Today Show Gadgets Including 3D Camcorder

As per usual, got a tonne of calls including one from Janelle, who was given a laptop by her grandson and it is not reading discs that are put in the disc drive. There is a couple of things that it could be – a mechanical problem with the computer with the CD ROM drive could be one. Janelle could clean the heads of the disc by getting a head cleaning kit for a couple of bucks. Once the dust is removed, the lens can read the disc. If that doesn’t help, start looking at the driver that is connecting computer software to the hardware.

Maureen was wondering about her laptop battery and why it seems to run down quickly. You can remove the battery and put gel tabs and make sure the battery is nice and dry and might stretch its longevity. Over time, they gain battery memory, which means they forget their capacity, plus the electricity in the battery can leak. If it is a new computer the battery should last for some time before this type of problems occur.

Simon is looking at buying a 3D TV in the Samsung Series 7. Was he better waiting for newer technology or not? He was also after a unit in the sub-$2000 category, but he will have to negotiate because last time I looked they were about $2800. Standards will not change for about 4 -5 years when they will develop a 3D television where you will not need goggles.

Joan wanted to know how to take a set top box and record onto VHS.  I advised her to get rid of the VHS recorder, as that technology is now 15 years old. She is better to get a personal video recorder because it has a tonne of benefits, not least of which it can record all channels.

Jason recently bought an iPad and has a mobile service micro SIM card and was wondering how to he can continue to pay for the service automatically. There should be an app he can download from the app store and there should be a member number he got when he purchased the SIM card and he should be able to add credit to it.

Doug is 73 years old and wanted to know what’s the best type of computer for him to buy. Companies are selling all-in-one units, which have a monitor and hard drive built-in to one.. They are low powered and good for browsing the web, word processing and getting email. Just make sure it has Windows 7.

Here are the cool gadgets that appeared on the Today Show this morning.

 Garmin Asus Nuvifone A50

  • First smartphone that can be used as a standalone GPS.
  • Has an android operating system
  • You can tag your phone contact’s addresses which can be synched with the GPS.
  • Has a “Gas Function” that tells you the price of petrol in the surrounding area (prices are updated twice a day)
  • You can geotag a photo taken by the camera, which will show you how to arrive at that location at a later date
  • Navigate to somebody after they have texted you
  • Automatically tags your position when you park your car
  • RRP: $49 month with Optus plan
  • For more information, click here.

Panasonic 3D camcorder

  • World’s first 3D camcorder
  • Comes with conversion 3D lens (can be used as a 2D camcorder, too)
  • Has hand shake correction function to minimise shake while recording
  • Is suitable for shooting in low-light conditions
  • Comes with face detection and recognition technology
  • Intelligent Auto feature automatically selects best shooting mode when 3D lens is not attached
  • $1,99For more information click here.

Pioneer 2-in-1 speaker doc

  • Dual iPod Speaker Doc – you can put two iPods/iPhones in dock
  • Shuffle2 function allows you to alternate between songs on both iPod/iphone
  • Crisp, clear sound
  • Hi-Lite features allows you to preview a song
  • Can be used as an alarm clock
  • Comes with remote
  • $699
  • For more information click here.

Pure One Mi

  • Portable Digital radio designed for kitchen, bathroom or out on the deck
  • Battery lasts 18 hours
  • Takes over where the old transistor radio left off
  • 16 presets for different channels Comes with multilingual menus
  • Part of the unit is built with recycled material
  • Has USB port so you can install updates
  • RRP$79
  • For more information click here.