Utah Tech Spotlight

Utah Tech Spotlight Events

Skiing behind the truck!

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on Dec 07

Well, I mentioned that in the coming weeks I was going to make an extra effort to look at how technology helps us to improve our quality of life… Thanks to our crew out of the Reno office you can see exactly what a little snow, a little tech (in the form of a big truck!) and working with some really fun people can do!

Youtube link here

How Sweet the Sound. Getting the most from your i-device

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on Nov 13

sound1.jpgPeriodically we step away from local reviews, and throw up a post on what really makes us a tech person’s heart beat faster: Tech Toys.  Well, one of my favorite tech toys is my iPhone.  Since I tend to travel a lot, I spend a fair amount of time listening to music, and watching video on the device (BTW, I highly recommend the TV series “Mad Men” for long flights.)

Several years back I splurged on a trip, and picked up the Bose noise cancelling headphones.  Recently however, I have seen earbuds in airports by Shure, that claim that Sound Isolation is a better model that noise cancellation (Basically, this means that the buds seal your ear like an ear plug.)  Well, Shure has a pair of buds for about what I paid for my Bose headphones… so I decided to put them to the test.  I fired up Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion (which ahs some incredible sound at the beginning, and compared.

My findings: The bose are VERY comfortable for long flights (they don’t actually touch your ears, which on a  17 hour overseas trip is a big deal),  and the sound quality is stunning.  The base in particular is very rich.  The Shure ear buds?  Tinny, silly, ill-fitting.  How in heaven’s name can these people charge $250 for a product like this?  If you have seen them in the airport and been tempted, just keep walking.  The Bose are a whole different league at the same price.

As for Ipod players in the home however, I have to say I was less impressed by the Bose options.  After a lot fo listening, I went wit the Klipsch Ifi.  The sound clarity is absolutely stunning.  Turn up the volume on a unit int he basement, and walk upstairs, and you will find you can still understand ever word, as opposed to other solutions that will just let you feel the base, and a lot of mumbling.

Any other cool iToys that anoyone would care to recommend?

Messin’ With Your Eyes

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on Jun 12

Okay, so every once in a while I break from the Utah mold, and just throw out a post for fun (This Optical Illusion is one of my favorites.)  Well, I stumbled across a post today on Figby that led me over to  a real good brain bender on Motion  Binding.  You gotta check this one out.  I find that if I stare at the edge of my screen, so that the image is in the periphery, that I can see the shape.  See how it works for you.

Non-local tech: Teching kids to be Entrepreneurs

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on May 31

Hot Shot Business A common thread on this blog has been me jumping on a soapbox about the need to educate our children better. Not just more math, not just more science… yes, I am very happy that Timmy can determine the fluid volume of a five foot dodecahedron… but more than that. Our kids need to learn practical skills. They need to see that they ca have ideas… that they can succeed. We need to grow the next entrepreneurs, and for those who chose not to be entrepreneurial, they need to know that they CHOSE to do what they do, not that they just did what they had to.

So when I saw a post today by Briana regarding Hot Shot Business, a safe, entrepreneurial game for kids put out by Disney, and the Kauffman Foundation (looks very similar to VMK for those of you who have kids) I was ecstatic! I know one game that my children will be playing during the summer break. Thanks to Funding Universe for making sure we saw this gem!

The Godin-mobile

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on May 04

Well Utah, as you may have already heard, Seth Godin is definitely on his way to Utah. GodinMobile He’ll be here May 24th, so mark it on your calendar.  You can see more specific information at Wordmob.  I know there has been a lot of buzz about this on the web, but you might have also started seeing it around town today.  As an example, Ash took one for the team, and turned his minivan into the Godin-mobile.  To heck with purple cows… I want to see the next book about little white minivans (there’s a song in there somewhere, I just know it…)

 Congratulations to Wordmob, and to Utah.  If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, I would do so. 

Welcome to the Well Groomed Geek

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on Apr 27

Okay, so forgive me for diverging a bit from Utah technologies… but I just couldn’t pass this one up. USB shaver For starters I have a confession to make:  I hate shaving.  I do it.  But I hate it. 

You know, we all have ”that day”, the day you didn’t shave.  Or maybe you got stuck overnight on a trip.  Your meeting is about to show up, and you look like crap. 

Well, check it out.  A USB electric razor.  That’s it… I’m buying one.

Holy Techno-eyes Batman!

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on Apr 04

You might have noticed, that in addition to covering Utah, and technology in Utah, that I tend to chime in on technology, and using it to help out in our community (and our world). Though I know it is a bit far afield from Utah, a friend pointed me toward a really interesting article today about Technology being used in really cool ways to “solve” blindness, and even give “spidey-sense”.

To chime in with what I was told: if you read this article all the way through, and don’t say “holy crap” at least three times, I’ll be surprised.

Like a scene from Poltergeist… right at home

  • Posted by Steve Spencer

Article posted on Mar 14

Okay, so while I intend this Blog to stay focussed on local technologies and growing the local community, you’ll forgive me but I just couldn’t resist passing this one along.  Just go check this out.  When it asks you to look at you hand, be sure to do it about two feet away from your face… not right in front of your nose.  You’ll have better results.  Anyone got a real application for this one?  I imagine it could make video games or laser shows interesting, but It hink a few minutes of mind-warping graphics would have me doing the technicolor yawn.