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A CES 2012 report from our our friends Engadget—>We’re live from CES 2012!

Here is a report from the big guys, Engadget with regards to CES 2012. We inspire to be like them, with a tech, and autism focus.

We talk about them, and hope that they return the favor at some point…

From Engadget–>

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/06/were-live-from-ces-2012/

We’ve landed in Vegas, just in time to enjoy the proverbial calm before the storm that will be the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. Motorized carts zoom around the parking lot as the Las Vegas Convention Center begins to take shape — as always, getting the million-dollar-booths fully dressed before the curtain comes up next week seems an impossible task, but the crews will come through, making the finished product a far-cry from what we see today. And as exciting as it can be to roam the halls of the LVCC and surrounding venues during the show, the pageantry of CES is really about the products, including many of which we haven’t heard so much as a peep about in the weeks leading up to the show. But as the booths inside will remain veiled until company heads have a chance to brief attendees, a few hints have begun popping up outside the convention center, as workers hang sponsored banners above and along the massive entranceways. Some of these product hints serve to confirm previous rumors, so join us past the break for an early look at what’s to come.

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CES 2012!! Pre-Show information and the CEA Press Release!!!

We are looking to forward to reporting live from CES 2012.

Here is a recent press release from CEA:

CEA Press Release Detail

2012 International CES to Feature Hollywood Stars, Sports Legends and Musical Icons

Celebrity Guests Will Promote Latest Tech Trends at World’s Largest Technology Tradeshow

Arlington, Virginia – 1/5/2012

Hollywood stars, sports legends, musical icons and entertainers will attend the 2012 International CES® to showcase and promote the innovative products and technologies shaping consumer technology. The 2012 International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, is scheduled January 10-13, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Actress Eliza Dushku will represent the Entertainment Matters at CES program as the Entertainment Matters Ambassador. Back for its second year, the Entertainment Matters program is designed by and for Hollywood’s film, television and digital communities.

As part of her ambassadorship, Dushku will contribute to Spike TV’s “CES All Access Live” broadcast coverage from 12:30-1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, and she will also host the network’s exclusive VIP CES party that evening at Tryst Nightclub in the Wynn Las Vegas. Dushku rose to fame with her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She is also known for her starring role in the network series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse, as well as roles in True Lies, Bring it On, This Boy’s Life, Wrong Turn and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

Jillian Michaels, inspirational television personality and fitness guru, will highlight the marriage of tech and fitness at the CES TechZone FitnessTech. From 10:30-11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10, Michaels will discuss the impact of digital innovation and her recent partnership with BodyMedia, an on-body monitor company, in N256, North Hall. She will also be available for interviews on Tuesday upon request.

Acclaimed rapper 50 Cent will sign autographs from 3-4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, Wednesday, January 11 and Thursday, January 12 for his new audio company, SMS Audio, which combines technology, function and style to bring the highest caliber of sound, comfort and fashion to every product, at their booth (LVCC, South Hall, #20818). He’ll also be on hand to discuss his new line of wireless headphones with the editors of TechCrunch at the AOL Studio (LVCC, Grand Lobby) on Wednesday, January 11 from 12-12:30 p.m. He is also scheduled to interview with CNET at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11.

Grammy-nominated platinum pop megastar, Justin Bieber, will be appearing with TOSY Robotics at this year’s CES. Justin Bieber is helping TOSY unveil their new innovative entertainment robot at the their booth which is located in the Robotics TechZone of the LVCC South Hall ground level (#21964, 21968, 22064, 22066 and 22068) on Wednesday, January 11 from 1-3 p.m.

Dennis Rodman, NBA Hall of Fame player, will be at the 2012 CES representing Paltalk, a service that allows users to explore the online world of chat sites with community chat rooms and cool webcam technology that lets you see and be seen. Dennis will make an appearance at Paltalk’s booth (LVCC, South Hall, #26915) from 2-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 12.

Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan, will walk the CES show floor from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10. Teresa competed in the 2011 Miss America pageant as Miss Nebraska. The Miss America 2012 pageant is scheduled January 14 at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be televised on ABC.

Haier America will host NBA legends Robert Horry and John Salley, and celebrity chef Allison Fishman. Seven-time NBA Champion and current sports commentator Robert Horry will make an appearance at Haier’s booth (LVCC, Central Hall, #9826) from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10. Horry is one of only two players to have won NBA championships with three different teams. John Salley, the first NBA player to win four championships with three different teams, will make an appearance at the booth from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11. Allison Fishman, cookbook author and creator of The Wooden Spoon cooking school, will give a cooking demo and make daily appearances at Haier’s booth from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on both Wednesday, January 11 and Thursday, January 12.

Star of the hit CBS drama NCIS: LOS ANGELES, LL COOL J will introduce exciting new technology from Boomdizzle on the CNET stage (LVCC, South Hall Lobby) on Tuesday, January 10 at approximately 2 p.m. In addition, LL COOL J will make a public appearance at the Dolby Booth (Central Hall – #8153) on Tuesday, January 10th at 4 p.m. to demo a track he created using Boomdizzle, playing it back on a Dolby technology-enabled laptop to a full home-theater surround sound system.

Television actor Greg Grunberg, best known for his starring role on the NBC television series Heroes, andEmmy winner and Grammy nominated actor, singer, Wayne Brady, known for his work as a regular on the American version of comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, will join OnStar for their Tweet House sessions, the official social media track for CES, on Wednesday, January 11 from 1-5 p.m. in N254, North Hall. Greg and Wayne will also attend OnStar’s “It Won’t Stay in Vegas” party on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at the Stirling Club.

Zeikos USA, Inc.’s trademark iHip will introduce an all star lineup at CES, including Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, best known for her role on the most talked about reality TV show Jersey Shore, Former NFL linebacker Carl Banks and urban music pioneer Jose “Hyde” Cotto.

Snooki will make a guest appearance and sign autographs at iHip’s booth (LVCC, South Hall, #21920) from 2-4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10 and will also host iHip’s new line and 2012 collaboration celebration on Tuesday evening from 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. at the Gallery at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Carl Banks, New York Giants legend and Superbowl champion, will make an appearance at iHip’s celebration on Tuesday evening and will launch his new NFL line at iHip’s booth on Wednesday, January 11. Jose “Hyde” Cotto, along with Mas Flow, “El Verdadero Quimico,” Luny Tunes and DJ Nelson will perform at iHip’s celebration on Tuesday evening and will be signing autographs at the booth on Thursday, January 12.

Panasonic will host Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s second annual Directors’ Panel. This year’s panel discussion will kick off the 50th anniversary of MGM’s James Bond on Tuesday, January 10 at 1:30 p.m. at Panasonic’s booth (LVCC, Central Hall, #9806). Critically acclaimed directors John Glen (For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, License to Kill), Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale) and Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough) will take a look back at the legacy of the iconic character and have a candid discussion about how technology has changed their approach to filmmaking. Additionally, former Bond girls Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) and Caterina Murino (Casino Royale) will be on hand for a special presentation that will include props from the legendary film franchise.

Jabbawockeez, the all-male, hip-hop dance crew best known for winning season one of MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” and headliner at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, making them the first and only dance crew to headline their own show in Las Vegas will perform at CES, opening Qualcomm’s keynote address, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10 in the Venetian’s Palazzo Ballroom.

Monster, Inc. will host their annual Retailer Awards and Concert, featuring real music from the legendary Chicago, on Wednesday, January 11 at the Paris Hotel. Awards will begin at approximately 8:45 p.m.

Jamie Michelle, one of southern California’s most requested models, will be at CES representing automotive audio company Powerbass USA, Inc. Michelle has been modeling for the past nine years for online and commercial print work, calendars and swimsuit fashion shows, and has worked with famous photographers such as Ladi Van Jansky and Mike Prado. She will be in the Powerbass booth (LVCC, North Hall, #920) from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, and 1:30-4 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11.

Alistair Overeem, three-time World Champion Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and winner of the recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight bout, will battle against Qualcomm executives and media in mobile MMA fight games, including “Fight Game Heroes” at Qualcomm’s booth (LVCC, South Hall, #30313) at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11 and 12 p.m. on Thursday, January 12. Overeem will be available for interviews and autographs following the in-booth battles.

Jordan Rudess, recording artist, composer, producer and performer, will be representing iConnectivity at CES, demonstrating software applications from Wizdom Music including their innovative Sample Wiz and Geo Synth applications, and connecting his iPad to his musical gear with iConnectMIDI, the ultimate MIDI interface. Rudess will make appearances at iConnectivity’s booth (LVCC, North Hall, #3922) at 11 a.m., 2 p.m and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11and Thursday, January 12, and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, January 13.

A band comprised of top Australian musicians including drummer Andy Fisenden, bass, guitarist and vocalist Simon Fisenden and monster bass player Dane Alderton will be playing at Audiofly’s booth ( LVCC, South Hall, #26728) at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day. World renowned graffiti artist “The Yok” will also be at the booth throughout the show creating some of his artwork.

Note to Journalists: Please note the correct event reference is 2012 International CES. Media information is available in the “For the Press” section of CESweb.org. Media are encouraged to arrive in Las Vegas by Sunday, January 8, 2012 to take advantage of all the preshow press events, including CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the 2012 International CES. CES Press Day will be held on Monday, January 9 at The Venetian.

About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $190 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online: www.CE.org and www.DeclareInnovation.com. Follow CES at www.CESweb.org and through social media: .

We will be posting our experiences from the show starting tomorrow.

The Editor

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A Toast To Technology–>An intriguing Article from our friends at Techcrunch

According to John Biggs at Techcrunch–>

I hold the unpopular opinion that technology – more specifically the proliferation of social media – is not intrinsically “good” in any sense. Social media is, however, important, and I propose we raise our glasses of good cheer to what social media and its related technologies have wrought around the world this past year and the good it will, in real terms, do in the future.

The great lie of social technology is that propagandists fear it for its ability to connect us in unified opposition. This is untrue. A status update cannot rally a crowd in flux. There are far superior tools too do this in a protest environment, namely SMS and good old “shouting.” Facebook is useless when soldiers are firing into your Google Plus circle.

What social media does and has done is reduce the barriers between people and expose the lie that any one place is better than the other. It also shows us, in very real terms, that humans are humans wherever they are. This is what frightens dictators and false potentates the most: the great leveling of human experience.

China is not afraid of Twitter because it can rally millions. It can’t. A retweet is not a bullet in the gun of anti-fascism. China’s government is afraid of Twitter because it is not beholden to their version of the truth and the truth, as they say, will set you free (at least free enough vent your rage against economic and social inequality). It is impossible to police many social networks and, as such, it’s impossible to maintain control of the reigning philosophy. The mundanity of Twitter, for example, exposes the theocrat’s lie that Western civilization is decadent and depraved. The status updates of the average music lover in Iran is the same as the status update of the average music lover in Scranton (“Cee-lo sucks!”) This leveling is dangerous to those who would keep it secret in order to maintain the notion we are intrinsically different and that our differences will never allow us to see eye-to-eye.

It’s impossible for politicians to condemn homosexuality, atheism, and other “moral” issues when millions of people tweet their support of these very concepts every day. “It gets better,” they say. “And you are not alone.”

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, North Korean propagandists showed the middle class images of high-ranking East German officials selling sausages on the street, the message being “Look how fall the mighty have fallen.” What they didn’t show was my friend’s East German wife – about seventeen at the time – crossing the border into West Berlin to stay with a family of strangers for a week just because she could. She literally just picked a house, knocked on the door, and they invited her in.

Her parents let her go because they knew she needed to see what was lie and what was truth in the post-Soviet world and the West Germans welcomed her because they were happy to share what they knew.

And that’s the real value of social technology. It allows us to see each other as we are – drunks, flirts, poets, photographers, and friends. Why else would Rupert Murdoch open a Twitter account if not to show us that he’s just one of us, phone-hacking be damned. He loves “Geo Clooney” with all of his sclerotic heart, dammit, and he’s not afraid to tell us. He wants to be one of us and maybe he will succeed – at least until his Executive Tweeter gets drunk one night and exposes the quack behind Oz’s curtain.

When despots and oligarchs attempt to use social media in this way, we’re reminded that they crave power. I wouldn’t be surprised if North Korea started Tweeting in its own special way (“Sh#t My Great Leader Says?”). I feel that Arab Spring dictators didn’t use Twitter because they did not understand it enough to see its value to their cause and, more important, it was already too late.

Social media isn’t always great. It doesn’t help us. It is, in many cases, a hindrance and a terrible distraction. But it exists, just as any other media exists, and it is important. It is a creative force (for good or ill) and it allows us normal humans to express our desires, our victories, and the stories of our daily lives in a way that is unprecedented. It is a mundane Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a window on the inequality of our lives, and more important, the window that inspires the average person to see how similar we all are in the end.

And it’s this ability to unite us as a single, global culture, a mash of music, movies, games, sport, and celebrations, that lets us see not the fallen mighty but the girl in the cold, knocking on a stranger’s door, asking to see what’s inside.

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Warrior parents fare best in securing autism services from the Los Angeles Times

Here is an interesting article from the Los Angeles times–>

By Alan Zarembo, Los Angeles Times
December 13, 2011
Second of four parts

From the day her son was diagnosed with autism nine years ago, Stacie Funk has made it her full-time job to find him the best possible help. Hiring lawyers and experts to press her case, she established herself as a mother whose demands could not easily be dismissed.

DISCOVERING AUTISM
The series at a glance:

Part 1: An epidemic of disease or of discovery?

Part 2: Services go to those who fight hardest

Part 3: Families chase the dream of recovery

Part 4: Finding traces of autism in earlier eras

About the series | Discuss

The result has been a bounty of assistance for Jonah: A behavioral therapist who works with him at home and comes along on family outings, a personal aide at school and specialists to design his curriculum, improve his speech and refine his motor skills.

So far, the state of California and the Los Angeles Unified School District have spent at least $300,000 on specialized services for Jonah.

Now 13, he bites his hands , pinches his younger siblings and is easily flustered by changes in routine. But his mother is proud of the progress he’s made — his ability to express his needs, read aloud and surf the Internet for movie trivia.

The outside support, she said, helps hold the family together.

“Am I more entitled than someone else?” said Funk, of Encino, whose husband owns a trophy-parts business. “No. But that’s how the system is set up.”

Getting a wide array of help for an autistic child can require waging a small war with the gatekeepers of state and school district services. But not all parents have the time and resources to fight the way Funk did. That contributes to striking disparities in how services are distributed.

Public spending on autistic children in California varies significantly by racial or ethnic group and socioeconomic status, according to data analyzed by the Los Angeles Times.

Jonah Funk, 13

Jonah Funk, 13, was diagnosed with autism nine years ago. His mother, Stacie, says she often describes herself as his eyes, his ears and his voice. “I want him to be treated fairly,” she said. “I want him to receive the things he needs.”
For autistic children 3 to 6 — a critical period for treating the disorder — the state Department of Developmental Services last year spent an average of $11,723 per child on whites, compared with $11,063 on Asians, $7,634 on Latinos and $6,593 on blacks.

Data from public schools, though limited, shows that whites are more likely to receive basic services such as occupational therapy to help with coordination and motor skills.

The divide is even starker when it comes to the most coveted service — a behavioral aide from a private company to accompany a child throughout each school day, at a cost that often reaches $60,000 a year.

In the state’s largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, white elementary school students on the city’s affluent Westside have such aides at more than 10 times the rate of Latinos on the Eastside.

It might be tempting to blame such disparities on prejudice, but the explanation is more complicated.

“Part of what you’re seeing here is the more educated and sophisticated you are, the louder you scream and the more you ask for,” said Soryl Markowitz, an autism specialist at the Westside Regional Center, which arranges state-funded services in West Los Angeles for people with developmental disabilities.

In both the developmental system and the schools, the process for determining what services a disabled child receives is in essence a negotiation with the parents.

Because autism has come to encompass such a broad range of children — from those who never learn to speak or use a toilet to math whizzes unable to make friends — there is often bitter disagreement over what a child needs and who should pay.

Racial disparities

The level of autism services also varies by race and ethnicity. Here are figures on average spending per autistic child across the developmental services system.

Source: California Dept. of Developmental Services. Graphics reporting by Alan Zarembo
Data analysis by Sandra Poindexter

Thomas Suh Lauder, Doug Stevens Los Angeles Times

The financial squeeze on school and state budgets has turned up the temperature, leaving officials caught between legal mandates to help autistic children and pressure to curb spending.

In California last year, autism accounted for one tenth of special education enrollment but one third of the disputes between schools and parents on record with the state.

Carmen Carley, a professional advocate for families seeking public services, said parents who present themselves as formidable opponents fare best.

“Wear a fake diamond ring,” she tells mothers who don’t have a real one. “Make them think you’re ready to fight. Don’t show them you’re weak. Don’t show them you’re tired.”

Carley, of Torrance, gained her expertise by advocating for her own son, Collin, now 14. He received state-funded behavioral therapy for more than eight years as a result of her efforts, which included taking the officials at the Harbor Regional Center in Torrance before a judge.

In contrast to warrior parents, some families simply accept what they are offered.

Gissell Garcia of South Los Angeles was diagnosed with autism at age 3, early enough that intensive therapies might have helped. But her parents, Mexican immigrants who support themselves on the father’s factory job, say that neither L.A. Unified nor state officials ever mentioned the possibility.

The couple requested a one-on-one aide for Gissell. She had a habit of inserting objects into her ears and nose, and they worried she might hurt herself. But school officials said there were enough staff members in her special education classroom to keep an eye on her.

For several years, Gissell has received speech therapy for 30 minutes a week during school.

“I didn’t ask for anything more,” her mother, Yolanda Ortega, said in Spanish. “I accepted it because I didn’t know. I thought she would eventually talk.”

Now 11, Gissell has learned to point when she wants something. The sounds she makes are unintelligible.


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Congratulations Josh Krajcik, you are amazing !!!! Xfactor 2nd place winner, great artist!!!

www.joshkrajcik.com

http://facebook.com/joshkrajcikmusic

Congratulations Josh, for your amazing performance. We love ya and Melanie Amaro, and Xfactor!!!

Please help us to get exposure to help autism, via tech, music and the arts as well!!!

1) First audition–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

2) Judges House–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

3) Final perfomance–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

4) Duet with me

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Engadget and their hands on with the Motorola Xyboard 10.2, and a video overview from Youtube

Are LTE speeds and an improved silhouette enough to lure wayward users back into the company’s willing embrace? Does anyone even care about non-Ice Cream Sandwich tablets? Read on as we explore the odd ends and angles of this curiously-shaped slate.
Motorola Droid Xyboard 10.1 vs Xoom LTE… fight!

So, let’s face that elephant in the Xoom head-on: this iteration of the Xyboard is lighter at 1.33 pounds (603 grams) and considerably thinner at just 0.35 inches (8.8mm). Gone are the hard edges that marred Moto’s original tab and, instead, we’re treated to the same curved edges that made their debut on the Droid RAZR, as well as a flanking of soft touch plastic. Immediately, you’ll notice the device’s ergonomic improvements over its predecessor, but it’s still a far cry from being a pleasure to hold. In fact, those awkward angles dig into your palms no matter how you orient the slate. Sure, the Xyboard’s looks serve to set it apart from the competition, but we’re not sold on this build as the model going forward.

Though this fella was meant to be a clean break from the company’s tablet past, it appears as though Motorola simply couldn’t part with its ill-advised decision to mount the power button and volume rocker on the device’s backside — here somewhat easily locatable on the upper right. It takes some getting used to, but we acclimated to this placement soon enough. Soft touch plastic surrounds the gunmetal grey aluminum back, which neatly stacks Motorola’s insignia atop that of Verizon’s own and the operator’s 4G LTE logo. Up top, the slate’s 5MP rear camera with single LED flash lies centered between the stereo speakers. Ports are mainly relegated to the bottom, where you’ll find a removable tray for the SIM card, as well as a micro-HDMI out and micro-USB. While the 3.5mm headphone jack is left by its lonesome on the opposite end, with the 1.3MP front-facing camera just beneath it.

With a dual-core processor bumped up to 1.2GHz and an ample 1GB of RAM, the Xyboard zooms along, hampered only by the addition of Moto’s Blurring of the Honeycomb OS.

The O.G. Xoom repped a 1,280 x 800 WXGA display which, although decent for its time, literally pales in comparison to the Xyboard’s TFT-IPS. Colors are noticeably bolder, the panel is brighter and images come across much crisper. Motorola’s claim of 178-degree viewing angles are no joke, either — the screen retains a stunning visibility even when tilted nearly full out of eyesight. Obviously, this bump in quality should go over well with folks who intend to consume mass amounts of streaming video on the tablet.

With a dual-core processor bumped up to 1.2GHz and an ample 1GB of RAM, the Xyboard zooms along, hampered only by the addition of Moto’s Blurring of the Honeycomb OS. Indeed, transitions are often choppy and lack the fluidity of Samsung’s TouchWiz UX. Why the company chose to break from offering users a pure Google experience and overlaid a choppy skin is beyond us. Again, tradition seems to prevail here. Save for the original Droid, all subsequent brand descendants shipped with the OEM’s special skinned touch. And so, too, has Motorola extended that consistently poor software customization to its successive Android 3.2 tabs.

With skinning comes crapware and the Xyboard has it a plenty. Third party apps like Amazon Kindle, Citrix, Dijit, Evernote, Fuze Meeting, Let’s Golf 2, Madden NFL 12, Netflix, Quickoffice, and Slingbox come pre-installed. That list doesn’t include Verizon’s own branded offerings which help to crowd the app drawer. Certainly, some of these applications are useful, but we’d like app downloads to ultimately be the user’s choice and completely uninstallable.

Verizon’s LTE service in New York City hasn’t fared so well in the past few days, dropping off and defaulting the Xyboard to a 3G connection due to network issues. Things look to have been fixed on the operator’s end since and we’re back to enjoying those blistering speeds, which maxed out at 27.64Mbps down and 8.12Mbps up on the Xyboard. Typically, performance will hover between 17Mbps to 22Mbps down and 5Mbps to 7Mbps up, so if you’re planning on a marathon Netflix session, you won’t be left wanting. Big Red’s 4G coverage has had the benefit of an early head start and, consequently, signal strength was relatively hardy.

Perhaps to add that extra value oomph to the Xyboard, Motorola’s bundled a stylus into the box. But don’t let that get your hopes up, the functionality reeks of last minute add-on.

Perhaps to add that extra value oomph to the Xyboard, Motorola’s bundled a stylus into the box. But don’t let that get your hopes up, the functionality reeks of last minute add-on. Wondering why Evernote comes pre-loaded? Wonder no more, the app is one of three options made available when the stylus icon is activated from the tablet’s dock on the lower right. Users wielding Moto’s pen, which itself is actually well-made and feels great in the hand, can choose between Floating Notes to create and save memos, Open to see a list of saved memos and the aforementioned Evernote. Integration doesn’t run too deep, as you’ll only be able to choose from three distinct pen tip / eraser widths and eight colors. The handwriting recognition software showcases an apparent lag, trailing behind our hand’s movements and forget about resting your palm on the screen, as that’ll impede your ability to write. That’s not to say it totally fail to recognize your attempts at legible scrawl, but it’s definitely a hit or miss experience. Navigation and typing can also be managed via the stylus, although it’s not ideal.

For the power user, Motorola’s released a slew of accessories to extend the Xyboard’s functionality. There’s an HD station for docking the tablet that packs an extra three USB ports and HDMI out so you can watch content on your flatscreen, a portfolio cover that flips back to create an impromptu stand and a wireless keyboard with portfolio. We took the Bluetooth keyboard for a trial run and despite its decidedly less than premium construction, its usefulness actually exceeded our low expectations. The hard-edged square keys are stiff, but have just enough travel to make typing surprisingly fluid and natural feeling. We did occasionally encounter difficulty locating some of the modifier keys, shrunken as they are to fit the layout, but Motorola did manage to include shortcuts for menu, home, back and search. Depressing any of the alphanumeric keys while viewing the homescreen accesses the tablet’s search function, displaying a list of relevant contacts, search terms and applications. And to make up for the lack of a trackpad, there’s a soft rubber-coated mouse button that lies centered between the G, H and B keys. It’s implementation is actually more frustrating that helpful, as it’s overly sensitive and difficult to control. So much so, that we found ourselves defaulting to touch navigation out of resignation.

Watch this video on YouTube.

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Congratulations to Xfactor’s Melanie Amaro

I was from the beginning really impressed by Melanie Amaro’s performances.

Congratulations to her and Simon Cowell!!!

1) Melanie Amora her final award winning song–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

2) Melanie Amaro her home performance Michael Jackson’s song!!!

Watch this video on YouTube.

3) Her first Audition–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

We love ya Melanie, you are amazing!!!

Please help us to help autism!!!

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A Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40 Youtube Review and other nice super zoom cameras a review from B&H and Cnet!!

I love digital photography, so I decided to take a look at some of the new Digital Cameras that offer a great deal of performance and value.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Here are some nice reviews from B&H the go to place for anything photography related!!!

Watch this video on YouTube.

and here is a nice one from Cnet Australia–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

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Amazon Kindle Fire A nice Youtube Review from A fellow vet, Soldier Knows Best, and others.

Here is a nice overview video with regards to the Amazon Kindle Fire–>

Watch this video on YouTube.

I like it and the Color Nook tablet.

Here is another nice review as well–>http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tablets/Kindle-Fire.htm

The Kindle Fire hardly needs an introduction, since Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO showed it off a few months before launch, it’s been a seriously hyped and anticipated gadget. Billed variously as an iPad killer, the king of eBook readers and Amazon’s latest attempt to maintain your addiction to their various digital storefront; the Fire instead is the product of mere mortals and it has no intention of murdering larger, fruity tablets. The Fire is clearly designed to deepen your addiction to Amazon’s eBook, video, music and Android Appstore though–compulsive shoppers beware. That is the real charm of this 7″ Android-based touch screen tablet: easy access to Amazon’s stuff. If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you gain free (free other than the yearly $80 that gets you discounted expedited shipping on physical goods and 1 eBook/month on loan) access to 10,000 movies and TV shows, and they look fantastically sharp on the Fire. If you’re a Kindle owner with a large investment in Amazon eBooks, they’re all downloadable to the Kindle Fire, and your Amazon MP3s are available too. Since the tablet has only 8 gigs of storage and no microSD card slot, Amazon’s cloud for music, books and video are important; you can stream or download that content as you need it, then offload it.

Watch this video on YouTube.