2012-08-20 WSVA Show Notes

Tech NewsRestaurant offers a 5% discount to eat without your phone (CNNMoney)
Cell phones often claim a spot on the table in restaurants, sitting right next to utensils, plates and glasses. One restaurant is trying to change that.

Eva Restaurant in Los Angeles offers diners a 5% discount for leaving their phones with the receptionist for the entirety of the meal. The new policy went into effect a bit more than a month ago, according to chef Mark Gold, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Alejandra.

He came up with the idea after a conversation about how annoying he found it that people were constantly communicating on their devices.

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EBay bans sale of spells and hexes (CNN)
Sorry, love spell vendors: eBay is cracking down on the sale of magical wares.

Beginning in September, the site is banning the sale of "advice, spells, curses, hexing, conjuring, magic, prayers, blessing services, magic potions, [and] healing sessions," according to a policy update.

The company is also eliminating its category listings for psychic readings and tarot card sessions. The update is a part of a "multi-year effort…to build trust in the marketplace and support sellers," eBay wrote in its company blog.

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Jackets made from water-resistant down keep you warm, rain or shine
California-based mountaineering company Brooks Range is introducing what it calls DownTec, a down that’s treated with a nano polymer that makes it impenetrable by water. The down is also anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. Brooks Range will introduce the DownTec technology in the Mojave jacket, an 800-fill down jacket that will launch next fall. The retail price is set at US$299.

"…two American apparel-makers are introducing similar technologies, an indication that water-repellant or hydrophobic down may indeed be the wave of the future."

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Paper road maps no longer in fold
Here’s another icon to add to the endangered species list: the American paper road map.

With the advent of GPS, Google maps and Garmin navigators, the foldable and affordable paper road map is starting to go the way of the eight-track player, Betamax tapes and phone booth.

"Last year from January through June, we had an estimated 117,000 members come to our branches to request printed AAA maps, TourBooks and AAA TripTiks," said Nancy Cain, spokeswoman for AAA of Michigan.

"For the same period this year we dropped to about 110,000 requests for the same information. But at the same time, we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of members going online to our website for this information and for our AAA mobile apps."

Paper road maps made their first American appearance around 1913 but really began to take off in the 1920s when they were offered free by oil companies through their gas stations.

Ron’s Android App Recommendation
(this app can be found on Google Play from your Android phone,
tablet or viewed on your PC from the link below.)GrooVe IP

Voice without Minutes!

GrooVe IP Lite is an android app that connects to Google Voice using Voice over IP (VoIP). What this means for you is you can make free unlimited calls to any phone in the US or Canada without using your voice minutes. GrooVe IP Lite works on any android device, phone or tablet, and allows you to make calls using a WiFi data connection. If you have a smartphone with Wi-Fi connectivity but no mobile plan, you can use this app to convert it to a free, full-featured working phone.

I personally use this on my Android Tablet so that I can make calls from my tablet. No cost but calls as clear as you can get anywhere else. Drawback is that they cannot call you back.