Photo credit: William Petroski/Des Moines Register

First sorry for the extended hiatus, studying for my upcoming certifications and life took priority. But now that I am back I wanted to share with you this awesome little find. As you know, or may not know it is Computer Science Education week.  The people over at Made with Code (which is apart of Google) have an initiative called Code the Holidays.  This allows for you to do some basic coding and your code will light up a tree in the nation's capital!  How cool is that.

credit: LivingLanguage.com

credit: Kano

 Microsoft seems to be on a roll with new products lately. It's latest product Sway, an application that provides a different way for users to present ideas.  It will initially be available as a web app, so you would access it via a web browser, with plans to expand to iOS, Android and of course, Windows Phone.  Kind of reminds me of a trimmed down way to do PowerPoint, but it looks to have potential, check out the YouTube video to get a better idea of what Sway is, also if you want to try it out you can visit www.sway.com to sign up for the wait list

~ChicDivaGeek

Today Microsoft unveiled what many were expecting to be Windows 9, I mean if you follow numerical order and silly things like that, but they threw us for a loop and announced Windows 10! Today it unveiled it's technical preview to give us a look at what we can expect from the next incarnation of Windows.

If you are familiar with Chromecast, then you already have a pretty good idea of what Matchstick is, it's a streaming HDMI stick that connects to your TV and allows for streaming media from the internet such as Netflix, Hulu, and others.  Well unlike Chromecast Matchstick is based on Firefox OS, so it's open source.  The product hasn't hit shelves yet, but they are preparing to launch a Kickstarter for it. With the first 500 backers getting the device for $12, after that the Matchstick will go for $18, with delivery in January 2015.  Once it goes to retail it will be $25.

Ok so by now you've downloaded iOS 8 and noticed that visually there aren't huge changes, not like in previous releases of iOS but there are some changes that are pretty handy, and some that you may just find annoying.  Well of course with any major upgrade, there are some settings that need can be modified.  Apple included a Tips app to help guide users through the newest version of iOS.  But here are some pretty handy ones if you haven't bothered to check that one out.

Today is the day well one of two big days for Apple this week, iOS 8 will be available this afternoon.  You can download the new iOS OTA (Over the Air) or connect it to iTunes.  If you are doing the OTA option make sure you are connected to wifi.  The usual time for the release is 1PM EST time (10AM PT Time) and the Apple servers are usually bombarded so don't be surprised if the download takes some time or you run into errors when trying to get it.

This geek will be amongst the fray to get the new iOS!

~ChicDivaGeek

Last week when Apple announced the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, they had U2 perform at the event, unbeknownst to the millions of Apple users, they would also get a gift that day.  Apple automatically added the band's new album Songs of Innocence to your iCloud library.  Now for most people this is a pretty cool gift, but maybe the way Apple went about it was wrong.

Millions of Gmail addresses were hacked and the passwords have been leaked.  The file was uploaded to a Russian Bitcoin forum, there is a site to check to see if your account has been compromised  http://isleaked.com/en.php, but you could also just change it to avoid that and also Gmail has the two step authentication that you could also enable as well.

~ChicDivaGeek

So unless you were living under a rock yesterday you undoubtedly heard Apple's big announcement yesterday.  They are releasing as expected the iPhone 6 and an Apple Watch.  Although we all knew these things were coming that doesn't make them any less exciting, let's take a look at some of the details that were revealed about Apple's latest products.

CanUStart.com and CanUStart logo courtesy of CanUStart

Undercover Colors Facebook page

 If you are into PC simulation games, then chances are you are familiar with The Sims franchise.  Well in a couple of weeks, the lastest installment, The Sims 4 will be released!  Not only do the graphics look better but as usual they've improved gameplay as well.   Let's look at some of the new features:

The tablet Wars (as I like to call them) continue...Today Barnes & Noble announced the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook.  Simply put, a Galaxy Tablet built for Barnes & Noble Nook enthusiasts. The tablet measures 7 inches and comes in black and white.  But lets look at some of the more detailed specs...

                        

XL4D sent me their another of their newest products the ToneStand 5, and let me say that I wasn't disappointed.  The thing that drew me to this company is their appreciation of quality sound and the fact that they are making their products via 3D printing.  I think that the 3D technology is really cool, and these products are a real showcase of it.

Photo credit: Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile has been known for their prepaid wireless phone contracts but last week they announced Virgin Mobile Custom. Great prepaid value and it's customizable on a whim, let's take a look at the details.

Kim Kardashian is known for alot of things, clothes, makeup, her "assets", reality TV, and now she has made her foray into the tech world with her very own app.  I mean why not, there's really an app for everything and with as big of a brand that she has, this isn't really surprising. I give you, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game

Photo Credit: Kensington Blog

If your anywhere near an 80s kid or attend grade school in the 90s, then you recognize the picture immediately, yes it's a Trapper Keeper, but it's for your tablet!  Everyone remembers going back to school shopping and always wanting to get the coolest designed Trapper Keeper (I mean we had to find some reason to get excited about lugging around notebooks and doing homework right?)  I was all too infamous for just throwing things in there and snapping the Velcro shut.

Photo Credit: Google

Last week Google held it's annual I/O conference and unveiled what the company has coming down the pipeline. From updates to Android OS, to more wearable tech, and updates to it's Chrome OS.  Let's take a look at some of the highlights!

Photo Credit: Google

If you work in the technology field you are already aware that women are not that common in this field.  Google announced that it will pay for coding lessons for women.  The tech giant will pay for 3 months of classes at The Code School.  This is shining a flashlight on the common issue of the lack of women in the IT field, so kudos to Google. To throw your name in the bucket fill out the form here

~ChicDivaGeek

I love a good tech accessory so when I was given the opportunity to review the WaveShell 5 by XL4D, I jumped!  This little device enhances the audio on your iPhone.  I don't know anyone who doesn't play music on their phone, and more often than not, it's never quite loud enough for a small group to listen to without hovering around the phone. 

photo credit: Surface twitter

screenshot of Adidas Instagram

photo credit: GraceMink.com

 

There's a new Adobe app for iPad users, and it's called Adobe Voice.  This app in essence is a story telling app, it allows for you to create videos/tutorials without having a full production crew, right from your iPad!

So it seems the wave of companies to incorporate social media into their businesses, well Amazon has taken it a step further and introduced #AmazonCart.  The idea is simple, you (the twitter user) see a tweet reply with the hashtag #AmazonCart and the item is then added to your shopping cart.

Photo credit: AdvoWire

Happy Friday to my readers! This literally just made my Friday, HBO has released a mixtape for Game of Thrones.  Catch the Throne: The Mixtape is available for free download; it's 10 tracks featuring artists such as Big Boi (from Outkast), Wale, Daddy Yankee, and more! So if you get a chance today, check it out! It's worth a listen and combines some of my favorite hip hop artists with my favorite show!

Download/Listen: Catch the Throne


~ChicDivaGeek

(Photo Credit: CNET.com)

Yesterday at the MWC, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Samsung unvelied the new Galaxy S5.  There isn't a wow factor when it comes to the actual design of the phone, but it has a few new bells and whistles.  There's a heart rate monitor and they've incorporated fingerprint scanning into this model. 

Screenshot courtesy of ChicDivaGeek

Apple released a critical update over the weekend for iPhone and iPad, iOS 7.0.6.  It addresses a SSL vulnerability that would allow an attacker "with privileged network position" to capture and modify data protected by SSL.  Basically the flaw makes your secure connections vulnerable to attack.  So if you get the time, please install this update. Of course as with most updates, this requires most of us to clear out some space on our iOS devices prior to installing it. 

Photo: XBox/Microsoft

Microsoft has long been the tech company associated with BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) when your computer fatally errors out or runs into a software/hardware issue.  So perhaps they got bored, as the latest Xbox One update has been reportedly causing console owners to experience a black screen following the update.  The update was released on Friday, Microsoft is aware of it and some users have powered down the console by holding down the power button or just unplugging it (sound familiar?) You can post your concerns on this thread if you've recently done the update as you are not alone in this

At first glance this looks like a USB flash drive, but it's not it's the Chromecast device from Google. The device plugs into the HDMI port on your HDTV and you can stream apps to your television.  This is perfect for those of us who haven't made the transition to Smart TVs.

 How many of you remember the digital pet era, I know when I was in high school, almost everyone had a virtual pet of some kind on their key chain or in their pocket. Look what I found in the AppStore this weekend! The Tamagotchi L.I.F.E app

Photo credit: Facebook

Facebook launched a new mobile app that is meant to well, help you get the latest news and stories based on your interests.  It also allows for you to create your own stories.

Photo credit: Todd Hamilton

There have been tons of ideas swirling about the what the new iWatch will look like, and although Apple has remained mum and nothing has leaked, this has to be one of the best concepts we've seen, courtesy of Todd Hamilton.

I sure hope they take notice of this one!

~ChicDivaGeek

Photo credit: BeatsMusic twitter

Yesterday while most of us were taking refuge from the snow storm, the Beats Music app launched. This is a music streaming service, that of course is from the company that brought us, Beats Audio, and quite frankly this is a natural extension.

Screenshot courtesy of ChicDivaGeek

Ever wanted to send a message like James Bond "This message will self destruct in..." Well then here is the new CoverMe app.  This app boast that it can provide you with secure text messaging, secure calls, and even a vault to protect your documents from those that would want to pry into your phone. 

Screenshot from Logitech homepage

screenshot: ChicDivaGeek

Photo Credit: Lenovo

 The noise from CES 2014 has finally subsided and I have a chance to catch my breath.  There was enough new technology there to put any nerd into shock! But one of the things that caught my attention was the newly announced Lenovo ThinkPad 8 tablet.

Photo Credit: Hero Ventures

Comic Book nerds, geeks and the like unite! Hero Ventures is bringing you a touring experience, but not just any experience, the Marvel Experience! Now at first you may think that this sounds just like another Comic Con or something of that nature, but this one is based on ALL THINGS MARVEL!

 If you know me then you know this made my weekend!! HBO finally gave us the trailer for Season 4!!!! (escuse me while I geek out over here!).  I am a fan of both the show and the books, so I can't wait to see how they translate the second half of Storm of Swords!!! Enjoy the trailer, the season premieres on April 4th, 2014.

 

Sony, the creator of PlayStation, announced the new video game streaming service PlayStation Now at CES 2014.  This is following the outstanding sales of the company's latest console release, the PlayStation 4, the system has sold 4.2 million units since it's November 2013 release. 

 The technology/consumer product giant LG presented at CES 2014 this morning and they announced some really cool stuff! The company provides everything from smartphones to washers/dryers for the home, and their presentation, covered the gamut.

 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is this week (January 7-10) in Las Vegas! With 3,000 exhibitors and thousands of attendees, this is THE way to kick of the new year for technology.  With the biggest names and tech as well as tons of cutting edge technology sure to be unveiled, this is an event you will want to keep your eye on.  Stay tuned for follow-up posts as well as the latest details on the technology that will be revealed!

Next year, my goal is to be blogging live from this event!  I would be in tech heaven!! 

Did you get the kids in your family new gadgets for the holidays? If you did chances are that you like most parents have the same general concerns about what you child is viewing or accessing while on the web or what apps they are downloading. Norton Family allows you to manage the content your children have access to on their mobile devices.

 This movie looks like it's going to be awesome! It's made by the same team that brought use The Matrix Trilogy, the Wachowski's! The fact that Channing Tatum is in it and Sean Bean are HUGE draws for me, let's hope Sean Bean's character doesn't die in this...(Sean Bean fans understand this already lol) It's in theaters July 18, 2014.  What movies are you looking forward to this year?

Happy New Year! With the new year, come the New Year's resolutions. Most people, always decide to start a new healthy lifestyle or just to lose some weight. Well I came across this nifty app, Zombies Run!