monitors

When it comes to smart TVs, manufacturers are basically charging money for nuthin.'

Or to put it in less dire terms, the smart TV suites included in today's TVs offer little value. That's not to say I don't enjoy Netflix, Amazon Instant, and HBO Go as much as the next broadband Internet subscriber, it's just that I can get the same great apps and content on devices as cheap as the $50 Roku LT. So why would I want to spend $100 extra or more on a TV that has these features?… Read more

The man credited with inventing the World Wide Web has come out against the British government's contentious plans to monitor all Internet communication.

In an extensive interview with U.K. newspaper the Guardian, Tim Berners-Lee said the type of surveillance that the government was proposing was tantamount to the "destruction of human rights" and "the most important thing to do is to stop the bill as it is at the moment."

The plan being pushed by the government, which was announced this month, entails British intelligence agencies observing every U.K. resident's Internet use, … Read more

If you have diabetes, hypertension, or other chronic medical conditions, you no doubt know the value of tracking your blood sugar, blood pressure, and other health metrics. Health Monitor is an easy-to-use program that lets you record a variety of types of health information and track it over time.

Health Monitor comes with two sample users, so it's easy to see how the program works before you create a profile for yourself and get started. The interface is arranged in six tabs: Summary, Readings, Charts, Reports, Users and Help. We created a new profile for ourselves, entering our name, … Read more

As screencasting software gets better and easier to use, people have found more and more uses for recording and sharing live video from their Mac's screen--from hands-on tech support to online gaming braggadocio. Screenium has long been one of the best options for Mac users who want to record video and audio captured from their desktops, and the jump to 2.0 has made the app even better.

Screenium can help you record full-screen, or in a single window or prescribed area, and the app captures anything and everything -- including streaming video, microphone audio commentary, picture-in-picture of your … Read more

File this under the bizarre but potentially life-saving category of new tech: an intelligent floor that knows who is doing what on a given surface, and can alert police or first responders in the event of an intrusion or medical emergency.

IBM, which filed for a patent describing such a system in February 2009, is now, just more than three years later, the proud holder of said patent. What it does with it remains to be seen, but the initial vision is clear.

From the patent abstract, IBM reports on an approach that "uses an electronic multitouch floor covering that has numerous sensors to identify shapes."… Read more

As is the case with an increasing number of health- and fitness-related gadgetry, Philips' new monitor that aims to improve posture will be a welcome advance to some and a niggling reminder to others.

The 24-inch desktop LCD ErgoSensor monitor employs a built-in CMOS sensor that tracks the distance between one's pupils and the monitor, as well as the angle of one's neck to the screen, and alerts the user via a Webcam-like display when either measurement indicates bad posture.… Read more

Yes, the Samsung SyncMaster S23A750D supports Samsung's proprietary active shutter 3D, but forget about that for a minute. What you should really focus on is its movie and games performance.

Now, not everyone loves glossy screens. As I mentioned before, they can get uber-reflective, particularly during sunny days, and movies or TV shows or games with lots of dark scenes can suffer as a result.

However, the payoff of watching movies on the S23A750D under proper lighting conditions (i.e. at night) is worth any difficulties that sunny days bring.… Read more

Be extra careful on the Internet if you live in Arizona, the local legislators may soon make it a Class 3 felony to be a "troll."

House Bill 2549 has already made its way through both houses and is waiting for the signature of Governor Jan Brewer. If passed, a minimum sentence of 2.5 years will be handed down to non-dangerous offenders that use any electronic device in a lews or lascivious act." Head over to Governor Brewer's Facebook page and send a message of protest!… Read more

Smallish laptops are great for travel, but when you're sitting at your desk all day, you'll almost certainly find yourself longing for a larger screen.

Indeed, I can handle my HP dm1z's 11.6-inch display for an hour or two in a coach seat or coffee shop, but for everyday home-office duties, it's way too cramped.

That's why I keep a nice, big monitor on my desk. Sound good? Then check this out: TigerDirect has the Acer G245HQ 24-inch LCD monitor for $129.99, plus $9.87 for shipping.

As you'd expect from an … Read more