Author: Mario Armstrong

Win a Lenovo Tablet/Laptop Hybrid at 2pm TODAY!

by Mario Armstrong

Starting at 2PM today, I’m hosting a Twitter party to help you with smart gift ideas for the holidays and to help educate you about the new Windows 8. It’s going to be awesome plus @Staples is helping me give away one of the most interesting Windows 8 devices I’ve seen—the Lenovo Twist. And we’re also giving away three $100 gift cards to Staples, so that’s a great way to save on some holiday tech shopping this year!

How can you enter this contest to win? First up, make sure you’re following me on Twitter. You can use the following link to bring up my page:

http://twitter.com/marioarmstrong

And then, make sure you’re following Staples, too! Here’s their Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/staples

Then tune in to my page at 2pm Eastern (that’s 1pm Central, noon Mountain, 11am Pacific time!). We’ll be informing you about Windows 8 and asking questions, and YOUR answer might just win you this awesome Lenovo laptop/tablet hybrid!

Testing the Iris Home Automation System from Lowes

by Mario Armstrong

“Home automation” may sound like a future concept from the Jetson’s, but it’s here and Lowes is helping to make it affordable right now! This week I’m testing out the Lowes Iris smarthome kit which starts at $179. Three versions of the starter kit are available, and they contain everything you need to start controlling your home (and your energy bill) straight from any computer, smartphone or tablet!

Worried about leaving the coffeemaker or iron on when you’re out of the house? Want to see how much electricity an light fixture or appliance is using? Need to let your kids in the house remotely? The Iris system will help you do all of that, and more!

Plus, there are no long-term contracts or monthly fees for all of the basic functionality to control your home. However, if you want to get even more out of it, a premium package costs $9.99/month and allows multiple people receive alerts from the system, plus it offers offers advanced control of your devices as well as additional video capabilities and more storage space.

Smarthome kits

Allow me to break it down for you. Inside the kit you get the main hub which plugs into your router and is easy to set up, although you should allot about 45 minutes to make sure you can get everything running smoothly. The kits also include some accessories to smarten your home. Lowes offers three different types of kits:

– Comfort and Control ($179): comes with a smart thermostat and plug so you can control your the temperature inside your home from anywhere!

– Safe and Secure ($179): this kit is packed with door, window and motion sensors as well as a programmable keypad to control entry into your home!

– Smart Kit ($299): includes everything in both of the above kits, plus a range extender to help you spread the system into more rooms in a larger house. This is the kit I tested.

Accessories for the Iris system

Once you’ve got the basic system running, you can add as much to it as you want. Lowes offers a ton of different products that talk to the hub, including:

– A smart button that can be set up as a doorbell or even a panic button

– Smart key that turns the system on and off. Give one to each of your children, and you’ll know when they’re home!

– A wireless video camera to watch your kids or the babysitter while out on the town

– Dimmer switches to help you set the mood remotely

– Outdoor modules to control your home inside and out!

– A smart lock for your front door that can be opened remotely when your kids lock themselves out

Once you’ve got the kit, you’re good to go in terms of automating your whole house. There’s a ton of accessories offered at Lowes to connect to the system, and once you’ve got it all talking to the hub you’re just a tap away from controlling your home and monitoring your energy usage from your smartphone no matter where you are.

TODAY: When is the right time to Upgrade?

by Mario Armstrong

I like to tell people, when considering a product to buy, break it down into a category. Is this a purchase of primary importance? Of secondary importance? Or is it a luxury?

On the TODAY show this morning I had the chance to talk to Matt Lauer about how you should think about smartphones and tablets. When do you upgrade your device? How do you make that upgrade decision? Is there anything you can do/buy to prolong having to make those decisions?

For more info about some recent tablets, phones, and other devices, check out the following links:
– My video review of the Microsoft Surface tablet a serious iPad competitor.
– Our Tablet Buying Guide where we break down price points, features, and specs on all the major tablets.
– CONTEST: I’m giving away 10 smartphone and tablet accessories

Mario Armstrong’s Fall and Winter Tech Trends

by Mario Armstrong

In the “Control Your Environment” series, Curbed sits down with top influencers in the design world to find out what’s cool in entertaining, technology and home design. In this episode, they featured me! So click on the image above, or hit up this link to see what I think some of the top tech trends will be this fall and winter, and find out what I think one of the most overlooked iPhone 5 features is!

POLL: What new Apple product are you most anticipating?

by Mario Armstrong

The rumors are flying. Is Apple releasing an iPad “Mini” next Tuesday? Will there be a 13″ Retina MacBook Pro? Will there be a new iPhone that let’s you teleport anywhere in the world?

Let’s face it, I don’t know any more than you do. That’s why you should vote in the poll below and let me know what you think!

While an iPad Mini that can go head-to-head with the Google Nexus 7 tablet as well as Amazon’s Kindle Fire seems likely, nobody but Tim Cook & his team of secret engineers have any idea what Apple is about to unleash upon the world. But that doesn’t stop us from speculating!

If you want to be the first in the world to find out what Apple is unleashing next Tuesday, sign up for the mailing list below and I’ll shoot you a quick message when the Apple event begins at 1PM EST, and I’ll let you know about other exciting tech launches in the future! Then you’ll be able to tune in to our liveblog and find out in real-time what Apple is up to! In accordance with my site’s Privacy Policy I won’t share or sell your info with anyone, ever.


Until then, I’d love to find out what possible new Apple products everyone is most excited about! So do me a favor, and vote below!


First Louis CK, Now Jon Stewart: The State Of The Online-First Video Strategy In 2012

by Mario Armstrong

Even Major Media Properties Are Launching New Video Series Online—What’s Your Content Strategy?

The online gold rush today is in video, and if you’re looking to cash in it’s time to get started. Over the last year, YouTube has spent $100 million to help kickstart the careers of its content partners. Twitch.tv, a streaming video site that spun-off from Justin.tv to let video gamers stream live feeds and interact with fans just raised $15 million to build up its site and services which already reach an estimated 20 million monthly viewers. Mobile video app Socialcam recently sold to Autodesk for $60 million, which should help it reach the ever expanding audience of people who want to create and watch videos on their iPhones or Android devices.

This money isn’t just for the companies hosting these videos—by running ads or seeking sponsorships, video producers are able to monetize their videos on these various platforms. Even Vimeo long known as a great place to share cutting-edge videos in HD but also as a place without intrusive ads—is now allowing its content producers to accept tips on their videos.

You can read the rest of this post on AT&T’s Networking Exchange blog, where I’m a guest writer!

HLN VIDEO: 3 Great Alternatives to the iPhone 5

by Mario Armstrong

Yes, I’m going to say it: There are alternatives to the new iPhone 5.

Yikes, I better prepare for all the hate mail from Apple fanboys and fangirls.

Look I’m not against the iPhone 5 — actually, I like it a lot. And yes Apple gets a lot of media attention, but times will shift. I mean, I can still remember the days when Blackberry dominated the news cycle. Nowadays the iPhone 5 tends to dominate. Well, that was until the Samsung Galaxy SIII “Next Big Thing” ads started really taking off.

The bottom line is that there are other phones out there that are awesome in their own way. Read the rest of this post on HLNtv.com to see my recommendations.

iPad Mini Coming NEXT TUESDAY! Here’s what we know…

by Mario Armstrong

Here’s one of my favorite games to play as a tech reporter: decipher Apple’s invitations to events and look for clues! If you had any doubt that the iPad Mini is going to be announced next Tuesday, October 23rd, then check out the latest invite that appeared in my box this morning:

Apple isn’t a company that plays with words for no reason. When they say they have a “little more” to show me, that’s a pretty strong hint they’re talking about a “little” device, a.k.a. the iPad Mini.

Do you want to be among the first in the world to find out about the iPad Mini? We’ll be running a liveblog on October 23rd, breaking Apple’s news as it happens. If you sign up for my newsletter today, I’ll drop you an email just as Apple kicks off the event so you can tune in and find out what’s going on!
iPad Mini Mockup by 9to5mac

Why an iPad Mini? After all, isn’t the original iPad supposed to be the “perfect size” according to Steve Jobs? Frankly, yes, the iPad is pretty much as close to a perfect tablet in terms of size and weight that any company can make today. Here’s what Steve said before he passed about smaller tablets:

“The reason we [won’t] make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit [a lower] price point. It’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software. As a software driven company, we think about the software strategies first.”

But Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire have proven over the last year that a smaller tab, something in a size between an eReader and a full-sized Tablet, can offer a worthwhile experience at some really exciting price points. Some feel like these smaller tablets offer more than a taste of both worlds. While there’s no substitute for a full-size screen, a smaller iPad that can run all of the same apps as its big brother? Now THAT’S exciting!

So, the iPad Mini is coming (or is it the Lil’ iPad? iPad Nano? iPad Junior? LOL) but what will it be? Read on to find out!  Read More

HLN VIDEO: Apps encourage you to get in cars with strangers

by Mario Armstrong

This morning I appeared on HLN to talk about apps that help you catch a ride. Whether you need a taxi, black car service, or are looking for a ride with a stranger, there’s an app for that.

To find out more about the services I mention in the video above, and to get links to all of the apps I mention, check out this blog post on HLNtv.com.