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Can can one person possibly brings gifts to all the children of the world in one night?
That’s many-a-child’s first skeptical query about the Santa Claus story. For parents so inclined to provide a modern answer to that question — and for anyone looking for some online Christmasy fun — there are several websites and smartphone apps that purport to give the exact real-time GPS coordinates of Santa as he makes his way around the world delivering presents on Christmas Eve. Below is a review of our three favorites.
A note to parents: None of these Santa-centric websites seem to agree on exactly where Saint Nick is at any given moment. We suggest you stick to looking at one, lest you provoke more questions than answers.
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When Apple has a major product new launch, a lot of websites will give you the specs and highlights of latest iWhatever. At Spot Cool Stuff, we do that too. But then we focus on the practical questions at hand: Whether or not the new product is worth spending your money on.
That was our approached when the iPhone 4S launched. So it was with the release of the 3rd generation iPad. And now we turn our attention to Apple’s latest announcement: Should you upgrade to the new iPhone 5?
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Tablet computers are joining backpacks, bicycles and beer pong tables as essential items for university and college students. Some students in high school (and earlier) are taking tablets to class too.
On a tablet a student can read (and purchase) textbooks, manage a to-do list, keep a calendar of assignments, take notes in class, conduct research, check email, collaborate with other students, use educational apps and, of course, procrastinate with Angry Birds. On many tablets you can write or edit papers too.
As such, a good tablet computer for a student is one with a long battery life, with enough processing power to run high-end apps and with a screen that’s especially easy to read. Students tend to type more on their tablet than typical users, so a large, responsive on-screen keyboard can be essential.
There’s another consideration when choosing your tablet: The operating system prevalent the institution where the tablet will be used. Some schools are very Apple and Mac oriented. Others are more Chrome- and Google-centric.
With that in mind, here are Spot Cool Stuff’s tablet recommendations for students. As always, you can click on the category that most interests you or continue reading on after the jump.
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The year was 1984. Ghostbusters was asking movie goers who they were gonna call. Mustached East German athletes were dominating women’s speed skating at the Sarajevo Olympics. Michael Jackson won Album of the Year—and then burned his scalp filming a Pepsi commercial. And Apple launched the Macintosh, the first commercially successful personal computer with a graphical user interface.
No person can go back to 1984. But now, thanks to purveyor of cool things ThinkGeek, your iPad can—sort of. Their new Padintosh iPad Cover will make your Apple tablet resemble a (thinner) version of that classic 1984 Apple computer.
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Previously, Spot Cool Stuff wrote about how to best configure an Apple Macbook Pro laptop. But, with the new product launch from Apple, that advice pertains to what is now the “old” Macbook (still available on eBay but otherwise not sold in stores).
The latest MacBook Pro now features a retina display; comprised of an incredible 5.1 million (!) pixels, it’s the world’s highest resolution screen of any consumer laptop. The new MacBook Pro is also lighter, thinner and significantly faster and more power than its predecessor.
So what are the best configuration options to choose when purchasing a new MacBook Pro with retina display?
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For years now, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been a favorite mid-range digital SLR among serious photographers. The workhorse of a camera took professional-quality images and offered a huge feature set—and did so for a relatively low price.
Then, two things happened: First, Canon came out with an updated version of the Mark II: the EOS 5D Mark III. Second, Canon reduced the price of the Mark II by $500.
Both the 5D Mark II and 5D Mark III are, unarguably, excellent full-feature SLR cameras. But now that there’s a serious 5D choice, which of the two is the better option for you? Spot Cool Stuff takes a look at the advantages of each camera:
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The most surreal moment at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show—and the competition for that honor is stiff—is surely Justin Bieber introducing the mRobo, a toy robot from the Vietnam based company Tosy.
So what does the teen pop idol have to do with Vietnamese robots?
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Apple just announced the latest iPhone: the iPhone 4S.
Those who expected a schmancy new iPhone 5 to be released were disappointed. The iPhone 4S has the same form factor as the iPhone 4. With the exception of the Siri voice functionality (see below), all the software enhancements will be bundled into the new iOS 5 operating system and thus will be available on old iPhones too.
Given that, is it worth upgrading to an iPhone 4S? Yes and no . . .
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