3D TVs: The Future is Now

Jackie Gleason once stated that all TV should be in 3D. How right he was! 

If you are in the market for a 3DTV, make sure to do some research. I recently attended the Mrs. G’s VIB blogger event, a 5-part series that includes keynote speakers and networking opportunities for regional bloggers and like-minded professionals.  This month the topic was all about 3DTVs.  Suzanne Kantra, founder and editor-in-chief of Techlicious.com was the scheduled speaker for the day.  Your options are basically the same for 3D as 2D; LCD, plasma, rear-projection and front projection DLP TV’s. Each type has only a handful of models available now, in the coming months we will be seeing many more options available. Remember, 3D is a feature, you can also watch 2D on the TV, so if you want to purchase a 3DTV, you are not just limited to 3D only. Before purchasing, make sure you know what size can fit in the particular location and depending on how much sunlight you get in the room. You won’t want to view a plasma TV in direct sunlight, and 3D technology works better in a darkened room anyway.  

3D technology has been around for quite some time. My father tells a story about when he was a child and he and his friends couldn’t wait to go to the movies to see someone’s hand jump out of the screen. I remember being a child and Jaws 3 came out in 3D. At some point I think the shark jumped out of the screen, but that was about it. 3D technology has become so much more advanced than just some thing jumping out of the screen at you. Movies are made primarily for escapism; you watch a movie to forget about everything around you. 3D technology does exactly that for you, once you put the 3D glasses on, you feel like you are IN the movie, not watching a movie.  Everything else around you disappears and you are totally focused on the movie and feel like you are part of the action. True movie escapism is finally here.  

When you purchase a 3DTV, you have to get the same manufacturers 3D glasses to see it. Samsung glasses will not work on Panasonic TVs, as of now it is a proprietary system. These new glasses are also very comfortable, not like the old paper ones you would receive years ago. They are almost like sunglasses, and will even fit over your prescription glasses. In June, a universal set of glasses will hit the market, and this is when I see 3DTV taking off. Consumers don’t want to be limited, and once the market is transferable, 3D technology will fully take off.  

In addition to having a transferable market, 3D technology is going to become personal. We will be taking 3D pictures with our 3D cameras and shooting 3D movies with personal 3D video cameras. Everything you shoot will be viewable on your 3DTV. Imagine seeing the photos from your summer vacation on the big screen TV in 3D, or showing your child shooting the winning goal of his soccer game to everyone who couldn’t make it, in 3D.  There will also be a huge gaming market for 3D technology.  

Personally, I was a little skeptical of the 3DTV experience. I have never been one to fully see 3D images, and have kind of given up on the whole “3D Experience” since I felt I could never really see it. But this is such advanced technology that once I put the 3D glasses on, I was pulled right into the movie that was being shown. The 3D glasses fit nicely over my glasses, and I had no problem viewing the Coraline clip. In fact, I was looking forward to seeing more. The other clip was of people skydiving, I had to remove the glasses at one point because I really felt like I was jumping out of the plane, that’s how real it felt. Also, I’m not a big gamer, but I could see wanting to play video games in 3D as well.   

In the coming months be on the lookout for your local cable and satellite providers to start offering 3D programming. ESPN will be showing The World Cup this summer in 3D as well.  3D is the future, and the future is now. 

Jackie Gleason was right, 3D is the way to go.

Nicholas DeVito is a freelance writer living in Central New Jersey. You can follow him on Twitter @njdevito and read his blog at nicholasdevito.wordpress.com

Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right!

Did you know that no previous U.S. generation has raised children more likely to have a shorter life span than its parents and that obesity will soon overtake smoking as the nation’s leading cause of preventable death.

You may be wondering how I know this and where got this information.  These are very true startling facts that were presented to a group of NJ and PA bloggers at the Mrs G TV and Appliances VIB Speaker Series where child obesity specialist Dr. Joanna Dolgoff was the guest speaker.

I'm sure you're well aware that obesity is a problem in the U.S. It's definitely an issue that I think about as a parent and as someone who struggled with weight since childhood. That's why I felt it was so important to have Dr. Dolgoff come and talk with the bloggers at the event. I became a fan of her weekly Twitter talk, #kidsweigh, and knew that if I was getting a lot of "food for thought" through Twitter, she would be all the more powerful in a 30-minute block of time.

Dr. Dolgoff is a NYC based pediatrician who is becoming widely known for her nearly 100% success rate with the weight loss program for youth called Dr. Weigh (www.drweigh.com).  As a parent of 2, Dr. Dolgoff has encountered many of the same fork-in-the-road situations that parents encounter regarding healthy eating choices for kids.  Fortunately, she has more professional training and expertise to know healthy choices and alternatives than most of us have, but she was able to share some surprising facts and helpful tips to help us be better educated parents. 

Some of the highlights for Dr. Dolgoff's presentation, Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right include:

• 18.8% of all school age children are now obese...not just overweight, but actually obese!  
• The majority of children who are obese will most likely be obese as an adult. 
• The term "Adult Onset Diabetes" has been replaced with Type II Diabetes because of the large number of children developing what used to be just an adult problem.
• Juice is not as healthy as some may want you to think. Loaded with sugar and calories, you're lacking the fiber that real fruit has. Offer juice in low doses or as a treat. 
• A 12 oz can of soda=10 teaspoons of sugar! 
• Brainstorm with your children on alternative activities to do other than watching TV or playing on the computer. Even if your kid is not an athlete, there are other ways to get them active. 
• Eat together: planned meal time helps kids eat balanced meals. Whether it's breakfast or dinner, make a time to sit together and talk. Avoid letting kids choose their own food or eat alone. They usually don't make good choices and will overeat.
• The best thing that a parent can do is to intervene but do it with care. Obesity treatment reduces the risk of eating disorders. But don't do it alone if you think your child has a problem. Consult with your doctor.
• Avoid becoming the food police. Don't force food, don't criticize or scold, and don't use food as bribes. Also, don't forbid food but explain what is a healthy option and what is just a special treat.
• A complete meal is not just about the food. When you sit down to eat, turn off the TV, encourage conversation (What was the best part of your day?), decrease plate size to watch portions, eat slowly (the 20-minute fact is true).
• Tips for packing a healthy lunch: A wheat + a meat + a treat (and fruit and veggie)
• Tips for dining out: don't order kids meals (usually fried food or too large), don't be afraid to special order, don't drink your calories (juice/soda)
• Tips for snacking: plan the night before, always include water, portion out into baggies.

Dr. Dolgoff developed her program into a book with the same title, Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right (which is available on Amazon.com), and the system is color coded and easy for kids (and adults) to follow. Each food is classified into a color group based on the frequency of which you can eat them. For example:  

• Red Light Foods represent high-calorie foods (i.e. regular steak)
• Yellow Light Foods represent moderate-calorie food(i.e. 1/2 a bagel, 3oz fried chicken)
• Green Light Foods represent low-calorie foods (i.e. mini bagel, 2oz grilled chicken
• Free Fuel: Foods that should be eaten at every meal (fruits and veggies)
  . 

To learn more about Dr. Dolgoff and her Dr. Weigh program, visit www.drweigh.com. You can also purchase her book on Amazon.com.

To learn more about the blogger event from some of our attendees, you can view their links below. 

• Sue Gordon, writer with Examiner.com: "Unhealthful childhood eating very risky says pediatrician" and "Solutions to childhood obesity" 
• Bay Staley, author of QueenMotherBlog.com won the Electrolux dishwasher in our contest from the first event: "I won the dishwasher!" 
• Heather DiNuzzo, author of PennyPinchingMama.com, "Healthy choices, Healthy children"

Are you a Mrs G VIB?

Today is the launch of the Mrs G TV & Appliances VIB series, the first of its kind for a business in the Princeton area. It is also my first time as a Blogger Event Coordinator INSTEAD OF the blogger attending. I'm switching hats for the day and it's exciting!

I'm so excited for everyone to meet CEO Debbie Schaeffer, a 3rd generation female business owner, who will take attendees on a tour of her 20,000 sf. designer showroom. They will learn how Debbie has continued to make Mrs G TV & Appliances a success for nearly 75 years. In addition, attendees will be treated to a delicious Salmon lunch prepared live on the Electrolux (the event sponsor) induction cook-top, a fast and reliable kitchen appliance.

If you want to be part of the Mrs G VIB experience and attend one of our future blogger workshops, leading off with Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, Dr. Weigh, in January, give me a shout or send me a Tweet.