Tech Raves

Stuck with Canon PowerShot G7

Believe it or not, this is the first time I have a digital camera that’s hard to get rid of. I used to fancy small digicams but after having problems with the battery-life I have stopped hunting for new ones in the market. This Canon PowerShot G7 is my fourth digicam and it was hubby (as always) who decided to purchase it after checking all the specs and reviews. We’ve had it for about five years now. Although it’s not as slight as the previous ones I had, I love to tuck it in my bag anywhere I go to take pictures.

Canon PowerShot G7

My five-year old Canon PowerShot G7

The last time I checked for the latest models of Canon PowerShot it was the G12. It looks a little bigger than G7 and I could imagine how it would be in my hands. I have taken good photos with my 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot G7 and the battery is still working great. I must say it’s the best digital camera I’ve ever owned. As you can see, it doesn’t look like the normal handy and compact digicam but it resembles more of the good old film camera. Even so with that look I don’t want to bargain it with the small ones.

6 Ways Travel Pros Use iPhones for Blogging on the Go

Traveling professionals are thoroughly familiar with the power of the blogosphere. Blogging can be an extremely effective vehicle for smooth communications while traveling. Now thanks to smart handheld devices such as the Apple iPhone and the ubiquity of mobile broadband, blogging can be easily accomplished from just about anywhere. Here are six ways to do it better:

Get Your Apps Up

guestpostpicBeing away from the office should not be an impediment to blogging. Armed with an iPhone and the right apps, a blogger can easily ply his or her trade on the go. There are quite a few free apps available for the iPhone that can help a blogger to gather, record, organize, and publish information. Mobile bloggers should have at least one note-taking app on their iPhones; one that allows synchronization with a desktop or laptop computer. A few apps that are essential for this are Dragon Dictation (for voice recognition note taking) and Keynote (for charts, graphics, data, etc.). Also important for mobile blogging are RSS readers, photo and video editing programs, and publishing platforms.

WordPress For iOS

WordPress is a premier publishing platform and the most popular Content Management System (CMS) in the world. WordPress is the CMS of choice for travel professionals. While WordPress can be managed from just about any web browser (including Safari for the iPhone), the WordPress app for the iPhone makes it even easier. The best thing about the WordPress app is that it takes full advantage of the iPhone’s photo, video, and geolocation features to create a rich mobile blogging experience.

Turn Your iPhone Into a Broadband Modem

Your iPhone can be used as a mobile broadband modem to connect your desktop or laptop computers to the internet. This technique is known as tethering, and it can come in handy for mobile bloggers who prefer the comfort of a desktop or notebook computer. Tethering can be accomplished via a USB or Bluetooth connection, and it takes advantage of the iPhone’s 3G or 4G connection to function as a broadband modem. There are some apps developed specifically for the optimization of the tethering experience. Keep in mind that some wireless carrier data plans may restrict tethering, or they may offer tethering as a plan enhancement.

Keep Your Data Safe

There is a significant advantage that tethering has over WiFi connections: security. Public WiFi networks tend to lack security, and they are often targeted by hackers who use packet-sniffing techniques to intercept wireless data. Your iPhone’s 3G or 4G high-speed wireless connections are far more secure than WiFi.

The Backup Plan

For all the functionality of wireless routers, they are dependent on internet backbone platforms and electricity. WiFi connections often go down due to several reasons such as power outages and configuration errors. Since cellular communication outages are rare, a mobile blogger can take comfort in knowing that the iPhone can help them keep their blogs up-to-date without having to rely on wired local area networks or WiFi connections.

Extend the Life of Your Laptop

Your laptop has the ability to automatically detect and connect to open WiFi networks. Connecting a laptop to a WiFi network may not be a smart option for bloggers who are constantly on the go and who don’t have many opportunities to recharge their batteries. This is because WiFi connections are battery hogs. However, tethering an iPhone to your laptop only requires the use of Bluetooth, which uses significantly less battery. For many iPhone users with unlimited mobile broadband data plans, tethering to your laptop via USB cable or Bluetooth is a safer, battery-conserving method of mobile blogging.

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Blake Sanders writes tech at UK broadband comparison site Broadband Expert, specializing in the latest in mobile broadband, mobile phones, and internet news.

[Note: Photo courtesy of ari via FlickR Creative Commons.]

Too Much For A TV?

Who would expect that a television would be highly improved these days. It seems that a flat plasma, LCD or LED are not enough improvement. And it seems that a personal computer is not enough to cater the demands of virtual socializing. If mobile phones have gone smarter, so are the televisions. You connect to social media on the go through smart phones but how about turning it off when you’re lying on your couch in front of your TV and update your social media status with your remote control while you’re watching your favorite show. You can do this with a smart TV like Samsung’s.

Samsung Smart TV Apps

It’s called Samsung Internet@TV before or when we purchased it a year ago but the latest models now bear the so-called Samsung Smart TV. Furthermore, these models have better screen interface with a browser for easy website navigation. The Social Hub and other apps are also enhanced as I’ve seen on the demo. At first I thought we’ve bought our TV so soon but then I realized I don’t need to browse the internet while I’m watching my favorite show. It’s just too much to perform in front of the TV. Perhaps the younger generation are more capable of handling this kind of television technology. Updating my social media status is, however, I can do from time to time.

Twitter in Samsung Internet@TV

It’s only the first few months of having this TV that I was eager to explore its social media interface. And when I checked it out again, some apps have been added and the social apps like Facebook and Twitter have been updated. Cool, eh? And what’s next for TV technology?

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