Gadget Gift Guide for Fathers Day

Posted on Nov 8, 2012

Father’s Day is a great time to reflect on the role that our Dads play in our lives, and enjoy spending the day together. GeekEvangelist, Russell Keys has found the perfect tech-friendly products that are sure to be a hit, for that Dad that has everything, regardless of whether he loves to Cycle, Watch TV, Listen to Music or work around the house.

LifeFactory – 650ml Flip Cap Glass Bottles

your cupboards are anything like ours, we have a dedicated shelf just for water bottles. The problem, is finding a good water bottle that will last, can be cleaned in the dishwasher, and looks great alongside all your Dad’s funky desktop gadgets. The LifeFactory Flip Top bottle is the Mercedes of drink bottles. Made from BPA, Phthalate, PVC and Polycarbonate free chemicals, the Flip Cap bottle offers easy on-the-go drinking from the narrow mouth spout with the convenience of wide mouth access.Our 650ml reusable glass bottle offers a large capacity to quench a big thirst. – $29.95

Dyson DC35 MultiFloor Digital Slim™ Cordless Vacuum

Dyson vacuums are renowned for their superior cleaning products, and the Dyson DC35 is probably the most powerful and practical portable vacuum cleaner on the market. The detachable long-reach wand and motorised cleaner head makes the product perfect for cleaning pretty much anywhere. With a Lithium-ion battery that provides 15 minutes of high constant suction, theDyson DC35 is ideal for the floors, stairs, furniture or inside the car. $469.00

iGrill digital thermometer & iOS app

The iGrill is yet another device that panders those that like to find a way to incorporate tech into each any every part of our lives, including the kitchen. The dual probe thermometer can be used standalone, or with the app to measure cooking temperature and time without compromising the quality of your cooking. Download the iGrill app to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and keep track of the progress of your bbq meats via a secure, long-range Bluetooth® connection. $109

Apple TV

The new Apple TV with 1080p HD gives you access to the best content, blockbuster movies, TV shows, sports music, photos, and more. Simply connect the little black box via HDMI to your widescreen TV, and enjoy streaming content from iTunes on your PC, MAC or via your iOS devices to your TV using AirPlay. At $112 the Apple TV is great fun not just for Dad, but can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Plantronics BackBeat® GO wireless earbuds

Great for any portable device, the Plantronics Backbeat Go Wireless earbuds are small, light, wireless, and punch an amazing sound. Let your Dad listen to his Music in peace with Inline controls that let you pause music to take a call, change volume or skip tracks. The Backbeat Go wireless earbuds connect via Bluetooth technology, and makes connectivity to your portable device hassle free. There are three sizes of cushioned ear tips and two stabilizers for a secure, comfortable fit. $99

When Cool Things get ridiculously cooler.

Posted on Nov 8, 2012

Since 1962, artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton & AC/DC have been rocking out gig venues, mastering the famous Marshall tone.

This year Marshall celebrates 50 Years in the music scene, ‘Marshall Guitar Amplifiers’ have released a special limited edition Bar Fridge that will make you the envy of even the best guitarist and air guitarists alike.

Fitted off with the signature Marshall Stack styling, including volume knobs that even go to 11, the limited edition fridge will be a must have for your pool room, pad or music room.

The Marshall Fridge store will be available for shipping on October 1, 2012, and the Marshall Fridge can be yours for a special introductory price of $299.00 USD. Marshall Fridge

To Stream, Or Not to Stream

Posted on Nov 8, 2012

With two-thirds of households (66.6 per cent) in Australia now having a fast broadband internet connection, the demand for access to online media (audio & video) is ever-increasing. Not only in the homes, but the demand for an internet connection for work, study, and play interestingly now (excluding mobile handsets) accounts for 47% of all internet connections.

Within the home environment, we no longer have to rely on traditional means (television & radio) to listen to music, watch movies and television shows. If you have missed your favourite television show, you can rely on the web to either purchase and download the latest episode of your favourite sitcom, or stream the episode from a hosted website (catch-up tv)

Service-providers are now offering accessible alternative solutions to provide access to streaming media such as the Telstra T-Box, Optus Fetch-TV and similar products such as the Apple TV & Google Play TV.

Optus MeTV with Fetch: For new or existing OPTUS subscribers, the set-top box features three high-definition digital TV tuners and a 1TB hard disk, allowing it to store up to 250 hours of SD content. Optus MeTV provides on-demand channel packs like Kids, Music, Entertainment, Documentaries and Lifestyle, including 30 pre-selected movies included each month. Newer movies can be rented and watched on an on-demand basis (in either SD or HD) for between AU$3.95 and AU$6.95 per title. Optus MeTV with Fetch is available to all Optus customers for AU$9.95 per month on a 24-month contract or Free is you are on the $109 Optus Fusion home phone and internet package. Users can also use their iPhone or iPad devices to control and program their home FetchTV box.

Telstra T-Box: Telstra have a launched a great product to market offering Telstra customers access to a wide range of features. The T-Box has an on board 1TB hard disk to record, pause & rewind live free-to-air digital channels. For eligible BigPond Broadband customers, you also get unmetered access to BigPond TV featuring classic movies, sport, news, music, shopping channels and a range of applications such as YouTube, Picasa and TuneIn Radio. In addition Telstra offer two subscription options to stream over 4,000 movies and TV shows ranging from $1.99 to $6.99 for new release titles. Alternatively you can subscribe to FOXTEL on T-Box for as little as $19.50 per month. to stream the standard FOXTEL channels such as including Nick (Kids), FOX8, Discovery and National Geographic Channels

Google Play TV: Google TV is a web-based streaming service with two-tiered pricing, with new releases available at $5.99 and $6.99 for SD and HD, and older titles available from $2.99. YouTube Movies also offers a number of free movies and documentaries. Google PlayTV is great for mobile devices such as laptops or tablet users that might want to connect their device to a television as movies can be streamed instantly or downloaded to be watched while offline, and a logged-in user can watch the same title across both Google Play and YouTube.

Apple TV / iTunes: If you own any Apple devices, an Apple TV is a simple and cost-effective addition to allow access to streaming content to your home TV. Although you cannot stream or watch free to air TV via an Apple TV can easily stream video, photos and music from your iPad or iPhone to your Apple TV. Individual episodes can be downloaded or streamed via iTunes direct from the Apple TV from iTunes or Rent a Movie from their extensive library from AU$5.99 or watch individual TV episodes from $2.99 or 3.49 for new release HD versions.

Gadget Gift Guide for Christmas

Posted on Nov 8, 2012

Christmas is a great time of the year to lavish your loved ones with gifts that are not just fun, but are practical and will be not become next year’s first re-gift. Christmas is also a great time to look at how your gifts of time and money can impact people who are not as fortunate as those of us that live in the western world. GeekEvangelist, has a selection of items that will hopefully inspire you with some great ideas for your kids, wives, husbands and loved ones this Christmas season.

LeapFrog LeapPad2

Kid’s - Leap Frog LeapPad2 – 149.00

If you too are breeding ‘lil Digital Natives’ the brand Leap Frog would no doubt be familiar to you with their lineup of interactive toys. LeapPad2 features a stylish, high-tech tablet design that is durable enough to withstand kid play. LeapPad2 is designed for kids ages three to five and includes front-and-back cameras, video recorders and access to a library of hundreds of fun, educational games, videos, music, eBooks and more through the LeapFrog App Centre. The LeapPad2 learning tablet comes with five apps that encourage creativity and non-stop learning fun, that engage kids and inspire imagination.

Apple iPod Touch

Teen’s – iPod Touch (New) – 329.00

With the release of the new iPhone 5 to market, along comes the new lineup of funky new iPod Touches. These devices have been a great product for Kids and Teens, as they provide all the features of the iPhone but without the phone. The new iPod touch has a great 16:9 aspect 4” retina display, all glass/ aluminium body and a superfast A6 processor. The iPod touch is great for playing music, watching videos, playing games and taking great photos with the 5 Megapixel camera, or take full HD 1080p videos and share them via Facebook, twitter or streaming to your AppleTV.- $29.95

Bose QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones

Dad’s – Bose QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones – 449.00

Being away from home, and spending time in the air between offices, I like to spend as much time as I can listening to music and catching up on the latest podcasts and sermons. Finding a great set of headphones that are not only comfortable, but give a great punchy sound can be hard to come by. Bose have developed over many years, the Quiet Comfort range of noise cancelling headphones that are light weight, fold-flat ear cups for easy storage in slim carrying case, includes a cable with remote for iPhone/iPod control and microphone for hands-free iPhone calling.

Mum’s – Belkin Chef stand and Stylus for the iPad – 39.95

Belkin Chef Stand and Stylus for iPad

The Belkin Chef Stand for iPad is the perfect addition to any modern Mum’s kitchen. The Stand has a great non-slip rubber base, and is the ideal way to take advantage of all your recipe apps while keeping your iPad safe from any splashes and spills. The magic stylus allows you to follow recipes and browse the Internet without ever laying a finger on your screen. It comes with its own storage stand and is easy to grab while you’re busy handling food and other kitchen equipment. The smart stylus gives you the freedom to interact with your tablet while you carry on with your busy day, not just in the kitchen, but all around the house.

Grandparent’s – Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 3G eBook Reader – 179.00

Kindle Paperwhite

The Amazon Kindle is a leader in the eBook reader market, and has been since it’s release. The Kindle Paperwhite 3G features a 6-inch Paperwhite Display, Higher Resolution, Higher Contrast, Built-in Light, Advanced E Ink touchscreen with no glare. Read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room. It has an easy-to-use touch interface. Built in free 3G wireless allow you to download books anywhere globally. The Kindle Paperwhite 3G has 2GB internal memory on board which equates to around 1,100 eBooks, newspapers, magazines and blogs. With Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity to the Amazon online store, this provides you with the flexibility to download content whilst you are on the go, travelling on holidays over the Christmas period. Great for all ages, the Kindle Paperwhite 3G is easily set up out of the box with no messy wires or cables required,with no hidden costs or ongoing monthly fees or commitments.

GPS Turn by Turn Navigation, and is it right for you?

Posted on May 1, 2012

Before you ditch the new Melway’s that you were given for Christmas and run out to get the latest GPS (SatNav) for the mid year road trip, we have put together a list of things that you should consider before you purchase your in-car gadget, to ensure that Turn By Turn Navigation is right for you?

What is a GPS:  A GPS (Global Positioning System) is a Satellite Navigation (SatNav) system that provides location and time based information. A GPS or SatNav (Whichever you prefer)  device will obtain its position from a Satellite by precisely timing the signals sent by GPS satellites above the earth.

GPS Types: Over the past decade GPS has been integrated into many devices including in-car navigation being the most common unit fixed to a windscreen or dashboard of a car or truck, which provides guidance on predefined roads and highways.  Watches, cameras, handheld devices, mobile phones and tablets have more recently introduced GPS modules which provide both navigation assistance, and location-based services which are used within mobile apps for uses such as fitness, turn-by-turn navigation & photography.

Where to Start:
Before you purchase a GPS, it is important to determine what you want out of your GPS unit. If you are the type of person that rarely drives long distances, and to random locations, or relies heavily on other means of transport, then a low-cost entry-level model is probably more for you. For around $100, you can purchase a reputable brand GPS like the Garmin Nuvi40 or the NAVMAN EZYSeries30 In-Car GPS. Both products provide an intuitive touchscreen interface with Turn by Turn Navigation with built-in maps for Australia and New Zealand, Spoken street names and my favorite “Where Am I” feature that I’m sure we could all use from time to time. 

For those that like the adventure of the open road, or require a little guidance whilst traveling around new places, can take advantage of a full-featured GPS unit like the Garmin Nuvi3760 or the TomTom GO LIVE 2050 WORLD for around $250. Spending a little more on a GPS will give you advanced features including world maps (Australia, New Zealand, Europe, USA and Canada), larger screen, Bluetooth hands-free calling, live traffic updates and real view advanced lane guidance, directing you to the correct lane on selected turns and exits, making unfamiliar intersections and exits easy to navigate. Garmin has more recentlyy introduced a ecoRoute feature for those that like to conserve petrol and take care of our environment, that helps you calculate a more fuel-efficient route, tracks fuel usage and more.

If a dedicated SatNav device is not for you, and you already have a smart phone with inbuilt GPS functionality, then you might like to save a few bucks with a free navigation app. There are many free features and free basic navigation for you to enjoy, with no data charges on the Telstra network and no third-party advertisements. Whereis® is a FREE app providing voice guided, turn-by-turn navigation to take you to your destination. The app also helps you find addresses, businesses and places of interest in Australia. You can call the business, get directions and let the free navigation feature take you right there.

Source:  iTunes, iTunes, DickSmith, Harvey Norman