TechnologyIQ

A quick introduction and demo of Bluestacks Android Emulator available in beta form for free from http://bluestacks.com/ . Bluestacks is a great way to try out Android apps if you don't have an Android smartphone or tablet. As you can see here, it also makes it easy to record screencasts of apps for demonstrations.  Can't see the video above? Watch "Bluestacks Android Emulator for Mac and Windows" on YouTube. Downloadf " Bluestacks Android Emulator for Mac and Windows " - iPod Ready Video If you found this video useful, please click LIKE on YouTube. It directly helps others discover my videos.

On My Mac/Windows PC is an on-going series highlighting the software (and sometimes, hardware) I use on my Mac nearly every day. Look for additional On My Mac…posts in the coming weeks! -- Douglas Dropbox Everything is in "the cloud" today, it seems and Dropbox provides you some free storage space there where you can share any type of files with groups of people large and small. When you have a number of computers that you use on a regular basis, and several family smartphones and you need to deliver large files around the Internet, Dropbox comes as a bit of a revelation. I keep finding uses for it every day. I first used it to transfer large video files from CareerCamp attendees so I could edit them and place them online. Instead of driving around in my car and transferring files from a variety of devices and computers, people could upload the videos to their own computer and they would, eventually (as they were quite large) show up on my computer. Then, when Dropbox for iPh

"On my iPhone…" is a new series from TechnologyIQ, sharing real world examples of how I use my iPhone, interesting apps and more! RunKeeper **  Also available for Android devices here RunKeeper is an excellent app for recording your exercise routine. While it is focused on running, I am really more of a walker. (SMILE) I don't use all of the features, but for the basics of tracking my walks, total distance, pace, time and more, it is great. I especially like the pacing information, as I try to maintain a certain speed on my walks and it easily lets me monitor that pace either on-screen or through regular audio updates. For more vigorous exercisers, RunKeeper supports coaching regimens to guide you through an exercise session, and easily integrates music playlists to drive your run. Finally, there is a social aspect to RunKeeper , allowing you to post your activity to Facebook and Twitter and share it with your friends to challenge each other to do even better. Previously

On My Mac is an on-going series highlighting the software (and sometimes, hardware) I use on my Mac nearly every day. Look for additional On My Mac…posts in the coming weeks! -- Douglas   Garageband I have been using GarageBand for all my recording needs since I started my first podcast in 2004. I don't use it for recording music much, which is what it is truly meant to do, but I know a lot of folks who do use it for music. GarageBand is an excellent program and when you consider that it comes free with every new Mac, it is a great choice for your recording needs. I can't really say much more than it works , it works well and it is probably already on your Mac. Who could ask for more? Previously in On My Mac... MPEG Streamclip Google Chrome Evernote

"On my iPhone…" is a new series from TechnologyIQ, sharing real world examples of how I use my iPhone, interesting apps and more! Timehop Timehop is a web service and app that can connect to your social media accounts and then remind you each day what was happening 1,2, even 6 years ago, depending on when you started using social media. I love being reminded of what was happening in my life over the years. Timehop also allows you to share these past happenings with your current social media friends. In my case I have connected Timehop to my Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare and Flickr accounts. In my case, I have been using Flickr for almost 7 years, so that is where the oldest material usually comes from.   Previously in "On my iPhone…": Twist Facebook/Facebook Pages Manager/Facebook Messenger Google+ Waze social GPS traffic and more

I highlighted another charger device in the 2012 Gift Guide, but I came across the PhoneSuit Core Micro today and wanted to share it with you. Like the  Mophie Powerstation , the PhoneSuit Power Core Micro claims to charge your iPhone5 (or other smartphone) with about 2 full charges. Unlike previous cases that were meant to be attached to your phone, these power "bricks" can ride in your bag or in your pocket until you need them. You charge the Phonesuit Core Micro using a micro-USB cable. Once charged you can connect any USB device to the standard USB outlet to charge it. This means you can attach your older 30-pin iPhone cable or the newer Lightening cable (or any other USB cable for that matter) In my work, I can usually charge my devices while driving, but for those of you are away from power for any length of time or just need some extra power to complete that recording, phone call or video, the Phonesuit Core Micro could be very useful to you. Link:  Phonesuit Web Si

2012 Gift Guide Completes! As the shipping window begins to close on this holiday season, and after 115 different items,  our 2012 Gift Guide comes to an end. I hope you have found my suggestions useful, practical and enjoyable and hope you have found gifts for your friends, family and yourself. Some of these items might be available locally or can be downloaded, so you still have some gifting time left. You can find a complete list of all the gift guide items at the end of this message. Books by Douglas E. Welch My ebooks, can be "gifted" directly from Amazon.com and/or immediately downloaded to a eReader you might also be giving. I hope you'll consider these book as a gift to your garden/careerbuilder/social media friends and family. Cookbooks All the recipes for my Annual Christmas Cookie Party are now available in these FREE cookbooks -- available on your iPad or computer! Video from Douglas My video work has been growing over the last year and you can find all of my

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Checking the iTunes Store today showed links to the Best of 2012 as decided by Apple Sales and Ratings. If you are looking to add some entertainment or productivity to your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, check out this extensive list broken out by category. Even though I keep up on the most interesting and important apps in the iPhone/iPad world, there are some new suggestions for me here. A good review list is always worth a check, just in case you missed anything. Fire up your local install of iTunes and click the iTunes Store to check out all the favorites.

On My Mac is an on-going series highlighting the software (and sometimes, hardware) I use on my Mac nearly every day. Look for additional On My Mac…posts in the coming weeks! -- Douglas   MPEG Streamclip MPEG Streamclip is my goto app for converting any sort of video to any other sort of video. I use it to convert the native AVI files from my SLR came to MP4 of editing. I use it to produce the final AppleTV HD 720p videos for distribution in my podcast feeds. I use it for nearly anything…or at least try it if no one else seems to know what could/should/would work for the conversion. You can also use it to strip the audio track off a video for use as an audio-only podcast. Available for both Windows and Macintosh systems.   From The Squared 5 Web Site... "MPEG Streamclip is a powerful free video converter, player, editor for Mac and Windows. It can play many movie files, not only MPEGs; it can convert MPEG files between muxed/demuxed formats for authoring; it can encode movies to

"On my iPhone…" is a new series from TechnologyIQ, sharing real world examples of how I use my iPhone, interesting apps and more! Twist ** Available for your Android smartphone or tablet here I love using geolocation on my phone and this app, Twist , just appeared a week or so ago. Twist allows you to say where you are going and who you want to notify when you leave and when you are about to arrive. I use it to notify my clients when I am on my way to their site for a scheduled appointment. Twist can notify one or more people via email or text message. Typically it send a message when I leave, a message when I am 1/2 way there and a final message when I am about 1 minute away. I have found that my clients like receiving this info so that they know almost exactly when I am going to show up at their door. Of course, you could always use Twist with your family members, business partners and friends to aid meet ups for dinner or drinks. It can be good to know that someone is goin

Mophie Powerstation 4000mAh 2.1A External Battery Charger  I owned a Mophie Juice Pak for my older iPhone 3g and it came in quite handy over the 3 years I used that phone That said, I think the Powerstation is a better product as it doesn't add any bulk to the phone itself, it works with any device that charges via USB and it can just hang out in your bag until needed. You can even share a chard with a friend, if they need it. More 2012 Gift Guide Items:

Griffin's take on charge and sync Lightning cables now up for grabs From Engadget

Twine Internet Sensor (Pre-order) Your friend will have to wait to get this gift, but it could be a cool introduction into "The Internet of Things". This is a world where everything talks to everything and everything talks to you. Tires on your car need replacing or maintenance -- they send you a message. Garden needs watering -- ping goes an alert. The possibilities are endless. The Twine is the first of what is sure to become many devices that facilitate this communication. Each unit has a built-in temperature sensor and orientation accelerometers, so they can tell when they change orientation or are moved in any way. You then use a web-based interface to create rules to notify you on specific events. Did the mailbox open and close? Send an alert to pick up the mail. Is the temperature approaching freezing? Receive an alert to bring in your sensitive plants. Twine plans additional sensors that can be added to the original Twine that include a magnetic sensor and moisture s

Here are my favorite shared items for November 2012. Please let me know in the comments if you find any of the particularly useful. I'll keep my eye open for similar items -- Douglas Technology / iOS 6.0.1 released, fixes iPhone 5 OTA software update issue and other bugs (update) -- Engadget Technology / Evernote 5 for Mac beta is here to keep you on the bleeding edge of hyperorganization (video) Technology / Going boldly: Behind the scenes at NASAs hallowed Mission Control Center | Ars Technica Technology  / Belkin introduces authorized Lightning accessories for iOS devices | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog Technology / FBI/MoneylPak "Ransomware" is new type/derivative of malware/spyware Technology / Apple TV 5.1 update causing issues for many, downgrading cited as popular solution Technology / Education/Classes/Learning / Educators battle Eternal September by teaching digital citizenship with MinecraftEdu Technology / Give the Gift of Productivity with These Work Org

Minecraft  My son got me started with Minescraft about a year ago and I am definitely hooked! I am NOT a big gamer in any way, but the sandbox metaphor of Minecraft -- doing whatever interests you most -- building whatever you like -- keeps me going and always provides something new to do. I even went so far as to set up a multiplayer server here at the house where my son and I, and some select friends can play in our own little world. You can download the client software and play in single player mode to try things out, but at just a little over $26, Minecraft is an inexpensive way to have a lot of fun with your computer -- in your own little world! Minecraft Web Site More 2012 Gift Guide Items: Do the Work by Steven Pressfield Bulb Planting Tools Blue Snowball Microphone Seagate Backup Plus 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive Logitech C920 HD Web Cam We Are All Weird by Seth Godin Sunset Western Garden Book - New Edition for 2012 The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Garden Myster

Asus Google Nexus 7 One of the better received competitors to Apple's iPad, the ASUS Nexus 7 provide full Android compatibility (unlike Amazon's Kindle Fire) in a speedy, good looking package. If you are looking to dive into the Android tablet world, this seems to be the unit of choice. Nexus 7 owner and friend, Russel Kealoha (who co-host the Two Beer Queers podcast ), offers this take on the Nexus 7... "Best bang for the buck 7 inch tablet out there. Does everything you need. Quick and responsive, graphics are good, the processor is fast, and beautiful IPS display." More 2012 Gift Guide Items: Do the Work by Steven Pressfield Bulb Planting Tools Blue Snowball Microphone Seagate Backup Plus 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive Logitech C920 HD Web Cam We Are All Weird by Seth Godin Sunset Western Garden Book - New Edition for 2012 The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Garden Mysteries by Anthony Eglin The Creative Habit/The Collaborative Habit by Twyla Tharp Molesk

On My Mac is an on-going series highlighting the software (and sometimes, hardware) I use on my Mac nearly every day. Look for additional On My Mac…posts in the coming weeks! -- Douglas Google Chrome I have been using Google Chrome as my web browser of choice on my Mac for quite a while now. While Safari serves most needs, I have noticed that Chrome seemed to work a bit faster when loading and drawing pages. Even better, Chrome had an API for extensions before Safari and I quickly found several extensions that made my work much easier. These extensions include LastPass, Evernote, Send to Kindle and several related to managing your Google+ conversations and pages. Finally, I use a lot of Google services, including Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Reader, and Chrome seems to deal with them in a better fashion. Download Google Chrome   Previously in On My Mac... Evernote

"On my iPhone…" is a new series from TechnologyIQ, sharing real world examples of how I use my iPhone, interesting apps and more! Facebook/Facebook Pages Manager/Facebook Messenger ** Available for  your Android smartphone or tablet here Helping me keep in touch with all things Facebook, these apps allow me access the usual Facebook features, monitor and work with my Facebook Pages (I have one for every blog and organization I do) and Messenger for allowing me to send and receive Facebook messages and chat on my iPhone. I am not a big user of Facebook, but certain people want to interact with me and my pages there, so I need to monitor things and reply wherever they prefer to interact. This apps simplify that process greatly.     Previously in "On my iPhone…": Google+ Waze social GPS traffic and more

RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device) Over the years I have owned several RAM Mounts and I highly recommend them. I have had mounts for my old Garmin GPS, my iPhone 3G and my iPhone 4. These are both suction cup units which hold the phone to the windshield. I also have a mount on my bicycle which can also use the car mounting arm. RAM has mounts for nearly any cell phone, GPS, iPad, computer and any situation including cars, motorcycles, bikes, boats, aviation, kayaks and much more. If you need to use your devices no matter where you might be, check out RAM Mounts. The RAM Mounts web site includes an online " RAM Mount Wizard " that can step you through assembling the appropriate mount for your device and situation. More 2012 Gift Guide Items: Do the Work by Steven Pressfield Bulb Planting Tools Blue Snowball Microphone Seagate Backup Plus 500 GB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive Logitech C920 HD Web Cam We Are All Weird by Seth Godin Sunset Western