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Convert Your Mom to Digital TV

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With the biggest change in over-the-air television since the 1930’s coming in February 2009, some seniors may need to take steps to continue watching their favorite programs once the digital television transition is complete. To encourage baby boomers to help their elderly parents, relatives, and neighbors get ready, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® enlisted actress Florence Henderson, best known for her role as Carol Brady on TV’s “The Brady Bunch,” to launch the Convert Your Mom public awareness campaign.”CEA’s member companies have filled retail stores with a wide assortment of affordable digital TV products, from low-cost digital televisions to converter boxes and antennas that are easy to hook up to existing analog TV sets,” said Gary Shapiro, CEA’s president and CEO. “We know that one of the best ways to reach seniors is through their families. With Convert Your Mom we’re asking baby boomers to help make sure everyone is ready well in advance.”

Beginning with a satellite media tour hosted by Ms. Henderson in early May, the Convert Your Mom campaign will feature a special downloadable guide and tips for getting ready for the digital TV transition, among other elements.

The campaign will remind viewers who rely on an antenna and an analog TV set for reception, that they have choices to continue enjoying free over-the-air television.

  1. Buy a new TV with built-in digital tuner
  2. Subscribe to a pay-TV service like cable or satellite TV
  3. Purchase an affordable Digital TV Converter Box to receive over-the-air digital TV signals and convert them for analog viewing.

Dozens of affordable converter boxes are now certified by the U.S. government as eligible for $40 discount coupons that are being distributed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and digital TV sets are also now widely available for under $200.

More information about CEA’s ongoing digital television public education efforts can be found online at www.digitaltips.org.

Tip: How to Clean Your Computer Keyboard

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Computer keyboards are one of the dirtiest, germiest surfaces in the house. (So is the mouse.) Take a few minutes to clean your keyboard using supplies you probably already have around – just unplug it first. Next, turn it over a trash can and lightly shake out any dirt or dust that has accumulated. Clean the keys with a soft cloth lightly moistened with rubbing alcohol. ( You can do this to the mouse as well.) Finally, run a fabric softener sheet over the keys to cut back on dust-attracting static electricity. You’re done! A clean keyboard in under five minutes.

LG and GE to Share Patents

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News from appliancemagazine.com a trade magazine, reports:

LG Electronics has entered into a cross licensing agreement with GE Consumer & Industrial that will allow LG and GE to use one another’s patents for refrigerators and cooking appliances without paying licensing fees.

“We believe that this licensing arrangement with GE will enhance our ability to deliver winning products and move us further toward our goal of becoming one of the top global brands in consumer electronics and home appliances,” said Young Ha Lee, president and CEO of LG Electronics Digital Appliance Company. “Our long history of working together with GE will help us take advantage of this agreement even more quickly.

“This agreement is part of a win-win strategy for both GE and LG,” said Lynn S. Pendergrass, president and CEO, GE Consumer and Industrial—Americas. “We expect the synergies resulting from the strong relationship between our two companies will contribute substantially to the success of both GE and LG.”

LG and GE have collaborated on cooking appliances since 1999, both in technologies and product development. The companies say the new agreement will help the companies strengthen their competitiveness worldwide. It will be especially helpful to LG, it said, in its push to expand its presence in digital appliances globally. The company currently sells its products through all three of the top retailers in North America: The Home Depot, Sears and Best Buy.

LG has previously entered into key partnerships with other top companies to build its technology and customer base. In 2000 the company partnered with Matsushita’s air-conditioning division and in 2001 LG allied itself with both Microsoft and Intel in the home networking sector.

Buying an MP3 Player?

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There are so many MP3 players out there, how do you know what to look for when you’re out shopping? One of the first things to decide is how much you want the player to hold. If you are using it for music, how many songs do you want on it? Gigabites(GB) are the units in which the memory is measured. The more GB, the more songs the player will hold. A model with 80GB will store up to 20,000 songs, while a model with 2GB will store about 500.

Knowing your budget helps too- the more memory, the higher the price tag.

In general, models with more memory use microdrive technology. Microdrive technology is basically a tiny little harddrive with a spinning disc and a magnetic head reading it. These MP3s have moving pieces that can be damaged by shaking. You might want to go for a solid state model like the Sansa Shaker or others that are less likely to be damaged if used while exercising- or if you plan to loan it to your kids.

How a TV Works

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If you have ever wondered how your television works, HowStuffWorks has just what you are looking for. They cover the basic technology in the back of your TV: the four parts, electron gun, steering coils, phosphorus screen, and steering coil. It’s so much easier to understand if you watch the video.


Great Music, Great Gift

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The Sansa Shaker is a little, pink or blue, kid’s dream come true. I’ve listened to it with my kids-it comes with ports for two headsets- and the sound is fabulous! Sansa Shaker It retails for around $29-$39 depending on the memory you want. Check out a comprehensive review at TechTalk.net. This MP3 player is fun, easy to use and well priced.

Recall: Coby Electronics Recalls DVD/CD/MP3 Players Due to Fire Hazard

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Players

Units: About 12,000

Importer: Coby Electronics Corp., of Maspeth, N.Y.

Hazard: The portable DVD/CD/MP3 players can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Coby Electronics Corp. has received three reports of the units overheating, one of which involved minor property damage from a fire. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves two different portable DVD/CD/MP3 players:

Product Model Number Description
5” TFT Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player with TV Tuner and Digital AM/FM Tuner TF-DVD170 Product is spherical in shape with a 5” TV screen in front. The name “COBY” is written above the screen. The model number can be found on the bottom of the unit.
5.6” TFT Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player and NTSC TV Tuner TF-DVD176 Product is spherical in shape with a 5.6” TV screen in front. The name “COBY” is written above the screen. The model number can be found on the bottom of the unit.

Sold at: Discount, electronics, music, toy, and office supply stores, as well as distributors of electronics products, nationwide from May 2006 through October 2007 for between $140 and $170.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the portable DVD/CD/MP3 players and contact the firm for information on returning the units and receiving a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Coby Electronics Corp. toll-free at (877) 231-9240 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.cobyusa.com

Picture of Recalled Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player

Picture of Recalled Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player

Recall:Home Automation Inc. Recalls Wireless Receivers Due to Failure to Receive Security Signal

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The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: 64 Zone Wireless Receivers

Units: About 200

Manufacturer: Home Automation Inc., New Orleans, La.

Hazard: If the receiver loses power, it could fail to receive the signal from transmitters monitoring for intrusion detection in a property and place the security of residents at risk.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves the 64 Zone Wireless Receivers with model 45A00-1 and revision number B1. The receiver is an accessory to the Home Automation Inc. Home Control System and is professionally installed. The model and revision numbers can be found on a label on the back of the unit.

Sold by: The receivers were sold to distributors nationwide from July 2007 through September 2007 for between $120 and $150.

Manufactured in: Taiwan

Remedy: Consumers should not rely on the recalled receivers to obtain security information. Consumers should contact Home Automation Inc. for a free replacement receiver. Consumers with recalled receivers will be notified by the company.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Home Automation Inc. at (800) 229-7256 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.homeauto.com (pdf)

Picture of Recalled 64 Zone Wireless Receiver

299 Bananas = New Stereo?

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Can this be true?

In 1986, Silo (a chain of home electronics stores) ran a television commercial in 23 markets nationwide, offering stereos for “299 bananas.” They never thought anyone would take them at their word; after all, “banana” is a widely accepted, if playful, term for greenbacks. Who could possibly mistake one for the other? Thirty-two customers held the retailer to its unwitting word – they showed up bearing loads of the yellow fruit and demanding the store keep its end of the bargain.

Check it out at snopes.com and find out what happened to all those bananas.

Recall:Toshiba Recalls AC Adapters sold with Portable DVD Players Due to Burn Hazard

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Name of Product: Toshiba AC Adapters Sold with Portable DVD Players

Units: About 142,000

Distributor: Toshiba America Consumer Products LLC, of Wayne, N.J.

Hazard: The AC adapters can fail, causing the portable DVD player to overheat, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Toshiba has received two reports of minor damage to the bottom of the DVD player. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the AC adapter sold with the Toshiba portable DVD player Model SD-P1600. “Toshiba” and ADPV16 can be found on the side of the adapter. “Toshiba”, Model SD-P1600, and the serial number can be found on a rating label on the bottom of the cabinet for the DVD player.

Sold at: Consumer electronics stores nationwide from January 2005 through April 2006 for between $200 and $230.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the AC adapters immediately and contact Toshiba Customer Solutions for a replacement adapter.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Toshiba Customer Solutions toll-free at (877) 290-6064 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.tacp.com