With the creation of laptops also came the creation of portable accessories to compliment those with an on-the-go lifestyle. Arguably one of the greatest portable assets is the portable and external hard drive. External hard drives provide an excellent way to store and transfer files between many different devices.

External hard drives can be plugged into all types of computers and used to transfer, but for the most part store, files. This means that any type of electronic device that can utilize the external hard drive’s interface (USB, eSATA, Firewire) can access the files on the device. You can store a large variety of files to transfer from one computer to another. You can store music and movies and then connect the hard drive to a gaming console and interact with the media on your TV. You even can backup important office or banking files and then copy protect or security protect the files so only one user can access them.

There are, of course, many ways to use an external hard drive. The biggest thing to note is that they provide many advantages. For the most part, everyone wants their important files to remain safe and backed up in the event of a hardware or file failure. After all, before computers most people knew to make copies of important documents and keep them in several places. The same holds true for computers and in many cases is very important. Even something just as simple as a power outage can cause serious problems in different circumstances, and thus ruin files stored on a computer.

In addition, the cost of acquiring this technology has dropped significantly in recent years as more products make their way to the marketplace. But before you decide to invest in HDTV, ask yourself these questions:

•    Am I already satisfied with my current television?

•    Do I want something sharper, flatter, or bigger?

•    Am I willing to pay hundreds more to acquire HDTV compared to a normal TV?

If you’ve answered no to any of the above questions, getting this technology might not be right for you at this point. But if you’re good and ready for HDTV, go ahead and read on.

Things You’ll Need

You won’t get the rewards of HDTV if you don’t put some effort into it. There are many items you need to acquire before you can enjoy HDTV. Among these include the source, the channel, and the show itself.

The HDTV Source – if you want to watch high-def shows, you need a special cable that can deliver HDTV shows to your screen. The HDTV source usually will cost more than standard ones, and it is not available in all stores.

The HDTV Channel – not all channels supports high-def shows. Currently, there are more regular channels than HDTV-supported channels, but this will change soon. Cable providers are now offering HDTV channels as well.

The HDTV Show – if you’ve watching a high-def tv plugged to an HDTV source on an HDTV channel, then you’re watching high-definition shows, right? This is not entirely accurate because certain HDTV channels show broadcasts of the same shows in the standard-def and high-def channels. Not all shows will appear high-def because of this.

Design

It is the first thing that will catch your attention. Though it is a relatively large phone for its class, it is lightweight, easy to carry, and it feels comfortable. Users can feel the power of its multimedia capability with its 2.2 by 3.9 by 0.8 dimensions. The phone makes use of 16 million color display that can be oriented either horizontally or vertically for your needs. Displays are sharp, bright, and colorful. The N95’s dual-slider design also enables the gadget to better accommodate the multimedia features of the phone.

Camera

From the back, this phone looks like a point-and-shoot camera, so the magic is really at its front. The flash-enabled camera of the N95 helps you capture beautiful pictures on the go. The VGA video at 30 frames per second is a notable feat as well. Other camera-related features are worth mentioning as well. You can easily transfer these images through Bluetooth and multimedia text messages. You also have the option to send it directly to your Vox or Flickr photo sharing account.

With all these features in mind, no one can deny that the N95 is a phone that is close to perfection…at least until the next high-tech invention is developed by innovative manufacturers like Nokia.

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To take part in this drawing you need to sign up for the Wasabi Media Group Advertiser Newsletter by using the form here: http://www.wasabimediagroup.com/advertiser_subscribe1.php. By signing up and confirming your email, you will receive 5 tickets.  As a bonus, everyone that enters gets an automatic $50 in free advertising on our network!

You also can get five additional entries by writing about this contest in your blog.   An entrant only needs to mention the contest and link to Wasabi Media Group or the contest in his or her blog.  An entrant will get the additional entries only if he or she signs up for the newsletter.

Just comment on this thread once you have entered the contest, and we will approve your entrance prize of $50 in advertising and add your tickets to the pool.  If you have blogged about this contest, please include a link to the blog post in your comment thread also.

When Does The Contest End?

The contest runs from now until November 26th at midnight EST.  Prizes will be awarded on November 27th.

1. The fastest PC is faster than the fastest Mac. And because there are two competing design chip companies for the PC (Intel and AMD), you know that your PCs are only going to become stronger, better, and faster.
2. Not only are they faster, but PCs are also much cheaper than Macs. If you are looking for a good and reliable laptop, you may only spend $400 on your PC purchase. You can’t do that if you buy a Mac.
3. Also, there is so much more software available for PCs. Some could even argue that there is over ten times more software available for PCs than for Macs. And speaking of software gaming, the high-end games are more geared toward PC users.
4. The fact that only about 5% of the laptop owning population owns a Mac also tells one what the population prefers. Yes, this number will continue to grow, but the number of PCs out there clearly surpasses the number of Macs. Because so many people have PCs, this makes it very easy to get your computer fixed when something goes awry.
5. PCs also have well developed right-clicking and scrolling. They also can run the user friendly Vista system and if you do not want to run Vista, you can switch back to the original operating system.
6. Another great reason to get a PC is the fact that almost everywhere you go, you’ll find a PC. PCs are more prevalent and are usually the default laptop. Most people use Microsoft PowerPoint and Word–these are not on Macs. However, I do applaud the fact that Macs can run Windows.

Wait, why did they have to succumb to the power and system of PCs? Oh.. that’s right…

Less software required

No, don’t scratch your head. Any computer expert who knows anything about how computers work will tell you that less software on your computer is always better. It doesn’t take up as much memory space and lets the computer process information a lot faster. Apple enables you to install only a few software programs because their programs already have a variety of functions within them.

Mac Computer Runs on Windows

Mac computers are compatible with Windows, but PCs legally cannot run a Mac operating system. But if you’re using Mac computers, why would you want to use Windows? It is not really a question of wanting; it is the question of having the option. For example, if Photoshop stopped working when you used Leopard, you could install Windows on your computer to do your work.

Macs have higher “second hand” value

Selling used computers can be difficult, especially since a lot of manufacturers and online retailers are putting their computers up for sale. Inevitably you will have to price your computer a lot lower in order to close a sale. The PC market is already crowded but people are willing to pay more for a Mac.

For today’s post I thought I would try something different and answer one of the comments listed on another article I posted earlier titled “iPhone Alternatives”. In that article I provided more of a list of alternatives; in this post I shall review the few devices that fit best.

1. HTC Touch- This phone contains a beautiful 3.5” touch screen with a resolution of 320*480 pixels. It weighs a mere 112g and is about the size of the average Motorola Razor. The phone is packaged with a stylus and headphones and works very much like a miniature PDA. The operating system, Windows Mobile, is user friendly, and the home screen of the device is well designed. One major drawback is the on screen keyboard, which is somewhat small and at times difficult to use for texting or e-mail. The device plays music and videos, as well as takes pictures and only costs around $100. The Touch would make a very good substitute for the iPhone, both in function and in price.

2. Samsung Instinct- This phone has many close similarities to the iPhone, but is not to be taken lightly as it remains an amazing phone all by itself. It has excellent call quality, unique web browsing features, is very user-friendly and has a few things the iPhone doesn’t, such as GPS and speech recognition. It does, of course, have a 3” touch screen, with a native resolution of 432*240. The price tag is also much lower, starting around $230. One major drawback of this phone is that sometimes the touch screen is not as responsive as it should be.

3. LG Dare- Another 3” touch screen phone that is not quite as ambiguous as the others. The design is fairly simple and yet not as sleek as it could be. The touch screen also falters quite a bit more than it should, and the handwriting tools are practically useless. The phone does support music, videos and pictures but since it’s a Verizon phone everything will have to be purchased. This does serve as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone, retailing around $200, but it would probably be one of the last in the list.

The main technology behind the Wii Fit is actually the balance board. It can detect the slightest change in pressure and weight while you’re standing on it because of its sensitivity feature. Similar to its predecessor, the Wii Remote, the balance board is highly intuitive as soon as the exercise game is on. However, you should take note that the board can only handle 330 pounds in maximum capacity.

Fitness buffs shouldn’t think that Wii Fit is a weight-loss solution, though. This is because the technology focuses more on improving balance and muscle tone than weight loss exercises. It does let you know and keep track of your weight, BMI, and time spent using the game. With this type of feature, it becomes easier for you to determine your health status.

The board connects wirelessly to the Wii and uses four AA batteries. Its functionality is undeniable, and the manufacturers even integrated four rubber feet to prevent users from slipping on its surface. The Wii Fit is definitely a great alternative to going to the gym or joining an aerobics class that is 30 minutes away from your home. With this kind of technology at your disposal, there is no longer any excuse for you to put off exercising because it is boring or tedious.

One- The whopping price tag.

Two- AT&T is the ONLY service provider of the phone.

Wow, that first hurdle is a pretty big step to overcome. The second wouldn’t be so bad if there were more provider options, but the fact remains there aren’t. So, where do users of other service providers go for a phone much like the iPhone and maybe a little cheaper, if it can be helped?

To answer that question here is a small list of possible alternatives to the iPhone.

• Verizon- LG Voyager; LG Dare; Samsung Glide

• Sprint/Nextel- Samsung Instinct; HTC Touch; Blackberry Curve; Palm Centro

• Alltel- HTC Touch; Blackberry Curve; LG Glimmer

• AT&T- HTC Tilt; LG VU CU920; LG VU CU915

Early reviews of the Samsung Instinct prove to be positive, and the official website even lists reasons why it outshines the iPhone; check it out for some more info. Some of the other phones lack certain similarities such as the HTC touch, which is a little wider in form and has a smaller screen display, but the price tag is in a much more comfortable $100 range. A couple of the phones even lack the biggest feature, a touch screen, such as the Blackberry Curve and the Palm Centro, but they still fortunately prove a decent alternative.

iPod Nano 8Gb Black

When you think of a portable media device, usually one word comes to mind, “iPod”. Apple has definitely struck gold with its popular music device; the third generation iPod Nano became the highest selling MP3 player in history. All versions of the device have an easy to use interface and a decent battery life. However, most don’t really know these fore-mentioned perks come with a trade-off. There are very specific limitations on what media can be played on the device, as well as a prominent restriction allowing only the synch up of music through Apple’s own software iTunes. This information coupled with the steep price of the different models, compared to other brand’s, might force those wishing to conform to popular demand into considering a purchase of an alternative media device.

In the age of the iPod, where else can you turn to playback your music on the go?

The answer is that there are several other brands with media devices, which, in some cases, outshine the iPod in many ways. With most of the media and population these days so biased towards Apple’s iPod, sometimes other devices are all but forgotten. Some other well known brands with media devices include Creative (Zen series), Microsoft (Zune), Sony, Samsung (T-series), and even SanDisk (Sansa).

The iPod Nano 8Gb costs in a range from $159-$199, while a Creative Zen 16Gb player costs around $159-$200. As you can see, in some cases you can get more for your money if you decide to purchase a different brand. Although, the deciding factor here is mostly going to be attributed to quality. So can you get a better player for a cheaper, or equal price?

Yes.

All the other brands listed above have bigger screens than the iPods, better sound quality, and even better music compatibility, with exception to the Zune, which only plays WMA, MP3, and AAC files (This is still better than the iPod which plays only AAC files; MP3’s are converted to AAC through the use of iTunes before they are synched to the device).

So, before you run out and pick up that iPod because it’s the only media player you’ve ever heard of do some research first and decide which brand has a player that best suits your needs. In no time you’ll have your brand new player, and you’ll be happy you didn’t conform to certain iPod standards.