On this week’s podcast we discussed the following topics:

• $99 Xbox and Kinect Bundle – Is there a catch?

The $99 Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle is available now and includes an Xbox 360 (4GB model) with Kinect motion sensor. In order to keep the initial pricing low, Microsoft will require a two-year contract at $15 a month for 2 years.

• Samsung Galaxy S III Announcement

What’s new in the Samsung Galaxy S III and how will the newest Galaxy S phone stack up against its predecessors?

• Yelp Loses a Bunch of Cash
• Current top Phone, iPad and Android apps we’re using
• Thumb by Opinionaided
• Spotify for iPad
• MapMyWalk
• Swiftkey keyboard for Android
• ShopWell for iOS
• LINE Camera for iOS

The $99 Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle is available now at Microsoft stores nationwide. The included Xbox is a 4GB model with Kinect motion sensor included.

In order to keep the initial pricing low, Microsoft will require a two-year contract at $15 a month for 2 years. The two-year membership also includes Xbox Live Gold membership which allows you access to additional online content, capabilities and online gaming.

The included Xbox Live Gold Membership allows you to:

• Rent or buy HD movies
• Online multiplayer with your games
• Watch HD movies from Netflix, HBO Go
• Watch live sports and highlights from ESPN
• Live radio with iHeartRadio
• Video or avatar chat with Kinect

When you purchase this package, be aware that it is not an overall savings but more of a subsidy plan, similar to the pricing structure of cell phones and their contracts. If you were to purchase the same Xbox 360 4gb with a Kinect and two-year’s worth of an Xbox Live Gold membership it would be about $375 while this bundle and contract deal ends up costing about $458.

It’s apparent that Microsoft wants to position the Xbox as a full-service entertainment center (games plus online content). Click here to watch our video and hear our thoughts on Microsoft’s main motivations in getting into the home media game with its main competitors being the Apple TV, Roku box, Google TV and Sony’s PS3.

We’re proud to announce our new Question and Answer Tech Show, broadcasting live every Thursday night at 7pm.

For one hour, we’ll be available to answer your computer and technology questions live on air. Featured guests will be your very own eGeniuses Technicians with additional special guests every week.

In addition to answering your questions we’ll also be covering the week’s latest technology news and our current apps of the moment for our smartphones and tablets.

Get your questions ready and join us every Thursday at 7pm!
Call in your questions at (818) 275-1617.

As the number of Mac users grow, so does the appeal of creating virus and malware targeted at Apple computers. Although still a relatively safer alternative to PC’s, Mac’s are becoming a more enticing target for virus and malware.

The latest Mac virus to garner traction is the Flashback Trojan. It has been reported to have infected hundreds of thousands of Apple users since September of 2011. The Flashback Trojan is designed to obtain secure information such as passwords and other personal information and send it to remote servers. As it has spread more rapidly, it has been able to evade Apple’s own security tool, XProtect, and it is able to install itself without a user’s permission or interaction.

There are a few different ways to detect the infection on your computer. One way is to run a few commands in the Terminal application on your computer. One by one, copy the following strings into Terminal.

defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES

If it reports that the file does not exist for each command, you do not have the Flashback Trojan. If you are infected, the command will render the location of the malware.

Another way to detect the Flashback Trojan on your Mac is to download F-Secure’s Flashback detection and removal software. Apple has also released a fix and removal tool for users running Mac OS X 10.6.8 and later. If you have an older version of OS X, the Apple fix is not applicable and you will need to use an alternate method of removal.

If you suspect that your Mac is infected and would like to set an appointment with an eGeniuses Technician to perform Mac virus removal in Burbank, feel free to call us at (877) 694-3648 or contact us through our online form.

Instagram, the highly popular photo sharing and photo filter app and Apple’s 2011 ‘App of the Year’, has recently been made available for Android users. Instagram is a free and fun way to share photos from your phone with the option to post them on various popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Featuring 17 unique photo filters, borders, tilt-shift and a blur feature, Instagram makes it easy to customize your photos. The process is as straightforward as taking a photo, choose a filter and post!

With 30 million iOS users and 10 million Android users (with numbers growing daily), you’re sure to find new and interesting photos from your closest friends and from around the world.

Do you have an Instagram account? Leave your username in the comments and we’ll check out your pictures!

View Instagram on Google Play.

eGeniuses Technicians will hold a live broadcast where we will be answering your computer questions and discussing the latest technology news. In a few days we’ll be posting a link to our website that will have the live stream where you can watch and ask questions.

Often times, you may have a simple question but may not know who to ask or whether or not the answer you get is trustworthy. Questions may range from how to make your wireless signal stronger, what’s so great about the new iPad or anything else on your mind. We’re here to help answer your questions and point you in the right direction if you need additional help.

Initially, broadcasts will be held weekly and specifically for Burbank computer repair questions. We’ll be expanding to other cities soon. If you’re not in Burbank, let us know what city you want us to bring the broadcast to next!

We’ll be releasing more details as we near the end of April so stay tuned for an exact date and time!

Clarity Unlike Any Other

The most touted upgrade in the lastest iPad is the high resolution retina display with four times the pixels of its predecessor, the iPad 2. The physical screen size has stayed the same at 9.7 inches but has increased to 2048-by-1546 resolution which amounts to 3.1 million pixels total. This is one more million pixels than an HD television! This increase doesn’t allow your eyes to distinguish individual pixels when held at normal viewing distances which creates a sharper, clearer and smoother display.

In order to accomodate this higher resolution display, the iPad increased its graphics processor to quad-core which supports higher intensity games and more responsiveness overall. This is also helpful when you’re working with photos, videos, apps and more.

Improved Camera and HD Video Recording

What better to use your improved display with than great quality photos and high definition video? Along with its FaceTime camera on the front of the iPad, there’s an upgraded 5-megapixel iSight camera on the back. Apple has added autofocus, tap to focus, exposure control and built-in face detection. The new camera is also capable of recording full 1080p HD video with automatic video stabilization. Of course, there are also a multitude of apps that allow you to edit and share with family and friends.

Improved Wireless Network Connectivity

If staying connected with high speed networks wherever you go is important, Apple has included the latest and fastest wireless cellular networks from Verizon and AT&T into WiFi + 4G versions of the iPad. You’re also able to connect worldwide by just popping in a local SIM card. This version of the iPad also allows you to set it up as a personal hotspot, allowing up to five additional devices to harness your wireless to connect to the web. Although this feature is built in to the WiFi + 4G versions, it is carrier dependent and you may be charged extra.

Dictation

Instead of typing out your emails, text, tweets or searches you can now press a microphone icon to bring up Dictation. Say what you want and the iPad will listen and convert it to text. This works with both native Apple apps and third party apps.

iCloud

If you have multiple Apple devices such as an iPhone, iMac, Mac mini or iPod Touch, iCloud enables your content to be synced between all of your devices seamlessly. This includes your music, photos, apps, email, contacts, calendars and documents. For example, say you take a photo with your iPhone, that photo will be synced to your Mac computer, iPad and any other Apple device without any extra prompt from you.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for the new iPad starts at $499 for a 16GB WiFi only version and a 16GB WiFi + 4G version starts at $629 (plus monthly data fees from either Verizon or AT&T). They will be available starting Friday, March 16th online and at Apple stores, Best Buy, Target and other local electronic retailers. Pre-orders from the Apple online store have already sold out and new orders have been pushed back 2-3 weeks. Your best bet for picking one up this Friday is to visit a local store.

The hard drive industry is still feeling the effects of catastrophic flooding that occurred last July in Thailand and unfortunately, it’s not looking to get better anytime soon. Manufacturers have predicted that supplies will not reach normal capacity until at least the third quarter 2012.

Another negative ripple effect of the the hard drive shortage is the rising cost of PC’s. Computer manufacturers aren’t able to secure enough hard drives for new computers and Intel has noted that they have had a decrease in CPU orders as a direct result.

If you’re absolutely in need of a new hard drive, it may be best to pick one up now if you’re able to find one. Retailers such as Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics are not sure when they’ll be able to restock or at what price. Prices for hard drives have risen greatly, some more than 100%. For example, the cost of a 1 TB prior to the shortage was $50, now it is selling for $140.

The photo above was taken at the local Fry’s Electronics in Burbank, California about a week ago and it illustrates the lack of hard drive inventory that retailers are facing. Has the hard drive shortage affected you?

Using the web’s best group video chat technology, Google+ Hangouts, you’re now able to attend cooking classes from the comfort of your own kitchen while using your own tools and appliances. ChefHangout.com connects chefs with their students, regardless of their location. Simply find a class that interests you, sign up for a small fee, gather your ingredients and you’re good to go!

Just like your local cooking classes, ChefHangout.com is affordable. Most classes fall between the $10-20 range, depending on who the instructor is and the topic of the class. After you sign up, you’ll be sent an ingredient list for your class and notes about any prep equipment you may need.  Class sizes are small, up to 10 people per class. A small class size guarantees personalized learning from your chef and assistance if needed. The benefit of working in your own kitchen allows you to use your own tools and appliances that you’re already comfortable with.

The classes offered vary from basic knife skills, kids cooking, baking, cocktails, party dishes, healthy meals, and culture specific classes. If you’re interested in learning more or taking a few classes, visit ChefHangout.com. If you’d like to get started with Google+ Hangouts but aren’t quite sure how, let us know and we’ll get you setup! Feel free to call the office at (877) 694-3648 or send us email here at our contact form.

eGeniuses is very excited to see companies taking advantage of new technology to further their reach. Google+ Hangouts is currently the best group video chat and it’s interesting to see the different ways it’s being used. Have you seen any interesting uses for Google+ Hangouts?

The recent rollout of Gmail’s new design is another new feature that keeps it at the top spot of best email provider on the web. If you’re still using an AOL, Hotmail or Yahoo email account, this may be the perfect time to move over to Gmail. Chances are, you already have a Google account that you use with other Google services that you can utilize as your Gmail account as well!

One of Gmail’s best features is their world renowned spam protection which keeps your inbox full of only the messages you want to see. Their spam protection runs circles around the competition. Also, you can keep your mail organized and categorized just how you like with unlimited filters and tags. Gmail also ensures that you don’t have to worry about storage, they offer a large amount that increases by the minute!

The Gmail interface is one of the easiest to use and it also integrates useful features that can be turned on and off in your inbox. Some of these features are free text and video chat and free phone calls. In addition to these features, Gmail provides top notch security to protect your account. They use bank-level security to keep your account, email and personal information safe.

Having a Gmail account also makes mobile email easy. If you have an Android, iPhone or other smartphone, Gmail integrates easily so that you can take your mail on the go.

The switchover to Gmail is quick, easy and convenient due to Gmail’s import features. Gmail can easily move over your old email, your contacts and import your email for the next 30 days from your old account while you’re making the transition.

To start the quick and easy process of switching to Gmail, click here to start. Or, if you’d like our help in switching your accounts over to Gmail, give us a shout at (877) 694-3648 to speak with one of our technicians.