The Classier Lava Lamp

After a stressful day, one thing appeals to most people.  It doesn’t matter if they are teenagers or working adults, they couldn’t survive without it.  It’s their bed.  Don’t let stress take over your time for rest.  Sleep is key for alertness and completing everyday tasks.  Without it, the brain would not be able to function at the best of its ability.  So why lose sleep over stress?  RelaxStyle presents the Room Palette effect lamp.  This new lamp projects on walls and ceilings in your bedroom.  It creates a waving effect which simulates being underwater.  This calming lamp is soothing and may help you fall asleep faster after a hard day.

Specs:

• Timer function:  Keep your lamp on for 30 minutes up to 120.
• Uses AA Batteries
• Light Source:  LED

 

Price:  $69

Meet the iClone

Did you know that virtually everything with a microchip in it made in the U.S. is cloned by the chinese? There is no high – tech western product that China’s cloners can’t copy. And now, the Chinese are cloning the iPhone, and their knockoff version might actually be better than the original.

When the iPhone came out, everyone was raving about how good it was. The sleek, no button interface, and the handsome design – just like carrying around a computer in your pocket.

And right after it came out, China’s cloners went to work. Copying every little feature into their new ripped off version of the phone, now soon to be called the MiniOne. It looks exactly like Apple’s iPhone, but promises to be better. It ran popular mobile software that the iPhone couldn’t. It could work with every world wide cellphone carrier, and it promised that it would cost half as much as the original. Also, to be available to 10 times as many consumers. When it first came out, they put it on the internet for a day. A few pictures of it and just some text explaining what it was. Then they took it down, and everyone went into a frenzy of interest. They asked, was it real? Would it go on sale, and could it be better than Apple’s iPhone?

Finally, when they found out, The company behind it, Meizu isn’t wanting to just copy it. They want to make it better. They plan to give it capabilities that go beyond the original phone.

Also, China is ripping off and abundance of cars from the U.S. too. If they didn’t have name tags or logos on them, you could tell which one is which.

Pretty soon, they will be the real thing.

Inside Look: MacBook Air

 Released last month, the MacBook Air has caught the eyes of computer users from around the world.  Referred to as “The World’s Thinnest Notebook”, Air is ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else.  Its uniqueness and features have everyone talking.  In some people’s opinions, it’s as if another iPhone is being released. The Air, which is described as “innovative” by Apple engineers, is a breakthrough in laptop design as we know it.  From bulky old laptops to a notebook that can fit in an envelope, the computer industry has definitely changed over the past two decades.  So you must be thinking, “If it’s so thin, it must have a small keyboard and screen”.  That is where you are wrong.  The sturdy aluminum Air has a glossy 13.3-inch widescreen LED backlit screen.  With 1280 x 800 resolution, you’ll see vibrant and rich colors the moment you open your notebook. A backlit key illumination feature is very helpful when in an airplane or a darkened conference.  If you’re a kid, it’s helpful if you’re sneaking on your computer under your blankets while your parents think you’re asleep.  Along with the keyboard comes the very useful trackpad where you can give the Air multiple commands in easy ways. The internal parts of the notebook are better than ever before.  The battery is thinner but does not lack in life.  It can last up to five hours.  The Air comes with and 80 GB hard drive and 2 GB of RAM.  You will also be able to upgrade to a 64 GM SSD (Solid-State Drive).  With the purchase of the MacBook Air, consumers will also be given Mac OS X with it and creative applications such as iLife. Everything’s so organized with the MacBook Air it helps users a lot and consumes less time.  As well with helpful features, this notebook weighs only three pounds, which I hope you can carry in your arms.  If you can’t, I advise you do not use this the Air for portable use.

A Projector in Your Pocket

The next cell phone you buy now might just have a 100 – inch screen, without the phone getting and inch bigger.

That is the idea behind Microvisions tiny new PicoP projector that can turn a wall, table top, or any flat surface into a digital display from your phone or any hand held device. It is small enough to fit in your pocket and pocket sized gadgets because it uses lasers, a brand new revolution being introduced into projectors. Lasers sip power (as opposed to drink power, like most projectors do) and do away with bulky lenses. Also, the pinpoint beams will always be in focus from any distance.

The tiny handheld projector makes images by mixing pulses of green, red, and blue laser light and bouncing them off a vibrating mirror that fills a screen one pixel at a time. Standard definition video from it draws 24.4 million pixels a second!

In a well lit, bright room, the PicoP is bright enough to display an image 8 to 10 inches. But in a dark, unlit room, it will display an image 100 inches big! Aren’t impressed? – You really have to take in consideration the size of the projector. In case you didn’t realize at first, the PicoP is 0.26 x 0.76 x 1.57 inches big! (about the size of a stack of 3 camera memory cards.)

At first, the PicoP will be bundled with a battery in an ipod sized device that you can carry with you. Many companies plan to sell this at the end of the year. Also, large phone makers, like Motorola, are already teaming up with Microvision to put this new technology in their phones the way cameras are today!

Tech Specs

dimensions: 0.5 by 2.5 by 4.5 inches, in the handheld version

Resolution: 848 by 480 pixels

Refresh rate: 60 frames per second

Price: $300 to $500 estimated

www.microvision.com

Inside Look: Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007

All businesses, whether large or small, need to have excellent organization in order to succeed.  Some people say that Google Docs is the answer.  It is, if you’re in charge of a small committee.  But Google Docs is not recommended for business use.  However, it does have it’s “pros” and “cons”.  To learn more about Google Docs, click here.

 

WINDOWS VS MAC

Based on an educated guess, about 70% of computer users use Windows Operating Systems (98, XP, Vista) while the 30% use Macs.  This is just a comparison between Windows and Mac operating systems only.  The majority of people who use computers have knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office tools.  Examples of these applications are:  Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, and Access.  All of these software applications are very handy and are used everyday.  If you don’t know how to use any of these applications, I suggest you learn as soon as possible because you’ll need it for the future.

 

The new versions of Microsoft Office tools are much better than before.  They have a new look on Vista, and are easy to use, not to mention the power and features that it holds.  Microsoft SharePoint 2007 is a web-based collaboration and document management platform from Microsoft.  It can be used to host web sites which can be used so users can access workspaces and documents.  In other words, you can enter a site for your company team that is filled with a library of documents.  Not only can you collaborate with your colleagues and the documents they created, but you can communicate and contact each other very easily.

 

On your site, you can include schedules and calendar events, tasks that employees must complete, and so much more.  It makes working easier, less stressful, and less time consuming.  SharePoint will keep focused and your productivity will increase dramatically!

 

If you want to make another site for something unrelated to work, here’s an example:

 

Sean plays baseball for his middle school’s junior varsity team.  He’s got practices twice a week and his games will start in the beginning of March.  His mom always wonders where he is when he’s not home and she is.  His extended family are always asking about baseball.  To make things simpler (and maybe even fun) Sean creates a site based on his baseball.  On the site, Sean can include a calendar that shows when his games and practices are.  He uploads a spreadsheet that shows his stats and game information.  He spends a little of his free time posting all of this information and more.  After creating the site and personalizing it, he then sends invitations for his friends and family to gain access to the site.  They post comments, while Sean posts videos of his at-bats, fielding plays, and highlights.  Now, there won’t be any more bugging Sean about baseball.

 

For more information about Microsoft SharePoint or any other Office tools, contact Sean at sean@whatsupwakefield.com.

Image Conscious About Your new TV?

Imagine this – You just bought an awesome new 50 inch plasma, high definition TV and you have it installed in your house and everything. Then, you go about changing all of the settings on the TV to look perfect. Then, out of your surprise, your TV goes black. You know why? You accidentally turned the brightness to zero. Now, standing there worried, you wonder, How am I supposed to change anything when I can’t see it? You have now just accomplished one thing – turning your new thousand dollar Television to a useless piece of good looking furniture, that does…nothing…but sit there and look good.

Now, lets go through this again, except with New TVs that make it easier to get a perfect picture. As the trend of just owning a new Flatscreen TV is wearing off, more people are caring how much the picture actually looks.

Most TVs now have a user menu that does very little, and a hidden menu where you can permanently ruin your set. Now, LG is offering you a break on their new 1.7 inch thin TV sets, some of the thinnest in the world. For example, you can adjust the brightness, and the TV won’t let the screen go completely black or accidentally erase the factory settings. (LG 60 series – see it at www.us.lge.com, $3,000, 47 inches)

Sharp’s new LCD TVs connect to the internet so tech support can adjust them remotely for you. By asking a few facts over the phone, such as the brightness of the room, or what you watch(such as movies, sports, news, etc.) they can optimize the picture for you from your own opinion of how it should look. They can even see if your cable or DVD player is connected properly. (Sharp Aquos LC-46se94U – at sharpusa.com, $3,200, 46 inches)

Now, television makers can take the guesswork out of having to adjust image settings, so you don’t have to. They can help you produce sharper richer images, so you don’t have to higher a professional.

Introducing the New MacBook Air

Let’s think about this for a second. I do believe we are all familiar with the word, “thin.” Thin as in, “adjective, 1.having relatively little extent from one surface or side to the opposite.” The question is, how thin can the new MacBook Air really get? To be exact, the New MacBook air from Apple, Inc. is the thinnest in the world. And, when I say thin, I really mean it too. The MacBook Air, at it’s thinnest point, is 0.16 of an inch! And at its thickest point, 0.76 of an inch. Thats about as much as your index finger. Now do you believe me? The designers at apple had a hard time getting it to that size though. They had to make many features on the Air much more smaller and thinner, of course, such as the battery and the hard drive. Everything on the Air has been reconsidered with thinness in mind. But, unlike most other laptops this thin, it still has a full size QWERTY keyboard, 13.3 glossy widescreen LCD display, and a full size multi-touch trackpad. Also, they have put a new innovative port hatch that flips down to reveal just 3 ports that you really need: a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, and a micro DVI port that supports DVI, VGA, S-video, and composite outputs. Even the MagSafe power adapter has been slimmed to fit the new Macbook Air. Even though it is so small, it still packs a big punch with an 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 gigs of DDR2 RAM. Also, it comes with an 80 gig hard drive and a optional 64 gig solid state drive.

Technical Specs:

• .16 to .75-inch thickness on top
• 12.8 x 8.94 inches
• 3 pounds
• 5 hours of battery life with everything running

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor at 1.6 or 1.8GHz, motherboard the length of a pencil.
• 800MHz frontside bus.
• 2GB RAM 667MHz DDR2 standard.

• 13.3-inch screen, LED backlit.
• 1,280 x 800 pixels
• Micro-DVI adapter (for DVI, VGA, composite and S-Video output)
• Intel GMA X3100 Graphics processor with 144MB RAM shared

• 1.8-inch 80GB HD or 64GB Solid State Drive (no moving pieces, but for a stunning $1,300 price increase!)
• Multitouch trackpad with gestures. Pans, zooms, rotates, etc.
• 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1.
• Optional external HD for $99, USB-bus powered.
• Full backlit keyboard.
• One USB 2.0, one audio port, one Micro-DVI

At just under 3 pounds, and just under an inch thin, the Macbook Air is not just portable, but with you everywhere you need to go.

Skype = Simplicity

Skype (rhymes with type) is a software program that was created by a Swedish and Danish entrepreneur.  Skype allows users to make calls from their laptop to other people.  Not only can you call people on their laptop but you can also contact them on their cell phone as well as landlines.  However, calling to mobile phones and landlines cost a small fee.  Calling other Skype users over the Internet is free of charge.  Some other features that Skype has to offer is instant messaging, file transfer, SMS, video conferencing and secure communication.

I mainly use Skype for conference calls and chats with my friends on professional purposes.  However, we use Google Talk for friendly chats.  Skype is compatible on mostly all operating systems.  This includes Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux x86.  Skype is safe and it doesn’t ask you to disable your security systems such as your firewall so it can operate.  It is secure, not to mention easy to use!  By the numbers, people really trust Skype and its services have many benefits for personal or business use.  As of September of 2007, over 245.7 accounts were active in the world.  Skype is very neat and organized and can also be accessed on your cell phone, which allows you to call people on their laptop while you are mobile.  There are also many tools that Skype offers to users so that they can share with their friends or colleagues.  They serve important purposes, like creating sharing documents fast and easily.

Skype is one of the best Instant Messaging tools on the market right now.  Not only does it give you many features for free or for a small fee, but it is simple to use and makes communication painless.  If you are thinking about starting a business or just want to talk to friends and family, consider downloading Skype on your computer.

Download Skype

Stock Market on Your Computer

Many of you have heard of the stock market, where you buy a portion of a company and as their stock price increases, so does the money in your wallet.  But for those of you who are planning on investing on stocks, or if you are just a competitor, this is for you!   StocksQuest is kind of like a game with money.  Of course, StocksQuest is free and you don’t actually receive money or lose.  Once you have an account, you can join groups and play competitively.  Not only are you competing against opponents, but you’ll be able to learn a few things about the Stock Market.

Let’s walk through the steps of how to register for free and start competing.

Registration

Step 1:  Go to www.stocksquest.com

Step 2:  You’ve just reached to home page of StocksQuest.  To begin the painless registration process, click on Sign Up.

Step 3:  Fill out the registration form.

Step 4:  Now that you have registered, log-in to your My Stocks page.

Play Competitively

Step 1:  You have reached your portfolio named StocksQuest.  This is an individual folder where you can experiment with stocks.  You can reset this folder at any time.  But to play competitively, you need to Join a Contest.

Step 2:  Click on Join a Contest, which is on a bar that looks like blue tabs.

Step 3:  I have created this contest for What’s Up Wakefield’s readers.  You will be asked the Contest Name and the Password.

Contest Name:  wake

Password:  wuw

You’ve now joined the contest.  So, spread the word to friends and family to make this competition more fun.  Good Luck!

iPhone: Bust or Must?

The iPhone is every person in the universe’s dream. The phone’s touch screen was the first in the line up, and now is copied by many. The iPhone’s cost has gone down in the past months, but it has still stayed the same old cool gadget of 2008. Read more

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