TECHNOGADGETS®
Taking The Geek Out Of Gadgets
CES 2012
Jan 7th
Let’s see. Mic, recorder, camera, iPhone, charger, breath mints. Yup…time for the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. To those writing online “do we still need this?” and think it can be replaced by some online postings…I know who you are. More comfortable behind a laptop, lacking social abilities, and unable to understand why this dinosaur of a show is poised to see record attendance this year. Sorry your editor’s not sending you. I’ll go, for about the 20th year, and post things here and talk about it on FM News Chicago at 101.1. Hope I avoid the group of consumer reporters from one top publication who pulled the “chat & cut” and barged in front of my friends and I while waiting in a long line for entry to a press conference. Rude, loud, obnoxious. Folks…you’re all wearing name tags! I was so impressed by your actions, and all the talk about the little freebies you got from manufacturers, that I did not renew my subscription to your publication. Hmmm, maybe doing it all from behind a computer screen WOULD be better. Nah!
Logitech C920 Webcam
Jan 7th
As we approach the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show, we’re starting to get a lot of product announcements. Logitech makes some nice webcams and we thought their C910 was a really good one, but they’ve taken a big step forward. The C920 has just been announced and it’s an impressive camera that does 1080P video calls. That’s a first on Skype. In cooperation with Skype, the camera uses Skype’s latest beta software for video calls that’ll look great, even when displayed on someone’s 60 inch LCD TV with Skype built-in. Available this month for a hundred bucks. Read more on the Logitech site.
Nissan LEAF Test Drive
Jan 7th
It’s fun to go all electric. It also takes some getting used to. The Nissan LEAF helps you make the transition…but you have to learn that your lead-footed ways have a real impact on how far you can drive.
The LEAF is peppy off the line….a great looking car….but a little mushy when it comes to handling. But, then again, sports-car handling is probably NOT why you buy a Leaf. You buy it to drive past gas stations. The LEAF is a pretty roomy car for its size and offers a quiet cabin that’s made even better by the absence of a gas engine! There’s a lot of headroom, although you’ll have to duck your head a bit to get out of the back seats. The rear seat, located above the batteries, elevates you above the front seats. On the up-side, the seat height in back gives you better visibility. LEAF is an acronym for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car.
On city and suburban streets the LEAF is fantastic. A hands-down winner. Driving the expressway, however, sucks up power in a hurry.The LEAF is rated at 100-miles per charge…but that’ll shrink to 60 or 70 if you’re a more aggressive, highway driver. The treat is that most public charging stations I found were FREE, because they’re new. Imagine GASSING up your car for free. Using them, and the at-home charger, worked great for my daily commute. A word of warning, since the public chargers are seldom-used, they’re not always ready to go. The first parking lot I visited had two chargers that were not working, the second had two that apeared fine but couldn’t be turned on by the remote ChargePoint operator. I had a third occassion where units couldn’t be turned on. If you’re going to drive an electric plug-in, get a ChargePoint access card to help you use their public charging units.
Since it takes time to recharge a LEAF, you have to plan ahead for any trips that’ll take you far from your base. If not, you’ll find yourself driving on the edge, developing a case of range anxiety, and wondering why you ever went all-electric. Be sure to see the short video below. With 22 miles left on my LEAF battery, I set out for home 20 miles away. The battery is nearly done, it’s chilly, at night, and the drive is almost all highway. But, I did it on purpose and learned a bit in the process.
I also learned that you get a lot of attention driving an electric car and you also get a lot of questions. There are many people who want to get off the gas pump. So, you can continue to turn-over that gas engine…or you can decide to turn over a new LEAF.
Flatlining In A LEAF
Jan 7th
Pushing the Nissan LEAF to its limit. With a range of 22 miles remaining on the indicator, I decide to make the 20 mile trip home…at highway speeds…on a chilly night. I saw it as “flatlining” when my predicted range simply disappeared, replaced by a flat blinking line.See my LEAF review.
Chevy Volt
Jan 5th
This weeks test drive is the electric Chevy Volt. The Volt has a solid feel the minute you slip behind the wheel. Its quiet, comfortable cabin and smooth ride give the Volt the familiar feel of a gas-powered sedan…without constantly reminding you that you’re driving an electric car. We spent over a week living the Volt lifestyle and also took a spin with Chevy’s Michelle Bunker and Brendan Greeley of FM News. This is an all-electric car, even though it has a small gas engine. That gas engine is just a generator that holds nine gallons of gas and kicks in when the battery is about two-thirds down. It extends the Volt’s range to over 300 miles per fill-up. The gas generator removes any fears of running short on electricity…called range anxiety. You can drive the Volt anywhere, making the transition to electric effortless. Brendan found the Volt to have a good deal of pep…especially in sport mode. I really enjoyed the Volt…though I wish it had more battery capacity, and that’s based on my own driving needs. I got 28 to 35 miles before the generator kicked in. The range depends on outside temperature and driving style. The onboard gas generator is genius.
Chevy Volt review as heard on FM News.
Hear video, and find links to recent stories on the Volt here.
2012 Nissan Versa Sedan
Jan 3rd
The 2012 Nissan Versa is a subcompact, comfortable car, with a small price tag. The styling of the Versa didn’t really jump out at me…but the bright metallic blue color certainly did. Climb into the Versa and it’s a comfortable cabin with decent controls. My one gripe was the lack of a high center console or armrest…something I like – and my right arm seemed to keep requesting. The new Versa has a roomier interior and, though it’s a small car, I never felt cramped at all. The back seat offers an impressive amount of leg room, even though it’s Nissan’s smallest sedan. The Versa sports a 1.6 litre, 16 valve, 4 cylinder engine that creates 109 horsepower. Mileage is rated 30 in the city to 38 highway. The 2012 Nissan Versa sedan is a redesign, bringing an improved interior, new looks, longer wheelbase, a lighter engine and better gas mileage. The Versa comes in three trim levels from about $11-thousand to $18-thousand dollars. Our SV, with options, has a sticker of $15,800. Our model also had the convenience package, which is a $350 upgrade. It includes, among other things, a Bluetooth phone interface, map lights, and the all-important iPod interface….although I’m happy with a good FM radio.
Top Cars of 2011
Dec 23rd
Auto sales are up! But what new cars made the top 10 list for 2011? What are the top 10 used cars people bought in 2011? Here’s the complete list.
Infiniti QX56
Dec 17th
When it comes to full-size, luxury SUVs, this is a standout in the category. The Infiniti QX56 is an impressive four wheel drive vehicle that’s nothing less than huge. The 400 horsepower V8 springs to life in an instant, but it’s thirsty, in the 14-20 m-p-g range. Power? You bet, with a towing capacity of 85-hundred pounds. This full-size SUV handles great…but the steering felt just a little light at times…never letting you know you’re piloting a 56-hundred pound vehicle. A total of 8 people enjoy the leather-clad comfort of a quiet cabin, carried on 22 inch wheels, surrounded by safety equipment that’s state of the art. We took a short highway trip in the QX-56…enjoying the cruise control that automatically adjusted to keep a safe distance from the car in front of us. The same sensing technology can engage the Forward Collision Warning system and the Intelligent Brake Assist to help avoid a crash. A blind spot light on the door comes on to warn you if a vehicle’s hiding there and beeps if you attempt to change lanes. A lane departure warning indicates if you’ve drifted across the lane line and can engage the proper brakes to nudge you back. At slow speed, we loved the onboard cameras giving us an overhead, 360 degree view of our SUV while parking. See more test drives at FM News Chicago
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Adopt-a-Band
Dec 5th
Kids in school bands can be exposed to dangerous sound levels in about 2 minutes. Wearing special hi-fidelity ear plugs can allow them to be exposed for 2 HOURS. These Ety Plugs don’t ruin the sound of the music, they just turn it down a notch. The Adopt-a-Band program protects your ears at a cost of about $6. The cool thing is that the kids become better musicians because they can hear the band around them more clearly. Learn more at this Etymotic Research site. Watch the video. It’s all science and then it features Hoffman Estates High School students trying ear protection for the first time.
2012 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Dec 3rd
This week’s test drive is the all-new 2012 Cadillac Escalade E-S-V, when a REGULAR Escalade just isn’t enough. The first thing I have to get across to you is size. The E-S-V is 20-inches longer than a regular Escalade. Think Chevy Suburban, but the similarity ends there. Carrying up to 8 in luxury, it’s big step up from your mini-van. Speaking of big steps up, running boards automatically fold out to greet you as you step into this tall ride sitting atop beautiful 22-inch wheels. Inside, you’re greeted by leather stitched seats, a leather-clad dashboard, real wood trim, cup holders that heat or cool, and mirrors that warn if someone’s in your blind spot. This quiet super comfortable cabin also has a huge amount of cargo space. Your view outside is lit by brilliant L-E-D headlamps – the first of their kind. Performance is incredible. The 6.2 liter V8 gives this huge Flex-Fuel SUV a 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds. Handling is great, with road-sensing suspension that adjusts in the blink of an eye. There’s a lot to like in this vehicle and, with a sticker of $85,000 in our top-of-the-line Platinum version, there should be.
EscaladeESV as heard on FM News.
See the Escalade ESV’s features at Cadillac’s web site.
Enjoy this nice video of car dealer Tim Miller as he takes you on a tour of the fantastic 2012 Escalade ESV. Tim’s with Schwan GM Auto Center in North Dakota.