Upgrade Tech

The Main Players In The Consumer Electronics Industry

admin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

With the exception of Apple big names in consumer electronics are Japanese, with powerhouses like Sony and Samsung this is not likely to change any time soon. There are some new low-cost faces in the game though due to a need for cost-effective products, and this is where brands like Insignia and Vizio come in. When it comes to quality in terms of electronics it really depends on the needs of the consumer, many people do not need the biggest and the best. Names like Panasonic, Toshiba, and others also litter the landscape depending on the type of product you are looking for.

Sony and Samsung dominate the high quality HDTV market while Apple enjoys a huge share of the cell phone market. When it comes to computers PCs are the winner over Apple computers in terms of market share, and that pack is lead by companies like Hewlett Packard, IBM, Dell, and others. The large companies in consumer electronics today are dealing with an increased demand to merge existing products into devices that can double up as computers. This new movement has seen televisions, cell phones, and even refrigerators turn into devices that can do just about anything you want.

The Past, Present, And Future Of Electronics

admin — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Electronics have really evolved over the years, especially cell phones and computers. Back in the day computers and cells were huge. Remember the block cell phones that were only capable of calling another phone? Now our cells can text, connect to wi-fi, go on the internet, and there are numerous apps available for cell phones. Back then there was so such thing. Computers were also only capable of doing very few things. Now computers are a necessity for work and school.
Now that technology is so advanced people are very dependent on it. Instead of going to the library for research you can now look up all the information you will ever need on your lap top, or you can download an e-book. In the past it was either purchase or borrow a book you have to read. Now e-books are available. All you have to do is download it onto your e-book reader. Everything is more convenient now because of technology.
In the future electronics will be even more amazing. Who knows what will be available ten years from now. Touch screen smartphones will probably be a thing of the past. We might have a microchip that carries everything we need and be riding around in electronic hover cars. You never know what the future of technology has in store.

Consumer Electronics At The Turn Of The 21st Century

admin — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Consumer choices at the turn of the 21st century are amazing. There has never been a more exciting time, for those who love there gadgets. Consumer electronics technology has taken off in the last 5 years. Make no mistake, it can be overwhelming at times, to make the right choice. Things have dramatically changed, from our parents generation of vacuums and percolating coffee. Now we have robotic vacuum cleaners and TV’s that can record out favorite shows. Computers that would take up entire rooms, are now as small and fast as they can be. Phones with GPS that can pinpoint location, when you are lost on a hike. Electronic technology at the turn of the century is so advanced, it is hard to imagine that it would be this way. Families can keep in touch with web cams and social network sites. Musicians can make albums from their own homes, and some don’t even go to the same studio together. They can send tracks made on computers via E-mail, and then mix them all together for a final product. Advances in consumer electronics have made it easier for many artists, and business people. The consumer has more choices than ever.

Where Is Consumer Electronics Going In 2011

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Electronics are a hot topic these days. Knowing what the trends are in electronics can be a good idea from different standpoints. One, is if you are looking to buy someone a trendy new gift, it helps to know what is in and what is out. Another reason to know the hot new trends is if you are selling electronics.

Android phones have become very popular for 2011, which is a smart phone. For those that are interested in video games, sony is coming out with a PlayStation phone. Nfc technology has created a smartphone that makes it possible for a consumer to buy things over a wirless connection in stores.

With the popularity of HD tvs, there are now HD camcorders, these are a hot new trend. Tablet computers such as the i pad have gained popularity, as well as readers such as kindles. These are an awesome way to download and store books.

I-pod touches remain popular and also the need for energy efficient electronics. Green items have been popping up such as wooden cases for i-pods and cell phones. The trends for electronics are always changing at such a rapid pace, but for right now, these are the gadgets that are in style.

Electronic Equipment Intended For Everyday Use

admin — Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The focus of advanced and cutting edge technology is usually not on convenient or practical electronic equipment for a regular user using the equipment for everyday use. One area of cutting edge technology that has often failed in this area is the personal robot market, where many prototype personal robots have been invented and produced, but few have actually been proven to be useful. One that has been useful is the robotic vacuum, which acts as a personal servant, cleaning the carpets and floors of the house without any assistance from a human operator. The top seller is the iRobot Roomba, although there are many contenders in the market due to its popularity. Another robot that aimed at practicality and everyday use is the Anybots advanced telepresence robot ,http://www.anybots.com/ which is meant to allow a human operator to move about and be in a place physically, without needing to actually be there! Operated over the internet, the controller sees the room through a live video feed, controlling the robot and moving it around the space, others being able to interact with the controller through a mic, speakers, and a video feed of the controller displayed on the robots head. This is and robots like it are a step in the right direction to making robot electronics practical for everyday users.

Latest And Greatest Of Todays Consumer Electronics

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A recent knowledge explosion has given rise to a plethora of consumer electronics today. Some of these products are improvements of prior technology while others are completely new technologies. The best ones are making people feel safer. For instance, a new device coupled with existing satellite technology is allowing people to feel safe wherever go. It is similar to a call-for-help button that seniors use when they have fallen and cannot get up. A person can contact their help center by pushing a button on their mobile phone. If the danger escalates, the call center can triangulate the person’s position using the mobile phone’s internal GPS and then contact the authorities.

In the marketing arena, cereal boxes can now gain the shopper’s attention by taking advantage of induction power to illuminate specific areas on the package. The light grows brighter in stages to catch the consumer’s eye. What will they think of next? How about some cool dancing robots? New floor-cleaning robots that use a swifter type-cleaning pad can dance their way around the floor to the tune of Boom Boom Pow performed by the Black Eyed Peas. The robot dances in harmony with the tune because of its onboard infrared navigation system. The only thing to do now is get it booked on dancing with the stars.

The changing face of the teen cellphone landscape

www.upgradetech.com — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:33:56 +0000

While the tech industry rages over the choice between Verizon- or AT&T-supported iPads, a new Nielsen study shows how teens are contributing to the cellphone and smartphone market. The new report found that teens are responsible for the most texting, with an average teen sending out a message every 10 minutes. The rate and number decrease drastically in the larger age groups. 43 of teens say that texting is their primary use for a phone.This causes most teens to seek out QWERTY-phones rather than touch screens, as most smartphones have. BlackBerry offers a similar method of communication on its devices, known as BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), which also lets users include video and voice recordings. Is this feature winning over customers from other age brackets, though? Given the decrease in messaging shown by the Nielsen study, and the fact that BBM only works between two Blackberry phones, we’d guess probably not. It will be interesting to see how these trends continue, and whether BBM offers a credible threat to text messaging technology.The trend does spell bad news for teen drivers and others on the road with them. State laws haven’t had much effect on lowering texting while driving, and may even be more dangerous, causing teens to hold the phone lower than they would normally. With the risk of a crash while texting 23 times higher, this is an issue that will continue to make headlines until a solution is discovered.

Video card upgrades on the cheap

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:11:44 +0000

Apart from just being fun, upgrading is absolutely necessary if you’re looking to build a killer gaming rig. Desktop computers generally come with weaker video cards optimized for checking e-mail and web browsing, and not much else. If you want to play Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty and hope to see every last drop when you blast some Zergs, you’re going to need a better video card. Luckily, you can now get the EVGA GeForce 9800 GT 512 MB card for only 199.99 from Newegg.Considering that it used to take 200 to 300 to get a card of this caliber, the discount seems well worth the wait. Even better, Newegg supports it with a full two-year warranty for 16.99. User reviews have already stated that it can run Starcraft II and Team Fortress 2 on full graphics settings with just a single card. However, it can be linked together with another card for even more amazing performance. The GeForce 9800 GT is also suited for playing Blu-ray discs, even when hooked up to an HDTV.Be aware that there are a few requirements for the card. Check these off on your home computer before ordering:

400-watt power supply
2 slots of space
6-pin connector

For this price, though, if you’re missing any one of these it could be worth it to invest in some more upgrades. I have a feeling you won’t find a better graphics card for this price anytime soon, and Newegg may stop their generosity at any time.

Upgrading phones into credit cards

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:02:04 +0000

AT&T and Verizon Wireless recently announced a deal with Discover Financial Services that will give smartphones credit card capabilities. This includes being able to purchase products in stores using a phone instead of a plastic card. Global bank Barclays would manage the accounts, while Discover would be in charge of processing payments.While it may seem like science fiction, there have already been previous trials of the technology across the world, with working systems in Japan, Turkey, and the U.K., and American tests by Nokia and Cingular. Previously, Visa and MasterCard had been the go-to credit card companies for these mobile experiments. This is no surprise, as MasterCard alone was responsible for 82 of credit-card spending in 2009. The fact that AT&T and Verizon didn’t go to them could be because Visa and Mastercard have their own chickens in the basket already. Visa has an iPhone App that lets people store payment information for several accounts, and MasterCard has its PayPass service, which works via stickers on the back of the phone.Will AT&T and Verizon Wireless’s involvement help this service get off the ground in a way that it never has before? Security issues and common standards have been slowing consumers from adopting the service in the past, but these companies are working on changing that. Smartphones are certainly in the public eye right now, and our guess is that consumers will jump on this new service if the companies market it in the right way. What exactly that is, though, isn’t so clear. You can keep checking “Upgrade Tech” or the always-dependable CNET for more information on this developing technology, as well as many other new and exciting opportunities to jump on the bleeding edge.

RIM’s “secret event” is a new Blackberry announcement

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:52:49 +0000

On July 27, RIM (Research in Motion) sent e-mails to leading technology sites, including CNET, informing them of an upcoming Blackberry event in New York the next week. On August 3, the secrecy was peeled away, ever so slightly, to reveal the newest Blackberry model: the Torch 9800.For months, bloggers and reviewers have suspected that the new Blackberry would be the first to use the new Blackberry 6 operating system. At the event, their suspicions were confirmed. The main focus of the new software is competing with the iPhone and Android OS in web navigation. Blackberry 6 is also expected to work better with touch devices, trackpads, and QWERTY keyboards.While readers waited for the latest announcements from the press conference, AT&T quietly added the Torch to their website, confirming that it will be an AT&T exclusive. The site lists a rundown of the device’s many features, including:

Touch screen keyboard plus slide-out QWERTY keyboard plus trackpad
Next-gen messaging for up to 10 people at once
Social networking feed
5 MP camera

The news from the conference also revealed the motivation behind the name. The phone is the first with a WebKit browser, which was developed in conjunction with Torch Mobile. Previously, Torch Mobile had developed the Iris Browser, which also incorporated WebKit rendering.There will be several groups of people interested in following the new developments of the Blackberry Torch. One is Blackberry fans looking to upgrade their old tech. Another is disgruntled iPhone customers. The pricing seems reasonable–199.99 with a 2-year-service agreement. There will be two data plan options, 15 for 200 MB or 25 for 2 GB. The device went on sale August 12.