If there’s one feature inside a car that can be considered a “legacy device” it will have to be the cigarette lighter socket. It’s a holdover from a time when cigarette smoking was still considered cool and not the cancer developing addiction that it truly is. But despite the fact that cigarette smoking is not as popular anymore, the cigarette lighter socket still remains as a standard feature in all cars.

Touch screens have revolutionized how we control gadgets. It is a more intuitive way of manipulating something and it has practically no learning curve. Place a touchscreen tablet in front of a toddler and in no time they’ll be swiping and pinching away. Despite the versatility of touch screens, it still does have certain limitations, especially when applied to certain tasks because touch screen displays are still quite fragile, escpecially for uses that require vigorous touching and pressing. A team led by Bruno Zamborlin is currently in the midst of testing a new technology that specifically addresses the issues of interface alternatives. The team’s project is called the Mogees mini mic.

Logitech designers have come up with a new product that makes it easier for people who make presentations using their laptops to transition from using their computers and making presentations. The new product, which Logitech is now displaying at the Consumer Electronics Show, is called the Cube.

The digitalization of music may have democratized music in large parts but in terms of quality, compressed music file formats like MP3s are far inferior to uncompressed files or even to analog media sources like LPs. One of the ways to compensate for this inferiority is by encoding music files at a level that presents more aural quality. This is a great solution and once you’ve heard a file that has been encoded at a great bitrate you’ll never go back to low bitrate file. A great file is a good start but you’ll also need a really good audio hardware to take advantage of your MP3s.

Various mobile devices are the perfect vehicle for social media apps. You can put your social media app of choice on your mobile phone or tablet and coupled with a mobile broadband plan you can already make updates wherever you are. It may be an easy way to use social media sites like Twitter but there are still many users who prefer to access Twitter using their mobile browsers. If you are one of those people who prefer the latter then you should consider using InstaBG.

Apple’s iDevices are so versatile that you can make the appropriate apps to make it perform a gazillion different functions. One of the more popular uses for iPhones and iPads is by turning it into a universal remote control But there is one big drawback to this – Apple’s devices do not have infrared sensors, which is the only way a remote can communicate with a majority of devices or AV equipment.

I consider myself a very capable touch typist. I can type at a fast clip without having to look at the keyboard. But my typing speed drastically suffers whenever I use a tablet. They say that there is a learning curve for getting proficient when typing on a tablet. I believe them but even if I do spend a lot of time practicing I’m still no nearer to achieving a decent typing speed on tablets. I really think that to be truly productive with tablets you need to use a keyboard. The problem is there are not a lot of good options out there. A lot of them are bulky or just not comfortable to use. Fortunately, Verbatim has released what could be one of the most ideal mobile keyboards in the market today. The Verbatim Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard is an extremely portable keyboard.

The world of karaoke has changed in dramatic ways and these days you can come up with a home set up that is just as fancy as anything you find in a bar. Technology has allowed karaoke fans great opportunities to sing with more convenience than ever. And if you have the type of equipment that takes advantage of modern stereo systems, you can have a rocking parties every weekend that will last well into the night. We've definitely come a long way since the first karaoke machines that were basically simple cassette players. Now we have devices that are leading the way into a new direction of home entertainment while taking advantage of other forms of media as well. Here are some of the best features that you can find our new karaoke machines these days along with examples of a few of the best products.

One of the banes of owning a lot of tech devices for your home entertainment system is not the space that it occupies – true gadget geeks always find a way of fitting equipment into a room – but the growing number of remotes that one has to contend with. You’ve got remotes for your TV, BD player, receiver, media player, various legacy electronics. You get the idea. The best way to really solve the remote control problem is to be able to use just one remote to control all of the equipment you have. But a universal remote does not usually perform as advertised. The usual universal remote will always have some feature lacking or will not perform as advertised. Even those expensive universal remotes that look like a daunting piece of future tech do stumble during real world applications.

One interesting byproduct of the stumbling economy is the pressure on retailers to provide better deals. Black Friday has traditionally been synonymous with having the best sales of the year, and this year aims to be a party of frugality as stores slash prices and do midnight openings in an attempt to unload inventory. Here are 5 places to find the best bargains of Black Friday: 1. Amazon The all-purpose store is one of the largest distributors on the internet, with deals ranging on everything from electronics to food. As an internet company, Amazon has the advantage of being able to start its Black Friday on Thanksgiving, giving it an extra day on local competition as well as internet stores waiting for Cyber Monday. As a result, bargain hunters would be wise to do the same before stock on popular items run out. Another distinct advantage that Amazon has year round is the lack of sales tax for residents of 45 of the 50 states. The company is only legally obligated to charge tax on items where its offices, factories and subsidiaries are located, meaning only New York, North Dakota, Washington, Kansas and Kentucky are subject to sales tax. This could amount to a superior bargain for big ticket items, especially when compounded by the Black Friday discount.