{ Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category }

instagram prints: create personalized art

I’ve always been a snap happy kind of person. I was the paparazzi in my own little world, taking pictures of everything and everyone wherever I went. Once I finally got the iPhone, this love of documenting life reached a whole new level – I always have my phone. This also happened to be around the same time I discovered the iPhone photo app, Instagram.

instagram print profile instagram prints: create personalized art

When I learned CanvasPop was now offering Instagram printing I jumped on it. I’m always looking into good printing services to create my own, personalized wall art. But when it comes to phone pictures, I worry that the quality of the photo may not translate well into a larger, professional print.

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win: $700 panasonic lumix camera prize pack

Okay, so there’s no denying that we live in the age of technology. But out of all the electronic advancements, cameras have to be one of the industry’s leading consumer products. They’re always striving to be faster, more powerful, and much more user-friendly. They’re in our hands, phones and computers. We use them to visually document our life – constantly. And we spend hours looking at and sharing photos online.

What would we do without cameras?

Well, now you don’t have to ask because here’s your chance to win one!

panasonic contest banner blog win: $700 panasonic lumix camera prize pack

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7 reasons to download the royal tour app

Do you have royal wedding withdrawal?

Despite the intense build up that led to the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the round-the-clock coverage dropped off soon after and the world was left in awe of the whole event.

Fortunately, the Department of Canadian Heritage has your back. They’ve released a mobile app for 2011 Royal Tour to Canada! Download it to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and keep track of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they tour the country from June 30th to July 8th.

royal tour app 7 reasons to download the royal tour app
{ Screen captures from my iPhone }

Not sure if you want to download it? Here 6 reasons why you should get this app:


1 Itinerary
Stay on their royal heels with an up-to-date itinerary of their trip to Canada.


2 Photos & videos
Find the latest pictures and video clips of Will and Kate during their Canadian tour.


3 Events
Keep on top of public events and RSVP through the Crown in Canada Facebook page.


4 Social media
Follow what’s happening with who and where on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube right from the app platform.


5 Share with family & friends
Write a personalized message to your friends and family with a virtual postcard. Choose from existing images or take your own photos to create and send them via email or post them on your Facebook and Twitter accounts.


6 Weather
It even has a weather app so you know exactly how to dress when in view of the royal couple.


7 The price is right
The app is free. FREE!


Are you going to download the app?

the new kobo touch + you could win one!

kobo touch the new kobo touch + you could win one!
If you haven’t made the switch to an e-reader, I urge you to consider it. A book fiend myself, I’ve always treasured my novels and have always surrounded myself with bookcases overflowing with favourite reads and reads yet to come. But when I was introduced to Kobo, things started to change. It was love at first sight and I haven’t looked back. It happened quickly and unexpectedly. I hadn’t planned to end my love affair with actual books – and of course – there are classics and favourites that will always fill my bookcases. But I’m so in love that I’ve had the following exchange with my boyfriend. More than once.

him: If you had to choose between me and your Kobo, what would you choose?
me: {long pause}
him: {long, awkward silence}

The Kobo has revolutionalized reading for me and the new Kobo Touch (indigo.ca, $139) has taken things one step further. Here’s what I love best:

- The infrared touch screen makes using this device so simple to use. It’s intuitive and with just the tap of a finger, you can flip the pages, enlarge the font and zoom in on PDF files.

- It’s smaller, more compact than previous incarnations of the Kobo. The paperback size makes it easily portable. Throw it in your purse and you’ll always have something to read when you’re left waiting at the dentist.

- Kobo uses E-Ink technology to simulate the printed word on a page. It’s easy to read and because the screen isn’t backlit, it doesn’t feel like you’re reading on a computer or other handheld device. The glare-free screen is easy on the eyes and feels like a real book.

- The Kobo Touch holds up to 1,000 books! Not enough? Add a memory card and it can hold up to 32,000 books. So when you finish one book, you don’t need to wait til you get to the bookstore to pick up a new one. You’ll always have a full library right at your fingertips.

I love the feeling of Kobo’s signature quilted back and it’s got WiFi capability too, which means you can order books on the go. I’ve been reading more books more quickly ever since I converted to Kobo. And as a frequent traveler, it’s ideal. No more lugging heavy books around with me. It’s super light and I always have options, depending on what I feel like reading.

must-have accessories
The new Kobo Touch comes in white, black, silver and lilac and there are an array of accessories. Here are my faves:

kobo accessories the new kobo touch + you could win one!
1 The Verso Clip Light (indigo.ca, $16.99) is perfect when you’re reading in the dark at night. Just clip it onto the top of your Kobo and you needn’t turn your sidetable lamp on. The flexible neck means you can adjust the light as needed to brighten your pages.

2 The Book Style Cover (indigo.ca, $29.95) will not only protect your Kobo Touch but gives it that ‘real book’ feeling that book lovers will appreciate. Elastic bands on the inside will hold your Kobo securely in place and there are also inside pockets. Available in purple, black, navy and natural.

3 Don’t have the Kobo Touch? There are new accessories available for the WiFi Kobo and I love that you can now get the Book Style Cover (indigo.ca, $29.95) for this version. The older Kobo is slightly larger than the new Kobo Touch so be sure to get the right size cover. How fun is the pink?

Want to win one? {Of course you do!} We’ve got four to give away. Enter here. Good luck!

samsung digital cameras

When I was invited to check out Samsung’s latest digital camera lineup, I admit I wasn’t expecting to be blown away. Samsung is known for TVs, not cameras, right? Well, they wasted no time in showcasing innovative new products that proved that Samsung is a legitimate player in the lucrative digital camera business. Here are some of the features you’ll find on new Samsung cameras, that make them some of the most innovative on the market:

samsung PL121 samsung digital camerasSamsung PL121
Cool feature: This compact digital camera features ‘Two View’ – dual LCD screens, one on the back and one on the front so you can see yourself when you’re taking that self-portrait to upload to Facebook. Love it!

samsung landscape samsung digital camerasSamsung WB210
Cool feature: This camera can take a seriously wide angle shot. You don’t need to lug around a heavy SLR to get a great panoramic photo. It’s got a 21mm ultra-wide, 12x Super-Zoom Schneider-KREUZNACH lens – and if that sounds like Greek to you, it just means that you’ll get a wider, deeper perspective with crystal clear sharpness.

samsung wifi samsung digital cameras
Samsung SH100
Cool feature: This camera’s Wi-Fi capability makes it seriously cool but the best part isn’t even that you can share your photos with friends, family and other Wi-Fi enabled devices. The best part is that it has an Auto-Backup feature – meaning you can wirelessly download photos to your computer with the touch of a button. No hunting for wires and cables to free your photos from the camera. Now THAT’S cool!

the new dyson air multiplier

dyson bladeless fan the new dyson air multiplier
We know that when it comes to innovation, Dyson is at the front of the pack. When they eliminated the vaccuum bag, we thought that was pretty cool. But now they’re back with another great new product that’s just hit the Canadian market: The Dyson Air Multiplier.

It’s a fan that has no blades. It’s super-stylish, yes, but is it really necessary? You may not think so but according to inventor and engineer James Dyson, he created this new fan to combat spinning blades, which he says chop up the air flow, causing annoying buffeting. He says the blades are hard to clean and are, of course, a temptation for childrens’ curious little fingers.

The Dyson Air Multiplier is a stylish reincarnation of a household product many of us use. Not wanting to run my air conditioning all night long in the summer, I often rely on a fan. But this one would look so much better than the clunky fan I’m currently using. Simple. Stylish. I love it!

Available at: dyson.com, The Bay, Home Outfitters, Sears and other retailers across Canada.
Price: $379.99 to $549.99

What do you think of the look of the new Dyson Air Multiplier?

CES 2011: Savvy new tech goodies

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and it was insane. With 140,000 attendees, it was Vegas’ busiest time of the year, as gadget guys and gals flocked to see all the newest innovations for 2011. Busiest booths included Intel (who brought buzz with their new core processor to make PC’s faster), Microsoft (who had massive bubble rooms where people could play Kinect games) and Polaroid (who had Lady Gaga revealing her Grey Label line), just to name a few.

I, of course, was most drawn to the stylish goodies for home and lifestyle — you could spot me drooling over appliances at the massive LG booth or being completely blown away by how seamless home entertainment is becoming over at the Intel booth. Here are a few of my fave finds:

1 Urbanears ‘Medis’ earbuds, $50 US
One issue I have with listening to music on my iPod is that the earbuds never stay in my ear. I use them at the gym, at work and also when I’m tinkering around the house (Mick doesn’t share my enthusiasm for Motown, so I put headphones on when washing dishes, decorating, cleaning — you name it). At CES, I stumbled upon the Urbanears booth and fell in love. The ‘Medis’ earbuds come with different sizes of clips so you can adjust to your ear size and they never fall out. They also come in a bunch of lovely colours and have a shoelace-like cord — tres chic.
ces urbanears CES 2011: Savvy new tech goodies

2 Intel Smart TV
Intel was definitely one of the companies that blew me away — I’m so fascinated with how in-tune they are with making our lives easier. One thing that I loved was Smart TV, a partnership between Intel, Sony, Logitech and Google. Basically, Intel has created a software that allows you to wirelessly use your TV for live television, web browsing, Netflix, etc. all through using a keyboard for all remote requests. Let’s say you wanted to search your TV for “hockey” — just type in the term and it lets you choose between hockey items in the TV guide, your PVR, NetFlix, internet search and more. It’s so seamless! Intel Labs director Genevieve Bell said it best when she explained that, “Good technology becomes part of the landscape of our lives. It needs to be comfortable for the user and we have to understand that homes are where people live.”
ces smarttv CES 2011: Savvy new tech goodies
3 LG Steam Closet
This thing was insane. Seriously, I was practically drooling. The steam closet is actually not even named thus, as it’s just a prototype at the moment. And please ignore the cheesy image — it’s of a similar item from LG that was released in Korea (looks the same). Anyways, the gist is that it’s an at-home appliance that will steam clean your clothing. No more dry cleaning, no more atrocious bills. You just hang your clothes inside, have the water reservoir filled with water, and in 30 minutes, your clothes have been steamed and deodorized. Sign. Me. Up.
ces steam closet CES 2011: Savvy new tech goodies

4 Philips Fidelio Primo dock and speakers, $399
I’ve played around with Philips’ Fidelio line of dock speakers before and I love the crisp sound that comes out of them (not to mention their sexy look). At IDS they introduced the Fidelio Primo in the original version, which has a sleek wood design and a metal casing. These are the perfect speakers to have on hand for a party, indoors or out.
ces fidelio CES 2011: Savvy new tech goodies
5 LG range with Infagrill technology
Okay, so I don’t have an image for this because it’s a prototype, but I’ll explain how cool it is. Basically, it’s a range that features an oven and cooktop, but also a separate grill that cooks food similar to an outdoor BBQ. There’s no pre-heating required and it cuts cooking time down by 30%. Now you don’t have to stand out in the freezing cold of winter when you’re craving a steak in February. Hurray!

Did any of you get a chance to visit CES? What were some of your fave gadgets?

xo,

Lauren

custom photo projects at IndigoStudio

Digital cameras have allowed us to keep hundreds upon thousands of pictures, and if you’re anything like me, these pictures are stored away on a hard drive, or, at most, posted on online photo-sharing accounts, like Facebook and Flickr. Allow me to introduce you to the newest innovation in the age of digital photography (and one I’m super excited about): IndigoStudio.

Indigostudio custom photo projects at IndigoStudio

I was lucky enough to receive a personal preview of IndigoStudio, which is being rolled out in Indigo stores across Canada (as of now, it’s in two GTA locations). It’s seriously cool! In a matter of minutes, I was able to customize one of their products with pictures of a recent vacation to the east coast of Canada. I didn’t have my camera’s memory card or a usb stick with me, but was fortunately able to access my photos through my Facebook account. I selected the product I wanted to customize (a brag book, perfectly sized for purse or pocket), the pictures (or let auto-fill randomly select them for you) and…that’s it! I sent the project to the printer. It was ready in just 45 minutes. Looks like my friends and family will be getting these personalized and professional-looking photo projects for all major gift-giving occasions – Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, Fridays. Products available to customize include collage and individual frames, greeting cards, calendars and brag books.

lg kompressor: my new favourite toy

Okay, I realize most people may not think of a vacuum as a ‘toy’, or even associate it with fun, but trust me — the new LG Kompressor makes cleaning enjoyable.

In my new house, we have white carpet in place until we get hardwood. We also have a cute little beagle named Wendel who sheds like it’s going out of style. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a recipe for disaster. Our old vacuum worked great in our previous parquet-tiled apartment, but it was no match for wee Wendel’s falling hair, mucky feet and peanut-butter filled toy that he totes around in the new house. So, now when I say that the LG Kompressor vacuum is my new favourite toy, you may understand the joy that it brings to me.

51Kj3+awnvL 460x460 lg kompressor: my new favourite toy
What I love about LG is that they consistently get it right the first time. This is their first entry into the vacuum market and I have no complaints! I got to chat with Frank Lee from LG — who gets just as excited about new products as I do — and he filled me in on what makes this vac stand out from the rest.

  • It fluffs up the carpet while cleaning. Trust me, this makes a world of difference — it actually made my carpets look brand new. Frank says it’s because the vacuum has an individual motor just for the powerhead, which lifts the carpet fibers.
  • It’s certified asthma- and allergy-friendly. Gathering 99.7% of dust mites, pollen, allergens and pet dander, it’s great for my boyfriend, who is allergic to Wendel’s fur.
  • You can control the settings from the wand. Not only that, but the wand detaches to give you 15 feet of reach. Frank also pointed out that the hose doesn’t have metal springs in it, so there’s no constant fight to stretch further.
  • It features a 40 foot cord — the longest on the market. I can pretty much vacuum my entire house without having to switch outlets.
  • It’s bagless and minimizes the mess. Probably my favourite feature is the blade in the bin that compresses the dust and clumps it together for easy disposal. And since this vac picks up three times the amount of dust that a standard vacuum does, it means you won’t be enveloped in a cloud of dust when emptying the bin.

I’m sure those of you with carpet in your home are now drooling over the Kompressor — I definitely did the first time I used it! It comes in the higher price range at $500 a pop, but you will not be disappointed with the quality, design and cool features it offers.

xo,

Lauren

back-to-school month: win a kodak all-in-one printer!

kodak esp 7250 all in one printer low res 535x353 back to school month: win a kodak all in one printer!
If you’re headed off to school or your son/daughter is, there are a few things you need to know. Apart from realizing that a ‘courtesy rinse’ of your dishes is just icky, you need to come to terms with the fact that the school library is not always your best friend. Yes, it is filled with a plethora of information, but dealing with old photocopiers and printers can be frustrating — especially when a paper is due in 15 minutes.

Picking up an all-in-one printer is one of your best investments for school, and this Kodak model has all you need to make sure the year is a success. Not only does it have Wi-Fi technology {you can even print wirelessly from your iPhone!}, but there are tons of specs that make the ESP 7250 a winner:

  • can scan, copy, or print {and let me say, I scanned an old photo and the scan was impressively better quality than the original}
  • prints 32 pages per minute in black and up to 30 per minute in colour
  • replacement ink cartridges are super inexpensive: $10 for black and $18 for colour {great for the student budget!}
  • 2.4 inch colour LCD display screen

Good news, folks: I’m giving away one of these great Kodak all-in-one’s so you can hand in all your papers on time and also decorate your place with photos of family and friends. To enter, just leave a comment below letting me know how you decorated or plan to decorate your dorm/college apartment, and I’ll pick the best answer as the winner.

Good luck!

*Contest closes September 10th, 2010 at 12pm EST. Open to all residents of Canada, except those in Quebec. Not open to any Transcontinental Media employees, their families, or any other persons with whom they reside. Prize value is $200. *

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