We have just added a really cool functionality to the site. We are calling them Spec Tips. Basically, when people on TechSelector.com find a product that they want to know more about, they just have to click on the Details button in the Product Report:

So once you have clicked through to the Product details page where you’ll find the product description, pricing from many retailers, and the technical specifications, scroll down to the bottom to view the technical specification portion. This is where it gets juicy. Specifications lists are usually the richest sources of information that you will find on any product. The problem is that when you are looking at one of these pages, a lot of times you’ll have no idea what some of these things are! Well now your online buddies are helping you out by chiming in with their take on technical specifications. You can put in your own comments on any of them too! You can click on the spec you dont understand or that you want to comment on, such as in this snippet where we will choose “Red Eye Reduction”:

When you click on a spec like Red Eye Reduction shown below, you will get a small window that shows you not only the comments that other people just like you have made about that technical specification as it relates to the product you are interested in, but you can also see what people have said about that specification as it relates to other products as well! This tool is addictive to use and it really is extremely helpful. I just don’t have the time to try to figure out what some of these things mean, so having other peoples explanations and experiences are super helpful because I can gauge the true importance or performance of that particular attribute.

So go check it out. Put your own comments and experiences in too! It is actually really easy, and you know that your comment will show up for any product that has that technical specification. So the comment made by “Desmond Dekker” above will be seen whenever a camera has Red Eye Reduction. Everybody can benefit from even the smallest input, so share your knowledge with your community through Spec Tips, by TechSelector.com!

Im not sure why I am so excited about this. It just seems so revolutionary to me. Such a better way to approach a list of specs than just a definition or… well… NOTHING which is what most sites have. I really think that this new tool will help people to decipher technical specifications and get the most out of the wealth of information they can provide.

See you on the site, and by the way, my username is Petey

Thanks and Prost,

-Pete

The Apple iphone certainly looks the part with its sleek form, trendy design, and state of the art functionality. However, is this a phone to satisfy all user taste buds both gadget junky and businessman alike?? This is a question that many have asked. There was a huge debate when Microsoft criticized the iphone for not providing business friendly functionality. This is largely due to the fact that the iphone is a closed device and does not support a Microsoft windows suite. What does that mean to the average businessman? If you are looking to open an xcel file or do some editing in a word document, then think again. The iphone will not allow you to install windows mobile componants so that you can do these things either. So the debate rages on.
I find that there is a pretty obvious explanation for why the iphone doesn’t support these things. It is an ENTERTAINMENT based phone. It was never really meant for the hardcore business man. It was meant for the hundreds of millions of die hard Apple iPod lovers. Think about it, what type of user loves all the extraordinary bells and whistles, like the ipods 100% touchscreen interface, it’s 3.5 inch display (thats huge) or the the little things like its new slider keylock? The gadget buff loves those things. The business user does not necessarily have a need for them, and in designing products, it is all about considering the needs of your target market. All I know is that when I am travelling, I take my LAPTOP and I take my cellphone. I wouldn’t waste my time with a smartphone trying to produce documents or spreadsheets on a tiny screen wth limited input tools when I can do all those things in a tenth of the time on my laptop with a good broadband card. Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on an iPhone. They are scheduled to come out in June from what Ive read and Ill be waiting.

Thanks and cheers,

-Pete

Sales representatives exist to do one thing and one thing alone. They sell things to you. At your local electronics retailer you will find two types of sales representatives. Those who receive commissions, and those who do not. Those who receive commissions are usually pretty aggressive, and who wouldn’t be. Those who dont receive commissions still have serious incentive to sell though too. Don’t think for a second that they aren’t pushed to meet quotas, especially during the holidays. The bottom line is that sales representatives are biased sources of information no matter how you cut it. It is simply the nature of the situation.
Now, it’s also important to couple this understanding of a sales rep’s initiative with understanding that most sales reps dont understand or forget that the best way to sell something to someone is to understand that person’s needs and provide solutions to those needs.
Now that we understand the situation we are walking into as a prospective gadget buyer, we can figure on what NOT to do when talking to a sales rep. Rule number (1) Never tell the sales rep a horror story that has inspired your trip to find a new gadget. All this does is clutter the situation and show that you are desperate to buy something new to replace your old headache-producing gadget. Rule number (2) Don’t ever ask for the sales rep for their opinion. You might get a lucky break, but for the most part you are going to get an answer that has not been thoroughly contemplated and more importantly one that doesn’t apply to your needs. Rule number (3) Don’t ask questions that are going to get you ambiguous answers. So, dont ask the sales rep which Digital Camera tends to be the easiest to use, which is more a matter of opinion than anything else. So what SHOULD one do? Well, try to ask the most defined questions possible. Try to ask about specific attributes and exactly what they mean to a user. This is the reason why TechSelector.com was created. It was intended to do away with that awkard battle between you who are trying to convey your needs to a sales rep and the sales rep who is trying to convince you to buy something as quickly as possible. Give the Techselector system a try to see what I mean.

Thanks and Cheers,

-Pete

Blue Ray DVDs are all the rage these days as apparently they boast unsurpassed picture of HD quality beyond our wildest imaginations. Well, I won’t dispute their picture quality. It IS excellent, and you WILL see the difference, but is it really worth busting my budget over? Well, I guess this type of question arises for any new technology. There are always those die-hard technology lovers who are willing to pay near $1,000 for that coolest cellphone, or those that dont mind dropping many thousands on those first plasma tvs. The important thing to remember is that technology, and especially the consumer electronics industry is progressing so quickly.
So in turn, the prices drop quite quickly. For now though, although Blu ray DVD players have already come down in price considerably, they are still really expensive. For example, the cheapest one I could find was the Samsung BD-P1000. So whats cheap you might ask?? How does a shade under $500 bucks sound? Ill tell you one thing, sounds to me like Ill be buying normal DVD players for another 6 months- 1 year until the prices settle down. Or hey, if you are in the market for a Playstation 3, you’ll get a two for one deal because the PS3 has a built in Blu ray DVD player.
Either way, Blu ray or HD discs and the appropriate players are the future of home cinema for now, but like with any new technology, you should always wait until that sweet spot in the demand for it so that the prices drop accordingly.

Thanks and Salud!

-Pete

Well, things are changing so fast. Gadgets are quickly melting into each other providing for new and improved functionalities and benefits. What were once two different pieces of home electronics are now usually one. For example, nowadays the VCR and the DVD player are rarely found as seperate machines, but more likely as one integrated player/recorder. Perhaps the best example of this melding together of gadgets is the smartphone. So just what the hell is it? What defines it as so smart, and as for the 82 million dollar question… Are they worth the high prices??
Well, the definition of a smartphone is a bit of a wishy washy one. Generally speaking though, I agree with “A smartphone is generally considered any handheld device that integrates personal information management and mobile phone capabilities in the same device. Often, this includes adding phone functions to already capable PDAs or putting “smart” capabilities, such as PDA functions, into a mobile phone.” -Wikepedia
In my mind, a smartphone is a cellular phone that deserves extra commendation for services far beyond the call of duty if you will. A cellular phone with tons of extra features that really does the job of several gadgets. A good example is the Palm Treo 650. She’s not big and clunky, but you can still do a lot of different things with it that you cant do with a reagular cellphone.
So is a smartphone worth the 400 dollar price tag that you will likely pay if you arent getting it bundled with years of service attached(which by the way, bugs the hell out of me)? If you are a business man and you need to have services like email, internet, phone, etc. at your disposal at all times, then YES YES YES. If you have these types of needs and try a smartphone, you will likely fight to the death before ever going back to not having one. If you are just someone who likes to have the latest gadgets then probably YES as well. Are you seeing a trend yet? Look, it all comes down to what your needs are in the end, but in general, I would tell you to give a smartphone some thought.

Thanks and Prost!

-Pete

Well, let me be the first to introduce myself, Peter, and our other two writers Tamara and Cari. We are going to be covering technology, its ups, its downs, and perhaps most importantly, sharing our own experiences and opinions on the subject. We have all had our run-ins with confusing Technology choices or downright nightmares usually involving warranties or deceiving sales pitches. I for one have had my fill of it. A lot of times, it simply isnt fun to go out shopping for gadgets because there are WAY too many choices, and to be honest, it’s a pain in the ass to talk to sales reps just to find out about the models I am looking for. TechSelector.com is trying to do away with that process, because its simply not efficient, and there are often so many instances where a shopper just up and leaves because he or she doesnt want to deal with the headache of trying to convey their desires to a sales rep.
We’ve got a lot of cool features in the mix at TechSelector.com. As we release them, we will cover how they work and how they are meant to help people. As of now, we have a system on the website that really works to help people to find the right product for them, as well as giving them all the peripheral info they could ever need.
So thanks for visiting and come again, because we will have some great new topics and dscussions here each day.

Thanks and cheers,
Pete