Take Note Of The New Galaxy 10.1 Note!

The just released (on August 14^th, 2012) Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet has some great features! It features a WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution TFT display with S Pen technology for easy sketching, annotation and note taking. The S Pen is so seamlessly integrated into the tablet I thought mine didn’t have one, but it did. If the 16GB onboard storage isn’t enough for your music, movies, etc., there’s a microSD card slot so you can add up to another 32GB. It ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor. This model is WiFi only and has built-in 802.11a/b/g/n wireless LAN. But there’s an exciting first for the Galaxy Note 10.1. It’s the only tablet (as of right now) that can run two different applications on a split screen. Not every application can do that, but on World News Now I used half the screen to playback a video I had recorded, while on the other half of the screen I was writing notes on the screen with my finger. Of course you’ll get much more control with the S Pen which lets you draw, annotate and create handwritten notes. There are two cameras. A 1.9MP front-facing camera along with a 5.0MP camera with auto focus and power LED flash allows you to capture very decent images. When looking at photos you shot, you can put a finger on each corner and zoom in and out by just tilting the Note back and forth. You can impress your friends quickly with this. Bluetooth 4.0 too for connecting other devices. It weighs only 1.3 lbs. and measures just 0.4" thin. This is one heck a tablet! I’ll update this as I get more user time with the Galaxy Note 10.1 Price: $499 (16GB) to $549 (32GB). Available now at most big box stores and online.

http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxytab/10.1/index.html

One Fast Selling Phone From Samsung!

The Samsung Galaxy S3 (or Galaxy III) is one hot selling phone! I heard that in July alone, Samsung sold 10 million units. And I can see why. To start, the Galaxy S3 has an amazing 4.8-inch high-resolution Super AMOLED display. Yes, it’s bigger than an iPhone, but it’s also amazingly slim. And you get a heck of a lot more screen real estate, so everything is bigger. (Great for the more than 50% of population who are 55 years of age or older.) It ships with Ice Cream Sandwich, Android 4.0, but an update download will be available, although an exact date has not been announced. The camera in the Galaxy S3 is the same as the S2. It has an amazing panoramic mode where it takes 8 photos and stitches them together into one seamless shot. It also shoots full HD 1080p video. Yes all these features use battery power, but happily this device has a replaceable battery! You can easily carry a spare, which is what I do. High-definition video on the S3 is smooth and crystal clear. (It has a dual-core processor.) And there’s a micro SD card slot so you can add up to 32 GB of memory! With a neat Samsung feature called S-Beam, you can hold 2 Galaxy SIII phones back to back to transfer files, photos, homework assignments, etc! The Galaxy S III is about $200 with a new or re-upped two-year contract. And you can buy it from every major wireless carrier! The brushed polycarbonate case is available in 'Marble White' or 'Pebble Blue', but ATT has also has a red version. I like this phone a lot!  

www.samsung.com/global/galaxys3/ 

Who would steal a ratty old manila envelope?

New from the SpoonSisters website is the Undercover Tablet Edition. It's the perfect size to hold a Kindle or iPad. Here's the scoop from their website: There was a time when only Moses had a tablet, but now everyone does. You can’t get on a train, subway, airplane or bus these days without seeing someone surfing the web on the go. Here’s about the most thief-thwarting, styleless conscious solution to the issue of tablet-transport we’ve ever seen. What looks like a used, rumpled padded envelope that no one would ever think of snatching, is actually made of strong PE foam construction with a tough outer layer of tyvek (think FedEx envelope). It’s shock protected, splash proof, writable and tearproof. Now faithful traveling tablet companion can be safe and sound in your bag when you’re not using it disguised as nothing more than a battered old envelope! Fits ipad of course, and most tablets. $22.95. It should be available for pre-order on their website now.

www.spoonsisters.com

I did a Giz Wiz show with Leo Laporte about this product and the Lenovo laptop you saw on World News Now. Here's a link to my GIZ WIZ show at TWiT, This Week in Tech: www.twit.tv/dgw1374 

A Backpack With "Alarming" Features.

ISafe Back Packs are backpacks that add and alarm and flashing LED feature. 

These backpacks are recommended for children 8 years old and up because kids should be old enough to understand that an iSafe bag is an alarm system, not a toy. The iSafe backpack can be used as a tool to help them escape dangerous or harmful situations. The dual alarm system is concealed in the lower section of the backpack. To activate the alarm system the child pulls the activation cord, which is located on the one of the front straps. This puts it in easy reach while the child is wearing it. Disengaging the safety pin instantaneously activates the alarm. The alarm is loud, louder than a car alarm, so this is for actual emergencies. (It’s 120 decibels!) The two sirens send signals in opposite directions, away from the user's ears, which should attract attention all around. The iSafe Bag is water resistant and shock resistant. The alarm can run up to 2 continuous hours, assuming the two 9-volt batteries are new. (Batteries not included.) Because of the way the straps are located it should be extremely difficult and time consuming for an attacker to remove the iSafe backpack from the wearer. (It is important that the company’s instructions are followed when wearing the backpack.) The iSafe Guardian has pockets to store everything a young needs on the go. Two outside side pockets can hold for water bottles or anything you want to reach quickly. ISafe offers larger models for older students, designed to hold their laptops and even more gear. The iSafe Guardian is about $50. If you do a web search you might find it cheaper. The company also makes other iSafe products, like messenger bags, fanny packs and larger backpacks. 

www.isafebags.com

Charge and help protect your new electronic devices.

Satechi Slim Surge Protector provides protection from electrical spikes and surges that can be devastating to both expensive electronic equipment and valuable data. It includes three protected power outlets and two USB charging ports. (But it does take up an outlet, so you gain an additional outlet, plus two charging ports that delivers enough power to charge power hungry devices including the New iPad, Kindle Fire, iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S3 and any other tablet or smartphone. The LED indicator above the unit illuminates green to indicate when the surge protector is providing protection to your equipment. When the protection circuitry has been fully consumed by power and current spikes, the protection light will no longer illuminate, indicating that the surge protector should be replaced. The Slim Surge Protector also includes optional socket screw to secure the unit to the wall, turning any outlet into a convenient charging station for your office, media room or kitchen. As of 8/20/12 it was on the company website at a sale price of only $15.99, plus S & H.

http://www.satechi.net/index.php/satechi-slim-surge-protector