Monday, November 26, 2012
Patch kicks off its holiday gadget gift guide with a look at the best headphones available.
Thanksgiving is over, the leftovers are dwindling and December is almost here. That means the holiday lights will start appearing, the Christmas music will be blasting through department stores for the next month and, most importantly, it's time to start shopping for gifts. Each Monday, Patch will be throwing some gadget gift recommendations your way. Your Gadget Gift Guide kicks off with a look at headphones. Best full-size headphones: The Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones are comfortable, sport a balanced sound and, at $105, are a bargain. CNET gives these headphones a four-star review (out of five). The only downside is there's no integrated microphone, so you can't use them to take calls on your cellphone. Best Bluetooth headphones: If…
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Apps to help you navigate and find the great deals on Black Friday.
Black Friday sales require a good strategy, comfortable shoes and a lot of coffee. There’s one more thing to add to the list: your iPhone or Smartphone. A variety of apps can turn your phone into a shopping tool that will help you navigate stores, get coupons and find the best prices. Wired reports more apps are being rolled out as retails “acknowledge the new reality of anytime, anywhere retail, a reality in which getting someone to tap an app on Black Friday is at least as important as getting them through the door.” A few recommendations from PCWorld.com includes: Google Maps Google Maps provides maps for stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom. This app can also be used to help you plan out your route and find items on store shelves. Google …
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Glenview electronic giant's Apple expert chats about the iPhone 5 release, what users can expect and why you need to check it out. From a new processor to a killer camera and lots of other goodies, Apple's latest toy will 'blow your mind.'
Mark Sept. 21 in your calendar. It’s iPhone 5 release day, baby! After yesterday’s highly anticipated iPhone 5 announcement, Patch chatted with Abt’s Apple Boutique manager Joshua Davis about new features, why the iPhone 5 will “make you drool” and how you can make sure you have one when they go on sale. Davis, of Morton Grove, has worked with Abt for eight years. He has appeared on a variety of local television shows and is often an expert source for national publications. Patch: Tell us about some of the cool features we can expect with the new iPhone release. What are some of the biggest changes/upgrades? JD: Apple's announcement today has got us all geared up. There's two major things going on with the new iPhone 5. The hardware …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
The following arrest information was supplied by the Highland Park police department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Burglary from motor vehicle Police are investigating a report of a burglary from motor vehicle. It was reported that sometime overnight unknown persons entered an unlocked vehicle and removed a GPS, two walkie talkies and a charger cord for a Bluetooth. The incident occurred in the 1800 block of Midland Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois. Retail theft Julie Glassman, 35, of the 800 block of North Winchester, Chicago, was arrested and charged with retail theft after police investigated the theft that occurred on July 17 in the 1800 block of First Street, Highland Park. Glassman was released on a cash bond with a court date of August 22, 2012 at 301 Greenleaf Street, Park City, Illinois. Criminal damage to property Police are investigating a …
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Evernote's mobile app lets you record audio notes, photos and text.
I'm sure you've experienced it too: Someone recommends a time-saving mobile app to you. And life is busy, so you put off trying it out. But when you finally download it, you can't imagine life without it. That was my journey to Evernote, the all-in-one brain in your pocket. Now, as an editor for Patch and an (occasional) author, I'm always taking notes. I take photos of places I want to visit again, jot down memorable quotes and talk to myself on my audio recorder almost constantly. Before Evernote, I'd use the iPhone's built-in yellow pad Notes program or, most recently, Genius Scan (a very good scanner app) to keep track of my thoughts. Evernote (which is free for the iPhone and Android) made them both seem redundant very quickly, …
Sunday, February 26, 2012
This week's review includes a look into the TonePad and Songify apps.
I am not musically inclined. Or, rather, I'm not much anymore. When I was a teen, I played trumpet in a touring jazz band, but my ability to hit a high C has long since past. Which, I suspect, is why I'm in love with the free TonePad and Songify iPhone apps. With TonePad, there's no instrument to learn, or even music to read. You simply open the app up and run your finger across a field of dots--and voila, music! Now, it takes a little tinkering before you're making anything but pleasant-sounding noise (the simplicity of the program makes it difficult to create pure cacophony). But once you start lining up dots (aka, notes) in vertical lines, the player recognizes them as chords. You can build on the chords and the progressions to create…
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Many are great for personal use, too.
Last month, I introduced you to a suite of apps to get you started using an iPad for your business. It doesn’t end there! Although these apps are beneficial for many businesses, they are relevant for personal use too. Are you working on a project and have photos, notes and bookmarks of web sites? Evernote is an app that allows you to organize information and is ideal for remodeling or redecorating projects, real estate listings, event planning and even vacations. There are desktop versions for Mac and Windows which sync to your iPad or iPhone (Androids and Blackberrys too). And, they’re all free. And while you’re updating your project information in Evernote, are you billing for your time? If you need to track time and expenses, …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The following arrest information was supplied by the Highland Park police department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Theft Police are investigating the report of a theft (white iPhone 4G with silver case). The incident occurred in the 100 block of Skokie Valley Road, Highland Park. Police are investigating the report of a found property/theft (multi-colored purse). The purse was located on the ground with approximately $15 cash taken. The purse was noticed missing on Feb. 7 at approximately 3 p.m. The incident occurred in the 900 block of Yale Lane, Highland Park. Driving while license suspended Rosemary Kennett, 54, of the 100 block of Highwood Avenue, Highwood, was arrested and charged with driving while license suspended after being located by police on routine patrol in the 2800 block of South Overlook Drive, Highland Park. Kennett was released on …
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The iPad is not just for fun and games.
Everyone knows about Facebook, WordsWithFriends and Kindle apps for your iPhone and iPad. In my previous column, I identified all the starter apps you need. But the iPad is more than just fun and games. It’s a great tool to complement your business, whether you’re an independent professional or part of a large corporation. Here are some apps to help you gain productivity as well as that competitive edge you need in today’s environment. Would you like to accept credit card payments but find the fees to establish this service can be prohibitive? There are two free apps, Square and Intuit GoPayment, which provide you with a device that fits into the audio plug and allows you to scan credit cards. You pay a percentage per swipe (2.75 percent…
Monday, November 7, 2011
Put your grocery shopping list on your phone or iPad.
Paper. It's everywhere. Let these iPad/iPhone apps help you minimize the paper in your life and make your world a little greener. I am always making lists. Grocery lists, errands, things I need to do. Now I use a variety of apps and have eliminated all those pieces of paper that I often misplace anyway! Plus, I can share my lists via email. There are quite a few apps that can facilitate this; I always try the free ones first. Having an electronic grocery list is a great elimination of paper. There are two free apps that I like for this. Hopefully, you'll give some of these apps a try. SignMyPad, GroceryIQ and Zinio are also available for Android phones. Let us know what you think and look for future columns with app suggestions for …
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9:25 am on Friday, November 30, 2012
Ferrari sealed second in the http://www.coachoutletonlinegg.com constructors' championship, holding off McLaren while Caterham overtook http://www.coachoutletonlineaol.net Marussia for the lucrative 10th place in constructors http://www.coachfactoryoutletwy.com when Vitaly Petrov overtook Charles Pic, who is http://www.coachoutletstorefc.com driving for Caterham next year, on lap 65. http://www.… more ›