App Smart: Retail Store Apps Help Navigate Aisles – App Smart

Apps from big-box stores like Target can help shoppers find an item, but there are drawbacks.

As a parent, I don’t find the process much better. Wandering around a big-box store in search of a pencil sounds like a game show in which the lucky winner gets to hand over a credit card.

I recently tried to determine whether mobile apps could make the process less frustrating or costly. The answer was a qualified yes.

Of the apps made by big-box stores, those from Best Buy and Target sped up the shopping process slightly, as did Westfield Malls, a new app from Westfield, a mall developer. Others, for Sam’s Club, Staples and Wal-Mart, were less helpful. (At least the apps themselves are a bargain. They’re all free, on both Apple and Android.)

The better ones suggest that they can help you find an item in the local store. Some also offer prices on those goods, but they’re often inaccurate.

I assigned myself the task of finding school backpacks, T-shirts and a 64-gigabyte iPod Touch, and I drove to a stretch of road in suburban Connecticut with a mall and nearly every one of the big-box stores.

Of all the apps I tried, Best Buy’s was the most reliable and filled with features. I used it to find the nearest store and to check the availability of the iPod Touch before driving there.

The app suggested it was in stock, and it was correct. The price inside was $399, but when I pointed out to a sales associate that the app showed it for $370, he said they “can match” the online price.

“Can, or will?” I asked.

“Will,” he said.

From now on, before making a significant purchase at a big-box store, I will download the store’s app so that I have quick access to their online prices.

Like most other apps on my list, Best Buy provides an app-size version of the week’s sales circular for specific stores, and it allows you to collect items on a wish list. Users are also supposed to be able to retrieve product details while in the store by scanning the so-called QR code, a new alternative to bar codes, on many labels.

That sounded promising, so I gave it a try. I repeatedly tried scanning QR codes on five different products, and each time the app returned an error message. So much for that.

Target’s mobile app was also fairly good but a bit more uneven than Best Buy’s. When it came to basic searches for product, the app was good on inventory but bad on prices.

It showed that my local store had the iPod, for instance. But when I arrived, the store’s price was $395, $25 more than the price I saw on the app. I checked my phone again and, in gray print beneath the $370, saw that it was an online-only offer.

Worse still, when I clicked for more information on the iPod, I found out that I couldn’t retrieve an in-store price from the app.

Target doesn’t offer QR scanning, but you can create wish lists and have coupons sent to your phone via text messages. My coupons were for women’s jeans and macaroni and cheese, neither of which I needed.

At least Target knew that the iPod was in my local store. The Sam’s Club app suggested that the iPod wasn’t available, but it was (at a cool $349, no less). Wal-Mart’s app suggested the iPod was available in the store, but it was not.

Staples was less ambitious. Its app posted products but didn’t try to predict in-store availability, and the prices, according to the app, “may vary by store and online.” That’s not very useful.

Home Depot isn’t exactly a back-to-school shopping destination, but as a big-box store, it’s worth mentioning. The app’s product search feature is fast and it includes a long list of video tutorials and even a tape measure function. Plus, the store map is good for charting out shopping trips.

But I digress. Back to school we go.

Few people know, or care, who owns the nearest mall, but it may be worth your while to look it up. Westfield, one of the bigger mall developers in the United States, recently introduced a useful iPhone app that tries to offer information on store inventory.

With my younger son and daughter in tow, I tested out the app at a Westfield mall in Milford, Conn., which includes a Target. We found a bench, opened the Target and Westfield apps and searched for T-shirts and backpacks.

Westfield’s product search function was spotty. I typed “women’s graphic T-shirts,” and the app produced no results. I tried related search terms, and came up empty until I tried “Graphic T.”

More than 23,000 T-shirts appeared, so I sorted the results to show only one result per retailer. Fifteen appeared — inexplicably, the ones at Target’s didn’t make the list — so my daughter chose an Aéropostale shirt for $24.50.

Using the app’s map, we quickly found the store and the shirts, which were on sale (two for $15).

Still on the Westfield app, we searched for backpacks and found a promising one at Target: the Sumdex Impulse Full Speed, for $68. We walked to the store and wandered through one section of backpacks.

No Sumdex. We browsed through a second section. No Sumdex.

We walked for a few minutes until we found an employee who could direct us to any other backpacks, and he pointed us to a wall of them. No Sumdex backpacks existed at the store.

I gave up on Westfield and opened the Target app, which showed several Sumdex models available.

Online only.

The apps didn’t fail us completely. I turned from the backpacks to find my daughter racing toward a package of pens. “Those are my favorites,” she said, then looked around at all the school supplies nearby. “This is so much fun!”

Quick Calls

Cut the Rope: Experiments ($1 on iPhone and $2 on iPad) is as big a hit as the original, and every bit worth the download. Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love Is Not Abuse (free on Apple), for parents of teenagers, simulates dating-abuse situations and offers resources for more information.

App Smart: Retail Store Apps Help Navigate Aisles – App Smart

Apps from big-box stores like Target can help shoppers find an item, but there are drawbacks.

As a parent, I don’t find the process much better. Wandering around a big-box store in search of a pencil sounds like a game show in which the lucky winner gets to hand over a credit card.

I recently tried to determine whether mobile apps could make the process less frustrating or costly. The answer was a qualified yes.

Of the apps made by big-box stores, those from Best Buy and Target sped up the shopping process slightly, as did Westfield Malls, a new app from Westfield, a mall developer. Others, for Sam’s Club, Staples and Wal-Mart, were less helpful. (At least the apps themselves are a bargain. They’re all free, on both Apple and Android.)

The better ones suggest that they can help you find an item in the local store. Some also offer prices on those goods, but they’re often inaccurate.

I assigned myself the task of finding school backpacks, T-shirts and a 64-gigabyte iPod Touch, and I drove to a stretch of road in suburban Connecticut with a mall and nearly every one of the big-box stores.

Of all the apps I tried, Best Buy’s was the most reliable and filled with features. I used it to find the nearest store and to check the availability of the iPod Touch before driving there.

The app suggested it was in stock, and it was correct. The price inside was $399, but when I pointed out to a sales associate that the app showed it for $370, he said they “can match” the online price.

“Can, or will?” I asked.

“Will,” he said.

From now on, before making a significant purchase at a big-box store, I will download the store’s app so that I have quick access to their online prices.

Like most other apps on my list, Best Buy provides an app-size version of the week’s sales circular for specific stores, and it allows you to collect items on a wish list. Users are also supposed to be able to retrieve product details while in the store by scanning the so-called QR code, a new alternative to bar codes, on many labels.

That sounded promising, so I gave it a try. I repeatedly tried scanning QR codes on five different products, and each time the app returned an error message. So much for that.

Target’s mobile app was also fairly good but a bit more uneven than Best Buy’s. When it came to basic searches for product, the app was good on inventory but bad on prices.

It showed that my local store had the iPod, for instance. But when I arrived, the store’s price was $395, $25 more than the price I saw on the app. I checked my phone again and, in gray print beneath the $370, saw that it was an online-only offer.

Worse still, when I clicked for more information on the iPod, I found out that I couldn’t retrieve an in-store price from the app.

Target doesn’t offer QR scanning, but you can create wish lists and have coupons sent to your phone via text messages. My coupons were for women’s jeans and macaroni and cheese, neither of which I needed.

At least Target knew that the iPod was in my local store. The Sam’s Club app suggested that the iPod wasn’t available, but it was (at a cool $349, no less). Wal-Mart’s app suggested the iPod was available in the store, but it was not.

Staples was less ambitious. Its app posted products but didn’t try to predict in-store availability, and the prices, according to the app, “may vary by store and online.” That’s not very useful.

Home Depot isn’t exactly a back-to-school shopping destination, but as a big-box store, it’s worth mentioning. The app’s product search feature is fast and it includes a long list of video tutorials and even a tape measure function. Plus, the store map is good for charting out shopping trips.

But I digress. Back to school we go.

Few people know, or care, who owns the nearest mall, but it may be worth your while to look it up. Westfield, one of the bigger mall developers in the United States, recently introduced a useful iPhone app that tries to offer information on store inventory.

With my younger son and daughter in tow, I tested out the app at a Westfield mall in Milford, Conn., which includes a Target. We found a bench, opened the Target and Westfield apps and searched for T-shirts and backpacks.

Westfield’s product search function was spotty. I typed “women’s graphic T-shirts,” and the app produced no results. I tried related search terms, and came up empty until I tried “Graphic T.”

More than 23,000 T-shirts appeared, so I sorted the results to show only one result per retailer. Fifteen appeared — inexplicably, the ones at Target’s didn’t make the list — so my daughter chose an Aéropostale shirt for $24.50.

Using the app’s map, we quickly found the store and the shirts, which were on sale (two for $15).

Still on the Westfield app, we searched for backpacks and found a promising one at Target: the Sumdex Impulse Full Speed, for $68. We walked to the store and wandered through one section of backpacks.

No Sumdex. We browsed through a second section. No Sumdex.

We walked for a few minutes until we found an employee who could direct us to any other backpacks, and he pointed us to a wall of them. No Sumdex backpacks existed at the store.

I gave up on Westfield and opened the Target app, which showed several Sumdex models available.

Online only.

The apps didn’t fail us completely. I turned from the backpacks to find my daughter racing toward a package of pens. “Those are my favorites,” she said, then looked around at all the school supplies nearby. “This is so much fun!”

Quick Calls

Cut the Rope: Experiments ($1 on iPhone and $2 on iPad) is as big a hit as the original, and every bit worth the download. Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love Is Not Abuse (free on Apple), for parents of teenagers, simulates dating-abuse situations and offers resources for more information.

White iPod Touch images surface (Digital Trends)

Nothing can compete with the hysteria surrounding the iPhone quite white. It has risen in epic proportions and has become the apple (pun intended) of the eye of all the fanboy. Now another IOS device may eventually get the white treatment: the iPod Touch.

9to5 Mac reports that parts of the touch screen has emerged and white images show that the leakage of material could have been a "scrap" iPod Touch 4, or possibly the next next-generation model. Images are unconfirmed and could be nothing more than an inner experience, but something tells us that the success of the first white iPhone means that it can become a fixture in the line of the IOS.Units are rumors that there is very similar to the internal iPod Touch 5, usually sporting upgrades.

The PMP is not to be even nearly as hyped or desired, but Apple clearly knows how to milk a color scheme. Given how the consumer at the White iPhone 4-a-phone already for the better part of a year, you had something new from Apple responded to the popular color at least a mild profitable. If anything, there may be some new revenue for the iPod, whose sales steadily declining since 2008.

UltraViolet cloud-based streaming video launching soon (Digital Trends)

The first UV-compatible devices and titles approved for release in autumn. Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem Alliance has begun the process of licensing the ultraviolet to consumers in early October. If a consumer buys a new movie, DVD or Blu-ray, ultraviolet light allows consumers to create an account owner's digital rights content. With a closet digital content in the cloud, consumers can authorize up to twelve devices to access content via streaming. Consumers can allow the digital rights to six other members of the family too. Consumers also have the ability to download movies if the physical media is lost.There is no charge for service beyond the original price of the disc.

Provides flexibility for access to content is one of the main goals of investigations to combat piracy. Most studies have volunteered to provide assistance Ultraviolet with the exception of Disney. Apple also remains silent on the technology support, but support for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone will be available via third party applications.

Critics of Ultraviolet image of DRM technology so advanced as to access content cloud requires an Internet connection at any time.It is also possible to sell a used disc to a third party service such as eBay is impossible if the disk is already registered to another account. There are privacy over the contents of the digital locker, too. With a wealth of information, consumers can more accurately Studios tailor advertising to consumers in the direct channel or product placement.

Hardware and software that supports Ultra Violet will have a new "UV" logo on the package (see above). Initial partners in the ultraviolet tech including LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba, and Cisco, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola and Nokia. Consumers can expect product announcements from ultraviolet-compatible equipment at CEDIA in September, if not sooner. It is unclear whether today's hardware can be upgraded with new firmware to get access to the Ultraviolet. Warner Bros., Paramount, Fox, Universal, Sony Pictures and Lionsgate are in the process of deploying software-side support and, possibly, a new reason to re-release records beyond the extended special editions or versions.

Apple fixes security flaw in iPhone, iPad software (Reuters)

A woman uses her Apple iPhone 4-smartphone for web-surfing during a photo opportunity on a street in Seoul

BOSTON (Reuters) – Apple Inc. has a hole in the software that the iPhone, iPod Touch music players which can enable hackers to remotely control these devices to take walks.

The security breach came to light nine days ago when the website www.jailbreakme.com released code that Apple customers can use the IOS operating system that runs these devices through a process called change "prison break. "

Some Apple customers choose to prison to break their devices so they can download and run programs that are not Apple-approved and use the iPhone handsets on networks of companies that are not Apple-approved.

The jailbreaking exploited a vulnerability in IOS code, which had not previously been published.Its performance has given hackers a project that criminals could use to build malicious software that exploited this vulnerability.

Now that security patch was released, Apple's customers are protected from any malicious code, provided that the installation of software updates on their devices.

Vulnerability in IOS software has the potential to affect millions of units that are central to the business of Apple.

Apple sold 25 million iPads since its launch last year. The company has sold over 18 million of its popular iPhone in the first three months of the year.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle, editing by Bernard Orr)

Apple software update thwarts iPhone-iPad hack (AFP)

Apple Software Update is a derogation to hack iPhone iPhone

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Apple on Friday released a software update, using a security hole that hackers to iPad popular in society, iPhone and iPod Touch devices patch could break.

The error made it possible for hackers to Apple mobile devices to trick users to open PDF files with malicious computer code that infiltrate booby traps.

Although there were no attacks, the fear that hackers could exploit the weakness.

Updating IOS software running Apple's mobile devices fortified defenses. The update is free in the iTunes store from Apple.

Security holes discovered in iPhones, iPads (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO – A new security hole has opened up in Apple Inc.’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, raising alarms about the susceptibility of some of the world’s hottest tech gadgets to hacker attacks.

Flaws in the software running those devices came to light after a German security agency warned that criminals could use them to steal confidential data off the devices. Apple, the world’s largest technology company by market value, said Thursday that it is working on a fix that will be distributed in an upcoming software upgrade.

With the security hole, an attacker can get malicious software onto a device by tricking its owner into clicking an infected PDF file. Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security called the flaws “critical weaknesses” in Apple’s iOS operating system.

Internet-connected mobile devices are still subject to fewer attacks than personal computer, but they could eventually prove a juicy target for hackers because they are warehouses of confidential banking, e-mail, calendar, contact and other data.

Software vulnerabilities are discovered all the time. What makes the latest discovery alarming is that the weaknesses are already being actively exploited — albeit in a consensual way.

The latest concerns were prompted by the emergence of a new version of a program to allow Apple devices to run any software and circumvent the restrictions that Apple notoriously retains over software distributed through its online store. There are security risks of doing so, but many people find it liberating to install their own software.

Although this program is something people would seek out, the weaknesses that its authors discovered could easily be used for malice, security experts say.

There is an irony in the controversy: The site distributing the program offers a fix for the problem, but to get the fix, a user has to first install the program in question. So a user must defy Apple’s restrictions to get the protection until Apple comes up with a fix of its own.

Charlie Miller, a prominent hacker of Apple products, said it likely took months to develop the program to break Apple’s restrictions, but a criminal might need only a day or two to modify it for nefarious purposes.

Apple Inc. spokeswoman Bethan Lloyd said Thursday the company is “aware of this reported issue and developing a fix.” She would not say when the update will be available.

One reason for gadget owners to take heart: Attacks on smartphones and other Internet gadgets are still relatively rare. One reason is PC-based attacks are still highly lucrative. Still, vulnerabilities such as the ones Apple is confronting show that consumers should take care of securing their mobile devices as they would their home computer.

“These things are computers — they’re just small, portable computers that happen to have a phone tacked onto them,” said Marc Fossi, manager of research and development for Symantec Security Response. “You’ve got to treat them more like a computer than a phone. You have to be aware of what’s going on with these devices.”

Hackers expose flaw in Apple iPad, iPhone software (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters) – Hackers have discovered a bug in the software from Apple Inc., security experts said could be exploited by criminals who want to gain remote control over the bumper and iPod Touch.

The security hole in Apple's IOS operating system was revealed Wednesday that the site www.jailbreakme.com released code that Apple customers can use to change the IOS operating system via a process called "Jail Break".

Some Apple customers choose to prison for breaking their devices so they can download and run applications not approved by Apple, or use iPhones on the network of airlines that are not Apple-approved.

Security experts warned that criminal hackers can download the code, reverse engineering to identify a hole in IOS security and build a piece of malware within days.

"If you're a striker, it is quite possible," says Patrik Runald, a senior researcher with Internet security firm Websense.

Apple has yet to release an update to IOS, which protects customers against malicious software that exploits the vulnerability.

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said the company was aware of the problem.

"We are developing a patch that will be available to customers in an upcoming software update," Mueller.

Apple has long been vocal against Jail Break, which if done will void the warranty on their units.

A security flaw in IOS software – which runs Apple's iPhone, iPad tablet and iPod Touch – has the potential to affect millions of units that are the core of Apple's business.

Apple has sold 25 million iPads since its launch last year.The company more than 18 million iPhones sold only popular in the first three months of the year.

Hackers could exploit the vulnerability by using a malicious file IOS PDF documents. It would infect Apple devices when users open the document, according to Runald.

Once the device is infected, the hacker could "do what they want," said Runald. This includes the theft of passwords, documents and e-mails.

Comex, a hacker 19-year-old upstate New York who developed the tool to break into the jail, said that Apple may be able to use the software patch before hackers develop software that uses the error.

The last time I jailbreak a version of its software, Apple could issue a patch before someone takes advantage of the error for malicious purposes.

He said that Apple may not be able to respond quickly enough on this occasion.

"It's not so difficult to deconstruct," he said by telephone.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle, additional reporting by Poornima Gupta; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Game Companies Choosing Android Over Apple (ContributorNetwork)

Everyone knows the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch are taking over the mobile gaming world — even Nintendo knows that. So who in the world would think of Android as a great gaming platform, let alone better than Apple's?

Apparently, these companies do:

NVIDIA

NVIDIA's Tegra 2 processor sets the standard for Android gaming performance on both smartphones and tablets, enabling HD gaming for devices on most major wireless carriers in the United States. And unlike on the iPhone, compatible Android smartphone and tablets feature NVIDIA's Tegra Zone app, which lets you browse through HD games worthy of your machine's specs.

GameStop

The last remaining brick-and-mortar games store in much of the United States recently bought streaming game company Spawn Labs, and is in the process of buying Stardock's Impulse games store. The company is apparently planning to create a streaming game service to compete with OnLive, and has plans of bringing this service to Android.

OnLive

Speaking of streaming games, HTC's upcoming Flyer tablet is being developed in partnership with OnLive itself, and will offer PC- and console-quality games that can be played with a BlueTooth controller. Best Buy is already taking preorders for the unique, stylus-equipped tablet, which will also feature the HTC Watch movie store.

Sony

Apparently the PlayStation Portable wasn't good enough for Sony, as Sony Ericsson just released the Xperia Play, the first "PlayStation Phone." A couple of "PlayStation Tablets" are also in the works.

These Android devices are PlayStation-certified, letting them download PlayStation games (currently limited to a selection of PSOne titles) and log into the PlayStation Network. And the Xperia Play includes a PSP Go-style slide-out game controller, complete with shoulder buttons and dual analog touchpads.

Alienware

Alienware's parent company, Dell, already manufactures Android handsets and tablets. One of the company's senior vice presidents said that it's "looking at all form factors," in a conversation reported by IGN, and refused to deny that a gaming tablet was in the works.

Valve

A forum conversation with Valve president Gabe Newell suggests that Steam may be headed to Android soon. It may also be headed to iOS, although the recent controversy over in-app purchasing on the App Store might have dampened Valve's enthusiasm. Plus, it would have to compete with Apple's Game Center.

Why the interest?

Partly because there are things gaming companies can do with Android, which would be impossible or impractical to bring to Apple's devices. Sony is taking full advantage of this with the controller built into its "PlayStation Phone," for instance, and the multitouch screen on its upcoming NGP game console suggests that it might've learned a few things from Android as well.

Beyond that, though, some game developers are simply finding that they do better on Android than iOS. Game company Spacetime Studios has found that its Pocket Legends MMORPG makes much more money on Android than on iOS, even though its iOS version has been out longer.

It's true that some major game companies have been burned by Android. Gameloft refuses to sell most of its games in the Android Market, and Rovio's been nonplussed by it as well. Both companies are partnering with Amazon's Appstore for Android, though … which shows that Android's open platform will find a way to accommodate even them.

The Upshot

Whether any of this turns into actual games, or a better gaming experience on Android, is anyone's guess. A lot of these things couldn't happen on iOS, though. So whether or not Android's the "best," the gaming world would be lessened without it.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Upgrade Your Life: Gadget secret powers (Yahoo! News)

Our gadgets these days have superpowers. But they also have secret powers: Things you didn’t know they could do. This week on Upgrade Your Life, Yahoo! News’ Becky Worley shows us some hidden features, plus surprising tricks that you can use to get the most out of the gadgets you already own.

iPhone – An App that measures your heart rate with the iPhone’s camera and battery

The free Heart Fitness app from Senscare measures your heart rate, by using your iPhone’s camera and a light source to watch blood pulse through your finger. Just follow the directions, and it’s pretty accurate! It shows your beats per minute, plus the pulsing heart rate graph we all know and love from medical dramas. It even charts your resting heart rate over time, as a measure of overall fitness.

Heart Fitness works best with the iPhone 4, since its camera flash lights your finger up nicely, but it can work with the iPod Touch or iPhone 3GS if you hold it up to a bright light. Got an Android device? Try Instant Heart Rate on the Android Market, instead! Both apps are free to download.

Amazon Kindle — Hear books read aloud

While you’re reading a book on your Kindle, just press the “Aa” button to the right of the spacebar, then select “Turn on Text-to-Speech.” Your Kindle will start reading the book aloud to you, which is great if you’re driving or resting with your eyes closed — the Kindle has a headphone jack so you can listen without disturbing others. Just don’t fall asleep, or you’ll lose your place!

The Text-to-Speech feature isn’t the same as an audiobook, since it uses an automated voice instead of a human’s. It also doesn’t work with some books, because individual book publishers can choose to disable this feature. On the bright side, you can set it to have a male or female voice, and you can speed up or slow down how fast it talks. Want to go back to traditional reading? Press “Aa” again and turn Text-to-Speech off.

Amazon Kindle — Browse the web

Your Kindle has a web browser called Basic Web. It’s … pretty basic! But it can be a lifesaver if you need to access your webmail account, or even log in to Yahoo! Instant Messenger. Especially if you have a 3G Kindle, which can access the web away from a wi-fi hotspot. Just press your Kindle’s menu button and choose “Experimental,” then select “Basic Web” or “Launch Browser.”

If you’re using the latest model of Kindle, it can even show the web in a text-only article mode, which makes written content on websites like this one easier to read. You can also do web searches or look things up on Wikipedia, straight from a newer Kindle’s search menu.

Amazon Kindle — Play games

Another secret power for the Kindle: you can play Solitaire, Sudoku, even name-brand board games like Monopoly on your Kindle. Just go to the Kindle Store on Amazon’s website, then click on “Games & Active Content” — your purchases will be sent to your Kindle automatically via Amazon’s Whispernet.

We like Scrabble, a Kindle version of the classic board game. And here’s a totally different option: Choice of the Dragon, a Choose-your-own-Adventure style story game. Try them both out and see what you think!

There are also apps for the Kindle. Look in the Kindle Store’s “Active Content” section to find Apps for things like learning a new language and yoga tutorials.

Older cellphones — Turn-by-turn directions

Maps aren’t just for smartphones! And neither are instant directions. Just send a text that reads “directions (location a) to (location b)” to 466453. In seconds, you’ll get back a step-by-step list of directions for how to get there, even if you’re on a flip phone.

Type the text message in exactly, without quotation marks or parentheses, and replace “location a” and “location b” with actual places — it recognizes cities, zip codes, and even street addresses. The service costs nothing beyond what it costs you to send and receive text messages normally. And there are plenty of other things you can do with it, including get movie listings and weather reports!

Digital Camcorders — Use as a webcam in Skype

Your digital camcorder may have a better image quality than your computer’s built-in webcam, or even an expensive add-on HD webcam. So why not use it for video chatting?

Your camcorder needs to have a Digital Video, or “DV IN/OUT” port, and your computer needs to have a firewire (or “IEEE 1394″) port. Just connect the two with a compatible firewire cable (they cost as little as $5 online), then open up Skype’s Options menu. Click on “Video Settings,” then “Select Webcam,” and finally choose “Default video device” — that’s how Skype sees your camcorder. Test it out, and you’re all set!

Nintendo Wii — Web browsing and music streaming

Modern game consoles can browse the web, and the Nintendo Wii is no exception; you just have to find the web browser on the Wii Store. Look for the free “Internet Channel” app! You can point and click on links with your Wiimote, or type things in fast with an optional keyboard accessory.

Finally, you already knew you could stream movies to your Wii console using Netflix. But did you know you can stream music, too? There isn’t an app for that — just go to finetune.com/wii in your Wii’s web browser, and click the button to get started putting together your own radio station. Just remember to add the site to your favorites, so you can get back to it easily.

Original article by Jared Spurbeck, published on Apr 19, 2011.