This is expected to the one of the busiest summer travel seasons ever. An estimated eight in ten vacationers kicked off summer with a road trip Memorial Day weekend. With a whole lot of traveling ahead, there are countless opportunities to use tech to make your life a little bit better.

Here’s a stack of family summer travel tech tools and tips to help you get the most out of your next vacation:

1. Don’t get caught roaming

If you’re going cross-country or even doing a bit of globetrotting, you could find yourself racking up hundreds of dollars in smartphone roaming charges. You used to have to worry about roaming for your cellular calls, but in the age of smartphones it’s all about data roaming. This can be even worse, especially if you have a Facebook or Twitter addiction.

To avoid sticker shock, seek out a carrier that doesn’t pile on roaming charges. When it comes to national carriers, T-Mobile‘s looking like your best bet right now. The company’s Simple Choice plan includes international roaming for no extra charge, covering over 120 countries. Text and data are included for no additional fee, with calls in all corners of the globe coming in at 20 cents per minute — but, let’s be honest, if you can text or email for extra charge, how often will you really be calling?

The best part is T-Mobile doesn’t require a contract, so if you have a big trip coming up, you can start a plan to supplement your other, pricier carrier’s plan while you’re out exploring the world and save a few bucks along the way.

You can also use an app such as Rebtel or Ringo to help keep roaming costs down, or buy a SIM card from the country you’re traveling to through a service like Telestial.

2. Back up battery!

Your summer travel plans are hopefully full of sandy beaches, cool drinks, nightly campfires, and lots and lots of relaxing. Your phone, on the other hand, will still be working 24/7 to keep you connected, and its battery never takes a vacation, so make sure it has the extra juice it needs to do its job by equipping a Mophie battery pack case.

Unlike some backup batteries, Mophie’s packs don’t add a whole bunch of bulk to your sleek phone, and while it makes your gadget a little bit bigger than it is when naked, it won’t feel like a brick. Mophie makes battery backup cases for just about every iPhone model, along with Samsung’s Galaxy phones, with prices starting at $79.95.

There’s also the Juno Jumpr, which we showed off in the video portion of this story. It’s a handheld high-capacity battery pack that powers up your phone or tablet, and can even jump start a dead car battery. It comes with its own small jumper cables and everything, so you can just toss it in your glovebox and always have backup power when you need it. The Juno Jumpr is priced at $89.99.

3. Tech on the beach

Tech and water don’t mix, but there’s all kinds of new gadgets that you don’t have to worry about keeping dry. Sony’s newest Xperia smartphones and tablets play well with water, which means you can take them for a swim or even shoot video underwater. Sony’s high-tech handsets vary in price depending on model and your carrier.

If you want some tunes to accompany the sound of waves rolling in, Scosche’s boomBottle is perfectly at home both on dry land or wading in the surf. You wouldn’t want to take it diving, but its weatherproof design means that rain or splashes from out-of-control pool parties are just fine. These beats will cost you $129.99.

Simply want to envelope your smartphone in an ultra-protective case? With a $79.99LifeProof Fre case you can drop your phone into 10 feet of water and leave it there overnight. Pull it out the next morning, and it’ll work perfectly, as if it had never gone out for that midnight swim. If you’re worried about dropping your phone into the ocean depths or leaving it on the bottom of a lake, simply add on the LifeJacket. Yes, LifeProof has created an external flotation device for smartphones, starting at $39.99.

SnowLizard also has you covered. Literally. SLXtreme iPhone cases are extremely durable, waterproof, and even include a built-in solar charger that will let you take advantage of the bright summer sun. Starting at $129.99.

4. Backseat bickering

An upset baby can seriously ruin a car trip, and nothing makes little ones more whiny than being totally miserable in a too-hot car seat that pulls, pinches, grabs, and just generally makes them crazy. Evenflo’s new Platinum series seats are designed to keep baby happy for as long as humanly possible. They feature heat distribution technology that keeps the tiny passenger at an optimal temperature, which means less crying and more miles with smiles. These soothing seats start at $149.99.

By the way, in the video for this story, I did something really stupid with this car seat. I put the baby in backward. The doll we were using is small, and I buckled it into the seat facing forward. The seat should have been turned the other way for an “infant.” Doh!

Keeping older children entertained is an entirely different story, as they’re not usually content to simply stare out the window. The new PlayStation Vita is perfect for this (if Mom and Dad don’t steal it …). It’s slimmer, lighter, thinner, and more comfortable to hold than the original Vita to better give kids a real gaming experience within the palm of their hand. There are a ton of great bundles, like getting the new Vita withBorderlands 2, and you can even download full games directly to the system, which means boredom goes bye-bye. Systems start at $199.

If your kids aren’t gamers, snag Griffin’s CinemaSeat, snap in your iPad, and let them watch hit movies for as long as they want. It’s easy to install and includes pockets to store important bits like headphones and charging cables. It’ll cost you $39.99

5. Keeps tabs on everything, and everyone

Hitting the sky with all your valuables in a suitcase can be scary, but Trakdot’sluggage tracking system can put your mind at ease. Not only will it send you a text message or email to let you know that your bags safely made it to the same destination as you, but it can even spot your gear anywhere in the world, if it happens to take an unexpected detour. For $49.99, it’s affordable assurance.

Misplaced luggage is one thing, but losing track of your kids in a hectic airport or tourist trap can be downright terrifying. FiLIP is a wrist-worn smart locator that functions as both a phone and a personal guardian to keep tabs on your children. The gadget can make two-way calls to and from five pre-programmed numbers, and will keep your family in touch at all times. The FiLIP itself is $199, with unlimited voice and location data for just $10 per month through AT&T.

Whether you’re planning on spending a quiet weekend at the campground, a wild week on the beach, or even an intercontinental trip to see the sights, these tech tools will make your trip less stressful, more organized, and of course, a ton of fun. What travel gadget is a must-pack for you? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

Posted in Great Gadgets, TechNow, Uncategorized

Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechStyled

Apps, apps, and more apps — tens of thousands of them at our fingertips, and some, like Facebook, YouTube, SitOrSquat — are truly life changing.They help us connect, share, save, and figure out where there’s a clean public restroom nearby. But aside from the obvious go-to’s, what really stands out in the app-universe today? Here are some up-and-comers that may very well be the OMG! apps of tomorrow.

SPRITZ THROUGH A BOOK

I love to read, but when the day is filled with more tasks than I have time for, finding the time to sit down for a chapter or two just isn’t in the the cards. The new speed-reading app Spritz lets you best a book in 90 minutes. The secret behind Spritz is the science of the “Optimal Recognition Point,” where you stare at the same spot while the words flash up in a box on the screen. The apps’ makers say that cuts down time because your eyes don’t have to move around the page.

The app hasn’t launched yet but you can try it at www.spritzinc.com. It makes me feel a bit car sick unless I turn it up to 700 words a minute. At that pace, it really is just a bunch of rapid-fire words blinking before me. Read an academic journal with it — no problem. But try a juicy novel and all of the conversation and nuance get lost. Imaginewhatarobotonspeedwouldsoundlikereadingtoyouandthat’swhatit’slike.

A PHOTO WORTH A THOUSAND CALORIES

I’ve tried to track my food off and on many times over the years. I currently use Lose It!, which is great when I have time to search and type to tell it what I’ve eaten, which is about 50% of the time. Why can’t I just snap a photo of what I’m eating and have it just magically know? I’m not the only one who thinks that —the company behind Siri is now developing an app to count calories and calculate portion size with the snap of your smartphone camera. There’s a lot hidden in our food — but if it cracks the code of figuring out a meal’s “secret ingredients,” it could be amazing — and not just for folks trying to eat better or lose weight, but also as a tool for diabetics or people with severe allergies and intolerances.

While we wait for that magical app, Meal Snap serves a similar purpose by evaluating photos of meals and estimating the caloric value. It’s not totally precise, but the fact that it can offer even a rough guess is still pretty amazing.

STOP STRESSIN’

Need someone to talk to on a rough day sometimes and wish that tech could deliver the perfect pal — like Samantha in the movie Her? The StressManager app is kind of like that. It listens to your voice and measures the frequency, in order to identify up to eight different types of stress, such as nervousness and irritation. The app then rates the intensity of your stress on a scale of one: Dude, chill — to five: Time to walk around the block a few dozen times. It provides you with key details regarding self expression, and then recommends exercises to help you level out.

This one kept telling me my stress level was a one or a two — pretty darn mellow — which makes me a little suspect, since at any given moment I feel more like five or six. But in general, I’m impressed. I think this is way a lot of our connected tech is heading — not just gathering information for us — number of steps, miles travelled, mood we say we’re in — but interpreting that information and communicating with us about it.

THE SHAZAMING OF STYLES

Another wave-of-the-future invention is going to be the “Shazaming” of everything. When you want to know the name of the song playing on the radio you just Shazam it, but what if you see a sexy skirt or snazzy suit on your favorite TV show? Shazam’s working on an app for that, too, telling you who the designer is and giving you a link to buy it on the spot.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on a launch date for Shazam’s digital style assistant, but ASAP54 — which is out right now — pulls off a similar trick. Simply snap a photo of a clothing item you adore and let the app match it up with a catalog of high-fashion items. You can even tap into the vast knowledge of a professional stylist for advice. I think we’ll also see this pop up for everything we see on TV that might be for sale, such as furniture, homes, and cars.

PERFECT HAIR DAY

This one might seem silly, but it could be a biggie. The How’s Your Hair? app puts an end to that daily game of Russian Roulette you play with your ‘do. Show your locks some love by typing your location into the easy-to-use tool and get a real-time forecast to help you prepare your hair for the day ahead. Your “Hairoscope” will tell you what weather to expect when you swing your front door open, including wind and relative humidity, and even give you a preview of tomorrow’s hair forecast.

There are so many more — and we know you’ll have life-changing apps you’ll also want to share — be sure to let us know about your own favorite life-changing apps.

Posted in Great Gadgets, TechNow

Pick a tablet, any tablet, and put it in front of a child. Then, watch the magnetic attraction pull them in and steal all semblance of self-control. Tots, teens and all the screenagers in between can’t resist that tablet temptation.

TABLETS FOR TOTS

Of the 120-million tablets sold in 2013, their owners keep getting younger … and younger … and younger. According to a recent study by San Francisco-based Common Sense Media, 38% of babies under 2 use tablets or smartphones, up from 10% in 2011. What’s more, nearly as many children own tablets today as adults did just two years ago. This enormous growth is thanks in part to the plummeting prices of entry-level devices, which are sometimes even less expensive than the parade of kid-specific devices flooding store shelves. And more and more companies are targeting the kids tablet market, too.

PARENTING IN THE AGE OF IPADS

While some parents are thrilled with this new wired world, others fear the total tablet takeover will turn their precious children’s brains to media-saturated mush. Most of us modern moms and dads are somewhere in between, glad to share tablet time with kids, but also cautious about those sticky fingers and malleable minds.

It’s true, handing your kids an all-access pass to the land of iPads and Galaxy Tabs is a bit like handing over the keys to your car. Are they ready for it? How much tablet time is the right amount for their budding brains? Will they run up a fortune in apps, or stumble across content they shouldn’t see? What the heck are they actually doing on there?

These are just a few of the questions researchers have been working hard to answer, and a topic we’ll tackle over the next few installments of Tech Now. We’ll take a look at the rules of the road when it comes to giving your kids a tablet, see which specific tablets might be the best fit for your particular brood, and walk you through the tips and tricks to keep kids of all ages safe on their slates.

WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

Researchers find that kids today play more with touch-screens than traditional toys. As a mom myself, I want to know what that shift means for our future generation, and for those of us doing our best to raise healthy, well-rounded kids. We’ve heard debates over the effects of TV, video games and even certain types of music, and — surprise! — that same battle has now turned to tablets.

There’s no question that screens and technology can open the door to intellectually stimulating content, but they could also close doors to physical activity. They help kids keep in touch with Grandma and Grandpa across the miles and let them check in with Mom or Dad after school, yet they set up barriers when kids don’t interact with the people and situations around them. What’s a modern mom or dad to do?

That’s where we pick back up tomorrow, with part two of this series, when we look at how much screen time is the “right” amount, what impact slates are having on kids, and what you need to consider before giving your child a tablet. I call this rules of the road, because I’ve so often craved an easy to follow “map” of sorts that covers the basics — the how-to’s and what-for’s — when it comes to dealing with this somewhat hot-button parenting issue.

Be sure to weigh in with your own questions, comments, concerns, and check back here tomorrow for part two of this series; kids and tablets, rules of the road.

Posted in Connected Kids, Cyber Safety, Great Gadgets, TechNow

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been a bit of a BlackBerry basher. The struggling smartphone, once at the epicenter of our nation’s gadget addiction, feels like it’s all but gone the way of the 8-track in recent years. While far from extinct, I can’t remember the last time I saw someone walking down the street talking, texting, or taking a selfie on one. My few friends who still carry a BlackBerry primarily use them for work, while opting for an iPhone or Android as their personal phone.

So why are we still talking about it?

And yet … just when you think it’s time to say goodbye to the good ole’ CrackBerry for good, it seems by many cautiously optimistic accounts that the embattled company could be on a path to making a comeback.

On Friday, CEO John Chen, a noted turnaround artist, reported good news, by way of an earnings showing a fourth-quarter net loss of $423 million. While most of us have a hard time wrapping our heads around how Chen could be “pleased” with that result, industry and financial analysts expected it to be a lot worse. Chen said that BlackBerry’s most recent financials are “on track and slightly ahead” of expectations, and re-asserted that BlackBerry will return to profitability and growth within little more than a year.

So what does all this mean for BlackBerry loyalists who swear by the devices flagship security and productivity features? While the company pivots back to its core strengths — securing mobile devices on the internal networks of corporate and government clients such as MasterCard, Daimler AG and Airbus Group — there’s a new line of handsets on its way for die-hard keyboard lovers. While smartphones won’t be the main focus, Chen said that BlackBerry plans to introduce high-end smartphones that cater to keyboard aficionados in the coming 18 months.

Is BlackBerry worth considering?

Recently, I gave BlackBerry’s all-new Z30 smartphone a spin. I used it for three weeks, and it was a lot better than I expected it to be. Here are three things it did better than my iPhone 5s:

– It lasts a lot longer on a single charge: My iPhone usually poops out after about 8 hours, but the BlackBerry stays awake for some 25 hours.

– It’s easier to type on: The built-in predictive text feature doesn’t just finish the word you’re typing, but it can predict the next word based on your past writing patterns. It saves time and tapping.

– It’s a better organizer: The notification hub puts all your messages, notifications, and calls in one place. Its clean layout is easy on the eyes and perfect to glance at when you have just a few seconds.

But those bonuses also come with a few drawbacks that will keep me from switching to BlackBerry for the long haul:

– The lack of apps: I want Netflix, and I want it on my phone — and I don’t want to take extra steps to get it. To say the marketplace just isn’t as robust as the competition, is a major understatement, and app lovers will suffer. Sure, you can switch some apps over (using the Device Switch App) or download Android apps from a handful of places like the Amazon Appstore, but these extra steps are a pain when you’re used to having everything you want right at your fingertips. If you’ve grown accustomed to the iOS, or even Android ecosystem, this feels like you’re just going too far back.

– It’s out-of-sync: iOS’s ability to automatically populate photos, notifications, and messages across all my — and my family’s — devices is something I just can’t give up. Sure, there are apps that will do it for you, but taking that extra step is just too much of a pain.

– The “cool” factor: I want my main gadget to be an extension of my personality. BlackBerry says “business,” when the phone I want to carry around also needs to denote “pleasure.”

That feeling — that the Z30 is great, but simply can’t replace my current smartphone — is just one part of BlackBerry’s current predicament. For the past few years, the company has been a bit like a lost man in the desert, unsure of exactly what they need to do to improve its situation. But the BlackBerry platform still has value to millions of people. BBM, the built-in messaging service on all of the company’s smartphones, is still a ridiculously popular application, and you can even download and use BBM on Android and iPhone.

For the moment, it seems like BlackBerry is making a positive step toward reinventing itself.

Using the Z30 has actually made me consider carrying two devices — one for work and one for play — and I think I finally understand what CrackBerry addicts have been praising all these years. I’m anxious to take the next model — reportedly called the Q20 and expected to hit store shelves around the holidays — out for a spin. For the first time in many years, I’m cheering for this underdog. We all like a good comeback story.

Posted in Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow

Quite possibly the best invention since whatever came before sliced bread, a new iOS device wakes you up with the sweet scents — and sounds — of sizzling bacon. We all knew it was just a matter of time before a “smell-o-phone” came along, but leave it to the genius minds behind the Wienermobile to create the ultimate baconator: the Wake Up And Smell The Bacon.

Fresh from the The Oscar Mayer Institute for the Advancement of Bacon, the porky plug-in is filled with bacon-scented liquid. The tiny accessory slides into the headphone jack of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod (sorry Android and Windows Phone fans), where you pair it with the free companion app, set an alarm, and then bask in the heavenly bacon-filled cloud wafting your way come morning.

I’m absolutely addicted to it. It actually smells sweeter than you might expect, the sizzle sounds beat the nails-on-a-chalkboard screeching alarm beep any day, and a man’s gentle voice also serves up a hearty dose of Baconisms the longer you wait to turn it off. My favorites so far are, “A world without bacon is like the Earth without the world,” and “Time passes and civilizations crumble, but bacon is forever.” Sigh.

So now that you’re sitting in your computer chair, with drool dripping down your chin, you’re probably wondering how you can get your hands on this little slice of gadget goodness? The marketing minds at Oscar Mayer know how much we crave our salty strips of heaven, but they’re not going to sell their magically meaty device in stores. You’ll have to win one by entering your details on the Wake Up And Smell The Bacon website between March 6th and April 4th. Now clean your keyboard, you’re making a mess.

This isn’t the first time Oscar Mayer has had some fun with America’s still booming bacon-mania obsession. Last year it launched an e-commerce site encouraging people to give bacon gifts for Father’s Day, with it’s awesomely schmaltzy, Say It with Bacon campaign. Just a few months ago, popcorn brand Pop Secret made a similar play for our senses with Poptopia plug-in and app pairing, which released the smell of buttered popcorn.

How about an egg to go with that bacon?

All this talk of bacon makes me think of eggs, which is a weird but oddly effective segue-way into another gadget that I can’t get enough of this week — the new Bass Egg speaker. It’s a small, portable Bluetooth speaker that turns virtually any surface into an amplified subwoofer.

It’s truly magical: You simply place Bass Egg on any surface you see fit, whether it’s your desk, the kitchen counter, your car, (the start-up guide tells you not to put it on pets, which cracks me up because of course, you’ll want to) and the powerful little instrument transfers vibrations to produce audio. Music is really quiet on the device until you set it down. Then, it totally booms. And different surfaces can add funky touches to your tunes. For example, a wood surface produces a much different vibe than metal or glass.

You can sync the Bass Egg up with any device that supports Bluetooth speakers, including your iPhone, Android, and Windows smartphones, so you can rock out to egghead music while your bedroom smells like bacon. It’s a dream come true!  Unlike its pork-scented breakfast counterpart from Oscar Mayer, you can buy the Bass Egg, which comes in black or silver hues for $99.95. But be warned, you’ll need to budget for several hours of time that you’ll run around your house putting it on every surface imaginable before you realize that yes, it really does turn your entire house into a massive speaker system. If only it could make everything smell like bacon too.

Want more bacontopia? Be sure to check out the video with this column, as well as the new Wake Up and Smell the Bacon commercial.

Posted in Great Gadgets, TechNow, Top tech news

From USA Today’s Tech Now with Jennifer Jolly (click here to watch the video):

Did you know that your cherished iPhone hides secrets from you? That’s right, a simple nod of the noggin could shift the way you use this precious gadget.

Apple’s iPhone is a revolutionary gizmo that has changed the mobile landscape forever, but even if you’ve had one for years, there are still a few things you probably don’t know about it. Each major update that Apple rolls out — and there have been many — brings new features and changes. Here are just a few of the things you’ve likely missed along the way.

1. CONTROL YOUR PHONE WITH YOUR HEAD

The iPhone is a “smartphone,” but it might be even smarter than you ever thought. There is a special control option built into it that lets you use tilts of your head to perform various functions. It’s part of a feature called Switch Control, and you can enable it in the Accessibility menu of the iPhone settings.

IPAD TIPS: 5 things you had no idea your iPad could do

You can set up a Switch Control command to notice when you tilt your head to the left or to the right, and use that movement as input for things like pressing the home button or checking the notification center. It’s built into the phone to assist those with certain disabilities, but it can also be convenient for controlling your device when your hands are busy with other tasks — like when you’re wrist-deep in dinner preparation, and don’t want to get goo on your gadgets.

2. UNDO TYPOS WITH A QUICK SHAKE

Tapping quickly on a tiny screen with our big ole’ clumsy thumbs means typos are an annoying and inevitable part of life. So rather than send texts laden with errors, just give your iPhone a little shake, as I show you in the accompanying Tech Now video. That motion brings up a prompt to undo the typing or cancel and continue. It also works if you accidentally select, copy or paste text you didn’t want to. Seems so simple, yet can be so satisfying, when it comes to dealing with this daily digital dilemma.

3. A BURST OF CREATIVITY

Taking an important photo only to have it turn out poorly is one of the most frustrating things in the world, but you can greatly increase the chances of capturing the moment perfectly by using your iPhone’s burst photo feature.

Normally when you take a photo you simply tap the on-screen capture button, which produces just a single photo, but if you hold down the button you’ll automatically activate burst mode. Using burst mode, your phone will capture a ton of photos in rapid succession, and save them in a small gallery. Taking photos this way ensures that between the inevitable blinks and giggles, you’ll snag a perfect photo.

4. LOCATION-BASED REMINDERS

Have you ever gotten home and realized that you forgot to pick something up from the store? How about arriving at a relative’s house and remembering that you have something for them back at home? Believe it or not, your iPhone can help with this common occurrence using its Reminders app, one of the most underutilized iPhone functions.

All you need to do is set up a Reminder as you normally would — and if you’ve never set up a reminder before, it takes just a few seconds — and then tap on the information icon that pops up. From this menu you can activate the location feature, which will use the iPhone’s GPS to notify you of the reminder whenever you enter or leave a specific location. It’s like having a personal assistant with you at all times!

5. BLOCK PESKY CALLERS AND MESSENGERS

Is there a telemarketer who just doesn’t get the hint to leave you alone? What about a texting service that you accidentally gave your number to, that buzzes you at all hours of the day and night? You can easily block those annoying communications using your iPhone!

Head into the Phone menu of your iPhone settings and add any offending numbers to the Blocked list. That’s it! Now, if the bothersome calls and texts continue, you’ll never hear a peep. Peace of mind at last.

What are some of the magic tricks you use on your iPhone? Be sure to let us know.

Posted in Great Gadgets, TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news

Watch the video here:Jennifer Jolly and Katie Couric Talk Personal Drones

Posted in Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, TechStyled

Every day is a Super Bowl for new gadgets at USA Today.com. Be sure to let us know about your game day best.
From USA Today’s Tech Now with Jennifer Jolly:
Click here to watch video:
Game Winning Gadgets

With temperatures so cold “cops yell ‘thaw!’ when chasing bad guys,” and “you’re thankful for hot flashes,” the best place to get your game on this Sunday Bowl Sunday might just be right in your own home. But before you cuddle up with a basket of chicken wings (did you know that Americans will eat some 1.25 BILLION this weekend?!), here are the top game-winning gadgets to keep you basking in glory all year long:Photo courtesy: Logitech

1.Logitech Harmony Remote
Juggling a hand full of remotes every time you want to change the channel or turn up the volume is like fumbling the kickoff. The Logitech Harmony Ultimate ($349) universal remote is that opening play you need, akin to scoring touchdown on the opening drive. The backlit touchscreen is easy to use to control every aspect of your home entertainment center, including pairing with Philips Hue light bulbs to set the ultimate mood. It’s also completely customizable, and lets anyone in the house turn their smartphone into personal universal remote, including 50 favorite channel icons and one-touch activity control.
2. Jawbone Big Jambox
When it comes to sound, why not go big or go home? The Jawbone Big Jambox ($299) has 15 hours of battery life and also manages to be a lot louder than its modest footprint would suggest, making it perfect for listening to the big game. You can connect Big Jambox to your tablet, smartphone, or computer via Bluetooth to listen to music or live game commentary, or even plug it into your portable television with a 3.5mm jack to even more sound.Funflicks large screen for parties.
3. New HDTV — Sales All Around
Hopefully you already have a superb set to catch all of the action, but if you don’t you can rent a giant movie screen from funflicks.com.

This is also a great week to score a great deal on a new TV. Amazon has Sony and Samsung HDTV’s for a $1,000 off — while Target and Best Buy have a 60-inch Vizio E-series running about $800. Costco is offering a deal on a high-end Samsung 75-inch LED TV. At $2,500, it’s not cheap by any means, but it’s about $200 less than anywhere else.
4. Coleman RoadTrip Grill LXE
Now, for the fun stuff. Food and drinks. You can’t have a proper tailgate-esque party without burgers and barbecue, so you’ll need a grill that’s easy to roll out or carry along to your Super Bowl celebration, no matter where it is. The Coleman RoadTrip LXE ($179) is powered by propane and folds up for easy transport, all while providing enough cooking space — 285 square inches — for all of your grilling needs.
5. Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker by WeMo
Okay, this is just a tease, because Belkin’s WeMo Crock-Pot Slow Cooker (available Spring of 2014 for $99.99) isn’t on the market quite yet. Still, start planning for next year’s party now with this Crock-Pot that lets you change the cooking time, set a reminder, and check on your dish — all from your smartphone. Foodini 3D Printer
6. Foodini 3D Food Printer
If you can’t be bothered to cook — at all — there’s a new 3D food printer that will soon be on the market as well. Just load the Foodini (available mid-2014 for around $1400) with capsules filled with fresh ingredients and out comes printed cheeseburgers, raviolis, chicken nuggets – even a sort of gourmet version of nacho’s. This printer doesn’t actually cook the food for you, so you will have to that yourself. Still, a gadget that preps your food for you? Score!Beer Cooling Rods
7. Chillsner Beer Cooling Rods
No one likes warm beer — unless that’s going to be some weird new trend that takes hold in the sub-zero weather expected at this year’s uber-frigid Super Bowl venue — but you’ll be super hot if you show up to a party with these Chillsner beer cooling rods ($29.95). Just freeze the rods and then drop them into a bottle of beer — they fit most 12 ounce bottles — for an icy cold brew. Seriously cool. Photo: Roddy Blelloch
8. Remote Controlled Rolling Beverage Cooler
Have a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out)? Then don’t get up to get a cold one, rely on this remote controlled rolling beverage cooler from Hammacher Schlemmer ($59.95) to save the day. This little beer-bot carries a six pack with style, rolling across a patio, rug, or kitchen floor to deliver a well-timed beverage to parched party guests. The radio remote’s simple controls send the cooler forward, backward, and left or right.
9. Grillbot
Once the Super Bowl is over, you’re left with the unfortunate task of cleanup. But why not turn to some high-tech help? The Grillbot ($119) is, as its name implies, a robot that scrubs down your grill — so you can save your energy for next football season.
10. Moneual Rydis Robot Vacuum+Mop
Even better than the halftime show, and maybe even some of the commercials, is this new Moneual Rydis H67 Hybrid Robot Vacuum Cleaner ($399). I took this little baby for a test drive in my own home recently, and it swept the competition when it came to pet hair, crushed tortilla chips, and even avoiding my rambunctious cat who likes to play aggrssive games of chicken.
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Posted in Girlfriend's Guide, Great Gadgets, In The Press, TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news

As seen on Chip Chick:
October means it’s time to wish last year’s iPad models a happy birthday — and welcome in the next generation of Apple’s popular line of tablets. So just what does Apple have in store for us? Though Apple didn’t wow us with an iWatch, a larger iPad, or the long-rumored Apple Television, they did show off new iPads and MacBooks. Is that enough to pique your interest? I’ll let you know what you need to know about Apple’s latest.
The latest iPads
If you’ve been following the rumor mill — or even if you haven’t — it’s not much of a surprise that Apple’s new iPad — the iPad Air — is 20% thinner, has a new A7 processor for faster performance, and has an upgraded 5MP camera. It has the same 9.7″ display but a 43% smaller bezel and weighs in at just a pound — making it the lightest full-sized tablet on the market. Sorry, but there’s no fingerprint scanner or gold color option for iPad Air — but you can get it in space gray or silver with 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of storage space. You can buy a Wi-Fi only model or add cellular service — for an extra cost — with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon This new iPad starts at $499 and will ship on November 1st.
The iPad mini looks much the same, but there are big performance boosts under the hood: the mini has a faster processor and a high-resolution Retina display. Like its big brother the iPad Air, the mini is silver by the top-of-the-line A7 processor, which makes it much zippier than the last generation. The iPad mini is also available in space gray and silver with 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of storage space, in Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi plus cellular models. The mini with Retina starts at $399 and will ship later in November.
These faster tablets — and the thinner and lighter iPad Air — are certainly compelling, but the prices are high — especially for those on a tight budget. Apple’s solution for budget-conscious users is the $399 iPad 2 iand the original iPad mini, now available for $299 — and though you can find better bargain buys for Android tablets, that’s as close to a budget tablet as you’re likely to get from Apple.
On the accessories side, there are new cases and smart covers to fit Apple’s new tablet lineup, but no Surface-like keyboard cover — though Logitech and Zagg make great keyboard cases for anyone who needs to do a lot of typing on their tablets.
New hardware and software for Mac-lovers
Apple has been talking about its latest operating system, OS X Mavericks, for a while, but it’s available to download today — for free. And though a new operating system doesn’t have the glitz or glamor of a golden iPad, Mavericks offers some big performance improvements, including better power management to let your Mac last longer on a charge, iCloud Keychain for keeping your passwords secure, and a smarter calendar application for keeping on top of your schedule. These improvements are definitely worth the $0 price tag.
The MacBook Pro line also saw a refresh with new Intel 4th generation processors for better battery life. The 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina display is thinner and lighter, and the updated Haswell processor will give it up to 9 hours of battery life. The 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina display is powered by the quad-core Crystalwell processor which will give it 8 hours of battery life. And both have a $200 price cut over previous versions: you can order them for $1299 or $1999, starting today. And for those of you who are tied to the desktop, there’s the new top-of-the-line Mac Pro, a high-powered desktop machine which starts at $2999 and will ship before the end of the year.
And for apps, there are updates to iPhoto, iMovies, GarageBand, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote — all of which are free on new Macs, iPhones, and iPads. Though it may not sound like much, these are great apps — and now you won’t have to pay for them. What’s not to like?
These upgrades are sure to put Apple on the holiday wish list: but high prices and tight budgets could still keep you from these new tablets.

Elizabeth Harper contributed to this report.

Posted in Great Gadgets, In The Press, Top tech news