WiMAX: Staying connected anywhere

A few weeks ago, I went on a tour at WLFI, the local television station in West Lafayette. Kurt Winkleman, the Senior News Media Sales Director, was speaking about how in order to reach multiple audiences, the television station has taken advantage of the 3 screens: television, computer, and mobile phones. He kept talking about how taking advantage of using the internet to reach various audiences has been huge in the fast couple of years. He then got on the subject of WiMAX, and explained that WiMAX is similar to Wi-Fi, but instead of only having access to the internet within a 100-300 ft "bubble" such as when you go into Starbucks or Panera, internet access would be available everywhere. He said to be on the look out for it because it is coming. This made me curious to read more about WiMAX.

What is WiMAX? WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It is a wireless digital communication system that is essentially broadband on the go. WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access up to 30 miles for fixed stations, and 3 - 10 miles for mobile stations. WiMAX will transform your internet lifestyle by enabling you to connect at all times through a wide area network.

How does WiMAX work? WiMAX towers transmit and recieve signals, allowing a service provider to enable access across many miles. Individuals will no longer have to search for "hot spots" to get connection to the internet. With WiMAX, individuals will be able to have fast, reliable internet access anywhere within coverage areas from a single wireless provider.

Having acces at all times wherever you go would be very beneficial for those who travel often and need to be connected to the internet for business reasons.

Check out the link below to watch an educational clip about WiMAX:
http://www.wimax.com/education

Flo TV Personal Television PTV 350

Qualcomm's Flo TV Personal Television PTV 350, is a personal television that weighs 5 ounces and has a 3.5 inch touchscreen and a tuner that receives content via the FLO mobile TV network . The personal TV has built-in stereo speakers, an adjustable stand and a battery life of 5 hours of continuous mobile broadcast viewing. FLO TV service is available 24 hours a day and includes popular programming from CBS Mobile, CNBC, Comedy Central, NBC 2Go FOX News Channel, MSNBC, MTV, and Nickelodeon just to name a few.

The FLO TV Personal Television PTV 350 is the perfect size to take with you wherever you go, and allows you to tune in anywhere at anytime. It is a the perfect size to take with you on a plane, in the car with your kids, or even to the gym. No matter where you are, with the FLO Tv Personal Television PVT 350 you can stay connected and watch your favorite shows while on the go.

The Flo TV Personal costs around $250.00 and subscription to the FLO TV service costs a monthly fee between $9-$15.

Check out the link below to watch a clip about the FLO TV Personal Television PTV 350:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_yVZDLmyKE

Kodak Zi8, perfect for traveling

For those of you who enjoy making videos during your travels, the new Kodak Zi8 is the perfect gadget for you. The Kodak Zi8 is a pocket size digital video camera that captures 1080p full HD video at 30 frames per second. Digital video can also be captured in 720p at 60 frames per second or in 720p at 30 frames per second. The Kodak Zi8 can also take 5 megapixel still frame photos which are displayed on the 2.5 inch colored LCD screen.

Some cool features the Kodak Zi8 offers include a built in stabilization which reduces shakiness that often occurs while making videos, an external microphone jack that allows you to easily pick up on the sound you want, it has SD card slot that supports up to 32 GB, holds up to 10 hours of HD video, has an HDMI connector and comes with HDMI cord, and has a flip out USB device that allows you to upload pictures to your computer. The Kodak Zi8 comes in three colors which include black, aqua, and raspberry.

The Kodak Zi8 can be purchased for $180 and can make make your travels memorable by capturing your favorite moments on video or in still frame. It has a slim profile and is light, compact, and the perfect size to stow away in your pocket or a small bag during a day of sight seeing, road tripping, or lounging at the beach.

Check out the link below to see more of the Kodak Zi8:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ2NV463deQ

Microsoft Surface

Microsoft Surface is a revolutionary multi-touch computer that responds to natural hand gestures and real-world objects such as cameras and mobile phones. This new and emerging technology helps people interact with digital content in a simple way with a large, horizontal user interface. Microsoft Surface offers a unique gathering place where multiple users can interact with data and each other at the same time, which is great for business and educational settings, and has even been used by hotels and travel agencies to book trips for vacation and holidays.

Microsoft Surface lets you grab digital content with your hands and move information with simple gestures and touches. Microsoft Surface sees and interacts with objects placed on the screen, allowing you to move information between devices like mobile phones or cameras.

Microsoft Surface uses cameras and image recognition in the infrared spectrum to recognize different types of objects such as fingers and shapes. This input is then processed by the computer and the resulting interaction is displayed using rear projection. The user can interact with the computer using natural touch and hand gestures, instead of a typical mouse and keyboard.

Microsoft Surface has four key capabilities that make it such a unique experience and technology. These four capabilities include, which I have briefly described above includes:

1) Direct interaction- through touch and gesture on the screen.

2) Multi-user experience- the large 30 inch screen allows multiple people to gather around and interact with one another.

3) Multi-touch- the screen by responding to many different points of contact at once from various different people.

4) Object recognition- users can place physical objects on the screen to trigger digital responses.

Check out the short clip from you tube to get a better understanding about Microsoft Surface:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP5y7yp06n0