Brandon C.'s blog

Digital TV converter box coupons now available

With a year to go until analog TV broadcasts give way to digital, the federal government on Tuesday started mailing $40 discount coupons for digital converter boxes to consumers who requested them.

Do you need one? And if so, do you really need one now?

Only consumers with older analog TVs who get their programming solely over the air — not through cable or satellite service — will need to plug their rooftop antenna or pair of rabbit ears into a converter box.

NEC Flask Phone?

NEC, the Japanese electronics manufacturer, recently unveiled a new concept phone that uses fuel cell as power.

The handset is apparently named NEC Flask Phone and, at a first glance, it looks like a giant lighter that Bigfoot might really love (if he exists and if he smokes). At a second glance, things seem a bit more serious, as this device is said to pack some sort of a touchscreen that also has the role of a keypad. The phone has a transparent case that allows users to see how much fuel is consumed, thus knowing when to recharge, and it's intended to be a device that perfectly integrates advanced technology and simple but elegant design.

Put Slide Shows on your TiVo

I have been making quite a few slide shows out of photos for Christmas this year. Using Nero Vision I have been making the slide shows and then burning them to DVD.

This is a great way to give out nice presents without much of an investment. But depending on the length of the show, the resolution if the photos and other things I have found that the preview function in Nero is just not enough to rely on. You really need to see them on the TV, especially with the large screen TVs now available.

The only problem is, after making the DVD and for some reason you want to make a change to the show, well, you already have created the DVD.

So you have to trash it and make another. This can get expensive.

Cool Japanese Cell Phone Services

While doing research on this new phone, we came across a lot of cool an interesting services that the Japanese enjoy that we don't have.

Check this stuff out.

Omakase Lock - Lock your phone just by contacting DoCoMo. You can lock your Phonebook and other personal data as well as the "Osaifu-Keitai" IC card function on your phone if you misplace or otherwise loose it.

PushTalk - PushTalk enables up to 5* people* (including the caller ) to participate in a single call. Calls between PushTalk compatible handsets can be made straight away as no application is necessary.

A Wellness Cell Phone?

Just when you thought you had a phone with every cool feature there is, out comes the Wellness Phone.

The prototype Wellness mobile phone from Japan's NTT DoCoMo was unveiled this week at the CEATEC electronics show outside Tokyo.

It can take your pulse, check your body fat, time your jogs and tell you if you have bad breath. It even assesses stress levels and inspires you with a pep talk.

The phone has an inbuilt motion sensor that detects body movement and calculates how many calories you burn.

DirecTV Supercast With Sling Media Test Drive

It was announced here a few days ago that Sling Media was working with the NFL and DirecTv to produce the NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ SuperFan™ DIRECTV SUPERCAST.

I don't have DirecTv but was fortunate enough to give it a test drive today. It's pretty darn cool!

You get live streams of every NFL SUNDAY TICKET game right on your PC, via your Internet Explorer. No software to download, not special codecs needed, nothing. Just go to your Supercast page and start watching.

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