Apple’s ‘Spring Forward’ event on March 9 ?is almost upon us. You know the Apple Watch is going to be the main event. Let’s look at some features sources found on this phenomena.
There’s the battery life. If you’re a heavy app user, you’re going to need to charge your Apple Watch…often. Because battery life will be lucky to last 5 hours a turn. In fact, it’s suggested you charge this watch nightly. There’s the Heart Rate Glance. A literal heart will appear and show the user their Beats Per Minute. Critics are saying this Glance is instant as well as accurate. To access their Notification Center, just swipe down from the top screen display to see all the apps and other cool features available to you. Clock Faces are getting lots of praise. Sources are saying, “The level of detail and customization is insane”. It’s said the Apple Watch will have up to 8GB of storage. If so, that’s more than enough for even the obsessive music collector. Sources are very impressed with the watch’s speed. Let’s see how they do with diversity, colors, etc. Then there’s turning the watch off and on. Sources say it won’t have a power button, but you can turn it off and on using a ‘communication button’ on the right side. Apple will have a press conference talking about Apple Watch, including prices and it’s much anticipated release date, on March 9 at 1:00 PM Eastern, 12:00 Noon Central, 11:00 AM Mountain and 10:00 AM Pacific time.
We’ll see if the Apple Watch can live up to the hype and pressure. How is a watch going to hold 8GB of storage? That’s what I want to know. But I think of all the other tech advancements I thought I’d never see. Anything is possible. What do you expect to see or hear from Spring Forward?
Speaking of spring forward, don’t forget to make sure your watches and clocks are set an hour forward tonight!
Smartphone and tablet maker HTC is ready to release it’s first wearable technology device. But it won’t be a smartwatch, as many suspected.
HTC’s first wearable device will come in the form of a GPS and fitness tracker. It will be called HTC Grip. It’s black on the outside, yellow on the inside, and has a digital clock on the outside. It has five senors to track workouts. The GPS will help runners track their location, especially those training for marathons or other sanctioned events. The HTC Grip will count your burned calories as well as measure your distance and stamina during your workout. But it will not have a heart rate monitor. These days, you can get a heart rate monitor almost anywhere. But it does have a multi-sports feature that helps you keep track on various activities and it even gives fitness advice. Well, fitness experts give information through Grip and you get the experts’ advice. I don’t know what the cost of Grip will be, but Grip is expected to be released to the public in Spring 2015.
I’m looking forward to see how this device will sell?and?how this device will work, especially without a heart rate monitor. I’m looking to see how much Grip will cost. I know there are tech junkies who will pay anything just to be the first on their block to have the latest big thing. But any good business knows to keep the price moderate so more people can enjoy your product. This will be a gem for hard core and professional athletes. But what about the person whose only workout includes the gym, walking with a friend, midnight basketball, or summer softball leagues? Will HTC Grip work for them? Should HTC Grip cater to the casual physically active person? And if so, how?
One of the most anticipated technological advances of 2015 is the iWatch. With the years of planning and promotion, they shouldn’t leave out a very important detail.
That detail is the Apple Watch battery life. It’s been rumored that the battery will have to be charged nightly, and probably more often than that. The goal in 2014 was to have around 3 hours of active use, 19 hours of passive use and 3 days of standby time, meaning when the watch is on but not being used at all. They’re doing test to break it down even further. They’re targeting 2.5 hours for heavier use like gaming and 3.5 hours of casual use. When it comes to fitness tracking, the iWatch goal is to go 4 hours in a single charge. Many say battery life is such a major part of the Apple Watch experience that it’s the main reason the release date was pushed from sometime in 2014 to one day in 2015.
I’m glad Apple is taking battery life seriously. I don’t care how cutting edge, new, or revolutionary the device is. I don’t care how much you can do with it, if you have to charge it every second, why bother? Here you have this amazing Apple watch or other device. But when most of your focus is “Where am I going to charge this? I better save the battery juice as long as I can.”, it gets annoying. It can even be costly. I predict the smartwatch will be used not only for personal use, but probably for business as well. And to run out of battery at the wrong time can open a Pandora’s Box to all sorts of problems. I think Apple should make their smartwatch battery life lasts as long as they possibly can. If it means delaying your opening date, I’m sure it’s a delay that’s well worth it. How long do you think the iWatch battery life should be?
New Years Resolutions are everywhere this time of year. Everyone else makes them, but when it comes down to actually doing it, people rarely follow through. Those of us that frequent our local gym, will have it inundated with people for the first month, maybe two,? and then like magic, everyone is gone. So why don’t people just make New Years Resolutions that they can stick to? Things that are easy, and that don’t take a ton of your valuable time. Well, here at Computer Geeks we have compiled a list of New Years Resolutions for all of you to help your PC thrive in 2015! And if your computer and everything on it is fast and safe, then it will save you time, and potentially a lot of money. Without further ado, here is the list
7. Viruses, spyware, malware, adware protection
Listen, most people have anti-virus software because it comes with virtually every computer out there. But do you have Anti-Malware on your PC? How about Anti-spyware? Probably not. Computer Geeks has several solutions to this problem that we can put on your computer, and the best part is that the software is free!
6. Maintenance Checkups
I know, I know, nobody likes to schedule to fix their computer. But checkups are important. So many people who call me up with a dead computer that they haven’t had serviced in 5 years. What if you didn’t take your child to get a check up for 5 years? Sounds outrageous right? Same thing with your computer. That could be all of your family memories on that computer, or your entire business database, gone because you didn’t see a problem coming. A computer should get a thorough cleaning and tune up every 3 months to keep performance optimal. Simple checkups can increase the average computer life span by up to 4 years. Computer Geeks can set you up on scheduled maintenance calls for the entire year, all at once! And you can always reschedule at no cost if something comes up!
5. Use Better Passwords on your computer
I’m sure your dog is cute, and is a great companion, but he’s a BAD password. Most hackers who get into your computer can find personal information, like your pets name. And when they go to steal your email address, or your bank account info, you might as well have not even set a password. You want there to be 3 variables to your password, a capital letter, lowercase letter, and numbers, but please don’t just do R4m35eS, they’ll try that too. Combine two things to make your password unguessable, like your dog and your birth year backwards. My birth year is 1982 so my password could be this: S2e8se9ma1R, now that’s a password! (FYI that’s not my password)
4. Archive your old emails
For you outlook users, your inbox/outbox for your email can look like the warehouse from Indiana Jones. Filled with so many items that you’ll never find anything. Outlook has an auto-archive function that will archive anything that is older than a certain amount of time, that you can dictate. Set it once, and then forget about it! The best part is that if you need to view the archive emails, they will still show up when you use the Outlook Search feature.
3. Watch what you post on social media
Listen, we’ve all done it, had a bad day at work and then go home and blow up Facebook about how much your boss’ management style reflects that of Adolf Hitler. The problem is, when you go to leave Hitler’s company, your new potential employer is more than likely going to find you on Facebook before he hires you, so he can see what he may be getting himself into. Be careful what you post online, there is no escaping something once its on there…
2. Be careful where you surf on the web
Seriously, this should be self explanatory. Don’t go to a site that you don’ t know what it is. And if you do go to a bad site and pop-ups and people saying you have viruses comes up, CALL GEEK CHOICE FAST!? Once a virus is on a computer the longer it sits there the more damage it can do. Turn the PC off, and give us a call 800-433-5435.
1. BACKUP ALL YOUR FILES
This last one is so simple, so important, but almost always not done. People think backups take up a lot of their time, or that they are expensive. But Computer Geeks is here to tell you they are neither, they are just lifesavers. 10 times a week some poor soul wanders into my office telling me their hard drive is dead, and they’re whole life was on it. I ask if they have a backup, and they give me the frowney face. Backups are really cheap, and for the most part can be set up 1 time, to perform backup either daily, weekly, monthly or ever quarterly. And you can set the backup to occur at 3AM while you sleep, so you never have to deal with it! Computer Geeks can get you on a yearly backup plan for UNLIMITED DATA at only 59.95! Just give us a buzz and Computer Geeks can help
We hope you have enjoyed our New Years resolution blog, feel free to follow us on Twitter @geekchoice, and like us on Facebook Here to get all of our daily blogs to keep you updated with everything technology from cell phones, gaming systems, to computer tips and hints!
The question that we go through every holiday season, “what do I get the tech guy for Christmas?” It’s not always clear what the hottest new gadgets are, and it’s nice to have a little help every now and then. So we here at Computer Geeks have decided to use our Geeky expertise and give you some suggestions. Because we are always here to help when you need us!
Top 10 tech gifts
10. UE Boom
The UE Boom is a great outdoor speaker to get as a tech gift. It’s Acoustic Skin with Plasma coating, makes it both stain and water resistant. Which means you can actually wash it when the outdoors has an unfortunate accident on it. the UE Boom is compact, and durable, with Bluetooth and 15 hours of battery life! It also has speakerphone capabilities and if you buy a second speaker you can make a wireless pair of true stereo speakers by using the UE Boom App for both Android and iOS devices!
Price: $229.39
9. GoPro Hero 4 Silver
For its latest Silver edition, GoPro seems to have taken the specs of 2013’s Hero3+ Black edition, added new features like HiLight Tagging so you can quickly find that cool thing that happened, improved low-light performance and, perhaps most importantly, a touchscreen on back! This is a great on the go camera for the price, making it much more affordable than the Black edition, without a huge drop off in performance.
Price: $399.99
?8. Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Another great tech gift is the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. And Before you Apple users blow me up with hate comments, read the whole blog first. The first smartphone to carry Qualcomm’s fastest 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor and quick-charging technology, the Galaxy Note 4 is also the only one of its kind to give you a stylus for writing and multitasking. Like many phones these days, it’s crammed with a 1,440p quad-HD screen and a high-performing camera that uses optical image stabilization. With its faux-leather backing, this is one device that really comes together. For Android users this is THE PHONE you want, Large screen, sleek design and super fast!
7. Xbox One
Talk about a tech gift that your geek will love, here it is. THE XBOX ONE. The Ultimate gamer experience, when you want the best in graphics and online gameplay, you have to go with Xbox One. The PS4 may be better for solo gaming, but in today’s gaming world, we don’t just want to kill AI over and over. We want to destroy someone on the other end of the headset and then dance on his lifeless body. And now Microsoft has dropped the price and promised us more games in 2015 which will be a treat. Also the Xbox One allows you to integrate it fully with your home entertainment center and control everything by voice, which comes in handy when your remote decides to walk away and hide under the couch
Price: $349.00
6. Vizio E0i-B Series
The models of the Vizio E series equipped with local dimming deliver superb picture quality for a very affordable price. The image evinces deep black levels with little to no blooming and great bright-room performance, and it provides for plenty of adjustments. The Smart TV component combines ample content with a simple design. With picture quality that outdoes that of numerous more-expensive TVs, Vizio’s E series likely represents the best value of 2014.
Price: $528.99
5. Apple iPad Air 2
Apple’s formula for success includes a high regard for design. The Apple iPad Air 2 continues a legacy of high-end aesthetics that help propel the tablet’s popularity. From gaming to steaming movies and TV Shows this device does it all
If you’re already wrapped into the Apple ecosystem, the iPad is meant to easily sync with your digital content, and if a slimmer design isn’t enough to appease those looking to upgrade, Apple also designed a speedy new processor just for the iPad Air 2.
Price: $499.99
4. FitBit Charge
The Fitbit charge is for those runners and health nuts in your life, that also love technology to take their fitness to the next level. *spoiler alert* I actually bought one for my wife for Christmas this year. The FitBit Charge Tracks steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes and sleep. It even includes Includes Caller ID.
Price: $129.95
3. Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Here it is Apple lovers your beloved iPhone 6 Plus. I have done an extensive review of this which you can check out HERE. This phone has all the bells and whistles, from a beautiful display, to a superfast processor, and if you can find one in the stores it would make the perfect tech gift for the geek in your life.
Price Starting at: $199
2. Death Star Bluetooth Speaker
Meet the iHome Death Star Bluetooth Speaker. When you’re not using it, it’s a lovely c. 4 1/2″ diameter Death Star on an acrylic stand. When you are using it, it’s a wireless speaker with one-touch connectivity to your Bluetooth device. Oh, and did we mention it also lights up? Yup. It can also play music from devices with a standard 3.5mm audio out jack (if it has a standard headphone jack, you’re good). Unfortunately, the model we got does not include Concave Dish Composite Beam Superlaser, but you know, them’s the breaks.
Price: $69.99
Star Trek Phaser Remote Replica
Sometimes after a long week filled with landing parties and surprise Klingons, you just want to prop your boots up and watch a little mindless television. Or maybe you’re ready to catch the weekly adventures of those wacky kids on-board the U.S.S. Enterprise. What sort of mischief will Captain Kirk get into this week? Aim that phaser at the TV and…. pew pew pew!
This ST:TOS Phaser Remote lets you harmlessly blast your home entertainment system into submission. Recreated from 3D laser scans of the last known screen-used hero prop, it looks good, but it’s also a fully-functioning programmable infrared remote control. And when we say “phaser” we aren’t getting away with just giving you the Phaser I. Nope. It does include the Phaser I which functions as a standalone gesture-based universal remote control but also slots into its Phaser II pistol-grip base, which provides additional controls. You can store up to 36 programmable gestures: plenty to control all of your Earth-based entertainment equipment. The combined unit (Type I and Type II together) features a wide range of settings and beam strengths, including different Phaser firing sounds (including Phaser Overload sequence) and authentic Starship Enterprise sounds.
Just be sure you’re not wearing a red shirt while aiming this at your TV set. We’re pretty sure that voids the warranty.
Do you think a smartwatch is just for recreation, fitness, apps, or bragging rights? You would be wrong. This device is being used to track down children…or anyone else, for that matter.
Here I am introducing Gizmo Pal. Gizmo Pal can be worn on a child’s wrist. It’s geared toward children as young as four. And you can track your children at all times, as long as they’re wearing the device. It works as a phone, walky-talky and GPS system, all on one cellular network. ?You call your child with one button and if he/she doesn’t answer, you can send a stern PA message through the Gizmo Pal. One morning show demonstrated how this works. They sent one of their producers to an undisclosed location in New York City. The tracker said he was in Columbus Circle, and that’s exactly where the producer was. He had the Gizmo Pal on his wrist. You can track your child all over the US and you can get a plan for as little as $5 a month. This devices come in blue for boys and pink for girls.
On the surface, Gizmo Pal is a good thing. Parents want to know if they’re kids are safe, and if they’re doing the right thing, so Gizmo Pal can help out with that. But where will it end? If you give people an inch, they will take the whole road, forget the mile. What’s next? Are jealous wives going to track husbands with the thing? Are overzealous boyfriends going to put this on girlfriends during every girls’ night out? It’s crazy enough employers are firing or refusing to hire employees for social media posts. Could they use Gizmo Pal to track employees 24 hours a day to tighten that grip? Whose to say kids won’t take it off as soon as they hit the streets? I know parents are concerned about ?what their kids are doing. But for decades, even centuries, didn’t neighborhood watch, not to mention parent/child dialogue, and discipline, keep them in line? Are you concerned with what Gizmo Pal can turn into?
