iPod Speaker System

Let's face it, the electronics accessory market is big. Personally, I have purchased atleast one accessory for every electronic gadget I have bought. Some companies market accessories for protection and some for an enhanced look. But when it comes to speakers, the sound quality speaks the loudest.

I recently purchased the Logitech Pure-Fi Elite iPod Speaker System and I have been amazed at the performance of the little beast. Dressed in black, with a bright LCD display, AM and FM radio and last but not the least a composite or S-Video output, the logitech speakers don't disappoint you. But my only gripe was the Goliath sized power adapter. But for every good there is a bad. That is the circle of life.

I also wanted to mention the price of this room-filling, crisp sounding speaker system. OnSale has a rebate offer which could save you half the price and for those of you who are attracted towards the name BOSE, take a look at these speakers and you won't be disappointed as it won't cost you as much and you will be listening to ALMOST the same quality of music. :)

P.S: This system would cost you around $70 (after rebate).

Remember The Milk

Have you ever faced the dilemma of forgetting something and then getting into trouble for forgetting that something? Well, calendars, tasks, to-do lists have been around for quite a while and yet we forget to take care of things. Well, I have been talking a lot about the Internet and Web 2.0 apps for the sole reason that it is going to make our lives easier and more efficient.

Remember The Milk is an online task manager which can be synchronized with your google calendars, iCal(MAC), and even be updated via twitter. It might seem like a funny little web app but its uses are beyond your imagination. Since we log on to the web almost on an hourly basis and tend to forget or misplace things, the Internet can prove to be an effective tool in reminding us of what has to be done. Hence, services like Remember The Milk are essential in this day and age. Check it out and you will never look back at your calendar hung on the wall ever again :).

Web OS - Your life on the Internet

Operating Systems are the interface which connect us to the computer's hardware. It gives us an easy to use graphical interface to get our work done and it also beautifully hides all the 1's and 0's. Now, with the Internet providing more opportunities for people to collaborate globally, web operating systems are proving to be the next big thing. G.ho.st, Glide, Xcerion are a few examples of how we can shift our whole computer world on to the web. I have tried G.ho.st and Glide, and they sure are fast, reliable and fun to use. Their interfaces depict your desktop or laptop and thus make it easier for you to use. Although, the storage disk space is only a mere 2GB, which might seem like peanuts to high-end users. But what matters is the experience of using it and I would give it a TWO THUMBS UP. Especially G.ho.st, where the interface is so smooth and unglitchy. I only wish they increased their storage space and I would start using it full-time. :)

The whole idea here is to provide a base for global collaboration. The Internet sure has made things easier for mankind but with more innovations comes more complexity and what we have to wait to see is how Web 2.0 applications stand the test of time. I am keeping my fingers crossed since I am a big fan of web apps as it just makes it easier for us to go about doing our tasks. I would love to hear how you guys feel about the operating systems on the web. If you find anything new out there, please do not hesitate to mention it to me.

Sony never let's you down

When you talk about design in home electronics, the first name which pops up in my head is Sony. The electronics giant has created a name for itself in gadget designs. Yet again it has come out with another pair of headphones which have curvy looks, sound excellent and are priced reasonably. I am talking about the Sony MDR-AS50G which was released a few days ago. These are the perfect pair of headphones for gym addicts as well as for casual music listening. It has good deep bass and a solid fit around the year. It also comes with a compact storage box and the behind-the-neck band holding the ear-pieces together are bendable and made of soft material. I am itching to get one and will be ordering my'n today and for $49.99 it is a steal, since there are not a lot of good headphones out there which match up with Sony's style and performance.

Free Photo Editing from Adobe via Express

All of us know which is the best photo editing application out there, Adobe Photoshop. Lot of us are sometimes overwhelmed by its plethora of features and the high price tag. Therefore we restrain ourselves to using smaller, simpler applications. But now is the time for you to start using Adobe Photoshop,and you don't even need to buy it. That's right! Adobe Photoshop Express a new online photo storage and editing application is your key to photo editing.

Let's look at the positives:
1.You don't need to buy any software.
2.You don't need to install anything on your computer.
3.You don't need to learn all the complex features of Photoshop.
4.You get to store, edit and share your photos in a graphical interface online.

So, go ahead and register on the Adobe Photoshop Express Website and get your 2GB of free rent. Start making your photos look the way you want it to look. Happy editing!

EditGrid-Online Spreadsheets

Well, the Internet seems to have taken over our lives. There are new innovations taking place every day in order to make our lives easier. I have written about quite a few handy online web apps which are essential for collaboration either between student groups or the employees of a business.

I found yet another web app which is an online spreadsheet collaboration tool called EditGrid. Looking at its interface I feel this is one of the best out there. You can take the quick tour on the website and get a glimpse of all its features. Oh man! I am so excited with all the things happening on the web these days. Looks like the day isn't far away when we would be literally living on the world wide web.

Easy Online Backup Solution

Ever wondered what state you would be in physically when you found out that all your data has been corrupted or wiped out on your hard disk? Backing up your data is essential towards establishing your peace of mind. There are lots of backup solutions you could use ranging from using an external hard disk to online solutions. I found one online backup solution called Mozy which offers 2GB of free space. There are also other options where you could pay $4.95/month for unlimited backup storage. The most efficient part of Mozy is its user client interface which enables scheduling of backups. Also, the security and privacy of data is ensured with various security certifications and encryption methods put in place.

Therefore go ahead and start backing up your data. You will not regret this later. Also, while registering on the website, you could use the code HS24D8 to gain an extra 256MB of space :). More the merrier!

Eyejot - Free Pro Upgrade

For all you guys who tried eyejot's video email service and were impressed by it, there is some great news. I was contacted by the company and they were kind enough to give me seven (7) free upgrades to the PRO account which will enable mobile usage, increase the recording time to 5 minutes as well as provide an ads free interface, video uploads from your computer and lots more. So if you are interested please email me and I can send you the promotion code. So hurry there are very few left.

Free tools to secure your windows machine

One annoyance I have had with software companies is the ridiculously high pricing of application packages. I have worked with windows machines for about a decade now and have always faced the dilemma of either buying highly priced boxed software or using open source applications available online. I always chose to go with the latter.

If you were ever wondering if there was a list of free applications I could install on my computer to protect it from threats or infection, look no further. I have made this list of freeware you could download from downloads.com to better protect your computer without burning a hole in your pocket.
Anti-virus Program: Avast,AVG
Spyware,Adware Remover: Spybot,Adaware
Firewall: ZoneAlarm
A few of these softwares would require you to register on their website, so do not get all paranoid about your information being used against you. It will usually be for sending you a product key. These are all tried and tested software so go ahead and secure your data.

Collaborative Presentations

The world is going online. Life as we know it is becoming more dependent on the internet. Businesses today are looking for more efficient ways to improve collaboration between its employees. Students are living on the World Wide Web. Literally!!!

Therefore it comes as no surprise that SlideRocket, an online presentation creation tool is opening up to users soon. GoogleDocs is an amazing collaboration suite for users online but its functions and capabilities are limited. Therefore what makes SlideRocket stand out is its presentation building interface, 2D & 3D effects, online collaboration and statistic tools. You can sign up as a beta tester on the site and soon be able to test what I believe will be a benchmark for online collaboration tools since SlideRocket can has expanded capabilities way beyond I can imagine.

My hands are itching to test this sweet online tool and if you get lucky ahead of me please do let me know how you liked it :). Also do not forget to be mesmerized by taking a tour on their website.

Eyejot - Video Email

Ever wanted to send your friends a video attached to an email and had problem uploading the video due to its size? Ever wanted a more fun way to email friends? Eyejot comes to your rescue. It is a video email service which makes use of the browser plug in to access your camera and you can record videos and send them as emails to your friends in a jiffy. It's too bad it only allows you to record a minute of video but hey I ain't complaining.

iPhone 2.0, Coming soon

Well, yesterday was a big day for all iPhone users with Apple announcing the iPhone 2.0 update to be released in June this year. This update unlike the previous ones released by Apple, has a number of enhancements added to the OS X interface of the iPhone, one being the mass deletes of emails as well as support for viewing PowerPoint attachments in emails.

Apple has also opened the doors for all third party software developers and will sell or provide free softwares through its iTunes Apps Store which is also going to be launched in June this year. You can access all the other details of the event which took place yesterday at Mac Rumors, and don't worry they are not all rumors. :)

P.S: Doesn't it seem like June, 2008 is like a million years away. :)

Google Gears: Taking the Internet offline

Google has always impressed me with their innovation and creativity. They just make life so simple these days. This new innovation from Google called Google Gears helps you access your online data even when you don't have access to a network or just can't connect to the internet. It is a small extension for your browser and takes less than a minute to install. It is being built into various tools online, for example: Google Docs.

Also, I wrote about Buxfer, the online finance management tool. If you are afraid that your sensitive data like passwords for online banking are not safe with Buxfer, then you can install Google Gears right from the Buxfer website and then store all your account details locally on your computer and have Buxfer access it only when needed. All this is an automated process and do not get scared by how technical it sounds.

Google Gears is still in beta testing mode, but can prove to be the next big thing. Just imagine not have access to the internet but still being able to do everything on the internet. :)

Buxfer: Take your finances online

Are you a college student looking for an easy way to manage your accounts & finances? Are you a person who just wants to get all your accounts into one easy to manage interface so that you don't pull that extra strand of hair from your head? Ever had problems managing your finances? Do you have no clue of how much you are spending and how much you are actually earning? Ever tried to compare your income versus your expenses? Ever had a tough time tracking checks, payments from room mates, credit card payments, etc?

There are a number of softwares out there which help you manage your finances but they are expensive to purchase and are a bit complicated for basic use. For example, Microsoft Money & Quicken. I came across this wonderful gift from the Internet called Buxfer. It is an online personal finance management tool which helps you keep track of all your accounts. It takes less than one(1) minute to setup your Buxfer account since you can use your existing Yahoo, Google, and lots of other online account to sign up for the Buxfer service. Once you are done with the initial sign up process, all you have to do is add bank accounts and credit card accounts to your profile, which also is a breeze since Buxfer maintains a large database of banks in the US, making it easier for your to synchronize all your online banking data and statements with your Buxfer interface. There are lots of other cool analysis, graphs, etc. which Buxfer offers which just gives you an idea whether you are growing into a millionaire or if you are actually moving from riches to rags :).

I loved this web interface since it gives me the freedom of checking my accounts and actually updating them with any transactions on the go from my iPhone too. Also, for people who are pessimistic about security on such websites, you have nothing to worry about since it is all secured by godaddy.com :). Well, what are you guys waiting for, go ahead and start creating a more healthy financial outlook for yourself.

GelaSkins for your treasures

Hey guys, I came across these GelaSkins for the laptops and phones, mostly APPLE products :). I actually went ahead and bought one for my iPod Classic 160 GB and for my friends 13" MacBook.

When the package arrived I couldn't wait to see how the graphic sticker looked. I was blown away by its quality. These are actually graphics by designers around the world, who I guess are paid a part of the price as royalty for their work. They are so easy to apply on your iPods and laptops. It just sets you apart in the crowd. They also provide a scratch resistant layer for your precious personal gadgets. Well, they are precious for me atleast. I got a really naughty one for my iPod. :). Check them out.







You can find a whole range of graphic designs at www.gelaskins.com

Also, be ready to pay quite a handful for them. The iPod skin cost me $15 whereas the MacBook skin cost $30. They are a bit more than you expect to pay for a skin to protect your gadgets but they are worth every penny!!!

Easiest way to create mp3 ringtones

A lot of us get annoyed when we hear those default ringtones built into most cell phones today. If it wasn't for my optimism that things will get better, I would have broken atleast a 100 cell phones around me by now. :).

All of us have mp3, wma and other audio files stored on our computers, ipods and what not. But when you want to use them as ringtones in your cell phone, it always says that the file size is too large (about 5MB). What do you about this? Well, here comes Audacity to your rescue. One of the finest, lightest, free audio editing tools around, it is available for both the MAC as well as the PC. The interface is easy to understand and the controls are a breeze to get used to.

All you have to do to create that mp3 ringtone (avg. 30 seconds)is import your original mp3 file into audacity and then use the timeline to select which 30 seconds of the song you want as your ringtone. You can even cut, paste, and blend different songs to create your own DJ masterpiece. One final step would be to Export the file as mp3. Kudos!!! You are done. Now you can have friends call you when you are sitting on the bus next to a cute doll and you want her to know that you have great taste in music and not to forget your DJ skills. :)

P.S: Keep your ringtones length to 30 seconds on an average. This will ensure proper playback on your cell phone without any file size errors.

Buy your MacBook now, Pay Later

I was fishing around for a deal on a MacBook for my friend, when I came across this website www.onsale.com. Then I found a deal I couldn't resist. Buy the MacBook right away and defer your payments for 6 months with no interest charges. That is a sweet deal considering my friends and I are going to graduate and find a job and earn some money and then pay it off :). I liked the idea and pitched it to my friend who bought it in a blink of an eye.

For all you Mac lovers out there who do not have the financial resources to buy one, consdier this option. It's not the only one out there but it is a good one. I know a lot of online stores offer such payment options now, but I came across very few which actually have these offers available for the Apple products. Let me know if you have any in mind.

Sony's Wonderland

Sony has long been a leader in consumer electronics with its state-of-the-art home theatres, cameras, sweet multimedia cell phones and what not. We always expect quality and high pricing from sony :). Its gadgets are something I would drool over. I can never get my eyes off them. Same is the case with its new lineup of gadgets for 2008. You can check them out here.

Sony's 2008 lineup

Just don't wet your monitors by drooling over them :).

Apple's Time Capsule

Let's face it. How many of us actually backup our data? I do, but do you? If you don't then you should start doing it right away. Have you ever faced the dilemma of your hard drive crashing and all your precious movies, music, photos, etc. just disappearing as fast as you can say ***K.

Most of us, well everybody now has wireless setup at home. If you are reading this and if you don't have a wireless network setup at home, then I would say you should buy the Time Capsule. Now, coming to Apple's Time Capsule which is again a white squared little box similar to Apple TV. It combines the latest wireless specification the 802.11n with a 500GB or 1TB hard drive. It is basically a wireless base station, something you can connect your DSL or Cable modem to and create a wireless network at home. Combined with the hard drive and the software-setup for your MAC & PC you can then wirelessly backup all your data to the built-in hard drive. Isn't that cool?

Imagine a central data HUB which can be shared by all the computers in the network. I would fall for that. And along with the latest 802.11n technology, file access and transfers would be a breeze. I wish I could order one right now. The only thing holding me back is my credit card company :). Well, common guys go out there and buy a Apple Time Capsule and start backing up your data. You won't regret it.

P.S: The 500GB & 1TB models are priced at $299 and $499 respectively. Not to forget the additional taxes :). They just won't let us have it for cheap, will they? :)

Update: Upgraded MacBook Models

While writing about the upgraded MacBook's from Apple, I forgot to mention the inclusion of the multi-touch controls in the trackpad of the MacBook Pro models. This was originally introduced in the MacBook Air released by Apple earlier this year.

These controls are a handy bunch. You can use your fingers to zoom in and out, rotate pictures and lots of cool stuff. I only wish they had come out with this a year back when I had bought my MACBOOK PRO. But what the hell, I could just buy a new one :).

Also, I was interested in what you guys think about the Macbook Air? I was at the mall the other day and I had a chance to hold this GODLY piece of innovation in my hand. I was 2 inches above the ground when I was admiring it in the Apple Store. But there was one thing which really put me off and by popular criticism was the absence of an optical drive. If that was some how built-in to this model I would have grabbed the thin AIR. :)

Lets try to request Apple for an upgraded AIR model with an optical drive before the economy falls (recession) and there are price inflations everywhere :).

Which email-client should I choose?

Gone are the days when we needed to login to Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail to check our mails. Email-clients have been around for quite a while and there has not been any one as popular as Microsoft Outlook. But with Mozilla churning out Thunderbird and Apple's Mail application, things have changed.

I personally am a MAC user and therefore prefer the built-in Mail application in OS X Leopard. But when I started using Microsoft Office: 2008 MAC edition, I noticed the changes in Microsoft's Entourage email-client for the MAC. It was colorful, neat and had notes, calendar, and my personal favorite 'MY DAY' built in. MY DAY is a short desktop widget if you will which displays events, reminders, etc. It is a cool tool to have and something which is missing in Leopard. But MAIL has its own elegance and charm to it. Simple yet productive. That is the key about APPLE, all its products have a simple elegance to it. You can't take your eyes off them. :). There I go again being a little MAC CRAZZZZY.

I want to hear from you guys, which email-client do you use? I know that offices and businesses prefer Microsoft Outlook, but what about you end users out there? Personally, for me these would be the ideal choices:

WINDOWS - Microsoft Outlook
MAC - Apple MAIL

Let me know what you guys think.

iPhone update 1.1.4+Upgraded MACBOOKs

Seems to have been a busy week for APPLE with a number of things happening for them. The latest update for the iPhone does not provide any new interface or 'cool stuff'. It is supposedly just to fix a few bugs from the last update as well as a rumored gearing up for the development kit announcement for the iPhone. I have to be honest. The iPhone is addictive. But since I have been a Windows Mobile user too, I only longed for add-on software on the iPhone which will be made possible in a week's time now. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Also, I woke up last morning only to find out that the new upgraded MACBOOK models were released. My friends had just bought the 13.3" MACBOOK about a week back and when I had to break this bad news to them they were flabbergasted. Since this is not a 'R' rated blog, I cannot use the kind of language I had to bear from them :).

Also, looking forward to the Development Kit release from APPLE which would open up the horizons for a whole new set of add-ons for the iPhone. I love my iPhone and I hope the day they release the SDK (I believe it is March 6th, 2008) I will be able to show off my iPhone infront of the Windows Mobile users again :).