Question: What is the G-1?

Have you heard of the T-Mobile G1? Maybe you've heard it called by one of its other names... How about "Android" or "Google-phone"?

The T-Mobile G1 is the first phone to have the Google-sponsored Android operating platform on it. Android is the open source mobile computing platform developed to bring a higher level of connectivity and compatibility to the mobile phone market. Check it out!

Question: Home Gym or Fitness Club?

if you are looking for high tech equipment, you would have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to construct and stock a home gym with the basics. From cross-ramps to treadmills, these pieces of high tech workout equipment is not cheap. That's the allure of joining a gym -- they do all the investment and you just pay $30 a month for use of it. Sure if all you wanted was free weights, you could do it at home. But if you want high tech equipment with heart rate monitors, video screens, and customized programs, you need to go to the gym. Even with the best weight loss supplement products you need good equipment to get the results you want. Go to the gym!

Question: Did Dial-Up Internet Die Yet?

Dial-up Internet access over phone modem may seem like an antiquated technology, but for millions of Americans living in rural communities its still the only show in town. Why? Well many rural communities do not have cable or DSL access to the Internet because the telecommunication companies just don't offer access. In these cases, people have to depend on dial up modems over their traditional phone lines.

Question: What's the Future of the Banner Ad?

For all their presence on the Internet, Banner Ads aren't very successful when it comes to advertising. Text link ads are more popular by a long ways. So what will happen? Well we are starting to see more interactive banner ads. Click here and play a mini-game in the ad! Sure they are fun to "do 5 push-ups", but how will they sell Pepsi or the best diet pills? That's the missing link right now -- turning interactive ads into brand and product sellers.

Question: Will Facebook Start to Charge?

That's the question at hand in a new Slate.com article "A Radical Business Plan for Facebook". With over 100 million "active users" around the world, Facebook could make up to $300 million by charging its most ardent users. Would it be worth it? Could Facebook make money from charging its users and not scare them off? Its a big risk but eventually the way of making money on the Internet needs to more closely align with the way to people make money offline: 1) Provide a useful service. 2) Charge for it.

Question: What is the Sportster?

The Sportster is the name of the entry level model of Harley Davidson motorcycle. It starts at an affordable $6999. That's a small price to pay to own a piece of the Harley Davidson legend. The Sportster is a small bike which lends itself to ease of use with new bikers and smaller frame bikers. Now before you go out an get one, make sure you get the training you need and get your license! The last thing you need is a visit from the San Jose motorcycle accident attorney when you get in a wreck! Be safe out there.

Question: What Other E-Book Readers Exist?

Sure now you know about the different versions of the Kindle, but what about the other e-book readers in the market? Well here is a comprehensive list from Wikipedia:

• COOL-ER ™ (2009) by Coolreader
• eSlick by Foxit Software (2009)
• PRS-700BC Reader Digital Book by Sony (October 2008)
• Digital Reader 1000 by iRex Technologies (2008)
• Ganaxa GeR2 by Ganaxa (2007)
• Cybook Gen3 by Bookeen (2007)
• Hanlin V3 eReader by Jinke (2007)
• Sony Reader by Sony (2006)
• iLiad by iRex Technologies (2006)
• Librié by Sony (2005)
• Hanlin V2 Jinke (2005)

Question: Where Can I Recycle CFC Bulbs?

CFC Light bulbs seem like a good idea but what about all the rumors about their dangerous contents and bizarre handling instruction. Are you or aren't you allowed to throw old ones away in the trash? Well don't worry -- this is Progress lighting in action. You can now recycle your old CFC light bulbs at the Home Depot. Just bring your bulbs to the entrance and put them in the provided baggies. Drop them in the bin and you are done! No worries about dangerous trash pollution or hording them at home! Bravo Home Depot.

Question: What is the Kindle DX?

Thought you already knew all about the new Kindle -- the Kindle 2? Well there is a second Kindle out there and its called the Kindle DX. The Kindle DX has a 9.7 inch display which is substantially larger than the regular Kindle 2. Why? So you can read newspapers and magazines better! With a grey scale 1200 x 824 pixel resolution, the Kindle DX is the biggest Kindle out there. Like the iPhone, it has an accelerometer which can tell which way you are holding it -- to automatically rotate pages between landscape and portrait. Cool huh? Do you think this is the future of the newspaper or magazine subscription?

Question: How Can I Move my CD Jukebox?

If you're like me, you have one of those 1990s creations called the CD-Disc changer. I have one with 200 disk capacity. Cool right? Well it was cool back in the 1990s -- pre-digital music era. Now its a relic. What if you still have one and want to move it? Well don't just stick it in some moving boxes. No, you need to be more careful with it. First take out all the disks. I know its not quick or easy but if you try to move it with the disks in you can get the mechanism damaged!

Question: What's New with the Kindle?

The Amazon Kindle 2 was released a few months ago. So what's so different about it than the last one? The Kindle 2 has over the original improved battery life, twenty percent faster page-refreshing functionality, a text-to-speech option to read the text out loud, and is even thinner than the original. The Kindle 2 also has 2 GB of internal memory which is a 5 fold improvement over the original. Got it?

Question: What's Next in Video Game Systems?

The next big thing to come out of E3 this week is the promise of controller-free video game playing in the future. You might have thought that the PS3 controller is such a great leap ahead from the Atari 2600 knobs and buttons, but in the future you won't even have to use a hand held controller. Instead you will just move your body around the a camera and sensors will put you into the game!

Question: Are You Backed up from 2008?

Have you backed up your computer files since January 1? Backing up your computer files is not something we think about everyday, but its the sort of thing that can ruin for week (or year) if you find yourself on the wrong side of the equation. Losing all your data on a crash is horrible -- just think about all the data you have stored. I recommend you backup critical files once everyday 2 weeks. These critical files should be the ones which you change or add to on a daily or weekly basis. For static files -- those that you don't every change -- they can be backed up annually.

Question: What is the Future of Personal Safety Devices?

I see more and more specialized personal safety devices to keep you safe and sound. Think about your home -- you certainly have a smoke detector and chances are you have a CO2 detector. Now what about a lead or asbestos sensor in your older home? That could help people avoid mesothelioma. Outside I like personal UV detectors -- you wear them at a ballgame or at the park and consistently know how much UV radiation is raining down on you.

Question: Should I Buy That 1 TB HD?

I don't think so... well maybe. Think about two warring camps -- Storage Needs vs. Storage Capacity. For the past decade, home computers have always lagged in the storage capacity and RAM department. As new applications were developed, computers had to catchup to storage ability (for an affordable price). Here's a list of applications and storage needs:

• Word Processing - 10 kB to 1 MB
• Digital Photos - 100 kB to 10 MB
• Digital Music - 500 kB to 5 MB
• Digital Videos - 1 MB to 100 MB

It was always a struggle to have enough storage. Right now my old computer only has 140 GB of storage. That's not enough to store hours of video for editing, but you can easily buy 1 TB or storage for $200. You can buy a new computer with 2 TB of storage for $1500 or less. That's a lot of storage. So is the race over? No way! There will be something else in the works... what will it be?

Question: Should I Buy a Roomba?

Well that all depends what kind of flooring and floor layout that you have at home. I mean, do you have wide open spaces, like an open layout or is your home more closed in with smaller rooms? If its the latter, you should probably reconsider. Also do you have wood flooring in multiple rooms, easily linked, or does your flooring switch up every room? The more friendly your layout is to the Roomba, the better it is a candidate.

Question: Do You Have Technitus?

Technitus is a port-monteau, meaning its a combination of two or more words. In this case, its technology and -itus, meaning disease. Its the name of my pal Chilli's website, Technitus.com. Won't you visit his site and leave a message. It seems he is too lazy to keep his website current. Encourage this guy to start posting again!

Question: Do You Shop Sky Mall?

You know what I'm talking about -- that magazine filled with high tech stuff that sits in your seat back pocket on airplanes. Have you ever bought anything from there? Not me -- it all seems a little too expensive -- like a flying Sharper Image. But some of the stuff in there is cool -- from futurists light wands used for hair loss treatments to inflatable backyard projector screens, the stuff in these catalogs is far out!

Question: Do Plasma TVs Still Break so Often?

It used to be, a few years ago, that a service plan was almost mandatory when buying a plasma TV. The technology just wasn't mature enough to be totally reliable. Add that fact to the extremely high price first adopters faced, and you really didn't want to take any chances with your $6000 investment. But fast forward 5 years and I think Plasma technology has matured to the point where you don't have to buy an extended service plan. You might consider it if you want the piece of mind, but the chances of facing a serious problem out of warranty is a lot less.

Question: How Will Google Rule the Mobile Internet?

The mobile Internet is really where the future is at. More and more people will access the Internet via mobile devices and one day that will be the way most people access the web. So how will Google capitalize on this? Well imagine a search which allows you to get the pricing of stuff you see in stores just by pointing your phone at it. From the best diet pills to the best price on a new dress, Google could combine imaging technology with search and price comparison to make an application which would tell you whether what you are looking at was a good deal.

Question: Why Not Have a Static URL?

Why not? When you don't want to be shut down! URL Shifting is when a website gets a new URL regularly in order to avoid legal action, become overly popular, or be perma-linked to too much. One example is the online TV and Movies website TV Links. Their domain is constantly changing. In order to find it, just Google it:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22TV+Links%22

Question: What is High Tech Weight Loss?

I recently read an article on WebMD about the subject of high tech weight loss. No we're not talking about making a diet pill with nano-robots in it -- we're talking about using high tech tools to help people lose weight. One popular application is the iPhone (and iPod Touch). There are apps out there which help you figure out the caloric value of virtually any food in the world. Just tap tap tap and add that food to a daily digital food journal. This sort of thing can help you keep track of what you eat in fun and friendly way.

Question: How Big is the New iPod Shuffle?

The new Apple iPod Shuffle sure is small but exactly how small is it? Well according to the Apple.com website, the new iPod Shuffle is 1.8 inches high, 0.7 inches wide, and only a measly 0.3 inch deep and that's including the clip. So tiny -- so how much does it weigh? Less than 0.4 ounces! That's less than your average chicken egg! Think about that one for a while.

Question: Why Should I Use Virus-Detection Software?

Well, why wouldn't you? I guess many people are scared away because they think it will cost a lot of money. Guess what? You can get great virus protection from free programs! My favorite is the free version of AVG anti-virus protection. Its like having colon cleansers for your hard drive -- they keep your computer's input and output clean from nasty bugs and protects your home network and more. If you don't use virus protection now, you might wake up to find yourself sorry. Get protected now!

Question: What Could Possibly Come Next from the Shuffle?

Come on people -- what you Apple Inc. possibly do next time for the iPod Shuffle? I mean, they shrunk the iPod Shuffle in half with this latest change and for that they had to remove the song controls from the iPod itself and onto the headphone cord. How can you get smaller than that? What could possible be next?

[Photo from Apple.com]

Question: How Do You Make Stuff Fireproof?

How do you make stuff fireproof? Easy -- you coat it in non-flammable chemicals! From eHow, I found this recipe for fire resistant liquids: To one gallon of water, add about nine ounces of 20 Mule Team Borax and 4 ounces of boric acid. Cool huh? Now you can try it at home. But just make sure you try this on unimportant stuff like a rag or paper -- if you really want fireproof stuff for safety concerns like No seriously, baby bedding, leave it to the professionals and buy it that way!

Question: Should I Backup My Webmail?

Should I backup my webmail? Well its not something I do, but, then again, I don't keep any important or sensitive data on my web based email account. Secondly, if you use one of the major services like GMail or Yahoo, then you probably don't have to worry about these companies folding and dropping their service. So why backup? Well in case the unimaginable happens, of course. Backup once a year or so and keep all your old emails safe. You can find instructions on how to do it with GMail, Yahoo, or virtually any other webmail service on the web.

Question: Will Fingerprints Become the New Norm?

What will the future of identity theft protection look like? Well certainly you can forget social security numbers or even secret code words when it comes to security. I think we will start to genuinely see the rise of fingerprint and iris technology when it comes to security. We will start to see finger print reading machines come standard with computer and laptops. These devices will be linked directly to the web and allow you to authenticate your access with your print. Can you see it?

Question: How Will We Use GPS inthe Future?

I was recently on a business trip and I had to rent a car. Low and behold, the car rental company was renting GPS for use in the car. Great idea right? Well, I've got a better one. How about new GPS which are really thin to make them ultra-portable? Its more than a GPS -- its actually a personal map you can carry around all the time. Put in your car, your rental car, in your hand when you walk down the street, whatever! Its small enough to take anywhere!

Question: What's the Future of Credit Cards?

Well I think the future is already here in the form of "no signature" or autopay cards. These cards you just wave over the POS credit card machine and your account number is wirelessly transmitted to it. We see this technology is in the so-called "Blink" feature of Chase cards. In the future you won't even have to take the card out of your pocket -- RFID technology in products will mean you can bag up your purchase and walk out the front door. As you leave, the purchase will be recorded wirelessly!

Question: How Do I Make a New Place to Store My iTunes Music?

The following is how to create a central music library (different than the iTunes default):

1. First you create a new location on your computer or external disc. Just make a new folder.
2. Then start iTunes and go to Preferences > Advanced > Change. When you get the Change Music Folder Location window, find the new folder wherever you create it and select.
3. Also in Preferences > Advanced, make sure these options are enabled:
1. - Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized (keeps meta-data on track number, etc)
1. - Copy Files to iTunes Music Folder When Adding to Library (copies the files, instead of just making a pointer / shortcut)
4. When you have created the new folder, you will need to copy all the music and meta-data over. iTunes can do this for you -- under Preferences > Advanced > Consolidate Library. This will copy the tracks from the old folder to the new folder. Once you've confirmed the copy, go and delete the old folder.

Question: Who Will Replace Jobs?

Who will replace Steve Jobs as the Head of Apple Inc., when he eventually retires? Well it has to be someone as visionary and risk-non-avert as Jobs. The last thing we want is someone on top who just uses a rubber stamp on new products and designs. Philip W. Schiller seems to have the best chance at the top job. He was behind some of the best computer ideas at Apple like the iMac.

Question: Is It Possible to Use My iPod to Move My Music to a New Computer?

This is always a sore spot when you get a new computer -- how to transfer all yoru files. What if you get a new computer, how can you move all your iTunes music over? Well thankfully Apple has a help page for that very question. Here is the link. Basically what you do is use the iPod itself as a hard disk to transfer music files from one computer to another. You can use it to transfer to a new computer or maybe some more nefarious things... don't do it!

Question: Will Nano Robots Help Me Lose Weight?

Imagine a future where the over the counter weight loss pill you buy is a capsule full of nano robots which will help you lose weight! How? Well these nano robots would swim around your digestive system and break down foods faster than your body can absorb them. A weight loss pill that works? Well it could be the future. Another case could be a pill that changes the enzymes mix in your stomach and prevent some food from being absorbed. The future will be wild.

Question: How Can I Add Music Files (not just Shortcuts) to My iTunes Library?

Here's what you do to copy the files over. Note: the original files will not be deleted, just a copied made in your iTunes Music folder.

• Under Advanced preferences option, the Copy Files to iTunes Music Folder When Adding to Library option means that when you add files to library, the files are actually copied (instead of just having the title copied with a pointer to the actual file).
• When you have the Copy Files to iTunes Music Folder When Adding to Library option enabled, the selection of Preferences > Advanced > Consolidate Library will copy the tracks which currently only have pointers and place them in the central music library you've created.

Question: How Can I Travel Smarter and Safer?

Well for one, you can avoid going to dangerous places for vacation. No seriously -- there are still people wanting to visit North Korea or Zimbabwe on vacation! Just stay away from these crazy spots and you'll be much better off. Secondly, you can make sure your have working medical insurance and travel insurance before you travel. You can get travel insurance quotes online and you can call your health insurance provider to check on out-of-country coverage. Finally, you can visit the U.S. State Department website and read the country guidelines for the places you will travel to.

Question: Is $900 Billion That Much?

$900 Billion stimulus? Nah, how about $34 trillion? Yikes! You haven't seen anything yet. A new article on CNN Money sheds light on the $34 Trillion Medicare problem looming on the horizon. What's the dilemma? Well as the article puts it "Sometime in the next President's first term, Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) will go cash-flow-negative, and it's all downhill from there." Yikes! That soon? Well think about this one "they show that if Medicare had to be accounted for like a company pension fund, it would be underfunded by $34 trillion."

Question: What Are Kiosk MP3s?

I've only seen a few of these machines in real settings, but Kiosk MP3s are free standing machines in malls and other locations which allow you to purchase and burn a CD of MP3 Music on demand. Think of it as an entire music store in a small box. Why stock thousands of music CDs when one hard disk and a stack of blank CDs can do the same. Look for these franchises to become more prevalent.

Question: Will MP3s Kill CDs?

CDs may be on their way out. Physical music sales are continuing to decline as digital music sales expand. On the data side of the equation, more and more people are using DVDs to back up and store data at home. So does this mean the CD is on it's way out? Maybe but not likely within the next 5 years. We might end up seeing CDs go the way of the ZIP disk or 3.5" floppy.

Question: Is RFID the End of Bar Codes?

Maybe one day but the change will not be overnight. RFID, the technology which allows wireless scanners to read an item's tag at a distance, will become more and more prevalent in the world, but good old fashioned bar codes won't disappear overnight. We will still need barcode scanner machines for years to come as this new technology spreads through the economy. All stores will eventually have to shift over to RFID readers before bar codes can go.

Question: Do They Make a Six Foot TV?

Shown to the public at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Panasonic showed off a 6 foot by 11 foot Plasma display. That's 180cm by 330cm TV! So how much for this monster of a TV? Try about $150,000. But don't worry -- the price should drop once a 20 foot model comes out. If that's too rich for your blood, just pony up $6999 and buy this 65" model from Panasonic!

Question: Nano Robots in Diet Pills?

Could this be the scary future? Imagine diet pills which contain nano-robots which traveled around your digestive track and reduce calorie uptake! Sounds like an impossible vision of the future but consider the old legend of diet pills contain tape worm eggs! Same idea -- just with a new technological twist! Don't believe me? Well try Googling "grey goo" and see what you find.

Question: What is Cafe Press?

Cafe Press is a company and website where you can:

• Create your own customized products (t-shirts, posters)
• Buy them for yourself and family
• Create an online store for free
• Sell your own products without any legwork!

For example, if you heard the new catch phrase "Don't Roberts Me, Chief!" and loved it, you could create your own t-shirt design with it and sell it online!

Question: Why Are Ferrari Oil Changes So Expensive?

Have heard this one -- $500 for an oil change on a Ferrari? Well its true. You can easily pay $2000 for regularly scheduled maintenance each time. What's the deal? Are Ferrari parts so much more expensive than regular parts? Well sure, but not really the oil filters. Its all about the labor and finding a dealership. Since these cars are more mechanical art than a regular car, it takes a long time by a skilled workman to perform the work. Its all about the labor!

Question: How Much Does a Herman Miller Embody Cost?

The Herman Miller Embody is the latest high tech chair from the chair-design guru Herman Miller. The Embody is the latest high tech chair and has some of the design cues from the Aeron chair. But unlike the Aeron, the Embody is made up of a spectacular plastic skeletal system. This structure gives your back the ultimate support over its entire surface. So how much? Well prices are around $1600. Expensive? Wait until you sit in one. Here is the review from Yahoo and the offical website from Herman Miller. Enjoy.

[Photo from www.hermanmiller.com]

Question: Why Do LEDs Last So Long?

Its a well known fact -- LEDs used as lighting last a lot longer than traditional bulbs (even Compact Fluorescent ones). So why are we seeing these new lights being used everywhere from Progress lighting to Target? Its easy! Instead of burning a filament, LEDs actually light up just by passing electricity (electrons) across a semiconductor material. This amazing property of some diodes have made LEDs possible. Amazing!

Question: How Can China Replace the U.S. on Top?

Well we need to look a bit into history and a bit into the future. It is the way for industrialized nations -- first manufacturing, then intellectual and tech production. China has done a great job with the manufacturing, but now even in China factories are closing because labor is cheaper elsewhere. China will only be able to maintain their growth and march to world's number 1 leader if they move to a tech-based economy of so-called Knowledge Workers. This tech know-how cannot be off-shored (a growing problem for China from its Asian neighbors!). Instead this is true ingenuity and technical knowledge which builds the future.

Question: Where Does the Money Go?

Where there is vanity and money, there will be research and development. Think about the age-old quandary of weight loss. Millions of people around the country (and world) would pay through the nose for the ability to lose weight safely and permanently. For this reason, a lot of R&D is being focused on this area. High tech solutions could be coming about to capitalize on this need and want. Sure now we have weight loss pills like Fentraphen. But in the future I see high tech solutions like nano-robots or gene-therapy to permanently reduce the body's ability to absorb too many calories. Think about it!

Question: What Are Masked Googles?

Masked Googles are Google searching through custom filters and APIs. For example -- love to search Google but hate seeing those advertisement? Well beat Google at its own game using one of the several plug-ins or proxies available. One for example is Scroogle. Yes, Scroogle as in Ebenezer Scrooge. Scroogle does several things including disables Google from placing cookies on your machine, disallowing Google to record search patterns, and, of course, removing the advertisements from your search results. Yikes, what if this caught on. Would Google go bankrupt?

Question: Will Online Shopping Take Over?

That's a broad question, so the answers will vary from YES to NO depending on the scope. In the case of music and movies, I think online shopping and downloading via the Internet will one day replace buying CDs in stores. On the other end of the spectrum, large bulky items for sale like building materials and pet supplies (think big bags of dog food), are too heavy to ship without prohibitive costs. Speaking of online shopping, did you hear Amazon.com had a great year? Well that's their story and the media is buying it.

Question: What Are Taiyo Yudens and Why Are They So Hot?

Well Taiyo Yudens are supposed to be the best quality CD and DVD recordable media in the world. They are the company that helped invent recordable media and have remained the world leader. The trouble is that you can’t really buy Taiyo Yudens in stores. Instead they sell their media to 3rd part companies like Verbatim and TDK. The trick is figuring out which company uses them. Luckily CD Freaks.com offers a great posting about where to find TY FAQs.

Question: Where Can I Find a Mac in Every Room?

In one of the fanciest hotels in the world, of course. No seriously, when it opens in 2009, the vegas hotel Fontainebleau will have an Internet connected iMac in every room of its hotel. Why? Because its cool, that's why. Also it shows the importance of web access and interactivity, something that hotels have always had. How? Well think about how the hotel TVs have those special functions to check-in, check-out, order PPV, check the weather and more. Well that's sorta like a mini-net when it comes to your hotel.

Question: Did You See the Foot-in-Brain?

It was the weirdest thing I saw this whole year and I mean -- weird! I watch all the shows on TV -- Medical Incredible, My Incredible Story, etc -- and I've never seen anything like this. You see, there was a 3 day old baby, Sam Esquibel, who had what looked like a tumor in his brain. Doctors operated on it and found something amazing -- a foot, part of another foot, a hand and a thigh were found in his brain. This could be a case of "foetus in foetu" where a twin grows within its sibling. Lets see how long it take before it makes Medical Incredible.

CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW -- VIEWER WARNED!

Question: Can I Really Get SecureZIP for Free and Win Prizes?

PKWARE, the inventor of the .zip standard, is giving away a non-commercial use license of SecureZIP Express and the opportunity to win great prizes in the new “Decrypt and Drive” contest! With SecureZIP Express you can compress/decompress and encrypt files that you store or send. Compressing files is a great way to save storage space, especially on thumb drives and CD’s, and we all have files we should be securing! The software also includes a digital certificate so you can exchange files securely with others without using passwords. Only the person the file was encrypted for can open it when you use a digital certificate. The software is fully licensed for non-commercial use and has no toolbars or spyware! For years, PKWARE has given free .zip software away and wants as many users as possible to receive the benefits of SecureZIP. PKWARE is giving away great prizes including a Honda scooter, bicycles, Wii games, gas cards, and more! Visit www.DecryptandDrive.com to play the game daily and/or download the free software. You need to have SecureZIP, and the digital certificate it installs, on the computer you play the game from. You can also get SecureZIP Express at www.securezip.com Good luck! Hope you win something cool!