All posts by Steve Makris

12 TECH DAYS OF CHRISTMAS…DAY 5

Follow my daily 12 tech days of Christmas. The words of the perennial 1909 festive song by Frederic Austin’s original have changed slightly, but the meaning is all the same. Merry Christmas!

On the fifth day of Christmas my tech love gave to me, five top-tier smartphones, four odd collections, three streaming players, two instant photos and a java in a pear tree…

The best smartphones today are getting so good, it’s hard to choose between them. Let’s take a quick look at the top five. First, let me pre-empt with one phone feature I am particularly fussy with…photography. On the long run, cool camera tricks each phone has don’t hold value because as time goes on, what matters more are the plain pictures of the folks important to you. What do I look for in a good phone camera? Natural colour, deep blacks, less digital noise when shooting in dark scenes without flash and the best red colours, the Achilles Heal of digital cameras.

Decisions, decisions – the LG V20 superwide, normal view lens or Hasselblad 10X zoom Moto Z Mod add-on.. I want both!

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12 TECH DAYS OF CHRISTMAS…DAY 4

Follow my daily 12 tech days of Christmas. The words of the perennial 1909 festive song by Frederic Austin’s original have changed slightly, but the meaning is all the same. Merry Christmas!

On the fourth day of Christmas my tech love gave to me, four odd collections, three streaming players, two instant photos and a java on a pear tree…

Useful technology or something you might get bored with? You be the judge.

Two years ago, Samsung showed its Welt belt at its Las Vegas CES booth in January. Surprise surprise, the smart belt got on Kickstarter!  Pay $119 ($69 or $99 if you’re early) and you’ll get a classically made leather belt that tracks your waistline, eating habits, step counts and the time you spend sitting. Higher-priced designs cost more but have the same functionality. Delivery is scheduled for January, just in time to track bad habits over the holidays. Works on iOS and Android.

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THE 12 TECH DAYS OF CHRISTMAS…DAY 3

Follow my third day on the 12 tech days of Christmas. The words of the perennial 1909 festive song by Frederic Austin’s original have changed slightly, but the meaning is all the same. Merry Christmas!

On the third day of Christmas my tech love gave to me, three streaming players, two instant photos and a java on a pear tree…

ROKU EXPRESS for streaming music and video on your TV through the Internet

If you haven’t tried online streaming content for your TV, you should. It can cut down on your old-fashioned TV bill and put you in charge of free and paid-for content you want to watch. Your new TV watching friends will be you phone and the provided remote.

How does it work?

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12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FOR TECHIES-Day 2

Follow my second day on the 12 tech days of Christmas. The words of the perennial 1909 festive song by Frederic Austin’s original have changed slightly, but the meaning is all the same. Merry Christmas!

On the second day of Christmas my tech love gave to me, two instant photos and a java in a pear tree…

Who would have known! Instant cameras and printers are back with some cool features.

FUJI INSTAX WORLD

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12 Days of Christmas for Techies

  1. Pixelate2Follow my tech take on the next 12 tech days of Christmas starting today. The words of the perennial 1909 festive song by Frederic Austin’s original have changed slightly, but the meaning is all the same. Merry Christmas!

On the first day of Christmas my tech love gave to me, a java in a pear tree…

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Google’s smartly designed Daydream VR headgear gets a load of new titles

daydream-view-partially-open

Just in time for the Holidays, the next round of VR apps launched for Google’s Daydream headset today. They feature a variety of game genres for every taste, taking advantage of the Daydream’s ability to play and view within a 360 degree sphere around you by turning your head around.

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Cineplex to host youth LEGO tournament nation wide

Family gaming is where it’s at for Arif Pervez and daughter Hadiya 7 yrs honing their skills at a special free WEM Cineplex LEGO Dimensions league for young gamers. The trial run, is a prelude to the official league launch at 12 Cineplex theatres across Canada next March. The friendly no eliminations competition featuring the popular LEGO toy and video game hybrid consists of four consecutive weekly sessions where LEGO fans can play and compete in-theatre on the big screen. First time BATTLE ARENAS feature allow players to take their favourite characters into battle and compete with up to 3 friends head-to-head.

Arif Pervez and daughter Hadiya 7 yrs honing their skills at WEM Cineplex LEGO Dimensions trial.  "This is my first time playing but its a good way to do things with my family" said Pervez, whose daughter, centre, trounced her dad on the big theatre screen.
Arif Pervez and daughter Hadiya 7 yrs honing their skills at WEM Cineplex LEGO Dimensions trial. “This is my first time playing but its a good way to do things with my family” said Pervez, whose daughter, centre, trounced her dad on the big theatre screen.

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Canadians average better in cyber security habits compared with Global stats

The recent Norton Cyber Security Insights Report, a global study that looks at consumer attitudes regarding cybercrime, including password habits, connected device security and protecting children online, has some interesting Canadian stats.

HuffingtonPost.ca
HuffingtonPost.ca

Cybercrime usually spikes with the increased online consumer Holiday shopping so this is a good time to be aware of Canadian’s security mindset.

A few highlights:

  • 26% of Canadians personally experienced cybercrime within the past year, compared to 31% of people globally. The most commonly experienced cybercrime in the Canada is credit card fraud.

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Dyson V8 Absolute…a cordless vacuum on steroids

The new Dyson V8 Absolute cordless vacuum will suck the money out of your wallet as fast as it does dust and dirt.

Is it worth it? Compared to its previous more affordable siblings, as low as $299.99 on www.dysoncanada.ca , the V8, $699.99,  seems to be following Moore’s Law, that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years.

The Dyson V8 Absolute is big on performance, looks and price
The Dyson V8 Absolute is big on performance, looks and price

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Six course scrumptious From Farm to Ford Edmonton event delights taste buds

Dave Omar, Executive Chef for Zinc Restaurant at the Edmonton Art Gallery and Ford Motors biomaterials research engineer Mica DeBolt with six course From Farm to Ford event.
Dave Omar, Executive Chef for Zinc Restaurant at the Edmonton Art Gallery and Ford Motors biomaterials research engineer Mica DeBolt with six course From Farm to Ford event.

Ford Canada hosted a unique From Farm to Ford six course dinner at the Edmonton Art Gallery.

The automaker promoted its research on using sustainable materials in its vehicles.  The program, started in 2000, uses several bio-based materials in its vehicles, and is testing many more for future applications including algae, tomato peel and carbon dioxide.

We ate some of that with wine served under the Edmonton Centre skylight.

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