Life & Technology

Another big morning on 2UE discussing technology. Coming straight from a Garmin product showcasing, we quickly discussed the new Gamrin Nuvi 1690. We’ll put this one through it’s paces and come back to you with a more detailed review next week.

 Staying with GPS we took a call about GPS units for truck drives. These are new to Australia (have been in other countires for a while) and two devices are Garmin’s Nuvi 465T and the ProNav PNN300.

We also were asked about backing up VHS to DVD and pointed our listener to the Sony DVDirect VRD MC3. This product has been in the market for some time so best to contact Sony Australia and ask about stockists. 

Went on the Today Show and showcased a few gadgets. First up was the Motorola handset with the Motoblur feature, which collates all your social networking apps in one go, so they stream through in real time on your touchscreen. A handy tool if you are a social networking freak and love to be in constant contact with your friends.

Then we had the bandit.fm, which is Sony’s new music download website whereby you can take out various plans and download MP3 files. The company claims that it has over 3 million songs from most major labels. There are various price plans depending on how much music you wish to download.

Had a lot of fun with HP’s washable keyboard as we dipped it in water and typed with it to show how it worked. Worked a treat, and if you’re like me with young kids, it certainly stop wet spillages from destroying the keyboard. The guts of the unit are sealed in a watertight membrane so as to keep water out.

I also showcased the Motoblur and keyboard on Steve Liebmann’s radio show this morning along with an array of questions.

Jeff wanted to know if he could set up his VHS recorder to his new HD TV. Unfortunately when analogue and digital technologies collide it’s a no-go. Jeff will have to by a DVD recorder or PVR if he wants to record his favourite television shows or watch a movie.

Paul was annoyed that his neighbour can get ADSL 2 broadband, but he can’t, although he can pick up his neighbours’ wi-fi. Although I did recommend to Paul that he can get a router and pick up his neighbour’s broadband, he needs to check terms and conditions because some providers specifically state that you can’t do it. I can sympathise with his plight, though.

Jean was keen to get a cheap plan with quick internet speed. I think she should be able to find a plan for between $30-$40 and about 3GB of data allowance.

Lucky Jo won a Sony prize pack including an LCD TV, blu ray player, PS3, Viao laptop and camcorder. She wanted to know if it easy to set up, and these days, it’s all pretty straight forward. Certainly better than spending the $300 she was thinking of doing to get it all up and running. She also asked about Play TV and Foxtel IQ – which was better. Play TV only allows you to record free-to-air content, so I’d stick with the IQ.

Finally, there was Lou who wanted to know the difference between a PVR and DVD recorder. A PVR has a lot more storage capacity, but a DVD recorder means you can play back your own home movies if you burn them to DVD.

School holidays again, so I spoke with Kerri-Anne about some of the games that were suitable for different genders and age groups.

First up was Tony Hawk Ride, which is a skateboarding game for older kids. Had a bit of trouble syncing the game to the Wii controller, but it is a lot of fun. Kerri-Anne even had a crack at in while in high heels, although I wouldn’t recommend it to most people. It certainly looks like a lot of fun, and you can have spills without killing yourself.

Then there was Combat of Giant Mutant Insects designed for the DS. It’s a cool game for younger boys whereby they can make up their own giant insects and fight other people’s insects via their DSi consoles. Can be great fun and it isn’t too scary.

We then had a look at Pony Friends 2, which is a sequel to a similar game that came out in 2008. Aimed squarely at young girls this one allows girls to groom, ride and feed their pony, but without the real-life hassle of buying hay or paying grazing fees.

Finally, we looked at It’s My Circus, which as the name suggests is about a circus. Players can be a ringmaster, trapeze artist, tightrope walker or any one of a number of circus-themed activities.