“General” collection
Access a diverse collection of miscellaneous technology reviews, specialized DIY tool assessments, and unique lifestyle articles. From niche electrical equipment to general digital organization tips, this section covers the broad spectrum of a tech-focused life.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →September 18, 2009
How To Make iPhoto or Picasa Recognize your Camera Again
Recently, I tried to download some photos from a small, older and somewhat, war-scarred point & shoot digital cameral (HP Photosmart M632) which I carry around in my backpack wherever I go. I had taken some photos and video at a tradeshow and wanted to work on a blog post for it. Unfortunately, when I plugged in my camera, absolutely…
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September 16, 2009
Storytelling in the Digital Age
Every family has a story teller. It's the person who can captivate an audience as they lead them down a path of words, memories and emotions. We do have to admit, some people are much better at doing this than others. I, for one, have an absolutely horrible memory. The only stories I tell are ones that I really know…
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September 10, 2009
Cut the Cords to your iPhone with Altec Lansing’s BackBeat 903 Bluetooth Stereo Headset
I must say, I had been waiting for the iPhone to support A2DP for a while. When it finally rolled out, I was excited but I didn't have a set of headphones with which to test it. I just hadn't made the plunge to buy a set. The promise of having stereo audio from my iPhone, all via a Bluetooth…
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September 8, 2009
How to Set Up an Inexpensive Outdoor Home Theater
Everybody has some sort of a main viewing room or area of the house where there is a larger TV and comfortable seating where families and friends gather to watch movies, TV shows or play video games. The big screen TV has become a digital fireplace of sorts or a congregation point in the house. With hectic schedules governing our…
Read more →September 2, 2009
IOGEAR KVM via USB: Troubles At First, Great in the End
About half a year ago, a PR firm sent me out what I thought would be a very good device to have in my tool chest. This was a device designed to facilitate connecting, viewing and sharing data and desktops between Windows PC all via a USB connection. The device, the IOGEAR "USB Laptop KVM Switch with File Transfer," (Product…
Read more →August 28, 2009
Fix Its: Merge Two BlackBerry Calendars into One & AT&T’s Visual Voicemail Activation for the Bold
AT&T pushed out new firmware and a desktop application update for the BlackBerry Bold this week, supposedly with a new Visual Voicemail (similar to the iPhone). But somewhere in the process of the upgrade, I found that a second calendar was activated which wasn't syncing to Microsoft Outlook. The fix that I detail below allows you to merge multiple BlackBerry…
Read more →August 27, 2009
The Sony Connected Bedroom – My Kids Jump for Joy!
This is my first article from the Sony DigiDads Project that we kicked off last week. You can read more about it here. Our first mission (that I definitely decided to accept) was to do an article on a Sony "Connected Living Room Experience." Well, I ran into a problem right from the start. I already have a huge HDTV…
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August 24, 2009
If You Aren’t Using DropBox, You Are Really Dumb!
Honestly, DropBox has got to be one of the best services I have ever come across, and if you don’t have DropBox account by the end of this article, I will be shocked. DropBox’s service offering is incredibly straight forward and simple. It is a file sharing and back-up program and system that allows you to sync the personal files…
Read more →August 21, 2009
Open Pandora’s Box with The Livio Radio
Everyone loves Pandora right? How can you not. These are the guys giving you the Music Genome Project where they are mapping out music, one song at a time. Pandora is a fantastic way to get commercial-free music from a browser or application, all based on a single song, artist or genre. Simple create a station and start immediately enjoying…
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August 20, 2009
The Sony DigiDad Project
No, it's not about turning a bunch of dads into Skynet, cybernetic offspring. Nor are there going to be a new line of kids DigiPets that are modeled after fathers (but that would be an interesting idea). The Sony DigiDad Project is actually pretty cool (probably because I'm in it)! So here's the scoop. Sony has teamed up with 5…
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August 12, 2009
WebCam Monitoring & Streaming Via a $5 iPhone Application – iCam
If you travel frequently, have small kids, or just like to keep an eye on things, I have a great solution for you. A few weeks ago, I came across a nice iPhone app called iCam by SKJM which allows you to set up video monitoring of up to 4 sources at a time. Sure, there are lots of webcams…
Read more →August 2, 2009
Honey, I Shrunk the Dongle – Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000
Microsoft introduced its BlueTrack Technology in 2008 claiming that its breakthrough technology would allow for users to use mice having BlueTrack on just about any surface (just not glass or reflective surfaces). I decided to put that to the test in this quick review of the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000. I have reviewed several mice and there are truly…
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