This Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which showcases the newest, most innovative and dreamiest technology, featured well over two dozen tablets — from budget models, to the lightest, to highest definition, to waterproof — this year.  How’s a person to choose?

Pick Your Operating System

Tablets come in three basic flavors — iOS, Android and Windows (not including RIM’s BlackBerry OS).

Image from Geek.com

When it comes to device selection, Android wins hands down — there are literally hundreds of devices operating on the Android OS, while only 11 currently run on iOS and about 20 run on Windows mobile.

When it comes to sheer number of apps available, iOS is the winner, with over half a million apps — the Android marketplace is hover just under 400,000, while there about 40,000 apps for Windows Mobile. Chances are pretty good, however, that you won’t want half a million apps. Or even 400 thousand. It’s likely that the apps that are most important to you are available on more than one mobile OS. Check out the app stores and the app reviews — see if what you want is available on the OS of your choice.

Freedom of choice — unlike the Windows and iOS platform, the Android platform places no restrictions on the available apps. You can sideload (download) any app onto your device, unlike iOS and Windows devices, which require that you jailbreak them in order to install “unapproved” apps.

For more comparisons among the three operating systems, see A Mobile Showdown on Geek.com.

Find Your Size

Choosing a tablet is like the Goldilocks and the 7 (or 8 or 9) Bears — tablets come in sizes from 10” (like the iPad, which comes in at 9.7”) to 9” to 8” to 7” to 5” (where the line between phone and tablet becomes so blurry, Samsung has coined the term “phablet”).

Samsung owns the size variety offered by a single manufacturer — Samsung’s Galaxy line comes in five different sizes:

·        Galaxy Tab 10.1 — 10”

·        Galaxy Tab 8.9 — 9”

·        Galaxy Tab 7.7 — 7.7”

·        Galaxy Tab 7 and 7 Plus — 7”

·        Galaxy Note — 5”

Samsung Galaxy Note– first “phablet”

The introduction of the 7” to 8” tablet — ushered in by Amazon’s 7” Kindle Fire last fall — is the biggest change in the tablet game since  the iPad. Lighter, smaller, easier to hold, more portable — the mid-size tablet has been a huge hit, despite Apple’s original and total rejection of the viability of the size as too big to compete with smart phones and too small to compete with the iPad (for Steve Jobs’ 2010 rant against the seven inch tablet, check out this blog post on the Wall Street Journal).

Current rumors in the industry are that Apple is investigating testing a new tablet that will be about eight inches (via The Wall Street Journal).

Some tablets to choose from

Leading entries in the 10” tablet category include:

• Apple iPad (Boy Genius Report review)
•  Galaxy Tab 10.1 (Engadget review)
• Asus Transformer Prime (USA Today review)
• Acer Iconia Tab A200 (Phone Arena review)

In the mid-size tablet category, you’ve got:

• Amazon’s Kindle Fire (7”) (Online PR Media Review)
• Samsung Galaxy Tabs (at 8.9”, 7.7” and 7”) (Engadget Galaxy Tab 7.7 review, CNET Galaxy 7 Plus review)
• HTC Flyer (CNET review)
• Acer Iconia Tab A100 (CNET review)

Next week: evaluating tablet specs to find the right one for you.

Salt — the debate rages on

It turns out that for some, a low salt diet may be less than ideal.

An article in the New York Times reported on a study that found “that low-salt diets increase the risk of death from heart attacks and strokes and do not prevent high blood pressure.” Another study (reported in Science Daily) observed “a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with lower sodium diets.”

Calories vs Carbs

You’ve heard both theories.

On the one hand, there’s the theory that it doesn’t matter what you eat, it matters how much you eat — if you burn more calories than you take in, you’ll lose weight.

On the other hand is the theory that doesn’t matter how much you eat, it matters what you eat — if you limit or eliminate carbohydrates, you won’t have a weight problem.

While it’s true that if you eat 1000 calories worth of Twinkies and burn 1200 calories daily, you’ll probably lose weight — you might also keel over from a heart attack.

And while it’s also true that many carbs (as in processed, refined and simple) have high caloric value and limited nutritional value, it is also true that many of the nutrients necessary to our health (as in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants) can be found in carbohydrates pulled straight from the ground, or bush, or tree.

Low carbs twice a week

In a classic instance of having your cake and eating it too – recent research shows that following a low carb diet for two days a week is more effective for losing weight than following a low calorie diet every day. (via Salt Lake Tribune)

One size, or diet, doesn’t fit all

As low calorie, low carbohydrate, low fat and other restrictive diet guidelines are researched further, the results seem to point to the inescapable conclusion that there are few absolute truths when it comes to health and preventive measures. For instance — aiming for a low sodium diet may be more harmful than helpful for people not already suffering from high blood-pressure.

Bottom line? Follow dietary guidelines using common sense — and take them with a grain of salt.

Eli Manning’s pass to Mario Manningham wasn’t the only memorable moment of last Sunday’s Super Bowl.

On possibly the most anticipated day for television commercials every year — here are the top five as voted by viewers in the USA Today Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter.

The number one ad was Dorito’s “Sling Baby,” followed by, in order

Bud Light’s “Weego”

Kia’s “A Dream Car. For Real Life”

Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America”

M&Ms’ “Ms. Brown/Just My Shell”

Surprisingly, two of the most anticipated commercials didn’t make the top five:

Volkswagen’s follow-up to last year’s Ad of the Year, “The Force” — “Dog Strikes Back” — landed at number 7 (although it received the highest rating on Fox Sports)

And Honda’s homage to Ferris Bueller (“Bueller, Bueller?”) dropped in at #16

May The Force Be With Them Will Volkswagen’s Super Bowl ad meet the expectations it set with last year’s ad? Ad of the year “The Force,” Volkswagen’s commercial for the 2012 Passat, which debuted during the 2011 Super Bowl, won AdAge’s Commercial of the Year award and, since being uploaded 11 months ago, has garnered close to 50 million views on YouTube, making it the most watched commercial on YouTube in 2011.Commercials now have trailers This year, taking a lesson from the movies and building on the success of “The Force,” Volkswagen has released a“teaser” for its Game Day Commercial — turning its 30 second spot into a month of advertising for VW, before the Super Bowl (or the ad) even airs.Is it the game — or is it the ads? A poll by Harris Interactive before the 2011 Super Bowl showed that more than half of the adults planning to watch the big game were doing so as much as if not more for the commercials than the game itself. Are you going to tune in on Super Bowl Sunday for the game — or for the ads?

(from Webmonkey)

If you think Wikipedia is down this week, you’re right. Wikipedia, which is the sixth most popular site in the world, along with hundreds of other sites, will go dark this week for 24 hours to protest SOPA and PIPA, two bills that have been introduced in Congress to address internet piracy and protect copyright holders.

Major internet players are united in their opposition to the bills, saying they are in direct conflict with the ideal of an open Internet — “the bills could require your Internet provider to block websites that are involved in digital file sharing. And search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing could be stopped from linking to them.” (ABC News)

SOPA — the Stop Online Piracy Act — was introduced to the House in October of last year and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) was brought to the Senate in May of last year. Support in Congress for these bills is split, and not neatly down party lines. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced the bill in October, saying that foreign piracy websites are “stealing our profits, they’re stealing our jobs and they may be endangering the health of Americans.” (NY Times) Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) opposes the bill, believing it “to be hazardous to the infrastructure, speed and security of the Internet.”

The two bills set off a maelstrom of protest and uproar from the internet community last November. Major technology corporations, including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, have issued statements opposing the legislation. There are “Stop SOPA” websites, movements, petitions, email and phone campaigns.

The White House came out last weekend with a statement written by three White House managers, including Aneesh Chopra, the U.S. Chief Technology Officer that the downside of the two bills outweighs the upside:

“we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet… Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small."

The vote on SOPA has been delayed until consensus is reached on the bill. PIPA is still scheduled to be voted on in the Senate next week.

For more information on SOPA and PIPA, visit these links:

• Wikipedia Blackout,’ SOPA and PIPA Explained (ABC News)
• Why the ESA is Wrong to Support SOPA (Forbes)
• Sopa Blackout Site
• Google will protest SOPA using popular home page (c|net)
• What is SOPA and how does it work? The Stop Online Piracy Act explained (The Verge)
• What you need to know about SOPA in 2012 (Read Write Web)

By all reports, last Sunday’s wild-card game between the Steelers and the Broncos ended in the quickest overtime in NFL history: 11 seconds.

“It was the first overtime game with the new rules instituted for the playoffs before the 2010 season that made it more likely to extend the game but had the quickest score in league history on a pass by the least accurate passer in the NFL this season against its best pass defense.” (the Bleacher Report blog)

Tim Tebow, the Bronco’s star QB, set records and threw a veritable forest of statistical anomalies in that game — Bleacher Report sums it up nicely:

“Sunday, Tebow had one of the strangest individual statistical games of all time, going just 10-of-21 (.476) but amassing 316 yards—over 15 yards per attempt and a record 31.6 per completion—and two touchdowns.

He was not sacked and ran 10 times for 50 yards and a score, giving him 366 yards on 31 plays (11.8 average) with three touchdowns and no turnovers.

Tim’s yards per completion wasn’t the only record he set that night — he set the record for the most-Tweeted about sports moment. Ever.

According to Twitter itself, Tim’s 9,420 tweets per second — yes, per second, that’s more than half a million tweets per minute — puts him at number two on the Events Getting the Most Tweets Per Second (“TPS” for short). The number one TPS event was the annual TV airing in Japan of the anime film “Castle in the Sky” in December — garnering a stunning 25,088 TPS.

As the NFL post-season begins its drive to the biggest sporting event of the year, it’s anyone’s guess if Tebow’s Twitter record will stand or fall.

Casey Anthony Trial — Not Guilty?

Three years after her daughter was reported missing, the trial of the year ended with a “not guilty” verdict for Casey Anthony in the court room, though public opinion was surely, and loudly, different.

Japanese Tsunami and Earthquake

On March 11^th, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the richter scale struck off the shores of Japan, triggering a wave that not only swamped a significant portion of the country, but impacted the Fukushima nuclear plant, setting off the worst nuclear crisis in decades.

The Wedding of the Century

April 29^th was the day a commoner became a princess — or at least a princess-to-be. When they said “I do,” more than a million people thronged the streets of London, Yahoo handled more than one billion page views for the event, and nearly 23 million Americans watched live on TV.

Osama Bin Laden — Don’t Mess With Our SEALs

The elite of the elite, Navy SEAL Team Six raided a compound in Pakistan on May 1^st — and then over the radio came “For God and country – Geronimo, Geronimo, Geronimo.” Bin Laden had been shot dead.

US Job Market — Bad Year with a Good Ending?

In 2011, the national unemployment rate hovered around an average of 8.8%. The last quarter of the year, however, brought slightly better news, as the four-week average for unemployment applications dropped to the lowest level in three years. Employers added nearly double the number of net jobs from September to November (approximately 143,000/month), and economists project that number will continue to rise in 2012.

Arizona Shooting

When US Representative Gabrielle Giffords went to a Safeway on January 8^th, no one could have expected the tragedy that ensued. A lone gunman opened fire, shooting Giffords in the head, injuring 14 people and killing six. As legal arguments flew back and forth, and the alleged shooter accused his own lawyer of being treasonous, Gabrielle Gifford slowly recovered, until, in September, she finally returned to the House floor to cast her first vote since the shooting. Her recovery isn’t complete, but she is evidently still progressing.

Amy Winehouse — Latest Member of the “27 Club”

A mega-talented singer with mega-sized challenges, Amy Winehouse was found dead of accidental alcohol poisoning in July — and the worldwide reaction was overwhelming. Dead at 27, she joins a surprisingly large legion of musical talent gone too soon at the same age: Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin.

Arab Spring — Change Is in the Air

In Tunisia, spurred by a young man who lit himself on fire in protest, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled the country to Saudi Arabia on January 14^th. In Egypt, President Mubarak was kicked out of office 18 days after the first demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo on January 25^th. The spirit of revolt spread and uprisings occurred throughout the area — making full use of social media, as so succinctly tweeted by one activist: “We use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world.”

The Libyan Revolution and the death of Moammar Gadhafi

The revolution in Libya was enacted in a violent and deadly civil war. The leader of Libya since 1969, Gadhafi was infamous for his part in well-known terrorist acts, like the Lockerbie bombing. In Libya under his rule, public hangings — of students, prison massacres, food stampedes and torture were regular occurrences. After six months of civil war, an estimated 50,000 were dead and the country was in the midst of a severe food shortage. Two months later, rebels rooted Gadhafi out of his hiding place in his home town and his dead body was put on display.

Occupy Wall Street

The U.S.A. saw its own version of a revolt as the phenomenon “Occupy Wall Street” rolled over the media in a tidal wave, culminating in three months of protests of varying forms. The first major organized protest in the country to sweep through the digital world as much as the physical one, Occupy Wall Street, regardless of what else it accomplished, proved that America’s largest generation ever, the Millenials, are finding their voice.

The end of the year is a time for reflecting on the past, for making lists and, one hopes, for kicking back and taking a break. As airwaves and DVD players across the country fill up with holiday movies, here are some of the best and worst ever made, collected from Forbes Magazine, Collider, MovieFone and Fandango:

Die Hardmakes both the Forbes (at #1) and MovieFone (at #16) lists —

Die Hard is everything every Christmas movie should always be forever. It’s a mix of the baddie from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas; the unbeatable hero who shows up to teach everyone a lesson from Miracle On 34th Street; the ghosts of past, present, and future who bring insight and change from A Christmas Carol; plus every redemptive struggle about family and personal evolution and good versus evil, all wrapped up in a big shiny box with a bow made of explosions and bullets. ~ Forbes Magazine

Elf, at #7 on Forbes’ list and #6 on MovieFone’s, this may be Will Ferrell’s most memorable role —                                         

At #7 on the Forbes list, Elf is a Will Ferrell classic.

“Elf delivers in spades. All you need to know is that it includes a grown man dressed as an elf, whispering angrily to a sullen department-store Santa, “You sit on a throne of lies!” If you’ve not seen it, now’s the time!” ~Forbes Magazine

The Bishop’s Wife, an oldie but a goodie —         

Often forgotten in the rush to see It’s A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34^th Street (both of which appear on every list), this film features Cary Grant as a guardian angel. As MovieFone puts it, “Who WOULDN'T want Cary Grant as their guardian angel? Apparently not David Niven, as a bishop building a church — until his wife rejects a smitten Grant for him. (Suspension of disbelief required.) Witty and charming, 'Wife' earned five Oscar nominations, and one spot in Christmas classic heaven.”

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, what cardboard sets and a $20,000 budget gets you —

Nearly half a century old, this movie tops Fandango’s poll results: 23% of voters picked it as the number one worst holiday movie of all time. The next movie on the list, Silent Night, Deadly Night, received only 16% of votes.

What else to see?

Other movies on the best of lists include:

• Home Alone (Macaulay Culkin – 1990)
• The Polar Express (animated, Tom Hanks – 2004)
• Scrooged (Bill Murray – 1988)
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (animated, directed by Tim Burton – 1993)

And to avoid at all costs?

• Jingle All The Way (Arnold Schwarzenegger – 1996)
• Jack Frost (Michael Keaton – 1998)
• Deck the Halls (Matthew Broderick -2006)

For the complete lists, visit Forbes Magazine, Collider, MovieFone and Fandango.

(Movie poster images via imdb.com)

“More is not better” — according to Bloomberg writer Venessa Wong, too much of a good thing is… a bad thing.

“Don’t believe everything you think you know” — Huffington Post contributor Amanda Chan points out research in 2011 that turns old truths on their head.

Red Wine — good

Not only might red wine contribute to keeping you heart healthy — this year we also learned that resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, might be able to prevent further growth of breast cancer cells.

Too much… information — bad

Information overload and multitasking can reduce productivity. Stanford University researchers showed that light media multitaskers find it easier to filter out irrelevant information as well as to switch from one task to another than do heavy multitaskers. “People may be receiving so much information they no longer have time to think deeply about it.”

Coffee — good

The journal, Archives of Internal Medicine, published a study this year showing that coffee appears to protect women from depression.

Too much… entertainment — bad

Too much time spent playing video games and watching TV (according to Nielsen Co., Americans average 34 hours of television watching every week) means too little time spent exercising, leading to increased body fat and poorer health. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry noted that more time spent in front of the TV (watching or playing) may lead to depression in young adults.

Singletasking — good

Though we take as our heroes those of us who can manage to crunch the numbers for the annual report while making a dinner for twelve while on the phone with their sister in Sri Lanka, it turns out that staying focused on one task at a time may actually be better for your brain.

Too many… “friends” — bad

Online friends, that is. A study by the Pew Research Center showed that social networking can have a negative impact on a person’s face-to-face relationships; not to mention the study done by York University in Toronto, which found that higher levels of online activity and self-promotional content are linked to higher levels of narcissism and lower levels of self-esteem.

Beer — good

Turns out, beer may have similar beneficial properties as does wine. An Italian study showed that people who drink beer moderately have a 31 percent decreased risk of heart disease.

Too much… energy — bad

Discovering so much energy (from nonrenewable sources) all at once has led us to a false sense of security regarding energy consumption. The U.S. government’s Fifth U.S. Climate Action Report shows greenhouse gas emissions increasing 17 percent in 17 years (from 1990 to 2007). University of California researchers estimate that at our current supply, growth and consumption levels, we will deplete the planet’s oil supply by 2041.

Fidgeting — good

Although it may not seem good to the person next to you in the movie theater, research published this year in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows that fidgeting could contribute to your daily physical activity, boosting your cardio fitness.

Too many… choices— bad

Ever stand in the supermarket, frozen and unsure what to pick off the shelf? Welcome to “analysis paralysis” — or the “paradox of choice.” Your supermarket likely offers you five times the selection as it did your parents in 1975. There are more movies, TV shows (TV stations!), credit cards, banks, cars… more of everything. Turns out the abundance of options can be too overwhelming, either preventing consumers from choosing anything at all, or leaving them with a feeling of dissatisfaction with their choice, the nagging question “did I choose the right one?”

For more Bad Things That Are Good For You and Good Things that Can Be Bad For You, check out the Huffington Post and Bloomberg.

December is a busy month. It’s also your final opportunity to make sure you’ve done all you can this year to maximize your finances next year.

The following suggestions are pulled from Money Thinking, The Motley Fool, and the Vanguard Group. Want to know even more? Click on each site’s link to read their full story.

1. Save up. 

If you have an IRA, you have until next April 15 to contribute the maximum amount. If you have a 401(k), contributions must be done by the end of the calendar year. If you have both and you’re working with limited funds this month — put the money into your 401(k) — especially if your employer matches your 401(k) contribution.

2. Flex your financial muscles.

If you are taking advantage of a flexible spending accounts —employer-sponsored benefits that let you put money aside to spend on medical needs on a pre-tax basis. Check to see if the money in your account rolls over. If it’s “use it or lose it,” think about getting that check-up, or a back up pair of glasses.

3. Review your credit history. 

If you haven’t used your free credit report this year, now’s the time. Check the report carefully for discrepancies, missing corrections, or anything that seems odd. Contact the credit agency for any questions you have. If you can address anything on your report — from getting an item corrected to paying off a debt or consolidating loans — do it now.

4. April 15^th isn’t that far away.

It’s not too early to start thinking about 2011 taxes. You might still be able to take advantage of tax-loss selling or front-loading deductible items into 2011 to save on your taxes next spring. At the very least, beginning to organize your paperwork will make your life easier when tax day arrives.