Mrs. Mecomber's Scrapbook

Talking technology, computers, and the Internet… for the average computer user

Posts Tagged technology

Calling Dick Tracy…

Oct 14

Posted by Mrs. Mecomber in gadgets, technology | 2 Comments

Here’s the latest in wacky tech news:

You ready for a wristwatch cell phone yet?

San Diego-based Kempler & Strauss this morning rolled out an incredible $199 wristwatch cell phone called the W PhoneWatch. The gadget sports a calendar, address book, a calculator, stopwatch, a vibration mode for silent alarms, a no-stylus touch screen, microSD slot and the ability to both take and play pictures and videos.

The watch features an LCD micro-touch touchscreen with a resolution of 128 x 128 and 260,000 colors. It weighs only 2.5 ounces and is the smallest phone watch you can buy, according to the company.

The watch takes pictures at VGA resolution (640 x 480). The video camera feature captures MPEG 4 (AVI) format at 128 x 104. The watch will play MPEG4, MP3, WMA, WAV and AMR files.

What do you think? Would you prefer your cell phone attached to your wrist like a watch? I think the touchscreen capabilities are rather cool… you can switch the “faces” to look like graphic buttons, or go for the more “traditional” clock-style watch face.

According to the article, the W PhoneWatch will work with nearly every phone carrier network, and is rechargeable using the USB connection or a battery charger. You can do everything you normally would with your cell: get the time, make and receive calls, play music, snap photos, etc. Would you consider getting one?

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Stunning Sony Technology Meets Twilight Football

Sep 10

Posted by Mrs. Mecomber in news, technology | Comments off

Well, here I was today, blogging about South Africa, the World Cup, and technology, and look what I found: Sony Twilight Football! It’s a worldwide event where countries around the world will be participating in “football” (In the United States, we call it soccer; other countries call it football) games held at twilight, around the world. It’s hosted by non other than Sony, that company extraordinaire when it comes to photography and technology. I’ve long wanted an illustrious Sony camcorder because of Sony’s superior low-light capabilities, and here’s a great chance to see what Sony has to offer.

The event will take place on September 22, 2009. Seven twilight football games are planned, all to be held in the most beautiful locations: Iguazú Falls, Argentina; Tintagel, UK; Pinnacle Desert, Australia; Antequera, Spain; Venice, Italy; the gorgeous Alps at the border of France; and the finale will be at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa! Wow, it’s going to be spectacular viewing. Here’s a video with a preview of the fun to come (those soccer guys are such clowns! Is this what they call “Dodge Bull”? *snort*):

Yeaaaaah. If you had asked me initially who I thought would have won this practice game, I’d have said the bull. But after watching the entire video, aren’t these guys AMAZING?!

I’m looking forward to catching a few of the matches and seeing how the Sony equipment performs in the low-light, super-high-action conditions (not to mention maybe they’ll have the bull do a little show). The photos on the Twilight Football website are beautiful. It’s a real inspiration, definitely. It’s great that they are putting emphasis on the beautiful surroundings and on the ability of players to work as a team– that’s why I like soccer so much. (That, and I was QUITE the soccer player as a kid). Check out the website– Twilight Football– for viewing information and schedules.

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And Your Thought Your Broadband Was Slow…

Sep 10

Posted by Mrs. Mecomber in Internet, news | Comments off

This is just an interesting little piece of news I spotted today:

Pigeon transfers data faster than South Africa’s Telkom

Whoa, nothing like a little reality to get me to stop whining about my intermittent wireless here in the house!

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A South African information technology company on Wednesday proved it was faster for them to transmit data with a carrier pigeon than to send it using Telkom , the country’s leading internet service provider.

Internet speed and connectivity in Africa’s largest economy are poor because of a bandwidth shortage. It is also expensive.

Local news agency SAPA reported the 11-month-old pigeon, Winston, took one hour and eight minutes to fly the 80 km (50 miles) from Unlimited IT’s offices near Pietermaritzburg to the coastal city of Durban with a data card was strapped to his leg.

Including downloading, the transfer took two hours, six minutes and 57 seconds — the time it took for only four percent of the data to be transferred using a Telkom line.

SAPA said Unlimited IT performed the stunt after becoming frustrated with slow internet transmission times.

Holy cow!! LOL! What a way to bring attention to the situation! Telcom is hoping that a new underwater fiber optic cable, set for construction sometime soon, will improve speed. Yeah, I hope so! South Africa is hosting the soccer World Cup championship next year…

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Superior Gate Security Systems and More

Aug 17

Posted by Mrs. Mecomber in business services, security programs, technology | 1 Comment

Got a business large or small, a mini-mansion, or are perhaps fencing off portions of your property such as a ranch? Unless you want to hop or pole-jump over the fencing every time you need to enter or exit, you’d better think of installing a gate! Gate opener technology has come such a long way with technological advances. Today, automatic gate operations can be controlled by radio receivers, telephone entry, microchips, and more. The technology is extremely sophisticated to make exiting and entering both safe and secure.

One of the leading companies in the United States for reliable and affordable automatic gate systems and parts is Access Control Distributors of Texas, and they have a website at GateOperator.net. Their product lines, quality of sales and service, and systems they offer is very impressive. And they are having an End of Summer sale on various gate systems– be sure to check out the website for their sales and other promotional offers.

Access Control Distributors of Texas offers a unique and versatile product line– automatic gates that are electric and solar; are suited for driveways large or small, for security access locations, and for any of the smaller barrier needs; are perfect for the homeowner, corporation, or small business; and more. The gates are in various styles for every need and taste: swing gates, slide gates, wrought iron, metal, and more. The selection is tremendous!

Access Control Distributors of Texas has headquarters based in Houston, TX. They proudly produce some of the best gate openers in the world, manufactured and made in the U.S.A. They offer sales and service around the world! And they promise to offer you superior customer service. Should you need help or service for your gate choices, you can go to their website and get a Custom Gate Operator Quote from a specialist; or you can call their office toll free at (877) 688-4283.

Access Control Distributors of Texas are members of the Texas Fence Association and the American Fence Association, and have been in the automatic gate business for over twenty years. Be sure to check them out for all your automatic gate needs.

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A Contest for Small Business Owners

Aug 12

Posted by Mrs. Mecomber in business services, marketing, technology, websites | Comments off

Here’s a really spectacular contest for business owners, from AT&T! This is an incredible contest! In a nutshell, it’s a FREE business technology upgrade! It’s in celebration of the launching of the classy new AT&T Small Business InSite website.

Now, I have said long and loud that a business– ANY business, large or small– MUST have a professional online presence. It’s necessary in today’s technological and information-hungry world. Having managed a couple of small businesses myself, I know how difficult (and expensive) the IT end of the spectrum can be. I commend AT&T’s efforts to make that effort a little more affordable and easy with their new contest. Kudos to
AT&T for recognizing and helping the “little guy”!

The AT&T Small Business InSite is a resourceful website. I have great interest in website security issues, so I scoured their Security articles for a while (Go to Manage Technology >> Security to see their articles). They have much more to offer the business owner, too– productivity tips, online marketing tips, and more. If you have a small business, this is one to bookmark, and share. And it’s all coming from one of the world’s leaders in business, so you KNOW they know what they are talking about.

OK, so the contest– believe me, you will not need an IT counselor to enter your business! It’s easy! Just go to AT&T Small Business InSite, and explain your need for a technology makeover in a short video, or write a review of the new AT&T Small Business InSite, and feature it on Technorati. Be sure to see the website for more details and contest rules and regulations.

The prizes include:

  • Two Samsung Epix Smartphones
  • 1-year subscription to AT&T Tech Support 360SM Advanced Service Package
  • 1-year subscription to AT&T UNIX or Windows Enhanced Web Hosting services
  • AT&T Web Design service
  • A one-on-one consultation with a small business expert, with a business assessment and more
  • A Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 Standard
  • and other perks, gadgets, and AT&T services

This is a golden opportunity for us small business owners. I’m going to have to come up with some ideas for my own “small business.” (I’m a free-lance writer, and I’d sure like to get my name and services out to more people; so I guess I need to work on the marketing aspect). Be sure to get more information about the contest, too!

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