Gadgets

5 Tips to Clean Your Cell Phone (Trust Us, You Need To!)

By All You Magazine 
 Healthy Living 

                                               
                                            How to Clean Your Cell Phone

 

Did you know? Your cell phone-you know, that thing you're constantly holding to your cheek and tapping away at-has 18 times as much bacteria on it as a toilet seat. Since we're in the process of spring cleaning our homes, we decided now was the perfect time to de-germ our phones, too.

• First things first. Before you get into cleaning mode, research your phone. "It's always a good idea to do a quick search for cleaning instructions for your model with the cellphone manufacturer," says Lori Philbin from republicwireless.com. "Some companies, like Apple for example, use glass on both sides of the device, so you wouldn't want to use alcohol to clean it." You should also turn off your phone, remove the case and the battery if you're able to before cleaning. And if your phone is cracked, you shouldn't attempt to clean it yourself, since you could permanently damage it. 

• Make a DIY cleaner. Do you have a phone with a keypad? (If so, lucky you-they're much easier to clean than touch screens!) David Bakke, a tech expert from moneycrashers.com suggests making a DIY cleaning formula of one-part water and one-part rubbing alcohol, then dipping a Q-tip in the mixture to lightly clean the keys. You can use that same formula to wipe down a plastic cellphone case. "Rub the area where your battery sits, as well as the battery cover, with a dry cotton swab," says Bakke. "You can use a water-dampened cotton swab to clean your camera lens, as well." In a pinch, a piece of tape is also handy for removing dust, crumbs or fingerprints from your keypad and other crevices on the device. 

• Prevent germs from taking over in the first place. You probably received a microfiber cloth in the box when you first bought your phone-use it to quickly erase fingerprints and smudges. If you lost yours, there are plenty to be found on Amazon (here's a two-pack for $5.49). PhoneSoap also makes an antibacterial polish ($14.95 at phonesoap.com) that prevents new germs from growing on your screen, so you won't have to wipe it down as frequently. Bonus: It also makes your phone crazy-shiny!

• Protect your touch screen. Since you're constantly touching your phone's display, it gets dirtier than any other part of the device. So using a screen protector is just as important for protecting against germs as it is for unsightly scratches. Look for one with an Olephobic layer, which repels oil and makes cleaning easier (try Ballistic Glass screen protectors, $15.95 for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Nexus at techarmor.com). We've also found inexpensive screen protectors on Amazon and eBay, where they frequently sell for just a few dollars each. 

• Clean your touch screen. Screen protectors are great, but if you've already been using your touchscreen without one, you need another way to de-germ it. Luckily, several companies make smartphone cleaners that are designed specifically for touch screens. Tech Armor sells a cleaning kit that includes pre-moistened cleaning wipes and a gel screen cleaner ($12.95 at techarmor.com) and iKlear has non-toxic cleaning products for a variety of electronic devices (prices start at $9.95, iklear.com). If you have a household of gadgets that need to be cleaned, you could save money in the long run by investing in a UV cleaner. While pricier, Phone Soap's UV Charger kills all the bacteria on your phone in five minutes ($59.95 at phonesoap.com) and Verilux makes a portable UV wand that can be quickly swiped over your device to sanitize it ($39.95 at verilux.com).

How Are 7-Inch Tablets Doing?

Gadgets

How Are 7-Inch Tablets Doing?

By BRIAN X. CHEN 

October 19, 2012

 Apple is widely expected to introduce a smaller, cheaper version of its iPad on Tuesday, perhaps in response to the crop of 7-inch tablets that have popped up in the last year. But how are those tablets even doing anyway?

It turns out that the number of seven-inch tablets sold by each of Apple's major competitors is small compared to the number of iPads it has sold.

To date, Apple has sold about 84 million iPads. Amazon's Kindle Fire, the second-best-selling tablet, has sold about seven million units; Barnes and Noble has sold about five million Nook tablets; and Google has sold about three million Nexus 7 tablets, according to estimates by Forrester.

That's about 15 million tablets across three companies. And while no single company presents a major threat to Apple yet, it's not a number to sneeze at - after all, that's 15 million more iPads that Apple could have sold. So it makes sense that the company is preparing its own smaller tablet at a lower price, said Sarah Rotman Epps, a Forrester analyst.

"Apple is smart to be acting before it gets to be more of a problem," she said.

Steve Jobs once dismissed seven-inch tablets, saying they were "tweeners" that were too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad. Several sources have said Apple's smaller iPad will be 7.85 inches, which is a bit bigger than 7 inches but might still be considered a "tweener." Would these sell nearly as well as the current iPad?

Stephen Baker, an analyst with the NPD Group, thinks smaller tablets are a viable category because they cater to people who don't want to spend too much money on a tablet, or those who just want something smaller to carry with them everywhere.

Ms. Rotman Epps agreed. She said a 7.85-inch iPad could also broaden the product's appeal to women because it would most likely fit in a purse.

The Best of CES 2013

Gadgets

The Best of CES 2013

The Coolest Tech at CES 2013

 

By Eric Adams

Men’s Health sifted through tens of thousands of new products rolled out at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to find the stuff that YOU need to know about. Take a gander at the greatest computer gear, audio hardware, and health and fitness equipment. (Note: most of this gear is scheduled for release in 2013, and in most cases the pricing hasn’t been set yet.)

iRiver On

    
iRiver is the first manufacturer to tap the new fitness-monitoring technology created by Valencell. Instead of using a heart-rate monitor embedded in a chest strap, these trick earbuds analyze bloodflow in your ear to produce accurate heart-rate, blood pressure, and oxygenation data, among other useful metrics. Expect to see this tech spreading fast.

 

 

Parrot Flower Power

Parrot, a French manufacturer of Bluetooth equipment, always surprises us at CES. First it was its smartphone-controlled AR.Drone quadricopter. Last year they introduced sensational wireless earphones designed by Philip Starck. This year, they come to the rescue of neglected houseplants with a Bluetooth-equipped soil sensor. The Flower Power measures sunlight, humidity, temperature, and fertilizer in potted plants our outdoor gardens, and alerts when you need to start giving your greenery some love. The botanist-developed database of 6,000 plants ensures even the most exotic terrarium is covered.

Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/techlust/ces-2013-0?cm_mmc=DailyDoseNL-_-1167588-_-01142013-_-2013BestGadgets-dek#ixzz2I5t5TW9L

Gadgets

Unplug Your Laptop Forever in 7 Steps

by Jaymi Heimbuch

http://www.howstuffworks.com/unplug-laptop-steps.htm 

Unplug Your Laptop Forever in 7 Steps

How freeing would it be to unplug your laptop from the grid...forever? Not just for a couple hours until your battery dwindles, but for good. While it takes a bit of work and forethought, it's not impossible. Here's how you can do it.

 

1. Get a Backup Battery

A backup battery is a must so that you're sure to never be without power when you need it. This doesn't have to be a second laptop battery - though that would work perfectly well and be a better option. A backup battery can also be a battery pack that will store power and recharge your existing laptop battery when you start to run low. One option is the Power Gorilla - this device stores power for your laptop while on the go, and hooks up with the Solar Gorilla for gathering a charge.

 

2. Charge Your Batteries with Solar

You're going to need to get your power from somewhere, and the most abundant resource is the sun. Invest in a high quality solar charger - or better yet, invest in two so that you're sure to have enough power at all times. We have quite a few suggestions for solar chargers strong enough to recharge your laptop. Be sure to always have a charger in the sun and gathering up energy. Every hour of sunlight that goes by without the solar charger gathering it up is that much less power you'll have when you need it.

These two steps - charging with off-grid power and having a backup power source - are the two biggest components of unplugging your laptop for good. The next steps involve doing things that will make what power you generate and store last as long as possible.

 

3. Choose an Energy Efficient Operating System

In order to spare your battery, you'll want to upgrade to the most energy efficient operating systems. Turns out Windows 7 is touted to be more energy efficient, helping batteries last as much as 11% longer. Additionally, Snow Leopard makes Macs run more efficiently, cutting back energy use by about 10%.

 

4. Set Your Laptop for Energy Efficiency

There are a couple little tweaks you'll want to make to ensure your laptop will stretch the battery power. They include shortening the amount of time your laptop runs before slipping into hibernation, shutting off the screen saver, and other little tricks. Greening your laptop settings will go a long way in helping you stay unplugged.

 

5. Surf the Web with Energy Efficient Browsers

It matters even what browser you use for surfing the web. A survey showed that some browsers are more energy efficient than others. If you're using a PC and want to really spare your laptop battery life, consider using IE8 (yes, it may be a painful prospect, but consider it). If you're set against it, Firefox is the next best option. If you're on a Mac, Safari is probably one of your most energy efficient options.

 

6. Downloads that Save Energy

There are a few great programs you can download that help you keep your laptop running at its most energy efficient, such as SetPower. The various options include features such as setting when your computer slips into sleep mode, tracking your energy use so you can see when you aren't being as efficient as you could be, and shutting down your computer at certain times. Utilizing programs like these that do some of the energy efficient thinking for you can help stretch your battery charge.

7. It's the Little Habits that Help

The next thing is all the little steps that help out. For instance, dim your screen brightness as much as possible without straining your eyes. Turn your laptop completely off - rather than just shutting the lid - when you aren't using it. Do all you can to keep your laptop cool, such as putting it on a stand or using a Thermapak, since overheating saps power. Do you love spending time on Facebook? There are even ways to be more efficient there so that you spare your battery life. And of course, only use your laptop when you need it - get out and enjoy the "real" world rather than sit on the computer - now that will spare your battery charge!

Thinking of all the tiny ways you can spare whatever energy you can will all help you to go off-grid for good.

Umbrella Coat Raincoat -- Combines an Umbrella and Raincoat in One Piece of Rain Gear

Gadgets 

Always getting wet on your way to a meeting , school or work because of the rains? Here's a a cool gadget for your convenience... check it out!

 

Umbrella Coat Raincoat -- Combines an Umbrella and Raincoat in One Piece of Rain Gear

 

By KARIN HALPERIN

Nov. 14, 2011

Let's face it: Most umbrellas are seriously faulty. They bend, they break, they jam, they poke people in crowds. Hit with an onslaught of wind and rain, they turn inside out. What's more, umbrellas have to be held, leaving only one hand free to carry groceries, keys, a briefcase, coffee -- even a baby or Shih-Tzu -- through rain-soaked streets.

What has frustrated many about this everyday weapon against rain inspired Greek designer Athanasia Leivaditou to tackle the umbrella problem head on. The result? The Umbrella Coat Raincoat.

Living in Athens, Leivaditou never had to think very much about rain. It wasn't until she moved to New York City to study advanced architectural design at Columbia University that she realized what heavy rain meant. 

"Rainy days put a strain on my movements. I had to hold the umbrella and do other things at the same time," Leivaditou said in an email to ABCNews.com. "Instead of getting frustrated with the physical constraints that my body imposed in such situations, I thought that I should come up with a solution. When I came back to Greece a couple of years later, the idea of inventing a useful tool against rain came back to mind." 

Vassilis Makris

The Umbrella Coat Raincoat by Greek designer...  View Full Size

Vassilis Makris

The Umbrella Coat Raincoat by Greek designer Athanasia Leivaditou -- combines an umbrella and raincoat in one item.

 

Made of waterproof synthetic leather, the Umbrella Coat Raincoat combines an umbrella and a raincoat in one piece of rain gear. Not only does it provide head-to-toe coverage and leave both hands free to carry or do whatever, the Umbrella Coat Raincoat can be adapted to offer varying levels of protection. In a heavy downpour, the full-length raincoat can be converted into an adjustable jumpsuit -- cut low or high in the legs, depending on the level of water in the streets. A clear plastic membrane extends from the umbrella hood to shield the face, while strings keep the hood secure so that it doesn't collapse -- or turn inside out! -- in strong winds.

"The main object of this product design is to serve people's needs," said Leivaditou, a designer who takes practicality to a whole new level.

Her wet weather getup, serviceable to the extent that it looks as if it could be worn by someone who handles radioactive waste, is also weirdly stylish -- the umbrella hood unfolds like stretched bat wings, and at a three-quarter angle resembles a flying disk.

A winner in the Silver A' Design Award and Competition last month, the Umbrella Coat Raincoat is hardly Leivaditou's first attempt at trying to reinvent the ordinary.

She also designed the Life/Desk Convertible to Bed, and yes, it's a desk that turns into a bed: The desktop extends out, the front goes flat and becomes the base for a mattress, while one of the sides slants to become a headboard -- ideal for anyone needing a siesta on the job.

As for the Umbrella Coat Raincoat, it's probably a few holiday seasons away. It's still at the prototype stage as Leivaditou makes and tests different versions. "A variety of patterns and colors can be used, " said Leivaditou, "as long as the fabric is waterproof."

PC Tips

Tips for Longer-Lasting Laptop Batteries

by Dave Johnson
Thursday, August 11, 2011

provided by

Hardware budgets are feeling the pinch of our tepid economy, and many companies are making employees use their laptops longer. If you are starting to tell your folks to keep plugging along with their laptops for four or five years instead of just three, you might be running into an unexpected expense: dead laptop batteries.

More from BNET.com: • 5 Things to Never Say in Email • The 10 Best iPhone Productivity Apps • How to Squeeze More Life Out of Your Company Laptops

Well, to be fair, your laptop's batteries probably aren't completely dead. But since Lithium Ion batteries tend to lose about 20% of their capacity each year, a typical three-year-old laptop might only get about an hour or so on a charge, which might not even get your folks through an entire meeting. Here are four simple tips to forestall the day that you need to replace those batteries:

Keep it cool. 

Heat is the primary killer of batteries. Tell your employees to be careful not to let their laptops overheat. One common way that happens is packing a running laptop into a backpack or briefcase. If the laptop fails to go to sleep (and let's face it — sleep glitches are common), then the laptop can get crazy hot in an enclosed space. You can almost smell the loss of battery longevity.

Recondition your battery regularly. 

Most laptop manufacturers (except Apple) don't generally tell you about this, but a simple process known as reconditioning (or occasionally, recalibrating) can breathe new life into your laptop battery and add capacity back. To do that, turn off your screen saver and any other power management tools which put your PC to sleep. Fully charge the laptop, and then let it run all the way down — right until it powers down due to lack of juice. Then charge it back up again and restore your power management stuff. Do this every few months (such as three times a year).

Remove it when you're not using it. 

When you leave your laptop plugged in at your desk all day every day, the battery never gets a chance to discharge and recharge — which is critical to its long-term health. Thankfully, there's a simple solution: Remove the battery. As long as your laptop is connected to AC power, the battery isn't necessary; it'll run without it. Just remember to pop it back in before you take your laptop on the go.

Start with a super-sized battery. 

When you purchase your next round of laptops, upgrade to the extended-life battery. Not only will it give you significantly longer runtime to start with — great for road warriors and anyone else who works away from the office a lot — but the inevitable loss of battery life will have a less pronounced effect. The added cost of the larger batteries is worth the investment, because they end up lasting significantly longer.