Have you ever wanted to have a video camera that you could have in your pocket to capture those “magic moments”? There are several camcorders that you could purchase for this purchase including the Flip and the Kodak. However, if you want the best quality videos, you may want to look at the JVC Picsio GC-FM-1 camcorder.

After using this camcorder for several months, I can give it 3 big pluses.

1. It is very small and lightweight

2. With a holographic image on the front and bright colors, it is amazingly good looking

3. It takes excellent hi-def videos

This JVC camera also has some drawbacks. The software will let you upload your videos to YouTube, but you will have to use another program if you want to edit your videos. Also the controls are finicky. You are not always sure that the camera recognized that you pressed the button. Also, you will need a steady hand or a tripod because the image stabilization is not as good as you may want it to be.

Here is the good, the bad, and the bottom line.

The Good

• Very good 720p and 1080p videos
• Good color accuracy
• Compact and lightweight
• Excellent, unique holographic design
• HDMI port
• SD card slot
• Stereo audio
• Comfortable to hold
• Instant start up

The Bad

• Finicky controls
• Poor software
• Poor image stabilization
• No HDMI cable included
• No external microphone port

Bottom Line:

Pocket sized camcorders like the JVC Piscio FM1 are very convenient. Although you won’t get the optical zoom and image stabilization that you’d get with a full-size dedicated camcorder, you will get a lot of functionality. The Piscio takes very good videos in high def, which is its biggest claim to fame. It is also very small and the sleek-looking holographic finish is wonderful. The removable SD card and HDMI port add to the device’s functionality.

Unfortunately, the great design and good videos are marred by controls that offer no tactile feedback and very poor software. If you can live with those two drawbacks, this is a great camcorder.

My full review including pictures is at Hardware Secrets.

You may have heard about getting your computer on the Internet with cellular service.  Yes, you can get a cellular card from your mobile phone company and use it in your computer to get on the Internet.  Another way to do it is with a special wireless router that you get from your mobile phone company.

I looked at the Mi Fi 2200 from Verizon. It is called an Intelligent Mobile solution and it is a really fresh way to get on the Internet. The MiFi 2200 is tauted as the world’s smallest wireless router. It is not only small, but it doesn’t look at all like a router. In fact, it looks like a shiny black credit card that is about ½” thick.

The MiFi accesses the Verizon cellular network to get you on the Internet, so you can get online wherever there is Verizon service, which is pretty much across America.

You can use the MiFi just like a modem that provides an Internet connection. Just plug it into a computer with the USB cable, configure the software and you are online. You can also use it as a wifi router, which can let up to 5 computers or other devices within about 30’ hook up to the Internet. It is really cool. Keep the MiFi in your shirt pocket and you are a walking WiFi center.

You get about the same speed as a DSL modem, so the Internet service is good. The MiFi is feature laden. It supports Wi-Fi encryption, port forwarding, port filtering, and other common router options.

In my testing, the MiFi worked seamlessly and gave me Internet access in areas where it would not have been otherwise available. It comes with a wall charger and lasts about 4 hours on a single charge. It can also plug into the USB port on a computer to be recharged.

The MiFi is a great option for anyone who lives or travels to areas where they cannot get good Internet connectivity through other methods.

There are however, two caveats. First, I found the Verizon, VZ Access Manager that helps you manage the MiFi really terrible. If you are used to working with networks, modems, and routers, you will be able to figure it out. If not, you will be at the Verizon store asking for help.  To their credit, Verizon has a video tutorial on their website that will also help get your through the software.  The good news is that once you figure out the software, you can manage the MiFi quite easily.

The second caveat is the price. The cost of the unit itself is not bad. It is $269.99 with a month-to-month Verizon data plan. It gets as cheap as $49.99 with a two-year contract. The service, however, is pricey. You will pay $39.99 for 250 MB of usage. This is good for only very, very  light use. The 5GB plan costs $59.99 a month. The problem is that heavy use can easily bring your usage over that. The Verizon software lets you monitor your usage quite easily, but I would like to see an unlimited plan so you wouldn’t have to worry about how close you are to your limit.

The good:

• Very small and pocketable
• Good design
• Instant Internet almost everywhere
• Good service and connectivity
• Can be use for up to five connections
• The device is inexpensive
• Month-to-month data plan is available

The bad:

• Expensive and limited data plans
• Poor software

The bottom line:

If you don’t mind the costs and you can stay within the data plan limits, this is an excellent product that can get you on the Internet almost anywhere. The Verizon service is very good, but they need to revamp the software to make it easier to use.

There was a special event in my life this month…. the birth of a grandson, Christian Anderson “Andy” Berger. Being born in 2010 is something special. In fact the year “twenty-ten” sounds pretty futuristic to those of us born in the years prefaced with the number 19. And it is futuristic! Andy will see technological changes in the world that most of us cannot even imagine today.

His health and longevity will certainly be improved because of technology. We may or may not find a cure for cancer during Andy’s lifetime, but we are sure to make huge strides in diagnosing and treating common diseases. Genetic testing will become commonplace uncovering genetic predispositions and allowing for preventative medicine to take the forefront. I envision Andy being able to put his hand on the bathroom mirror every morning and have his customized vitamins and medicine dispensed in the proper doses right on the spot.

After that he may wonder into the kitchen to read the daily newspaper. It will, of course, be in an electronic form, but instead of today’s e-book readers, it may be on a substance that looks and acts much more like real paper. Andy will, no doubt, have some help with the housework. Today we have robotic vacuums, floor scrubbers, and gutter cleaners. While Andy may not have a robotic maid named Rosie, he will most certainly have technological help. It is not too far-fetched to envision his having a robotic helper to pick up and wash the clothes. And certainly, by the time he has his own home, someone will have developed a self-cleaning toilet.

By the time Andy heads off to college, computers and communication devices will be ubiquitous and may, in fact, be rolled into one gadget. His entire life will revolve around whatever device becomes his communication device, e-book reader, information finder, entertainment hub, and payment center. Money may become obsolete as he uses his “lifestyle device” to pay for purchases wherever he goes.

As technology increases in Andy’s life, so will the stresses that come with being always available and with constant multi-tasking. No problem though, society will be well beyond 3-D television. Perhaps Andy will be able to use a device like the Holodeck from Star Trek to take an instant vacation. By then, the entertainment that Andy sees will be so realistic and immersive, that it will make him feel like he is really there. This will be great for a vacation paradise that he will need after being truly immersed in that intense murder thriller.

With technology like that, it may be difficult to tell what is real. Today, we cannot discern when a photo has been digitally manipulated into something illusionary.  For Andy, though, it may be difficult for him to discern if what he has just seen is real or imaginary.

While Andy will benefit from health and entertainment advances, he may find that he has very little privacy. Most of his life will be documented on the Internet. Public cameras will be everywhere. RFID tags as small as a grain of salt may be put into every object that Andy uses, making them totally traceable. No matter though, the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks as they have for us.

These are just a few of the things that Andy will have to look forward to in his lifetime, I’m sure that each of you have your own ideas of what life will be like for him and his generation. While you are thinking about it, be sure to remember that there was a time not long ago when we didn’t have Google to look things up instantly, when a large television had a 24” black-and-white picture, when you had to wait several days for your message to reach a friend by U.S. mail,  and when you couldn’t call the person you were meeting at the coffee shop to tell him that you were running late.

We have come a long way in our lifetime and I am sure that the world will see some outstanding and useful changes in Andy’s lifetime as well. While you are thinking about what some of those changes will be, please join me in welcoming Andy to this Brave New World!!

I just looked at the Epson Workforce 1100 wide-format printer and was quite impressed. They call it the Workforce, but I think they should have named it “the workhorse” instead. The 1100 is not a do-it-all printer. It doesn’t scan or copy or hook up to the Internet. It is not even wireless. Instead it is just a printer.But it is a stable, sturdy printer that prints very well.

This Workforce printer can print on paper as large as 13″ x 19″…. and it does so with crisp text and good color representation. Although it is not promoted as a photo printer, it prints on photo paper with a quality that will compare very favorably to photo printers. It comes with excellent software to help you print a variety of projects in different sizes.

The under $150 price is attractive as is the printer itself. The only drawback is that, because it is a wide-format printer, it is very large. So you will need a large sturdy desk or stand to put it on.  It woul be a good addition to any small office, but would also be very useful for any home user who is interested in printing various projects.

Check out my full review with pictures at the Hardware Secrets website.

Yesterday I talked about the new 3D TV, which didn’t really impress me as “the next big thing”. However, TV manufacturers are also offering other new technologies that I am finding intriguing. For instance, some new Panasonic Viera TVs will have Internet connectivity and Skype built-in. Now sitting in front of the large screen TV and being able to place a video call is something that I find appealing.

Internet connectivity is being quickly built into many televisions. Whether it is in the form of Apps or connections with companies like Netflix, the Internet connected TV is here to stay.

Samsung has an amazing a television that is only .3″ thick– about the width of a pencil. They also have a remote that not only is an exceptional remote control, but that also allows you to see the television picture on the screen on the remote. Many of the new Samsung TVs have bezels that change color depending on the light in the room.

Panasonic has improved their plasma technology and the pictures on their new plasma televisions, both 2D and 3D are really impressive.

While all these changes are nice features, they make a strong statement that television is morphing into something more than our current TVs. You can expect your next television to be the center of communications as well as entertainment. But you may want to wait to make your purchase until we see exactly where this all ends up.

I am in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) where every year the tech-savvy and gadget gurus gather to see the latest and great technologies.

One of the biggest things this year is 3D TV. In fact, the push to 3D TV is nothing short of amazing. While it was announced last year at CES, the implementation has been speedier than I ever expected. All the major TV manufacturers like Samsung and Panasonic will have 3D TV on the market in the next few months. Content providers and distributors are already in place. By June Direct TV will have three high-def 3D channels. Sporting events like the MLB All Star game will be transmitted in 3D. DreamWorks and Technicolor will be turning out movies in Blu-ray 3D very shortly.

I have never seen such a carefully orchestrated push for a new technology. The movie makers and television manufacturers are convinced that everyone wants 3D because of the popularity of 3D movies like Avatar. I, however, as not so sure that people will like the requirements. They will have to purchase a new television to view the 3D programming. They will have to purchase a new Blu-ray player that can play 3D movie disks. And they will have to wear 3D glasses to view anything in 3D.

Certainly 3D is an immersive television experience.  I just think that it is coming too quickly on the heels of the high-definition TV and Blu-ray. Too many people have already made a large investment in their entertainment equipment when they purchased new TVs to make the move to high-def.

I also don’t like the idea of wearing 3D glasses. Maybe they can convince everyone that they are cool. In fact, I am sure that there will be a very big promotional push for 3D TV. They are spending millions on the technology and its implementation.So we can expect them to spend millions more to convince everyone that they need this new technology.

The company big-wigs talked about 3D as becoming ubiquitous on televisions, laptops, and even mobile devices. I don’t see how that can happen as long as we have to wear special glasses to view 3D.

So now we are expected to purchase new televisions and new DVD players. When they do develop the 3D technology to the point where we won’t need the glasses, I guess we will have to throw out our old 3D TVs and buy new ones. Maybe this is just another product with built-in obsolescence. I am curious to see if the public can be sold on it!

I don’t know about you, but I am ready to welcome the new decade. This year we move from the 00 years to the 10s.

Some are calling the decade just past the oh-o’s.  From the beginning of the decade with the introduction of global terrorism to the end of the 00’s with economic tribulations, there were many problems and missteps in the oh-o’s.  But if you look at technology during this decade, rather than troubles and tribulations, you will see a slow evolution of growth and advancement.

In my New Years newspaper column for 2001, I made some predictions. Here are the predictions and the results.

The Internet will be faster for many.

During the past decade, millions of new Internet users were added to the online community. Millions more upgraded their Internet service to the faster broadband service. Some are even using high-speed fiber optics to access the Internet. (Unfortunately, not in our neighborhood.) The Internet has become so much a part of our lives that the word “Google” has been added to the dictionary.

Home networking will make its appearance.

Both Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Apple’s new Snow Leopard operating systems have home networking built-in. Both companies are offering family packs for three home computers. Millions of families now have two or more computers in their homes.

Music will continue to merge with the computer.

The iPod was introduced in 2001 and you know the rest of the story. People everywhere have wires hanging from their ears as they listen to digital music. Millions have digitized their music collections on the computer and download that music to their portable players. It is even becoming popular to use iPod docks or media extenders to listen to the digitized music throughout the home. Millions are also using their computers and Internet radio stations to listen to music from around the world.

Digital photography will become a popular hobby.

No one will argue that digital photography has become the norm. I haven’t seen a non-digital camera in eons. When the flashes go off, whether it’s at sporting events or a birthday party, the cameras are all digital.

Wireless and portable will be hot.

Millions of people access the Internet from their portable netbooks, laptops and/or smartphones. They can use WiFi in places like Starbucks and Paneras. Some also use a cellular connection to hook up just about anywhere. Wireless and portable are the hottest things out there today.

Internet Appliances will face a shakeout.

You might remember the push for Internet appliances back in the year 2000. They faced a big shakeout, and have reemerged as the netbooks which were one of the most popular types of computers in the last few years.

Several things that I did not talk about at the beginning of the decade have also changed our lives. Everyone from Luddites to great-grandmothers are now using cell phones. Some of you, like me, have even given up your land-line and gone all cellular. And millions of you now have smart cell phones like the iPhone that let you surf the web, play games, get satellite directions, and play music.

Television has undergone a huge transition. We now have televisions that are larger and thinner than we ever dreamed of. We have TiVos and video recorders that let us replay live TV and time-shift our TV viewing to suit our individual schedules. Hi-definition televisions and Blu-ray players produce amazingly detailed pictures. With the introduction of high-profile 3D movies like Avatar, we may even be moving into a 3-dimensional world for both movies and television.

We don’t want to forget about the many wildly popular Internet sites that have become a vital part of our world. We now have Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You can connect with friends from around the world, get a minute-to-minute rundown of what everyone is doing, and see videos of everything from dancing cockatoos to how to stuff a turkey.

Yes, our lives have certainly changed in the last ten years. This brings us to ask “What technological advances will better our lives in the next ten years?”  We may have some big breakthroughs. Perhaps we will find the cure for cancer. Or maybe we will find a way transport objects on beams through the air. Or maybe someone will come up with a viable flying car.

There may or may not be any really big breakthroughs in the next ten years, but you can bet on one thing. Technology will continue to transform our lives in ways that none of us can even imagine.

Remember the holidays when you were a child? Whether it was a quiet dinner with close family or a more raucous celebration with extended family and friends, it was nothing like today’s celebrations. The high tech world has thoroughly infiltrated the holidays.

In days past, family celebrations were only rarely interrupted by the ring of a telephone. Today we have family members answering their cell phone almost constantly and teen-agers texting under the table cloth edge during the holiday dinner.

Years ago, everyone smiled when the camera came out and even though some of us had Polaroid cameras, most of us didn’t even think of viewing the photos or movies until weeks later. Now we can hook the movie camera up to the television and watch the movies right after they are taken. We can place the photo memory card in a digital picture frame and show off the pictures immediately. We can even pop the card into a printer and print copies for everyone. That is except for the photo of Ted, the teenager with the pimply face. His photo will undergo some Photoshopping before it is printed for posterity.

In the Christmas’ of my youth, the presents under the tree were mostly sweaters, jewelry, ties and socks. Although there was an occasional kitchen appliance for mom or a power tool for dad, you didn’t need an outlet to plug in most of the presents back then. We received toys like board games and erector sets.

Today, electronics have taken the center stage with digital cameras, cell phones, GPS devices, electronic books, electronic gaming devices, digital music players, and digital picture frames. After the presents are opened, the room will be more aglow from the LCD screens of digital devices than from the lights on the Christmas tree. Most of the today’s toys need batteries. Yes, there are still board games, but now you can play Scrabble on the computer and the new version of the Clue board game relies on cell phone texting for clues.

Santa Claus may still be making a visit, but his new Santa suit will probably come from Amazon.com rather than from a department store. And the cookies we leave him will most likely be slice-and-bake rather than home made from scratch. And if you don’t have a fireplace for Santa, you can turn your computer screen into a virtual one with websites like FauxFilre.com (www.fauxfire.com).
Instead of music from the radio, vinyl records, or cassettes, many families will be listening to digital music from their iPods or computers. Some will listen to Christmas music from around the world through the Internet. They will be listening to this either on their computers or on an Internet radio.

In fact, some of the younger crowd will have wires handing from their ears as they will forgo the Christmas music and instead listen to their own choice of music. Some families will still sing carols. Instead of using mimeographed sheet music, however, they will, no doubt, have the words printed out from the Internet.
If the kid’s want to watch TV when the party starts to wind down, there will be no turning the dial to find a television show. We can go right to Frosty the Snowman that we recorded on the DVR, or the copy of The Christmas Story that we rented from Netflix.

The holidays of yesterday were great, but the holidays of today are not all bad. They are just different. As we miss some of the traditions and the way things were in the good old days, but we can embrace some of the new technologies that make today’s holidays a little better a little brighter.

Merry Christmas to all.

Okay, I think I am in love with a camera! I’ve never said that about a camera before, but the Rebel T1i has really turned my head. I looked at the Rebel about 3 years ago and thought it was a good camera, but the changes that Canon has made have turned it into a really good camera.

They have updated the menu system  and to make it more user-friendly. The 3″ LCD is beautifully crisp and clear. The 15 megapixel CMOS sensor produces excellent photos with good color reproduction. The buttons and controls are well-placed and easy to use. On top of that, they have added the ability to take high def  movies. While the 1080p movies are shot at a slower 20 frames, the 720p movies are shot at 30 frames and look good enough to satisfy me.  At about $799 for the camera and lens kit, this is a great SLR. You can read my full review with photos at  HardwareSecrets.com.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i 150-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera – Black This powerful digital SLR camera features a 15.0-megapixel CMOS sensor that lets you capture true high-definition video and still images with ease. Learn more about the Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i.

Yesterday I spoke to a group of PC users at our local community college. When the topic of cell phones came up the crowd became quite animated. They wanted to talk about iPhones and Droids and why their calls get dropped. The thing that really amazed me was that even though some of them didn’t understand the concept of cell towers or how cellular communications work, they were all convinced that Verizon is better than AT&T because Verizon’s blue map has more dots than AT&Ts red map. This is a true testament to power of television advertising and the genius behind the current crop of holiday ads that Verizon is running. If you haven’t seen them yet, just surf over to YouTube and type in “Verizon Holiday Ads”. They each have a great holiday theme. They are not only cute, but, as my recent experience exhibited, they are positively memorable. How many times have you seen a commercial ad and not remembered which product it featured?  Not so with the Verizon ads. Everyone came off with a Verizon is good and AT&T is bad concept.  It doesn’t get much better than that for brand recognition!