Targus Announces New Line of Cases Specifically for Galaxy S4, Note 8 Owners

This morning Targus announced a new line of smartphone cases specifically designed for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Note 8 devices. Considering the S4 just launched last week, that was pretty fast!

Describing the cases as “sleek” and “sexy” this new line of cases promises to show off a “modern, yet sophisticated style” according to Melissa Chapman, VP of Tablet and Phone products for Targus. As you can see in the images to the right, these are definitely not your Dad’s oversized, dorky cases—the “Midnight Collection” offers laser cut textures, metallic finishes, and a selection of colors include Noir/Black, Pool Blue, and Crimson (shown).

These definitely won’t break the bank either—the S4 cases range in MSRP from $19.99 to $24.99 and will be available later this month. A Galaxy Note 8 case is also coming to the Midnight Collection, featuring a soft-touch lining to protect your device as well as a built-in kickstand. That will be hitting stores in June with an MSRP of $29.99.

For those looking for even more cases, Targus will be adding to the line throughout the year, adding additional phones and tablets throughout the year.

Stay Safe on Public Wi-Fi! Here are my tips! (TODAY Show)

Ever wondered how you can stay safe while browsing the web on public Wi-Fi when at a coffee shop, airport, or other unsecured network? I set up a decoy network at a hotel in New York city and see how many people I can trick into signing on to the fake network. You need to be careful because if you connect to a decoy network, all of your passwords, credit card info, and browsing history can be captured! This is called a “man-in-the-middle” attack and it is a real threat out there!

While it can be scary, here are three easy tips to be more safe online:

1. Whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, make sure it’s legitimate by asking the establishment for what the correct network is.

2. Be aware of what you’re doing online. If you’re banking, shopping, working with sensitive work data, then you need to take the right precautions to be safe. You can read some of my tips for being safe online for more ideas on how to do this.

3. Try out two-step authentication. This way when you’re logging in to your accounts you need your username, password, and also a special code sent to your phone via text message. Unless a hacker can get access to your phone, your password will be useless to them!

Why I Support Maryland First

The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition is happening this weekend, April 12-13, at the Baltimore Convention Center and I’m going to be there to show my support at this free event open to families and the public! As a STEM advocate who’s always looking for ways our children can better connect with science, math and tech, the FIRST competition is a great way to get the little ones excited about robots! PLUS there are college scholarships available for participants—how cool is that?

To learn more about FIRST in Maryland, click here.

WHAT:
Chesapeake Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. FRC is in its 22nd season of inspiring future scientists and engineers.

WHERE:
Baltimore Convention Center
Hall A (Charles Street Entrance)
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

WHEN:
Competition takes place over two days: April 12-13, 2013
Best public viewing both days: 9:00 a.m. – approximately 5 p.m.
Opening Ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. both days

Scheduled to speak at Friday, April 12, Opening Ceremonies at 8:30 a.m.
– Dr. Darryl Pines, Dean of the Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland

Scheduled to speak at Saturday, April 13, Opening Ceremonies at 8:30 a.m.
– Walt Havenstein, Chairman of the FIRST Board of Directors

Every time you get a small success, you need to celebrate that!

I’m doing a special segment on the TODAY show this Saturday, covering the NY Auto Show. That got me thinking about how we approach our goals and dreams and how we deal with our success. It’s one thing to have big goals and to pursue them. That’s something everyone needs to be doing. But you need to enjoy the journey as well!

My goal is to be the host of a nationally-syndicated television show. But that’s a huge goal! So I’m breaking it down into small steps that I can actually do, like appearing regularly on national TV and hosting one-off programs like this year’s Best of CES special. That way, when I accomplish these small goals I can step away and look at what I’ve done and really feel like I’ve accomplished something!

Mario’s Top 3: March Madness, Groupon, Street View [TODAY show video]

(On a mobile device and can’t see the video above? Try clicking this link to watch instead.)

1. March Madness Live App

Watch all of the games LIVE on your smartphone or tablet. Plus, check scores, watch highlights from past games, and find out which channels are showing which games right now.

Apple iOS Devices: Download App Now

Android iOS Devices: Download App Now

2. Java Jolts Groupon

Groupon recently sold over 100,000 coupons for an online Starbucks deal where you could get a $10 Starbucks gift card for $5. Interest was so big though, it brought the whole Groupon site down!

3. Google Street View Goes Off The Road

For a long time, Google’s Street View has allowed you to look at any street in the US where there vans have gone and photographed not only what the street itself looks like, but the business and homes surrounding it. If you’re planning a trip somewhere unfamiliar, this was a great tool to try and locate a business, see which side of the street it would be on, and even double check to see if it was actually there! Or even just take a trip down memory lane and check out a city you used to live in and see what it looks like now. But now Google is taking it off the street and into some wild locations. You can virtually hike the Grand Canyon, check out a Monastery in Tibet, and even tour around historic Italy. Hit up this link to see all of Google’s off-road Street View Collections.