TECH TREND: CASHLESS SHOPPING GROWS IN 2012

Apps will be taking over your wallets! The cashless trend has will be in full throttle this year with the help of mobile devices and companies like Google and MasterCard, they hope to move toward a completely cash-free society.

Google Wallet will allow you to leave your wallet at home. All you need now is your mobile phone. The app uses MarsterCard’s PayPass technology allowing you to complete a transaction by tapping your mobile phone on any PayPass scanner and you’re done!

Rob von Behren and Jonathan Wall, founding engineers on Google Wallet, explain how the app works “During the tap, Google Wallet securely transmits your information using a technology called Near Field Communication (NFC). You lock Google Wallet with a pin so it’s more secure than a physical wallet.”

The app stores your credit cards, discount deals, as well as reward cards. Google Wallet will soon be soon be incorporating transit passes, boarding passes, and tickets.

PayPal has also introduced a new app. By installing the PayPal widget, two people with the application on their phones are able to transfer funds to each other by simply tapping the devices together.

Another app called Square is also proving to be quite popular. It’s an electronic payment service used by attaching a card-reading portable device to your mobile phone. It has been recently updated using voice recognition to make payments even simpler by just saying your name!

APP TRENDS: ‘POINT AND KNOW’ TECHNOLOGY

New app technology called “Point and Know” will now connect us to information faster than we had ever imagined. By simply pointing your mobile device at an object, apps can now identify the item for you.

The PittPatt app uses facial recognition technology. By taking a picture of a person on your mobile device, the app searches Google Images and Facebook to identify who is in the photo in less than 60 seconds!

Another app called Google Goggles is an image recognition app that searches for information on a picture taken with your mobile device. For example, if you took a picture of a monument, the app would then search Google for info on it.

Then there is Flow Powered by Amazon app similar to Google Goggles but instead of redirecting you to Google, it automatically connects you to the Amazon webpage for purchase of the item in the picture!

TECH TRENDS: IPAD 3

The word is that the iPad 3 will soon be surfacing. With its predecessor, iPad 2, almost a year old, Apple will be releasing a new and improved version of the tablet we all know and love.

The new iPad is expected to be only seven inches in size instead of the 9.7 inches the iPad 1 and 2 have been. Due to its smaller size, the price of the tablet is rumored also to drop. The new device will also have a higher resolution screen, longer battery life, and a faster processing system for improved browsing and gaming.

Finally, the iPad 3 wouldn’t be a new Apple product without the addition of Siri – everyone’s favorite virtual assistant from the iPhone 4S!

The tablet’s rumored release dates are either on February 24, 2012, the same day as Steve Jobs’ birthday, or in the month of March, which is the month the iPad 2 was released in 2011.

DO IT YOURSELF: HEALTH

Looks like the growing trend is do-it-yourself "health". People would rather diagnose themselves or try to solve their own problems than wait in a hospital waiting room for hours on end.

Mobile device apps will be the main aids in this growing trend. There are approximately 9000 health apps:

• 1500 cardio apps
• 1300 diet apps
• 1000 stress and relaxation apps
• 650 women’s health apps

For example, the Jawbone’s Up app is a wristband that syncs to your mobile device to your own moving, eating, and sleeping patterns.

There is also the Skin Scan app, which scans beauty marks and moles with an attempt at detecting cancerous skin cells. The app will let you know if you should visit your doctor.

You will be able to see many more health apps as 2012 progresses.

TECH TREND:
‘POWERBAG’ CHARGES ELECTRONICS

If you’re a smartphone user, you probably don’t have many complaints about your phone except for the fact that the battery doesn’t last too long. Something you might find useful is a new gadget called the Powerbag, a line of shoulder bags equipped with batteries. It’s great for long trips, or if you simply forgot to charge your phone the night before. It’s got a rechargeable battery connected to standard-size cords for iPod, BlackBerry and other gadget and goes for $140 USD.

Some critics have questioned its safety. Spokespeople of the company say there is nothing to worry. "Powerbag sources the highest quality cells and parts for the batteries. Our batteries are all rigorously and thoroughly tested, enduring the most abusive of treatment, still upholding Powerbag's high standard of safety."

Another thing to keep in mind: you actually have to CHARGE the bag too. The good news is, the Powerbag battery lasts a really long time. It could go over a week on one single charge. The best part is, it’s very slick looking and doesn’t look too geeky.

For more information or to get your own Powerbag visit www.MyPowerBag.com

THERMAL LIE-DETECTORS & CLONED DOGS

Airport security’s getting stricter and more high-tech. Here’s a look into what to expect. The CHECK-POINT OF THE FUTURE is a project still in the concept stage from the International Air Transport Associated (IATA). It’s a series of neon-lit tunnels that include eye-scanners, x-ray machines, metal and liquid detectors. There are three corridors, and the “travel profile” you are assigned determines which one you go in. The IATA is hoping to have these checkpoints up and running in airports in the next five to 7 years.

TEHRMAL LIE DETECTION

This one is so cool. Researchers in the UK have developed a camera that detects lies. I know I’m going to have to see this to believe it. It’s a thermal-imaging camera that captures facial temperature when someone is being questioned. "When  a person is making something up on the spot, brain activity usually changes and you can detect this through the thermal camera," says professor Hassan Ugail, who leads the research. It could be used during customs interviews at passport control. The development of the system continues. The name of the airport where it’s being tested is not revealed.

BLUETOOTH PASSENGER TRACKING

A new system in Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa Airport monitors Bluetooth signals from cell phones to study passenger movement around the terminal. The information is used to predict waiting times in the airport.  The passengers can see waiting times on the flight information display screens.

BEHAVIORAL DETECTION OFFICERS

In the United States, The Transport Security Administration (TSA) is training Behavioral Detection Officers (BDOs) to speak with passengers, casually, to detect suspicious behavior. What they look for is "involuntary physical and physiological reactions" that are natural reactions of people when they are afraid of being discovered. BDO’s are now working in about 161 airports around the country.

‘SUPER CLONE’ SNIFFER DOGS

Only three out of ten trained sniffer dogs are fit for the job once they are done. What they’re doing now is genetically cloning a Labrador Retriever named Chase who had incredible drug-detecting capabilities in South Korea.

TECH TREND:
AMAZON MIMICKING APPLE

Now that Steve Jobs is gone, companies are now trying to compete with Apple. Riding on the successful wave of the Kindle e-reader over the past three years, and the Kindle Fire, Amazon could do for smartphones what it did for tablets. Amazon will launch its own smartphone in 2012 at the cheap price of between 150 to 175 dollars.

Likely the phone will run on Google's Android operating system and will be cheaper than a new iPhone 4. The company's Kindle e-reader has been a hit for years, and Amazon this week put its new tablet, the Kindle Fire, on the market for $200. The Kindle Fire isn't amazing. It’s not as functional as the iPad but it’s cheaper. The Apple iPad sells for $500 to $830. The Amazon phone would cost the company $150 to $170 to make.

TRANSPORT TRENDS:
THE ‘SUPERBUS’

The Superbus is now the state of the art bus and it’s being described as a ‘sexy’ bus.

There is interest from all over the world. It is 15 meters-long (50 feet) and it’s the latest form of public transport.

It has a top speed of 250 kph (155 mph) the Superbus can also use normal roads at normal speeds.

Public transport has to be exciting, the experts say. It’s powered by electricity ad looks very space age.

Hydraulic cylinders have been included in the design. It can sit 7cm off the ground when traveling at high speed, rising to a height of 43cm when it uses normal roads in towns and cities.

Rear-wheel steering gives it a 24-meter turning circle that moves smoothly.

Richard Branson thinks the Superbus could take on the train business one day, matching it for speed. They say it could compete with the car and could be on the roads in five years.

‘BLOGWORLD & NEW MEDIA EXPO’:
LATEST TECH TRENDS

Now turning to tech trends. Here in LA we had a huge convention recently, the BlogWorld & New Media Expo. It’s the blogging industry’s standard and the first and only industry-wide trade show promoting new media. We found the mobile marketing is truly the next big media frontier. Some of the progress made? Smartphones can now scan the “for sale” sign on houses and consumers can have the listing’s details with a virtual tour. Only 35% own a smartphone today. According to a recent report, almost all smartphones now include a built-in GPS receiver to enable location tracking, but only 55% of smartphone owners have used their phone's GPS to help get local directions or recommendations.

According to a new study entitled “State of the Blogosphere 2011,” blogs are now made to create communities around topics and articles. Fewer men are blogging these days although they still do make up 59% but that’s down from 64% of men last year. The study finds that women now make up 41% of bloggers and that is up 36% from last year and many moms are doing blogs as they stay home with the kids. Only 14% of bloggers receive a salary for blogging today, the rest do it for free just for the exposure.  Even traditional media outlets are using blogs now to build their brands. The New York Times to CNN are including blogging as a huge component of what’s happening. Blogs now bridge the gap between opinion and real news. Regular media now sees blogging as a way to communicate more conversationally and the blogs can do the edgy and give opinions that real news does not to ensure journalistic standards. I say everything on a blog is just an informal editorial and remember anyone can say anything they want ether its 100% true or not.

CANON:
UNVEILS NEW DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM ‘CINEMA EOS’

Canon has just unveiled a new digital camera system for film and TV production. Martin Scorsese says the new tools that Canon has created allow for a much closer, more intimate relationship between the filmmakers and the world they are filming than ever before. The newest camera is now a lightweight, professional digital cinematography camera aimed at the feature movie making market and TV production. It’s called the Cinema EOS brand professional camera system.

Canon launched it on the Paramount lot here and Scorsese was on hand. Hundreds came in from around the world for the launch. The company called it a historical global announcement.

It's an affordable price compared to other professional cameras listing at about $20 thousand USD. The two versions of the camera will be available in January and then in March. It accommodates up to 60 frames per second at 720p resolution and 30 frames per second at 1080p.

Canon is pushing toward film and television, and last month opened the Canon Hollywood Professional Technology and Support Center in LA. I have to say, what I love about Canon video TV cameras, which I have used for years, is the support operations.

WEB TREND:
ONLINE TV SHOW CHANNELS

There is a huge online trend now of TV shows being made just for the web. It’s huge. YouTube’s latest announcement that it's launching 100 new channels is a low-budget effort to compete with satellite and cable TV providers. By next year, YouTube will have about 25 hours of new and original programming everyday. Partnering networks and high-profile individuals will be creating television-style channels with professionally produced shows. Companies on board include FremantleMedia, The Wall Street Journal, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and actors Ashton Kutcher Amy Amy Poehler and Sofia Vergara of ModernFamily will be on a Hispanic channel.

World Wrestling Entertainment is getting a YouTube channel and so is The Home Shopping Network. Most of the channels will launch next year. YouTube has spent $150 million in advance to create the 100 channels. Talk about trendsetting.

YouTube will recoup its advances then will give as much as 55 percent of the ad revenue to the content creators. YouTube attracts some 160 million unique users each month so it's a legitimate threat to traditional TV. YouTube's announcement comes after Yahoo and AOL recently unveiled pushes into premium video series with big names such as Mark Burnett. Video makes more in advertising rates than traditional online content but video also costs more to produce and much of the cost to creating original programming is up front.

TECH TREND:
PHONE ‘TRADE-IN’ SITES

Trade-in sites for your smartphone are now the big trend. If you’ve got an old iPhone, keep it, it’s worth money. As sales of expensive smartphones grow rapidly, trade-in sites have also risen in popularity. You can make cash off your old device, which shoppers can use toward their new phones. Gazelle (www.gazelle.com) is the site to check out. They offer you good money.

What happens to your trade-in once you ship it to Gazelle, ReCellular (www.recellular.com), NextWorth (www.nextworth.com), Amazon (www.amazon.com) or any of the other re-commerce sites out there? First, cell phones are inspected for wear and tear and to see whether they still work. All phones then go through a memory wipe. Each trade-in company said it wipes memory in two steps to ensure your data is completely erased from the phone. If the phone doesn't work, the companies will physically destroy its memory. Phones that are in excellent shape are either sold directly to consumers on the trade-in companies' sites, or they're sold on eBay or Amazon. Gazelle receives so many iPhones that it tends to sell Apple's smartphones to wholesalers.

TECH:
STEVE JOBS PLANNED FOR YEARS AHEAD

When it comes to talking about trends, no one has created more efficiency in our current lives than Steve Jobs. Some good news:  Steve Jobs will not be gone completely. He’s done some work to plan for our futures. He worked for more than a year on the products that he believed would safeguard the company's future. He has been overseeing the development of the delayed iCloud project, which will allow us to store our music, photos and other documents remotely and masterminding updated versions of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and MacBooks. This we hear will ensure at least four years’ worth of products are in the pipeline.

Here in California, he was fighting hard to the last minute to get plans approved for a spaceship-style company headquarters big enough to hold 12,000 employees with a park-like setting to be built near the existing base in Cupertino. In June, he went to a town council meeting weak and frail to plead for the planning go ahead.

Pre-order sales of the first authorized biography of Steve Jobs, due out October 24th, has increased by 44,000 per cent. The book is based on more than 40 interviews with Steve conducted over two years, as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues.

A brand consultancy firm called Interbrand is now predicting that his death could actually boost the value of Apple by around $670 million as fans make sympathy and impulse buys. The day the news came out, everyone had a memory about Steve jobs and what he has done for them indirectly.

So many stars spoke out. Antonio Banderas says he hated computers until he started using a Mac. He was totally confused when it came to computers and it frustrated him, then someone gave him a Mac, and he says the computer became a friend. He understood it immediately. It made the world very accessible for him. He got his first Mac laptop in 2003 and keeps till this day in a drawer.

Steve Jobs did so much more than just set pop culture trends, he was saving lives through his inventions. I spoke to Steve Curd, the general manager of Global Care Quest, a division of KARL STORZ Endoskope, which is a German based company that integrates medical information for doctors with computers. For doctors it’s tough to get patient information quickly and in one spot like x-rays, MRI scans, lab results and nursing notes. Often the information is locked up in different systems. Now doctors are using iPads to gather all this. Their company pulls it all into one place and now surgeons in LA are using their iPads to bring it up. Kurd says Steve Jobs had so much more to give the world in all areas of life that are using his technology.

On another note, Steve is also setting fashion trends. People everywhere are now sporting Steve’s trademark look, jeans with a black St. Croix black turtleneck. Since Steve’s passing, sales of the turtle have doubled. St. Croix will be donating $20 for every top sold to cancer research. Steve wore his to every major Apple announcement and product launch. St. Croix has sold them out. They are now accepting orders for deliveries on October 28 – just in time for Halloween.

TRAVEL TREND:
BEST TRAVEL APPS TODAY

The trend in Hollywood is to use smartphones to make travel plans. Travel apps are popping up everywhere. They’re free and handy - but not all are good. Here are the top ones trending now:

FLIGHT AWARE: See where your flight is at the moment – it is real time flight tracking. If you’re waiting at the airport and you’re plane is scheduled to be there, you can check and see where it is.

GATEGURU: Airport wait times could be annoying, but looking for something specific in the massive building could be even more annoying. GateGuru lets you know what stores and restaurants are around your gate and gives you reviews too.

TAXI MAGIC: Makes hailing a taxi so much easier. You could order a cab from your phone and pay directly from the app. The app is free, but there is a $1.50 fee for using the credit card from your phone.

TRIPIT: Useful for keeping all your travel plans organized in one place. It helps you manage and you won’t lose details. Helps manage: flights, hotels, cars, appointments and meals.

IPAD TREND:
MOUNTING ON WALL

If you want to be really cool with your iPad, the latest thing is to have it mounted. That is, having one build into your living room, kitchen, bedroom and/or bathroom wall. What you need is something called the iRoom iDock mount. It comes from a company called Bracketron and it comes with a motorized mechanism that opens and closes with the push of a button. It comes in two colors, black and white, to match your tablet.

It’s perfect for storing your iPad, and it looks good too. Your room automatically looks high-tech. It is literally integrated into the wall. It has a socket so your iPad is charging as it mounted. You could also use it while it is mounted.

Price: $599.40
http://www.bracketron.com/products/iroom

IDENTITY THEFT:
HOW TO STAY SAFE

I’ve got the latest in protecting yourself from identity theft. Thieves’ methods have gotten more sophisticated – so you need to be aware.

The experts say it’s an absolute must to have your Wi-Fi password protected, change your online banking and emails passwords often and never share your social insurance number online. That much, you obviously know.

What you may not have heard of yet is something called spear phishing. Thieves have been phishing for years: emailing you posing as a bank or company asking for info on you. With today’s new spear phishing, the emails are addressed directly to you not just “Dear Valued Customer,” making it easier to fall for. How do you protect yourself? Delete all emails that come from any financial institution even if they are really from your bank. If your bank needs to get in touch with you, they will find another way. Communicate with your bank through phone or their web page when you initiate going to it. Don’t use a search engine to get to the website. Criminals sometimes create phony sites to appear in search engines.

Then there’s online spying. Hackers have found ways to hack into your online banking account. You’d click on a corrupted link and they could see everything you do like type your username, password, and social insurance number. To prevent this: Download anti-spyware and anti-malware to your computer.  The programs monitor your computer and alert you when suspicious activity is going on.

Check out www.download.com

Thieves are also taking over social networking accounts and sending emails to the victim’s contacts asking for money. There’s usually a great story that goes along with it like “I got mugged on a trip overseas and just need a small wire transfer to get home.” Don’t give out a lot of personal information on your account. Do not publish your birthday, zip code, or mother’s maiden name - ever. Don’t allow people you don’t know into your network, of course.

MOBILE TREND:
4G VS 3G

4G stands for "fourth-generation wireless". It's, of course, the technology for wireless networks. Right now, on our cell phones we have 2G and 3G. Although 4G technology will be implemented in many mobile gadgets, such as laptops and gaming devices, it will have the most noticeable impact in mobile phones.

BAM Strategy is an interactive marketing agency - servicing the interactive marketing needs of leading organizations across North America. Consumer packaged goods (CPG), pharmaceuticals, fashion retailing, financial services, telecommunications, engineering and travel are just some of the industries it work with. BAM Strategy co-owner Lonn Shulkin says 4G is predicted to be four times faster than 3G. Everyone is seeing the potential on 3G already, and can’t wait to see what 4G is going to bring. He says we will start seeing the level of speed on our computer Internet, on our cell phones. It will make Internet use on our cell phones a much better experience.

He adds, we constantly want more and more speed. We just don't settle for status quo and because of the increased speed that 4G offers, we will be able to deliver high quality content, for example, live TV. Things like live TV are in fact available on 3G, but it’s not as good, rich, or high-definition of an experience. Person to person video is going to become a big thing. You’ll be able to do it very easily where today it works, but it’s not high quality.

www.bamstrategy.com

TECH TREND:
‘FOODSPOTTING’ APP

Foodspotting is the hot app that’s making headlines. It's built around the idea of discovery. Participants take pictures of foods they've tried and tag the images with a location and comment. When users open up the app, they can see pictures of food around them. The idea recently drew $3 million in venture capital funding, and expanded to the Android and BlackBerry. The app hit the 1 million download mark in August. As more and more people started using the app, Foodspotting noticed that people weren’t using the app only when they were hungry. People started browsing and wanting to see food from all around the world all throughout the day. The app now lets you follow your favorite people, places and dishes.

TECH TREND:
DIGITAL DEVICE USE UP

We love our digital devices. We are increasingly watching TV on our smartphones, tablets and online as U.S. digital giants like Netflix, YouTube and iTunes move north of the border. The CRTC, conducted an industry survey and it finds that 24% of English-speaking Canadians and 20% of French-speaking Canadians in 2010 watched some TV programming online, including newscasts, sports clips and popular U.S. and Canadian TV shows. This trend is expected to continue as these services give consumers the flexibility to catch up on the television shows they have missed, at a time and on the device that is most convenient. The CRTC predicted that online viewing traffic on Canadian Internet networks will quadruple from 2009 to 2014.

Mobile video streaming is driving the growth: the regulator estimates that, by 2014, the number of Canadian wireless subscribers will grow from 25.8 million to nearly 30 million, with half using a smartphone that can connect to the Internet and social media.

TOP SMARTPHONE MAKERS:
APPLE & SAMSUNG

Apple and Samsung are now at the top of the list of global smartphone makers for the second quarter. Korea's Samsung made the biggest jumpfrom No. 4 to No. 2 due to its Galaxy phones, which run Google's Android phones. Apple made it to No. 1, taking the spot from Nokia, by selling 20.3 million iPhones, up from 18.7 million.Canada's RIM Blackberry maker fell from third to fourth place, as it saw a decline in BlackBerry sales from the first quarter to the second because, like Nokia, Iphone has been a thorn in its side.

DINING:
HIGH-TECH WAYS TO DISCOVER FOOD ONLINE

I’ve got four fun, new ways you could discover new food online.

Foodspotting.com: Foodspotting is a site dedicated to pictures of amazing restaurant food. You could upload your own and tag them with restaurant and location name or search for dishes by location or types of food. You could browse by restaurant, dish name, or location to find new dishes.

Appetites App for iPad: The app contains original recipes and instructional videos from known food bloggers. Price: 5$ at the app store.

Restaurants on Twitter: Follow your favorite restaurants on Twitter. The often list off-menu specials, menu additions, specialty cocktails and other extras.

Google Recipe Search: Google recently launched Recipe View. It is a simple way to search for recipes by ingredient, specific dish or holidays.

CELL PHONE OBSESSION:
NEW STUDY

You must like your job because a new survey shows one third of you would choose cell phones over sex.  Approximately 35% would take the phone over sex for an entire week. That’s one in three (the other two are probably having sex with eachother.) 70% of these respondents were women. Also according to the survey, more people were willing to give up caffeine for a week (55%) than their phone. 22% of smartphone users said they were willing to forego seeing their significant other entirely for a week than give up their phone. Another 22% are willing to give up their toothbrushes, and one in five mentioned they were even willing to go shoeless than phoneless for a week.

The survey also turned up a few other interesting findings. Smartphone users were three times as likely to judge people based on the type of phone they carry. About half of all smartphone users also thought that the best romantic partners were people who carried the same operating system (iOS, Android, BlackBerry) as they did.

IPAD: BERNIE MADOFF'S CLOTHES COVERS

John Vaccaro, a New York entrepreneur, is selling iPad covers made from Bernie Madoff’s clothing that was auctioned off. Talk about marketing brilliance. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for swindling billions in the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history. Last November, his clothes and personal possessions were sold at auction by the U.S. Marshals Service Proceeds going to help those who lost money. One of the bidders was Vaccaro, 41. His company is frederickjames.com. He sells eco-friendly customized iPad covers made from cashmere and other fine fabrics. He thought of the idea when he bought an iPad and wanted a fashionable and scratch-resistant cover. "There was nothing on the market at the time," said Vaccaro. "When a friend came over one day and left their cashmere sweater lying next to my iPad, I realized that material would make a perfect cover."

He bought Madoff's cashmere sweaters, and 16 pairs of designer pants. He immediately sold five iPad covers from Madoff's former cashmere sweaters to a Wall Street attorney who gave them out as Christmas gifts.
Now Vaccaro is focusing on selling one-of-a-kind iPad covers made from Madoff's Banana Republic chinos. He has enough fabric to sell a limited collection of 31 Madoff-themed covers.

He hopes to donate a portion of the proceeds to Madoff victims. After the Madoff collection is sold, Vaccaro plans to continue focusing on selling other customized lightweight protective iPad covers made from rescued and remnant luxury fabrics. Some of his current collections include "The Lodge," inspired by hunting and skiing material, "The Office" made from wool and silk and featuring classic pinstripes, and "The Island" using rayon and polyester crepe fabrics lined with double-knit wool.

As he builds his Frederick James brand, Vaccaro continues to oversee his web design and development company, juicyorange.com that he co-owns with designer Mark Robohm. While he would consider purchasing clothes from other famous or infamous people, he concedes it would have to be a good match. "If I were to buy some of Marilyn Monroe's former clothing and turn it into iPad covers, it would only serve to devalue the items," Vaccaro said. "In the case of Bernie Madoff, people were pleased to see his designer clothing cut up in shreds."

TECH NEWS:
MAC BOOK PRO TWICE AS FAST

If you're about to buy a Mac you may know that Apple has sped up its MacBook Pro, the line of high-end laptop computers that's about twice as fast as the older generation. The MacBook Pro laptops get a speed boost from faster Intel processors, which can reach "Turbo Boost" speeds of 3.4 gigahertz. In “non-geek” speech, that means the computers can complete 3.4 billion calculations per second. Apple says it's using the "fastest dual-core processor available." The laptops also are the first computers to feature Intel and Apple's thunderbolt technology, which is a new way to connect cameras, camcorders and the link to the computer, an alternative to USB ports.

ONLINE TREND:
‘FREE’ PORN

Porn rental is way down. It’s not that porn is not hugely and massively popular, it's just people aren’t paying for it when they can download it for free. Cable and satellite television companies are losing revenue and profits like crazy right now. The trend was really obvious this quarter and doesn't show any signs of changing. For the TV people it's not a big hit in terms of revenues, but it certainly is in terms of profits, because pay-per-view porn is very profitable. Here’s how big this trend is now: the online porn industry makes over $3,000 dollars per second. Every second, over 28 thousand people are viewing porn.

IPAD TREND:
CUSTOMIZED LASER ENGRAVING

Looking for a way to tell your iPad from everyone else’s? The new thing is laser engraving. In A Flash Laser, a company out of North Carolina, goes beyond the basic name and message engraving offered by Apple at time of purchase. Ship the company your iPad free of charge, or arrange through their preferred Apple vendor to have a new device purchased and sent directly to their studio.

The detailed precision of the work on the iPad aluminum is impressive. You work with the company directly to nail down a perfect design. This is great for practical tech owners, as the customization should not void the Apple Care warranty since it doesn't directly affect any of the components - whew!

Engraving is $79.99 per iPad and is also available at varying price levels for iPhone 4, iPod Touch, Nook, Kindle and laptops.

SMARTPHONE TREND:
3D SCREENS

The newest smartphone trend is 3D smartphones. Everything is 3D now. Sprint announced its new HTC EVO 3D ($200 US) smartphone, which comes with 3D technology. Not only can you create 3D videos with the dual 5MP cameras on the back of the phone, but you can also stream and watch 3D movies glasses-free. I'm wondering how often users would actually take advantage of the 3D screen.

SPECIAL EFFECTS:
SO GOOD YOU CAN'T SEE THEM

It's summer and 3D is still going strong. How have special effects improved recently? Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin is one of the best in the world. He is with a company called Modus FX - it is a major Canadian special effects company that does big Hollywood movies. He says effects now have really become seamless; you can't tell where one starts and where one ends. The new generation of films blend so brilliantly visual effects with live action. Details have gotten better. That's what is key. Nature is more realistic and light is a lot better now. What we see in nature is randomly imperfect. What visual effects used to do was make nature too perfect - they're now changing that. Morin says that some people still see visual effects as something artificial, but he says digital tools are no different that any other illusions that we all use to tell great stories. "I think it is because some of the early CG work was not as sophisticated, that visual effects got a bad reputation, but that time has passed."

INTERNET TREND:
CLEANING ONLINE REPUTATION

There’s an increasing demand for products or services that remove, protect, or restore one’s online (and therefore offline) reputation. Reputation.com and ReputationArmor.com are online reputation management consultancies helping consumers manage their data and defend their reputation by blocking misleading or incorrect information, and increasing positive content. There’s also MentalRabbitMedia.com, which delivers buzz, increases demand, and protects reputations for a more affluent clientele. Socioclean.com and Reppler.com are both free services that enable users to monitor and clean their online social profiles of any ill-advised and inappropriate material.

WEB TREND:
HOW TO USE ‘LINKEDIN’ EFFECTIVELY

Want to be a LinkedIn expert? Here are some tips. Networking online may seem like a piece of cake, all you have to do is just befriend people on LinkedIn and send them messages asking for help, right? Well, LinkedIn isn't just a Facebook for professionals, and there are specific techniques you can use to up your game.

Don't just network when you need something. A "gimme gimme" mentality is a surefire way to lose professionals contacts and get deleted from people's networks. take the time to help others in your network, not because you're expecting something in return, but because you truly want them to succeed.

Don't just network online. Make sure you're taking the time to connect with people in person. Driving to NYC to meet a client? Flying to Dallas for a conference? Take a look through your contact list and see who's moved to that city or who you can reconnect with while you're in town.

Do add a photo to your LinkedIn profile. If you add a photo you're seven times more likely to have people view your profile. Adding a photo is also important if you're reaching out to people you've lost touch with. People never forget a face. (Especially if you changed your last name when you got married. A college classmate or former boss may remember you as Karen Harris, not Karen Smith, so a photo will jog their memory.)

HOT NEW APP: ‘PLAY DEAD’

There are times when you just don't want someone to borrow your phone. Maybe it's because he's got greasy hands, maybe it's because she'll try to snoop through messages, or maybe it's because you hate it when other people touch your beloved gadget. No matter what your reason, an app called Play Dead will give you a simple way to avoid handing over your iPhone — by making it look like it's dying. All you have to do is download and open the free app and suddenly your iPhone's display will show nothing but that pesky shutdown screen which appears briefly before an iPhone with a dying battery turns off. "Sorry," you'll be able to mutter as you gesture to your iPhone, "looks like my battery's as empty as my soul."

Of course, as soon as the annoying gadget-borrower backs off, you can simply tap the home button and go back to enjoying a game of Angry Birds — until you really do drain your battery.

TECH NEWS:
INTERNET - ENABLED APPLIANCES

On the way to being in our homes - Internet-enabled appliances - as consumers prepare for a new era of housework.

Fridges, dishwashers and washing machines were among the appliances that are not only wirelessly connected to the web, but communicate wit homeowners via e-mail and social media as well as energy saving programs to help consumers drive down energy costs.

While a few smart appliances are already on the market, it will take several years for most companies to release their full lines.

TECH TREND:
"MOBILE PAYMENT MOVEMENT"

The mobile payment movement trend means paying your credit card with your smartphone. Register to pay for your groceries. The concept of waving your smartphone at a cash ticket at a movie theater is now inching closer to reality. A road test of a mobile payment app this year called Google Wallet, beginning in New York and San Francisco.

A pilot program begins next year in 2012.

A lot of companies have made commitments and investments.

There are some big-picture factors pushing this technology forward.

We have more smartphones and it grows daily.

Financial institutions - now offer apps, and they view mobile payments as a potential revenue stream.

and people love these new toys.

The usage of mobile banking is continuing to grow,

What you’re seeing is, over time, people are becoming more comfortable using a variety of applications on their phones but on the other hand, I say what about security and ownership — who will own our valuable data?

Banks? Mobile carriers? or the Tech companies?

What you'll see is a growing number of retailers experimenting with mobile tools and trying to get you used to tapping on your phones while in a store, while still arguing with carriers about who owns the data.

Meantime....

Starbucks IS setting a trend thought in this area...with coffee. It converts existing prepaid account cards into a digital format:

Customers enter their Starbucks card number into a mobile app, which produces an image of the bar code that’s on the back of their physical card.

The cashier scans the phone barcode and the purchase amount is deducted from the account.

This kind of software-based mobile payment is where analysts say we’ll see the most activity at first, because it doesn’t require merchants or the companies that manufacture card-swipe terminals to invest in new hardware.

TECH TREND "GORILLA GLASS"

Have you heard about Gorilla Glass? It's corning's

revolutionary glass is likely on your cell phone screen.
Clearer and much tougher than standard glass, Gorilla
Glass stands up to key scratches, bumps and drops with
resilience.

It's begun to make its way into larger devices like tablets,
laptops and even Sony TV sets.

Drop it, smack it and chances are you won't break, or
even scratch, a piece of Gorilla Glass.

It is an unscaratchable, unshatterable material used as a

protective window for the cell phone, PMP or laptop

display. It's in 65 products already and it's good stuff.

TECH TREND:
NET-CONNECTED TV'S

When it comes to your home entertainment system - connected TV, or Smart TV will have a big presence inlater this year. Expect net-connected TV's, Blu-ray players, and auxiliary boxes over the next 12 to 18 months. After that, internet-connected TVs will become the norm.

Meantime...

As components shrink and get piggybacked onto one another, we'll also see "miniscule" Blu-ray players, "desktop and laptop computers"

Cramming lots of technology into tiny spaces is the big trend on its way - means that we'll also start using technology in new places, too. Hang it on your wall, mount it in your car, or bolt it to the underside of your desk - you'll still be surrounded by tech but you won't see as much of it out in the open.

TECH TRENDS:
MAGAZINE APPS NEW APPROACH

Conde Nast recently released the New Yorker app and it became "the top-grossing app for most of the week.” Then we just had the digital versions of four more magazines, with an additional three to be added within weeks. Allure, Glamour, Golf Digest and Vanity Fair - all now available for an annual digital subscription price of $19.99, GQ and SELF are on the way.

According to Business Insider:

Conde Nast will continue to release magazines that it has for the iPad. “They're not all doing all that well, so why rush to get them all on there?" said one Conde publisher. iTunes doesn’t even have a dedicated ‘magazine section.' A problem with iPad magazines is that ad buyers aren't super thrilled. iPad magazine apps still aren't popular enough and still don't deliver the right kind of metrics to gauge if the ads are working.

TECH TREND:
TOUCHSCREEN PC “TOUCH SMART”

There's a new PC called the Touch Smart, made by HP. It's all touchscreen, you can erase, has a wireless keyboard, no hard drive and really great for calendars and appointments butttttt it’s not as fast as a MAC and you know me and my MAC.

$899.00 US

ACCORDING TO CNET::

The good: Takes advantage of Windows Vista's touch screen capability with useful, easy-to-use software; combines with HP printers to become an at-home photo kiosk; contains all of the features you've come to expect from a modern digital media-oriented home PC.

The bad: Pokey performance for systems in its price range; fixed configuration; no HD optical drive option.

The bottom line: HP's new TouchSmart PC IQ770 is not as fast as Apple's iMac, nor does it have the same clean-lined elegance. It makes up for those problems with intuitive touch screen software you'll actually use and a comprehensive lineup of features. If you're looking for a home PC to organize your family's schedule, or serve up media in a kitchen or another small room, we know of no other system suited so well for the task.

If two days from this posting, Apple announces a touch screen iMac at its 2007 MacWorld event, we may have to reconsider this review. Until that happens, HP's new $1,779 TouchSmart PC IQ770 is our all-in-one family PC of choice. You probably wouldn't want to make it your main PC for doing serious work or playing games, so even with fewer features than the TouchSmart PC, the iMac is still more well rounded. But if you're looking for a desktop computer to act as a media hub that also has easy-to-use tools to organize your busy family, we know of no better system on the market.

In addition to its own unique design and features, the HP TouchSmart PC IQ770 has the distinction of being the first Windows Vista desktop we've reviewed. It uses Vista Home Premium, which means that it in addition to the core operating system, you also get the Windows Media Center interface, the touch screen capability (which HP uses to great effect), as well as the Aero Glass visual effects among other things. Rather than shoehorning an operating system review into a desktop story, (Vista will be getting plenty of its own coverage shortly, don't worry), we'll simply say that HP is doing Microsoft a great service with this system. The TouchSmart PC is a convincing showcase for the new features Vista brings to the table.

Not the first all-in-one HP is certainly not the first major vendor to offer an all-in-one desktop. Both Gateway and Sony (and arguably Dell) have all-in-ones, but as slick as some of them have been, none has approached the elegance of Apple's iMac. The same is true of the HP TouchSmart PC, but its display also has a more flexible range of motion than any current all-in-one. That makes more of a difference than you might think. When you position the glossy, 19-inch wide-screen LCD (1440x900 native resolution) at its lowest pivot point, the TouchSmart PC looks remarkably compact and unobtrusive. It's easy to imagine keeping it in a kitchen, an office or a den. But pull the screen out and tilt it upward, and it takes on the appearance of a futuristic terminal. In this position, the TouchSmart PC practically begs you to touch it, which is exactly the idea.

Touch screen capability is one of Windows Vista Home Premium's many new features, and we commend HP for taking advantage of it so quickly and implementing it in the TouchSmart PC in such an intuitive manner. You can use either your finger or an included stylus (which you store in a slot on the top of the screen) to drive the Windows cursor around the screen. HP includes a wireless mouse and keyboard, which work well enough, but once you pick the stylus up, it immediately feels comfortable. We suspect that many users will leave the keyboard stored in its slot beneath the display the majority of the time. Windows Vista includes configuration software for setting the touch screen sensitivity and customizing the double-click and drag-and-drop strokes, and using the basic PC functions this way is easy enough if not as quick as with a mouse. HP puts the touch screen to better use in its SmartCenter program, a custom application in which HP uses Vista's touch screen capability to make the TouchSmart PC shine as a family computer.

HP's stylus-driven SmartCenter Designed to be driven entirely with the stylus (or your finger, if you don't mind greasing up the screen), SmartCenter combines a handful of day-to-day applications into an amazingly easy-to-use package. The default application set includes a calendar, a photo editing application, and a basic local weather display. The weather program delivers a very basic feed from Weather.com (almost too basic), but the SmartCalendar and Photosmart Touch image-editing software are both very useful, as well as easy to use. The calendar includes virtual Post-It-style notes that you can write on with the stylus. You can leave them on the main screen, or drag them to a specific date and time on the calendar. You can use the keyboard to type notes as well, and a virtual keyboard interface lets you poke out letters with the stylus directly on the calendar itself. HP also includes voice recording capability, and lets you attach a voice message to a note, and it couldn't be simpler to use. All you need to do is hit the record a message button, press the big record button that pops up on the screen, say your message, then press the button again to stop. We can easily imagine a busy family using the SmartCalendar as a organizational hub to keep track of various members' comings and goings.

The Photosmart Touch editing software is easy to master. Also a stylus-driven application, Photosmart Touch has basic cropping functions, as well as a red-eye remover. You can then print your images directly from the applicatoin. This is another reason why we like the TouchSmart PC, it can work like a photo kiosk. If you use it in conjunction with HP's Photosmart A510 and A610 printers, you can hide one of those printers behind the display, where it will sit atop the TouchSmart PC's base (which also houses the guts of the system). This space-saving design hides the printer except for its output slot, which lines up in the space below the screen. The effect is very much like having your own photo kiosk at home, and it puts the design of the system's chassis to very effective use.

All the trappings of a modern PC Otherwise, the TouchSmart PC works very much like a typical modern PC. It includes all of the amenities of a system in its price range, including a slot-loading, LightScribe-capable DVD burner (standard definition), an 8-in-1 media card reader, integrated 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a TV tuner, a Webcam and a microphone on the top edge of the LCD, as well as the usual assortment of video and audio connections. You won't find an HDMI port or an HD optical drive on the unit, but you do get digital audio out, as well as a set of integrated speakers that work well enough (just don't crank them too high, as the sound tends to break up at loud volumes). The 320GB 7,200rpm hard drive gives you plenty of room for digital media storage, and if that's not enough, HP also built a Pocket Media Drive bay into the side of the unit, in case you'd like to expand via one of HP's small, portable hard drives. You could, of course, connect any old external hard drive via one of the many USB 2.0 or FireWire 400 ports.

If we have a gripe about this PC, it's its performance. It's slower than an $1,800 PC should be. Its pokey performance relative to other systems in its price range could be due to the demands of Windows Vista. We'll be able to say for sure when we've tested Vista with more hardware configurations. As it stands, the combination of a dual-core AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 processor, 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM, and a discrete Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 graphics chip gives you enough juice for day-to-day applications, as well as fancier Vista features like the translucent Flip 3D task switcher and the Aero Glass visual effects. We noticed occasional dropped frames in DVD movie playback, though, and its 47.7 frames per second on a forgiving Quake 4 setting isn't a heartening picture of its game performance. Still, the video image quality is outstanding thanks to the wide-aspect glossy screen, and you wouldn't use the TouchSmart PC for games anyway. Just be aware that you might get bogged down during intense digital media editing, otherwise, you shouldn't be disappointed in the TouchSmart PC's overall power. It's all you get for now, too, as this configuration is the only one that HP will offer when the TouchSmart PC goes on sale at the end of the month.

Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-touchsmart-iq770/4505-3118_7-32305738.html#ixzz1MuzFRPBf

TECH TREND:
CHOOSING THE PERFECT PASSWORD

Here’s how to pick the perfect password: Since the main motive of internet hackers is to make money, they want your email passwords so they can begin to commit identity theft and raid your bank accounts.

The most common passwords are words that you find in the dictionary like "password," "tablecloth" or even the name of a football club. These are not good.

Normally hackers use a dictionary attack. They would run your account against all the words in the dictionary until there is a match.

The best advice is to never use an ordinary word as a password.

A strong secure password is "F&WL2HH&E4D"
but how the heck will you remember that odd line, you’re thinking.

Easy.

Pick a sentence password and then use the first letter from each word.

in this case, "Fred And Wilma Like To Have Ham And Eggs For Dinner" becomes F&WL2HH&E4D.

A different password should be used for every website that requires a login so that hackers don't get a skeleton key for all accounts.

NEW APP:
'GIGWALKER'

Want to become a "Gigwalker"? It's the new job trend! Used to be you'd find work through Craig's List - now it's about turning to your iPhone!

You can make up to 20 or 30 dollars or even more taking pictures with "Gigwalk" - a kind of job finder.

Using your iPhone camera - you take pictures requested by all kinds of companies. A gig might be photographing street signs for a mapping company others could mean shooting restaurant menus or layouts of hotels and even where groceries are placed on shelves. If you want to be a Gigwalker, just go to the iTunes app store and download the Gigwalk app, they're developing the same programs in the future for android phones.

TECH TRENDS:
APPLE BUSINESS BOOMING

Now turning to tech…and just to show you how much of a trendsetter Apple remains. It's second quarter profit almost doubled from sales of iPads, iPhones and Macintosh computers (even though iPod sales 'have' gone done drastically)

Get this...I was flabbergasted by the figures, Apple's quarterly profit was $6 billion, up from $3.1 billion in the same quarter a year ago. Revenue rose 83% to $24.7 billion. Analysts were even surprised by the surge. The company has a market capitalization of $315 billion -- equal to Disney, Time Warner, News Corp., Sony, Viacom, CBS and Comcast COMBINED. The demand for the iPad 2 has been incredible – they are backlogged with orders.

The Apple iTunes Store generated $1.4 billion in sales, up 27% from the year-ago quarter.

MOBILE TRENDS:
IPHONE 6?

The hot new topic already? The iPhone 6! not even, the iPhone 5! (which isn’t even out yet) That’s the world of tech for you!

SHARP will produce a new kind of screen for the phone. It's a lighter screen that consumes less power than traditional LCD screens on iPhones now.

Somesmartphones, especially Androids, are getting bigger, since big screens are better for watching videos but iPhone 6, expected out next year, is rumored to be THINNER and LIGHTER. Especially thinner than the current white iPhone.

As AppleInsider explains, a so-called "p-Si LCD" allows manufacturers to put optical sensors, signal processors and other circuits directly on the glass substrate. This would save space inside the body by reducing the size of the display's thin-film transistor. Sharp starts mass production of the screens next spring, ahead of the iPhone 6 launch in 2012.

TECH TRENDS:
IPHONE TRACKING

Recently there have been safety concerns about the iPhones location feature. Apple has denied that it is tracking the location of the iPhone owners. People were concerned that their locations were being permanently logged. Apple clarified that it is NOT – rather it is maintaining a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers around your current location, some of which may be located more than one hundred miles away from your iPhone. It does this so it could accurately calculate your location when you ask for it.

SPORTS TREND:
TECHNOLOGY IMPROVING

There are new technologies augmenting the sports viewing experience. For all you sports fans, there are many ways to interact with or filter your can’t miss games and events.

APPLE TV’S LIVE SPORTS STREAMING

Recently Apple TV announced it will begin offering access to MLB TV (Major League Baseball) and NBA League Pass. Xbox did this with ESPN content, but now that Apple is on board, this could be the tipping point of it going mainstream.

THUUZ

Thuuz is a web-based service which sends subscribers alerts (via email or text message) about the teams or sports they choose. It gives information and play-by-play stats as they happen.

SCOREBOARD

Scoreboard is a new Facebook app where users can predict scores of upcoming soccer games, converse with other users, and bet on their predictions.

MAC VS PC:
CHARACTER TRAITS OF USERS

Remember those Apple ads that had the Mac guy as a hip 20-something year old, with the PC was an older, boring guy in a brown suit? Turns out those characterizations have some truth to them. Research has found eight interesting differences between Mac people and PC people. Mac users tend to be younger, more liberal, more fashion-conscious and more likely to live in cities than those who prefer PCs. Mac users can be seen as bolder, more creative and are 80% more likely than PC users to be vegetarians. The report found that 67% of Mac users have a college or advanced degree, as opposed to 54% of PC users. Mac users describe themselves as computer savvy early adopters while PC users are more likely to describe themselves as good at math. PC users' tastes trend towards casual clothes, tuna fish sandwiches, white wine, Hollywood movies, USA Today and Pepsi. Mac users prefer designer or vintage clothing, hummus, red wine, indie films, The New York Times and San Pellegrino Limonata. As you could see, we are more hip.

HOTEL TREND:
LINEN TECHNOLOGY TRACKING

Hotels everywhere are finding up to 20 percent of their towels missing because people are taking them to the beach and leaving them there or simply taking the towels home. The solution being used in many hotels now is “Linen Technology Tracking.” It tracks the location of the towel using a chip. The chip triggers an alarm if you leave the premises with the towel. The reason for this trend is that cotton prices have gone up, which means the price of linens are up. Some hotels have seen up to $15,000 savings since last summer and monthly towel theft less than a quarter than it was before.

RETAIL TREND:
INTERACTIVE STORE FRONT

You’ve likely heard about a Canadian firm that's hoping to revolutionize the retail industry with touchscreen store front technology that allows you to interact with a store even after it's closed. It is an image that is projected onto the glass of the storefront that you could play with like a giant iPad. It has sensors that pick up the movement of hands on the glass.

You can explore things like product galleries, video fashion shows, or a store could run promotions using the interface. You can emailto yourself or someone else directly from the store window. Antoine Azar is CEO of 2XM Interactive, the company behind it, that designs mobile apps for iPhones, BlackBerrys and Android phones.

Suppose you are walking in front of a store and you see something you like but the store is closed or you don’t have the time to walk in. The best you could do is try and remember what store it was, or what item it was. In the meantime, you might forget or they might change their storefronts. It’s a lost purchase for you and a lost sale for the retailer. With this new technology you, you could send all the information you need directly to your email on the spot. The coolest feature is how it interacts with smartphones. You could bump the glass with the iPhone and all the information is downloaded automatically to the phone.

How do retailers benefit from this? They're gaining from the lost purchases of people passing by that don't have the time to walk in. The biggest benefit is the 24/7 shopping. If you're a retailer you're paying rent 24 hours, but you're not selling 24 hours and after hours there are still people on streets because of bars, restaurants, cafes or festivals. When they're walking by, they may see something they like,but will likely not remember the next day. This way they could automatically buy on the spot, or get all the relevant information to go ahead with the purchase at a later date.

A question I had was, are people really going to stand out in the cold to play on store front windows when they could do all these things on the company website in the warmth of their home? Right now, interactions in front store windows are short. They want to keep that interaction short, but improve it in a dramatic way. It’s not a matter of standing a long time in front of the storefront, the time of interaction doesn’t change, it just gets more interesting.

If you have a business and are interested in this feature, go to
www.2xminteractive.com

HOT NEW APP:
TRAPCALL

There’s a new great app for your phone I want to tell you about. It’s called TrapCall. It lets you see what number is calling you when it shows up as blocked. If your enemy, your ex is calling, you’ll know! This is how it works: Your phone rings and it’s a blocked number, you hit the power button twice to ‘decline’ the call, and you automatically get a text message with the name and phone number that just called. The app also lets you receive alerts when your phone is turned off or send blacklisted callers preset messages. It’s a free download from the iTunes store but it costs $5 a month for the service.

TECH TIP:
PROTECTING FROM PHISHING ATTACKS

Hackers are getting a hold of email lists and using them for phishing attacks. Phishing is a way for hackers to get a hold of your private information – like passwords, credit cards number, and account logins. They do these by creating fake emails and log-in screens disguised as trusted brand websites.

So you might get an email from eBay asking you to reconfirm your credit card number. The email uses eBay’s template, and the address looks like it’s from the company, but really there are hackers on the other end taking the information.

Here are some tips to protect yourself:

DON’T BE FOOLED BY FAKE LOG-IN SCREENS

If you’re already signed into Twitter, Facebook, or your email, you will never be asked to re-login unless you’ve logged out yourself. Even if it looks like a normal log-in page, it likely isn’t, be careful.

DON’T BE FOOLED BY EMAILS

Never reply to emails with important information like bank log-ins or passwords, no matter how legit the email looks. Call the institution in question and verify that they are the ones who sent you the email.

RESET YOUR PASSWORD OFTEN

Make sure your passwords are tough to guess using upper case, lower case, numbers and alphanumeric symbols. Change your password every few months

NEW TECHNOLOGY:
MIND-CONTROLLED COMPUTERS

There is now technology developed that allows you to control computers with your thoughts. It was designed originally for epilepsy patients. The scientists attach a temporary surgical implant to the region of the brain that deals with speech. The patients think about certain words, and the computer is controlled with 90% accuracy! Amazing!The is a great discovery for patients who have lost their speech, and may one day be able to form words, through a machine, that simulates human speech.

MOBILE TRENDS:
APPS HELP YOU IMPROVE HEALTH

More and more apps are coming out to improve your health.
Absolute Fitness: Helps you keep tabs on your food intake and analyzes your diet. Gives you nutritional information on a huge range of foods. It also helps you monitor the amount of exercise you take, your body weight and blood pressure. $4.99

Run Keeper: If you’re running, cycling or walking, RunKeeper tracks the routes you took using GPS and gives you data about your speed and distance traveled. FREE

Quitter: An app that helps you quit smoking. You enter the dates you last smoked and the price of a pack of cigarettes. Quitter lets you know how much money you’ve saved by quitting. FREE

Epocrates: It’s a drug encyclopedia. Gives you in depth information about medications, their uses, doses and side effects. FREE

aSleep: This is one is for those of you who have a hard time falling asleep. It sets a timer, and it serenades you with peaceful sounds until you fall asleep. $0.99

GOOGLE:
FACIAL-RECOGNITION APP PRIVACY CONCERNS

As you know Google is working on a mobile application that will allow users to snap pictures of people’s faces to access their personal information. As cool as it sounds – there have been a lot of privacy concerns. Google hasn’t said what personal data will be displayed with their facial-recognition system just yet.They will only be launching it when they have privacy models in place. So no set date in place! Right now they have the technology that would be able to associate pictures that are already publicly available on Facebook and other photo sharing websites. They are holding back, because they are a huge company and have a lot at stake. If they were a little start up with nothing to lose, it would be a different story.

TECH TREND:
DIGESTING MEDIA CONTENT

The way we take in media right now is completely different from what it used to be. The trend across the board is quick hit highlights. TV has now been surpassed by internet in terms of the amount of viewership and how much time we spend online with those two mediums. HTR sat down with Chris Emergui of BAM Strategy. What’s been interesting is that even though internet surpassed TV, TV went up. What we’re seeing is that people are actually doing two things at once. If you look at a typical TV channel now, you’ll actually see a ticker at the bottom that has the stocks, a traffic cam going on etc. A show is going in the middle of the screen but you could have up to five things going on at once. That is how people are starting to digest things. That’s why reading a thousand word articles for people is becoming a little bit much. They prefer to do two things at once and get quick hit highlights.

GOOGLE:
SMART LABELS

Google has come out with a new way to help you deal with information overload. It’s called “smart labels.” It’s a feature on the Gmail labs page that automatically sorts e-mails into groups to make it easier for users to manage their overflowing inboxes. The labels focus on the emails that people subscribe to and generally want to read but don’t have the time for right now. These are things like bank statements, neighborhood newsletters, airline frequent flier program updates and targeted advertisements from stores where you actually shop.

Google's computers automatically detect and sort that type of semi-trash e-mail into three categories:

-bulk
-notifications
-forums.

Google says that people who use that feature spend 15% less time overall reading their e-mail.

TECH TREND:
MULTI-TASKING SECOND-SCREEN APPS

Smartphones and the internet have trained us to more than one thing at once like never before. We are all officially multi-taskers. Doing one thing at a time sees way too boring to us now. Just take a look at the news. When you watch not only are you listening to the news, but the stocks are in one corner and the weather in the other.
TV watchers tweet and chat in real time while watching. Now there are new smartphone and tablet apps out called second-screen apps. The first screen to actually watch the show, the second to tweet, chat, or read about it.

WEB TREND:
WEBISODES

There is a new trend online: ‘webisodes’

These are five to seven minutes long. Vampires are big in the youth market Billy Crystal was cast by Will Ferrell to play an aging vampire for Farrell’s comedic website Funny or Die. Charlie Sheen did it and so did Ben Stiller. Kiefer Sutherland is the creator and star of The Confession, an action web-series. The ten-episode series was distributed on Hulu. He says he has incorporated everything he’s learned over the last 25 years, from storytelling to acting.

NEW CONTROVERSIAL VOYEURISM APP:
'COLOR'

Have you heard of the app called Color? It's a weird one. It's a photo-sharing app that allows voyeurism by letting you see all of the photos that are being taken by strangers who are within a 150-foot radius of your smart phone. Only other users of the app will have access to those photos, and only photos taken by people using the app will be shared. The purpose: They say for seeing the world through dozens of lenses at once and sharing a window into each other's personal lives.

I hate this app. You can click on any person that is near you and take a look at their life. On Color, users don't even log in with an e-mail address or password. The creators say: "If you don't feel comfortable having that public, then don't use our application.”

TECH NEWS:
TABLET CERTIFIED 'MAINSTREAM'

The tablet had now officially gone mainstream. More than 15 million people have them. The tablet is doing so well in just one year. So what's the key to its success? It has such an easy-to-navigate touch screen interface. Just about anybody can figure out.

So what are the main things we are doing with tablets? According to a recent study we surf the web, write and check e-mail, social network and play games, as well as watch video and read e-books.

People love that it's light-weight. The most frequently downloaded apps are in games, entertainment and utilities. They are 46% of downloaded apps. With nearly 400,000 apps the iPad has become a toy, a TV, a medical tool for doctors, and a note taker for students.

TV TREND:
3D TV SETS

3D TV is being pushed as the new HD. Year-one adoption of 3D TV is running at a far quicker rate in most territories than it did for high-definition. Manufacturers are now able to embed 3D chip-sets at a relatively low cost, allowing them increase their margins while still keeping 3D affordable for us. Marc Bourbonnais, president of one of Canada’s best visual effects companies, Modus FX, that creates effects for Hollywood films says its not that easy. You really have to make sure you have things just right. The thing is with 3D, it is something that really needs to be in a controlled environment. There is no grey area with good or bad with 3D presentation – it either works or it doesn’t. It is very intricate and depends on the way you are seated, how your glasses work, how your projections work, how far away you are from your TV, the size of your TV and the overall environment of where you’re watching. It is something that needs to be addressed and adapted to make sure it is a pleasurable and entertaining experience in our own homes.

Toshiba's glasses-free 3DTVs could be discouraging some consumers from investing in the current generation of 3DTV. However, the technology is at least four years away from being made available in large sets for the home and up to seven years away from reaching mass-market pricing. Since we just upgraded when the HD switch took place, we're not exactly jumping to buy new TVs right now but they say we will be. For the past few years every Christmas all the HD sets were being sold out, so pretty much everyone has a new TV in their homes. People aren’t too keen on switching right away. That said, it is still something that is going to happen because the content is being produced and we have 3D channels dedicated to that.

Deloitte released a study six months ago that found 83 percent of consumers do not believe 3D technology is enough to make them want to buy a new television. Even worse for vendors, 60 percent of those surveyed said they wouldn't pay extra for 3D capabilities in their televisions. 31 percent of respondents believe 3D does not enhance the entertainment experience, but its coming from just about every TV maker.

IPAD TREND:
PILOTS USE APP TO NAVIGATE

The days of pilots using paper maps to navigate through the sky are coming to an end. The Federal Aviation Administration here in the US has made the decision to allow a charter company called Executive Jet Management to use an app as an alternative to paper charts.

Some are concerned about its safety and reliability - even though the app has been rigorously tested for three months. Another concern: what happens if the app crashes at a critical moment? The product manager of the app defends by saying the recovery time of the application crashing is extremely rapid - it's ready to go again in 4-6 seconds. I'd still have my concerns.

TABLETS:
CHANGING TV WATCHING DYNAMICS

Tablets are making their way into living rooms and ruining watching TV with other people. TV watching with someone has never been the most social of activities, but the laughing, sharing of popcorn, or quick comments about what you’re watching does make it something you want to do with someone rather than by yourself.

Bringing a tablet into the picture estranges you from the people you’re actually with. For example: while watching the Oscars, millions of people were compulsively checking their iPads to see what other people were saying on Twitter and discussing with them.

While these people may have been connected to others in cyberspace, they are completely alienated from the real people that are sitting right next to them. Essentially, the trend replaces real friends with cyber friends and followers. Grey’s Anatomy and Discovery Channel have released their own versions of iPad apps designed to be used while watching the show.

Cell phone etiquette has been heavily discussed, I think it’s time to bring in tablet etiquette as well.

STATE OF THE ART TREND:
EMOTION CAPTURE

A state-of-the-art technique being used in Hollywood moviemaking is emotion capture. Animated movies will never be the same again. Goodbye voice booth! Hello stage work!

Emotion capture was just used in the animated Rango and if you've seen it, you noticed that Johnny Depp in the movie moves and acts like Johnny Depp in real life.

Here’s how it works: the cast acts out their parts on a stage for 23 days using high-definition cameras to help make each character’s expressions as close to the actors’ as possible! They rehearsed and acted it as a play with props!

Emotion capture, not motion capture, is the big thing in movies now.

This allows for the witty verbal exchanges seen in the film to flow more naturally than if the actors did everything from a sound booth.

Rango is an homage to the classic westerns. It is cute and Rango himself, Johnny Depp is the voice of a classic lizard. It was animated to perfection by the brilliant staff at George Lucas's ILM! Up next for Johnny Depp is the adventure-drama The Rum Diary!

TECH TRENDS:
MACBOOK PRO

You might be thinking of buying a Macbook or might already like the Macbook Pro because it has a long battery life, a terrific track pad and it’s easy to use! Now Apple is speeding up the Macbook Pro with a new line of computers! So how are they different? Is it worth investing?

Well, they have the fastest dual core processors on the market that are twice as fast as last year’s models. The much-hyped thunderbolt technology is included that will allow you to transfer full-length High-Definition movies in less than 30 seconds! If music is your thing, it can back-up one year’s worth of non-stop music in just ten minutes! For video chatting, the new Facetime camera allows you to connect with smart phones and iPods! The clean aluminum case is back, which is a plus.

The downside of the new models is it’s the same maximum screen resolution as last year and still no
Blu-ray drive. Regardless, this is a fantastic product for first-time buyers! However, they’re not cheap. They start at 1200 dollars. If you have last year’s model it might be best to wait another year.

NEW AT GOOGLE:
RECIPE VIEW

Google has just added another search measure called Recipe View. It is a new way to search for online recipes. You could limit search results to recipes only and it displays results with user ratings, images, and ingredients.

To find it click on the link “Recipes” on the left side of the search results page. You could really refine your search by specific ingredient, preparation method, cook time or calorie count.

MOBILE TRENDS:
CELL PHONE USE

There is a mobile trend taking hold that could mean bad news for the camera industry. It seems we are using our cell phones to take our pictures. According to a new study, 76 percent of us use our cell phones for capturing moments.

Tablets such as the iPad, are most popular with adults age 65 and younger. Right now only four percent of all adults own this device. 70 percent of 18 to 34 year-olds use laptops while 35 to 65 year-olds still go with a desktop. Half of all adults own an mp3 player, such as an iPod.
42 percent of all adults own a game console, proving that videogames are no longer just for kids.

HOT NEW GADGET:
JETLEV JET PACK

All you water sports lovers are about to get a new toy to play with! The Jetlev is a new water-powered jet pack. It works by using a floating engine unit to suck up water through a hose before coming out of two nozzles on the backpack.

It can create 500 pounds of thrust and you can use hand controls for height and speed. Maximum height is 30 feet and the top speed is 22 miles-per-hour. Private buyers in Portugal, Russia, and the Middle East have already placed orders.

Price tag: $136,000 dollars!

TECH TREND:
TV VIDEO CALLS

A modern day tech innovation to make life more fun: TV Video calling.

I’m not talking about Skype or iChat - these are video calls on your television, not your laptop. You could have friends and relatives looking back at you live from your TV screen.

It's the Logitech TV Cam and it allows you to make and receive high definition video calls. You could communicate with other users of the product, or those with a webcam and an account Logitech's messaging application.

The camera attaches to the top of your TV set with an adjustable clip at the back. It has two digital, directional microphones to pick up audio around the room. It has wide angled lens and a zoom. You could fit in the whole sofa, or just a head shot if you want. I love this one! I want one!

Price: cheap! $149.99 US

MEDIA UPDATE:
'IPAD DAILY' SETS NEWSPAPER TREND

You've heard News Corporation has created an iPad newspaper called The Daily. It's the first subscription app and will be sold at 99 cents a week. It launched February 2nd.

The Daily’s advantages over good old-fashioned newspapers include being able to play videos in all of its pages. Its weather pages will have current forecasts and celebrity stories will have twitter feeds. The sports pages can even have team schedules and player stats changed to fit what you want.

The motive for News Corp to join with Apple was simple: It cuts down on operating costs by no longer needing paper, delivery trucks or printing presses while Apple’s iPad is the one to go with since it's sold more than 14.8 million and is expected to grow to 50 million within the next year!

WORKING TREND:
CHECKING EMAIL AND PRODUCTIVITY

Although you may think you’re being efficient when you go straight to your email inbox first thing in the morning, experts say this does nothing but kill your daily productivity.

If you start going through your inbox first thing you lose any chance you had of going full steam ahead on your important project of the morning. They claim you immediately wake up and start distracting yourself with everyone else's needs.

When you wake up, work on something for 30-40 minutes before moving to your inbox and they say If you could stand it longer, wait until after lunch.

When you’re ignorant to everything else that is going on outside, you will concentrate so much better at the task at hand. Yes that means you won’t know about what fires need to be put out.

Now this is what they’re saying – but let’s get real. This is 2011. So much work is done by email anyways. Maybe some better advice is just learning to prioritize.

GMAIL:
UN-SEND EMAIL FEATURE

Few people know this, but Google has an “undo” feature in case you send an email and want to pull it back after you push send. Recently, it's been improved.

Users now have 30 seconds to stop a message that was sent by mistake. I don’t know if 30 seconds is enough time to actually realize and go through the motions of un-sending – but it’s a cool feature nonetheless.
The email doesn’t actually pull back an email that has been sent out – it holds the email for 30 seconds before sending it out - just in case you change your mind.

The feature uses a section of your Gmail called Google Labs.

So here's how you do it:

1. Go to Google Labs.- Click the word "more" top left corner, then scroll down and click "even more."

2. click "Labs."

3. then Click "Gmail Labs"

4. then Scroll down almost all the way to the bottom until you see "Undo Send." and you will be prompted.

5. Now, go back to the main Gmail page and click "Settings" in the top

6. Scroll down to "Undo Send" -- it should be right above "My Picture." Your default should be set to 10 seconds. But you can use the drop-down bar to stretch that to 30 seconds.

7. Scroll down and hit "Save Changes."

8. To undo an email, just look for the box at the top of the screen that will have the words "Your message has been sent." After that, you should see the "Undo" option. Click that and you'll be sent back to the e-mail's draft form, where you'll have 30 seconds to edit or delete it before it goes out.

ONLINE SECURITY:
HOW TO STAY SAFE

Cybercrime as reached an all-time high in North America: $150 billion was lost last year surpassing money lost to, drug trafficking, for the first time ever. There are basics you should know to keep your information out of the wrong hands.

Michael Calce is a security penetration analyst. He sat down with Hollywood Trend Report recently to discuss staying safe. 10 years ago, at the age of 15 under the screen name “mafiaboy”, Michael made headlines around the world when he launched online attacks that brought down major websites like Yahoo!, eBay, CNN, Amazon, Dell and E*TRADE. He pled guilty to 56 charges and served time in a group facility. He then began writing a column for Le Journal de Montreal, Toronto Sun and Ottawa Sun in the hopes of educating people about online threats and what they can do to protect themselves. Now he focuses his expertise on helping businesses and individuals stay protected.

You could see these days everyone is becoming more and more integrated online. The practicality behind it is that people are doing online banking, people are on Facebook exposing information, but what people don’t realize is that there’s potential threats out there that can be behind your computer without you actually knowing and it’s storing all your important information like your passwords, bank information, work information and photos. All this is viable and wanted by hackers because they barter and sell your information or they could use your information to transfer funds. You could see that with the level of integration today it’s becoming more and more of an alarming issue.

In this day in age there is no security whatsoever. Hacking is becoming easier and easier as automated tools are released to do the work for you. There exists full integrated hack desktops. It’s like an all-in-one package for hackers allowing them to crack in to almost anything. Ten years ago, hackers had to literally build their own systems and hack tools. Nowadays it’s all done for them in the form of downloads. Search engines are making things a lot easier as well if you need information on how to hack a certain system. It could be as simple as just looking it up on Google.

Two things that are absolute musts in order to stay safe online are setting up a firewall and having an anti-virus program. Most people have these types of tools. The key issue is that they’re not updating them. This is vital because there are constantly new threats coming out so it’s really important to stay up to date. Another thing would be constantly changing your password. There are many sites that ask for a user name and log in and a lot of them time there are cookies that enable you to save them for your next visit. It is very important that you don’t save the password. Although it’s very convenient, by storing your password it’s much more easily retrieved by hackers. Setting up a secure router is also important. Browse through the options, make sure everything is secure and have your firewalls enabled.

A lot of people have one master password that they have for everything and keep forever – don't do this. If you’re always using the same password, and it’s been a long time since you’ve been using it, if a hacker breeches your system today, he’ll be able to retrieve the password that you used five months ago. By constantly shifting your passwords, when one of your old passwords gets compromised, by the time the hacker gets to it it will already be changed and you’ll be one step ahead of him.

Make sure the passwords are strong when you create them. Strong passwords normally consist of mixing up upper case, lower case, numbers and alphanumerical symbols. The length of the password is also important. The longer the password, the harder it is to crack.

Other tips:

- Keep your technology secure even after it’s stolen. There are certain downloads that allow you to find your device after it’s stolen. It will send it a message, and wipe out your personal info to make sure the thief can’t access any of it. You could find out at www.preyproject.com or find the app for your iPhone.

Michael has written a book: Mafiaboy: How I Cracked the Internet and Why It’s Still Broken. It discusses his story of the attacks he launched, and information about internet security today.

If you have any questions about Michael Calce or his book - go to mafiaboybook.com.

INTERNET TREND:
WEBSITES ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

When you're looking for answers, I've now got the top 5 websites you should bookmark in 2011:

Yahoo! Answers: You post a question about anything and other users reply if they know the answer. It’s hit or miss – but you’re pretty much guaranteed a response. Answers.yahoo.com

Duck Duck Go: A search engine that has lots of short cuts so you find what you want very quickly. No need to click around much. www.duckduckgo.com

Wolfram Alpha: A great search engine that allows you to search by topic, but also can compute mathematical calculations like no other search engine. www.wolframalpha.com

Blekko: This one’s good if you have something specific you want to find. It uses a feature called slash tag search. You type your topic, a slash, followed but what specifically you want, and the search engine gives you just that. Example: cure for headache/natural www.blekko.com

SEARCH ENGINE UPDATE:
'BING' GOES INSIDE

When you search for a local business on Bing, you are now able to see the interior of the physical locations. It is like a virtual walk-through on your computer screen. They also have something called EveryScape Eats which includes the interior of over 500 restaurants. Now after reading a good food review, you could see if the place is to your liking. No more surprises when you arrive there.

APP TREND:
RADIO STATIONS

The radio listener experience just got better in your smartphone. New apps are on the way for 83 Canadian radio stations across Canada. Users can enter contests, share events via the social network of their choice, stream on-demand content, discover new music as well as tune in to direct live music streaming. The applications will also provide music discovery channels, exclusive music, entertainment and news content, real time song voting and recommendations, artist info, tour dates, links to purchase music tracks and the ability for a user to interact directly with on-air personalities and each other. Scheduled to go live very soon, the mobile applications are designed to be compatible with top tier mobile devices including iPhone4, Android-powered devices and RIM's BlackBerry product line.

TECH TRENDS:
GROUP BUYING

Another big trend that will continue is group buying. Sites such as Groupon, that sell for discounts if you get your friends to group together to buy a product or service will continue to rage. Expect them and like-minded sites (such as LivingSocial, YouSwoop, and ScoutMom) to continue to grow.Without doubt, one of the big success stories of the last 12 months has been Groupon. The deal-of-the-day website formed in 2008. Groupon has made $1 billion in revenue since launch, making it the fastest growing company ever.Now available in 300 markets, Groupon took the form of a WordPress blog just two years ago. Its CEO Andrew Mason is regarded by many as a Zuckerberg 2.0, and with retailers like Gap clocking up single day sales of 441,000 $50 vouchers for $25 via Groupon.

WEB TREND:
SURPLUS AUCTION WEBSITES

Surplus auction websites are the new craze. You buy bids to bid against others in auctions. If you win, you get to purchase the item at a reduced price. Xbids and Jeaper are two examples.

It’s a simple 4 step process:

Step 1: Register and get your bids

Step 2: Search the auctions

Step 3: Place bid

Step 4: If you win the auction, you’re taken to the checkout where you buy the item at a deep discount.

www.xbids.com
www.jeaper.com

TRAVEL TIP: 'TRASH YOUR COOKIES'

Here’s some great travel news you should know about especially if you’re planning a trip this holiday season. Shopping for a flight online? The first thing you have to do: trash your cookies!

You're shopping for a flight on the Web and the flight prices seem to keep going up, not down. Why is that? Many Internet sites install cookies on your computer when you visit. A cookie is a collection of information that will include your user name and the date and time you visited the site.

Sometimes travel websites use this information to increase their prices if you repeatedly run the same searches for airlines or hotels. If you price a flight, and go back to the site a few hours later only to find that the price has increased, it’s probably a cookie at work.

Before you buy a ticket, erase the cookies from your computer.

HOT NEW GADGET:
VISIONRACER RACECAR SIMMULATOR

There’s a brand new gadget to add to your collection. It’s the VisionRacer VR3 simulator and it allows you to drive a racecar without leaving your living room!


This is not just a game you play on your television screen. VisionRacer VR3 comes with a fiberglass racing seat surrounded by a stainless steel frame. The pedal and gearshift mounts are set up just like those in a racecar so that once your screen and gaming console are mounted, the driver's seat illusion is complete. Price tag for this one: $1,295.00 US For all you adrenaline junkies out there – you could get it at www.visionracer.com

INTERNET TREND:
PEOPLE SPEND MORE TIME ONLINE

Now turning to the latest Internet trends.

Not only are people using their smartphones more, they're using the Internet a lot more these days.
58% of adults surveyed report that they perform online research before purchasing a product – up 9% from 2004.

The number of those who do research about products in general has grown from 15% to 21% since 2007.

24% of you say you have posted comments or reviews online about the product or service you buy. Even if you end up doing the actual purchase in store, many of you are doing preliminary research and fact-finding on the Internet before going in.

Personally, I thought the numbers would have been higher. I Google pretty much everything.

POPULAR APP:
BIBLE APP HITS 10 MILLION DOWNLOADS

Seems we like the Bible app!

More than ten million smartphone users worldwide have downloaded a free Bible application.

YouVersion.com was launched in 2008 and users have spent 3.5 billion minutes scrolling through Bible passages. Could this be the generation that’s more engaged with God than any other generation in history? The apps mission is to make God’s word more accessible being pocket-sized.

APPLE TV VS. GOOGLE TV:
WHICH IS BETTER?

So you've heard about the new Apple TV and Google TV and you're wondering - which one should you get?

I say Google TV offers more.


Google TV will be built right in to new TVs from Sony available on separate set-top boxes from Logitech. Also, Google TV has more power than Apple TV. Apple TV is really just a store for iTunes in the middle of your living room.

Google’s sources either come for free through the Web, from a cable box, or third-party providers.

Here in LA, I sat down with Ben Mendelson President of Interactive Television Alliance. It's a non-profit trade association made up of 130 companies that create interaction between viewers and television.

In the same six month period there has been two announcements. One is the new Apple TV - which is a big improvement from the old Apple TV – and Google TV, which has just officially launched. According to Mendelson both are big players, and he has no doubt they with both be here in some capacity but they are playing two different parts of the game.

The big thing that Apple TV has done is they took their product that was $299 US and made it $99 US, making it a lot more accessible. The problem with Apple TV is that invariably what they want you to do is to go to iTunes and pay $0.99 to rent a TV show or $3.99 for a movie. Mendelson doesn’t think this is the best idea because he doesn’t believe that that is how people watch TV.

Google TV on the other hand does everything Apple TV does but could also get you directly onto the Internet. More than that, it’s actually creating an operating system for the TV itself. Google TV wants to be in the TV itself and not just a box. There is a box – it’s $299, a little pricy. Over the next six months to a year there will be less expensive options and there will be more TV’s that have Google TV in it.

Apple recently redesigned the Apple TV to run on the same A4 processor powering the iPhone and iPad. Essentially, it’s a smartphone, without a screen, in a box.

Google TV will run on Intel’s Atom processor – the same chip powering virtually every netbook on the market. It has horsepower to pump up to full 1080p video.

TV NEWS:
LED VS LCD

Now turning to TV news.

In case you’ve been wondering about LCD and LED. It’s kind of confusing. You want both.

LED makes a big impact on the LCD market

Ask anyone who has seen an LED display - such as the Sharp LE700 AQUOS LED LCD series - and they will swear by them: higher contrast of 2M:1, crisper visuals and lower power usage. LED displays still use LCD technology but use a different kind of backlight for a noticeably brighter screen. Sizes range from 32-inch to 52-inch and (at least with the Sharp) and only cost a bit more than older LCDs.

SMARTPHONE TREND:
MUST-HAVE TRAVEL APPS

At last count, there were more than 106,000 active iPhone apps ready for download. I find the best ones are those that turn your iPhone into a handy travel device.

Some of the most well-known travel-friendly apps include: FlightTrack, which tells you if your plane is running late; Next Flight, which tracks upcoming departures; and Currency, which gives you updated exchange rate information.

I really like this one. The app called I'm In Town - communicates just that. With one click, it searches through your contacts list to find people in your vicinity and tells them - via e-mail or text message - that you're in town and how to get in touch with you. You can specify how many miles from your current location you want the app to search: five, 10 or 25 miles.

You can also alert people before you arrive, basically saying that you're coming to town.

Cost: $0.99

There's one more app that I find very handy. It's called Email 'n Walk. Sometimes you need to get both things done to get where you're going. For that, the Email 'n Walk application is a nice addition to your phone's app portfolio. It uses the iPhone's internal camera to project a video behind the e-mail you're working on. So whether you're on a sidewalk, escalator or airport walkway you can multitask without tripping over yourself.

Cost: $0.99

3D TREND:
HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

Now turning to the latest with 3D.

A company called Holorad and Walt Disney have just created an interactive animation with holographic projection which allows people to see in 3D without 3D glasses.

Daniel Berman is an executive at Holorad. He says their holograms enable the casual observer to see 3D just by walking by. You can put your hands into it, and now with the technology that Disney's developed, it will even respond to your voice. It is fully interactive.

Berman says: “Think as you walk up and down the mall, you see advertisements. Right now people just walk right by them because they are all over the place and they don’t talk to them. We plan on putting these 3D interactive holograms into those advertising spaces where they’ll invite you into the message. You could also make them smaller or larger and use them in the attractions of theme parks or even small enough to put into toys and games. “

IPHONE:
SEX SURVEY

If you're looking for a way to find a match, you may want to get yourself an iPhone!

Research shows that iPhone users have more sexual partners than other smartphone users. Female iPhone users came in first between the sheets with an average of 12.3 sex partners, and 9 for Blackberry users.

This is according to a study of nearly 10,000 done by the online dating network OkCupid. OkCupid matches up people based on information they provide including their type of smart phone and number of sexual partners.

According to the online dating site, the average 30-year-old male iPhone user has had 10 partners, compared to eight for Blackberry users and six for Android owners.

ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION:
G-BIKE


The new way to get around these days for short hauls or at the cottage: the G-Bike

It made its world debut here in LA at the Fred Segal store.

They are now the cost-effective and stylish way to get around. It is a fusion between a scooter and a bicycle.

It has so many great features: ecologically friendly, easy to operate, zero emission, elegantly designed and fully electric.

The G-Bike runs up to 35 miles per 4-8 hour charge and at a maximum speed of 20mph.

No insurance or license or registration required.

The cost: $1,100 US.

It's available in seven colors. Here in LA it’s available at Fred Segal.

If you're interested visit www.shopgbike.com

HIGH TECH GADGET:
PAUSE AND PLAY RADIO


Pause and Play radio is nowexpanding.

Already a feature on some of General Motors’ higher-end vehicles like the Buick LaCross and Cadillac CTS, it will now be introduced on the Regal and Chevrolet Cruze. Chevrolet Equinox and Cadillac SRX do not have the feature.

Pause and Play radio lets drivers or passengers stop a live broadcast, even on XM or Sirius, and they can record up to 20 minutes of it on an embedded hard disk, and play it back later.

It also works when the car is off. For example, a driver could pause the radio, shut off the car, fill up at a gas station, get back in, and resume listening to the hockey game or talk show where it was left, without missing all that time in the middle.

It's fantastic!

STATE OF THE ART:
FLYING CAR


The Jetsons predicted that we'd have them by at least 2062, and Back to the Future promised them to us by 2015. It turns out that reality may, for once, outpace fiction.

A flying car is set to debut in 2011.

A small, privately held company called Terrafugia has recently gained FAA approval for its roadable aircraft (i.e., flying car). Dubbed The Transition, the flying car takes the notion of driving a hybrid to a whole new level.

CEO Carl Dietrich says it features a car-like look, with traditional headlights and even a license plate holder. It can drive down the road legally, park in a single car garage and even gas up at a normal gas station.

It brings convenience to a whole level to the private pilot or to the person who’s wiling to become a private pilot in order to have a vehicle like this.

Other new fixtures include an improved wing that folds up with a touch of a switch like in a convertible car, and a futuristic touch screen interface in the cockpit.

It gets about 35 miles per gallon on the road and about 490 miles per full tank in the air!

The concept is for users to be able to drive it from their own garage to a nearby airport, allowing for independent, convenient travel.

At the very least, it would help drivers bypass those annoying airport wait times.

The Transition is expected to start selling late next year.

Price: $194,000

For more information visit www.terrafugia.com

TECH TREND:
LIFECASTING


Now turning to a tech trend expected to get big within a year: 'lifecasting'.

If you are getting a 4G iPhone you are about to join the lifecasting trend, that is, streaming a live video from your cell to the world without the usual video hiccups and complex setup.

Why the trend is important? YouTube videos are static. They capture a fleeting moment, but not as it happens in real-time. Lifecasting is a continual broadcast of events as it happens and now that the 4G iPhone can video conference, you too will be part of the life-casting trend.

TECH TREND: CONVERGING TECHNOLOGY


Now turning to a trend that is taking over the business and tech world - the word: Convergence

Companies are now realizing they have no choice but to converge devices such as mobile telephones, computers and televisions. This is when two or more tech devices become unified into one device that serves all purposes.

It has also been proven to have altered the tone and character of business and social interaction. The poster child of this phenomena is the iPhone, of course.

The Wii was also a revolution in the market of converging technologies - a game console, internet browser, and social networking tool all in one.

From a business perspective, convergence can be looked at two ways:

1) It can be a positive thing for social networking purposes, research and development.

2) It can be negative, forcing readjustments on single technology companies (For example, causing Nokia to change their phones to be more like the iPhone with many applications).

CELL PHONES: BLUETOOTH WATCH


Let's say you get a call on your phone and you're not quite sure you want to pick up. Your calls can now appear on your watch with the newest high tech gadget.

It's called the Bluetooth Watch with Caller ID Display

You can mute the phone's ringer or reject the call simply by pressing a button on the watch, never having to reach for the phone.

It notifies you when your phone rings or when receiving a text message with a discreet vibrating sensation and shows the caller's name and/or number on the bright OLED display.

Why is this one more thing you might want?

No more picking up your phones at a restaurant, in a business meeting, on a date or a family outing. No fumbling through your purse. No one but you knows what's going on in your James Bond secret agent world.