Break away from your PC and make free or low-cost calls to your friends using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice! The Linksys iPhone Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger comes with the handset, charger, and a USB Base Station that plugs into your PC. Dual-Mode capability lets you choose whether to make free or low-cost calls with the Yahoo! Messenger with Voice service on your PC, or over a regular telephone line. Just select who you want to talk to from your Yahoo! Messenger contact list on your handset and when your contact answers, talk away!

VOIP technology is really starting to spread these days. There are more and more services coming available every day and thanks to that growth in technology we’re seeing newer phone models come out to reflect those. This particular phone model is designed to compliment the Yahoo Messenger service “call a friend” option. Using this phone is as easy as using your Yahoo Messenger on your computer with your microphone, only you now have the freedom to walk away like you might on an ordinary phone call. Of course, it’s not only a Yahoo IM phone, you can dial a standard phone number using the phone as well.

In my opinion, no technology is as reliable as we need it to be, and communication is a key part of our day to day lives. Having a phone in your home that is going to get a call out when you really need it to go through is quite important. I like to keep at least two types of phone service active in our home. I keep a land line (I know, I know, who the heck uses a land line anymore!?!) and we also have a VOIP phone in the office, and recently we added two cell phones into the mix. I have one that I use as my work number, and my oldest son has one as well.

The Panasonic Lumix DMCtz5s is a strong camera that would work for just about anyone. It takes photos at 9 Mega Pixels – a little more than most cameras that are currently available for similar prices.

The camera is fairly large in comparison as well. It could fit in your pocket but it would be a little bulky. This is due largely to the fact that it has a wide 3.0” LCD screen. Most cameras right now have 2.4” (or close to 2.4”) LCDs , so this is definitely a next generation camera.

This isn’t the easiest point and shoot digital camera to use. If you have no experience with digital cameras in the past, or if you want to buy a camera for someone without much experience in the past, this probably isn’t the best choice. It’s more of a camera for people who are experienced in taking photos, but don’t want to carry around professional equipment.

The Panasonic Lumix includes 10x optical zoom. It has advanced digital image optimization features, such as the new Panasonic Venus Engine IV, which improves noise reduction and corrects images. It also includes face detection, a standard in all digital cameras these days.

The camera stores photos on SD cards, so you might have to purchase an SD card to use this camera to the fullest. The camera takes AA batteries – lots of them. You should plan on having a few extra batteries, especially if you are planning on spending a whole day taking photos. It’s not that the camera wastes power, it just has a lot of features that require the extra battery usage.

One of the very cool features on this camera is the Intelligent Exposure. With this new feature, photos will no longer be under- or over-exposed. Instead, the TZ5 instantly analyzes the framed image and adjusts the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting or the use of the flash. The camera will automatically adjust the brightness accordingly.

That’s not all it does either. This may be one of the smartest cameras on the market today. Intelligent Scene Selector senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode. This intuitive technology, helps you use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.

In addition, Panasonic’s face detection detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp. Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic’s Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.

I would suggest this camera to anyone that is serious about taking quality pictures. To use this camera you need a little experience with digital cameras. It is powerful enough to turn anyone with at least a little experience into a seemingly professional photographer, but it is a little on the expensive side for an amateur. The camera is bulky compared to many of the extremely compact models that are becoming so popular and might be too big to carry around if you are a very casual photographer. If you get excited about opportunities to take photos and don’t mind the little bit of extra weight and the learning curve, this camera is very powerful and could be just perfect for you.

Are you looking for Ashton’s camera? The Nikon Coolpix L18 is a cool new camera that will fit any budget. It includes a powerful 8 Mega Pixels of photo resolution and a low price tag. It’s not the strongest camera, but it is definitely very compact and not very expensive.

As I mentioned, it takes photos at 8 Mega Pixels and displays them on a 3.0” LCD screen (a bit bigger than most cameras these days which have 2.4” LCDs). The images that it takes are colorful and vibrant, definitely high quality images. It’s perfect for the casual photo shooter who wants to save a little green but still take high resolution images.

It may not have many of the advanced features that some more expensive cameras may have, such as digital image optimization, but it is still packed with great features. It includes anti-shake AE, a technology that automatically adjusts the ISO settings for the amount of light in the room. The name there is a bit deceiving at first glance, the feature doesn’t actually help with shaking despite the reference.

It also includes In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and enhanced Face-Priority (for a maximum of 12 faces). The camera removes red eye from images automatically! You never have to go through image editing again, this camera will solve all of your problems with red eyes.

The Nikon Coolpix L18 supports SD-HC cards, so if you are looking to buy this camera you should probably purchase a card along with it. SD cards are fairly standard, so you might already have a compatible card from a previous camera or camcorder. You can always expand later if you decide you need to.

The Coolpix also takes sharp videos and sound – perfect for capturing moments longer than a photograph. It isn’t a professional camera, and it doesn’t try to be. It’s a light camera when it comes to features and a light camera when it comes to price.

There are two great advantages to this camera over comparable point and shoot models. The first one being the larger than average LCD screen, measuring in at 3. Inches. Next, a high resolution of 8 Mega Pixels compared to the 6 or 7 mp’s you might find in similarly priced models elsewhere.

It’s perfect for those that want to capture moments of their life without emptying their wallet. It’s available in multiple colors – blue, red, black, silver, and more. This is the camera for anyone who likes to save moments of their life while also staying within their budget.

This cute and compact camera includes many features that a larger, bulkier camera will have, but it is a bit more stylish in appearance. It takes photos at a 7.2 Mega Pixel resolution, which is very decent for a camera of this size and price. You get all of the image snapping technologies that larger cameras have, such as face detection, smile shutter technology, dynamic range optimization, and a 4x optical zoom. You can also take videos with the Sony CyberShot DSCW120. It isn’t a camcorder by any means, but it takes high quality videos that would be great for capturing quick moments or adding to your blog.

You’ll also find a revolutionary mode from Sony for taking photos – the ‘burst’ mode. This mode allows you to take images quickly. This is great if you are looking to snap images of a sporting event or another activity with fast movements. One disadvantage of the burst mode is that it can’t take photos with flash. However, if you are taking photos from a distance (such as from the stands at a sporting field), it should be alright.

One of the coolest features of this camera is it’s smile shutter feature. This technology developed by Sony is great for taking photos of people who don’t like to smile. You can set your camera to smile shutter mode, point it at your target(s), and then the camera will automatically take an image when they are smiling. I’m not sure how it works with large groups, but when taking portraits, especially of the kids, it works great. Think about how much better your photo collection would be if all of the people in the photos were smiling.

As with all point and shoot digital cameras of this size, the Sony CyberShot has it’s limitations. It doesn’t have advanced features that a professional photographer or an aspiring professional photographer would want. One of the biggest complaints with this particular camera is that the standard sized 2.5” LCD display screen seems slightly prone to scratches. You may want to purchase a screen protector while you are shopping to prevent your screen from getting scratched up, and of course carry your camera in a camera case to protect it as much as possible!

Another disadvantage of this camera is it’s photo storage. It only has 15 Megabytes of internal memory, so you definitely want to purchase a compatible memory card to use. Most cards aren’t very expensive these days, so it won’t add too much to the cost of the camera.

My kids fell in love with the Wii the moment that I brought it home from the store. We had actually given up hope on finding one last year, then on a random trip to the store to stock up on the usual household items there they were freshly stocked and ready for the picking! I grabbed the cardboard placeholder and rushed off to the checkout to pay for and collect our Wii! I honestly don’t know who was more excited, me & hubby or the kids!

For the most part all of the electronics in your home are going to get warm when they’re being used, and many already have built in cooling fans. Your computer for example probably has a fan spinning inside it quietly right now. With long term use these gadgets can get hot, and that’s something the other components inside the device are not going to like at all! So, you want to avoid overheating at any cost! Overheating usually means you’re going to be replacing your favorite gadget sooner than you’d like to.

In this case the cost to avoid your Wii overheating is less than 6 dollars. Yes, you read that right. You can keep your Wii extra cool and protected for less than the cost of one iced caramel macchiato at your favorite coffee beanery.

The Intercooler for Wii is a snap on cooling attachment that easily connects to the Wii. The Intercooler provides increased air flow away from the Wii which allows the console to perform in a cooler, better ventilated environment ideal for cramped entertainment centers. No internal modification of the Wii is required. A pass through power connection utilizes the existing Wii power adapter negating the need for an extra AC adapter or wires. Patent pending technology allows the unit to power on and off automatically with the Wii. The Intercoolers small size will fit in tight spaces like entertainment centers with your Wii displayed in either horizontal or vertical format or in the Wii Stand.

iPod owners inevitably need some kind of docking station if they want to listen to music without the headphones or charge their iPod without taking up a USB port on their computer. I say if you’re going to buy one anyway, why not get one that does all you want it to do and so much more!

The iDesign Songview has great sound quality that you want, and it also has a sleep mode that shuts it off automatically. If you’re known for falling asleep with you iPod on, then this could be perfect for you and you’re battery will charge instead of go dead from playing all night long. If you enjoy a musical wake up call in the mornings, the Songview is also an alarm clock that will rouse you with your favorite songs.

The big-digit, scrolling display rotates time, date, song, artist, playlist and album. The remote controls the SongView, iPod functions and menu navigation. With the stereo speakers delivering rich, clear audio you’ll be able to see, control and enjoy your music without leaving your favorite chair. The sleep mode will play you off to sleep, and the alarm will wake you to the music you choose.

Digital photo frames are probably the coolest things around. Are you tired of having multiple frames on your desk, cluttering this up? You can consolidate all of those frames into one. I own one of these myself and it is great!

Unlike a standard picture frame that you might find on the mantle or sofa table, a digital photo frame can display many photos with only one frame. You can configure things how you want, but on average the photo frame changes photos around every 30 seconds. It’s great if you have a large number of photo frames hanging around, or a large number of photos that you wish you could share but you don’t have room for.

This specific model of photo frames comes in many sizes and types. Choose from 5.6 inch, 7 inch, 8 inch, or 10 inch, and then choose from multimedia, wireless, or standard. I own the standard version, so I’m not really sure what the benefits of the other types might be. I know that with wireless you can update your photos wirelessly, and I believe that multimedia means you can include video clips in your frame as well.

The Kodak Easy Share Photo Frame is really easy to use. You can configure the slide show settings right from the photo frame. It includes a unique touch border so that you can control the frame without actually putting your fingers on the photo, which could possibly leaving a smudge or mark.

I found it really easy to add the photos. I haven’t had the chance of playing around with the wireless model, but I know that with the standard model you just have to put photos on an SD card or a flash drive and then plug it into the frame. If you have a camera that uses a compatible SD card, you can just slip the SD card out of your camera and stick it in the photo frame.

You may have noticed that the Easy Share Frame doesn’t include options for colors – that’s because two colors are included in all packages. These colors are silver and red. You can choose between either color (it’s really easy to change colors). You can also purchase additional accessory face plates to customize your frame even more to match your decor or even your mood.

I couldn’t really find any disadvantages with this particular product. It’s a fun product that’s sure to brighten up your space, and it also would make a fantastic gift for just about anyone that you want to make smile on a daily basis. Perfect for mom with Mother’s Day coming up. Pre-load the frame with all her favorite pictures of the kids, wrap it and add a bow, and you’re done!

Since we are on a roll here talking about cameras I thought it only fitting that this week’s Sunday Bag be a camera bag. This cute little two tone case is designed specifically to fit the popular Sony Cybershot camera.

I love seeing cases that are designed to fit specific cameras, because you know when you pick that case up off the shelf and buy it that it was created with the intention of protecting your exact camera. A lot of times if you pick up any old cute adorable case off the shelf and buy it you will that it’s too big for your camera model. Other times it’s a really snug fit, a little too snug and it might be difficult to get your camera in or out of the case.

You want a snug fitting pocket to protect your camera, but I think that a case that’s too tight is just as bad as a case that’s far too big. If the case is too big and you put in your purse or totebag with other items, it’s getting banged around and dust and whatnot could still get in there. If the case is too tight and you put in with your other items its still getting banged around, quite a bit because chances are the protective layers of the case are stretched out a bit. In the case of a too-tight-squeeze you also could potentially damage your camera trying to retrieve it in a hurry to snap a picture.

Looking for a digital camera? The Kodak EasyShare C713 digital camera might be the perfect one for you. With a massive 7 Mega Pixel resolution and an easy on the wallet price tag, the Kodak EasyShare certainly packs a punch. For under $100 you can’t ask for a better camera!

With advanced digital image stabilization, you can take just about any photo with this camera. It might not the the best camera for a professional photographer, but it is great for anyone who wants a tiny camera to snap photos of their friends, families, or just anything in general.

The power of the Kodak EasyShare is its simplicity when it comes to sharing photos (hence the name). It is compatible with multiple types of cards, so if you already have an SD card or a similar card it might be compatible with this camera. It includes software for your PC (running Windows or Mac OS X), making things even easier on you.

Even though you might not have any experience with photography, this camera makes it hard to mess up an image. It is perfect for a gift for yourself or a gift for someone else, big or small. This camera is so easy to use that even your less-than-technical friend or family member can use it with ease!

Just for fun, it also comes in a few very stylish colors. The Kodak EasyShare C713 is available in pink, silver, black, or blue. The camera is small and compact, easily fitting in a purse or bag. It isn’t the sturdiest camera, so you’ll want to be careful with it and use a camera case for extra protection.

Also, you can take high quality videos or record audio with the camera (and it includes the same sharing features for both of these media formats as it does images). You really can’t go wrong with the Kodak EasyShare C713 camera.

If you are a professional photographer, or you aspire to be one, you might want to consider a stronger camera. If you are just looking to take a few pictures and share them without much hassle, go with the Kodak EasyShare C713.

If you are looking to purchase one, I suggest that you also purchase a compatible memory card (if you do not have one already). The storage space on the camera is limited (since the camera is so small), so you should add a memory card to expand this. If you are able to move photos off of your camera and onto your computer often enough, or you don’t take that many photos, you should be fine with just the standard storage space. (more…)

If you aren’t into all of the new digital ways to share photos, you can always print them out. Or, even if you have all of these cool digital photo sharing gadgets, you can’t really scrapbook a digital keychain.

The Canon Puxma Mini 320 Photo Printer is the perfect solution for your digital woes. The first thing that I noticed about the printer is the sleek design. It looks like it could be made by Apple, because it has that sleek, shiny, white look happening.

It includes a viewing screen for viewing photos, which is a must. I have a printer without this, so we either have to create an SD card with only the photos that we want to print, and then print them all or guess what number corresponds to what photo. It’s not a fun game. We frequently end up with a bunch of photos that we don’t want. Paper and ink are both very expensive, so seeing what you print beforehand is a good thing.

The Canon Puxma Mini 320 Photo Printer is the perfect for traveling or going to scrapbook parties. It is quite small, so you can bring it just about anywhere. If you’re at a party, you can have the photos printed and handed out before the party is over. On vacation? This little gizmo will follow you there too. It includes a revolutionary feature – a handle! You can carry it just about anywhere.

Print from digital cameras, memory cards, or cell phones. With an optional bluetooth adapter, you can print high quality photos from just about anything in a matter of seconds. It claims that it prints at a ‘9600 x 2400 dpi’, but for this feature to be fully utilized, the print has to be connected to a computer.

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P.S. Happy Friday the 13th!!! Enjoy your spooky movies tonight