Mother's Day: Tech & Tips

Tech Expert Segment for 9 May 2008

With Mother's Day coming up on Sunday, there are a few things you might be wondering... what to get, where to go, how to honor the mother in your life. Today on Newsradio 750 KXL we talked Moms, here are some ideas:

Mother's Day Gifts
A great opportunity to get Mom that digital camera or photo printer to capture and print the family memories, think also of photo books and digital photo frames. Two items you might not have considered:

• The Amazon Kindle eBook reader came out last Holiday season, but is now readily available. Perfect for the reading Mom on-the-go, new bookes and magazines can be downloaded right to the device.


• For the power-shopper Mom, check out the SmartShopper grocery list organizer. Speak the item you need to add to the list into the magnetic-mount organizer and it will sort and categorize your shopping list. When you're heading to the store click "Print" and the device dispenses a list, sorted by aisle, to save time at the store.
• There are, however, some devices to avoid according to clever a list on DVICE. (We do disagree on the SmartShopper, though their observations are valid.) Nothing says "I Love you Mom" quite like a ... surge protector?! *sigh*

Mother's Day Tips
Opting for a non-tech holiday? Use the web to make brunch reservations at OpenTable.com, they've got lots of restaurants in the Northwest with space-available on Sunday. Or perhaps you'd like to spend time with Mom showing her how to make the most of her computer, camera, or that gadget that seemed like a good idea last December.

With the holiday comes a reminder of the dangers of e-greeting cards. Clicking a link that looks like a friendly note could in fact be looking or your personal information -- be cautious. Especially troubling, emails circulating to high-level executives purporting to be subpoenas from the FBI. Law enforcement will not send a subpoena via. email. Toss 'em in the trash.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and thanks again for listening!

Cheap Gas Prices: TomTom's 930 on KOMO 4 News

Today at 6pm KOMO 4 News took a look at a high-tech solution to finding the cheapest fill-up. The TomTom 930 helps users find the lowest gas prices -- join me for a demo. Click the video below to watch.



Product Details:

GO 930 GPS navigation system -- TomTom
“Portable navigation with gas prices”
TomTom’s latest portable GPS receiver simplifies making your way through an unfamiliar town – there’s only one thing easier. New features include intelligent routing based on time-of-day and historical data and an advanced lane guidance system showing what specific lane for those tricky highway merges. Make the most of your trip with a updated fuel price locator. Ask TomTom for the lowest price gas and the 930 will take you there. With new features and TomTom’s proven easy-to-use interface the only thing easier than getting around with the GO 930 is, well… a chauffeur. ($500, available here )

Earth Day: Free Electronics Recycling Event Sat. 19 April (Vancouver, WA)

IMS Electronics Recycling Press Release

Dell Inc. is offering residents of the Washington’s Clark County area and the Portland, Oregon area a free computer recycling event, Sat., April 19, 2008, at IMS Electronics Facility in the Port of Vancouver. The event is being hosted in celebration of Earth Day and will provide area residents an opportunity to recycle electronics for free.

The collection event will accept any make or model of computers and related equipment, including monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, and laptops. Televisions, stereo equipment, cell phones, gaming consoles and mobile entertainment devices are also accepted. Electronic items NOT accepted include: appliances, lamps, batteries etc.

All materials collected at this event will be recycled at IMS Electronics under Washington State’s new Preferred Processor Standards. Participants should remove all data from their computer's hard drive and any removable media such as disks, PC cards, flash drives, CD-ROMs.

Free Drop off At:

IMS Electronics Recycling
2401 Saint Francis Lane
Vancouver, WA 98660
(360) 750-8883

If you know of other Recycling events, please email: techexpert (AT) brianwestbrook (DOT) com -- or post a comment in this blog. Look for future "Go Green" specials on this blog all week...

Essential Sites for Travel Trouble

Tech Expert Topic Notes for 11 April 2008

If there's one thing I can't travel without its my Macbook Air.

More than an inflight entertainment system or essential communications tool -- when travel plans require flexibility, the sleek ultraportable becomes an airline rebooking engine.

With flight cancellations dominating the news in recent weeks, and a record-breaking summer travel season to follow -- there are a few websites you should keep handy to deal with inevitable disruption:

Airline websites: In the event of a flight cancellation, you may not be able to rebook online, but you will be able to find alternate flights, check availability, or -- if necessary -- buy another ticket altogether (on a different carrier if necessary). Don't forget many carriers also have sites designed for work on mobile phones like the iPhone or Blackberry. Check flight delays, routes and schedules, aircraft types and get the latest operational status.

Flyertalk.com: If there's a community of travel experts -- this is it. Many members of this online community fly every week, some more often, and they know the tricks of the trade.

SeatGuru.com: It won't necessarily help you find an alternate flight, but it will get you a comfortable seat. A must-visit resource when planning any travel.

TripAdvisor.com: The travel portal for community reviews and information to the tune of nearly 18 million! Whether you're looking for a good quiet hotel to get a decent night's sleep before trying to get home the next day, or want to know where to plan your next vacation -- this site, by the same people that run the online travel kings Expedia.com and their discount brother Hotwire.com, has it all!

Tech Tips for Travelers:

• Always carry your chargers with you. Gadget batteries don't last forever and if your luggage is lost, or stuck in the bowels of the airport -- you'll want a recharge.
• Go online! While many are lining up for the few rebooking agents at an airport, jump on the web and rebook yourself. (In some cases you may not be able to rebook a specific ticket, or reuse credits -- but buying a new ticket may get you home and not be an option hours later when you reach the front of the line!)
• Find a hotspot. Most airports have gone wireless - some, like PDX, are free. And if you don't have a laptop, airport lounges, internet kiosks and business centers are a great place to get online.
• Download airline flight schedules before you head to the airport. A copy (usually a PDF but a printout works too) of a carrier's schedule will help you find alternative flights and routings (think outside the box -- maybe Portland to Los Angeles to get to Denver?)

All the gadgets in the world can not replace the most essential carry-on: Patience.

As the motto goes, "Be Prepared". Flight cancellations, delays and other travel disruptions are a reality... those prepared and armed with the information and tips to get their travel plans back on track -- will find themselves home with the loved ones first.

Listen to this report, originally broadcast on KXL-AM Friday April 11: kxl_techexpert-travelwebsites_20080411.mp3 (MP3)

Google Releases Useful "April Fool's" Tool: IM Translation Bot

Okay, so it's April Fool's Day...

You've no doubt heard laughter and groans through the day as we sift through news reports, blog reports, and emails with an extra-cautious filter knowing that many of the obscure and questionable posts are just another attempt to pull your leg. Some funny, many not. (I personally gave up on April Fool's Day pranks years ago after one too many failed to be funny.)

Google today brings us a series of pranks from many of their teams -- some funny, others amusing. One, in particular, has the potential of being, IMHO*, somewhat useful.

Text messaging on a mobile phone is limited to 160 characters or less, forcing users to creatively squeeze correspondence under the limit. This, coupled with the often difficult task of entering more than 26 characters on a 10 button keypad, has led to a sort of SMS shorthand common amongst the (often younger) text-savvy set. It is widely used in instant messaging conversations, chat rooms, text message conversations and even emails.

Some expressions, "LOL" for example, are commonplace and understood. Others may be more challenging and evasive for parents trying to figure out what their kids are up to or law enforcement trying to translate the latest "net speak". (Though the last one is certainly a stretch, I'd hope our police forces aren't hung up on abbreviations and IM jargon to fight crime!)

Two years ago, on Portland's Morning News (Newsradio 750 KXL), I presented (Listen/MP3) common expressions and how parents can bring themselves up-to-date with the latest online slang.

Now, thanks to Google's April Foolin', it just got a whole lot easier...

Google's Talk Blog today announced plans to "Go Green" by shortening IM conversations over the Google Talk network in an effort to, "Reduce the number of characters we send when we chat with all our friends." (The blog claims that each character (byte) of traffic sent increases energy consumption, thus a reduction in characters sent in IM messages lessens our carbon output.)


Okay, so I realize it's a joke and doesn't actually save the planet. But what this does offer is a simple way to translate IM speak into plain English.

The companion tool to translate IM chatter from full-sized English to shortened IM/SMS-friendly jargon also works in reverse. Add en2im@bot.talk.google.com to your Google Talk contacts and the next time you're wondering what "LOL CUL8R" means, the translation is a merely a quick chat with a bot away...

...now the next sound you hear this April Fool's Day will be a collective sigh of relief from parents finally able to translate their teenager's secret messages.

Happy April Fool's Day!


* IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

Maximizing Broadband Speed, Comcast Policy Change

Tech Expert Segment for 28 March 2008

Comcast this week announced plans, under much pressure, to change the way it manages high-bandwidth users. Under a previous policy, users would get kicked off if their internet downloads consumed an extraordinary high amount of the pipe connecting users to the Internet. Now, Comcast says, they'll throttle these users -- giving them effectively slower connections -- during times of congestion, rather than deny or drop their internet downloads.

If you notice an unusually slow connection to the Internet, or your connection just isn't what is used to be -- try these troubleshooting steps to restore speed:

• Reset your broadband modem, router or other devices that connect you online. Sometimes they just need a break... switch off (or unplug), grab a cup of coffee, then turn back on.
• Check your computer. It's possible your Internet connection is fine, but your computer itself is running sluggish. Try a different computer or have a friend use your connection with their laptop for comparision.
• Update your router's firmware. Especially if your router (typically the box that plugs in after your cable or DSL modem) is a few years old. Getting new router software may improve performance and ensure the latest protection from hackers and other unwanted intrusions that may be clogging the pipe.
• Check with the neighbours. Often if there's a widespread problem, the house next door will notice as well. If more than one reports a slow or unstable broadband connection -- call your provider for them to take a look.
• Lock down your wireless. As you can guess, if your wireless network is open for anyone to use, that means more people taking advantage of your connection. Unprotected wireless connections are often most problematic in dense buildings such as offices and apartment complexes.
• Consider switching. It's unfortunate, but sometimes DSL is just better in some areas and Cable better in others. Again, ask a neighbour for their feedback, or use a benchmark service such as Broadband Reports Speed Test.

Still having trouble with your Internet connection? Is it taking too long to load web pages? Drop me a line, I may be able to help or connect you to the right resources. Email me: techexpert (AT) brianwestbrook (DOT) com.

Listen to this report, originally broadcast on KXL-AM Friday March 28: kxl_techexpert-managingbroadband_20080328.mp3 (MP3)

Stuck with HD DVD? Best Buy Helps With $50, Trade-In Program

Are you one of the many customers burned by the HD DVD vs. Blu Ray war? Best Buy launched a customer service campaign today to help ease the pain. Fifty dollar gift cards are being sent to customers who purchased the now obsolete units before February 23, 2008.

For details on the program and how to get your gift card, check out this notice on Best Buy's website. They're also starting a buyback program on March 21 if you're looking to offload your old HD DVD player, details at the same link.