Blog Posts by Victor Paul Alvarez

PresenceThere are literally millions of apps loose in the wild of the Internet. Last year Google tied Apple with 700,000 apps available for Android platforms. The industry hasn’t slowed down since. The following apps are drops in that bucket, but each one is innovative in its own way. If you have an app you love or love to hate, let me know in the comments section and I’ll check it out.

Presence
Big Brother is watching you. A new app lets you watch him. (Well, that’s what I would do with it.) People Power Presence is a cloud-based app that lets users operate an unused smart phone as a wireless video camera that can serve as a monitoring device. It can detect motion and audio, send alerts, and capture images, video, and audio from the event that set it off.

The People Power Presence application recycles old devices while providing a free real-time monitoring system and a secure way to check on loved ones. You’re more likely to use it to keep an eye on the kids, the house and the babysitter than

VerizonPicking the right gift for mom is a tricky business. Mom is probably too modest to tell you what she really wants. So you’re flying blind. Know these two things:

1. Mom will appreciate any gesture that shows her you were thinking of her.

2. Dads aren’t the only ones who like gadgets.

You don’t want to send the wrong message with a gift that’s associated with housework or fitness, though there are exceptions. As one mother told me: “I’d only give [a fitness gadget] to someone who I was very sure would understand that it was given with all the right intentions. And make sure that you are giving it with the right intentions!”

With that in mind I have compiled a list of gadgets – big and small, expensive and cheap – to consider when shopping for Mother’s Day. This list is bereft of any scientific expertise or data. I interviewed a few mothers with different backgrounds and tastes, thought about my wife and my mother, and employed some tech gadget expertise to cobble this together. If I

cnet.comConsumers take notice when a respected technology web site gives out their highest score for an HDTV. That’s exactly what happened this week when CNET gave the Panasonic TC-PST60 five stars with this suggestion: “Our first-ever five-star TV is the one you should buy.”

The review is even more surprising when you consider CNET Senior Editor David Katzmaier wrote it. Katzmaier knows his HDTV calibration, having been certified by the ISF (Imaging Science Foundation). He developed CNET’s TV test procedure himself. When he talks about TVs, people listen. This is what he had to say about the Panasonic ST60:

“I’ve written TV reviews for more than 10 years, but I’m pretty sure this one is the most important. I’ll cut to the chase: If you value picture quality and don’t have money to burn, you should buy the Panasonic TC-PST60. Reasonable price; incredibly good picture quality with exceedingly deep black levels, great shadow detail, accurate colors, solid bright-room performance, and superb

Roth

You love the picture on your HDTV, but what about the audio? Flat screen televisions are notorious for having weak sound. This has improved, but not to the point where you’re going to mistake your living room for a movie theater. A soundbar, placed above or below your TV, is a good option no matter the budget.

Typically the bars house two to five speakers and come with a wireless subwoofer you can hide next to the couch. They connect directly to your television – no receiver necessary – and require minimal wires.

The best models successfully simulate surround sound and don’t require you to run wires all over the room. Audiophiles may spend thousands on high-end components for a true surround sound rig, but that’s not for everyone. Our list includes some of the best soundbars available for a variety of budgets.

1. Roth Sub Zero
Starting at $230 on Yahoo! Shopping
Here’s a fine option for those of you who want to bump up the sound on your TV without spending a lot of cash or getting

FritzInventors continue to tinker with robots and Laser Tag technology. These two inherently cool creations appeal to kids of all ages. What if they built a robot that played Laser Tag with you? That would be awesome. Sadly, they don’t exist. In the meantime, check out these new Kickstarter projects that aim to change what it means to play Laser Tag or build a robot.

Next generation Laser Tag
They’re calling it “laser tag for James Bond, not RoboCop.” It’s a lightweight, innovative take on the popular digital tag game that eliminates clunky targets and plastic guns. Instead, the targets are small enough o fit into a shirt pocket and the guns aren’t really guns. You can hide them in a boot, up a sleeve or deploy them as traps.

It may sound like Laser Tag for Hippies, but the reimagined hardware opens up new gameplay scenarios that go beyond death matches. Stephen Foster, a computer science Ph.D. student at UC San Diego, created the project. The Kickstarter campaign aims to build

Yahoo!In 1995, a Seattle company named Amazon started selling books online. Bookstores large and small were terrified. Their days were numbered. Little did we know that Amazon would reach beyond selling books and start selling almost everything. As the company got bigger, America’s trepidation about shopping online got smaller. Now we do it every day.

Advances in technology have armed consumers and put retailers on defense. Smartphones and tablets have facilitated the rise of “showrooming.” Consumers go to a brick and mortar store to check out merchandise only to buy it cheaper online. Some retailers are trying to shut down showrooming, others are embracing it as inevitable. The winner here is the consumer. The technology makes it easy to compare prices and check for deals, but the number one advantage to online shopping is free shipping.

According to statista.com, U.S. e-commerce sales reached $289 billion in 2012, up from $256 billion in 2011. “Simultaneously, the number of U.S. digital

www.hometheater.comIf you are looking to replace your old television it has become a given that you upgrade to a flat screen HDTV. Standard definition TVs are scarce – if not extinct – and most people believe HDTVs are their only option. This is not true.

While HDTVs are an increasingly practical choice, with prices and sizes for most every budget and living room, a smart consumer always looks for options. To help you, we offer these HDTV alternatives for your consideration.

High Definition Projectors
First, a story. Years ago I was tending bar in a Philadelphia restaurant called Zesty’s. The owner, a proud native of Greece and a tech enthusiast, discreetly set up a projector and screen at the bar. As dinner service began he’d screen aerial videos of the Greek Islands. The stunning white architecture popped in contrast to colorful fishing boats bobbing on the deep blue water. People would come in off the street to admire the breathtaking images. Then, of course, I’d offer them a drink and a menu and

GlobalgigBusiness travelers of the world have a new option when it comes to wireless service while globetrotting. It’s called Globalgig, and the service just introduced a new suite of low cost mobile data plans. The company behind the product, Voiamo, describes Globalgig as a unique service that removes the need for expensive roaming costs when accessing mobile broadband across its international network.

“With new flat rate pricing packages that are amongst the best for use within the USA, Globalgig offers incredible savings of up to 93 percent of the amount major wireless providers charge for 1 Gb of data used overseas,” said a Voiamo spokesperson.

In March, the company launched the new data packages for mobile broadband access in any country where service is available – USA, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark. For instance, a Globalgig WiFi Hotspot device is free with an 18-month plan. For 1Gb you’ll pay $17 per month (32 percent less than its previous price). On the high