Cool Gadgets and Apps for Lil’ Ole Me!

Posted on January 17, 2013 by MarleneMB

If you are like me, working with too many wires can be dangerous to your health. Eventually, you will get tangled up and perhaps injure yourself and possibly break whatever is attached to the other end of those wires. As a speaker, one sometimes has images of tripping over microphone or speaker wires. This past Holiday Season, I treated myself to a couple of gadgets and downloaded a software application (App) that help me in my speaking, seminar and Webinar presentation events.

The first one is the LG (HBS-730) wireless headset that I got at the Sprint store. I know, I could have both it on Amazon, but they had a buy one get one free deal going (I can admit that I’m a sucker for BOGO deals… ask Publix Supermarket). This headset connects via Bluetooth to my droid phone, iPad and Mac laptop. I can speak hands and wire-free to someone on the phone or the computer. Folks on the other end of the call, generally say that the call comes across with great clarity (the call quality, not necessarily my conversation, ha). I also use it to listen to my music and audio files. The charge life, from my experience, has been about three days of heavy use and up to five or six days of light use! Hallelujah!!!

As I tested the headset out while at the Sprint store, I heard music coming from this small round, oblong shaped box. It was a wireless speaker and the output was amazing to me. Have you ever gone to speak or play a video, as part of your presentation, and the speaker was poor or none existent? Guess what my friends, this little gadget is a very powerful tool. JBL makes this neat, portable speaker (JBL Flip) that pumps out sounds that can fill an 850 sq. ft. room, easily. Again it connects via Bluetooth to any device that requires speakers and has the Bluetooth capability. It also has a built in Mic for hands-free calls on Skype, etc. Did I mention that is rechargeable and does not require you to plug it for it to work? Once charged (about 3 hours to fully charge) this little speaker, which fits effortlessly into my business case, works without having to plug it into an outlet! Happy, happy, joy, joy!

After paying for my affordable gadgets, I took them home and played with them. As I fiddled with the JBL Flip on my iPad, I wonder if there is an app that turns the iPad into a microphone. I found that, yes; there are a few out there. The one I selected is Megaphone that you can find in the Apple App Store. It works in that you can use it as a microphone, but I get painful feedback when the volume button on the iPad is set to high. With the volume button turned lower, it is not loud enough for use in a large area. I also wish it would connect with my JBL Flip speaker to project over a greater distance; alas, it doesn’t. Good news, it was free! I don’t feel to bad about its performance.

What gadget or App do you find to be useful to you? Please share it with us!

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Wireless Technology in a Hurricane. Really?

Posted on October 31, 2012 by MarleneMB

With the power outages so many folks are experiencing due to the damages to the electrical transformers and the power grids that were in the path of Hurricane Sandy; I noticed that people are scrambling to find power source for their mobile phones. Many have cut off their traditional wired phone lines to save cost and to be wire-free and remain more mobile. But there is still that thing called electrical supply that still keeps us wired.

When I decided to cut off my wired-line and install a VoIP phone in my home, I agonized over it. Working in the telecommunications industry for so many years, I know that having that wired-line is a great thing during a power outage most often than not. The wired-line often gets its electrical supply from the phone company. These companies usually have generators and battery back up that will usually stay running when the electricity goes off. This means calls could still be sent and received.

Now that I have a VoIP-based service, I am in the same situation as someone with just a mobile phone. If the power goes out, my line will be down and my mobile phone will run out of juice. Yes I received a small battery back up unit with the VoIP service, but this has a short supply life. Now I am thinking if it’s worth it to get the basic line and have it siting there for such a situation. After all, I am living in Florida, the state that sits in the path of hurricanes coming off the coast of Africa, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico! While I mull this over, I will keep my fingers crossed and keep praying that we keep having the luck that they continue to pass us by. Even more so, I hope that we come up with a better way to charge our devices via solar technology.

What do you think?

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New Technology, Old Fashion Touch

Posted on October 20, 2012 by MarleneMB

I like having gadgets and using things technology brings us. I like hooking up the surround sound on my stereo and television, and figuring out where all the wires go. In my opinion microwaves, washers/dryers and air conditioning are some of the best inventions ever. They make life seem easier, more convenient and more comfortable. Yet, sometimes doing things the “old fashion” way is the best.

I remember when I bought one of those automatic garbage cans that open by waving your hand over the sensor. It worked really well, until one day a family friend came over and tried to open it manually. He didn’t know how it operated; thus, he broke it. I replaced it with another one and someone dropped the top. This caused the battery compartment to break. I finally gave in and bought a garbage can that requires you to step on the foot lever and it opens. It is working perfectly fine! The same thing happened with the electric can openers. The electric ones broke so easily or they wouldn’t work if the light went out. I replaced them with a manual one that is wonderful. It cuts the cans and the cans open with smooth edges. I have it now for years and it still working well.

Sometimes we need to view social media the same light. It is good to be able to connect with others virtually. Social media has helped us advance our relationships beyond our traditional neighborhoods. I am able to re-connect with old friends and family members that I have not seen in years. It is fun to share information and get caught up on life’s events.

Still, social media and technology should not replace the human contact. As one of my friend said today: “Technology changes, but human nature stays the same.” People still want to have a real hug, to see a real smile, to exchange a firm handshake face to face. We are definitely social beings. Social beings that adapt to using technology, but beings that need the old fashion touch! This weekend make sure you give someone a big hug the old fashion way.

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