I got an email from HP a couple of weeks ago asking if I would like to review the TouchSmart 600 Entertainment Hub ($1510.99) here on my blog. Sure, I thought, that’s interesting.  But then came the payoff: HP wants to give away - to one of you, my fabulous readers - this very same, slim, all-in-one Windows 7 computer, Blu-Ray player, media viewer, and entertainment system.

“Heck yes!” I said. “I’m in.”

So they shipped me one to try. (That’s a video of many of its features above. Check it out to whet your appetite. The touch-enabled applications are best seen in action.) I knew this giveaway would make one of you blog readers happy but I did not expect to suddenly become the most popular person in my own home.

I have a sullen teen and a moody tween so normally the best I can hope for from them is wan smile and a request for money. But being the keeper of this “Entertainment Hub” has improved my popularity ratings considerably.

I installed the TouchSmart 600 in my bedroom (though I think it would be great in a kitchen) because it was the easiest place to put it: There was a small table handy, we already have a home theater downstairs, and there just wasn’t room in my kitchen. The TouchSmart has a 23-inch display and doesn’t take up any more room than an LCD screen that size. It really just has one plug and no extra bits. Not even speakers. But my kitchen is full up. I also thought that the bedroom would be a comfy place to do my review. To my surprise, though, that bit of tech turned what was once just the parents’ bedroom into a hangout — and made me the center of attention.

My daughter and I now enjoy regularly sneaking away from everyone else to watch Bones and Burn Notice via Hulu.com and movies through Netflix.com on it. My son darts in — when I’m not about — to watch YouTube videos. And it has made my mornings more productive by displaying my calendar, email, Twitter stream, and Facebook so I can check in with the world and my upcoming day while I do my hair.

Last night, for example, after my daughter and I played a round of mini-golf in on the TouchSmart via our Wii, we fell giggling into the bed and switched over to Hulu to watch a little 30 Rock. Ava loves to poke the screen and spin through her viewing options using the slick touch-enabled app HP built for Hulu, watching snippets of the shows she’s considering rather than reading summaries in an on-screen menu. She made her selection and climbed happily into bed to watch.

My 13-year old was locked in his room behind a door he recently spray-painted with a black “Keep Out!” message. But I could sense his curiosity about the fun we were having. Eventually, he couldn’t keep up the teen-is-an-island routine anymore and knocked on my door. He stared at us angrily for a minute, glanced at the tossed-aside detritus of our Wii game, the episode of 30 Rock on the screen, and the two of us tucked into the comfy bed. Then he grinned at us. “Move over,” he said and climbed in. And for the first time in weeks, he and I - and more to the point, he and his sister — occupied the same room, the same piece of furniture even - and were happy about it. And people say technology drives families apart.

After I chased the kids off to their own beds, I switched over to Rhapsody to listen to a little music while I read my book. (I’m reading the new John Burdett book, The Godfather of Kathmandu. Anyone else?) HP built a visual music store app to run Rhapsody and Pandora. Poking through albums and artists building playlists with it is fun. (The wireless mouse and keyboard also work from across the room but the touch screen is a blast.)

HP asked me if I thought the Touchsmart lived up to its name “Entertainment Hub.” It certainly does in my setting. And if I had a bigger kitchen – or a less cluttered one – or a smaller TouchSmart, I think it would make a terrific information hub there. I have dreams of using the recipe app to finally gather together recipes from all the Web sites I frequent. But I think playing the Wii in the kitchen would result in a lot of broken dishes.

So how do you get yours? Easy. Tell me what you plan to do with it - if you win - in the comments. I’ll draw a random number from the comments next week. But I’m a greedy blogger and I want lots of comments. So spread the word or I might feel the need to postpone pulling a winner!

Good luck!

73 Comments »

Since I first covered Mint.com here last year, I have become a devotee. (The video above explains how it works in a nutshell.) This financial site (now owned by Intuit) gathers all my financial transaction from all my accounts, loans, and credit cards into one place so I can see in a glance what’s happening in my entire fiscal universe. Since I set it up, I’ve check in on my money almost as obsessively as I check in with my social networks.  Every day, at least once, I hit Facebook, Twitter, then Mint.com to see what my peeps and cash are up to.

Not only do I have a budget and a long-term financial plan now but I know instantly when I’m blowing my budget, endangering that plan, or doing something that will positively impact my financial future. It’s fun.

An announcement on Monday, though, is helping bring my peeps and cash together. Mint.com has announced a social network, forum where I can ask questions and get answers from the folks at Mint.com or other obessive Mint users like me. The question that has been bothering me since I switched to an Android phone is, “Where’s the Android App!?!!!?” And I got right my answer as soon as I landed in the community. (”On the way!”) I was not the only one with this question. So I didn’t even have to ask it. It had already been asked and answered.

Pretty neat stuff.

2 Comments »

A study came across my desk this week that I feel compelled to share. I’ve never really liked the term “feminist” (or the sensible shoes) but this study makes we want to shout something at someone - and maybe carry a pissed-off sign. I no longer show up every day at a job. (I prefer the self-boss scenario.) And, frankly, the sort of data this study exposes is one of the big reasons why. Oh, the tales I could tell. But I won’t. You’ll have to buy me a glass of wine for that. Still, I doubt any of you will be surprised by these findings.

The study — Pipeline’s Broken Promise  — found that , even after all this time and despite lots of education, women are still paid significantly less than men in the work force for no real reason except we are women. The study looked at high-potential MBA grads and found:

“Women lag behind men in both job level and salary starting from their first position post-business school and do not catch up….Even after taking into account experience, industry, and region, the report found women start at lower levels than men, make on average $4,600 less in their initial jobs, and continue to be outpaced by men in rank and salary growth..”

 We knew that, right? But it is still irksome to see it all official and written down. I think it’s a woman’s tendency to think, “Well, I did take some time off when my baby was born. And I got a C in that Latin class in sophomore year.  I’m not the most ambitous person in the room, am I? Maybe I shouldn’t earn as much?”

On that topic, the press release on the report offers, “Parenthood and level of aspiration did not explain the results. The findings held when considering women and men without children as well as those who aspired to senior leadership positions.”

Even if women are willing to accept this status quo (we are not!), it’s no secret that this is hurting the companies who are letting managers make the bone-headed decisions that result in this inequity.

Look what happens? We leave and start our own companies where were don’t have to put up with that sort of Neanderthal thinking. “In her book, When Money Isn’t Enough,” says a report at Score.org. “Connie Glaser reported that male entrepreneurs are motivated by the potential to earn lots of money, while women start their own companies because they seek greater control over their personal and professional lives. ‘Many women feel frustrated by the restraints and the glass ceiling of corporate America,’ says Glaser. ‘They feel like stepping out of that structure.’

Exactly.

So if you are still showing up for work every day, watching that clown in the next cubicle earn more money than you, take this report to your boss. The company you work for, if it isn’t paying you based on what your worth rather than what bits you have, is shooting itself in the foot by not rewarding you for being excellent at your job.

Boss not on your side? Surely, someone in your company has an eye on the future of its bottom line? If not, there are lots of resources to help you start your own business at the Small Business Administration.

And I’m always happy to help with the inevitable technical stuff that comes up along the way.

Send your questions, rants, pleas for help to christina at geekgirlfriends dot com.

3 Comments »

Have relationships gotten more complicated in this era of Facebook, Twitter, and Match.com? Since it’s the day after Valentine’s Day, be sure and check out this retro dating advice video created by the folks at Big Fuel. You’ll laugh. But you might also pick up a couple of pointers. I mean, what girl hasn’t wanted to start a hate group about a guy who dumped her? (Apparently this is childish?) And the temptation to post those photos he asked you to take of him trying on your underwear may be universal but is, again, a tad immature.

Enjoy!

1 Comment »

I recently got a pitch from a public relations professional who works for Weight Watchers. I get this sort of pitch all the time and they are often informative, usually about the product the PR person is being paid to represent. I rarely run them here. But I’m making an exception this time because Charlie pulled together a list of iPhone apps I thought you might want to try out. I haven’t tried any of these because I don’t have an iPhone. So if you take issue with any be sure and direct your ire at Charlie (in the comments. I’ll pass on your message. J )
In a couple of cases, I first want to offer suggestions for those of you who, like me, don’t have an iPhone.

RemembertheMilk.com, which Charlie mentions for its iPhone app, is a nice online tool even if you don’t have an iPhone. I also like Toodledo.com for managing tasks.

And for those of you trying to shed a couple of pounds, using a food diary is a great way to jump start things. I swear by MyFoodDiary.com for this. It has a terrific database of foods and tracks a lot more than calories so you can reign in all your food habits (sodium, trans fats, carbs, or whatever you are tracking.) It will also calculate how much more you can eat when you work out, which is a great motivator. It’s $9.95 a month with a short free trial.

And I love Mint.com for keeping track of finances. It’s a free online tool but offers some great mobile alerts and tools.

And here is Charlie’s list of “Resolution Keeper” apps for the iPhone.

Run Keeper
Stay motivated to keep moving! This free app uses the iPhone’s GPS system to track how far and how long you’ve walked, biked, hiked or ran. Information including pace and duration are stored so users can track progress over time. Notable features include Activity Training, Personal Dashboard, Maps Integration, Activity Sharing, Music and a Manual Input feature for treadmill runs.

Pennies
Stick to your monthly budget with this cute app that illustrates your available funds as a gas gauge that decreases as you spend. Users can record their own expenses in seconds or browse from a pre-filled database of expenses. Users can also add their own expense categories for easier tracking of commonly-purchased items. This application costs $2.99.

Weight Watchers
This free app lets users stay on track with diet and fitness by leveraging official Weight Watchers insights and tools. Everyone, whether or not they’re a Weight Watchers member, can view recipes, articles and success stories, create shopping lists and use Weight Watchers’ cheat sheets and meeting finder. Additionally, Weight Watchers Online and eTools subscribers can unlock additional tools that help them track their plan progress on the go.

Remember the Milk
App users who want to get organized — and stay that way — in 2010 will love this App. Free with a Remember The Milk account, this app lets users sort to-dos, quickly access completed tasks, store notes and auto-link e-mail addresses and phone numbers for one-touch emailing and calling. The app also uses geolocation to sort nearby to-dos, and allows users to store common to-dos in an easily accessible list.

Quit’n'Tell
There are lots of apps to help smokers kick the habit, but this one harnesses the power of social media so those who stick to it can seek support from their friends and family. This free app lets users track how long they’ve been a non-smoker, how much money they’ve saved and how many cigarettes they would have smoked if they haven’t quit. Plus, users can share all of the above on Twitter and Facebook, and also track their friends’ progress.

 

 

No Comments »

Every time I go on a trip – or take a work-at-home-day – I have to stop before I leave my office, gaze into my crystal ball and ask it, “What files will I need while I’m away from my computer?”

My crystal ball is crap. Because more than half the time, I forget the one file I really need. I’ve been thinking about upgrading that crystal ball. But then a technology came along that made my old crystal ball completely obsolete. Now it’s just gathering dust on a shelf, indistinguishable from all the other snow globes.

What is this technology, you ask? It’s a cloud service, actually, call Syncplicity. The company called me in response to something I wrote over at the Gripe Line and set me up with an account so I could try it out.

A month later, I freakin’ love this service.

Here how it works: I installed a bit of software on both my laptop and desktop. Then I told same which folders on my computer I want to keep in sync. I keep all my magazine work in one folder (with a lot of subfolders) and my blogs in another, and etc like that. Not knowing what files I might want in the distant (and not so distant) future, I told it to sync pretty much everything. I did the same thing on my laptop.

So now whenever I change a file or create a new one and save it in one of those auto-syncing folders on either machine, the software automatically copies that file to its server on the Internet. So when I save this file I’m writing right now – the one that will become this blog post you are reading – and save it on my desktop, it will be waiting for me when I get home in case I want to polish a bit on my laptop. I don’t have to upload it, copy it, or even think about it. It will just be there.

It is seriously like magic.

Even if I’m working on my bitty netbook, which does not have the software installed, all I have to do to get the latest version of any file, is log into my Syncplicity  account online. And all my files are waiting for me. So if disaster strikes and my laptop is stolen or my desktop goes caput, my files will not go down with the ship. I can get a new computer and lose no data along the way. I won’t even have to go through an arduous backup restore processs either.

If I’m collaborating with someone on a project (as I sometimes do) I can share the relevant folder(s) with that person and — no matter how many changes either of us make — the file that’s online will always be the very latest one. No emailing files back and forth.

It’s so sweet; it’s the way it should always have been.

Syncplicity set me up with their fancy business account but there is a free personal account that comes with 1GB of online storage.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

No Comments »

Sometimes I think the world has gone “App” crazy. Just yesterday, I responded with urgency to what sounded like an all-out cat fight in my living room. (We have two cats. They do fight but usually in an amiable way.) When I rushed to the fur-flinging scene though, I discovered the ruckus was being caused entirely by my daughter playing with a “cat fight” app on her iPod touch.

“They have an app for everything,” she said, grinning that her plan to get me running had worked so well. It’s true. There does seem to be an app for everything – even simulated animal disagreements. (Weight Watchers sent me a list of iPhone apps recently that looks pretty handy. I’m debating if I should publish them here. I don’t usually publish product recommendations for stuff I haven’t tried myself but this was a handy list. Let me know in the comments if you want it.)

I don’t have an iPhone or an iPod touch. I don’t have an Android phone either so I can’t tap that growing library of Apps either. So – despite the impressive array of gadgets I sport – I sometimes feel left out. So I was very excited by Intel’s announcement at CES that the company has launched an app store for netbooks. I have one of those! The idea is that the company that sold you your netbook can use the developer tools Intel has created to build its own app store. But, by way of a demo to get things rolling, Intel created a beta app store up at Intel.com/appup.

I’ve been trying it out a bit since I got back from CES. And it’s pretty slick. First you have to download a bit of software (available only for Windows XP and Windows 7) and give up a credit card to cover future purchases. But once you do that, you have a nice little store on your netbook that’s fun to browse, organized by real-life categories such as finances, family, and social, and that serves up tools you can use when you are out and about.

I have grown quite attached to the social network app, Yoono, in the week I’ve had it. It gathers together all the social networks I use into one constant stream – or pop-up – on my little netbook making it much easier for me to keep up with what’s going on with my peeps in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and etc.

The app store is a bit sparse at the moment but I’m hoping some of the categories fill in soon – in particular the Health and Financial ones. I’ve been uninstalling some of the software on my netbook – the stuff that’s designed for more powerful machines and that runs slowly there – and hoping I’ll be able to find some light-running apps to replace it with.

I met a bunch of the people behind the AppUp Center at a party at CES and was asked, “What apps do you want to see?” I had a few wine-inspired ideas right then and there – an app that syncs with my Toodledo.com to-do list so I don’t have to log on to tick things off, something that helps me track doctor’s visits for my kids and pets (because the netbook is what I have with me in the waiting room), and now, since I have to keep up with my 11-year-old, something that simulates a cat fight.

But I also promised to ask you what you’d like to see. Got ideas? Put them in the comments.

2 Comments »

I’m completely obnoxious when I get a new pair of shoes. I swing my feet up onto furniture, tap my toes, stand with one foot on display – anything to draw attention to my new foot bling.

Historically, though, I have worn Bluetooth headsets, with exactly the opposite amount of fashion-enthusiasm. These devices are super handy – making phone conversations more pleasant and productive. But I keep the headset in my pocket like a dirty secret. I whip it off the minute I think someone might notice I’m wearing it. And I try to keep my headset-enhanced phone conversations to the car or my own kitchen (where cooking and chatting is a favorite activity.) You know the kind of guy who wears these things like they are some sort of badge announcing how important his phone conversations are to national safety. I don’t want to look like that guy.

Last week, though, Jawbone sent me the new Icon, a Bluetooth headset that comes in six flash colors with names like The Hero (above), The Rogue, and the Bombshell. These are designed to be part of your fashion statement as well as a useful device. I got the Rogue (Below) and I donned that thing as soon as I got it out of the (recyclable) package. I even dropped what I was doing to run to the mirror, fix my hair, and put on some to-match makeup. Then I had to go out in public in it, where I behaved like someone wearing a new pair of shoes. I have honed the sweeping-my-hair-out-of-the-way-so-people-can-see-it gesture to the point where my daughter finally said, “I see it, Mom! It’s cute!” (Does she think I’m a dork? I don’t care.) I actually wear it when I’m not on the phone.

Sometimes when you get a new pair of shoes, something unforeseen makes you like– or hate – them more than you thought you would when you first set eyes on them. With this Icon I have here, I have named that thing, “Rolf.” I have a little crush on Rolf.

You see, in addition to the jewelry-like finish and tempting array of color choices, this headset comes with a voice– one that talks into my ear. And the voice that comes with the Rogue is a mischievous, almost-joking, vaguely European (Austrian?) man. No one but me can hear him but he lets me know how much battery I have left, the status of my headset, and – this bit is way cool – who’s calling (based on their caller ID) when my phone rings. I know he is just a recorded voice but in the same way that my daughter attributes personal histories to her stuffed animals, I picture him following me around in a surveillance van, looking like a darker, European version of Michael Weston on Burn Notice.

If I ever grow tired of Rolf, I can switch him out for a new operative – er voice. All I have to do is connect my Icon to a computer with the USB charger/connector and hit the MyTalk Web site where I can download a new voice. While there, I can also choose some applications that tie to the auto-dial feature on the Icon: 411, a free 411 service, voice dial, a hands-free texting service and Jott.com — a voice-controlled personal assistant. I use Jott.com pretty often to add items to my Toodledo.com to-do list and events to my Google calendar via phone call. So I clicked a couple of buttons to set my Icon to make that call whenever I hold down the button on my headset. It was easy — a matter of a couple of mouse-clicks and a wait of a few minutes.

Oh, gotta go. Rolf is telling me my son is calling…

1 Comment »

There were lots of new eBooks on display at CES. A good thing, I think. And some of them were darn cute – and clever. No one is offering to get you into an eBook for less than $200 (that I saw) but it looks like you will have plenty of choice if you’ve been holding off buying one of these till something came along that you couldn’t resist.

 The Alex ($399)

Spring Design unveiled this dual screen eBook, announcing that it would not only read books but surf the Web. It will run on Android and be able to tap the growing number of Android apps available. It’s wireless – Wi-Fi, 3G, you name it. This one will be available from SpringDesign on February 22.

The CyBook Opus ($250)

This pocket-sized reader from Bookeen supports Adobe books and you can shop for titles at the BooksOnBoard store. 

The Cool-Er eReader ($249)

Cute, handy, colorful, basic eBook reader from CoolReaders. Buy books at a “discount” from the Cooler Ebookstore.

The eDGe (starts at $490)

This slick little number from enTourage has two screens. One is an e-ink reader. The other is a netbook-sized LCD touch screen. It’s wireless (Wi-Fi with support for a 3G modem coming) so you can use it to keep up with email, Web surfing, and your Google Calendar. It comes in a handful of slick colors. (The Ruby red is very tempting but costs $40 more than the base price.) You can preorder one now. It will ship in February.

No Comments »

I attended a surprisingly entertaining Keynote address given by Paul Ottellini (above, not wearing 3D glasses) of Intel at CES last week. Even if keeping up with processors isn’t your thing, it was an entertaining and informative show – complete with a goofy look at the future and a sarcastic visit from the Magic Mirror from Shrek. (If you are interested in listening to the entire thing, here’s a link.) As any geek will tell you – and as Ottellini pointed out in the keynote – Intel is a company driven by Moore’s law. But that sounds so darn nerdy, few people take the time to think about it.

Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit doubles every two years. See? Nerdy.

Or is it?

There are a lot of proclamations in our culture that call themselves “laws.” Some are laws of physics such as Boyle’s Law, which is mostly interesting to SCUBA divers who don’t want to die. Some laws simply state things we all know to be true, such as Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” And then there are laws that ban things like theft and murder. And there are laws that govern the human ability to make a decision and stick to it: contracts. A marriage contract is one of these: Two people make a commitment to go into the future together and sort things out together even though neither can predict what will happen.

With all that talk of “integrated circuits,” it’s easy to mistake Moore’s Law for a law of physics. But it’s more of a marriage commitment-type law. Intel has decided that, no matter what happens – poor economy, no idea how to do it, natural disaster, hell, high water, etc. — it will see Moore’s Law through by doubling the number of transistors it can put on a circuit (inexpensively) every two years. As Ottellini put it in that keynote, “It’s a law that reflects human inventiveness. We’ve been able to advance technology with consistent predictability by embracing the unpredictability of the discovery process. Every two years, we schedule a breakthrough. Each step along the way takes six years to build and costs $12 billion a step.”

Probably more than any other single thing, that idea – decision, commitment, whatever you want to call it – is what is setting the pace for the technical innovation that keeps high-tech moving so fast it’s hard for most of us to keep up.

Last year, the low-cost Atom processor launched the spate of netbooks we are all buying – and loving – right now. This year, the family of processors Intel announced will bring 3D movies to our living rooms, the ability to shoot home movies in 3D, mobile devices that are insanely capable, and computing power to everything from the car to the fridge to the thermostat. I’ll get into more detail on these new technologies as I find time this week. Or you can go listen to Ottellini tell you all about it with a vast array of visual aids, some of them pretty darn silly, right here.)

Right now I want to take one more opportunity to rant about the lack of flying cars in 2010. While I was listening to Ottellini, I realized who is to blame for the complete failure of the future (which is now the now) to provide us with the flying cars we were duped into believing would be here when we arrived. “With all respect to our friends in the auto industry,” he explained (not showing a demo of a flying car). “If their products had produced the same kind of innovation, cars today would go 470,000 miles per hour, they’d get 100,000 miles per gallon, and they’d cost three cents.”

So, by that math, not only would cars be rocket ships, we’d all be able to afford one — or two. That is the future I was promised! Dang you car makers! Where is your commitment?

On the other hand, I am looking forward to getting one of these very Star Trek mobile devices (below) that Pankaj Kedia (doesn’t he look like a rock star?) showed off on Friday. It’s the LG Electronics GW990 smartphone due out later this year. I’ll have more on that phone – and the other devices Pankaj was showing us — later.

No Comments »