Category Archives: Computers

Panasonic 7″ Windows Toughpad

Accessories, CES 2014, Computers

Panasonic LogoPanasonic’s Toughbooks are legendary for their ruggedness and are used by armed forces world-over. Panasonic have now turned their attention to tablets with a line of Toughpads and on show here is a new 7″ Windows 8.1 tablet. Panasonic’s Toughpad Product Manager Dan Diliberti takes Todd and Don through it.

Running the latest Intel Core i5, the FZ-M1 is currently the only 7″ Windows 8.1 tablet on the market. As you’ll see from the video, there’s a dockable keyboard and there is also a pile of expansion options including desktop dock, bar code scanners and smart card readers.

Devices like the FZ-M1 don’t come cheap, with a base price of US$2099, but if it’s the kind of device you need, it’s worth every penny.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor and Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Kanex Multi-Sync Keyboard

Accessories, CES 2014, Computers, Gadgets

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Todd chats with Tracy from Kanex at CES Digital Experience about their new Multi-Sync Keyboard for Apple devices.

Although touch is great way of interacting with tablets and smartphones, it really doesn’t replace a keyboard when it comes to large amounts of text entry. In response, many manufacturers have come out with add-on keyboards that typically connect to the tablet via Bluetooth. These are generally useful devices but usually it’s one keyboard-one device and often there’s already a keyboard on the desk for the PC, so the desk simply gets more cluttered.

Kanex’s solution the Multi-Sync Keyboard which allows 3 Bluetooth and 1 USB connection to be maintained at any one time – Mac, iPhone and iPad. The user can then switch between connections, entering text into just one device at a time but being able to connect to up to 4 devices. Brilliant! Currently, it’s only available for Apple devices, but future versions should support PCs.

On-sale now for US$69.95 at www.kanexlive.com.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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TPN Innovator Pick Award Winner Chug Plug by Lenmar at CES 2014

CES 2014, Computers, , , , ,

LenmarThis year at the International CES conference in Las Vegas, the Tech Podcast Network team from TPN.tv handed out their first ever TPN Picks awards to selected products and services that were deemed to be innovators rising above the rest at this year’s show. Here’s the first of our pick segments recorded LIVE on the final day outside the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Chris Davis, Editor for the TPN team comes on with Geek News Central host Todd Cochrane to look at Chris’ pick, the Chug Plug battery from Lenmar.

They were joined by Jenny Simpson from Lenmar to talk about the Chug Plug, which is a battery that provides supplemental power for Macbook Airs and 13″ Macbook Pros. With the Chug Plug, the user can get an additional 4 hours of computer time, allowing them to get more work done on the road while traveling or just around the office without having to be plugged in. This is the perfect addition to the backpack for college students with MacBooks and will definitely be an addition to Chris’ tool kit when he returns to school in the fall.

The Chug Plug should be available in March and will retail for around $159.00. Find more information on the Chug Plug at Lenmar.com.

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Find more segments from CES 2014 both here and at Health Tech Weekly with host Jamie Davis, the Podmedic.

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Chug Plug Battery From Lenmar Charges Your Mac On The Go at CES

CES 2014, Computers, , , , , ,

ChugPlug_LenmarAirplanes, long car rides, inaccessible plugs in hotel rooms… and your battery is at 15%, with hours of time yet to kill. Chris Davis from Healthtech Weekly interviews Jenny Simpson from Lenmar about solving these everyday dilemmas. Chris was roaming the floor at the International CES conference in Las Vegas looking for the latest and greatest in tech and gadgets with the Tech Podcast Network team. Find out how you can extend your MacBook’s battery life with Chris Davis and the Chug Plug.

The Chug Plug is the first of its kind; an external battery pack for your MacBook. It plugs into the brick portion of the laptop power adapter that comes with your computer and adds about four hours of battery life. The best part is that you don’t need any extra cables. You charge it up with the other side of your Mac laptop’s charging cable.

Presently, the Chug Plug is only available for the 13 inch MacBook Pro, as well as all models of MacBook Air; however, the company is working on producing a larger model to cover the 15- and 17-inch models of MacBook Pro.

The Chug Plug will be available in March for about $159.

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Find more segments from CES 2014 both here and at Health Tech Weekly with host Jamie Davis, the Podmedic.

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Todd Cochrane – CES 2014 Host Introduction

Accessories, Auto, Back Channel, Cameras, CES 2014, CES 2014 Team, Computers, Entertainment, Gadgets, Health, Live Show, Mobile, Photography, Special Events, Toys & Gaming, TVs, Video, Wireless

I’m Todd Cochane of Geek News Central. I am also the CEO of RawVoice the parent company of TPN.tv and the Tech Podcast Network. This will be my 9th year covering International CES and as always I am excited to be at the show. Take a few minutes and watch the video to get some background on me and the team that will be coming to cover CES.

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Rocstor: Secure Storage with Data Encryption

CES 2013, Computers,

RocstorLogoKeeping data secure without having to load special drivers or programs offers a lot of appeal. RocStor builds ruggedized drive enclosures with built in encryption that mount just like a regular portable drive. Using access cards or a hardware token, the drive is built so that tampering will be immediately obvious. The drives are fully bootable in both Apple OSX and in Windows 7 and 8. It is particularly useful for financial workers, doctors, lawyers and others with high value data. Originally designed for US Government applications, this USA manufactured product begins at $250 for a 1TB drive. Firewire and USB interfaces are available. TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Scott Ertz, F5 Live: Refreshing Technology .

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Look like a Genius with Keyboard Shortcuts

CES 2013, Computers, , , ,

KBcoversLogoProfessional video editors, Photoshop experts and CAD operators all know that the secret to mastery of a complex application is not to be found mousing around through stacks of menu items, right and left clicking and remembering where the menu choices have been relocated from version to version. Power users know that keyboard shortcuts – where your hands never leave the keyboard and the app becomes an extension of your mind is where real productivity is found. KBCovers helps you move to that keyboard genius level in a quick and easy step, with overlays for Apple notebooks and keyboards. As you begin by typing slowly, you will learn the shortcuts and your speed will increase quickly and smoothly. The covers offer protection and embedded product keyboard shortcuts for many professional apps, in addition to special editions for the visually impaired or those who must operate in low light situations, such as nightclub DJ’s and lighting. Both US and ISO keyboards are available in the $30-$40 range. TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Scott Ertz, F5 Live: Refreshing Technology .

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Dishwasher Safe Keyboard for Hospital or Home

CES 2013, Computers, ,

SealShieldLogoSeal Shield has specialized in waterproofing keyboards for demanding medical and industrial environments – which means that it can take out any abuse that the family computer keyboard might have to endure at the hands of pre-schoolers or careless teenagers. At CES2013, the company introduced the 100% waterproof iPhone case, including waterproof earbuds permitting the user to listen to music while underwater. There is a full selection of mice, keyboards and accessories. The products are ruggedized for industrial and healthcare use, and are fully warranted. SealShield is a single use iPad waterproofing system that can protect up to 90 days. The company has a long history in the medical field and offers anti-microbial coating on the products as well.

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Daniel J. Lewis, The Audacity To Podcast.

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Big Training Cost Savings for Win8 Tablet Users with Virtual Binder

CES 2013, Computers,

gDocLogoOne of the hidden costs of any conversion is training large numbers of non-IT workers on a new system. Microsoft Partner Global Graphics has created the software equivalent of a three ring binder. Learning curve ? Approximately zero. The software application, designed from the ground up for the enterprise marketplace and Windows8 tablets allows you to gather up and collate documents from anywhere in any format – PPT, DOC, XLS,PDF, and then assign to pages and tabs within a smart equivalent of a three ring binder. You can share and archive binders and content selectively and confidentially and collaborate with friends and colleagues anywhere on the globe. Personal applications are also possible.

The content display is instantly familiar regardless of computer skills of the employee. And by using existing business documents, there is no re-scanning or conversion required to bring in existing documentation and reference materials.

Pages can be set to automatically update, and it is possible to add annotations, edit pages and documents, and electronically search by phrase, word or tab.TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Daniel J. Lewis, The Audacity To Podcast.

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New Generation of OLPC: One Laptop Per Child

CES 2013, Computers,

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The One Laptop Per Child Foundation has been pursuing dreams on behalf of millions of children around the world, while keeping pace with the changes in technology and wireless connectivity. This new UI is built around the idea that children’s dreams and hero’s are a good way to group applications and opportunity. The UI is built with full parental controls, with up to three profiles available for age appropriate access to internet assets.

The built in camera is designed for experimentation and applications encourage the child to get out and explore their world with the camera and creativity.

This is the fifth generation of  technology that OLPC has implemented. It is an Android based system, with many apps programmed in Python. The first US based retailer to get the unit will be Walmart, but the price point has not yet been set.  More info at XOLearning.org and Laptop.org

TPN Interview by Andy McCaskey, SDRNews and Don Baine, The Gadget Professor.
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