Well, yeah. But not just any old light bulb. A whiz-bang, low-energy, cool-to-the-touch, lives-practically-forever $10 light bulb.

Courtesy Cree

The Cree bulb’s biggest visible difference is a thick collar around the base that functions as a heat sink.

It’s from Cree, a big name in commercial and industrial lighting that uses light-emitting diodes, or LEDs — the same things that glow so comfortingly in many of our computers, smartphones and TVs. Now the company is rolling into Home Depot stores  in the U.S., Canada and Mexico with its first major foray into the consumer market. The bulbs are designed to replace 40- and 60-watt incandescent bulbs — to say nothing of those twisty compact fluorescents — in your lamps and fixtures.

The first thing you notice about the Cree bulbs is that they actually look like bulbs. That isn’t an accident, says Chuck Swoboda, the company’s chief executive officer, who points out that the traditional form factor has been deeply embedded in consumer consciousness and popular culture for generations. The Cree bulb’s biggest visible difference is a thick collar around the base that functions as a heat sink.

The second thing you’ll notice is that, unlike some compact fluorescents, the light is very comparable to what you’re used to. I replaced the bulb in the lamp on my nightstand with one of Cree’s warm-white 60-watt equivalents ($12.97), and couldn’t tell the difference. And unlike a conventional bulb, it stays cool enough to touch even when it’s been on.

The 60-watt-equivalent  bulb uses only 9.5 watts; Cree says the savings in energy costs means it will pay for itself within a year. A model that replaces 40 watts costs $9.97; there’s also a 60-watt daylight-color bulb for $13.97.

The bulb comes with a 10-year warranty, but may last much longer. The company says it’s good for 25,000 hours, or 25 times the typical lifespan of an incandescent bulb; if used on average for three hours a day, that’s — hang on a minute while I do the math — almost 23 years. (By way of comparison, a compact fluorescent may last for 10,000 hours, or nine years.)

While the consumer market is hardly insignificant — the company figures there are 5.6 billion bulbs in North American residential use, most of them incandescent — 80 percent of the market is in the commercial-industrial sector. Swoboda has an interesting theory: that gaining consumer acceptance for LED lighting will lead to greater penetration among companies too.

At first, it seems counter-intuitive. On the other hand, it’s worked that way for smartphones and tablets, with people demanding to use the same tools in the workplace they’ve enjoyed in their personal lives.

And if he’s right, it will bring a whole new meaning to the term “BYOB.”

Follow Rich Jaroslovsky on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RichJaro 

Original post is Cree’s Bright Idea for Home Lighting: Rich Jaroslovsky by Tech Blog.

Courtesy HeartMath

The Inner Balance app coaches you through breathing exercises designed to reduce stress.

In a classic “Seinfeld” episode, George’s father adopts what’s supposed to be a stress-reduction technique. Except that, instead of reciting it softly to himself, he bellows to the rafters: “Serenity now!”

The Inner Balance Trainer is a $99 device from a company called HeartMath that’s supposed to help achieve the same goal without the bellowing.

After you download the free Inner Balance app, you clip the sensor to your earlobe and connect it to the dock connector of your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. (IPhone 5 and fourth-generation iPad users will need an adapter to use it with Apple’s new Lightning connector.)

The app then coaches you through breathing exercises designed to reduce stress, while recording data from the sensor on how you’re doing.

One screen features a brightly colored circle that pulses at the pace you’re supposed to breathe. Another has a soothing photo of a waterfall that you can replace with one of your own. You can also select music from your collection to accompany your sessions. I decided on the Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” which seemed appropriately New Age-y.

It turns out that, according to the Inner Balance, I’m sort of a whiz at “coherence” — the synchronization of heart, brain and nervous system that’s the centerpiece of HeartMath’s stress-reduction approach. Or at least, I’m a whiz at “Quick Coherence,” at the lowest level.

As you progress with your training — sessions can be as brief as three minutes, though five to 10 minutes somehow seemed more appropriate — you can ratchet up the level of difficulty. At the end of each session, you get a report on how you did, including an overall score as measured in “coherence points.”

You can even post the results of your training to Twitter and Facebook, so you can have coherence contests with your friends. Sort of like competing to see who can yell “Serenity now!” the loudest.

Original post is Inner Balance Promises Stress Relief for IPhoners: Rich Jaroslovsky by Tech Blog.

Courtesy Asus

The Asus Taichi 21 Ultrabook functions both as a laptop and touch-screen tablet.

Something about Microsoft’s Windows 8 seems to bring out the eccentric in PC makers.

In the few months since Win 8 launched, we’ve seen PCs that fold, PCs that slide, PCs with keyboards that pop on and off. But we haven’t seen anything quite like the Taichi 21 from Asus.

The Taichi, which starts at $1,299 for a model with four gigabytes of memory and 128 gigabytes of storage, belongs to a class of PCs known as Ultrabooks — laptops that run on an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and use flash memory chips instead of a conventional hard drive.

What sets it apart is its screen. Or rather, screens — plural.

Open, the Taichi is a fairly conventional laptop, with an 11.6-inch, non-touch-screen display. Closed, it turns into a touch-screen tablet, thanks to another 11.6-inch screen mounted on the outside of the lid.

Using a button on the keyboard, you can switch between the two screens, use them independently or set them to mirror each other, making it potentially attractive for small-group presentations. You can drive from one side, while your audience watches the other.

But there are a number of drawbacks. One is the lack of a touch screen on the “inside” display. Not only does Windows 8′s tile-based home screen beg for it, it’s confusing going back and forth between the two interfaces. I found myself constantly poking the traditional display and wondering why it wouldn’t respond.

Another is that using both screens drains the battery rapidly, especially after adjusting the overly dim default settings for brightness to something a little more comfortable. And while its weight is fine for a laptop — 2.8 pounds — it’s heavy for a tablet.

If you do a lot of presentations, the Taichi is worth a look. As long as there’s a plug nearby. And you don’t mind a little eccentricity in your life.

Original post is Asus Taichi 21 Laptop Will Have You Seeing Double: Rich Jaroslovsky by Tech Blog.

Image courtesy of Jawbone

Jawbone's UP wristband tracks the wearer's physical activity.

When I first reviewed Jawbone’s UP fitness wristband a year ago, I cautioned that it would soon come to seem remarkably rudimentary.

A lot’s happened since. Problems with the band’s durability forced the company to stop production for most of this year. Meanwhile, competing devices like the Fitbit and the Nike+ FuelBand embraced wireless technologies that made the UP’s system for syncing with your smartphone — by physically plugging it into the headphone jack — seem positively archaic.

Now, the UP is back. Its physical problems are apparently fixed. Its technology problem isn’t.

The colorful, rubber UP, for the uninitiated, is meant to be worn 24 hours a day as it counts your steps, measures your sleep cycles and, with the help of an iPhone application, tracks your diet and links you up with friends who can provide extra motivation.

During the UP’s long absence from the market, Jawbone managed to preserve customers’ goodwill through a generous refund program. And more than a week of using the new version evinced none of the issues that sank it the first time around, which included imperfect waterproofing that rendered many bands unable to hold a charge, and damage from people twisting it in unexpected ways.

I didn’t go out of my way to stretch or bend the UP, but I didn’t baby it either. And I made sure in the shower every day to apply a generous helping of soapy lather, the treatment that undid version one. No problems to report.

Image courtesy of Jawbone

Unfortunately, the company didn’t use its unplanned hiatus to bring the bracelet up to date. Rather than match its competitors by embracing Bluetooth, it’s stuck with the same audio-connection plug, complete with the small detachable tip that I just know I’ll lose.

It’s all so … 2011. Except, that is, for the price, which has jumped to $130 from last year’s $100.

Meanwhile, Fitbit, which recently introduced its ultra-simple $60 Zip, has just come out with another model, the $100 Fitbit One. Besides being cheaper than the UP, the One is less obtrusive (you can clip it to clothing or slip it into a pocket) and does more (an altimeter measures stairs climbed, in addition to steps taken). And it’s wireless, automatically syncing with the Fitbit app on your iPhone 4S or 5. (Android users, at least for now, have to use an included Bluetooth dongle to sync with a personal computer.)

It isn’t like Jawbone is a stranger to Bluetooth; after all, it makes some of the best wireless headsets around, as well as the Jambox portable speaker. If the UP has a future, Jawbone will have to make use of that expertise.

Original post is Jawbone Fitness Band Could Use Some UP-Dating: Rich Jaroslovsky by Tech Blog.

Courtesy of Barnes & Noble

The Nook HD competes with the Kindle Fire HD, Nexus 7 and iPad mini.

In the tablet wars, Barnes & Noble is the scrappy underdog. Lacking the development resources, vast content stores and marketing muscle of deep-pocketed rivals like Apple and Amazon, it still somehow manages to remain competitive.

The latest example is the new Nook HD, B&N’s entry into an increasingly crowded market of similarly sized compact color devices that includes Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, Google’s Nexus 7 and Apple’s somewhat larger iPad mini. Measured against them, the Nook doesn’t excel, but does at least hold its own.

Its biggest asset is its display, which is a pleasure to behold. The 7-inch-diagonal screen has a resolution of 1440 by 900 pixels, putting it first in its class. E-book text was sharp and crisp, while the movie “The Dark Knight,” with its deep blacks, was appropriately creepy.

At 11.1 ounces, the Nook is also lighter than either the Kindle or Nexus 7 — and nearly as light as the iPad mini. Its starting price, $199, matches those of the Nexus and the ad-supported version of the Kindle, and is $130 cheaper than the iPad mini.

Barnes & Noble has also improved the user interface, making it easy to create new accounts and set parental controls so family members can share a device without worrying that the kids might access unsuitable content. B&N says the Nook HD delivers up to nine hours of video or 10.5 hours of reading between charges; I found the battery life decent if not spectacular, depending on what I was doing and whether I had the Wi-Fi on or off.

But the Nook HD has a significant set of shortcomings as well.

Unlike the other contenders in this class, there’s no camera, front or back, so forget about using it for Skype. The base model also comes with only 8 gigabytes of storage, less than the others (though you can expand it at extra cost using its SD storage slot). And while its book selection is very good, Barnes & Noble is only just starting to build out its stores for movies and TV shows. Music? Forget about it.

Apps are another weakness. The Nook HD, like the Kindle Fire HD, runs a tweaked version of Google’s Android operating system. But also like the Kindle, you can’t install garden-variety Android apps on it.

Instead, you’re limited to ones that are approved by B&N and available only through the on-board store. It’s got some of the biggies — Netflix, Angry Birds, Evernote — but is lacking the depth and richness of Apple’s ecosystem, or even Google’s library of blown-up smartphone apps.

In short, the Nook HD has a beautiful screen, but not many other compelling reasons to choose it over the competition. Unless, that is, you like rooting for the underdog.

Then again, don’t we all?

Original post is Nook HD Hangs In as Tablet Wars Grow Hotter: Rich Jaroslovsky by Tech Blog.

Photograph courtesy of Apple

The new iPad has a faster microprocessor with enhanced graphics and improved Wi-Fi antennas.

Oh, yeah, there’s a new iPad.

Normally, the release of a new version of Apple’s tablet is the occasion for mass salivation on the part of the faithful. But it’s safe to say there won’t be lines of fans outside the store for the fourth-generation iPad.

Not that there’s anything wrong with it. In fact, it’s got a couple of nice new features on top of the ultra-sharp 9.7-inch Retina display and other enhancements that were unveiled in the third-gen iPad only seven months ago.

But this one is much more a refresh than a revamp. It completely replaces the previous model in the Apple lineup: same price (starting at $499 for a 16-gigabyte Wi-Fi-only model), same options (ranging up to $829 for one with 64 gigabytes and capable of running on the AT&T, Sprint or Verizon cellular networks), and same choice of color (black or white).

From the user’s standpoint, the biggest difference is probably the replacement of the traditional 30-pin connector with Apple’s new Lightning port, the same one found on the iPhone 5, latest-generation iPods and the new, much-more-anticipated iPad mini that’s also reaching the shelves today.

I like the new connector. It’s much smaller and the cable is reversible, meaning there’s no wrong way to plug it in. At the same time, as with the iPhone 5, it renders existing peripherals obsolete unless you buy Apple’s adapters, which aren’t cheap. (It’s $29 for the adapter alone, $39 for the version with a cable.)

The other changes in the new model are real, but not nearly enough to lead anyone with a third-generation iPad to rue their purchase, let alone induce them to upgrade.

The most visible difference I encountered comes in the front-facing camera, which has gone from 0.3 megapixel to 1.2 megapixels. From a practical standpoint, that meant a visibly sharper image for people on the other end of my FaceTime video calls.

The new version also has a faster microprocessor — Apple’s new A6X chip — with enhanced graphics and improved Wi-Fi antennas. In side-by-side tests, I found the new one ever-so-slightly faster at doing things like launching apps. But most people, I think, would never notice in everyday use, at least until new apps come out to take advantage of the greater power.

And by then, of course, we may well be on to the fifth-generation iPad.

Original post is Apple’s 4th-Gen IPad Is a Refresh, Not a Revamp: Review by Tech Blog.

Photograph courtesy of Beats Electronics

Played at a high volume, the Pill has much less distortion than the Jambox.

Ever since its release, Jawbone’s Jambox has set the standard for grab ‘n’ go mobile-device speakers. Now it has a new competitor: the Pill from Beats Electronics, purveyors of the ubiquitous Dr. Dre-endorsed stereo headphones.

It’s an interesting time for Beats, which is controlled by Dre and celebrated music producer and executive Jimmy Iovine. Earlier this year, Beats began to unwind its successful partnership with Monster Cable, which had manufactured and distributed its products. Meanwhile, Taiwanese cell-phone maker HTC briefly took a majority interest in the company, only to sell back much of it.

Now Beats is charting its own course, with the Pill as one of its early post-Monster product-line extensions. (The company is also releasing a new set of noise-canceling headphones called Beats Executive to take on Bose.)

The Pill has a lot in common with the Jambox. They both cost $199, are colorful and are compact and light enough to toss into a computer bag or suitcase.

They also both use Bluetooth to wirelessly stream music, video soundtracks and game sound-effects for those times when you just want to listen out loud. And each can double as a two-way squawk-box for calls on your smartphone.

While pairing a Bluetooth speaker to your mobile phone or tablet isn’t especially hard, the Pill boasts a feature that’s supposed to make it even easier: a Near-Field Communication chip. Just tap an NFC-equipped phone to the speaker, and you’re ready to go.

That’s the theory, anyway. When I went to pair it with a Samsung Galaxy S III, I got one of those gloriously geeky “unknown tag type” Android error messages. Turns out the feature only works with a tiny fraction of devices that both have an NFC chip and are running the latest “Jelly Bean” version of Android.

But I had no problem pairing it with the Galaxy — as well as an iPad and iPhone — using plain old-fashioned Bluetooth.

The Pill also differs with the Jambox in a couple of key areas. The biggest one is sound.

The Pill — so named for its tubular shape — has four drivers, as opposed to the two on the Jambox. And played at high volume, it has much less distortion than the Jambox. If you really want to crank things up, this is the Bluetooth speaker for you.

On the other hand — and somewhat oddly, given its parentage and Beats’s reputation for thumping, insistent bass in its headphones — the Pill is a little light on the lower end of the sonic spectrum. In fairness, bass is really hard to do in a package this small. But it’s one of the Jambox’s strong suits.

Those issues aside, the sound quality of the Pill was very good for casual listening, and I could easily see making use of it, say, in a hotel room where I want to watch a movie without wearing headphones, or listen to my own music while getting ready in the morning.

Not to mention blasting it loud enough to wake the people in the next room.

Original post is Beats Moves From Headphones to Listening Out Loud — Really Loud by Tech Blog.

Photograph courtesy of Apple

The latest iPod touch borrows liberally from both the iPhone 5 and 4S.

Maybe a new point-and-shoot camera and a new portable FM radio aren’t the most scintillating of tech products these days.

But what if the camera also let you conduct video chats and play games, while the radio allowed you to view movies on a color screen? What if both of them could store thousands of songs? And what if they were so nicely built and easy to use they might have been made by Apple?

Actually, they are made by Apple. They’re the newly redesigned iPod touch and iPod nano, and they show there’s still some life in the humble music-player segment, even in an era of more potent smartphones and tablets.

The iPod touch has always had a close kinship with the iPhone, and this latest version borrows liberally from both the iPhone 5 and 4S. The 4-inch Retina display is the same found on the 5, while the new 5-megapixel camera is terrific — as good as the one on the 4S, and much better than previous touches. It also becomes the third device, after those two phones, to support Apple’s cool panorama picture mode.

Toss in a sleek new body, Apple’s redesigned EarPod headphones and even a wrist strap, and what’s not to like? Maybe just the price: $299 with 32 gigabytes of storage and $399 with 64 gigabytes. For that much, they could have at least included a power adapter.

Photograph courtesy of Apple

The iPod nano’s screen, like the touch’s, has gotten bigger

The iPod nano’s screen, like the touch’s, has gotten bigger — 2.5 inches — and the device now provides not only widescreen video but Bluetooth for streaming to a wireless speaker or headphones.

Then there are the little goodies packed in, like the FM radio tuner, which uses the EarPods as an antenna, and a pedometer that syncs with Nike+. And it’s all in a package roughly the size of a credit card that weighs all of 1.1 ounces.

At $149 for 16 gigabytes of storage, it may be a little too dear to serve as a holiday stocking-stuffer. (The $49 iPod shuffle probably serves that purpose.) But it works nicely as a multipurpose pocket entertainment and workout buddy.

Original post is New IPods Offer Music and More, With Emphasis on the ‘More’ by Tech Blog.