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Gadget Guy coming to the SOS Computer Talk Show on WGUL AM 860, beginning June 26
OK, it's really happening. The Gadget Guy is coming to talk radio beginning June 26. Here's a radio promo my friends at WGUL put together, so I guess there's no turning back now!
Google Voice Search now available on your computer, if you use Chrome
Google has launched Voice Search that you can use on your computer and is rolling it out to people a little at a time. To use it, you have to download and use the Google Chrome browser. You also need a computer with a built-in or external microphone. One you see the little microphone just click on it and start talking.
I still don't have Google Voice Search so I haven't been able to test it. If it works as well as it does in the iPhone app then it will be a great tool and should make web searching a lot faster and easier. ... Read more
You now can buy your latté with the Starbucks for Android app
If you're an Android phone user who has been Starbucks-green with envy because of your iPhone and Blackberry friends paying for coffee with their phones, today is your day. The Starbucks for Android app is now available in the Android Market for phones running version 2.1 and above of the Android OS.
The app lets you store and access your plastic Starbucks cards in your smartphone and with the touch of a button produces an on-screen bar code so you can wave your phone in front of a scanner to complete your purchase. You also can replenish a depleted Starbucks card (using a credit card), track your My Starbucks Rewards points and find local Starbucks stores, all from within the app. ... Read more
Apple Store now selling unlocked iPhone 4 in U.S.
Apple now is selling unlocked versions of the iPhone 4 in both 16 and 32GB versions, white or black. Since using the iPhone without a designated carrier requires a SIM card, only the GSM version is available as a carrrier-independent and contract-free phone. The CDMA version remains available on the Verizon network.
Those who travel internationally or don't wish to be committed to an AT&T contract are the target audience for unlocked phones. And while unlocked phones have been available through various unoffical jailbreaking techniques, this provides an Apple-approved way of owning an iPhone that can be used on multiple carriers through the swapping of SIMS.
Prices for the unlocked phones with no contract are steep, however, with the 16GB version coming in at $649 and the 32GB one at $749. Those prices also may attract international buyers, though, since prices for the iPhone are typically much higher in Europe and other regions. ... Read more
Crux Loaded clamshell keyboard case turns your iPad into a laptop
Interactive Google doodle features playable guitar to honor Les Paul
The folks at Google have outdone themselves again with the latest Google doodle featuring a playable guitar to honor the 96th anniversary of the birth of musician Lester William Polsfuss, known to the world as Les Paul. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is adored by many guitarists and was made famous by several early rock bands, including the the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
Not only can you play the Google Les Paul guitar by moving your cursor over the strings but if you hit the record button it will record your performance and give you a URL so you can play it back and share it. Very cool stuff! Click on the photo below to hear a recording I just made. ... Read more
DeLorme inReach two-way GPS communicator keeps you connected pole to pole
Several times a year I travel to the Smoky Mountains in my MINI Cooper to enjoy the scenery and spectacular mountain roads. Cell phones don't work very well in the mountains, and in many ways that's a good thing when you want to disconnect and relax. But it also can be a bad thing because in an emergency there just isn't a reliable way to communicate up there unless you're at a hotel or lodge with Internet service.
The DeLorme inReach aims to fix this problem. The inReach is a two-way GPS communicator that runs on the Iridium satellite system. Since it's satellite-based, all you need is a clean shot at the sky to hook up to one of Iridium's 66 cross-linked Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and you can connect anywhere in the world. ... Read more
This video and these gadgets could save you from getting skin cancer
I've lived in Florida for most of my life and after years of being in marching bands, covering sporting events as a photojournalist and now, driving a convertible, too many times I have been cooked by the sun. I know what to do and sometimes I do it, but it's inconvenient and slimy and I'm just too busy. Do those excuses sound familiar? Have you used them yourself? It's time to stop. If you want to know why, watch the gripping video below.
... Read more
Whimsical Weather Doodle iOS app is free for a limited time
The whimsical Weather Doodle app, currently ranked #2 for weather apps in the App Store, is free for a limited time. The app features beautiful, animated collages in a very simple and elegant interface. The actual data is powered by WeatherBug, which is one of the most popular online weather services available.
... Read more
Get your head in the iCloud today
Apple didn't waste any time pushing some of the new iCloud features to iOS devices. Just a few hours after the end of the keynote presentation at the Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, users began seeing some iCloud features in the App Store. If you are running iOS 4.3 or above, open the App Store and select "Updates." A new "Purchased" button is at the top of the screen and when you select it you'll see the screen below. From there you can view all the apps downloaded with your account. The ones marked with a cloud are stored in your iCloud account and can be downloaded again, on up to ten devices, without additional charges. You also can view all the downloaded apps that are not installed on the device you're using and use the search function to find purchased apps by name. ... Read more
About the blogger
Latest gadgets? The Gadget Guy, also known as Jack Rowland, shows you how to use gadgets ranging from photo and video equipment to manifold grills. His "how to" videos bring a MacGyver sensibility to how you get things done with the magic of gadgets. Jack, senior video producer at tampabay.com, is a longtime gadget geek with a love of all things Mac. Welcome to his world.
E-mail Jack Rowland: timesgadgetguy@gmail.com
The Gadget Guy on Twitter
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