Category Archives: Televisions

Cleaning Your Electronic Surfaces One Billionth of a Meter At a Time

You’ve spent a lot of hard, earned cash on those electronics you own, but have you ever thought about how you were going to take care of them? There’s cases for your smartphone, neoprene bags for your laptops, micro-fiber cloths for your television…the list goes on and on. But, what are you really doing to take care of all those delicate surfaces on your electronic toys? Please don’t tell me you just use water or even worse, Pledge. I may have to come take your gadgets away. Maybe it’s time to look into some professional products that are designed to keep those expensive surfaces clean.

Recently, I was contacted by a representative at Nanofilm and was asked if I would give a few of their cleaning products a try. According to their website, during the early 1980s, Nanofilm began developing ultra-thin surfaces and engineered special formulas to protect and condition a variety of optical surfaces and coatings. Since then they’ve improved upon their formula by incorporating Nanotechnology into their products to not only clean, but enhance the surfaces of a variety of devices and electronic gadgets. I received two products: Nanofilm’s Clarity Clean it™ Towelettes and a bottle of Clarity Clean it™ spray.

My first test involved using the spray on my iPhone 4. I sprayed a small amount on a clean cotton rag and gently wiped off the surface of the phone. With very little effort, the Clarity Clean it™ removed all the fingerprints, dust, and dirt from the surface. When I was finished, I ran my finger across the phone and felt a remarkable difference to the touch. It felt like a freshly waxed car and did not leave any streaks or residue. Impressed with the spray, I decided to move to the towelette and a larger surface. Next I used the Clarity Clean it™ Towelette on my iPad. Now, for any of you that have a new iPhone 4 and an iPad, you already know these two surfaces are far different. The iPad seems to pick up a ton of fingerprint marks and oil, while the iPhone 4′s Gorilla Glass is somewhat more resilient, but gets dirty over time. Again, using very little effort, I rubbed the towelette across the iPad’s surface. In an instant I noticed a difference. After about 30 seconds of use, the towelette began to dry out, as if the all the product was used up (probably due to the alcohol in the wipe), but the results were astounding! A perfectly clean surface, free of streaks and fingerprints. The pictures below show a before and after shot of the surface. Notice how clear the reflections are on the glass.

After the cleaning, I began to use the iPad and noticed none of my fingerprints were adhering to the surface as easily as  before. It did not feel greasy, but in fact,  exceptionally smooth; much like my earlier car wax analogy. Now, if you just finished a bucket of chicken wings, you’ll probably wind up with some grease on your newly cleaned device, but there is definitely a change in the surfaces texture after cleaning. This is probably due to the nanotechnology incorporated into the cleaner. Looking at the properties of the cleaning solution, depending on the product, it is about 70-90% water and the rest is comprised of isopropyl alcohol and proprietary ingredients. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that most of the properties are safe to use. I wouldn’t go rubbing in your eyes or use it around open flame, but it is a safe product to handle and to use on your precious electronics. Far better than straight water or Windex.

If you are interested in a quality cleaning product for your electronic toys and gadgets, you should check out Nanofilm’s line of Clarity Clean it™ online. Just Google them and you’ll find a variety of websites that sell their product. I give it 2 thumbs up and the heathaplexVISION seal of approval as a wonderful product and a fantastic way to protect a variety of surfaces, not only in your home, but in your car, boat, or airplane.

You Had Me At Fiber-Optic

Like many of you out there, I am always looking for a good deal. So, when we moved out to Washington, DC, I spent a lot of time debating how I was going to acquire internet, television and phone. This decision is much like deciding which pill to take….the blue one or the red one; and the decision can end up bad if you don’t know what you’re dealing with. Going with a traditional provider like Cox, Comcast, Time Warner has its pluses and minuses, but then again, so does going ad hoc with Skype, Vonage, MagicJack, Over-the-air (OTA) antenna, etc. Little did I know, the FIOS hardware that was already installed in my home, backed by one heck of a deal, made the decision too good to pass up. Again, I was sucked into the big service provider for the trifecta.

The area we live in is wired for Verizon’s FIOS service. This is the first time I’ve had FIOS and I have to say I’ve loved it from the point of order to the actual use of their services. I decided to go with Internet, Phone and Cable (no movie channels and 25 Mbps [Up/Down] for internet) and still ended up saving about $50 over my previous Time Warner package with slower internet and far less HD channels. I am using cable cards for my TiVo HDs, which required quite a bit of explaining to Verizon on the difference between single-stream and multi-stream cable cards. However, cable cards saved me about $20 a month by not having additional DVR boxes, but this does limit the full capabilities of FIOS (Streaming between boxes, on-demand content, etc…). All in all, I’m paying just a bit over $100 for all three services with no service contract.

Installation went very smooth despite some coaching on the Cable Card setup for my TiVos. Our service rep was incredibly professional and cared about the quality of work. In fact, he cleaned up the previous install because he didn’t like how it looked. The install can take all day, depending on what they need to hookup. Our house already had the backup battery box and junction box, so it only took a couple of hours, but I’ve heard it can entail digging up the yard to run some cable….this would be a worse-case scenario. Our installation tech was actually from the Boston area on temporary duty here in DC to help cover the workload. It has got to be tough to leave the wife and kids behind, but Verizon is taking good care of him here.

What are the services like? I absolutely love the quality of HD and the speed of the internet. Instantly, I could tell a major difference in HD quality over Time Warner. No more pixelating, no more blurs, no more cable cutting out every other day. The picture looks great, the sound is awesome and I have a ton of HD channels to choose from. No more tuning adaptors, no more calls to ask why the cable is out….just peace and harmony. The internet is very fast and the service comes with a wireless router, so the entire house is Wi-Fi ready. I was able to add other wireless extenders for the TiVos, Blu-Ray and other network enabled devices.

Overall, I am very pleased with my Verizon FIOS service and I cannot say enough about their customer service. I am not a big advocate for sticking with major cable companies and paying all kinds of money for sub-par service, but I may have found an exception. The only shortfall with FIOS is the availability in many markets. The area needs to be wired for fiber-optic, so that presents some challenges in certain rural and smaller cities. But, if you find yourself in an area where you do have the ability to acquire FIOS, I recommend giving them a call or visiting them online to check out what they can offer you. And don’t ever forget….you can always ask for a deal or new-subscriber discount. Never underestimate the value of asking for a deal. You won’t get one if you don’t ask.

For more information about Verizon FIOS service visit them at www.verizon.com

The New Vocabulary of Streaming

Streaming media…how familiar are you with all of lingo associated with it? Here is a simple test. If you have heard of all these sources of streaming media and know what they do, then you are pretty well-informed. If you only know a couple the you need to copy/paste these words into Google. Lets test your knowledge with some easy ones you might be familiar with right up front:

YouTube

NetFlix

Hulu

Vimeo

Boxee

Viddler

Ustream

Pandora

Last.fm

ForaTV

Everyone should start becoming familiar with these terms because some of these services are already appearing on internet-capable Blu-Ray players and television sets. I have run across so many people who are ditching their cable television for the world of free, streaming, internet content. What could you do with an extra $60 – $100 dollars a month in your pocket, yet still able to get all the television shows and movies you enjoy? All of the services listed above have specific purposes and content. Some provide vast libraries of free, online music. Some give you access to millions of uploaded videos. Additional, some provide access to television and movies online for free. Applications like Boxee, provide beautiful interfaces that bring all of these services together, in one convenient dashboard on your computer or home theater media device. This list is not all encompassing, but I am certainly questioning the need for cable television these days. There are so many channels I never watch, yet I sill pay for them. I do like my live sporting and television events, but I TiVo most of my shows and watch them later on. The funny this is, I can access the very shows I record on TiVo through a variety of  ways on the internet for free, when I want to watch them. So, if you have a broadband connection and a DVD/Blu Ray player or television that is internet capable, or have a computer hooked up to your home theater, you may want to explore the landscape of streaming media. YouTube will probably keep you busy until the end of time, but there is alot more out there that may interest you.


A New Decade is Upon Us

Happy New Year Everyone! 2010 is now upon us and I want to encourage all of your to focus on your future and find something you are passionate about. Heathaplex Vision is still an infant, but expanding everyday. In the coming year Heathaplex Vision plans to start a video podcast with all kinds of tips, installation/how-to videos, guest appearances, and just good old fashion fun with the world of tech. In addition to airing Heathaplex Vision.TV, I plan to officially launch the Heathaplex Vision Website with more features to meet your needs. I am also very excited to setup the Heathaplex Vision Swag Hut with T-Shirts, Hats, etc… There’s nothing like showing your support with some good old fashioned Swag. Might even give some away to my faithful followers. These are just a few things I plan to add to Heathaplex Vision in the coming year.

Most importantly, I want to thank each and everyone one of you who have visited my site and shared it with friends. My mission is to provide you the best content I can based on my knowledge, research and your questions, insight and needs. My passion is simple: Sharing and Caring! I want you to learn something from my site and pass it along to your friends and family. There are so many cool devices and technologies out there that it is easy to get overwhelmed. Some products are good and some are not. What matters most is that you are happy and you are taking advantage of what the tech world has to offer.

Top 5 PREDICTIONS FOR 2010: I would like to start a tradition of giving you my tech predictions for each coming year. That way when they come true I can say, “I told you so!” Realistically though, I’ll probably be hearing from you, “You were way off, pal.” Either way….here are my predictions for what we will see in 2010:

1. 3-D Capable Television Sets: There are a few out there, but this will be the year when they really start hitting the market. It won’t explode like HDTV flat screens did in the beginning because the content will take time to build, but I think you’ll start to see some affordable sets in the coming year.

2. Wireless Audio/Video Streaming: Sony already has a television that streams signals from a standalone box to the television….no wires are plugged into the television. I think this will be huge in 2010 as people cry out for Home Theater systems that are free of the cable clutter.

3. Tablet Computing: This is the year Apple enters into the ring of tablets. The rumors are already flowing with a January 26th announcement date from Apple. Just like Apple redefined MP3 Players and Smartphones with the iPod and iPhone, they will showcase a “Tablet” that puts all the others to shame and revolutionizes the market. Don’t count out Microsoft though….they will also introduce a tablet of their own.

4. E-Book Readers: Newspapers and Magazines are already prepping for the e-book revolution. According to Amazon, Kindle eBook downloads far exceeded actually book purchases over the holidays. We will see a standardized ebook format and by the end of the year, you will see a color version of an e-book reader. This will signal the end of magazines as we know it.

5. Finally, Google Navigation (with Google Maps) will appear in American-made Automobiles! My guess is that GM will take advantage with Ford already knee-deep in Microsoft services. The New Audi A8 offers an option for Google Earth Navigation and it looks amazing!

These are my predicitons for 2010. Call me a liar or jump on the Heathaplex Vision bandwagon. Bottom line folks, I want the very best for each and everyone of you in the coming year. Do something amazing this year! Reconnect with old friends, re-invest some much needed personal time with your families and look for ways to improve yourself. If you find yourself down and out in 2010, follow this bit of wisdom, as my good friend Stephanie once passed along to me when the world seemed to be falling apart around me:

“The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of you veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then – to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting” – Spoken by Merlyn in “The Once and Future King” by T.H. White.

This is going to be an amazing decade…don’t let it pass you by like the last. Do great things and continue to enhance your lives and those around you. I wish you all the very best. Happy Holidays from Heathaplex Vision.

LED TVs “ARE” LCD TVs…Don’t Get Bamboozled

I can’t take it any more folks!!!! I finally reached the point where I feel I must inform the masses and set the record straight about the so-called new LED Televisons. All those LED TVs ARE LCD TVs!!! Don’t fall for all the false advertising.

As I was reading this  Sunday’s Best Buy ads, I ran across a full page Samsung television advertisement showing three LED TVs on sale. No where does it mention LCD, but that is exactly what you are buying. This is why it is important to educate yourself on all these formats. You can learn all about it by ‘Googling’ it.

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs are everywhere around us and have been since the early 1960s. LEDs produce light. Traditional LCD televisions are backlit via fluorescent light which is larger, consumes more energy, and it not as brilliant as LED backlit LCD televisions. Did you catch what I said here…..LCD televisions are either backlit with flourescent light or LED light. It is as simple as that. But, Best Buy and Samsung would have you believe LED TVs are something completely new to the world of high definition televisions and even get you to pay more than double for it. Even when I visited Best Buy, the sales person couldn’t even explain what LED technology was and blindly went on to tell other customers this was new technology and different than LCD. Sorry Best Buy dude….this has been around for a long time.

There are some great things about LED that you should be aware of. First, it consumes far less power than fluorescent backlit displays. Second, the lighting is smaller, hence the thickness of televisions can be smaller, which is another major advertising plug. Third, they produce higher contrast ratios and are a bit more brilliant (black-levels are improved over traditional flourescent backlit LDC TVs), but not as good as the numbers would have you believe. Fourth, you need to understand there are two types of LED televisions: those that are completely backlit (Full Array) and those that are edge-lit. Edge-lit have diodes around the edges of the television and throw light from the sides to light up the display. They are not as good as the full backlit (Full Array), but cost a lot less. Also, Full Array LED backlit displays can turn off light to individual areas of the screen which produces more realistic black levels and better contrast rations. I highly doubt you’ll find many Best Buy reps who truly understand the difference between Edge Lit displays and Full Array displays, but you should know what you are getting into before you pay up to twice as much for an LED-lit display vs a Flourescent-lit TV.

Bottom line folks, do your research before dropping this kind of cash on a television set. All it takes is a few minutes on the web and a few Wikipedia entries to learn about the different technology on the street. LED-lit LCDs are great televisions and produce some fantastic pictures, but you’re still getting an LCD television. As a movie viewer I still prefer Plasma because of the true black level reproduction, clarity, and the fact I have it located in a fairly dark room. If you prefer LCD televisions, definitely take a closer look at the LED versions on sale. Prices will soon be dropping as people begin to understand the major differences with these backlit displays and the fact that they are still buying an LCD television set.

Happy New Year to you all!!!

Reposted: 60Hz vs. 120Hz vs. 240Hz – LCD Response Rate

Click this link for information on Response Rate for HDTVs:  60Hz vs. 120Hz vs. 240Hz – LCD Response Rate.

This is a great article I ran across from lcdtvbuyingguide.com. I’ve been talking with a number of people over the past few days about buying televisions and this question always comes up when looking at LCD HDTVs.

Enjoy!

Heathaplex Vision

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