Google Earth - Disney World Virtual Tour - Orlando Florida

I am a big fan of Google Earth and even a bigger fan of Disney World. So, this news is very exciting. Disney has uploaded a virtual tour of Disney World in Orlando, Florida (FL). Once you download Google Earth, and type in "Disney World, Orlando Florida", the world will zoom in to Disney. Then you need to click on the Gold Mickey Mouse ears to start the tour. You also need to make sure you have the latest version of the download (4.3)

I don't have a trip planned to Disney, but it is nice to reminisce with the kids with a fly over view of Disney.

Apple Store opening in Paris, France

Apple annouced that it plans to open a store in the Carrousel du Louvre,in Paris France. It is rumored to be 7000+ square feet and occupy 2 floors. I wonder if it will look anything like the new Apple store in Boston.

iPhone Poll - Will you Trade in for the 3G?

Do you plan to upgrade your iPhone to the 3G

DSW Footwear Retailer Launches Online Store - Finally!

DSW, the fast growing footward retailer, announced that they have launched their online shopping site. This is roughly 17 years since they opened their first store in 1991.

They have 2,000 Shoe Styles available online covering both Women's and Men's shoes. The site shows the shoes in high-definition, different angles including 360 degree views. (Full Press Release).

Here is a rundown of the different Women's shoes categories on DSW.com.

Sandals
Pumps
Wedges
Beach & Flip Flops
Flats
Sport Casual
Athletic
Fashion Athletic
Fashion Sneakers
Classic Sneakers
Loafers & Slip-ons
Mules & Clogs
Comfort
Evening & Wedding
Campus Cool
Boots & Rainboots
Slippers
Shoe Care
Socks & Tights

It looks pretty comprehensive. And the site overall looks pretty well put together.

Flip Mino Video (F360W) - In Stock! 2 Stores!

The Flip Mino Video is Now Available for Purchase! This pocket sized camcorder is available in Black & White.

Here's a listing of the main Flip Mino Video / Camcorder Features:

- Flip-out USB arm
- Built-in software,
- Ability to view, edit, and share videos (w/social networking sites)
- Rechargeable battery that charges while plugged into your computer.
- Connects to TV
- 1.5 inch LCD Screen
- 2 GB of on-board flash memory (60 minutes of video)
- 2x digital zoom
- Model F360W

The Flip Mini Video retails for $179.99 and is listed as "In Stock" on Amazon with Free Shipping. You can also get it from the Manufacturer - Flip Video Store (also offering free shipping).



The the older series is still available and may start to get discounted with the Flip Mino F360W now out.

Previous Post on Flip Mino Video

Back to School with Apple - Free iPod Touch or iPod Nano

Apple launched it's Back to School Promotion with a bang. If you buy a Mac from now until September 15 can get 100% rebate on the purchase of an Apple iPod Touch or an Apple iPod Nano (see the apple site for restrictions).


Here are the instructions to get your Free Ipod Nano or Touch:

1. Buy a new MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Pro using your education discount.

2. Purchase an 8GB iPod Touch or 8GB iPod Nano with your Mac and get up to $299 back after rebate.

3. After you receive the Mac and iPod your ordered, submit your rebate online by October 15.

It looks like you may be able to get a free printer with this deal as well ($100 rebate).

Promotion Details

Overall, this struck me as a little odd, since kids are still in school... right? The kids are gearing up for summer and we are gearing them up to send them back already. :)

US on top for Global Technology Innovation

I read a survey that said that the US is still on top for Global Technology Innovation. The survey was taken by 400 Venture Capitalists world wide. That seems like an interesting group to survey, since they see more of the "up and coming" innovations, but it may have been better to include some participants from other areas to get a broader view into "Tech Innovation".

So, if you are a US Based Entrepreneur with a great idea, this could be good news for you. These results may have help improved your chances of getting funded, since all of the Venture Capitalists world wide will be looking unload/invest their money here.

iPhone to be sold through Telefonica in Spain

And the Winner in Spain - Telefonica! They have been chosen to offer the iPhone in Spain. The phone is expected to begin selling before the summer. Vodafone and Orange will not be offering the iPhone.

As Apple continues to lock down their international distribution, we may see many more of these in the near future (recent post on Japan).

iPhone to be sold through Softbank in Japan

And the Winner is -- Softbank (Japan's third-largest mobile-phone carrier). They have been chosen as the carrier for the Apple iPhone in Japan. It looks like this news has also caused their stock price to tick up. The #1 and #2 Carriers (DoCoMo & KDDI) share slipped on this news.

Recycle Your Old Electronics at Best Buy

On June 2, 2008 – Best Buy announced that they are launching a test of its electronics recycling program in 117 U.S. stores. This is a step towards helping people be environmentally responsible when disposing of their old electronics. Full Best Buy Article. Yeah Best Buy!

Survey Results - 52% of Dads prefer electronics gifts

I read today about a Circuit City survey that came out (just in time for Father's Day). The national survey showed that 52 percent of dads prefer an electronics gift.

Additional results from the Circuit City survey:

30 percent of dads rated portable DVD players as "very important" for a
family road trip (25 percent rated built-in DVD as "very important")
27 percent of dads rated laptop computer as "very important" for the
road trip
24 percent rated an MP3 player "very important" for the trip
23 percent rated handheld games "very important" for the trip
20 percent said upgraded car stereo would be "very important" for the trip

My response to that is "Duh". Maybe the next survey will tell us that 96% of Men prefer sex over work.

Buy a Blu-ray player and get a $100 Wal-Mart Gift Card

Wal-Mart announced today (Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008) that it would offer a $100 Wal-Mart gift card with the purchase of any Blu-ray player in its retail stores. The offer runs from that from June 8-14. Wal-Mart will also offer select Blu-ray movies for $15 during that time (such as 3:10 to Yuma, WAR, Shooter, 300, and The Fifth Element).

Online they show this offering:

Sony BDP-S300 Blu-ray Disc Player ($388)
Magnavox Blu-ray Disc Player, NB500MG9 ($298)

In stores, I think they will also have Samsung and Panasonic.

What is an "Air" Mouse - (from Logitech / Gyration )

While digging into the differences between the Optical and Laser Mouse, I came across an Air Mouse from Logitech (Logitech MX Air™ Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse). This is really a laser mouse with an added feature -- Freespace™ motion sensing. You can pick up the mouse and move it in your hand. These hand movements translate to cursor movements on your screen. So, you can use it when listening to music to raise the volume, move to the next track, etc. from across the room (up to 30 feet - uses 2.4 GHz wireless). So, it looks like the mouse is starting act more like a Wii remote.

The Logitech MX Air™ Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse pictured below retails for roughly $150.
.

Besides Logitech, the only other Air Mouse I found was from Gyration (Gyration GO Pro 2.4 Optical Air Mouse). It looks to be pretty similar except Gyration claims to have a 100ft radius. Their version sells for just under the price of Logitech's.

Laser Mouse vs. Optical Mouse - Logitech - what's the difference

Optical vs. Laser Mouse - So, what's the big difference (besides the price)?

The first obvious thing is an Optical Mouse uses a LED light in the optical engine to track movements. A laser mouse uses a laser to track the movement. If you flip over the Optical Mouse you will see a red light. With a laser you won't see the red light. If you look real close you may see something, but you could risk burning your retina with the laser (pure speculation). I didn't risk looking.

Besides the above, the laser mouse is more sensitive and more accurate. An optical mouse will track around 600dpi on average. A laser mouse tracks at more than 2,000dpi (again... making it more sensitive and more accurate). The Laser mouse will also work on almost any surface where the optical mouse may not work as well on reflective surfaces.

There are a variety of mice available to choose from these days regardless of which type you choose. I purchased the Laser one this weekend (Logitech V450 Laser Wireless Mouse) for roughly $40. Prices go up into the $90 range for Laser Mice. I don't know that I really needed it, but it just sounded cooler to have a laser mouse. I don't have any recommendations regarding the brand. I also went with the wireless USB version. The USB actually fits back into the mouse when not in use, and the mouse turns off to extend battery life. These seem to be standard features with the newer mice out in the market.

Cool Electronics at Lowes? Onsia Speakers

This weekend at Lowe's, I ran across some very cool concealed Flat Panel Speakers (Onsia Concealed Sound Speakers). You basically have 3 options with Onsia:

In-Wall - - You cut out a section of drywall and place the In-Wall speaker in the space (self adhering compression foam), then apply mesh and mudd (like if you were patching drywall).

In-Ceiling - You can replace one of your ceiling tiles with the Onsia speaker.

In-Frame - You select a piece of art, cut the speaker panel size to match it, wire it up, and then put it on the wall.

The main differences called out on the Onsia website (compared to other speakers) are: Design - the way they are designed allow the sound flow through entire panel surface providing a wide dispersion angle. The sound quality is also supposed to be better.

The Onsia Concealed Sound Speakers have been out in the market for a while, but now that they are at your local Lowes, maybe more folks will start to use them.