GASP!  Does that say iPad alternatives?  Why in the world would anyone want an alternative to the glorious iPad?

It turns out that unlike myself, there are other people in the world who are not Apple-obsessed.  I suppose that is okay, but I have to admit that I really think these people are missing out on all the fun.   The New iPad is the highest selling tablet out there on the market currently, but it is being said that by the end of this year it will potentially drop to 70% of the market.  That leaves in room for other tablets, but which are they?

1. Asus Eee Pad MeMo – $250 for a 17″ tablet.  It is not released yet, but this price point is a plus for anyone looking for a tablet.
2. Amazon Kindle Fire – $200 and it is wired into Amazon–the only one that does.  This does not have a camera or microphone, but the other capabilities and the price makes it a great buy.
3. Sony Tablet S – $400 for 16GB.  Features an infrared remote.
4. Samsung Galaxy Tablet
5. Asus Transformer Prime TF700T – 1900×1200 resolution screen at $600 for 32 GB.

So if you are one of “those people” and you are not crazy for the New iPad, check out one of the tablets above.  The video below gives you more information about these iPad alternatives.

I am such a geek.  Seriously, I have an addiction to technology and gadgets.  When the iPad 2 came out I immediately decided to sell my iPad so that I could upgrade.  That day when the iPad2 was available, I had it in my hands customizing it to how I wanted it to be.  But I am not one of those Apple snobs.  I like other technologies too.

Like the Kindle Fire tablet.  I pre-ordered mine and so on the day it was released, it was on my doorstep waiting for me to open it up and have some fun.  There I was with two tablets when there are other people out there without one. Tablets are becoming more and more popular in business even. Business like physiciancaredirect.com are using iPads and tablets for medical records and many other things!

Anyways, a lot of people ask me which I prefer, and honestly I cannot give an answer.  I love them both!  The infographic below might help for those who need help making a choice between the Kindle Fire of the iPad 2.

It is pretty obvious that technology and gadgets make me a very happy person.  I would not want to spend my free time talking about the joy they bring me if it were not true because I am a very bad liar.  Some of my favorite gadgets right now to have with me at all times would have to be my tablets/e-readers.  I have been enjoying the iPad 2 since the day it came out, and because I am such a tech junkie I HAD to get the Kindle Fire too.  I’m torn between the two as I do love, love, love my iPad, but the Kindle Fire has this newness about it that makes me want to tote it around with me even more.  So, in order to avoid hurting either of their feelings, I alternate days that I carry my two best tablets.  It might sound silly to you, but I have to show them both some equal love.  

I do think that there are other people out there who get what I am saying, though.  In fact, more and more people now own tablets.  New studies show that it is actually one in four Americans who own a tablet like the iPad, Kindle Fire, or the Nook tablet.  This jump in people owning tablets was probably due to the fact that tablets were a stellar gift to give during the holidays.  In the month of December 18% of people owned a tablet.  That jumped up to 29% in the month of January.  This is a growth that those who study technology use have never before seen.

So what’s the reason for this huge jump in numbers?  One of the potential causes is definitely the fact that both the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet were introduced and marketed at the same time.  Not only were they available at the same time, but they both come with a price tag equal to about half of the iPad.  That makes tablets more accessible for people who do not have the funds to shell out for an iPad.  It is not just the timing and the pricing though.

The e-book industry is contributing to this effort as well.  Productions and publications of e-books are getting a lot more attention than ever before from publishers.  Borrowing e-books is also becoming an easier task for readers, and those who create apps and tools for tablets are really focusing on providing more and more.  All of those things combined make owning a tablet more important to consumers.

With all that said, what’s your reason for owning a tablet or not owning a tablet?  You know I would love to hear from you!

It is a new year friends, and I thought I would check in and see how you are all doing with those New Year’s resolutions.  We are almost half a month in the new year and hopefully you are still trying to reach your goals.  This year I had a goal that is pretty common.  I want to get in shape and eat better.  I know it seems kind of unoriginal, but it is time I do something good for my health.  Plus, living in Washington surrounded by active people I feel a bit left out.  Of course, what’s getting fit and eating right if I don’t have any fun tools and gadgets for all of my technology?

Honestly, if there were not any apps and online tools to aid in weight loss and healthy eating I might not have even decided to make the effort.  Lucky for me though I have all sorts of fun things I can play with on my journey to a healthier tech geek.  The best apps are those that let you track your eating, exercise, energy levels, and weight.  Did you know that just by keeping up with those things you can do a lot, like:

• Tracking food helps people to lose twice the amount of weight of those who do not.
• Find out patterns in weight gain/lose that.
• Find patterns in energy levels.

What are you waiting for?  I just gave you the best reason to download some new apps!  The infographic below can give you even more tips and pointers.

Amazon.com is everybody’s go-to online retailer, one that used to specialize in printed books before expanding to include almost anything a person could hope to purchase anywhere else in the world.  It has recently been touted as the future “biggest tech company” by several industry analysts and insiders, some of whom see an even brighter future ahead for the online giant thanks to its recent release of the Kindle Fire — a tablet that combines the Android operating system with Amazon’s already wildly successful ebook reader format.  This tablet had sold millions in pre-orders before it began shipping on November 15, and countless more orders are pouring in daily as Christmas approaches.  One of the Fire’s biggest selling points is its price: $199, which makes it about $300 less on average than any other base model tablet currently in production.  So, just how big is Amazon right now compared to other tech companies?  Let’s put it into perspective:

Here is an infographic that illustrates a comparative attribute to Amazon.com held next to other companies, and even world governments, in terms of value and size.  Even the world’s biggest home security team can’t compare. This is definitely one of those things that make you go hm…

One week ago today, Steve Jobs died at age 56 after a years long battle with rare pancreatic cancer.  Jobs was a visionary, a master showman with a magnetic personality, and a shrewd businessman.  He knew how to bring the right people together to create modern technology marvels like the Macintosh computer, iPad, iPod, and iPhone.  His leadership and creative genius helped him to bring Apple Computer back from the edge of destruction in the mid 1980s, when competition appeared to be close to swallowing the company up in obscurity.  Now, Apple is among the world’s most valuable tech companies, and the legacy left behind by Steve Jobs promises similar innovation for years to come.

The following is an informative tribute to Jobs, following him through his illustrious career.  His amazing ability to speak, to capture the attention of fans and enthusiasts, made  him a true rock star among the tech giants.  Watch him in action:

“We are going to move the digital hub, the center of your digital life, into the cloud!”  -Steve Jobs

Without thinking about it, without having to sync and wait, without having to keep track of things you need to sync, you can have access to all of your digital files on all of your devices.  You already have enough to keep up with and manage, a household, fleet tracking systems for business, and more so why not let go of the things that tend to use up a lot of your time?  How does that sound to you?

iCloud is a cloud service that is built into your apps, and it turns your computer into a tool just like your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.  No longer is your computer necessary for syncing and storing.  The fact of the matter is, iCloud does it all for you.  You can even have it with your PC as long as there is a WiFi connection.  So what all does iCloud do?

• Take a photo with a device, and iCloud automatically puts the image on all of your devices.
• Buy a book, music, or even apps and it is downloaded to all of your devices.  Sync free.
• Review and edit any document from any and all of your devices.

It is a powerful tool that you will wonder how you ever lived without it.  Watch the video below of Steve Jobs’ explanation of how iCloud “just works.”

Google had a lot at stake earlier today when the company’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt testified before the U.S. Senate subcommittee on anti-trust. Google veritably rules in the search market, but is facing mounting pressure in matters of politics and regulation. Any company as massive and all encompassing as Google inevitably runs afoul of political scrutiny, and Google has elegantly dealt with challenges in the past centered on data privacy, intellectual property, and getting the required approval for acquisitions in a timely manner.

Speaking of acquisitions, Google has been very busy in 2011, lapping up other companies like a dog laps gravy.  There have been so many, indeed, that one creative analyst has put together an infographic that spans the entire year in Google acquisitions and gives us a brief summary of courtroom drama and resolutions.  To view the image, just click and it will expand to its complete size.  What’s next for Google?  We hesitate to venture a guess, but perhaps the data below might reveal a few portents of things to come.

By now, you’ve probably been invited by a techie pal to join Google’s exclusive Google+ social networking site, if you wanted an invitation to begin with.  Initial interest in Google’s new endeavor has waned somewhat since it rolled out, albeit to a very limited audience, earlier this summer.  Some users who adopted early on are experiencing a degree of frustration as they try to get their Facebook friends to migrate to the Google side of life and are patently turned down.  Some people report that interest among their friends is not very high, and that getting people to sign up is like pulling teeth.  At least for regular, everyday social networkers who are used to Facebook, and are perfectly happy there.

“I even posted the general link to my invites, to let anyone just click it an sign up until I was all out.  I have like 137 left.  No one even clicked. Only my friends who are really computer geeks have decided to give it a whirl.  It’s really frustrating.”  said Scott Alba, an employee of Geek Squad at Best Buy.  His co worker is quick to chime in, “I don’t think it’s that nobody cares, so much as it is that people just have no idea what Google+ is even for.  They don’t know how to use it.”

Check out the following video.  This will explain a lot:

You can learn about anything with great satellite television programming and direct tv support.