Under: The Influence

I’m not the sort of person usually seen with a headset, and I get lots of looks when I wear one in public, but it’s better than rummaging through my purse to answer a call. Perhaps people think I’m in the Secret Service. Cool. Where’s Obama?

In doing a bit of reasearch for the article, I was struck by the negativity some people feel toward this particular technology. It boiled down to “showing off” and “causing confusion.” I’ll address the “confusion” bit.

I would never look directly at a stranger while using a SmartTalk Bluetooth Headset. I would try to move to a private spot, but failing at that, I would at least look down. I would also give a “tell.” Those who follow poker understand “tells.” They’re the unconscious signals players give in response to their cards. A touch of the nose, a push of the glasses, a swipe of an eyebrow; all “tells.” I consciously touch my ear to indicate the presence of the headset. My bent arm also creates a small personal space. Everyone knows I’m having a private conversation. They can listen or not, but at least they don’t think I’m a dillweed. Read the rest of this entry »

by Brian Underdahl

I’m sure that a lot of younger people don’t really realize that long before the age of CDs and MP3 players we did have recorded music. In fact, a lot of us still have a bunch of those old records (LP’s to you young hotshots) sitting around. Today, though, we have media centers, MP3 players, and even smartphones where we keep and play our music digitally. Believe me, it’s sure a lot more convenient to just select a bunch of music from a list rather than having to turn over a record every 15 to 20 minutes.

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by Brian Underdahl

If you still think of Internet phone calls as cheap but low quality, it’s time to have another look. I recently tested the Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype with excellent results. Sure, I remember when making a call over the Internet was something akin to torture, but this winner from Belkin just works great. The sound quality is as good as any landline phone and far better than most cell phones.

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by Brian Underdahl

Prepare to be impressed. I recently popped one of the new Verbatim PhotoSave DVDs into my PC and almost couldn’t believe how perfectly it worked. In less than ten seconds the software that’s preloaded on the DVD launched, found 2576 digital photos, and offered to burn them to the disc with one click. So I clicked the button and less than five minutes later all of my digital images were backed up. It was simple, it worked perfectly, and there was nothing complicated at all. Why can’t everything work like that?

By the way, these DVDs could be the perfect gift for your somewhat less than technical relatives who have a digital camera but don’t really know too much about computers. After all, the way these work is so simple even a caveman could do it (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Oh, and reading this review probably took more time than backing up the photos.

by Brian Underdahl

Today’s video editing tools are really great. It’s become very easy to create a professional looking video from your video footage or even your digital photos. Most of the programs even include easy methods for you to grab audio from your favorite CD or to generate a music track automatically. With a little work almost anyone can feel like they’re an expert. But there’s a little problem (or two). Read the rest of this entry »

by Brian Underdahl

If you’re a public television fan you certainly know who Ken Burns is. His productions such as The Civil War have created a new term in the video editing arena which is called “the Ken Burns effect.” Basically, this is a technique where you use still photos in a video but you make them move, zoom, or otherwise create the illusion of motion.

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