8 CES Hits and Misses, Dump the Dups, Firefox Tips
In This Issue
Got Duplicate Files? Dump Them
Update Firefox Plugins
CES: More Hits
CES: More Misses
Time Wasters
Free Beer
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Got Duplicate Files? Dump Them
No matter how neat you are, I guarantee your drive has duplicate files. Find them with Easy Duplicate Finder. The freebie lets you compare and preview graphics, HTML, text, and other types of files.
No worries--the program automatically protects system files and folders. Nonetheless, if you're new to PCs, be careful what you delete. I remember one unhappy reader who deleted every duplicate file he discovered, including those lovely DLLs in the Windows directory.
My strategy is simple (and relatively risk free): stick with removing duplicate video and image files. And if any are located in the Windows folder or subfolders, leave 'em alone. [top]
Update Firefox Plugins
Quick -- what three apps seem to have updates every week? Yep, they're Adobe Flash and Shockwave, and Sun's Java, and if they're not current, you're facing security vulnerabilities. So zip over to Mozilla's Plugin Check to see if any of 19 plug-ins need updating. [top]
Keep safe with Firefox security updates.
CES: More Hits
I have four more blurbs about cool products I found at the Consumer Electronics Show.
- In the Drink The day will come when you drop your digital camera into the pool--or if you use your phone in the bathroom, it'll land in some odd place. Here are products to dry them out. Pour the ingredients of Dry All into an airtight container with your wet gadget and wait for 48 hours. The other method is to slip your device into a Bheestie bag and hang loose for up to 72 hours. Neither product will help unless it's used immediately. Crossing your fingers might add to the drying process. Both products cost $20 and--pardon my LOL--but no, I haven't tested either. [top]
Have a wet phone? Here's how to dry it.
- Quiet on the Set Attach the Easy Shot Clip to your pocket, and as you wander around, it records two hours of video and sound. The unobtrusiveness of the camera is what struck me: I could wear it at a birthday party, say, and capture the event. If you're geeky, attach it to a helmet for a first-person look to your video. It has 2GB of storage, produces 640-by-480 video at 30 frames per second, and has a built-in, rechargeable battery. It'll cost about $70 when it's available in April. [top]
About two inches tall, the Easy Shot Clip
records everything you do.
- The Print Shop It's been around for 25 years (my mom still uses an ancient version from 1990). The latest iteration has all the things you remember -- a way to create invitations, labels, sign, greeting cards -- and tons of clipart. And Encore has added new features including smart wizards, photo editing, and over 150 custom projects. The dopey part: The new version isn't backward compatible; nor is there a trial version. The Print Shop Deluxe costs $35 and works with all versions of Windows.
You won't recognize the (really) new
and
improved Print Shop.
- How Far Did I Go? If you charge clients for travel time, or need to keep track of mileage for yourself or employees, you'll love the Mileage Tracker. With a built-in GPS, it records the miles you've driven, including the time it took you, where you went, how long it took to get there (and back).If you want, it shows the route, including stops. (You spent two hours at the Kitty Kat Inn...what's up with that?) The portable device generates accurate reports, ideal for IRS audits (or for tracking your kid's whereabouts). The Mileage Tracker costs $200; there are no monthly fees. [top]
Effortlessly keep track of mileage
CES: More Misses
I'm a pragmatist, a frugal one at that, and I have to be convinced that a product is useful and necessary, will make my life richer, or just make me seem bright and witty. I'm going to take a pass on these. [top]
- Swiss Tricks Victorinox, the Swiss Army people, have knives with built-in flash drives. I think it's silly, but I'm probably the only guy who does. They have 30 variations, some with laser lights, ballpoint pens, and flash drive with 16GBs of RAM. At CES, they were showing off a flash version with fingerprint scanning security. If you're boarding a plan, you can detach the flash drive and pack the knife part. Prices start at about $30.
SwissFlash: Some have laser pointers.
- Feel the Hype I enjoy listening to jazz. (I'm exploring online music at RadioTuna right now.) But I don't like feeling my music, much to the disappointment of Vibe Attire. Connect your MP3 player to the vest, choose the intensity level, and start vibrating--to the tune of about $150 for the vest. I imagine it's also ideal if you connect it to your TV and watch adult videos. Just saying. [top]
Vibrate to the sound of the music.
- Now Hear This My uncle Ted won't give up his hearing aid, the one he bought 40 years ago. "It looks like a flesh-colored Bluetooth headset," I shouted to him recently. Now there's the AuraEQ-bluetooth-headset that doubles as a -- yep, you're way ahead of me -- a "personal local sound amplifier." (And don't you dare call it a hearing aid, y'hear me?) About $80.
- GPS Rip-off It's the thing that's stolen from cars the most often: your GPS device. Often it's taken because the thief knows where you are -- not home, for sure -- and can click "take me home" to see where you live. MapLock tried to sell me on a gizmo that leaves your GPS device in broad daylight, securing it with a locking device and what I think looks like an easy-to-cut cable. Watch the video to convince yourself this is a $50 product you don't need.
My advice: Stow the GPS receiver in the glove compartment before you leave the car and wipe clean the suction marks on the windshield. Get rid of the black disk stuck on the dash for the suction cup on the GPS's holder (a guess-where-my-GPS-is-hidden alert). It's not as convenient, but depending on the car we're in, we use either a homemade cup holder mount or portable mount. [top]
Advertise your GPS to thieves
with the MapLock.
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Time Wasters
Free Beer
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