High Technology Product Reviews | Trends and News

You know that thing where you just tap your credit card to pay for stuff at the store? That functionality will be coming to smartphones in the U.S., this time apparently for real, via a national phone payment network called Isis, spearheaded by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Besides negating the need to pull out your credit card, the "mobile wallet" in your phone is planned to incorporate reward cards, coupons, tickets, and transit passes. Isis will use near-field communication (NFC) technology to make payments. NFC encrypts data for very short-range transmission – a matter of inches. When you need to pay, just launch the Isis app, wave your phone over the machine and you've paid up. The idea of using your phone to make payments isn't new -- Japan's FeliCa has been around for years – but it's been slow to take hold in America. There have been many pilot programs for cell phone payments over the last decade, but none have gained traction. This time, thou...

It seems as if Google is concerned, once again, about developing a social network which will enable it to compete with Microsoft's conjunction with Facebook. This is going to be the comedy act of the year. Numerous articles floating around seem to promote the idea that Google may be unable to compete with the likes of Bing once the great social network of Facebook opens the kimono to Microsoft. The argument states: because there is so much personal information about me on Facebook (I actually don't have a Facebook account), that when I search for something on Bing, a cloud of personal information can be analyzed to improve search results. However, nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, it doesn't make any sense. If I am looking for a schedule of events in San Francisco, what does my Facebook data have to do with it? If I am trying to find the exact date Thomas Jefferson was born, then what does Facebook have to do with it? This entire gambit is unfort...

Just to complete my reviews about Google TV , on this post I wanna ask you a question. Do you want to view the Internet on your TV? With all of the activity in IPTV these days, this is one of the key questions that is at the heart of whether IPTV eventually succeeds or fails. Since TVs were invented, we have been trained to sit in front of them and consume not interact with them. And only recently have we had to multitask with our TV. Even though we've had picture in picture for years, it took news scrolls at the bottom of our TV screens to train our brains. So, how will consumers integrate the new and even more complex IPTV features into their TV viewing experience? One of the traits of consumers that has emboldened the IPTV crowd to push forward is the fact that many people sit on their couch and use their laptops or tablets while watching TV. They reason that if they multi-task in this fashion, they may be willing do it on the bigger screen. While I accept the fact that people...

Plustek is introducing the SmartPhoto P60, a compact and portable scanner which can convert old photographs into digital files with the touch of a button. It is the first photo scanner that the company is releasing to the U.S. market. The SmartPhoto 60 can scan at 100, 300, or 600 dpi. According to Plustek, it can scan a 4- by 6-inch photo at 100 dpi and import it into a computer in as little as 18 seconds. No additional software is needed to convert or upload photos. Once scanned, digital photos may be shared on-line, thru email, and on digital photo frames just like a photo created by a digital camera. The SmartPhoto P60 includes a protector sheet to keep old, fragile or irreplaceable photographs from harm while they're being scanned. The SmartPhoto P60 is powered through a USB port so it may be used anywhere with a laptop or desktop computer (Windows or Mac) and does not require external power.

The first round of Google TV products have officially been unveiled. For now, there are three products that make use of the Android-based Google TV software: the Logitech Revue, a set-top box; the Sony Internet TV, an HDTV with the built-in OS; and the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player, a Blu-ray player with full Google TV support. Which device is the right one for you, if you want Google TV in your living room as soon as possible? That depends. The Logitech Revue (slideshow below) was the first product launched, and is aimed at people who already have a TV in their living room but want the Google TV interface without the price tag of a whole new set. The Revue is a $299.99 set-top box that can be connected to any HDTV, and brings all the features of Google TV to your living room. In addition, the Revue provides 720p-streaming video conferencing capability, the ability to stream media from your computer, and an app for Android and iOS that lets you control the Revue, and your TV...