No words can express my sadness about Steve Jobs. The tech industry lost an innovator. A visionary. A leader. A man not afraid to dream and bold enough to follow that dream. You don't have to be an Apple Fan to realize that Steve Jobs single handedly forced competitors to deliver better products and services. We the consumers benefitted from Steve's love for building products that people didn't even know they wanted.
Your TechBender is sad. The maturity of Apple Products motivated me to start blogging about tech gadgets. Apple forced the competition to be better. They influenced the tech world to come with their best. Steve Jobs was the driving force behind some of the greatest technical innovations of our time.
It's a sad day. But it's ok. You see, Steve succeeded in changing all of our lives. Can you imagine a world without an iPhone, or maybe a Mac? How about an iPad? Or possibly an iPod? Love Apple or no, this world would be a different place without those products.
Steve, you were THE rock star of the tech industry. You will be missed. RIP, knowing your legacy lives on in millions upon millions of homes around the world, including mine.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
BorrowedSugar is Sweet
Things are heating up at BorrowedSugar. The premise is “living local” backed by a content engine that focuses on that objective. Borrowed Sugar is already up and running in Austin, San Francisco, as well as Denver and is ready to roll out more cities. My friend Dan Street, the mastermind behind this great local search tool, thinks the tool is “better than everyone else” and now he’s out to prove it!
As a favor to the TechBender, if you are interested, please register at BorrowedSugar, enter your email and city location and you will become among the first in your city to see the site when it is rolled out. As soon as 100 emails are received from any geography then that area will move immediately to the top of the list for roll-out.
Please forward this along to any of your friends who may also be willing to help me help Dan spread the word.
Thank you in advance!!
Love,
Your Friendly Neighborhood TechBender
Monday, May 16, 2011
And I Thought 7 Inches Was a Good Thing - Tablet Review
Hi. It's your friendly neighborhood TechBender here. Yes, I'm still alive. Seriously. I promise. It's me... Oh stop.
The other night, while taking care of some tech-related business at Best Buy, I decided to put my hands on some of the new tablets that are currently on the market. Since my last post this past January, Apple has announced, released, and blown the hinges off the tablet market with the iPad 2. Last October, I wrote an article entitled Books & Pads & Slates & Tabs....Oh My! where I discussed tablet computers and the challenge of catching up with the original iPad. While BlackBerry, HP, Samsung and Motorola were busy trying to come up with an answer to the iPad, Apple was behind the scenes quietly working on improving their device. The result was the iPad 2. I followed that up with the article Motorola Comes Out Swinging at CES 2011, where I discussed that maybe, just maybe Motorola had developed the much needed competitor. Yes folks, I do think Apple should have competitors. Healthy competition pushes all parties to make cool tech gadgets your friendly neighborhood TechBender loves to spend his money obtaining.
After putting the Motorola Xoom through its paces, I must say, great job Motorola. You delivered. I still think your entry price of $599 for 32gb is a bit too high to directly compete with iPad 2, but that's this TechBender's opinion. In terms of hardware, operating system, and ease of use, you're what I expected. It's always a good thing to be what the TechBender expected.
If $599 is a little too rich for your blood, and you're looking for an Android 3.0 device instead of an iPad or iPad 2, then I would suggest the Acer Iconia Tab A500. It's a 10.1" display Android device at a price point of $449 at Best Buy. It's a bit heavier than the original iPad, but you can't beat the price. It does almost everything the Xoom can do, at a more affordable price.
But what about Samsung Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook? What can I say, folks, they fell short. They didn't make the Techbender smile. They missed the height requirement. I just don't get the 7-inch form factor for Tablet devices. For eReaders, I am all about some 7 inches, but for a full tablet computer, a 7 inch just doesn't satisfy. I'm not even going to talk about the interface of the PlayBook, which is laggy and is the opposite of intuitive. I rarely do this, but I have to watch out for my readers. Do not buy a PlayBook until they release a larger-sized screen, add native e-mail support and upgrade the touch screen responsiveness. I expected so much more from the PlayBook, but it's simply not ready to compete with the Xoom or iPad. At $499 for a 7" screen and an unpolished, unintuitive user interface, this device is not TechBender recommended.
In previous TechBender posts, I've introduced the concept of the circle of technology. Your personal circle encompasses all the devices that make up your technical life. In my world, a 7 inch satellite computer just seems too small to be useful, when my phone is 3.5 inches and my laptop is 15 inches. I want something in between. The only circle I can think of where a 7 inch screen would be useful is if the user did not have a smartphone. So, the TechBender recommendation is, if you own a smartphone and are in the market for a tablet, jump up to a larger size tablet. Both sizes are similar in cost so you're getting more screen for your buck. Please note, I'm not knocking eReaders. eReaders are devices that do a few things well, and are focused on reading. Tablets should do a lot of different things well, outside of just reading.
The device that I haven't mentioned in this review is the Barnes & Noble Nook Color. I highly recommend this device. Of course, this recommendation is a bit contradictory to what I've already written because the Nook Color is an eReader, which I just mentioned means it's not a direct tablet competitor. Also, the Nook Color is 7 inches. Didn't the Techbender just say he didn't like 7 inches in a tablet? Let me bend your mind around this a little bit. The TechBender has never been one to follow all of the rules, just most of them. And he especially breaks the rules in terms of price. In the case of the Nook Color, Barnes & Noble has turned the device into a tablet by recently releasing a version of Android for the device to give it more functionality. So, why recommend it? The price of the Nook Color is $249, and Barnes & Noble is not planning on increasing the cost. Yes, you read correctly, $249 for a functioning tablet with Android and Angry Birds. For the money, you can't beat the value of the Nook Color.
So, if you're in the market for a tablet, I recommend the iPad 2 or the Motorola Xoom. If money is an issue, I would suggest either the Acer Iconia Tablet at $449 if you prefer Android or the Original iPad which is running around the same price. If you are patient, you can also pick up a refurbished original iPad on the Apple.com site at $150 off retail. If you do not own a smartphone, then the 7 inch Samsung Galaxy tab may be the right device for you. I do not recommend the BlackBerry Playbook because the interface is not intuitive and it's still missing key features, such as a dedicated mail client. If you're not sure about a tablet, but have a few dollars to burn, then the Nook Color by Barnes & Noble is a great entry device that will not break the bank. Whatever you choose, tablets are here, and they are taking over.
Happy Tech Geeking! Oh yeah, the TechBender is back. My apologies for the hiatus.
The other night, while taking care of some tech-related business at Best Buy, I decided to put my hands on some of the new tablets that are currently on the market. Since my last post this past January, Apple has announced, released, and blown the hinges off the tablet market with the iPad 2. Last October, I wrote an article entitled Books & Pads & Slates & Tabs....Oh My! where I discussed tablet computers and the challenge of catching up with the original iPad. While BlackBerry, HP, Samsung and Motorola were busy trying to come up with an answer to the iPad, Apple was behind the scenes quietly working on improving their device. The result was the iPad 2. I followed that up with the article Motorola Comes Out Swinging at CES 2011, where I discussed that maybe, just maybe Motorola had developed the much needed competitor. Yes folks, I do think Apple should have competitors. Healthy competition pushes all parties to make cool tech gadgets your friendly neighborhood TechBender loves to spend his money obtaining.
 |
| Motorola Xoom http://www.motorola.com/ |
If $599 is a little too rich for your blood, and you're looking for an Android 3.0 device instead of an iPad or iPad 2, then I would suggest the Acer Iconia Tab A500. It's a 10.1" display Android device at a price point of $449 at Best Buy. It's a bit heavier than the original iPad, but you can't beat the price. It does almost everything the Xoom can do, at a more affordable price.
But what about Samsung Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry PlayBook? What can I say, folks, they fell short. They didn't make the Techbender smile. They missed the height requirement. I just don't get the 7-inch form factor for Tablet devices. For eReaders, I am all about some 7 inches, but for a full tablet computer, a 7 inch just doesn't satisfy. I'm not even going to talk about the interface of the PlayBook, which is laggy and is the opposite of intuitive. I rarely do this, but I have to watch out for my readers. Do not buy a PlayBook until they release a larger-sized screen, add native e-mail support and upgrade the touch screen responsiveness. I expected so much more from the PlayBook, but it's simply not ready to compete with the Xoom or iPad. At $499 for a 7" screen and an unpolished, unintuitive user interface, this device is not TechBender recommended.
In previous TechBender posts, I've introduced the concept of the circle of technology. Your personal circle encompasses all the devices that make up your technical life. In my world, a 7 inch satellite computer just seems too small to be useful, when my phone is 3.5 inches and my laptop is 15 inches. I want something in between. The only circle I can think of where a 7 inch screen would be useful is if the user did not have a smartphone. So, the TechBender recommendation is, if you own a smartphone and are in the market for a tablet, jump up to a larger size tablet. Both sizes are similar in cost so you're getting more screen for your buck. Please note, I'm not knocking eReaders. eReaders are devices that do a few things well, and are focused on reading. Tablets should do a lot of different things well, outside of just reading.
 |
| Nook Color http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ |
So, if you're in the market for a tablet, I recommend the iPad 2 or the Motorola Xoom. If money is an issue, I would suggest either the Acer Iconia Tablet at $449 if you prefer Android or the Original iPad which is running around the same price. If you are patient, you can also pick up a refurbished original iPad on the Apple.com site at $150 off retail. If you do not own a smartphone, then the 7 inch Samsung Galaxy tab may be the right device for you. I do not recommend the BlackBerry Playbook because the interface is not intuitive and it's still missing key features, such as a dedicated mail client. If you're not sure about a tablet, but have a few dollars to burn, then the Nook Color by Barnes & Noble is a great entry device that will not break the bank. Whatever you choose, tablets are here, and they are taking over.
Happy Tech Geeking! Oh yeah, the TechBender is back. My apologies for the hiatus.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Motorola Comes Out Swinging at CES 2011
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| CNet's Molly Wood after Motorola keynote. |
The original plan, because there's always a plan, was to keep an eye on CES all week and give you great people a rundown of the gadgets that are coming to market. But, Motorola changed the plan.
If you've been paying attention, many times the TechBender has talked about the rise of tablet devices and the fact that Apple cornered the market. As recently as last month, the TechBender suggested you wait until 2011 if you didn't want an iPad. Whether you like Apple or no, when the iPad was released last April, competitors were caught flat-footed. Ok. I'll admit it. They were caught with their pants down. With a large screen, apps, instant on, and The App Store, the iPad changed the game. The small number of tablets released in 2010 just weren't up to par and didn't offer the value you get with iPad. Google said this year the current Android operating system, Froyo, was not optimized for tablet use; yet we see the Galaxy Tab and others trying to generate some revenue.
Well, I'm happy to report, Motorola may have taken eleven months to release a tablet, but they were eleven months well spent. Tonight, during the Motorola keynote, the Motorola Xoom was announced. And from what the TechBender saw, IT IS SWEET!
In partnership with Verizon, the Xoom is a 10" screen tablet that will run Google's upcoming Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system (OS) that is optimized for tablet use. With a hefty and powerful dual core processor, this means smooth running when using 3D Google Maps or participating in live video chat on Google Talk using either the front or rear facing camera. And for my followers who are Apple naysayers, I have outstanding news for you, Adobe Flash will come installed. (cue stadium cheering here...) With a first quarter release, you might be hesitant to move to a first generation device, even with all these great features. Well, Motorola took this announcement one step further. The intial tablets will have 3G installed. Later in the year, they plan to release 4G tablets. Guess what? The 3G tablets are upgradeable to 4G. How cool is that! Look out Apple, the competition has finally arrived.
Stay tuned for more news from CES as cool gadgets are announced.
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