ITS Newsletter – Pass IT On
December 2013
Last month of 2013, and it is seems like it is going to be a cold one and of course one that is filled with shopping and presents. If you are looking for a secret Santa gift, or some cute stocking stuffers, or want to get the family a nice big tech gift; we have given you some ideas and inspiration. In this newsletter we are going to see some hot gadgets for kids big and small. Merry Christmas everyone!
What’s in Decembers’ Newsletter?:
- Stocking stuffers
- Home Entertainment
- Bird? Plane? No, it’s the delivery drone…
- Star Wars Snowflakes
- ERA- Electronic Recycling Association
- Deal of the Month
- Tech Tip of the Month
- This Month in Tech History
- December Events
Stocking Stuffers:
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Sphero– essentially this is the remote control car for the modern age. It can be used inside and outdoors and is controlled by the movements of your hands on your iPhone/iPad. It is about the size of an orange, and offers you enjoyment for yourself or with a friend.- Lazer Tag Pack– With this pack, you can play lazer tag anywhere. Just download the app for free and pick up the guns. You can play this solo on missions, or get some friends and have a free-for-all
- Oakley Airwave Goggles– If you have any snowboard enthusiast in your circle, this would be an ideal accessory. You can track and share your speed, jump analytics, navigation, your buddies, music, and calls and text, plus more.
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Olloclip 4-in-one Lens- With this nifty little attachment you can capture the types of photos you want from your phone. Connects in seconds, fits in your pocket, and gives you the creativity and that perfect photo.
Home Entertainment:
- OLED TV- This would be if you want to splurge on yourself or family this holiday season. TV’s are constantly evolving and getting better and better. As one of the premium TV’s on the market right now the OLED tv’s are a good bet if you want to upgrade your viewing experience. There are some pros and cons like with all other technology, see below for some reviews on the Samsung and LG’s OLED tv’s.
- Samsung 55’ S9C Series- Amazing picture quality, stunning contrast, and the ability for multi-view. How many times do you want to watch something while the other person wants something else? This way both can enjoy watching with full HD video and sound quality.
- LG 55’ OLED Smart TV– Curved screen, 4 colour pixel, clear sound, Smart TV and an amazing cinema 3D experience. Unfortunately the LG’s price tag is almost 1.5 times more than the Samsung.
- Comparison and info – Cons
- Evolution Kit – If you are looking for an entertainment gift for someone, but more of an accessory instead of a new TV, there is the Evolution Kit. For those who already have the smart tv can keep up with the game with this little kit. It plugs into the back of your smart TV and upgrades the Smart Hub for select 2012 tv’s without having to buy the new model. With pricing starting around $200.00, it makes it an affordable gift as well.
- Paradigm Soundtrack Sound bar & subwoofer-Another idea for a cinematic experience in your home, is to get a good sound system. With so many on the market, some big, some small, some wireless, it seems there are too many choices. Well if you are after something simple and good quality; take a look at what Paradigm has to offer. This sleek sound bar and wireless subwoofer fits into any room. Fast and easy to set up, hooks directly to many electronics, including the Apple TV, gaming consoles, entertainment players, and more.
Future of Deliveries:
China and South Africa have already used delivery drones for festivals and delivering cakes and packages. In Canada there are laws that require a certificate for every flight, but this technology has been allowed since 2008. Amazon has been working on drones to offer a half-hour delivery option, which they are hoping to achieve in the next 4-5 years. Check out the news on the future ‘Amazon Prime Air’.
Star Wars Snowflakes:
Tired of same old paper snowflakes, try out these cool Star Wars themed ones!
Check out the templates here!
Electronic Recycling Association:
Incorporated in 2004 and operating nationally, the Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) is a Not for Profit Organization (NPO) tasked with reducing unnecessary waste and/or adverse environmental impact associated with electronic and IT equipment.
The ERA believes that “reuse” is the most effective manner to achieve this, and thus donations of repurposed equipment compels significant and demonstrable positive community impact.
By providing other not for profits, community groups, agencies or otherwise qualifying organizations with equipment that still has productive life, the ERA is able to both provide a valuable and needed service to both those who need the equipment – and those corporate organizations who need a responsible outbound channel for their retiring goods.
In recent years, due to challenging economic conditions, many of the organizations whom the ERA helps by way of computing donations have seen reductions in their external funding sources, and as such make our donation activity much more valuable – and needed.
With the ongoing proliferation of “E Waste”, the ERA strives to grow our reach, as well as our ability to compel positive change.
For more information or to use their services check out their website: www.era.ca
Deal of the Month:
Each month we will supply you with a product that we believe is a great deal and may suit your business or personal needs. This is an opportunity for you to save time and energy shopping around for what’s best at the best price, because we have done it for you!
Samsung Series 3, 23.6’ Widescreen LED LCD Monitor
Price: $ 154.00
*Tax and Shipping not included
If you are interested please contact the sales team at https://itsconsultinginc.ca/contact/
Tech Tip of the Month:
Brought to you by Alandale Training a great resource online for tips and on-site computer training courses in Vancouver, BC. Visit their site at www.alandaletraining.com.
Using AutoCorrect to save keystrokes for common phrases
You can use AutoCorrect to save keystrokes for phrases you commonly use. I often talk about step-by-step instructions in my proposals and emails. My typing skills or OK but words with hyphens slow me down. So rather than typing the phrase each time, I created an AutoCorrect entry sbs.
I can then type sbs in any e-mail or Word document and as I press the space bar, step-by-step instructions appears. I do something similar for One-on-One for which I created an AutoCorrect entry 1o1.
In recent versions of Microsoft Office all the programs use the same AutoCorrect file so you can use the entries you create in Word, Outlook, Excel or PowerPoint. When creating AutoCorrect entries you want something that is easy to remember but make sure the entry isn’t a word or abbreviation you may use.
For instance, if I used step for my step-by-step AutoCorrect entry, every time I used the word step in a document or e-mail, the substitution would automatically happen!
If you liked this tip click here to join the Alandale Training Mailing List to receive more great tech tips.
This Month in Tech History:
December Events:
Thanks for reading! Hope you have a great December! Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!
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