Digital Soft Technologies: November 2008

Sony's 18-inch Blu-ray laptop is our portable home theater favorite

In any collection of similar laptops, the one with the Sony Vaio logo is likely to be the most expensive in the group. So, imagine our pleasant surprise to find the Vaio AW125 to be less expensive than the other 18-inch, Blu-ray equipped laptops we've seen.

Our Blu-ray HP HDX18 was $2,149, while the Blu-ray version of Acer's Aspire 8920 was $2,499 (both have cheaper non-Blu-ray versions). In comparison, the Vaio AW125 was a mere $1,849 (although fancier models from the AW line can get up as high as $3,200).

We're big fans of the 18-inch 16:9 screen concept, which matches the resolution of HDTV screens and works perfectly with HD content. Our only real knocks against the Vaio were its insistence on including the usual assortment of proprietary Sony stuff, from a Memory Stick slot to all kinds of Sony-branded media software (just stick with iTunes or the VLC player).

Blue Shirts to solve digital TV transition

Geeks and nerds need not apply, but if you're still one of those facing your 10-year-old analog TV every night, I have some news.

On Tuesday, Best Buy announced that it will host workshops in 25 of its stores around the country to educate consumers about the transition to digital television broadcasting and help them choose the best solution for their television needs.

The workshop will help you understand the difference between the two technologies and, most likely, encourage you to buy a new digital TV. Best Buy, of course, will be ready to facilitate the purchase of said digital television right there in its store, though no purchase is required for you to participate.

The workshops are the collaborated efforts of Best Buy and the National Association of Broadcasters. During the event, local broadcasters will also be available to answer questions.

The workshops will take place at at 10 a.m. on November 17--exactly three months before the switch. You can participate at Best Buy stores in following locations: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, and Washington D.C.

Skype wirelessly with Drone Bluetooth adapter

Most new laptops have built-in Bluetooth these days, but if yours doesn't, you might want to get what CallPod introduced on Thursday, theDrone.

The Drone is not a regular Bluetooth adapter. It's a high-powered device that offers a range of up to 300 feet; that's 10 times the range of regular Bluetooth devices.

Designed mainly for audio purposes, once plugged in, the Drone is recognized by a computer as a speaker. The Drone's built-in firmware then streams the computer's audio feed to Bluetooth headsets or speakers.

For this reason, the device is perfect for computer-based VoIP calling, and works with Skype, right out of the box. If you are listening to music when a Skype call arrives, the Drone automatically switches over the the call.

As an audio device, the Drone is 100 percent plug-and-play; software installation is only required for advance functions, such as data transfer.

The Drone Bluetooth adapter is A2DP-compliant and compatible with both PCs and Macs. It's available now for $49.95, which is significantly more expensive than other regular Bluetooth adapters.