What is it?

The MIO Dig Walker C320 is one of the newest entries in to the GPS market from MIO-Tech. This nifty little unit comes in a slicker black case for those of you who remember the MIO C310x from last year. I received this unit just over a month and wanted to wait until I was going to get a chance to use it for a road trip before I wrote my review. So with out further delay check out the MIO C320.

How does it Work?

The MIO pronounced (Me- oh) measures about 5 inches in length and sports a nice size display that’s virtually the size of the unit with very little unnecessary plastic casing. The screen is bright during daytime driving and the light sensor switches over to night for an attractive blue on black map that’s great for evening trips. The MIO C320 opens to a screen of the four different modes you have to choose from. There is MIO Map, Audio, File Manager, and the settings page for the usual date/time language screen and volume controls. The MIO out of the box handles 17 different language options to choose from so our International readers need not worried you’re covered. There is a power save feature that will shut the C320 off at pre-chosen intervals in the event you are running on battery.

Check out what comes in the box with the C320:

• Device holder
• Windshield mount
• Car charger (DC adapter)
• Software & documentation DVD

The File Manager is a smart interface that lists your files on the device and what you have on the optional storage card (Standard SD MMC card) up to 4GB should work just fine. I’ve not tested if you can use the MIO as just a picture viewer but it could be a good option to take it from the car to the desk or office for viewing those weekend day tip photos or some pictures of the kids. The next option is one of the more interesting on the MIO is the MP3 player that’s included. I wasn’t exactly sure why MIO decided to include an MP3 player on their GPS units but my mind was changed after I wanted to take the MIO with me to navigate a walking trip and didn’t want to pocket the Zune for the music. I just copied over the music I wanted to listen to and went on my walk/run for the next couple of hours. There is also a power save mode for the screen so you don’t run down the battery.

Lastly the Map Interface it totally brilliant which I don’t say often about products. The greatest thing about it is the point of interest enhancement or at least I think it’s an enhancement. OK a little background on my MIO experience is I have the MIO C310X so I’m used to having to browse to the POI screen and searching for what I was looking for. Now if you have ever used a GPS you know as well as I do that’s not the smartest thing to do if you are traveling the Interstate and need to know what exit the nearest gas station is and you missed that sign a few seconds ago because it was raining and you don’t know where you are anyway! Oh sorry flashback there… anyway all you have to do Is touch the POI little icon on the right side of the screen, and up pops all the POI’s in your area for gas stations closest to your location.

One of the screens you will see is the Home screen that list icons for the most frequently used commands. The list is address, Favorites, Map, POI, History, and settings. The settings in my opinion are one of the things you have to pay the most attention to when using the MIO. There are several options you have which include: Safety Mode which restricts operation while the car is in motion so don’t enable this feature unless you don’t want your GPS to work while you are driving. Another interesting setting is the “Warn when Speeding” and the Safety Cam settings that warn you when speeding via an on-screen warning or with the safety cam you can get an audible and voice warning that lets you know when a cam is coming up. Take heed the safety cam is just to let you know a cam is coming up. It’s not a pass to speed or run red lights so please use your best judgment and a little common sense (BJ doesn’t think we have too much of that) when using these features.

The MIO also has optional TMC service you can subscribe to. This is a traffic monitoring system that informs you of traffic conditions which gives you the option of taking a better route. I don’t have that service so I can’t really tell you how it works but I’ve heard good things about it. One of the most important settings you have to be mindful of is the route settings. This tells your MIO C320 how to get you where you are going and can really foul you up if you’re not careful. For example earlier in the year I was in Chicago and had my MIO set for Pedestrian mode which was really cool for walking around and getting from place to place on foot. Well guess what I forgot to do? That’s right I left it there and when I left to drive home we kept getting routed via the darn side streets and couldn’t figure out what was going on. The reason is the highway was running along the access road and the MIO was jumping back and forth so we thought it was a problem with the MIO when in fact it was us setting is wrong. Well the good thing about the route setting is you can change it for travel on foot, bike, bus, taxi or car. The taxi setting saved me about 20 bucks in New York this past September when navigating across town in a rush with a cabbie trying to make an extra buck. I can’t say enough about the route feature because the ability to look like you know where you are going is totally worth it in a big city. For example you can throw MIO C320 in your shirt pocket and plug in the headphones…instant walking tour guide. That way you are not stumbling around looking lost. You just blend in like another iPod Zombie (Zune in my case) going about your business.

Should I buy it?

Well in short Yes! The MIO C320 is one of the most feature packed GPS units you can purchase for a MSRP of $299.95 The MIO C230 doesn’t fall short of features, usability or style. The MIO C310X I personally own has worked well for me and I’ll be purchasing the C320 for my wife and have already recommended it to several friends and coworkers. I did a comparison to a couple of the more expensive units and I really couldn’t see a reason to spend more money for only a few more features. Now that’s not to say the higher end models MIO sells are not worth it because they are, but if you are getting your first GPS or giving a GPS as a gift then I would recommend the MIO C320 Digi Walker. It was a pleasure trying this unit out over the past few weeks and I’m sure the winner of this MIO-tech sponsored giveaway is going to enjoy this unit for years to come.

The MIO C320 is a resounding “BJ Approved”

Well when we first received our copy of CorelDRAW Painter X I was a little worried it would be too difficult to learn quick enough to do a informed review. After all BJ doesn’t have a full time designer on staff yet so creative guys are few and far in between. Lucky for me Corel takes care of that in a manner of speaking.

What is it?

CorelDRAW Painter X  is what’s called Natural-Media® painting and illustration software. It features unique digital brushes, art materials and textures that mirror the look and feel of their traditional counterparts according to the Corel Website. Now you can find that information just about anywhere but what you can’t find is the information that’s not on the website.

How does it work?

CorelDRAW Painter X has to be one of the most complete natural painting software I’ve used in a long time. I’m not an artist but I was able to make some decent adjustments to photo and even complete the included tutorials that come on the disk. The included tutorials are detailed and take you step by step from very basic functions to creating logos, Vector images, and ho to use the workspace. It’s pretty hard to get me excited about graphics software but Corel is different than something like Photoshop. CorelDRAW Painter X is designed with professionals in mind. In the box you get Corel Draw x3, Corel PHOTO-PAINT X3, and Corel CAPTURE X3 respectively. Each of the products come with what I would call a learning lab to show you how to use the products most popular features. Corel PHOTO-PAINT for example covers adjusting images and reviewing things like color and tone. It goes further to demonstrate retouching photos and correcting red eye, riped edges and common problems you get when scanning photos. One feature I found really interesting was the instructions about how to stitching together two photo’s to make one panoramic photo. You won’t find that in Photoshop’s manual now will you. The written documentation was just as impressive with a few hundred pages of how to use each feature. There was nothing left out and everything was explained in a way that was easy to understand.

Should I buy it?

When buying graphics software you want to be careful and pick something you are going to be able to use for a long time. Mostly because of the cost of the software and the time it takes to learn about it and become skilled with it.  CorelDRAW Painter X is the perfect choice for seasoned professionals that want to produce more than just good pictures, but actual artwork.  Corel is also the perfect choice for beginners with the informative training that accompanies the software and the well written user manual. The novice can produce professional looking artwork and clean up photo’s for friends and family in no time.  CorelDRAW Painter X is undeniably “BJ Approved”

What is it?

Ooma is simply a device that connects to your broadband connection and your phone line that gives you back the ownership of your dial tone. So what does that mean? It means you can call up your local phone company and say hey I would like you to cut off all my services with the exception of basic line service and caller id. Not to worry I’ll explain the details below.How does it work?

Ooma basically routes your calls over the internet similar to other services, but it’s so much different. ooma is a one time cost for starters. That’s right you pay one fee and that’s all you ever pay. There are no monthly fees like other VOIP services. Also as an added feature you can keep your phone line to have real 911 service and a backup phone line in the event of a power outage. Here’s a list of what you get with ooma:

• Instant Second Line™ feature – gives every user access to a second line in their
home, with no installation or new phones!
• Broadband Answering Machine™ feature– combines the power of voice mail, with
the ease-of-use of your trusty answering machine. ( believe there is a small charge for this service)
• Unique ooma dial tone – the sound of it means your phone calls are free – ooma
provides unlimited calling in the US, with no monthly fees – for life.
• ooma lounge – customers can be part of the ooma experience online

The ooma website is pretty straight forward and takes about 10 to 15 minutes to order. Once it arrives it will take about15 to 20 minutes to get setup and start making calls. The folks at ooma can also take care of your phone service setup and getting rid of the services ooma replaces. If they can’t because you have a special plan or service plans like I had that are no longer offered you’ll receive an email requesting you contact your local phone company and cancel the services you don’t need. Once you get the other services you don’t need canceled they will get you provisioned (setup) to enjoy all the services ooma offers.

That’s pretty much it and you are making calls and taking names. Unlimited calls to anywhere in the US how cool is that! All with no monthly fees or additional charges.

Should I buy it?

Well to put it bluntly yes! Not only should you buy it you should tell everyone you know to buy it. It’s going to take you some time to break even after the initial investment of $399, but in my opinion it’s worth it. Most people I know pay about $39 to $45 bucks a month for phone service. If you add that up it’s going to take a bit to make up the difference, but the advantage you get will be not paying a monthly bill for long distance and other premium services that ooma offers and plans to offer in the near future.

ooma offers the consumer the opportunity to break away from the traditional phone service and treat it more like a product. A total shift in thinking and the way we are use to things and that’s the great thing about this company and the ooma device. It’s certainly “BJ Approved” for use by humans!

What is it?

Barry is a remote control flying bee from the upcoming Dreamworks feature Bee Movie. Barry is the cousin of WowWee’s Dragonfly that’s featured on the front page’s featured product video player.

Does it work?

Well lets start with the instructions. They’re pretty straight forward and don’t require a lot of review before taking Barry for a spin. When you first open the box you have to charge Barry for about 20 min which is a bit of a bother but hey it’s a quick charge and will give you a chance to review the instructions and pick your flying area. So after Barry is charged I would recommend using the include tail ribbon. It slows down the flight speed and makes it easier to maneuver about. You’ll need plenty of room to fly Barry and lot of practice before you get the hang of flying him. The controller fits the hand pretty good but may be a little big for smaller children to handle.

Our first attempt was flying outdoors and was a bit of a challenge but the package warns you that Barry does best when the wind is clam. We had a hard time getting Barry to fly in one direction even after making some adjustments as suggested in the instructions. I have to add it was very windy and at times the wind took over and carried Barry out of range of the of the remote. We decided to pack it in and try indoors.

The second attempt was indoors and in an area that was about 16ft by 16ft. The ceilings are not that tall so flying was going to be low and fast. The second attempt was much better and I was able to get Barry to fly straight, turn left then right without any issue. The more we flew him the better the experience and the kids loved it.

Should I Buy it?

By all means I would recommend you snag Barry once he hits the stores. It’s going to be in November so unless you live in a really warm part of the country you won’t get a chance to fly him outside. I think Barry would make a great holiday gift and a great way to bring the movie experience home. Barry B Benson is a winner in my book and BJ Approved.

Some pictures of Barry.

Wow Digital Life was all I could have expected and a fun time. There were so many interesting products and services that I almost don’t know where to begin. I will however start with one of the ones I mentioned in my other article that’s actually a service you can sign up for right now.

The product is called ooVoo – pronounced (ooo – voo) how cool is that? I like words like that because I’m sure they have a meaning but who cares. Back on track and to the ooVoo client.

What is It?

ooVoo located at http://www.oovoo.com is a face to face messaging system that is for the most part videoconferencing for the rest of the world. The guys at oovoo have taken what use to be a one way conversation and turned it into what is for sure to be the next big innovation in communications.

How does it work?

Well it’s like any other video conferencing client. You download a really small file from their website and install it. Get your profile setup and start adding your friends to your friends list. Then you simply click on the friends name to make a video call. Now what makes this so different is the number of people you can talk to at one time. That would be six my human. That’s right you can talk to six people via video and it looks great. At the show we were able to connect to five people at one time plus a chat session. It’s a great way to connect to other people and put a face to the name. The chat feature allows you to talk with up to six people.

Should I get it?

Yes to answer it simply you must try this client. It’s a great introduction into the world of video conferencing and a really cool way to talk with your friends. Talk to me now by clicking on my picture.

I wish on this short review there was something I could say that I didn’t like but there is just nothing about ooVoo I don’t like. It’s sleak, sexy and best of all it’s free and you can get it now. So check it out and let me know what you think. This one is BJ Approved