All Blog Posts (338)

The word Blackberry is now a part of everyday vocabulary. Even my grandmother knows not to start picking the bushes for fruit when “I can’t find my Blackberry!”. Just as this little device, small enough to fit in the back-pocket of the tightest pair of jeans, is an integral part of our speech it has also become an integral part of our lives. With phone, blue-tooth, a camera, e-mail, internet, and even GPS capabilities, when you lose your phone I think everyone has experienced that panicked… Continue

Note: this Trender Post was original posted by Ben Preston and is being reposted here.



By Ben Preston, Senior Trender



It is clear to see that the iPod has been dominating the electronic world ever since it was released. The iPod wiped the portable CD player off the face of the earth within weeks of its introduction into the market and made all other MP3s obsolete. We have come a long way from the thick black and white screen from the first generation iPod that was… Continue

Our Garmin has prevented many arguments in the car and has become an essential item to take along with us on vacation. However, we would have been better off if we just left it at home when we went on our most recent vacation to Arizona. We landed into Phoenix very late leaving my family itching to tuck into the beds at our rental house an hour or two outside of the city. We got our rental car, punched in the address into the Garmin, and departed for the house which was located in a relatively… Continue

Perhaps it's user error, perhaps it's asking the device to do too much. But in the past month my Garmin has failed me 3 our of 5 times. First time, I was heading to an address in Natick, MA. I plugged in the street adress and off I was. The first problem was that Garmin took me through a ridiculous set of back-roads during rush hour instead of the major high-ways. Easily added 25 minutes to my trip. The next problem was that Garmin did not tell me the same street had a "North" and "South"… Continue

Navigation devices are having another break-out year. By all accounts, this consumer electronic product category hit the mainstream, with wide adoption by many different demographics. Thanks to competition and price cuts, aggressive advertising, and greater understanding and acceptance by consumers, global sales of personal navigation devices (PNDs) grew to over 29 million units in 2007 (ABI Research). It seems like nav devices are also popular gift ideas.

We had a chance to meet with…

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By Brian Mahony, Chief Trender

OK, so I have to start with full disclosure— I am a VOIP guy (Voice Over Internet Protocol). I spent a good chunk of the past 15+ years in the telecommunications and internet services industries, with a focus on internet telephony and video, so VoIP has a special place in my heart. Having worked with several vendors in the space (Netcentrex, Siemens), I have been following this space with a vested interest for some time.

So it was with keen…

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The Garmin Nuvi 260W Navigation Device has been my first experience with a touch screen navigation system. All in all I would have to say my Garmin use has been almost entirely positive, and if I were a teacher I would give the product an A-. The positives far outweigh the negatives, and I would certainly consider the Garmin a good buy.



Some of the many great POSITIVE features include:



1) Tons of pre-loaded street maps that include destinations by type.

-This is… Continue

I bought the Tom Tom Go 510 about a year ago. I'm in the real estate business and I can't imagine working without one. I used to spend hours on the computer printing maps and directions off the computer. The biggest advantage of using a navigation system for me is relaxation. I always used to get a little tense driving in unfamiliar areas wondering if I missed a turn. Now I just plug in the address and go. I bet in the future when everyone has navigation systems there will be alot less road… Continue

I'm sure almost everyone who owns a television has heard of HDTV. I am here to tell you all that if you watch television on a frequent basis and are trying to decide to get an upgrade on your television, DO IT. I recently bought my first HDTV, a new HD cable box, and a new HDMI cord to connect the cable box to the television. I watched the Super Bowl on this TV and decided I could never watch another football game on a normal TV again. The picture on my HDTV is incredible; crystal clear.

I… Continue

One of my favorite movie quotes is from the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Gene Wilder, who plays Willy Wonka says "Oh you can't go back that way. You have to go forward in order to go back". To a lot of people that does not make much sense of course you can always go back the way you came. This is not so. In the case of going back in history, we cannot simply just go back.

Going forward to go back actually makes some sense here. 100's of years ago, When Issac Newton… Continue

So my dear sweet wife gave me a Garmin StreePilot c330 for Christmas (we sometimes bicker about directions in the car, so there is some controversy who needs this gift more, but that is neither here nor there). I wanted to challenge myself to see how quickly I could get it working…

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I have always been a fan of Nintendo products and have my own personal experiences. For you parents out there, having a portable game system that kids can recharge(batteries), was an ingenious idea. The DS is light and very easy to use and great for trips in the car. You certaintly don't hear, "Are we there yet?"

I myself own a pink one, a gift from my husband. I also enjoy the Pokemon versions of games. However, Nintendo does an assorted array of video games for a slew of interests…

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One of my best purchases has been a Garmin navigation system, which we use in our recently purchased Honda Oddyssey minivan. The minivan could have come with a factory installed navigation system, which I believe would have been about $1,500. Stop right there, already I've identified the first thing I love about our Garmin....it was only $300, so it saved us lots of money (I believe the model we bought now sells for as low as $150). Despite this huge reduction in cost, quality or features…

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My cell phone is a wonderful gadget with so much hidden potential. The truth is, though, I only know how to make calls. I don't even have phone numbers programmed into it! The good news is I have a great memory for numbers so if I've called you once chances are I can remember your number. I guess my phone is a camera too but only by chance have a snapped a shot of my kids when I've managed to hit the "take picture button". I feel as if I'm confessing some embarrassing secret but I just am not a… Continue

My best friend bought me the system for Mother's Day. It was the best gift ever! I recently moved to a new state and this system has saved me so much grief. I don't have to go a website and print out directions (saves trees) and if I make a wrong turn, she (of course she's a woman), she redirects me. When I'm traveling I can find a place for food or the specific gas station I want to go to. Its hard to imagine life before Navi (that's her name). Its also great b/c its so user friendly and not… Continue

I purchased my first GPS about 18 months ago -- a Garmin Street Pilot 330. It changed my life. I was fairly new to my community and was forever getting lost. I spent $400 and felt it was worth every penny. Features seemed endless -- wherever I was I could find the closest ATM, Quiznos or Mobil station. The other feature I depended on was the estimated arrival time. When I was running late I would enter my destination, even if I knew how to get there, so that I could relax and slow down. The… Continue

It appears to me that dog-walking technology has surpassed home technology. I say this as I look around my kitchen and see electrical cords bunched up in rubber bands. I am someone who can devour home décor magazines and I love HGTV (my one and only television vice). I never see electrical cords bunched up with rubber bands in these pristinely designed settings. Now, I’ll be the first to say that I have some…

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