Your Christmas List; Inkling

Welcome gadget geeks and lovers of all new toys.  I am about to start your Christmas wish list.  I’ll be showcasing one new item each week as we move into the holiday frame of mind.  First up;

Ah, Inkling, where have you been all my life?

The great minds at Wacom have produced a tool that takes your sketches and translates them to vector art: enter the Inkling.  More than just another pen that sends information to your computer, the Inkling actually records your sketch and can separate it into layers and upload to your Mac or PC in the format of your choice.  Then you can refine your work into digital perfection.

Imagine the possibilities.  A random doodle can become your next masterpiece or the main character in your new movie.

Personally, I hope all my family and friends are reading.  This is the toy for me.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Back to School We Go

Confused  about back to school supplies?  Check this article rounding up some of the latest trends in electronic school shopping.

In addition to all the items listed, HP Touchpad is selling at remarkable prices (tip; check with Best Buy first) and HTC has the new Flyer out which is also available on the Sprint network.

And remember, just because a student wants it, doesn’t mean it’s the best purchase for their educational needs.  Any questions, please post in comments, I will be happy to answer.

Sprint to Enter iPhone Fray

Well, it had to happen, Sprint is in negotiations to add the Apple iPhone to their line up of products. With the end of AT&Ts lock down of the iPhone, this was a foregone conclusion.  Sprint must keep up with the competition or die as a company.

This will be a boon to those Sprint customers who like Apple products but I don’t see it raising Sprint’s market share by much unless the following issues are addressed.

1. Sprint’s customer service must step up.  Poor support is not what Apple customers are used to or will tolerate.

2. Connection issues.  Verizon has done a better job of making the iPhone perform as a phone than AT&T did, but there are still some fixes needed.  Personally, I would never purchase a phone that did not perform the primary function at peak efficiency.

3. Product overload.  Sprint has a huge portfolio of smartphones now and should begin weeding out some of the lower end models.  Skip the mid range and concentrate on offering basic phones and high end models.  Use sales metrics and customer surveys to see which features are most wanted by Sprint customers.  You have a customer base, utilize it.

 

Cell Phone Madness

OK, I took the plunge and bought the HTC EVO cell phone. I absolutely love it even without having gone through all the tutorials yet. The screen size and resolution make this phone. If you are tired of squinting at your tiny screen, consider this phone.
But what do you need from a cell phone? Make a list of the answers to this question before you go into a store to look for a phone. There are so many new models, you can get overwhelmed. Do some web research also. There are currently web reviews for all the major new phones (droid, EVO, Epic, and of course, iPhone 4)
The HTC EVO is hands down, the best phone I have used. But it is not for casual users. The phone requires study and tutoring to optimize and use properly. Not an investment for talkers and texters. But if your phone is your lifeline or business tool of choice, strongly consider the EVO. I have happily learned to live with a virtual keyboard as the price of a crisp, clear screen, excellent signal for talking, uploading and web surfing. And the photos! Yeeha, retire your digital camera, you can leave it at home. 8 megapixels with zoom rocks and it is easy to use the touchscreen icons. If you don’t like a photo, the trashcan is handy to delete and move on.
Although the phone is larger than most, it can still fit comfortably in your hand. As for the battery life issue, it only took me three days to optimize my phone to get a full day’s use on one charge including talking, texting and photos. BUT if you are taking a lot of pictures or watching videos, get a back up battery or take a mobile charger.
Bottom line; on a desert island, I want electricity and my EVO.

What good is a database?

Most non-technical people view databases as a great mystery.  Well the secret is a database is an electronic library of information customized so you can pull up just the information you want to use.  Imagine your favorite book in a database.  If you wanted to look up just your favorite chapter, you could do it using a search string or command like “mystery solved” or “page 210”.

The use for a database can be as simple as keeping track of books and CDs or as complex as managing your customer files in a small business.  Either way, the information can be retrieved without spending an hour digging through manual files and folders.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a crack tech wiz to use a small database.  Just start by building a simple Excel spreadsheet, then import the information into Access.  Access can create the database for you and walk you through creating input forms.  Viola!, you are a database user.