Justice for fun- Listen to Judge John Hodgeman- he rules!

I use my iPod to fill the empty space in my day- driving to and from work, weeding the garden, painting a bedroom or listening to the wife (just kidding, honey). I fill it with all sorts of podcasts dealing with history, science and tech news of the day. But my player is not just filled with serious subject matter, I have more than a few podcasts I listen to because they amuse and suprise me and keep me laughing through my chores and drudgery.

One of my favorites is "Judge John Hodgeman". You might know him as "PC" on the famous Apple ads from not too long ago. Turns out, Mr Hodgeman is a Yale man and is deeply thoughtful and hilarious at the same time. As a bit of fun, he produces, along with some friends, a podcast where he is the judge and presides over a court of silly disagreements. Topics in the recent past have included How to Peel a Banana Correctly, Is a Machine Gun a Robot and Should my Dad Make me Watch Classic Movies. He has a blaiff sidekick who adds his two cents to the case and introduces and explains each case to the listener.

This show is guilty of being hilarious
(source: maximumfun.org)

Each case is real in the sense the people bringing the case are genuine and the interplay is not scripted. No outcome is promised and the only award a "winner" might get is the satisfaction that his/her side of the case is the correct one in the eyes of His Honor, Judge Hodgeman. The banter between the judge and the litigants is snappy and smart and it appeals to the intelectual in me as some of the theories or ideas introduced force me to think on a higher plane and that makes the humor even sharper to me.

You can download the episodes on iTunes or in the Zune Marketplace or you can go to the website directly and play each episode there, no iPod required- although a speaker is necessary.

You can hear the entire list of shows by going here to listen to the funniest courtroom you've ever heard and you'll find it to be your newest "guilty" pleasure.

Court's Adjourned.

An Android tablet alternative to the iPad from Archos.

Think tablet and most of us think iPad. This isn't surprising as iPad has had a long time to build the name recognition and ingrain itself into the mind of the consumer. Those who build Android devices have only now gotten started on producing competitors that even start to approch the capabilities and ease of use of Apple's offering.

Looking on the horizon, there are literally hundreds of models just out of sight that are ready for their debut in the marketplace. By this time next year, we'll be knee deep in 5, 7, 10 and even 12" Android devices. But, there is a manufacturer that offers Android tablets right now and in a variety of sizes too.

Their biggest problem? Marketing.

Archos has been around for years and virtually no one had heard of them in the United States (have you?)and that's a shame. With offerings that range from MP3 players no larger than a stick of gum to full sized tablets , Archos seems to be running under the radar of the common consumer.

Sticking to the Android theme, Archos has platforms with 2.5". 3.2" and 4.3" screens that appear and operate exactly like a typical Android cell phone- without the phone part. Relying on wifi for an internet connection, these are able to use most of the same apps with the same performance and results as a $75/mo. cell phone would provide.

Moving up in size, 5, 7 and 10 inch models are available that mimic the tablet form factor and some of them have memory up to 250G in size (the iPad maxes out at 64G).

The Archos 101 internet tablet
(source: Engadget)

Is it better than the iPad? No- not yet. Most of the tablets aren't on the Honeycomb version of Android software (yet) and the ease of use may not be at the Apple level for awhile. But for those of use who could use the utility of the Apps without the inflated costs of cell phone service, the Archos line deserves your consideration, especially when you consider the model most comparable to the iPad (the 10" model) comes in at $300 less than the model from Cupertino.

I'm looking at getting one to keep near the couch upstairs for casual browsing, checking e-mail and other impulsive, light duty computer use.

BTW, I found an interesting review of the internet tablet in the photo. Go here to see it.

Go to the Archos site here and maybe next time someone mentions a tablet computer, you'll think of more than the iPad.

Eat Cheap- Spend a few bucks at Restaurant.com to save big bucks at your local eatery!

There are two things I love in this world besides my wife and kids: saving money and eating out. If I can do both at the same time, even better. Lately, what with gas prices going sky high and my new job, money has been a little tight lately, so when I was on the lookout for different ways to save money and still do what I love, my friend Allison came to the rescue.

Thank you Allison!
(source: unknown)

She told me about Restaurant.com. Here's an example of how it works: Buy a $50 gift certificate for $10 from the long list of restaurants in your area. They have a contract with Restaurants.com to accept the certificate and in the unlikely event your certificate is denied, you'll get your money back. You can search for a place by name or zip code.

Is it legit? Allison seems to think so and has used the service several times with full satisfaction. Also, the site has more than 18,000 "likes" on Facebook, so that's promising.

There are a few minor catches: all are local restaurants (no chains that I could find), Drinks are not included and the tip is to be computed before the discount is taken- although this is standard for all discounts. Finally, you have to spend a up to certain amount before you can redeem the certificate (easy with a family). This is Ok with me as we have several locally-owned favorite places we frequent and one well-liked Mexican restaurant three blocks from my house is on the list, so you can be pretty sure I'll be buying a certificate soon.

BTW, if this seems like a commercial for the site, it isn't. I have no connection whatsoever with Restaurant.com. I just love saving money and feeding a family of five ain't cheap and if there's a way to keep a few dollars in my pocket and frequent a local business, I'm in.

Go to Restaurant.com here and don't forget to tip your waiters!

Movie trailers- see both current and future releases right now!

Spring is in the air and Summer is not far off and for many fans these seasons are are great time to catch a movie and be swept away by Hollywood magic. One of my favorite times in a cinema is to see the trailers for movies about to debut at my local theater.


This very theater was my local movie house as a kid.
(source: modbee.com)

 But you don't have to pay $8 to see what's coming in the next few months. For movies lovers like me (and you), Yahoo! offers a movie service that debuts trailers and clips from future releases for your enjoyment. Most of the trailers are for film just a couple of months out from release but a few are from film scheduled for much farther out and at least give you an idea of what is in production for Christmas or even summer 2012.

Now, there are other websites that offer a similar service, but for my money, Yahoo!'s movie website is the easiest to navigate, simplest to use and provides a better overall ecperience for me when all I want to do is see the darn trailer!

You'll be able to see clips from movies like the new Pirates of the Carribean installment, Captain America, Apollo 18 and Kung Fu Panda 2 (that last one is for my kids- really) , plus more are added every day. If I had to guess, I'd say that 50 or 60 trailers are available for current and future releases. You can also buy tickets, get the latest news and photos and see blogs on films and Hollywood.

Go to Yahoo! Movies to see the trailer that catches your fancy. After all, if you're going to spend an ever increasing amount of your money for tickets, a little research can help you make a better choice.

Shhhh! Movie's starting...

The Family Handyman magazine and website- the DIY person's secret weapon.

Our last house had what my wife calls "potential". In our marraige, this is shorthand for "the husband is in for a lot of work to get this house just the way the wife wants it". When we purchased the home, it was the model home for the development...in 1967! Very little had been done in the way of modernizing and it was up to me to develop this potential. The kitchen, bathrooms, entry and other parts of the home needed a major redo. As a do it yourselfer, I'm average, but there were times when I need just a bit more information or a handy tip or two to get the result just right.

Ladies love a guy who is handy- that's what
my wife tells me, anyway.
(source: TFH)

Luckily for me, the answer is just a few clicks away. For decades now, the national magazine The Family Handyman has been a fixture on store shelves and is well known for clear, easy to follow instructions for all manner of home improvement projects, from toilets to drywall to plumbing and roofs. The problem is keeping all of these publications organized according to subject and then having it available when you need it.

But The Family Handyman has all of this solved for you...and for free! Virtually thousands of "how-to" articles are kept on The Family Handyman website for your perusal and printout. Need to know about power tools? Sure, it's in there. What about installing a home theater? No problem- it's there too. Just about any topic is covered and in the unlikely event you do happen to stump the search function, you can always join the FH online community where someone is certain to have the information you seek. To search for your particular subject is easy- at the top of the homepage is a large search window- simply fill it out with words matching the topic of your choice.

Personally, I have used both the magazine and the online home of TFH to help me renovate three bathrooms, drywall an entry, plant just the right flowers at just the right time and ensure that the ceiling fan I was installing was done safely and correctly. Go to The Family Handyman website here to save time and effort and make you the DIY hero of your house.

BTW, I showed my wife the 1st draft of this post and she said it had "potential". Sigh...back to work!

iPad2 Review- Is it really new or just an update?

When the original iPad debuted (iPad1?) , no one really know what to make of it. Is it a computer in your hand or is it a little laptop, minus the keyboard? I'm not sure even Apple knew, although they claimed it was an entirely different kind of computing system from the start.

Soon, however, the iPad became enormously popular for millions of buyers who made the best use of the iPad's ideal size, weight and long battery life. Apps by the tens of thousands were written for all manner of purse and purpose specifically for the iPad's large screen and computing power.

See? I told you it came in white.
(courtesy: Engadget)

So, now we are given the iPad2 even as rumors of an iPad3 introduction this fall continue to swirl around the Silicon Valley. Thinner, lighter and with two cameras, the iPad2 also comes in a new optional color too- white- to go along with the classic black and silver colors of the original. Everything seems to be tweaked a little bit faster and more powerful, but not really the huge boost one would expect from an upgrade that apparently has earned the right to go up one whole number.

But, with competition from the Motorala Xoom and dozens of other competitors about the enter the tablet market, it's going to get really interesting from here. Not all are based on Android (although most are), but all boast fast speed, long battery life and the ability to match or exceed the Apple iPad2.

It's gonna get interesting, but until then, Engadget has the full review of the iPad2 here.

New Apple computers for 2011- Is this the best yet?

Most of the world uses computers based on Windows but you wouldn't know it if you ever spoke to an Apple fan. This species of computer user is known to be both loyal and rabidly interested in all things Apple. Normally, they own an iPhone, an iPod, a Mac computer, Mac TV, etc. This person is known as an "Apple Fanboy".

Faster, smarter but definitely not cheaper.
(source: Apple)

Well, the fan base just got some new candy for them to digest and drool over until the new iPhone and iPads are introduced in the next few weeks. It's been about a year since Apple updated their computer line and today they announced a host of improvements, changes and new products to the lineup for 2011.

Macworld.com has the facts on today's announcement and what it means for the Apple faithful who look forward to paying much more than anyone else for their computers because they are convinced that there is nothing better in the world for them.

Go to Macworld.com now to see what all the fuss is about and maybe you'll catch the Apple bug too.

Google secrets- finding there's more than search

(source: Google)

Google is the #1 search engine on the planet, bar none.

But, there is so much more to Google than search. Google owns YouTube and Picasa and many other webistes and services that are all intergrated into the family in one way or another. Examples include:

- Google Docs. Create and store your documents in the web. With all of the tools and abilities of Word. You can also access your documents from any computer in the world (via the internet) or share them with friends and co-workers too.

- Google Earth. See satellite images of virtually any place on Earth in very high definition and up close too.

- Calendar- stay on track with this easy to use organizer.

- Patent search. It is what it sounds like- search US patents going waaaay back..

- Google Body- see a 3D representation of the human body and explore it in fantastic detail... ick.

Didn't know Google offered so much variety did you? Well, there's more- 30+ more services by my count. Free websites, free e-mail, free free free!

It's easy enough to find. Just click here and go.

Or you could search for it on Google, I guess.

Lifehacker.com- Tips for making your life easier.

A hacker is someone who changes and adapts technology for their use and convenience. A lifehacker is someone who changes and adapts anything for their use and convenience.

Need to make a computer stand out of chopsticks? No problem.

Want to make a lamp out of a can of Tuna? Sure.

How about the secret tricks that makes iPad work better? Yup. A lifehacker can do all that and more.



(source: Lifehacker.com)



Want to be a lifehacker too? Simply go to the Lifehacker.com website for thousands of tips, tricks and hints to make different facets of your life easier and more interesting. Topics tend to lean somewhat on the tech side, but there are still thousands of entries for such non-tech topics like cooking, decorating, relationships, car repair, hair care and on and on.

Most articles are short, but detailed enough to achieve the article's stated goal. If needed, videos are embedded in the site and several topics are added each day.

If you have a tips you would like to submit, Lifehacker makes it easy with a large, blank window at the top of the page. Who knows? You might be the one explaining how to paint a bathroom with 3 band-aids, a paper towel and some dryer lint.

Go here to see Lifehacker.

The Roku Box- Cable programming without the cable cost?

The mysterious "Little black box" is legendary. Investigators look for it when a plane crashes and it seems to be the brains for all of the new cars made today. It sits there and we don't know really what it does, but it always seems to work for us and make our lives somehow easier.

Well, to add to that legend here is another black box called the Roku.

The Roku little black box.
(source: Amazon)

The Roku is an electronic appliance- a black box, no less-  that uses the wireless internet in your home to connect to thousands of sources of video content across the globe. It sits quietly near your TV and delivers full 108op High Definition quality video to any television (now, whether or not your TV is 1080p capable is up to you).

Set up could not be simpler: plug in the box to your TV's video and audio inputs, connect to your wireless internet and that's it! You now have access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, MLB, NHL, listen to your music on iTunes and thousands of other sources provided to you instantly. Some, like Netflix and Hulu Plus charge a small monthly fee, others provide their content for free and more providers are added all the time.

Lastly, the cost of the Roku is the greatest, best shock- Full 1080 HD television for under $100. Plus, a basic Roku with standard definition and fewer of the bells and whistles can be had for $69.99. If I were you, I'd pop for the extra $30 and get the best box with the most stuff. Amazon has all of the flavors of Roku for sale and you can find it here.

Ironically, the only reason you'll continue to need cable is for the internet connection to keep you Roku well fed.

Motorola Xoom. Finally, a Competitor for iPad? We'll see...

For the past couple of years, the Apple iPad has had the tablet market (which it invented) to itself.

But no more. On the very near horizon, there are dozens and dozens of manufacturers tooling up for their version of the tablet for a piece of the consumer pie and the vast majority of these makers will be using the "Honeycomb" version of the Android opreating system. This is a variation of the same smartphone operating system found on so many cell phones these days. It was especially created for tablets and made available to tablet makers for free.



The Motorola Xoom
(source: Motorola)



Why free? Android is an open source software, meaning that anyone who wants to use it may- at no cost. This can save a tech company hundreds of millions in development costs and allows small companies to play in the same playground as the big boys.

The first player to produce a Honeycomb tablet (all previous Android tablets ran on ver. 2.2, a smartphone-only version scaled up for tablets) hits the market next month and it's called the Motorola Xoom.

 Pronounced "zoom", Mototrola hopes this newest entry will be the first to take away marketshare from Apple and give them a leg up on the competition. Problem is, no one outside of Motorola has had a chance to use one yet, so no reviews are available.

For the latest on the Xoom, click here for information on specs, pricing and availablity and make a decision for yourself if the Xoom makes your heart zoom or fizzles to a pop.

The Future of Automotive Tech- Is your Car a Rolling PC?



My first car was a 1979 Chevy Monza with a 231 cubic inch V-6 and no air conditioning. However, it did come with an AM radio. Let's revisit that again- it came with an AM only radio. I had to live with that for about 6 months (ah, teenage impatience) until I could save enough money from my job at Jack-in-the-Box to buy a Craig AM/FM/Cassette with two speakers. And that was the extent of the technology in my car.



Where's the Craig AM/FM radio?
(source: insideline.com)



That's no longer the case in today's cars. Now, you can buy new cars with built in computers, intergrated wifi hotspots and voice contolled accessories that recognize 10,000 different phrases. But, even that is not the cutting edge anymore.

I wrote a blog post about a week ago regarding the Consumer Electronics Show with all of the whizbangery for consumers at home. But there's a substantial portion of the show dedicated to auto electronics that make a rolling wifi hotspot seem like my old AM radio.

 Insideline.com has the scoop on all of the latest news on the best gadgets for the car offered at CES last week. Go here to see the latest tech for your ride.

Oh, remember that Chevy Monza? It caught fire and burned up, but that's a story for another day.