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Showing posts from December, 2013

Video: Wordpress Wednesday Series from Careers in New Media

Short Wordpress tips to ease your way, especially if you are just getting started with Wordpress. I started the series over on Careers in New Media, but think it might also be appropriate for TechnologyIQ readers. If you use Wordpress, or are thinking about it, check it out! Today's video quickly shows how to update your Wordpress, plugins and themes using the Wordpress Dashboard and how to tell when there are updates waiting to be installed. More tips and more detail coming with future episodes in this series. Watch the entire series, so far, in this YouTube playlist   Music: "Go Kart" by Kevin MacLeod ( http://incompetech.com ) under Creative Commons License. * Follow New Media Tips on Twitter at http://twitter.com/newmediatips * Like New Media Interchange on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/newmediacareer * Circle New Media Interchange on Google+ at http://tinyurl.com/gplusnmi

On my iPhone/Android...Real Racing 3

Real Racing 3       Real Racing 3 for iOS  |  Real Racing 3 for Android   It's the holidays and sometimes you want to use your technology for more than just email, spreadsheets and phone calls. This has lead me to seek ut some apps that bring a bit more fun to my iPhone, our iPad and our Android devices, like my Kindle Fire.   I have been watching YouTube series playthoughs of the Forza and F1 Racing games for consoles and PCs and this got me to thinking about racing games so I did a little searching and found Real Racing 3 . I have been enjoying it greatly for the last several days. Real Racing is a free-to-play game. This means you can download and play but it also offers a host of real-world points that can be purchased to speed game play. For example, if you decide to upgrade one of your vehicles, you may need to wait 10-15 minutes before you can play you next race, or pay a few extra credits to continue immediately. I am not one to invest a lot of real money in games

Video: 2011 Live Reading of A Christmas Carol

For your holiday enjoyment, I present this live video recording of our previous 2011 Live reading of Charles' Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  

Elsewhere: iMovie 10 for Mac: TUAW hands-on video walkthrough

Whenever there is a major upgrade for any of my "go-to" software, I am always very careful to get as much info on changes, removals and additions as possible before making the move. As we saw with iMovie 10, this was probably a good idea, as there was a significant rollback in some features that could have made working with it uncomfortable. This is a great walk-through of of iMovie 10, a little over 11 minuntes long, that points out the significant changes and giving a basic demo of how it works. iMovie has now adopted the look and feel of Apple's full-featured video editor, Final Cut Pro, while still trying to remain easy-to-use for beginning and intermediate video editors. iMovie 10 for Mac: TUAW hands-on video walkthrough Apple announced the latest version of its popular entry-level video editor iMovie 10 as part of the new iLife application suite. The updated version features major changes to the interface, as it has been redesigned to make it easier to create a

Review: Snugg iPad 3 Executive Case Cover and Stand

Sometimes technological serendipity strikes just when needed. My wife recently received an iPad as part of her professorship at a state college. As all good IT departments should, they provided the iPad with a cover to offer some protection, since it was going to be used in the classroom and also on-the-go. That said, I had some major issues with the case. First, the cover didn't fold behind the iPad like most others do. the cover would hang open whenever you used the iPad. It also had no way to stand up the iPad in landscape mode to use on a desk or countertop. Buy Snugg Covers on Amazon.com Thankfully, the folks over at Snugg ( http://thesnugg.com ), seemed to feel my angst and contacted me out of the blue via email to offer a free IPad case to review . After looking through their extensive catalog of covers for through their catalog -- which contains covers for all sorts of smartphones, Kindles and tablets as well as the iPad -- I settled on the Snugg iPad 3 Executive Case

Gift Guide 2013: Raspberry Pi Ultimate Starter Kit

Raspberry Pi Ultimate Starter Kit -- Includes Raspberry Pi Board + 11 Essential Accessories  I have been seeing so many cool, DIY, computing projects using the RaspberryPi and I am itching to get my own for s few projects around the house and home office here. This small, general use, programmable system is really only limited by your imagination. From the RaspberryPi web site... "The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It is a capable little computer which can be used in electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing and games. It also plays high-definition video. We want to see it being used by kids all over the world to learn programming." Here are some great projects I have seen for the RaspberryPi recently... The Kano Kit—Building a Raspberry Pi Computer Build a Simple Time-lapse Camera with a Raspberry Pi and a Coffee Tin Turn a Raspberry Pi Into a

Gift Guide 2013: Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History

Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History Another book in this "Fifty" series from Firefly books. This one arrived from my library yesterday and I have already devoured most of its contents. Each machine is given a pretty extensive history and, most importantly, the author actively covers the sometimes confused history of just who created the invention initially. This is a great book to flip through when you have a moment, as the entries are only 3-5 pages for each device and yet include a wealth of information. Explores Fifty Machines that Change the Course of History from the Jacquard Loom to the Hubble Telescope and many important inventions in-between. From Amazon.com... " Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History is a fascinating survey of the mechanical devices that propelled 18th-century society into the 19th and 20th centuries. The book celebrates more than 200 years of technological development at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Th

Hordes of iOS App Updates hit devices due to upcoming Apple Connect Winter vacation

I was wondering why I was seeing so many app updates on my iPhone and iPad thee last few days when I remembered the reason. In fact, the same thing occurred last year around the same time. Each year, Apple Connect - -the system that developers use to release new app and updates - will go on vacation from December 21, 2013 through December 27, 2013. This means that if developers want to get in one more release before the holiday, they need to do it now. "During that time, iTunes Connect will not be accessible and you will not be able to submit any apps or In-App Purchases. Processing of any Newsstand Atom feeds will be delayed until after December 27. Sales and Trends reports via the Autoingestion tool will be available but may also be delayed. Also, you should not schedule any pricing changes or apps to go live between those dates. Pricing changes scheduled to take effect in that date range will cause the app to become unavailable for purchase until after December 27. Similarl

On my iPhone/Android...Chronos: Find your time

Chronos - Life Tracking App     Chronos for iOS | Chronos for Android   I am one of those (perhaps, odd) people who loves to track where I have been, what I have been doing, who I have been with and even more about my life. Chronos is another in the long line of life-tracking apps available for your mobile device that seeks to do just that. (I highlighted a similar app, Saga, in a previous On my iPhone... entry ). Chronos does a great job of tracking where I have been and allows me to edit its automated decisions to make them more accurate. It also provides a cool weekly mail that contains an infographic detailing how I have spent my week. Unlike other apps, like Saga, Chronos does NOT include links to social media posting, which I do find interesting and, for me, this creates a more complete "lifeblog."   Still, I have kept Chronos installed and running for a while now and really enjoy the infographic data it provides on my travels each week. If you enjoy tracking y

Gift Guide 2013: Moleskeine Journals

Moleskeine Journals of all sorts No matter how much technology i have at hand, I always find myself falling back on my paper journal as a data gathering, thought-provoking and capturing, friend. Yes, I carry and iPhone, but there is something about writing things out longhand in a paper journal that makes you think more deeply and locks in the information more completely. Moleskeine journals are the sine quo non of paper journals. Their quality is high and they have been carried by artists and business people for generations. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, lines and more, including day-to-day calendars, travel journals and city guide.  My favorite is this large, lined journal. Right now I have a Lego Moleskeine waiting to be put into service as soon as I fill my current journals. I can't wait!   More 2013 Gift Guide Items: PC Gamer's Choice Gifts RAM Mounts for iPhone 5 and dozens of other devices and vehicles How Carrots Won The Trojan War by Rebecca Rupp

Gift Guide 2013: PC Gamer's Choice Gifts

PC Gamer's Choice Gifts I turned to my in-home, 16-year-old, hardcore gamer for his gift recommendations for the PC gamer's on your gift list this year. Joseph is a PC gamer, so all these choices reflect that. If you are looking for Xbox One or PS4 games, you'll need to look elsewhere for those recommendations. Joseph's first recommendation is to buy your gamer Steam Gift Cards valuing about $75 USD. This should allow them to purchase one large game title and one Indie game, which are usually priced much lower. You can pick up Steam Gift Cards at gamer and electronics store and you can also fund your gamer's Steam Wallet directly online. Visit SteamPowered.com for more info and links. Joe's choice for his Top 3 Paid game titles are: Arma III Experience true combat gameplay in a massive military sandbox. Deploying a wide variety of single- and multiplayer content, over 20 vehicles and 40 weapons, and limitless opportunities for content creation, the PC’s p

Gift Guide 2013: RAM Mounts for iPhone 5 and dozens of other devices and vehicles

RAM Mounts for iPhone 5 and dozens of other devices and vehicles 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 2013 Gift Guide Items: How Carrots Won The Trojan War by Rebecca Rupp Classes from The Institute of Domestic Technology Cusinart CHW-12 Coffee Plus Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive Rode Podcaster US

42 of My Favorite Technology Things for November 2013

  As always, let me know what types of interesting items you would like to see and I will keep an eye out for them especially. -- Douglas Technology / Daily iPhone App: Capture and share stunning spherical landscapes using bubbli Technology / Minecraft players can soon directly livestream their world building through Twitch Technology / Save on a Chromecast or Pebble Watch with a .edu Email Address Technology / Google+ Connected Classrooms offers virtual field trips with the help of Hangouts Technology / Impossibly Thin Charging Cables No Thicker Than a Pair of Credit Cards Technology / 6 Essential Tips for First-Time PC Builders New Media / YouTube Overhauls Comments with Better Moderation and Conversations Technology / Some users unable to download Facebook app update from App Store Technology / Rad URLs Shows the Top 100 Trending Links Across Facebook and Twitter Technology / Mirror Your iOS Device on your Desktop with X-Mirage [Deals Hub] Technology / Minecraft documen