Tech

10 Manly Uses for a Tablet

There once was a time when you were considered a laggard if you didn’t own an iPod; then having a smartphone was a necessity; and now you are so 2001 if you don’t own a tablet. Galaxy, iPad, Blackberry, Netbook…we’ve all seen them. Well, flashing around a tablet at the office is great and all but why spend all that money if you’re only going to use it as an alarm clock?

Here are ten things you can use your tablet for:

1. Move seamlessly from your computer to the nearest kitchen because we know you’re hungry. Emails, articles, research, online conversations, the list goes on and on. Some days you are just too busy to leave your computer. Tablets give you the ability to not miss a beat as you grab something to eat.

2. Check out the traffic on your daily commute. It’s winter and you’re dutifully warming your car up before you take off for work, right? Why not use that time to turn on your tablet and check out the traffic in the area?

3. Track your fantasy football team. Tablets are a great way to update and keep track of your fantasy football team. Use you table to scour the internet for the latest up to date news and trade information, all while sitting on your couch without a bulky computer on your lap.

4. Never miss a game. We know the feeling, the games on but you’re watching Dancing With the Stars because somebody else is calling the shots. Well, pull that tablet out, close Angry Birds, and pull up any number of applications that let you watch or track your favorite game.

5. Keep track of your food intake. Looking to lose weight? There’s an app for that…well kind of. Bring your tablet with you to keep track of your dietary goals and food intake throughout the day using one of the many applications designed for that.

6. Stop forgetting your anniversary. With a calender set to constantly remind you of the important dates in your life, your tablet may just save your marriage. Oh, and while you’re at it, you should probably pull the browser up and search for last minute dinner reservations.

7. Do non-work things without leaving evidence on your work computer. You’re not on Facebook, we get it. But in all reality, we know you are. So instead of accidentally leaving your Facebook page open at work, use your tablet to comb through the thousands of pictures of your high school flings.

8. Save your eyesight. Have you ever tried watching a movie on a smartphone? Yeah, that’s not happening. Your tablet makes a great addition to any flight, just download a movie, pull it up, and forget that you’re sandwiched between two kids for six hours.

9. Become the calming force of your family. Now we know you might not be able to get your kids to stop screaming but a tablet sure will. With more applications than you could ever imagine you’re sure to find one that puts your kids into that transfixed state that brings peace and quiet to the world.

10. Enjoy your in-laws. Angry Birds…enough said.

Canon Powershot SX50 Review: a Great Bridge Camera

I am a professional blogger, not a professional photographer. I want my photos to look professional without having to “fiddle” with settings. I don’t want to play with Aperture and Shutter Speed when I am in a hurry. I just want great photos! I want to set the camera on Auto and let the magic happen. I purchased the Sony NEX5 last year because of the good reviews and because the body was slim. When I received it I learned all too well why some people buy DSLR cameras and why others don’t.

Yes, you can put the Sony NEX in automatic mode and it will often take great photos. It does an amazing job of blurring the background, which highlights the object in front. If I knew more about the settings maybe I could get better photos when the lighting isn’t just right but after a year of playing around with those settings and never having any luck I decided to search for a different option.

Here is an outside photo I took with the Sony NEX 5R/K. The lighting outside was perfect so the photo came out great. I had it set on auto. Don’t get me wrong, the Sony NEX is a really good camera. I have been a Sony user for 15+ years and still own a Sony Cybershot so it was hard for me to decide to go with a different brand. For me, it was only good if the lighting was perfect. If the lighting isn’t just right, then you’re back to fiddling, which is often the case with many digital cameras anyway, and if you are like me you get frustrated because all you want to do is take great photos.

Another reason I am not a DSLR kind of camera person is the zoom. If you buy a DSLR camera like the Sony NEX or similar you will usually get a lens that zooms from 15 to 55 mm. This doesn’t go very far. If you want to zoom out to get something further away you will need to buy another lens and change them out. A longer lens can cost $350 to $700 or more and you also have to spend the time changing them out each time you want to zoom out, not to mention the lugging around of all that equipment.

These two things are the main reason I found I am not a true DSLR kind of camera person.

I decided to sell the Sony NEX and do more research to find a better fit for how I take photos. I take a lot of photos where I want the background blurred. I also like to take photos of wildlife in action and photos from far away. What I found was what I call a bridge camera.

A bridge camera is good compromise for those you don’t want a full-fledged DSLR camera but want a little more than a point and shoot digital camera. The bridge camera is large like a DSLR camera though so it will be bulky but they can zoom far, have automatic and manual settings (in case you are in the mood to fiddle around), and are lightweight. A DSLR can be heavy because of the weight of the lens. They cost a little more than a regular point and shoot camera averaging between $350 and $550. They are much more than most point and shoot cameras because they have manual settings and better lens.

After much research I bought the Canon PowerShot SX50 and so far it’s been a good choice.

I do have to say that the blurred background on the Sony NEX photos in auto is much better than the Canon SX50 in the auto. I haven’t figured out how to blur the background easily with the Canon other than putting in Manual mode and changing the Aperture, Shutter speed, and ISO, which I don’t know enough about yet. I wish there was an Auto setting on the Canon just to do blurred backgrounds. If there is, maybe I will find it yet.

I also like how easily it is to see what settings the photo was taken in, even if I have it set on Auto. The screen is large and and the indicators are bright. Just press the Display button several times and you get all of the details. The Sony had this feature too but I like how it is laid out better on the Canon. Maybe it will even help me read the settings so I can duplicate them in the future in Manual mode.

The zoom is amazing. It is 50 times and goes super far. Here are some photos I took of a squirrel, wild turkey in our backyard and sparrow in a bush that was about 40 feet away.

These aren’t perfect and I have just had this Canon for a week but from what I see so far this camera is going to be a great alternative to a DSLR camera. If I had my choice I would have kept the Sony NEX for the amazing blurring feature and bought the Canon SX50 for the zoom feature, but I really couldn’t afford both.

Another camera that was in the running was the Nikon COOLPIX P510. Sony also makes a Sony Cyber-shot bridge camera with a 30 zoom and Fujifilm also has one with a 30 zoom.

I don’t ever expect to be an amazing photographer but I would like my photos that I use on my blog and to share to look semi-professional. Hopefully this Canon SX50 will help me do just that and maybe I will learn to do a little fiddling along the way.

What kind of camera do you own and why do you like it? Why don’t you like it?

New Crock-Pot and iCookbook Recipes App

Most of us have a Crockpot in our household. We make soup in ours most of the time. I have always wanted to find some recipes I can make to use in the Crockpot since it makes cooking easy and you can fix it and forget it until it’s time to eat

Publications International, Ltd. just released CROCK-POT™ Recipes and the iCookbook Crockpot app, dedicated to recipes especially for the crockpot.

iCookBook App

More than 2,000 recipes and photographs, equivalent to 20 giant cookbooks! Free monthly updates without the ads!

Additional features of Crock-Pot™ Recipes App includes:

My Recipe Box. Manually add your own slow-cooker recipes to help you keep all of your favorites in one place
Tips and Techniques. Access to tips and how-to videos to maximize the use of your CROCK-POT® slow cooker
Connectivity. Share your favorite CROCK-POT® recipes with family and friends via Facebook or email
iCookbook’s hands-free Voice Command technology. Advance preparation instructions without ever having to touch your device’s screen.

Crock-Pot Recipes App

The new Crock-Pot™ Recipes app makes the process of cooking in your Crockpot easier by providing instant access to 250 recipes for main dishes, soups, stews, and more, created and tested by CROCK-POT® kitchen experts. Free downloads of new recipes are available each month through the in-app store, creating an expansive collection certain to fit any occasion.

Additional Features of the Crock-Pot Recipes App:

Voice Commands: Hands-free voice command
Shake to Stir: Press Stir (or shake the iPhone 5) and the CROCK-POT™ Recipes app offers a selection of randomly chosen recipes based on a particular search or filter criteria
My Recipe Box: store your favorite recipes for quick access
Network with Friends and Family” Share on Facebook, or email any recipe to all your friends to let them know what you are cooking.

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

iPotty for iPad: Techy Toilet for Toddlers

Yes folks, your toddler can play on their iPad while going to the potty. Maybe this will be the revolution in potty training. The iPotty for iPad from CTA Digital is actually affordable at a cost of $39.99 and will be for sale in the US in the next few months.

We’ll let you know where it will be for sale once we find out.

It even has a built-in splashproof iPad stand so your iPad won’t get wet or ruined. The iPotty is basically a potty trainer with a holder designed for the iPad.

Sony Tablet: The Tablet that is Also a TV Remote

When you turn on your Sony tablet you can’t help but show it off. With the unique wedge shape, the ultra clear screen, the blinking green light that let’s you know when you have a new message, or how lightweight it is, there is something everyone will find to love. I am by no means a tablet expert and only tried out some of the features I like. As with any tablet or electronic device, we all use them in varies ways. So, that means I didn’t cover downloading music or using the Sony library or what your kids would really like to use this tablet for. Instead, I am going to talk about what I like and didn’t like on first impressions, along with a couple of cool features I thought stood out for me.

Sony Tablet Features:

Android Honeycomb Operating System
NVIDIA Tegra2 Processor
Front and Rear Camera. Front 0.3 Megapixel. Rear 5.0 Megapixel
Bluetooth Integrated Stereo
Media Remote and IR Remote
Full-size SD Card slot (for media exchange only)
Access to the Sony Network and play Playstation
Preloaded with Crackle, a free movie and TV show streaming service
9.5 inches, 6.8 inches, 0.3 inches
stereo quality speakers

What I Like About the Sony Tablet:

I really liked how lightweight the Sony Tablet is, weighing only one pound. Because it is light as a feather you can hold it in one hand. It is slightly smaller than say the iPad so it fit much better in our computer bag when we were traveling recently.

Because the Sony runs on the Android operating system there are thousands of apps to choose from in the Android Marketplace and if you are an Android fan you will be right at home with the operating system. You can have every kind of eReader app you want on it from Kindle, Nook, Sony eReader, and even the Amazon app.

The screen clarity is amazing as you see from the Crash Bandicott game (which comes pre-installed by the way) I have going on the Sony Tablet.

And, taking photos and videos is easy because it has the dual cameras. You can also change the resolution settings for the photos and rotate and crop the photo as well as setup a photo show. Hook the tablet up to your TV and you can play the photo show for your friends.

Here is a photo I took of a silk flower I had. It is so clear and crisp.

Speaking of setting it up to work with a TV, did you know you can also hook the Sony tablet up to your TV and transmit photos, and videos? The Sony tablet has something called the Media Remote. Once you setup the Media Remote app (you might have to download it first from the Marketplace but it’s free), you can send pictures and videos to watch on your TV. Your TV doesn’t need to be the latest and greatest TV either – as long as your TV is DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) ready it will work with the Sony Tablet. The DLNA feature is exclusive to the Sony tablet.

I also used something called the IR (Infrared) Remote which makes the Sony tablet act like a universal remote. Activate the IR Remote and register the TV to the tablet using the simple steps. Then point the tablet at your TV and you can turn it on and off, switch channels, and change the volume. The IR Remote is exclusive to the Sony tablet.

Here you can see that we swiped the photo I took of the silk flowers onto the TV. I would call this an “uber cool” feature and one worth the pricetag alone.

Once you have connected your TV to the Sony tablet, just press on a photo or even movie and swipe it up onto the device image and within a few seconds you will see it appear on your TV.

I also like the ergonomic wedge shape. This allows you to put the tablet on a table and because it is tilted down slightly the screen isn’t flat. I don’t like staring at myself in a screen and since most tablet screens are shiny that is exactly what I end up doing but with the Sony that doesn’t happen because of that angle. It makes it easier to type on as well.

I really like the green blinking light on the side. This light indicates that you have a new message. This is unique to the Sony tablet. If you get up in the middle of the night and come out to get water you will inevitably find yourself using your tablet to see who left you a message or email.

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What I Didn’t Like About the Sony Tablet:

I found that the little door cover that protects the SD card slot and cable connection was super flimsy. I showed it to multiple people and they all agreed. I had an issue with the browser crashing on me multiple times within a one-hour period and each time it crashed it would lose all of the pages I was working on so I would have to start over. I don’t know if this was the tablet or the Android operating system. I also kept losing the Internet in a meeting that had a hotspot setup for us and no one else had that problem.

The power connector wasn’t secure and didn’t actually lock in place. You could actually wiggle it so I think they could have designed that a little better.

Because the Sony is basically on all of the time, even in sleep mode – it has to be to check email – it can run the battery down pretty fast.

Conclusion:

But, even with those things in mind, this is a great, full-featured tablet that is worth a look at if you don’t already have a tablet in mind. The IR Remote and DLNA functionality alone are super useful features you will use over and over and you will also appreciate how lightweight this tablet is compared to other brands.

Disclosure: We received this Sony tablet to test out and review by the Sony company. Our review is purely our own opinion and experience. Your experience may vary depending upon your usage.