Father's Day is just around the corner and we're bringing back some of our favorite tech inspired gifts. 

With Memorial Day coming up, it's beginning to feel a lot like Summer and for most of us that means enjoying something from the grill! We've found some fun tech toys to make grilling easier.

BBQ Grill Buddy App

Looftlighter

iGrill Thermometer

Thermapen

GrillBots

In the past few weeks, we have discussed several different options for streaming movies and TV shows directly to your television. We discussed several different options and today we'll be providing a review of one of those products - ChromeCast from Google.


But first, what is a streaming device and why would you want one?

A streaming device allows you to watch online content, like Netflix Instant or Amazon Prime movies directly on your television. This allows you to use your computer, phone or tablet as a remote and can save you the trouble of either watching the shows on your computer or having to get up off the couch to pause or rewind the video. Want to show your friends that hilarious cat video on YouTube using your phone? You can do that with a streaming device.

My Personal Experience:

I bought a Google ChromeCast after making the decision to "cut the cord" and get rid of my cable TV service. While I definitely enjoyed not receiving a bill every month, watching Netflix or TV shows online using my laptop got old pretty quickly. After all, I had a perfectly good television going to waste. Have you ever tried to watch a show with someone on your laptop? Not the most comfortable experience. How was I supposed to introduce my mother to   Sherlock that way?

I read online about the Chromecast from Google and knew I had to give it a try. It's the least expensive streaming device available and sounded like exactly what I needed.

The Good

Setting up the Chromecast was much easier than I expected. You plug it into an HDMI port on your television. It also requires power via USB, but most televisions these days have built in USB ports so that's no problem.

Here's a picture of what the Chromecast looks like when hooked into the television from TechnoBuffalo.

Roku Streaming Stick

(image via Google Chormecast)

Amazon Fire TV Stick

(image via Amazon)

Apple TV 

(image from Apple)

In our last gift guide post for the season, we'll be discussing gadgets for the kitchen. In a past New Tech Tuesday post we have discussed larger high tech appliances, like stoves and sous-vide machines, but this post will be dedicated to the smaller gadgets you never even knew you needed.

Crock-Pot® Smart Slow Cooker with WeMo® from Belkin

Bag Re-sealer

iPad Sleeves

Christmas is only a week away, so hopefully this will provide some gift inspiration. This week we're talking about gadgets for Music Lovers.

Wireless Speakers

Rocki 

If you love your old-school analog speakers but want to play music wirelessly from your phone, laptop or tablet, this is gadget for you. Rocki connects to your current speakers and allows you to stream music using WiFi. The only downside to this device is that you can only play music that is on your device - no Rhapsody, Pandora, or Spotify.

Picture from Rocki

Wireless Headphones

Image Source

USB Turntables

Finis Neptune

Music can be a huge part of any workout, and now thanks to this gadget and others like it, swimmers can have music to pump them up for an extra lap as well. This gadget attaches to your swim goggles and plays music through bone conduction audio. It sounds odd, but this technology is used in everything from lollipops to toothbrushes. Bone conduction audio removes the need for earbuds and cables. It also makes for clearer music when underwater.

Image via Finis.

Sportiiiis

Image from 4iiii

Image via HAPI

Misfit Shine

'Tis the season for giving, so this month we'll be giving you some tech gift ideas for people in your life. This week we're talking about gifts for the person who likes to work around the house (or better yet, these will make things easier for those who hate working around the house). .

Black and Decker AutoSense Drill

This drill and many others like it, take the guesswork out of drilling. This drill can sense when the screw is fully seated in the material and will stop drilling. This keeps it from 'stripping' a screw so that it's difficult to remove and from drilling so tightly that it splinters the material you are working with. It also has built in lamp so you can always see where and what you're drilling.

Image via Gizmodo

RoboReel

This is a motorized, automated garden hose. Now, we know what you're thinking: Who could possibly need a garden hose that fancy? After reading about online, we do! This hose is housed in a hard shell on wheels that allows you to pull it around your yard without worrying about kinks or tangles. It also has a remote that allows you to turn it on and off. There's even a timer that allows you to regularly water your lawn for up to a month. When you've finished watering a battery powered motor carefully winds the hose back into the housing, keeping it out of the way.

Image via RoboReel

Roomba and Scooba

Image from iRobot

ECOVACS Window Cleaners

Image from the-gadgeteer

Image from Boomerang

It's the first Tuesday of the month which means it's New Tech Tuesday!

This month we are going to focus on fun new Tech that is designed to make working in your kitchen a little easier.

The Smarter Microwave - with Accupop

At Home Sous Vide Machines

If you've never heard of Sous Vide (pronounced Sue Veed), don't worry you are not alone. The only placed we'd ever seen it before was when chefs got particularly adventurous on Top Chef. However this method for cooking meat is gaining popularity, especially now that Sous Vide machines are available for home cooks.

Sous Vide is the process of cooking food by placing it in a vacuumed sealed bag and keeping it at a steady temperature. This usually means cooking it in hot water. So what's so great about Sous Vide? T. Susan Chang from NPR's Kitchen Window has the answer:

Why would you want to do this? Because careful temperature control results in a kind of protein sorcery. You can get perfectly cooked delicate fish because it can't dry out or overflake. You can coax meats into meltingly soft braises because the protein never gets hot enough for the fibers to turn to string. You can get eggs that are never rubbery. You can melt the layers in pork belly without liquefying them in the process. You can even keep chocolate from losing its glossy temper when melted.

Find Chang's entire article here on NPR's Website. Cooking sous vide at home without any special equipment is possible, however it can be difficult to keep the water at a steady temperature for the length of time it takes to cook your meat. You can buy Sous Vide Circulators which help regulate the temperature for long periods of time while circulating the water to keep it from boiling down. These are less bulky than the Sous Vide Machines.


Sous Vide Circulator
image via Serious Eats 

Smart Refrigerators

Please note: This is intended to be purely informational and should not be viewed as a personal endorsement by any employee of Bossier Parish Library.

It's New Tech Tuesday! On the first Tuesday of every month we will be spotlighting a new and exciting technology available to the public.
This week we're talking about Wearable Technology!
Wearables have been a popular topic lately, especially among those who love technology and are always on the lookout for the next shiny new toy.
The most popular version of wearable computer is the Smart Watch. A smart watch is a wearable computer small enough to pass for a wristwatch. They connect to your phone, usually using Bluetooth. Though smart watches don't have all the functions of your smartphone or tablet, they do let you view email, text messages and notifications. You can also control music playing on your phone.
Most of the major phone manufacturers, like Samsung, Sony, Motorola and Apple have released a smart phone or have plans to do so soon. There are also options available from smaller companies, like Pebble which used a Kickstarter campaign to bring their device to the public.

Smartwatch by Sony

This is the first of three articles on buyer research for tablet computers. As you know, our focus this month on the Digital Lovers Blog is tablet computers. So far, we have articles defining a tablet computer, the difference between a tablet PC and a tablet computer, and the history of tablets. We also have a podcast that introduces you to tablet computing. But as you can see by the article title, we are going to focus on the Apple iPad2.


The iPad was first released to the public in April 2010. The iPad2, and most recent version of the iPad, was released in March 2011 (less than a year apart). The iPad is the only brand of tablets where the operating system (OS) is unique. What does that mean? Apple is the only company that sales/licenses the iPad OS (which is the same OS as the iPhone and iPod Touch). iPad led the way for the year of the tablets (2010). Apple advertised the iPad as "a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content" (Wikipedia). Apple has not said anything about the iPad replacing your computer, nor can it. Yes, it can be an addition to your computing devices, but the iPad cannot replace your computer.

Features:
iPad, like most tablet computers, is 100% touch screen and does not require an external keyboard or mouse. The iPad has a virtual keyboard that appears when typing information in the appropriate field. Your finger is considered the mouse. The iPad does not have any ports that allow USB use or other external devices. You cannot expand the memory either. When you purchase an iPad, the memory you have is what you are stuck with. The iPad has a decent battery life, "up to 10 hours of video, 140 hours of audio playback, or one month on standby. Like any battery technology, the iPad's LiPo battery loses capacity over time, but is not designed to be user-replaceable." (Wikipedia). Since Apple does not allow its users to change the battery, you have to send the it to an Apple Store.

iPad allows for users to install small applications called "apps." These apps can be a number of things such as games like Angry Birds, utilities such as Google Earth, and ereaders such as Kindle. Some apps are free, others are not. Apps that have to be bought start at $.99 and can cost up to $50 or $60. Most of the higher end apps are for developers who need "fancy" stuff. Apps bought through the Apple AppStore are charged to your iTunes account.

Price:
Apple did their research when they started selling the iPad. They knew that at the time nothing compared to their product. Because of that, they were not limited to other companies offering their product at a cheaper price. Since then, many companies have released their version of the tablet computer. But Apple has not changed pricing strategy. The new iPad2 is available in 6 versions: 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB WiFi only | 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB WiFi + 3G. The 16GB WiFi only iPad2 can be sold for $499, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB. The WiFi + 3G versions cost more and a contract with AT&T or Verizon is needed for the 3G feature to work (for pricing > Verizon Wireless | AT&T). The WiFi + 3G versions are as follows: 16GB $629, 32GB $729, and 64GB $829. (Apple Store). Apple, along with 3G providers, has however lowered the price for the original iPad (or iPad1). See Cnet.com for more details. All in all this is a good product, but when it comes to usage and features that is left to the customer.

Be sure to check back next week as we have more articles about the Android Tablets and Windows 7 Tablets. Also be on the look out for the second part of our podcast on April 26. If you thought the first show was good, then you will for sure enjoy the second half!

Resources | Links: 
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad
3G for Verizon Wireless - http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=plans
3G for AT&T - http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/ipad.jsp
Online Apple Store - http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad/select?mco=MjE0OTI0MDI
Cnet.com - http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31747_7-20046927-243.html

Sony Reader

The second most popular eReader is made by Sony. Sony offers three different models for their eReaders as shown from left to right: Pocket Edition, Touch Edition, and Daily Edition. 

The only differences between the models is size and features. But the main reason many people like this eReader, is you can either buy your books or you can use with downloadable eBook services, such as Overdrive or NetLibrary, if offered by your local library!

Now, all of these models utilize eInk or ePrint technology (what is eInk?). However, unlike the Amazon Kindle, all Sony eReaders come with 12 dictionaries, have touchscreen capabilities, which is a plus for many users, and has bookmarking features so you never lost your place.

The Pocket Edition allows for 1,200 books and has a two-week battery life according to their website. The only complaints, we could find from Internet reviews, was that it requires being connected to a computer for Internet access and for charging. Oh yeah! And it only comes in two colors: hot pink or gray.

According to their website, the Touch Edition allows for 50,000 books via 2GB of on-board memory and has a two-week battery life. Unlike the Pocket Edition, this one offers MP3 capabiilty, where you can put your favorite songs on it and listen as you read. Unlike the Kindle, you must utilize headphones.  Also unlike the Kindle, it comes with a note-taking app (what is an app?) for say a To-Do list. Furthermore, it has an expandable memory slot in case you run out of space for all those books. The Touch Edition comes in two colors: gray or red.

Just like the Touch Edition, the Daily Edition also allows for up to 50,000 books with an expandable memory slot and 22 days of battery life. The advantages to the Daily Edition is that it comes with WiFi and 3G combined. Just like the Touch Edition, you can add your favorite songs, but you must use headphone to listen. The Daily Edition also allows you the ability to subscribe to newspaper and magazines too. Unlike previous Daily Edition models, the most recent model only comes in black only.

The only disadvantages that I am aware of regarding Sony eReaders pertains to the battery life.  Although they claim a 14- or 22-day span, I would like to point out that this eReader only goes into sleep mode after it has experienced one hour of inactivity unlike the Amazon Kindle, which goes to sleep within 10-15 minutes of inactivity. The second disadvantage is the cumbersomeness of learning which software to use for managing your collection along with problems downloading eBooks from the vendor's website, then moving the eBooks to the software - say the Adobe Digital Editions - and finally from the software over to the eReader. Therefore, if you purchase a Sony eReader, find someone who can help you beforehand, so you can get through its learning curve rather quickly and start fully enjoying your books right away.

Like Amazon, Sony has its own eBookstore, where you can purchase titles. Unlike Kindle which requires you to only buy books from Amazon.com, with a Sony eReader, you can purchase titles from any vendor that provides eBooks in ePub format. So, if you haven't already, go out and get your new Sony eReader from the Sony Store online, from Best Buy®, etc., by clicking here to visit the Sony Store today!

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Barnes and Noble Nook

The third most popular eReader is made by Barnes and Noble. The Nook now comes in two models: Nook and Nook Color. Just like the Sony eReaders, the Nook (see image furtherest to the right) and Nook Color (see image on the left) allows you to use downloadable services, such as Overdrive, offered by your local library.

First, there is their Nook, which uses eInk or ePrint technology and can hold up to 1,500 books. It comes in either 3G or WiFi models with an expandable card of up to 16GB. It does not support other common formats, such as Word or PDF files, like the Kindle and Sony and it doesn't support radio features or listen to audio version of eBooks. Lastly, the battery life is upwards of 10 days with the wireless is turned off - not good!

The Nook Color is only one of the three most popular eReader brands that offers an eReader in full color. It is 100% touchscreen, can hold up to 8,000 books, allows for newspaper and magazine subscriptions, allows you to share your eBooks with friends through LendMe technology and it comes with preloaded games and Pandora Internet Radio. Just the Kindle, this model allows you to share updates on Twitter and Facebook! However, there are a few disadvantages, such as it only comes in WiFi and the battery life - with the wireless turned off, its up to 8 hours, which cancels out the fact that the memory can be expanded to 32GB.

Besides B&N, the Nook or Nook Color is available at Best Buy, Books-A-Million and other stores. Click here to purchase your Nook or Nook Color or to learn more.

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Last week we introduced you to eReaders. This week we are going to take it one step further. Today we are going to discuss the benefits of an eReader. You may be like me and ask yourself “Why do I need an eReader?” For starters, imagine condensing your home library into one device. That’s right, eReaders can store hundreds of ebooks; some can store thousands. So instead of having an entire room to “store” your books, you can have one device that holds them all. The second reason you may be looking to get an eReader is because you may be tired of carrying books around with you everywhere you go. As we all know, vacations are awesome. It’s time away from reality, even if it’s only a day or two. Instead of carrying 2-5 books with various weights, you can carry one device that weights far less than a pound and keeps all your ebooks organized. College students are starting to use eReaders as well. Places like Amazon have many books available to download in digital form; and most of the time the digital books are cheaper that the physical book. As most of us know, college books can be expensive. eBooks is just another way to save.


One of the main questions that is asked about eReaders is, “What should I buy an eReader when a laptop does the same thing?” And that is a good question. But since we are talking about eReaders, we will stick with eReaders. eReaders are lighter, more mobile, cost less, and are easier to read. Computers, including laptops, have a bright screen that basically lights up when in use. This is called a backlight screen. The main drawback to having a backlight screen is your eyes become tired faster. This means less reading. eReaders were created for the reader in mind. They use what’s called E ink. E ink is meant for the eReader to have a book feel to it. When reading an ebook, you feel as if you are reading a real book. This means you can read longer without your eyes getting tired.


Backlight display



Physical book compared to E ink.