Love Lines

Love Lines is a blog for business and technology discussion.
  Many of the entries are columns written by Bruce or Kären Love. 
Click on "Comments"  or any title below  to post comments on any entry. 

Main

Misc. Technology Archives

December 17, 2007

Techie Toys for the Holidays

By Bruce A. Love
As a child, I waited with great anticipation for the Sears Christmas Catalog. When it finally arrived, I would try to grab it before my brother did and immediately begin paging past boring clothes, tools, and other items to get to the huge toy section. When I became an adult, different toys became the focus of my attention, and Sears discontinued the Christmas catalogs. This week I share with you the latest “techie toys” for big kids.

Websites selling hi-tech toys are plentiful and fun to browse. I have not tested any of the items in this column, but I must say they caught my attention. It reminds me of the feeling I would get as I imagined playing with toys displayed on the pages of the Sears catalog.

At Brookstone , check out the “Gifts for Him” link. A lot of guys might like a “Wireless Scoreboard, ($99)” which delivers up-to-date game stats for every NFL team, every game, every quarter - scores received wirelessly via satellite signal with updates every 15 minutes; no TV, PC or subscription needed!

Also available at all Brookstone and most other websites I visited, is an Audio USB Turntable. With this nifty device, people from my generation can preserve their favorite music by transferring songs on aging LPs to a digital format and copying them to CDs, hard disk, or other portable media devices. Most USB turntables come with software that even removes the audio distortions caused by dust and scratches on vinyl records – very nice! At $200, it is a whole lot cheaper than replacing an entire collection of Long Plays or cassettes.

Sharper Image also had interesting gadgetry. When I commute on public transportation, I see many people in their own little world viewing movies and listening to music. What really catches my eye are the portable DVD players. If you have a few bucks ($100 - $250) you can get a really nice gift for the multi-media enthusiast commuter in your life! I don’t mean to drop any hints, but a unit with a 7" diagonal display that plays DVD/DVD+R/RW/CD/CD-R/RW/MP3 and JPEGs seemed really nice! Some portable DVD players will let you adjust viewing angles, viewing speed, and even zoom in on the action! Use a headphone and you can tune out the world!

Speaking of “world,” if a special person in your life is a world traveler, you might want to pick up a Franklin 12-Language Speaking Global Translator ($200 at Sharper Image). This portable, pocketsize talking interpreter translates, displays and correctly pronounces (in actual recorded human voice) over 400,000 words and 12,000 common phrases in 12 languages. If your loved one has a tendency to get lost when he or she travels, TigerDirect has portable GPS navigation systems ($100 – 500).

One item that has become really popular this year is the digital picture frame. These devices display your digital photos in an attractive picture frame that’s perfect for any grandparent’s wall or office desk. Just plug in your camera’s memory stick, and sit back and enjoy the slide show!

I sure do miss the old Sears Christmas Catalog, but when we browse online catalogs for techie gadgets, we can feel the same joy and wonder we felt as a kid!

Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 17, 2007 8:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

February 16, 2008

Fun and games for a snowy day

By Bruce A. Love

I am snowbound as I write this column and very disappointed that I won’t get to play racquetball after work. In fact, the icy weather conditions have isolated me from all direct human contact. However, this won’t stop me from having a little fun!

Even when we are all alone and the snow and ice are piled up so high that we cannot get outside, we can still play games if we have an Internet connection. Admittedly, online games will not give us the same workout as an hour of racquetball, but if you are longing for competition and some socializing, you might want to visit one of the online gaming websites and have some fun. My favorite game site is Pogo.com. There, I can play with friends and family who may be hundreds, even thousands, of miles away. I like to play either backgammon or bowling, or hone my cribbage skills by playing against “robots.” If these games do not interest you, maybe you would like to try checkers, chess, hangman, dominoes, hearts, bridge, or any of the dozens of other games that Pogo offers. Most Pogo games are accessible after filling out the free registration form. Players may even chat online with their opponents and make new virtual friends.

If you happen to get snowbound with friends and have some of the latest video games, you are really in luck! My daughter and her friends enjoy Dance Dance Revolution (“DDR”) and Guitar Hero. Both of these games connect to your TV. DDR (by Konami) is played on a dance pad with four arrow panels, which are pressed using the player's feet in response to arrows that appear on the television screen. The arrows are synchronized to the beat of a chosen song. Of all the video games I have come across, this one is most likely to give you a real workout!

With Guitar Hero, (by Harmonix Music Systems) players use a guitar-shaped peripheral to simulate the playing of rock music as notes on the screen scroll towards them. The players press fret buttons and simultaneously hit a strum bar, and can even use a whammy bar. The player that completes the song with the fewest mistakes wins! Be forewarned, however, this game has nothing to do with any ability to play a real guitar. Also, neither DDR nor Guitar Hero are intended for the rhythmically challenged.

Our entire family especially enjoys playing baseball, tennis and bowling with Nintendo’s Wii. Players use handheld remotes and go through motions similar to those they would use in the real sport. Graphical representations of each player and their actions are displayed on TV. These on-screen characters, called Mii can be created to look remarkably similar to the players they are representing (try making your Wii Mii at miieditor.com). Be careful however; my wife learned the hard way that breakables should be moved away from the area of play. Even my mother enjoys Wii bowling with friends in her retirement community. From what I hear, Mom is almost ready for the pros!

Being snowbound can be fun. With online games and home video games, nobody ever has to be alone!

Posted on February 16, 2008 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (50)

October 24, 2008

Blogging new horizons

By Bruce A. Love

Over the past 5 years I have enjoyed writing about business and technology issues and sharing information with the readers of the Altoona Mirror. I have appreciated the questions, comments, and kind words expressed by many readers, and I’ve especially enjoyed hearing from those who were able to make good use of information presented in my columns. And so, it is with mixed feelings that I bring this column to a close.

Throughout my career, I have changed directions many times – sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. The truth is, I enjoy changing gears and trying new things and going in completely different directions from time to time. I want to experience it all and staying in one place too long takes time away from trying something new. After five years and approximately 200 columns, it’s time for me to leave newsprint and seriously explore the blogosphere!

Blogs are the heart and soul of what many call the “new media.” Some blogs are merely personal spaces on the Web where individuals express opinions or exchange information about a favorite hobby; others are tools that technologists use to help each other understand and develop solutions to complex problems. Still other blogs are forums for expressing views about the economy, the environment, or other important and controversial topics.

Political changes are on the horizon and there is so much to write about. Unfortunately, a lot of what I want to say would not be appropriate for this column on business and technology. I want to write about politicians calling their constituents “rednecks” and “racists.” I want to write about Hollywood and media elitists who attack the average “Joe” for expressing his opinions. I want to dig for the truth in news stories and help to expose the lies and deceptions we often hear about from “trusted” news sources. With my own blog, I alone am responsible for the content and tone, and I won’t have to worry about putting anyone else in the awkward position of defending my views. Bring it on!

My blog is called “Love Lines,” and is located at blog.loveconsulting.com. Currently, it only displays columns that have appeared in the newspaper (plus one that didn’t). Collectively, these columns serve as a nice resource for anyone wanting to start a business, those already in businesses, and anyone who wants to know more about personal computers and online resources. The columns are searchable by subject or by date. I will continue to post similar columns online, but my primary focus will be to voice opinions about edgier topics, like politics. I welcome any Altoona Mirror reader to visit me on Love Lines and express their views on any posted topic, including this column!

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to write for the Altoona Mirror. The experience has allowed me to sharpen my writing skills and meet some really interesting people. I particularly want to thank Ray Eckenrode, Executive Editor for the Altoona Mirror, who gave me my start at the Mirror, and the editors who helped me adapt to the AP style of writing. Most of all, I thank you, the readers! I look forward to continuing our exchange of ideas in the blogosphere.

Posted on October 24, 2008 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (70)

Search

Search this blog:

About Misc. Technology

This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Love Lines in the Misc. Technology category. They are listed from oldest to newest.

Misc. Business is the previous category.

Miscellaneous Topics is the next category.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Subscribe to this blog's feed
[What is this?]

This weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Powered by Movable Type 3.35
Hosted by LivingDot