“Tech” collection
Stay informed on the rapidly evolving world of consumer electronics, high-performance hardware, and digital innovation. This central tech hub provides a deep dive into the physical components and software ecosystems that power your modern life.
HTD Tech Briefs
View all →September 23, 2011
A Tablet for Babies? The VINCI Tablet Gives Toddlers a Jump Start on Touchscreens
A few weeks ago I received a pre-production version of a new tablet targeted toward children ages 2-4 or so called the "VINCI Tab". I had been dying to review an Android-based tablet, but the VINCI threw me for an unexpected curve. It really is not what you might expect. While it is technically a tablet, it is really a…
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September 19, 2011
The Schizophrenia that is Netflix…er…Qwikster…uh…Netster…QwikFlix?
I have been a Netflix user for many many years. My account says 2007 but I actually started my service before that time, stopped and then restarted it. My family finds Netflix to be indispensable and we use both services, streaming and physical DVDs regularly. Every TV in our house has access to Netflix, in fact, we did some "cord…
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September 12, 2011
Moshi’s USB to Ethernet Adapter Makes the MacBook Air Even More Perfect
As I write this post on my Apple MacBook Air, I really struggle to think of things that would make it better. It's pretty much a near-perfect laptop in my opinion. It's lightweight, fast and has a good battery-life. It's a bit pricey but it seems to be holding its own pretty well within this new "Ultrabook" space. Honestly, I…
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September 2, 2011
“Weird But True” iOS App Educates in a Fun Way
Who doesn't like National Geographic? They have been enriching our lives for over a hundred years with photos and quality content from around the globe. And they have brought this content to children of all ages as well. My daughters got copies of National Geographic Kids at school and have saved them in piles on their desks and bookcases. And…
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August 25, 2011
10 Things Steve Jobs Has Done for Parents
With Steve Jobs announcing that he will be stepping down as CEO of Apple, I took some time to reflect on how Steve and Apple have impacted my life as a parent, specifically, a "High Tech Dad." In my household, Apple products reign. Each of my children use Apple laptops or desktops, and each one has either an iPhone, iPod…
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August 22, 2011
How To Easily Remove, Replace & Install an Apple iPhone 4 Battery
I have done quite a few installs and hardware replacements in my time, but never have I found an easier project than to replace the battery of an iPhone 4. As with many of my previous iPhones, I tend to blow through the batteries pretty quickly. Some of the signs that you have an aging battery are: battery drains faster…
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August 17, 2011
“ESV” Really Stands for “Entertainment System Vehicle” – 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Edition
There seems to be some confusion about what the ESV means in the name Cadillac Escalade ESV. Some people on the Cadillac forums have said "Escalade Stretch Vehicle" or "Extended Service Vehicle." I actually think that it means "Entertainment System Vehicle" or at least that is what I would call the 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Edition. My family and…
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August 4, 2011
How to Get Hostnames to Resolve over a Mac OS X VPN Connection
Yesterday I ran into a little issue. I tried to use my Cisco VPN client on my Mac after having upgraded to Lion. For some reason, it was not working. I did find some ways to correct that (the Error 51 issue) and how to migrate your Cisco setting over to the native Mac OS VPN client, but that will…
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July 27, 2011
Energy Conservation & Caring for the Elderly – 2 Topics of Today with Huge Impacts for Tomorrow
A few weeks ago, I participated in the Intel "Upgrade Your Life" 2011 summit in Intel's Santa Clara, CA campus. This was the second year I attended and after both summits, I always managed to walk away with a headache. But, not a "bad" headache by that definition, but a "good" one. Think about when you go for a very…
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July 22, 2011
VIDEO – How to Re-Download Mac OS X Lion & Create Bootable Install DVD & USB Thumb Drive
Yesterday I wrote a post "How To Re-Download Mac OS X Lion & Create a Bootable Install DVD" and it seems to be helping a lot of people out there. So, sometimes it is even more helpful to create a video that explains the process, so I quickly put one together. Also, a few users were wondering how to create…
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July 21, 2011
How To Re-Download Mac OS X “Lion” & Create a Bootable Install DVD
In my excitement yesterday about the release of the new Macintosh operating system called "Lion", I downloaded and installed the new OS without thinking about creating a bootable DVD since Lion is the first Apple OS to NOT come on DVD but rather be distributed via the App Store. You will also be able to order a USB stick from…
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July 20, 2011
I Wish I Had the ContourGPS HD Video Camera about 15 Years, When I Was REALLY Active
Long before I had kids, I did quite a bit of mountain bike riding. Northern California has a ton of really great trails and I was regularly riding 3-4 times a week. There is something to be said about not having technology with you when you are out riding (I would say that a cell phone is probably one exception…
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