Last week I rattled off a handful of the TopTech Toys of 2008… rated, of course, by none other than me. The second installment, (we could call this the “bottom half,” I suppose) will consist of tech toys that are probably equally as desirable as the those atop the list, but with slightly lower price tags.

So, without further adieu… the rest of my list:

#6 The Flip Mino HD: This is the fourth version of the hip little video camera that first came out in 2007. It looks, feels and works exactly like the previous version, except it shoots high-definition video. It holds 60 minutes of video and comes with software to let you edit your videos and upload them directly to sites including YouTube.

#7 Call me childish, but this watch is just too cool. The Swatch Orb Concept Watch. While it may never officially hit stores because it’s so unbelievably cool (albeit WAY ahead of it’s time), I’ll gladly put this one on the list so that one day we can say that DE talked about the Orb Watch before it was the best thing that no one ever saw coming!

#8 V-Moda: bass freq earbuds. Headphones that sound like you want them to! Just Read “… The dynamic driver delivers a warm, clear and natural sound as opposed to the distant and mechanicalsound of other manufacturers’ in-ear models that cost more than double Bass Freq’s value-based price.” You can click hereto get the rest of the info… but I’m completely sold already!

#9 Shaun White Snowboarding Road Trip for Wii. Go to the Ubisoft Website to see the official description, but if you’ve hopped on a WiiFit Balance Board and can remember what it felt like the first time you finished the snowboard slalom without being called “unbalanced,” you can definitely get excited about this game. Unlock world mountains, make an early exit from the chair lift, start a fight… a video game as freestyle as the sport itself. Now you don’t have to spend thousands on lift tickets to be a lackey with your friends.

#10 Get lonely spending hours at your computer with no one to keep you company? Why not ask for a Tengu Sound Toy? Tengu is a USB-powered character that lights up and lip syncs to music, or your voice, or whatever noise happens to be around at the time. Tengu has different facial expressions that you can match to different music — so it’s mellow when you need a mellow friend and peppy when you need cheering up. Silly, huh? Yeah. But I bet it could help with writer’s block!

Okay, Y’all that’s it. Time to get shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving from your Friends at Dynamic Edge, Inc.!

It’s just over a week away now. The day you’re either waiting in anticipation for; or are planning to spend cloistered at home, sheltered from the madding crowds at the mall and everywhere else.

If you’re one of the courageous (or crazy) people who will settle for no less than the best deal available on the worst day of the year to shop, here is my first installation of Top 10 Tech Toys for 2008, arranged in order of my favorites:

#1 Apple iPhone 3G: For most people, an iPod Touch would do just as well, but not for me. Because it’s a phone, a PDA, a music player with visual voice mail and an amazing web browser, I’ve decided that the iPhone is simply the best tech gift that could possibly be given. (If you’re reading this and want to make me the happiest person in the known universe, send that sleek, beautiful toy to our State St. address!)

#2 [Speaking of Apple Products]The New MacBook Pro (as described in my Oct 21 post) follows closely behind the iPhone in my book… and really only because of the price. As for reasons, see “It’s Shiny and Beautiful.” To clarify: Girls like to get computers as gifts too — especially awe-inspiring, envy-invoking, cutting-edge cool computers. (Sorry guys, I had too!)

#3 Amazon Kindle: Why travel with one or two books, when you could take your whole digital library with you? Seriously. Jim, one of our programmers got one of these about 3 months ago and it quickly became the center of attention in the Orange Room here. I was amazed at how compact the thing was, and how easy it was to read the pages. Not to mention the fact that you can use its browser wherever Sprint’s data network is available. Jim’s been using his mostly for textbook reading, but I’d be sure to use it for more relaxed reading! How about you?

#4 Now that TomTom lets you get driving directions from Sex and the City’s Samantha (Kim Cattrall), who wouldn’t want a new GPS? Listen… if you got lost half as often as I do, you’d be thinking the same thing: “Loved the series; loved the movie even more… This is Perfect!” (note: The voice doesn’t come with the TomTom, you have to download it for $12.95– a small price to be mildly entertained as you’re scolded your directions!)

#5 Canon PowerShot SD1100: Your favorite Elph just jumped up to 8Megapixels with a 3X Optical Zoom. Why get someone a big, complicated SLR when you could spend $150 on a sleek, simple, intuitive camera that fits in your pocket. With a range of colors — including a  pale pink –  this gift idea is definitely a win-win.

…

Stay Tuned. The next half of this list will be a little less pricy

In my nearly 6 months of working for Dynamic Edge, I’ve learned that there literally is an application and several hundred plugins for just about every function you use on your computer. For those who don’t live, breathe and speak computers, these can be either huge programs, or tiny little bits of code that make life easier for the average computer user.

Some applications you’re probably already using are word processors like Microsoft Word or Word Perfect, spreadsheets like Excel, and media players like iTunes, Windows Media Player or RockBox. But there are countless other applications you probably use on a regular basis and don’t even realize it.

Here are a few of my favorite applications and plugins that I’ve discovered this year:

1. Microsoft Outlook - considering it’s just one component of Microsoft’s mega-suite, I’m pretty impressed by how many actual functions you get out of this one application. First, it’s the easiest email system you’ll ever use! Coming from someone whose been an exclusive Mac user for the past eight years, this is a pretty bold statement… if I do say so myself.Beyond that, Outlook has integrated a calendar that makes is simple to organize your schedule, coordinate meetings with coworkers, schedule a dinner date… you name it! You can also use Outlook to invite your staff to events. The best part of all?? You can access your Outlook information on the Web when you’re out of the office network. It just doesn’t get any better than that.
2. Object Dock - When I first started working from this happy pink lappy, the thing that I missed the most was my trusted friend: the Mac OS Dock.  It wasn’t until, working late one night, I saw it on one of our awesome programmers’ laptop — which I knew was NOT a Mac. Sachin explained that the dock he was using was just an application he downloaded for free. When I went to find it for myself, I learned that there are dozens of docks available… and Object Dock just happens to be the one that I like best.
3. Firefox Add-On #1419 - Simply the best plugin ever! This is a great tool to use if you do website work, since it allows you to toggle back-and-forth between web pages displayed in IE and Firefox. To quote another user, “Firefox could be perfect and faultless with this amazing extension! I love it so much!

I’m sure there’s more that I’m not thinking of right now, and you’re probably ready to start downloading at least the last two I just rattled off, so I’ll just leave you with this image (which pretty much makes me the happiest pink laptop user at DE!)

later,

storm

On the eve of the release of Windows’ Small Business Server 2008, the question business owners should be asking themselves is this: “Is Small Business Server the right choice for me?” Assuming you’re not using the filing cabinet/shoebox method of data storage, here are a few things you should carefully consider, in order to make a better determination:

If you’re still reading and pondering, there’s a good chance that the solution to your pressing concerns is a good server. If you need to share files, calendars and resources—such as fax machines, Internet connection and printers securely—and your employees need access the Internet and company e-mail at the same time, Small Business Server (SBS) is a great option for you.

Essentially, SBS delivers big business solutions to small businesses for a much more affordable price. With SBS, small businesses can use Exchange for e-mail and send messages directly to users’ mobile devices, set up business intranets (internal Web sites), share files and office equipment, and create reliable backups of critical data.
SBS 2008 is available in Standard and Premium packages. Both versions include the Windows Server (machine) 2008, Share Point Services 3.0, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Windows Server Update Services, Shared Fax Service and Office Live Small Business integration. The Premium Edition SBS includes a second Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard for Small Business in addition to everything that comes with the Standard Edition.

Beyond the direct advantages SBS provides, there are some additional perks to consider. For example, purchasing SBS eliminates the need to buy individual user licences for each component by including individual Client Access Licenses (CALs) for Standard and Premium Editions. So, you save by combining the costs of Exchange software, Windows software and all the necessary hardware, and also on the costs associated with licensing your software. Individual CALs for the package will cost you $80 or less, whereas seperately they would run upwards of $120 per user for the Standard Edition. CALs can also be purchased at a discounted rate in bundles of 5, 10 or 20.
As with all things bundled, there are several differences between SBS 2008 and its predecessor, SBS 2003. Mainly, the 2008 Premium Edition will run on two hardware servers, with the second server running Windows Server and SQL Server for business data-related applications. For a visual representation of this, Click Here.

The new SBS allows for up to 75 users (as opposed to 50, in ‘03) but does not include Outlook 2007. Another major departure is that that SBS 2008 does not have ISA (Internet and Security Acceleration) Server included. Instead, Microsoft offers Forefront on Exchange Server and Widows Live OneCare as a replacement. Dispite these changes however, SBS 2008 is still likely to be the best option for small businesses that are looking to solidify operations and build network infrastructure.

Maybe you read this entire section looking for an answer to your technology problem… and now you’re left thinking that your business is still too small for SBS. If your company doesn’t fall neatly into any of the categories mentioned here, we can still help! Our team of knowledgeable consultants is available 24/7, 365 days a year to help you determine your technology needs. Call us and schedule a consultation and we can help get you where you want to be.