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Category Archives: Laptop

NYC Adventures With Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium : The Video!

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At the recent launch of Office 365 Home Premium in New York City’s Bryant Park, I had the opportunity to experience the new features of Office while talking to some very exciting people (keep reading to find out who!). The Microsoft Office 365 experience center showcased the services and applications (for example Word, Excel, PowerPoint and check out OneNote) that together comprise the new Office and demonstrated how they work together for a great experience that helps you amaze, share, connect, explore, create and imagine.   

 

These days, I’m constantly amazed at when and where I can actually get things done. The new Office provides me with instant access to my documents and information offline or online, enabling me to be more productive by utilizing brief segments of my day to get things done for my family and myself. The option to use Office 365 on five devices (including PCs, Macs and Windows tablets), stream full Office apps to any Windows 7 or 8 PC, and use Office Web Apps on mobile devices also gives me the flexibility work how I want. After all, being more efficient during the day simplifies my life, and makes my nights less hectic.

 
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Check out my new video on BlogHerTV that not only shares a VIP tour of the launch but also showcases interviews with interesting people. See what busy mom and Hollywood actress Felicity Huffman says came to her rescue managing her life as a mom. Hear what my blogger buddy Jen Singer from MommaSaid.net can do from a waiting room at the Vet and learn tips from Office Insiders regarding how they are using the new Office to make their life easier. Of course, considering where I was (Bryant Park on a beautiful winter day), I had to put on some ice skates for a New York City winter adventure. Luckily, Jen Singer decided to join in the fun!

 

 

Exciting Announcement: TechMama is guest columnist at Laptop Mag

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For years, reading online and buying Laptop Magazine has been one of my regular stops to catch up on the latest in mobile tech. Laptop Magazine was (and is) an important part of my daily curation of family technology and social media.

 

Other then my personal blog TechMamas.com ( and as a big fan of CoolMomPicks),  I was thrilled to be part of the team at their sister site CoolMomTech – the top tech shopping site for moms. It was also my dream as a tech blogger to contribute to a mainstream tech site.

 

I am excited to announce that I am a guest columnist at none other then Laptop Magazine (ok, yes I am giddy)! My first column discusses if Augmented Reality toys are bad for your kids. To find out my thoughts – you will need to check out Laptop Magazine online or the May magazine issue. Even better if you do both. As I head out on a business trip next week, I picked up my regular “plane” – shut off your electronics and read a magazine – reading. I must say, buying the recent issue of Laptop Magazine was extra special this time.

 

 

 

Media Event: Windows 7 Holiday 2010 PC’s

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About 6 months ago I purchased a new Windows 7 laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor, big hard drive and powerful graphics. My computer was 3 years old – which is 100 years old in PC age.

This new computer has really helped me turbo charge my computing experience and sneak work in between my crazy mom schedule managing 3 boys.

Last week I attended a Windows7 Holiday event that showcased some of the newly available Window 7 PC’s. My slogan this holiday season is upgrading family technology is the best holiday gift, so I was interested to see some of recent advancements and fun features.

Listed below are some interesting PC’s I saw and some of the specs. When choosing a PC it is important to first decide what that PC will be used for, then decide what features are important to support that use. Laptops, with their increasing more powerful specs, are crossing the line between being good for mobile as well as home.

Mobile Computing Power that can also used for work/homework:

Acer TimelineX 1830- starting at $600: Ultraportable, light, 8 hours + of battery life. Specs: Intel Core i3 Processor 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Intel HD Graphics

Dell Studio 15 – starting at $599: 15.4″, 1080p display, Intel Core i7, 6GB RAM and 256GB solid state drive.

Dell Inspiron Duo – starting at $499: 10 inch multi-touch tablet that transitions to a laptop (Dell’s first convertablie tablet).

HP Envy 14 – starting at $999.99: Laser-etched aluminum design with Beats Audio. Up to Intel Core i7, 4GB RAM, 320GB

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge – starting at $700: Curved keyboard, Core i3, 3GB RAM, 320GB.

Lenovo U160 - starting at $749: A thin and light computer with a beautiful red design on the outer lid. Core i5 (or Core i7), 4GB RAM, 320GB.’

Samsung SF510 “Shark” – starting at $979: Curved modern design. Core i3, 4GB RAM, 640 GB HD.

Toshiba Kid’s PC Satellite L635 – starting at $499: Water-resistant keyboard, pre-loaded web browser KidZui and NetNanny. Celeron, 2GB RAM and 250GB HD.

Toshiba R705 – starting at $800: Thin and light 13″ Magnesium honeycomb chassis. Core i3, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD.

Family Touch PC’s:

HP TouchSmart 600 -  starting at $999: HD Multi-touch screen and Blu-Ray. Core i7, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD.

Sony Vaio J - starting at $1049.99: 21.5″ full HD touchscreen. Core i7, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD.

I also had a brief opportunity to view some of the new Windows 7 phones. I will be doing more detailed posts in the near future, but for now I thought the Samsung Focus and the Dell Venue Pro were defintely peaking my interest.

This week I will also be posting on Windows Live Essentials 2011, which I just starting using, then a discussion about some of the available free software and services. If only I could find some way to turbo charge my workouts similar to how my new PC turbocharged my work day!

Disclosure: This post is documenting a media event I was invited to. These specifications are from a press release distributed at the event.

This is not a sponsored post.

 

Just Announced: Sony VAIO® E Series, Cool Colors and Affordable Price

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While I am still sorting through all the fun tech I saw at CES to create my CES coverage posts, I decided to keep a running tab of the new tech just out. On January 28 I posted with techie details about the Apple iPad. On Feb. 2nd Sony released news about the new VAIO® E Series. This announcement is interesting to add to the ongoing debate about the iPad functionality in the tablet category versus netbooks and laptops. One of the choices being debated is purchasing an internet device such as a tablet, buying a netbook, or buying a full featured laptop that are all now becoming closer in price. While comparing a tablet to a laptop is different because tablets are handheld and laptops are mobile computing  – many consumers need to make a choice of getting the most functionality for the buck.

Here are details from the Sony News press release.  Click HERE to view the Sony Vaio EB series on the Sony Style website. 

PRICE: The Sony Style website states the starting retail price for the Sony Vaio EB series as $799.

DESIGN: The SONY press release stated that the “E Series comes in five
translucent, high-gloss colors— Caribbean Green, Iridescent Blue,
Coconut White, Hibiscus Pink and Lava Black— and three matte
colors—Maple Brown, Silver White and Gunmetal. Subtle patterns can be
found on the lids, of the glossy models, with the palm rest mirroring
the color of the PC…. With a 15.5-inch (measured diagonally) widescreen display with optional HD capability so movies….The edge-to-edge isolated keyboard has a
numeric pad built-in, giving you the experience of using a larger
computer in a much smaller footprint. A pleasing dimpled touch pad is seamlessly integrated into the palm rest.“

STORAGE, BATTERY LIFE, USB PORTS/CONNECTORS: The SONY press release stated “transfer and store data to peripheral devices utilizing the notebook’s eSATA/ USB port and three convenient USB ports. Select models incorporate Bluetooth® technology, enabling peripherals such as a wireless mouse to be utilized without tying up the unit’s ports…..For those who prefer to watch content on a
big screen television, the PC has an HDMI™ output so it can be
connected to a compatible HDTV set for a larger viewing experience
(HDMI cable required, sold separately). Up to 500GB hard drives are available.. It also has the added convenience of DVD and CD read/write functionalities.”

The current Sony Style website has the following other features listed: WiFi – IEEE 802.11 b/g/n, max of 3.5 hours battery time, 8GB max RAM, and a weight of 5.95 pounds.

CAMERA: The SONY press release stated: “A built-in webcam with face-tracking
technology and microphone let you video chat with family, friends and
colleagues. A third-party internet service provider is required.”

APPLICATIONS: The SONY press release  states: “All E Series PCs come pre-installed with Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system…..The E Series notebook also comes with three unique hardware buttons– WEB, VAIO and ASSIST to get you to where you want to go with a touch of a button. Quickly access the Internet, without full boot up into Windows®, by simply pressing the WEB button. Launch directly into Sony’s own Media Gallery software by pushing the designated VAIO button on the keyboard and create high-quality home movies. Finally troubleshoot any issues or facilitate simple do-it-yourself PC maintenance procedures by pressing the ASSIST button and launching the included VAIO Care™ software program…”

MULTI-TASKING and PROCESSOR INFO: Multi-tasking = YES. The SONY press release states “Select E Series models pack an Intel® Core™ i5 processor with Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies, delivering the performance needed for multitasking”. Sony Vaio EB series also available with the Intel® Core™ i3 processor. The Sony Style website also lists “dedicated graphics of ATI Mobility Radeon™ with up to 512MB of VRAM on select models” which helps support processing of video and photo related tasks.

MUSIC, MOVIES AND TV: As stated above, the HDMI output can be connected to a compatible HDTV set. The SONY press release  also stated:” The E Series notebook features an optional Blu-ray Disc™ ROM drive, making it ideal for viewing pristine HD content on-the-go”.

EBOOKS: Sony’s has a line of e-Readers and access to the Reader™ Store. Along with Google Books, the Reader™ Store has access to over 1 million eBooks.  With the Reader Library Software installed on the PC, ebooks can be purchased and stored. You do not need a device to use the service.

GREEN TECH: The SONY press release states: “E Series is ENERGY STAR® 5.0 Qualified, EPEAT® Silver registered and RoHS compliant. Its corrugated cardboard packaging is comprised of 95 percent recycled content. Sony will also help recycle your old PC (www.sony.com/green; recycling fees may apply).“

All the information for this post was taken from the Sony Electronics press release and Sony Style website. This post is an update related to the press release.

I saw additional posts on the updated Sony Vaio E series at Engadget and Electronista.