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Remember when we blamed everything on computers – an incorrect phone bill, an unprocessed credit card payment, an unresponsive driver’s license bureau?  Things HAVE gotten better since the little 1s and 0s first made their appearance – we can send photos instantly to someone around the world, we can video conference from just about any computer these days, and we can get our entertainment without leaving our warm homes on a cold night.

Small businesses can now compete with large ones using many of the tools that used to be too expensive.  In today’s tough economy 49% of businesses in the US with less than 10 employees still do not have a website.  Now you can build your own for free….and it’s easy.

Microsoft Office Live Small Business

www.smallbusiness.officelive.com

“Danger Will Robinson” – that was the famous warning from the Robot (he never had a name) on Lost in Space.  On the otherhand, the Tri-bot from WowWee is more fun companion than centurion.

www.wowweestore.com

If however, you would like to keep tabs on the goings-on in your home, Eaton’s Home Heartbeat alerts your cellphone and can email you if your water heater springs a leak or someone opens a door or window.

www.homeheartbeat.com

Tired of slogging through endless menus to get to your favorite song? The Rant by Sprint (just $49!) lets you program your favorite functions to be accessed with one click.  It’s called One Click.  The cellphone industry voted it Best Program.  You can also get Live TV, GPS, and over-the-air music downloads for $99 with unlimited voice and data.  You can’t buy a GPS system for that.

www.sprint.com/newphones

Is it the game of the week or the movie of the week? Either way, Panasonic has you covered:

TH-46PZ85 VIERA Plasma TV

www.panasonic.com

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If you think you have to spend thousands to set up your home theater, think again. Steve Greenberg, author of GADGET NATION, has a few products that will let you save without having to settle for last year’s models or last year’s technology:

Toshiba 52″ REGZA TV with SRT (Super Resolution Technology) 52XV545

www.tacp.toshiba.com

 

Toshiba’s new XD-E500 DVD Player

www.tacp.toshiba.com

DISH Network’s ViP722 HD DVR and TurboHD

www.dishnetwork.com

Roku’s Netflix Player

www.roku.com/netflixplayer

The Logitech Squeezebox Boom

www.logitech.com

EZ Power Universal Remote

www.pogoelectronics.com

 

Do you love the idea of having the neighbors over for a home movie night but don’t have the room to accomodate everyone?  Setting up a theater in your backyard is one answer and lets you blend nature with Hollywood and friends.  And according to this article in Electronic House it can be done for less than you might think. 

Whether it’s the high cost of the players, the slowing economy, or confusion over what you need to do to get 1080p from your Blu-ray player to your TV, consumers have been reluctant to take the Blu-ray plunge.  According to a Harris Interactive poll conducted in April only 4% of adults surveyed own a Blu-ray player and only 9% plan to purchase one in the next year.

But let’s say you plan to plunk down the $400 or so you need to purchase a player or for about $80 less you purchase the PlayStation 3 which has a built-in player and lets you game, then what?  Will you get to watch all your movies in 1080p?  Not likely.  You still need:

1) A 1080p TV

2) The DVDs you are watching must be Blu-ray

3) The cables from your player to your TV must be 1080p capable

Electronic House