One of my hobbies is pen and ink drawing and water color painting. In my struggles to make copies of my pieces for friends, I’ve been experimenting with a variety of techniques and devices. Photo copies are generally the most inexpensive way to print in large format. Large color prints can cost just a few […]
Author Archives: Phil Baker
12
Jan
Jan
San Francisco manufacturer and designer, WaterField Designs, has introduced the Staad Attache´ with a padded compartment for the iPad Pro or Apple 13-inch laptops. Constructed of ballistic nylon, waxed canvas and full-grain leather in classic, muted colors, the Staad Attache´ bridges the gap between the casual messenger bag and formal briefcase for style-conscious professionals. Cost is […]
11
Jan
Jan
Fitbit introduced their new activity tracker, called the Blaze, at CES last week. And since then, the company’s stock has dropped by nearly 30 percent.. The product was panned as being ugly and under-featured, particularly for its $200 price. Even if you assume what they showed was a prototype, the product looks much like an “As […]
07
Jan
Jan
Awarded to Harman International and Microsoft. Harman announced that it’s bringing Microsoft Office—including Word, Excel and Powerpoint—to your car. It will operate via voice-activation, using Microsoft’s Cortana, meaning you’ll be able to work on spreadsheets and file your taxes while driving. “By ensuring that Office 365 services are seamlessly integrated with car and driver telematics and […]
07
Jan
Jan
The Consumer Show is now underway and, while many are reporting on the exciting new products, I decided to focus on the Worst of CES just to be contrary. Actually, that’s probably an easier task since they are much easier to find. Each day I’ve added an item here on www.bakerontech.com . This entry summarizes […]
06
Jan
Jan
Kodak has announced plans to launch a Super 8 cine camera using analogue and digital technology. The new camera, called cleverly “Kodak Super 8 Camera,” will record its movies on normal Super 8 film cartridges while using a digital LCD display as its viewfinder. Super 8 film was originally a low quality amateur product that can’t compare to the convenience or quality […]
06
Jan
Jan
SensorWake is an olfactory alarm-clock that allows you to wake up with your favorite morning smells. SensorWake is presenting the product with their nice scents bar. SensorWake gently wakes you up in less than two minutes—with the power of smell. Users set the time they want to wake up and insert their choice of scent capsule, with options ranging from coffee, peach, seaside and even the smell of dollars. […]
05
Jan
Jan
Tuesday, January 5 – Samsung refrigerator with a 21-inch display in the door and a camera inside. Samsung’s Family Hub Refrigerator is a $5,000 smart refrigerator with a giant built-in 21-inch touch screen with built-in apps such as Pandora, a family calendar and photo streaming. There’s a camera inside the refrigerator that allows you to […]
05
Jan
Jan
Silent Pocket of Encinitas, CA, has created a line of cleanly designed leather goods that block out wireless transmissions. There are a number of reasons why you might want to use these products. One reason is to prevent others from reading the new credit cards that contain electronic information. Another is to prevent others from […]
04
Jan
Jan
Each day I will review new CES products being unveiled and will pick one worthy being the worst. Monday, January 4 – Candy Crush Scented iPhone Case
03
Jan
Jan
Nascent Objects has introduced a new product that can be morphed into any of 3 devices. They include Droppler – a water conservation product Streaming WiFi speaker with Apple AirPlay and Spotify Support WiFi HD video camera with streaming and IFTTT capabilities The products all convert from one to another. The company realized that so many […]
02
Jan
Jan
Yes, this had to happen, as silly as it may seem. A UK technology start-up has “unleashed” PitPat, a wearable activity monitor for dogs, at CES. The press release says, “Designed and manufactured in the UK, PitPat gives owners a fun and engaging way to ensure that their dog gets the exercise it needs by tracking […]
28
Dec
Dec
Here’s my take on some of the more interesting and significant products for 2015. Apple Watch – The eagerly-anticipated Apple Watch finally arrived, and once again showed Apple’s unrivaled skills in design and integration of software and hardware. While not a must-have, it’s a useful tool for helping us do small tasks. It’s significant because […]
23
Dec
Dec
Lately, I’ve been experiencing WiFi connection problems on a number of devices in my home, a notebook, tablet and cellphones. Occasionally the WiFi slows down or disconnects for a few seconds or displays a weak signal. It’s gradually become worse over time. I use an Asus RT–AC660U router, one of the best available when I […]
22
Dec
Dec
Two thoughts about CES, the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas every year. The first is a personal one about attending and the second about the significance of CES in the world. For the next few weeks we’ll be hearing a lot about CES, where nearly 4000 companies will be previewing their new […]
16
Dec
Dec
Ditto Notifier – A clever inexpensive device that clips onto a shirt collar or waistband to notify you when you have a call, text message or your Uber has arrived. It can be configured to discreetly notify you with a vibration, and filter out other events. Allows you to put away your phone and avoid […]
14
Dec
Dec
As someone that likes to grill outdoors, I’ve become enamored with my Big Green Egg (BGE), a ceramic egg-shaped BBQ grill that can both cook steaks at 700 degreesF as well as slowly cook a brisket for 4 or 5 hours at 275F. The BGE’s main attributes are its ability to cook in its enclosed […]
08
Dec
Dec
As popular as the iPhone 6 is, it has one huge weakness, one of the shortest battery lives of any smart phone. That’s because Apple has prioritized thinness over run time. As an iPhone 6 user, it’s hard to get through the day without needing to charge my phone. Often the battery is dead by 2 […]
04
Dec
Dec
I make a lot of conference calls using my iPhone. One of the problems is remembering the meeting code you need to dial, after dialing the phone number for the conference call. While it’s usually stored in my appointment on iCal, the process of tapping the phone number in the appointment, closes the appointment screen […]
02
Dec
Dec
The end of Thanksgiving signals the onslaught of email requests from PR firms for meetings with companies exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas during the first week of January. From these emails I’ve received just over the past two days, it looks like there will be some highly unusual products. I thought it […]