Vertical Technology Blog

This website and the creations within really grabbed my attention and spoke to the art lover side of my brain. Steampunk has this as the tagline for the site, and what it means:

“Wherein the craftsman demonstrates the construction of artifacts from an age of steam and brass.”

What does all this mean? Just browse the site and take a look at how this crafter makes a flat panel monitor look fabulously aged and yet…it still holds it’s gadget-factor. The Steampunk Workshop site has so many great things to look at, with photos of the projects as they go and video of some of them working.

My favorites were the keyboard and monitor, of course, but he also features a salt water iPod etch, Altoids Tins and other creative crafts that really will have your mind going. Jake’s ultimate goal is to create a steam car, just for fun!

Not only does this Symbaloo site make me feel more organized, but it uses Google as the chosen search engine and links to sites like Gmail if you choose the default desktop. If you’re tired of text bookmarks and you want to add a little spark to your browsing, this site will have you organizing until the sun goes down.

Good thing is, you can wake up feeling like you’ve accomplished tons! Once you visit the site for the first time, it shows you have 1 mail message. Click on it and it will welcome you to the service. Now all you need to do is register for it and set up your favorite links. The date and time are posted at the top and this might just replace my start page (currently iGoogle).

I love that you can move the icons in “real-time” and organize your screen quickly and easily, grouping your bookmarked or linked sites together how YOU want them. Try it out, it’s absolutely fun. The registration was quick and easy and I was greeted with a neat welcome message (and followed up with an email verification) that said:

You have just created you own account: great! You can now use your personalized desktop from every computer in the world: at home, school the office or in an internet cafe.

If you don’t want to spend uber-dollars on a laptop this season, but you have an IM-er in the house, you might want to take a look at other options for them.  Zipit’s Wireless Instant Messaging system is a neat idea for people in that category.

With audio playback and photo viewing available, you can enjoy a host of fun features this baby has to offer.  The Zipit has a few pre-requisites, you must have existing IM accounts (those are free with MSN, Yahoo and AOL/AIM) and a wireless connection either at home or a hotspot abroad.  This makes IMing free, with no monthly fee or pay per use bills coming in the mail.

The photo sharing requires a miniSD card for storing, but many digital cameras need those so this would pair up well with one of those.  The audio offers Internet Radio or again, the miniSD card for storing your favorite songs.  You use the Zipit Wireless site for themes and extras, to help you personalize the screen, and you’re ready to chat!

This Torpedo Digital Game and Movie Projector allows kids (or those of us that are big kids) to see their gaming on a larger scale.  You connect it to your video system or game setup and you can display what you would usually see on your simple TV screen, somewhere else, in super-sized mode.

Projects in a 960×240 resolution and has built-in speakers so you continue to hear the same gaming sounds you’re used to.  You can also plug in a pair of headphones for a quiet experience, but I think if you’re projecting it up there that big, you probably want projected sound, too.

You could also set up with a DVD player for larger movie displays…could be fun for parties or a get together.

Honestly, so many say that RAID is a must-have backup choice but just remember a few things about it, before making it your number one solution.

RAID 1 is certainly great for helping you retrieve your information if the main hard drive fails.  Using a mirrored RAID can be a great choice if that happens but what about other situations?  It will not prevent malicious software issues that come upon you and attack your system, like viruses.

Why is RAID 1 a bad choice during those times?  Because, the way it works is to copy each and every file from one hard drive to the mirrored backup drive.  If the virus or malicious code is on your main drive, you get it twice, because it copies directly to your backup drive.

Your best solution in these cases, if not just drive failure, which RAID 1 is perfect for…would be a third-party application like Pexagon Technologies has available on the Store-It Pro 2.5″ Portable Hard Drives because you are choosing when to backup your information (with the press of a button) and you can choose only the most valid information to be stored (photos, music, documents) in case of a system crash due to a virus.

The Dallas Fort Worth Airport is holding their first ever Traveler Tech Fest this month where they will show off a few of the newest ideas that will be incorporated into their airport. It is important to note that these improvements are being reported to be focused on business travelers, but I feel even the most casual traveler will benefit from the changes.

If you’ve been to an airport recently you can probably relate to the stories of travelers finding free outlets in the hallways of an airport, plugging into them and working away, even if this means they have to sit on the floor. With DFW’s new setup you won’t have this issue. The only catch? You have to pay for some types of access.

With the introduction of pay-per-use electricity in the past, you could stay connected with your laptop, personal hand-held or mobile phone for as long as you needed. But now, they offer Ethernet connections and a place to sit while conducting your business.

Also being pushed onto rushed travelers is the vending machine concept gone high-tech. With items inside like iPods, Sony digital cameras and upscale headphones, you will have the ease of buying quick gifts if you’re a weary traveler that doesn’t keep up with holiday dates well.

DFW already launched a podcast service just last year that allowed passengers to check for information on parking, hotel, dining and other options. With monthly updates, you can visit the iTunes Music Store or the DFW Airport site for access to this download to keep you updated while traveling. The podcasts focus on amenities that are located in the International Terminal D and should be a neat way to stay in the know.

CompuTech Direct has always been reaching upwards when it comes to learning about new technology. If you’re looking for the newest gadgets, most useful sites, competitive priced services or even just some good advice about electronics, you can look here on the Vertical Technology blog.

We’re reaching new heights with our research and hope to bring you only the best.

Google is taking the world by storm and they won’t let you get too far without seeing something branded with the logo we are all so familiar with. Now they are hitting your local gas pumps that are made by Gilbarco Veeder-Root to bring you more convenient technology.

Google is incorporating their maps into displays at thousands of gasoline pumps starting early December, across the United States that offer turn-by-turn directions to your destination (or, sometimes, destinations that merchants set up). So, while you stand there pumping gas into your vehicle, you can press buttons and get directions printed on your receipt to get you to local schools, businesses or restaurants.

The SF AP reports:

Greensboro, N.C.-based Gilbarco Veeder-Root will initially offer the service in about 3,500 gas pumps and expand based on retailer demand.

Unlike most of Google’s services, this one won’t include ads bringing the company income. But participating retailers will be able to make extra money from other merchants that offer coupons on the service.

And to make this more convenient to us all, they plan to use the displays to even more advantageous means by placing store items up for sale that you can order and pay for, at the pump, then just run inside and receive your purchases when you are done.

Coming, to a gas station near you!