So as a tech aficionado I do preach making sure that your computer is updated, including individual programs and also making sure you have some type of antivirus/security program to protect your computer. Recently in the midst of my computer cleanup and updating I finally ran the update to iTunes 11.0.2, and aside from the interface change that I wasn't fond of, it seemed fine. But a few days later I went to import some new music and noticed that my entire iTunes library was gone!!!!!!!!!!!! The horror!!!!! So of course I complained for a few minutes and then spent the rest of the night trying to figure out why it happened as I didn't do anything other than upgrade to last version of iTunes. After some internet forum trolling I found out that the latest version of iTunes and the latest incarnation of AVG Free 2013 don't play well together. The resident shield option, which essentially realtime scans the computer and is the core of the Antivirus program was somehow causing the backup of iTunes to fail and thus when this happens the operation is halted and iTunes starts from scratch with no information unless you have all of your songs, apps, and other information backed up to iCloud. A few modifications may have helped but the better solution was to remove AVG from my system. In regards to the missing iTunes library, I found a older backup file before I upgraded the iTunes and moved it to the iTunes system folder and everything was back to normal without me having to reimport all of my music. Now of course I couldn't be without AV protection so I installed AVAST! antivirus, it's still free and does the same job if not better. But most importantly it doesn't nuke my iTunes library! Feel free to comment if you have questions or if this has happened to you. To download AVAST: http://www.avast.com/

This post is for my fellow gamers. This week Microsoft finally unveiled it's new Xbox console and it's called the Xbox One. Most were thinking that it would be called Xbox 720, or something along those lines, but the name signifies Microsoft's push to make this the one device you will need for entertainment. The console and it's core components (kinect and controller) have been given a refresh, with a sleek a slightly glossier look. With this latest incarnation of the console, Microsoft is looking to make the entertainment experience interconnected, but simplified with universal gestures and voice commands. During the reveal, Yusuf Mehdi, simply said "Xbox on" and the console turned on. It looks as though the Xbox is becoming more and more like a PC (not surprising since it is Microsoft). Did I mention that Microsoft is planning on making an operating system that would merge Xbox and Windows??? The new Kinect has a 1080p camera and boasts an understanding of skeletal movement. The Xbox controller now has an intergrated battery as well (finally no more ridiculous amount of AA batteries around the house. But Microsoft is waiting until E3 to release more information, so as of right now no price but here are a few more specs that we do know. Eight-core processor AMD graphics 8GB of RAM Blu-ray, USB 3.0, HDMI in/out and a 500GB hard drive I wonder what else Microsoft has in store?

Photo credit: Google.comToday Google kicked off it's sixth annual developer conference and they came out swinging. As has been speculated for some time Google announced it's music streaming service, All Access for Google Play. This new service will place Google in competition with Spotify and Pandora. The service is $9.99/month but if you sign up by June 30th, then you can get it for $7.99/month and that includes a 30-day free trial. Google Maps on the web has also been given a huge revamping. It is being tailored to look and function more like the Google Maps mobile app, where the interaction occurs directly within the map itself. It also boasts a new 3D view feature, this is similar to what Google Earth offered. Google will be sending out invitations starting tomorrow for users to test the feature. Google+, which is Google's social network, has a few new features as well. They've updated the interface, which has a Pinterest vibe to it, but the big thing is the new automatic filters and hashtags for photos. When you upload photos it can analyze the photo and automatically add a tag to it. The filters work to improve the contrast, brightness, and skin smoothing in your uploaded photos. Not bad for a keynote speech right? And that's not all of it, check back for more updates.

Photo credit Samsung.com I have been on the search for a new camera for a few years now, as the Polaroid digital camera I have is getting old. Recently I came across the Samsung Galaxy camera, and it has been added to my Geek wish list. Now I am not crossing over to the Android tablet or phone family, but the specs on the camera are great! check them out below: Now of course the Samsung Galaxy camera is running off of the Android OS, but let's focus on the actual camera aspects first. It has a 23mm wide-angle lens that gives you a 21x optical zoom and optical image stabilization. There are preset settings for taking pictures or you can manually adjust them. And the camera takes voice commands (via Samsung S Voice™) There is also a photo wizard that allows for editing of the photos on the camera! And the Video editor allows you to delete, rearrange scenes! Of course to be able to do all of this you would need a nice LCD screen, which it has, the screen is 4.8". It's wi-fi capable and has models that are sold through the wireless carriers with LTE capabilities, which means you can share on the go! I think for the average user Wi-Fi is sufficient. The Wi-Fi models are $449.99. The camera comes in black and white. Check them out here: Samsung Galaxy Camera

So unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard that Blackberry has made it's first strong forray back into the ongoing smartphone wars. Blackberry released it's Z10 device at the end of March and although the numbers are amazing it is showing signs of life over at Blackberry. Blackberry use to be synonomous with corporate devices but now there are so many options, even though if you ask a person what phone they have, it's most likely an Android or an iPhone. In this consumer driven market the masses are always looking for the next "it" thing. Along with their latest device and OS launch Blackberry is giving those on the fence or looking to make a change an opportunity to test drive the new OS from your iOS or Android mobile browser. Simply type blackberry.com/glimpse I thought it was pretty unique and a definite step in the right direction for Blackberry

screenshot: ChicDivaGeek Most business professionals are familiar with the professional network site LinkedIn. Well they have expanded that platform to make it easier for those who want to take part in volunteer efforts, or organizations that are looking for volunteers. LinkedIn is partnering with Taproot Foundation, BoardSource, VolunteerMatch, and Catchafire to build the listings that it will have. When you think about it, not all work that one does is paid work and often times it is difficult to locate reputable volunteer opportunities. I think this will be a great way to allow those that already use LinkedIn to lend their talents to other things. If you are already using LinkedIn, you can add badges to your profile that show that you are looking to volunteer, and of course, it does help in the professional sense as well. Check it out here: http://volunteer.linkedin.com/ Also if you're a non-profit looking for volunteers go here: http://nonprofit.linkedin.com/ ~ChicDivaGeek

Today Amazon launched new currency just for Kindle Fire users, Amazon Coins. In celebration of the launch, they have given existing and new customers 500 free coins, which is equal to $5 dollars of actual currency. These coins can only be redeemed in the Amazon App store for in-app purchases. Also it is only good for one account, so you won't get multiple free coin disbursements if you have more than one Kindle Fire registered to your account. The more you buy the larger your discount, so it's kind of like when you buy tokens are Chuck E. Cheese. The coins are good for one year from the date you receive them. So what are you going to use your Amazon coins on?? Amazon Coins

Earlier today Blackberry announced that the Blackberry Messenger is going cross-platform and will be available for iOS and Android devices. The application is scheduled for release this summer, no exact date as of yet, I'll keep you posted! So will you be downloading BBM to your Android or iOS device?

Rumors have been swirling about a iWatch, what is it you say? There are supposedly people being brought in to work on this device at Apple, now this is all rumor right now. But this iWatch might have some of the capabilities of the iPhone or iPad all on your wrist. Will you be getting an iWatch?

The technology/consumer product giant LG presented at CES 2014 this morning and they announced some really cool stuff! The company provides everything from smartphones to washers/dryers for the home, and their presentation, covered the gamut. The company briefly started with their "LG Home Chat" which would allow you to send messages to your home appliances. (Smart House, anyone?) You can text your appliances to tell them to turn on. Really cool or really creepy, or as we nerds often joke, SkyNet. Next the company went to the LG Flex, which is the rounded smartphone that has been getting a ton of buzz lately. Is rounder better? Who's to say, could be somewhat of an ergonomic approach to smartphones. It will be available with AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. No date has been announced just yet. Up Next, LG's WebOS. Which is as it's name describes a OS built on the basis of..what else, the Web. From what I have seen it looks clean and fluid, and the company will be introducing it on the new line of SmartTVs. So of course with SmartTVs, you can stream directly to them with apps such as Hulu, Netflix, and they've managed to get an Amazon Instant App for their WebOS! In the fitness realm, because I did say the covered the gamut of products here lol, LG has developed the Lifeband Touch, which is a fitness activity monitor and heart rate headphones. You can get the stats of your workouts or daily activity directly from it but it also works with smartphones, works best with LG devices of course, but also Android and iPhone. It works with some of the most popular fitness apps, such as My Fitness Pal (personally use this one) and RunKeeper. This should be available Spring 2014. Top: LG Lifeband Bottom: LG Flex SmartphoneLG has debuted it's first all-in-one PC, the LG Chromebase. It will run the Google Chrome OS with a size of 22", it is expected to arrive in the 1st quarter of this year. Next up, for my home theater enthusiasts, the new SoundPlate which allow for Bluetooth streaming and has wireless sub-woofer. They also featured, their multi-room speaker system, which is WiFi and Bluetooth capable. They rounded out the sound/speaker segment with two new sound bars as well. LG will also be adding three new Blu-ray players. And the of entertainment system would be complete without......TVs! They will be bringing 12 new models of their 4K TVs. But the one that is literally stealing the show (and the awards, and someone's living room) is LG's105-inch 105UC9 curved TV. So think of it as a small movie screen in your house. It also boasts 4K also known as Ultra HD. That is four times the pixels of a 1080p TV. And if the 105-inch isn't quite your style, then there is always a 98-inch, 84-inch, 79-inch, and 65-inch model as well. No pricing or availability information was given. LG also introduced new washer/dryer systems as well as a new refrigerator. While not as exciting to some, LG is on the cutting edge when it comes to home appliances. LG Studio is the companies premium, top of the line appliances. I know what this geek is getting in her house when she buys it..any guesses?

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is this week (January 7-10) in Las Vegas! With 3,000 exhibitors and thousands of attendees, this is THE way to kick of the new year for technology. With the biggest names and tech as well as tons of cutting edge technology sure to be unveiled, this is an event you will want to keep your eye on. Stay tuned for follow-up posts as well as the latest details on the technology that will be revealed! Next year, my goal is to be blogging live from this event! I would be in tech heaven!!

Did you get the kids in your family new gadgets for the holidays? If you did chances are that you like most parents have the same general concerns about what you child is viewing or accessing while on the web or what apps they are downloading. Norton Family allows you to manage the content your children have access to on their mobile devices. There are two versions of the software, Norton Family and Norton Family Premier. Norton Family is the free version, offering parents the basic features: 1Web Supervision, so you can see what sites your kids are visiting and also block sites you don't want them on; 2Social Network Monitoring, let's you track what your kids are doing on social media; 3Time supervision, so you can set how long your child is online. There is also an app that allows you to track the activities from your smartphone or mobile device. The Premier version offers a few more bells and whistles such as Video Monitoring, so you see what videos your kids are watching on YouTube or Hulu; 2Mobile App Supervision (for Android devices), which shows you what apps your kids have downloaded as well as block certain types of apps or a specific one; 3Text Message Supervision that will allow you to see what your kids are texting, as well as control who they can exchange messages with. This version also includes weekly/monthly activity reports sent to your email. The Premier version is $49.99/yr. Norton Family