The Harmony 650 improves on the 600’s monochrome screen with a color version (it can display colorful favorite channel icons instead of just text, like the 600). The 700’s price tag is slightly more expensive–it retails for between $120 and $150–but it controls six devices to the 600/650’s five, and it has the ability to recharge its Sanyo Eneloop batteries by attaching the USB AC charger (both included). As is standard for Logitech remotes, all three models are programmable via a Mac or Windows PC, and use activity-based commands such “Watch TV” or “Listen to Music” to control a home AV system.

Roku LT
The Roku LT is an extremely small Wi-Fi streaming-media box that costs only $50. It offers dozens of streaming video and audio services, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, HBO Go, Pandora, MOG, Rdio, and MLB.TV. It also supports older TVs using an included breakout cable. However, the Roku LT isn’t a good choice for playing your personal digital media collection. There’s no Ethernet port, so you’ll need a solid Wi-Fi signal in your home.

Roku has managed to shave the price all the way down to $50, jettisoning unnecessary features, while keeping all of the streaming content that we love. There’s still an argument to be made for Apple fans to favor the Apple TV, since it works so well with other Apple products. But for the money, the Roku LT deserves a very strong recommendation and is sure to be a hit this holiday season.

Kodak PlaySport Zx5
An exemplary shoot and share minicamcorder, the PlaySport is a very good choice for capturing those spur-of-the-moment clips. Plus, its rugged construction means you can take it where other devices can’t go.

The waterproof/shockproof Kodak PlaySport Zx5 produces very good video quality for its price and size, is easy to use, and has good editing/sharing software. However, the PlaySport doesn’t have a built-in USB connector, there’s no flash or video light, and the battery can’t be removed. The bottom line is the rugged Kodak PlaySport Zx5 is a very good minicamcorder.

Pedometers have helped people measure walking distance for many years. Skip forward to present day and the original pedometer has evolved; offering more bells and whistles for the “step-counting” population. One of the more intriguing offerings in the current generation of pedometers allows the user to view their walking, running and other motion activity on their computer and online. These computer-linked pedometers come in many designs, but their basic functionality is the same. Essentially, the recorded data from the pedometer is uploaded and then tracked to monitor the user’s fitness progress. These are great motivating tools for the growing population of people looking for ways to improve their fitness and if used correctly, lose weight. Here is just a small sampling of the various computer-linked pedometers offered on the market.

The Fitbit Tracker is a small pedometer clip that measures steps, distance, calories burned and also has a unique flower icon that displays daily activity levels. The Fitbit connects wirelessly to a base station that uploads the user’s daily fitness data to the Fitbit website. In turn, the user is able to view and track their fitness progress on a computer or mobile device, as well as log food intake and sleep times. It is PC/Mac compatible and also has no additional fees to use the Fitbit website.

The Omron HJ-720ITC pedometer measures daily steps, calories, distance and fat grams burned. It comes with a separate holder that clips to the user’s waistband and a USB cable that uploads the fitness data to a computer. With its own Omron Health Management Software, the user is able to view and track fitness progress without having to go online.

The Nike+ iPod Sport Kit requires a pair of Nike+ running shoes and a Nike+ iPod sensor that slips into a built-in pocket on the bottom of the shoes. The sensor transmits workout-based stats such as calories burned, distance, speed and time-elapsed during and after a workout to an iPod Nano (which requires a separate receiver), an iPod Touch or iPhone 3GS. Some cool bonus features include, customized workout programs and music playlists, as well as real-time voice feedback during the workout. After the workout, the data is uploaded to nikeplus.com where the user can monitor their fitness progress and goals.

These are just a few of the next-generation pedometers on the market. With so many to choose from, anyone considering buying one of these should do their own research for which one best suits their needs. Bottom line is that any of these pedometers would be a great addition to a workout routine.

The vinyl record, tape cassette, CD and MP3 player all changed the way we listened and accessed music. And now, Apple, who is responsible for changing the way we satisfy our entertainment sweet tooth has done it again with the announcement of the iCloud. But before I go into what Apple is going to bring us, let me explain exactly what cloud computing is.

Chances are all the applications, music, contacts, photos and movies you have live on your computer, tablet or smart phone. In other words, it was downloaded or installed and stored locally on your device. What cloud computing does, is allow you to store and access files and information securely on a data server, and access them either through your data plan or through a wireless network. Think of it as your own personal hard drive in the sky.

On to Apple’s iCloud. First off, let me say yes. Yes Google and Amazon both offer a watered down version of cloud based storage. Yes they officially did it before Apple. Yes both of their services will crumble on what iCloud is going to offer us. So don’t waste your time with either one. It’s a Steve Job’s world and he lets us live in it and I am fine with that. Plus, iCloud is free.

So here are a few examples of what iCloud is going to do for us. You are at home on your desktop computer, and you purchase a song, tv show, or movie from iTunes. Once the transaction is complete you will be able to download it to any of your Apple devises without having to sync to your computer. Is this the end of syncing? Sort of. What iCloud will do is give us instant syncing. No more being tethered to your computer with a usb cord to transfer files.

Another great example is that iCloud isn’t just about music. Lets say you are eating dinner at a restaurant and you run into an old college friend. You add their phone number and email address to your contacts and snap a photo with your iPhone. The photo and contact information is immediately sent to iCloud and will be instantly listed in your contacts on all your other devises. iCloud will also sync other data like apps from the app store, calendars and text messages.

Though some of iCloud’s features are already showing up in iTunes and on the iPad and iPhone, it is still in it’s beta stage. iCloud will be fully available for free this fall when Apple releases iOS 5. As always, iOS updates are free.

For more info visit www.apple.com/iCloud

Your cell phone is not an accessory, so don’t wear it like one. Well, that just isn’t true anymore.

Smartphone cases send just about as many messages as the technology they hold these days.  They range from really simple to down-right trendy and they come with options that serve passions as well as your style.

If you want to Sport Along
Look into Official NBA skins, MLB skins, NFL, NHL and your favorite college team skins, made from a 3M product that “brands” you and your device.  You can show your love for just about any team around. Check out skinit.com and amazon.com.

Clean and Green
The world’s only bioplastic covers made of plants! No oil! No petrochemicals! That’s right, they are made of biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials, and Bioserie provides you with your own stylish, clean and really innovative protection for your iPhone, iPad, iTouch and iPod. This is major green science on the cutting edge. You can enjoy technology with a greener conscience. Check out bioserie.com.

Back up charging
Thin, thinner, thinnest rechargeable battery cases that are designed to virtually double the time you have to talk, surf, and send with your iPhone 3G or 3GS. These cases have rechargeable external batteries concealed inside a protective form-fitting case. They offer you the full protection of a hard-shell case while still providing twice the battery life of the iPhone by itself; and all that in a really ultra thin, low profile design.  Check out mophie.com, search “juice pack”.

If you are more in touch with the simpler options there are still a wide range of choices to make.  Gel covers that protect the phone from falls and blunders.  Leather, metal or silicon, cases that clip and hold; they come vertical or horizontal, color or plain. Your choices are extreme, just like the technology.

They are becoming a way of life.  More automobile manufacturers are equipping new autos so they match up with applications on today’s smart phones. Motorists can be just a jingle away from pushing a button to automatically start their car or check its fluid levels.

The 2011 Volt, the all-electric vehicle from General Motors, is equipped with its own application. It enables the driver, or preferably the passenger, to get directions, order stuff online, check in with friends on Facebook, identify songs being played on the radio, and look for nearby lodging and restaurants. Additionally, the application will allow motorists to track how much power and battery life the car has left, find a charging station and schedule the recharging of batteries.  IPhones using Google’s Android software means that GM has just the right app for you.

The Leaf electric by Nissan already has a similar wireless for smart phones, and it looks like this type of option may be headed for standard equipment.  Similar features are now being added to OnStar, GM’s satellite-tracking system for automobiles, which aids its drivers in time of need.

iQ Power, Chrysler’s touch screen power system, is being placed in its 200C four-door electric auto.  And also on the Chrysler scene, a new tracking system that will help locate stolen vehicles is being honed by engineers.

Warning systems for backing and self-parking electronics are almost old hat now with the first of these technologies emerging in the Lexus LX 460 in 2006. Now, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Toyota offer similar parking aids that have become common use accessories for drivers. Most cars have optional rear warning systems and computer readouts on pending engine and drive-train system problems.  Most also have read-outs on dates for needed vehicle service, a built-in compass and outside temperature readings.

Our cars are getting smarter and helping us keep up with the maintenance needs and giving us systems that help with better living options.

It’s really smart to use it when you take notes at a meeting or lecture. With special paper, Livescribe’s new Echo records everything you write, plus it records all of the audio in the background. Later, you can hear everyone’s words as well as seeing the notes you took.

You plug the pen into a computer via USB cable to access the digital file and you can share files on the Livescribe Web site.

The new Echo priced at $170.00 to $200.00 has 8 GB of storage.  The pen is flat so it won’t roll away and has a rubberized grip and is lighter than earlier models of predecessor pens.

The coolest thing about the Echo (and the Pulse before it) is its ability to record and play back audio–with an innovative twist. Instead of requiring you to cycle through your recorded audio to find the clip you want, the Echo ties audio to your written notes. By tapping a Record button on a printed page, you start recording a lecture or other spoken words as you write. While you’re scribbling your notes, the pen records audio that’s linked to whatever you’re writing.

As you read your notes later, you can tap your written words with the pen to hear the audio recorded at the moment you wrote them. Livescribe includes a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the top of the Echo–as well as an embedded speaker–for listening to your audio clips. The pen is perfect for classes and interviews.

You can’t use just any legal pad or notebook, the Echo works only on special dot paper. A high-speed infrared camera at the tip of the pen captures your movements on the special paper, which is also the secret for connecting captured audio to written text.

The pen comes packaged with a 50-sheet starter notebook containing perforated, lined dot-paper with various controls printed at the bottom of each sheet. Tapping the printed controls activates various functions of the pen.  Additional paper supply can be purchase online at the Livescribe store ($20 for a four-pack of traditional-style notebooks, or $25 for a two-pack of hardbound journals).  You can print your own dot paper with a color laser printer that can print at a resolution of at least 600 dots per inch.

You also get 500MB of free storage on the Livescribe Online service as part of the package. For archiving your notes, the Livescribe system includes Livescribe Desktop 2.1.1 for Windows or 2.1.2 for Mac OS. This downloadable desktop software (available via the Livescribe site) enables you to digitize, organize, and share your handwritten notes via Livescribe Online once you’ve connected the pen to a Windows or Mac computer.

The Federal Communications Commission is considering new legislation that would require wireless companies to send a text message to customers who are on the verge of racking up expensive charges for exceeding the plan’s data or text-messaging limit. The proposal is similar to one enacted by the European Union where customers complained so emphatically about huge data-roaming charges while traveling that their government reacted to their complaints.

Overage charges can add up to huge costs! For now, the easiest way for you to save costs is to change your plan. That is something you can do it without extending or terminating your contract.  Also ask for a usage summary going back 12 months to see if you could get by on a cheaper plan.

If not, consider switching carriers. Check BillShrink.com and Validas.com or wirelessadvisor.com to determine if you could get a better deal from a different carrier. Overall, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have about 220 plans, so it will be a task to analyze them.

Verizon has a $99 family plan that features unlimited text messaging, AT&T has an $84.99 plan with a limit of 1,500 on text messages and 5 cents a minute after that and T-Mobile has a family plan for $79.99 a month with unlimited text messaging. But beware and check the fee for overages.

Until the FCC rules go into effect, (if they ever will), ask your carrier if you can receive phone or text alerts when account limits are nearing, it is sure worth a try.

Here are a few additional tips that may help you contain or lower your bill:

•    Cancel unwanted services. Scan the bill for charges you can’t identify and ask what they are. Cancel services you don’t want, such as roadside assistance service for $3 or $5.

•    Use a FREE information services rather than the more costly 411 service.    Try 800- 373-3411 (provided by Jingle Networks)  or 800-466-4411(provided by Google) to find the number of a person or business.  Add these numbers in your cell’s phone book so all you have to do is hit Info to further enhance this convenience.

•    Check your voicemail from a landline if you are almost out of minutes.  Most people do not realize they are charged for voice mail calls. To do it, dial your cell number from a landline, hit * or # during your outgoing message, then enter your pass code.

We are a “stay connected” society, spending premium dollars for the luxury of being linked to friends, family and the world, at every minute, but we can use offers and opportunities to lessen the cha-ching on our pocketbooks.

Compared with taking photos on film or video on tape, digital photography or videography provides more opportunities for editing, storing and sharing your media with friends and family across the globe in an instant. However, taking advantage of these compatibilities typically requires pairing your digital video or still camera with a relatively new home computer and some basic software.

Most digital cameras available today capture photos or video onto a small internal hard drive or on a removable media card.  A modern home computer, whether a Mac or a PC, if properly equipped, will provide all the tools necessary to get the most of this digital media.

The first challenge to overcome involves transferring video and still images from a camera’s internal hard drive or removable media cards onto the computer for editing.  USB (Universal Serial Bus) has become the standard interface for most consumer digital cameras and all modern home computers.  Many PCs also come equipped with a variety of media card readers installed.  Macs typically do not include media card readers, but all-in-one media card readers which connect via the USB port are inexpensive and readily available.  In either case, it is important confirm the compatibility between media card reader and the camera.

The right software can make the transfer process relatively painless and offer a range of editing and sharing options.  Some cameras come with very basic editing software, but it is frequently only Windows compatible.  For Mac users, software that comes preloaded such as iMovie or iPhoto, might be all that is needed.  Those programs are designed to automatically detect a camera connected to the computer’s USB port and help streamline the process of copying the files onto the computer.  They also provide basic video editing capabilities and photo enhancement tools like easy “red eye” reduction.

PC users might want to look to third party software for more powerful editing capabilities.  Adobe’s Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements are scaled down versions of their professional video and photo editing applications and are surprisingly powerful and easy to use.  Premiere Elements will easily transfer video from hard drive based cameras, removable media cards, DVDs or tape based digital video cameras.  In addition to basic video editing one can incorporate still images, titles, music and narration.  Once a video has been edited, it can be shared by burning it onto a DVD or exporting it to a compressed video file such as an .mp4 to be emailed to friends or uploaded to a social networking site like YouTube or Facebook.

At The Panhandle House, we frequently transfer older home movies, videos or photos shot on 8mm film, VHS or camcorder tapes and 35mm slides, as well as, audio recordings to digital files which the savvy home editor can incorporate into a video using their own editing software.  For those who would prefer to leave the editing to the professionals, we can do that as well.  We create simple videos for families and friends just as frequently as we produce slick corporate promotional materials.

Remember when we were thrilled that technology had brought us that new little remote device to open our car doors?  One click and the door opened, no key. That was an enormous leap for the auto and technology industries.  Spring forward a couple of decades and now…no remote needed!  You can start, lock and unlock your car just by pushing a button on your iPhone or iTouch.

Technology’s new Viper SmartStart application is introduced by Directed Electronics, already the leader in vehicle security and remote start industry. The application includes a receiver that is installed in the car.  The simple interface gives you control over the features of your installed Viper remote start or security/remote start system:  Lock/arm, Unlock/disarm, Remote car start, Trunk release, and Panic. You can also control multiple vehicles and assign more than one user to control a vehicle.   Anticipation is that this will be great for families and it’s easy with SmartStart.

The Viper SmartStart is the latest example of automotive electronic functions migrating into Apple iPhone and other smartphones. Imagine your keys being locked in the car or losing your keys. Now there is no reason to panic, as long as you have your phone.

Viper SmartStart is available in Denton at Autosound & Security located on I-35 near Loop 288, and at Best Buy on Loop 288.

Have you received email with a similar message? It’s a scam called “phishing” – and it involves Internet fraudsters who send spam or pop-up messages to lure personal information (credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information) from unsuspecting victims.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, phishers send an email or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with — for example, an Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message may ask you to “update,” “validate,” or “confirm” your account information. Some phishing emails threaten a dire consequence if you don’t respond. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization’s site. But it isn’t. It’s a bogus site whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

Tips to help you avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:

• If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply. And don’t click on the link in the message, either.

• Area codes can mislead. If you need to reach an organization you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card, not one provided by an email.

• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly.

• Don’t email personal or financial information. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.

• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges.

• Be cautious about opening attachments or downloading files from emails, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer’s security.

• If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov.  You can learn other ways to avoid email scams and deal with deceptive spam at ftc.gov/spam.