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Jim Bray

Jim Bray: Review of the $80 FlyFusion Pentop computer

Thursday, December 20, 2007 | 11:30 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

Everyone knows that kids are far more tech savvy than we oldsters and
that they're as at home with computers as they are with mouthing off to
grownups and hanging out at malls.

This is good, generally, in a world that's getting increasingly technological - but what if a family can't
afford a notebook computer for their kid, or they just want to instill
good penmanship into the next generation of humanity?

That, and profitability, is undoubtedly the rationale behind the
FlyFusion Pentop computer, a little doohickey aimed at kids between the
ages of 10 and 16.

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Jim Bray: Detroit (and Hollywood) rediscover the muscle car

Thursday, December 6, 2007 | 08:23 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

Hollywood and Detroit have a long history of sleeping together, whether it be via movies about cars or movies that feature cars prominently. "Vanishing Point" even featured a 1970 Dodge Challenger as the movie's co-star, while many of the James Bond movies have showcased Aston Martins, Lotuses (or is it Loti?) and other marquees in supporting roles - usually drive-on appearances that saw them destroyed before the closing credits rolled.

Product placement such as that is a marketing strategy that can even be used to build interest in car that won't be on the market until some time down the, well, road. Take one of the hits of last summer, for example.

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Jim Bray: A review of media-monitoring program Replay A/V

Thursday, November 22, 2007 | 08:06 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

I don't get misquoted in the press a lot - I'd have to talk to them first - but sometimes I like to record my radio or TV appearances to see if there are ways to make them better, short of retiring to someplace far away from a microphone. But if your job description means you give interviews to the media, you may want to monitor them as well, not only for self improvement but as a defence mechanism against being misquoted - not that that would ever happen, right?

It can be hard to do this, especially if the media outlet is far away. But if they stream onto the Internet, there's a nifty and simple little product that can let you record your appearances - or just about anyting else - and use them later for whatever nefarious purpose you want.

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Jim Bray: A motherboard gift for geeks?

Thursday, November 8, 2007 | 08:01 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

The recycling of old and obsolete electronics appears to be catching on. In my neck of the woods, there's more than one place you can take these digital dinosaurs to get them out of your storeroom - and if you could ever bear to part with any of it I might take them up on it.

But, did you ever wonder what happens to the stuff once your IT guys drop it off?

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Jim Bray: New trends in high-end audio

Thursday, October 25, 2007 | 09:02 AM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

In this dog-eat-dog business world, you're always trying to be different from the competition. One way is to offer something new, or something that, while not truly new, is so much better than past products your customers will open up their chequebooks readily. For example, companies such as Bang & Olufsen and Rotel are introducing innovations that are dragging the hulking, old tech power amplifier into the 21st century, offering new levels of performance and miniaturization never seen before in high end audio.

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Jim Bray on Slingbox TV for travellers

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 | 02:58 PM ET

Money Talks is a collection of daily columns from The Business Network, which airs weekday mornings on CBC Radio One at 5:45 a.m. ET (6:15 a.m. ET in N.L.).

I don't know about you, but I hate hotel televisions.

Fortunately, my son had turned me onto the Slingbox, which just may be one of the niftiest gadgets for the business traveler I've seen. With it, you can ignore that aging hunk of plastic and glass in the credenza and not have to search through the hotel room's drawers and documentation for a channel list that, seven times out of 10, isn't there anyway.

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World »

Karzai, Musharraf target Taliban
The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan have begun a two-day meeting to talk about co-operating in the fight against insurgents based in the lawless border area between the two countries.
December 26, 2007 | 4:16 PM EST
6 bodies found east of Seattle
The bodies of six people have been found at a rural property east of Seattle, King County sheriff's detectives said Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 7:05 PM EST
French aid workers convicted of taking Chadian children
Six French aid workers have been sentenced to eight years' forced labour by a court in Chad for trying to abduct children from the African country.
December 26, 2007 | 2:31 PM EST
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Canada »

Canadians flock to Boxing Day bargains
Millions of Canadinas took part in the Boxing Day bonanza on Wednesday, although shopping malls may have been less crammed with bargain hunters this year.
December 26, 2007 | 11:32 AM EST
Dozens of carcasses discovered at Quebec quarry
Police and wildlife officers are investigating the discovery of dozens of pig, fox and coyote carcasses at a Quebec gravel quarry.
December 26, 2007 | 6:32 PM EST
Homolka's prison boyfriend could be freed in '08
A convicted killer, said to have had a relationship with Karla Homolka while the two were behind bars, could be released from a Quebec prison early in 2008.
December 26, 2007 | 8:20 PM EST
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Health »

Honey-drenched dressings touted as the bee's knees for wounds
Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and nonhealing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic ? honey ? is making a comeback.
December 26, 2007 | 12:30 PM EST
Boxing Day dips wash away holiday excess, Europeans insist
Across Europe, people celebrated Boxing Day by diving into rivers, lakes and even oceans that challenged the threshold of humans' temperature tolerance.
December 26, 2007 | 3:16 PM EST
Woman's death marks 16th bird flu fatality in Egypt
A 25-year-old Egyptian woman has died of bird flu after she apparently contracted the disease from domestic fowl, a health official said Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 4:26 PM EST
more »

Arts & Entertainment»

Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson dies
The jazz odyssey is over for Oscar Peterson: the Canadian known globally as one of the most spectacularly talented musicians ever to play jazz piano has died at age 82.
December 24, 2007 | 5:17 PM EST
Tributes pour in for 'giant in music' Peterson
Tributes are pouring in for Canadian jazz musician Oscar Peterson, who died Sunday at age 82.
December 26, 2007 | 2:49 PM EST
Broadway, Hollywood choreographer Michael Kidd dies
American choreographer Michael Kidd, who created dance for the stage musical Finian's Rainbow and the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, has died.
December 26, 2007 | 11:41 AM EST
more »

Technology & Science »

Weather odds could become the norm
As man-made climate change continues, the world will experience more extreme weather, bursts of heat, torrential rain and prolonged drought, scientists say.
December 26, 2007 | 2:17 PM EST
Yellowknife looks to old mine for geothermal energy
The N.W.T. capital will soon begin studying what could become Canada's first large-scale geothermal heat plant. Experts say heat from the defunct Con gold mine could supply enough power to serve half of the city's residents.
December 26, 2007 | 12:18 PM EST
Toyota announces plan to sell 9.85 million vehicles in 2008
In a neck-and-neck race that could dethrone General Motors as the world's top automaker, Toyota said it plans to sell 9.85 million vehicles globally in 2008.
December 26, 2007 | 12:10 PM EST
more »

Money »

Canadians flock to Boxing Day bargains
Millions of Canadinas took part in the Boxing Day bonanza on Wednesday, although shopping malls may have been less crammed with bargain hunters this year.
December 26, 2007 | 11:32 AM EST
U.S. house prices drop by a record 6.7 per cent
House prices in the United States fell in October for the 10th consecutive month, posting their largest monthly drop since early 1991, a widely watched index showed Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 4:13 PM EST
Apple Inc. shares reach $200 on core strength of IPod
Shares of Apple Inc. hit the $200 mark for the first time Wednesday as investor confidence in the company continued rising near the end of what has been a strong year for the IPod and computer maker.
December 26, 2007 | 3:30 PM EST
more »

Consumer Life »

Canadians flock to Boxing Day bargains
Millions of Canadinas took part in the Boxing Day bonanza on Wednesday, although shopping malls may have been less crammed with bargain hunters this year.
December 26, 2007 | 11:32 AM EST
Boxing Day purchases in cars easy prey for thieves: police
Vancouver police are advising Boxing Day shoppers not to leave newly-bought items in parked cars because they're easy prey for thieves.
December 26, 2007 | 9:41 AM EST
U.S. house prices drop by a record 6.7 per cent
House prices in the United States fell in October for the 10th consecutive month, posting their largest monthly drop since early 1991, a widely watched index showed Wednesday.
December 26, 2007 | 4:13 PM EST
more »

Sports »

Scores: CFL MLB MLS

Leafs lose Islander game, Toskala
Mike Comrie scored with nine seconds left in overtime as the New York Islanders topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a game where both clubs resorted to using their backup goaltenders.
December 26, 2007 | 11:41 PM EST
Senators cool off surging Sabres
Dany Heatley notched three points ? including an empty-net goal ? for the Ottawa Senators as the Eastern Conference leaders snapped the Buffalo Sabres' six-game winning streak with a 5-3 road win Wednesday night.
December 26, 2007 | 11:49 PM EST
Tavares leads Canada
John Tavares scored twice in his world junior championship debut and goaltender Jonathan Bernier earned the shutout as Canada opened the tournament Wednesday with a 3-0 win over host Czech Republic.
December 26, 2007 | 5:56 PM EST
more »

Diversions »

Iowa man spends Christmas Eve stuck upside-down in opening of septic tank
Animals - not just the cute animated kind - commanded attention in 2007
Philly transit officer helps deliver special Christmas present - a baby girl
more »