Chanatown

Article first published as Laptop Review: Sony Vaio S Series on Blogcritics.  With Intel's creation of the "ultrabook" category, Windows PC makers may have carved out a highly marketable niche for laptops that appeal to a wide array everyday consumers.  Who wouldn't want a powerful yet extremely portable computer, one that looks good, is easy to whip out in a coffee shop, and can handle a nearly all-encompassing range of number crunching tasks? We're not talking about your child's netbook, nor the powerhouse machine that weighs down your shoulder bag and breaks into your savings account. Instead, we're looking at a close to sub-$1000 computer that weighs under 4 pounds, and can give you all the processing power that you need. Sony recently released its new Vaio S series, and I got a chance to play around with one of its newest laptops.

Article first published as iPad Accessory Review: SealShield SilverBlue Wireless Keyboard with Luxury Case on Blogcritics. With the new iPad now in the hands of millions of happy customers, it's a great time to consider how you are going to protect your $500+ investment. The iPad accessory market is booming, and there are thousands of products to choose from with a wide range of prices to match. In terms of shielding your iPad, there are iPad cases, there are iPad cases with a keyboard, and then there is the  SealShield SilverBlue Wireless Keyboard with Luxury Case . I had the chance to tote my iPad 2 around in SealShield's newest case for the past weeks, and the product has been growing on me more and more. Find out why below.

Article first published as The New iPad - Worth the Wait, Worth the Purchase? on Blogcritics. So, you've likely heard by now that there's a new iPad (just don't call it an iPad 3). Well, that wasn't the only announcement from Apple's Wednesday keynote event. And many wouldn't call the iPad reveal too surprising as rumor sites pretty much nailed down the specs on the device weeks in advance. Still, there is much to discuss, including whether you should be buying the updated version and one more thing that might end up having a greater impact on your life, regardless of which new iPad you end up purchasing. Read on to learn more.

Article first published as iPod Nano Accessory Review: iWatchz Timepiece Collection  on Blogcritics. iWatchz Timepiece in Dark Brown "Whoa, what kind of watch are you wearing?"  "Oh, it's actually an iPod." This is the typical introduction to a conversation that I have been having with many friends, students, and strangers over the past week as I have been trying out the dark brown leather wristband from iWatchz . I must say that I have gotten even more glances, questions, and compliments with this band than any other watch I have worn (granted, I wasn't wrapping Movados around my wrist). Still, it is worth noting that the iPod Nano watch accessory market is alive and active, and iWatchz has created several product lines to appeal to nearly anyone's diverse tastes. Read on for more thoughts about a sample from their Timepiece Collection.

Article first published as Hardware Review: UClear HBC 130 Helmet Communicator on Blogcritics. It is generally not wise to listen to music nor talk on your mobile phone while biking, but let's face it, if one has a 3-hour, 50-mile ride, many bikers will don a pair of headphones or a bluetooth headset to allow for streaming media or short phone calls for the long journey. Sound quality can vary dramatically with headset microphones in general. Add the dynamic variable of Mother Nature into the mix and many headsets will be rendered useless when confronted with the elements. UClear has chosen to tackle this problem, and their military proven solution comes in the form of the HBC 130 Helmet Communicator . Read on past the jump to see how the device fared.

I've made it a goal to get more involved with lesson development using SMART Notebook with ETHS teachers that have the interactive whiteboards in their classroom. Several faculty members have taken me up on my offer to help plan, design, and implement Notebook lessons for their curriculum, and I'll be sharing our products here, though you can download the actual files from my website or on SMART Exchange . The first lesson collaboration stemmed from a task to create something that would make reviewing for final exams a bit more engaging. I chose a Tic-Tac-Toe review game as the foundation, and the lesson featured nine review problems from an early unit in Geometry. To take advantage of the SMARTBoard's interactive features, I had students drag and drop equation elements to label a figure (an important part for starting math problems) and then to setup an equation (the next critical step). Students then use inking to solve the problem. The lesson was received well in ...

Article first published as Gadget Review: Lightspeed iHelicopter on Blogcritics. I'm always intrigued by some of the displays and product demonstrations that I come across in indoor shopping malls. You know, the boomerangs, the magnetic bracelets and those pesky remote controlled helicopters. Well, the iHelicopter from Lightspeed fits right into this category of amazement, and I was privy to try one out this holiday season.  The iHelicopter is an actual working machine that can fly throughout your house or possibly outdoors on a calm day all while being controlled from an iPhone, iPad, or Android mobile device.

Can you imagine a scenario where you would be able to take photos using your digital camera and when you got home, they were already organized in iPhoto, or even on your mobile device within minutes? Is this some Apple iOS magical update or a new cloud miracle from Google? Nope. Just a simple SD card that happens to have wireless capabilities built-in. What does this mean for all the wires and cables that you currently use to connect your camera to your computer? Keep them where they belong - in a drawer - and get ready to truly go wireless with the Eye-Fi Wireless Card.

Article first published as iPhone Accessory Review: Custom Case-Mate ID Case on Blogcritics.   An iPhone case is often one of the first accessories that new owners purchase, and the selection for cases is quite extensive. Thus, searching for a unique case can be quite the challenge, and one that the folks at Zazzle.com  have decided to embrace by offering a completely customizable option. I was given a chance to design and review a case courtesy of Zazzle. Below is a quick review.

Article first published as Review: xtraNormal for Education and Business on Blogcritics.  When I first discovered xtranormal , an online movie maker program, I was amazed by how easy the web 2.0 tool was to use and how full featured the program was. One can truly make some quality flicks with a reasonable learning curve, and they even have a chance to go viral (see  iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo , warning: inappropriate language is used). In education, teachers are constantly craving for more ways to engage their students and provide new opportunities to allow students to show what they know on something other than a paper test or a PowerPoint. xtranormal started as a completely free tool and then a short while back, converted to a somewhat pay for points format (previews are still free and can suffice for many classes). When this happened,  I offered some thoughts on the future as well as suggested possible alternatives. Recently, xtranormal has upped the ante by cre...

Article first published as iPad Case Review: SofShell for iPad 2 on Blogcritics. The next time you're taking a ride in your Porsche 911 and accidentally leave your iPad on top of your car like we've all done with a cup of coffee, rest assured as your $500 tablet will still be there when you're done with your trip to the store. So says the folks at SofShell , makers of this unique case for Apple's iPad. I recently tested one of their products and although my Porsche happened to be in the shop during testing, I could tell that my iPad wasn't going anywhere when it was snugly held in the SofShell. More thoughts after the jump.

Last year, I wrote about some of the more underutilized features of Discovery Education Streaming . Part of the reason for teachers (understandably) deciding to not use the classroom manager and assignment builder tools was the cumbersome task of entering all of their student rosters. For this school year, Discovery made it convenient for schools to upload bulk users and automatically have them sorted into classes for each teacher account. For a quick look and review, follow me after the jump.

Article first published as Exclusive Preview of TheBlu: Where Art and Entertainment Meets the Ocean on Blogcritics. What do you get when you put the ocean onto the Internet?  According to several computer programmers, animators, artists, and the director of MIT's Media Lab, it would look something like this: I was treated to a private demo preview of TheBlu, a new artistic venture that combines art and entertainment, and had a chance to chat with one of  TheBlu's  co-founders, Neville Spiteri.

Now that we're midway through October, it's safe to say that we're officially back to school.  As I'm sure it has been with most teachers, the first weeks of the school year have been a whirlwind, and it's no different as the Technology Integration Specialist. Making sure that things are up and running on the hardware side, as well as supporting existing users of software and web applications, and integrating new technology with new classes, only now have I had the  chance to breathe a bit and catch up with all that is new in the world of edtech. And boy, was I greeted with some goodies! Continue on to see what's new with several of my favorite tools.

Article first published as Rafflecopter - Organizing Your Giveaways, Promoting Your Brand on Blogcritics. I like free stuff as much as the next person, though nowadays, I find even more pleasure giving away items to friends, family, and now to you, my loyal (or first time) readers. However, the process of collecting entries, selecting a winner, and distributing the prizes can be enough of a logistical headache that it takes all of the fun out of the joy of giving. Well, enter Rafflecopter , an amazingly simple and intuitive website application designed to give you all the tools you need to drum up some interest in your brand and make it easy to give away stuff to the masses. I got a chance to play around with the invite-only website, and I am also excited to announce my first official giveaway. Make sure you reach the end, but first, a look at the application.

Article first published as Why I Still Heart Pandora Radio on Blogcritics. It's funny - I have been a Pandora user for years now, and was even considering purchasing some stock in the Internet radio company.  I had been monitoring the share price for a few weeks, but then noticed one day the price drop over 10%. A quick Google news search found the reason: an announcement of iHeart Radio's improved web application that included what was deemed by many as a "Pandora killer", the ability to create customized radio stations based on one's musical tastes.  So, how does the beta release stand up to one of my favorite apps? Will Pandora indeed be doomed? Find out after the jump.

"The USB dongle" Article first published as Hardware Review: VStream - PC to HDTV Streaming Content on Blogcritics.   I still remember the day when my school's Tech Staff Developer came and delivered a Tablet PC to my classroom.  "You're a Tableteer, now!" he said, and sure enough that day changed a lot of how I taught Chemistry to my students.  One of the keys to effectively using a Tablet PC is taking advantage of the inking capabilities of the Tablet along with the mobility of the laptop computer. Thus, a wireless connection to the projector is highly desirable and therein lies an interesting conundrum, especially since our school did not have its projectors placed on our network, nor did we have a wireless environment. Instead, we used third party peripherals to address the issue, and for the most part, they've done the job.  Today, we take a look at a similar device ( the VStream Wireless PC to TV Audio Video Streamer ) designed to take that ...

Less than a year ago, I discovered the TuneIn Radio for Android and I raved about the ability to listen to local radio stations regardless of location . Although I still appreciate the functionality of TuneIn, this year's discovery app for listening involves podcasts, an audio genre that I have grown to enjoy on weekday commutes, long runs, and times when I'd rather listen to spoken text than reading it. After listening to an ad for Stitcher Radio via one of these podcasts, I took the bait and downloaded the free app, and boy was I glad I did.

Those with an iPhone don't know how good you have it when it comes to to-do list apps. When I had my iPhone, I installed and tested several applications that synced with my to-do list of choice, Toodledo . From a native app ( Toodledo ) to the visually appealing 2Do , to my eventual favorite, Todo , these were just a few of a plethora of applications designed to keep you on top of your lists. Cross over to the Android platform, and the pickings are much slimmer. With no native app available, I have experimented with several noble attempts, but none have come close to producing a simple, elegant, and efficient interface capable of helping me keep track of my to-dos while on the move. That all changed when I found DGT GTD .

Image by Saad Irfan via Flickr Article first published as Review: Droid X and Gingerbread - A Delicious System Update on Blogcritics. After checking for system updates for the past few days, and drooling with jealousy from those included in the "soak" test group , I was finally treated to a system update (Version 2.3 aka "Gingerbread") from the folks at Motorola. A list of new features can be found here . For a review and reflection from hands-on experience, continue past the jump.