitchens in which it will silently premiere. Exquisitely fashioned from glass and stainless steel, the Accolade™ Downdraft Ventilation System has a timeless design that is reminiscent of the graceful, soaring curves of the Gateway Arch.

(more…)

“Let’s hit the slopes brah!”  Probably a phrase you’ve never heard, nor ever said, but with Google’s new Ski Slopes Map App, you can check out nearby ski slopes and get your shredder on.

Google Maps app, available for free on Android devices and iPhone,  now includes 38 new maps of ski runs and lifts from some of the most popular ski resorts in the United States and Canada.

The way it works is that the app marks green, blue and black runs — the colors ski resorts use to indicate a slope’s difficulty — which appear on the screen as solid colored lines.  If you are looking for ski lifts, they are registered as dotted lines.  The app is excellent if you are looking to start with the slope that best suits your needs, or if you end up getting lost in the snow.  If you are  a skiing aficionado, this app is perfect for you.

Winterfell from Game of Thrones is brought to life by 3D printer

Seriously, it seems like we can post about the awesome things 3D printers can do every day.  From our first story about the Epson 3D printer, to recreating epic dinosaurs, 3D printing is getting a LOT of press.

Recently, Daniel Ammann, the Executive Vice President of Research and Development at u-blox, a Swiss semiconductor company.  Ammann decided to create Winterfell from the incredible Game of Thrones books based on the model from the HBO series.  Ammann states, “It was the MakerBot article in Wired which brought me to the idea of buying a 3-D printer”.   “And then time over the Christmas break, together with watching the second season of Game of Thrones and the desire to learn a CAD tool sparked this project.”  A little technical ingenuity, love for a great TV show, and access to a 3D printer and voila!

 Image courtesy of Wired.com

Pretty impressive indeed.  3D printing is starting to become more readily available to the general public and people are becoming more creative with the results.  What would you like to see created on a 3D printer?

The Dyson Airblade Tap further improves upon the company’s innovative hand dryers

Dyson is best known as the maker of powerful bagless vacuum cleaners and the “Air Multiplier” bladeless fans. But many consumers don’t realize that Dyson also makes an innovative restroom hand-dryer, known as the Airblade.  The Dyson Airblade subverts the thinking behind traditional air hand dryers, which use heated but slow-moving air to dry your hands. Instead, the Airblade shoots air out of a pair of opposing slots at nearly 400 miles per hour. These curtains of powerful air envelope your hands, squeegeeing the water off in just 12 seconds. The process is more sanitary and energy-efficient than normal hand dryers, and more environmentally-friendly than using paper towels.

We thought it was a pretty awesome concept, enough to not only carry the Dyson Airblade, but also install it in all of our store bathrooms. Well, Dyson has spent the last few years making the Airblade even better. They did this by integrating the drying technology right into an automatic faucet to create the Dyson Airblade Tap.

The Dyson Airblade Tap dispenses water like a traditional automatic faucet.

(more…)