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Episode 49: Webcam Tips
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The Gurus of Cool show you how to add a video dimension to your communications, pointing out their choices in webcams and giving you tips for making yourself look your best on a webcam. Add to that even more weird products, a wacky sendup of a clueless US senator and their best Rapid Fire Roundup of Cool Products yet, and you have a spellbinding episode that exudes coolness.
Features by the Gurus of Cool
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 for Brand Noobs, Part 1
by Charlie White
There are plenty of advanced Adobe Premiere Pro tutorials on Digital Media Net, but there's a shortage of basic, step-by-step guides on how to do simple setup, capturing, editing and output with the software and its associated hardware. So, by popular demand, we bring you a series of tutorials, written in bite-sized pieces, that will give you a basic start-to-finish overview of the software. In Part 1, we cover setting up your monitors and hardware to work best with Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0. ...Read More »
Webcam Tips and Techniques: The Basics
by Charlie White
So you got yourself a webcam. What next? Here's a basic primer, showing you what to do and what not to do to get the most out of your webcam. Whether you're in a corporate environment or at home, I'll show you how to pay attention to lighting, what to wear, where to locate your webcam, how to deal with the audio, and special techniques you can use to enhance your webcam experience. Best of all, just by reading this article, you'll know more than most people do about giving your webcam appearance a professional flair. ...Read More »
Targus Chill Hub
by Dave Nagel
The Chill Hub from Targus is a dual-purpose notebook accessory. Its primary function is to provide cooling for the underside of notebook computers; but it also acts as a four-port USB 2.0 hub, which means one less piece of hardware to lug around with you when you're on the road. ...Read More »
Sticky Yard Digital Measuring System
by Charlie White
Have you ever needed to measure something but parts of the object you were measuring were inaccessible? Here's where The Amazing Sticky Yard from Emerge Industries can help. It's a kit that includes two yardstick graphics, one with sticky backing and the other with a magnetic backing, which you attach onto the object you'd like to measure. Then you take a digital photo of that object, and open it in the Sticky Yard software. Here's the (semi) amazing part: with some limitations, it lets you digitally take multiple measurements of that object. We put it to the test. ...Read More »
Apple's Mighty Mouse
by Charlie White
After nine years of mulish resistance, Apple has finally decided to create a mouse that not only has more than one button, but -- gasp -- contains a scroll wheel and other buttons, too. Gussied up in the typical sleek, minimalist Apple style, the new Mighty Mouse ($49) cautiously invites Apple users into the scary and highly advanced world of multi-button scroll mice, yet allows those who prefer a single button to stubbornly stay put right where they are. We plugged the Mighty Mouse into both Macs and PCs, and here’s our hands-on review. ...Read More »
Rapid-Fire Roundup® of Cool Products
Silent Light Phone Sensor
Parents will really appreciate this device. Plug it into your phone and the Silent Light Phone Sensor disables the ringer, but when someone comes a calling the four LEDs light up. Perfect for households with sleeping babies, or teens who get calls at all hours.
Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking 9.0
Here it is, the best voice recognition software in the world, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and it's been upgraded to version 9.0. Requiring no training, this futuristic software is almost 100% accurate. It's close to miraculous. Beam me up Scotty; upgrades are $100.
Self Destruct Button USB Hub
I love the idea behind this USB hub. Not only does it allow you to connect four additional USB devices to your computer, it looks like a self-destruct button found in the labs of evil scientists around the world. Non-functioning of course -- a neat way to relieve stress.
Free Fonts at Fontso
Are you looking for that perfect typeface? Did you know it's possible to get thousands of wild and beautiful fonts for free? Go to Fontso.com, and take your pick of thousands of professionally-created typefaces from A to Z. Fontso.com points to free fonts all over the Web, and you can download them right then and there.
Buffalo USB Hub
If you are a fan of the PowerSquid power cable, then you’ll love this USB hub. Instead of a box or clumsy port connector this device allows you to bend and manipulate the connectors to more easily connect to your USB 2.0 device.
Banana Republic Khaki Chinos
Banana Republic has a new pair of khaki pants that are actually new and improved – they're softer and more comfortable than any khakis I've ever worn. The company says its Straight Fit Gavin Chinos are more durable than ever, too. Perfectly tailored, smart-looking, but they feel like a pair of pajama pants. They're 100% cotton, with no pleats, no nonsense, 50 bucks.
Firefly Water Bottle Light
Here’s a product that should make campers and hiker happy. This device will turn your wide mouth water bottle into a lantern. For those looking to pack less on their trip, this might be the solution for only $22.
Tesla Electric Roadster
Who says electric cars have to be ugly? Tesla Motors sings the body electric with its all-electric car, rolling out a sporty-looking roadster this week that goes from 0-to-60 in four seconds. Charge it up for 3.5 hours, and it's good for 250 miles of rip-roaring speed, going up to 130 miles per hour. Look for it next summer for around $100,000.
Bacon of the Month Club
Mmmmmm…. Bacon….Different bacon to your door every month. Mmmmm… Bacon… but pricey bacon – Damn! $140!
WiFi Pen
Looking to mooch some free WiFi? Here's a ordinary-looking pen that can sniff out those hotspots, showing you green, yellow and red LEDs indicating the strength of that WiFi signal. It even has a white LED flashlight on top, and, oh yeah, it works as a regular pen, too. It's $18.95.
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