When Mac OS X Lion (10.7) was released just 7 months ago, it was quite evident that its update was greatly influenced by the advancement and the success of Apple iOS for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Last Thursday, Apple took a further step in that direction and then some, with a surprise developer preview release of OS X Mountain Lion, OSX’s 9th major release of the Apple Mac operating system.

iPad features move to Mac

With Mountain Lion, the Mac OS still retains its own identity but it’s looking a lot more like the iPad with newer features trickling “back” to the Mac platform.

iChat as we know it will be history. It’s being replaced with the Messages app, so like the iOS version it will allow you to send pics, videos and unlimited messages right from your desktop or MacBook to another iOS device or even another Mac.

Apple says that Messages will continue to support AIM, Jabber, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk.

Mountain Lion also gets Reminders and Notes that help you create and track your to-dos now across all your devices. As well, a pleasant surprise to die-hard gamers is that Game Center is coming along too!

Other movers include Notification Center that provides easy access to alerts from Apple, third-party apps and system updates. Share Sheets, which makes it easy to share links, photos and Twitter integration that will allow you to tweet from almost any app are also in the mix.

AirPlay Mirroring

I was extremely happy to see that AirPlay Mirroring is finally on the list as well. I had found it frustrating at times to get wirelessly on-line content which would inevitably end up being non iOS-friendly, via Apple TV to my HDTV, even from the iPad. Mirroring will make it that much easier.

iCloud Friendly OS

Another thing that will be easier to maintain is access to your important documents across your devices. Mountain Lion is the first iCloud friendly Mac OS release and through your Apple ID, it’ll be a cinch to setup and integrate with apps like Contacts, Mail, Calendar, Messages, FaceTime and Find My Mac. And of course, with iCloud, changes to those documents can also be pushed to those devices.

The preview of Mountain Lion also introduces a new security feature called Gatekeeper, giving you complete control over what apps are installed on your Mac and likely an answer to the Mac Defender malware episode that we’re all trying to forget which caused some to install fake antivirus software on their Macs.

Enhanced Chinese User Support

Mountain Lion also has features specifically designed to support Chinese users, including significant enhancements to the Chinese input method and the option to select Baidu search in Safari.

Tons of new APIs will give developers access to new core technologies and enhanced features within OS X and a new graphics infrastructure will make life easier when creating OpenGL apps. The bottom line is that we will likely be seeing more apps work across both Macs and IOS devices opening the doors for some really cool multiplayer games that work across Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Preview for Developers 

Members of the Mac Developer Program get access to the preview release of Mountain Lion, which will add over 100 new features to the Mac OS right away. Common folk like us will be able to upgrade to Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store likely in late summer 2012.

Users: Try Messages Today!

But there is good news. If you are running Mac OS X Lion, you can download and try a beta of Messages right now from www.apple.ca, with the final version being available with the un-caging of Mountain Lion.

I suspect it will be a pay upgrade, with the price yet to be determined.

But before you get too excited, best to check if you’ll be able to tame the Mountain Lion, TUAW has an updated list – which will likely change by the time of the final release of Macs that will be supported and some that won’t. The list may surprise you.

The only challenge with the end of Summer is that we know that falling leaves and blustery days are around the corner, but hopefully at the end of this Summer, the Mountain Lion will bring to us just a little more sunshine.

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

Last September, I gave the LG Optimus 3D a so-so review, but due to its recent upgrade, the phone warrants another look.

Normally, I wouldn’t re-review a product that simply got an OS update, in this case from Froyo (Android 2.2.2) to Gingerbread (Android 2.3.5), but the accompanying firmware upgrade takes advantage of the phone’s hardware, enhancing many of its specs, not just the standard faster response time and improved battery life.
First off, the Optimus 3D now runs on Rogers’ 4G network, providing both a stronger phone and data connection. The HSPA+ network supposedly offers data speeds of up to 21 Mbps. Now, my bandwidth connection was never nearly that fast, but I was able to watch HD movies on Netflix, YouTube and other video sites without suffering any buffering issues. And the videos look impressive!

The 480 x 800 pixels 4.3-inch 3D LCD capacitive touchscreen offer some of the best 2-D video playback I’ve seen on a phone to date. And the new Dolby Mobile Effect delivers improved sound quality when stereo headphones or speakers are plugged into it.

When it works, 3-D video looks good as well. But it still suffers from the same issues as before. For the effect to work, you need to hold the phone at a specific angle and the video itself must be the right kind of 3-D. And it works best if you use the included YouTube app as opposed to on a website. Through a browser, even when the right type of video is chosen, it often appears as two videos side-by-side as opposed to one top of one another, slightly out of phase, which creates the 3-D effect.

The firmware update also makes vast improvement to the cameras. The dual 5.0 MP cameras (3.0 MP for 3-D) can take photos with a resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels and the 3-D video comes with improved depth for its 720p recording. It  shoots at 12 Mbps instead of 6 Mbps. The 2-D 1080p video recording is also boosted from 8 Mbps to 16Mbps. This results in a more vivid image. Video stabilization has been improved as well. And if you want, you can even convert the videos and photos you’ve shot from 3-D to 2-D. Or vice versa. (I imagine the latter is possible, because you’re likely always shooting in 3-D. The phone’s just not showing it to you when you’ve switched to 2-D.)

An editing program for both your 2-D and 3-D videos is also included. It’s a very simplistic timeline editor. It works about as well as any touchscreen editor would on a 4.3-inch diameter screen. Ultimately, I’m not sure how useful it is. If you wanted to edit together your recordings (the 2-D ones at least), you may as well just download it to your computer and use Windows Movie Maker, iMovie or Kino, because even these basic programs have more features available than the phone’s software.

Personally, I’m still not sold on the need for 3-D video on a phone. It’s gimmicky – especially since most web videos aren’t in 3-D and the videos you take with the camera can’t be viewed on most screens. But I can’t deny that the results. All media looks great on this phone, whether it’s something you’ve shot yourself or watching online.

And although it may not be my first choice for a new smartphone, if I was going to pick one up myself, it has become a good choice. That is, if you don’t mind a phone that’s slightly heavier than the average model. (It weighs 168 g.) When I had the phone in  September, I was somewhat disappointed with the calibration of the virtual keyboard. But I had no issues this time round.  And the sound quality on calls seems to have improved as well.

Additionally, there’s a significant drop in price if you’re willing to sign up for a three-year contract. Rogers offers the LG Optimus 3D for as little as a penny. However, if you wish to purchase the phone without a contract, it’s still $474.99. Go to the Rogers website for more pricing information.

When the App Store was unveiled to the world in July 2008, it only took 2 1/2 years for the App Store to reach 10 Billion downloads and with a current pace of 1 Billion per month less than 11 months later, it’s ready to reach yet another significant milestone – 25 Billion. And once again to commemorate this incredible feat, Apple has launched the “Countdown to 25 Billion Apps” a world-wide promotion in which one lucky person will be eligible to receive an iTunes Gift Card valued at US$10,000 if they are the one to download the 25 billionth app.

No Download Necessary

There are a couple of ways to become eligible; you can either download an App in which you will automatically become eligible, but you don’t necessarily need to physically download anything. You can fill out an entry form, or even enter by phone.

According to Apple, for purposes of the promotion, the downloading of the 25 billionth app is considered to be either the downloading of the 25 billionth app from the App Store or the receipt of the non-purchase entry after the download of the 24,999,999,999th app, whichever comes first. Only entries submitted in this time period will be accepted.

There are a maximum of 25 entries per person, per iTunes account or email address (per day). Check out the Official Rules for full details.

App Store Numbers

The App Store is quite the phenomenon. There are currently over 550,000 apps in the store, 170,000 native to the iPad and according to Apple, developers have taken in over $4 billion in payments thus far.

Launching iTunes, and heading to the promotion, you can see the Top 25 most downloaded apps (free & paid) for both iPhone & iPad. Of course each store will be localized.

Top Paid iPhone App: Angry Birds

Top Free iPhone App: Facebook

Top Paid iPad App: Pages

Top Free iPad App: WeatherEye HD

Interestingly enough, Angry Birds placed 2^nd in both iPad categories, free & paid, and 9^th in the iPhone (free) category.

Canadian Apps

There were a small number of Canadian apps that made the grade, mostly in the free category:  Yellow Pages (20^th, iPhone) and Global TV (7^th), CTV (12^th) & TSN (16^th) – all in the iPad category.

There was one game, Where’s Waldo – The Fantastic Journey ($1.99) from Montreal based Ludia that made the honour roll. It placed 17^th in the iPhone category.

Watch the live countdown on the 25-Billion App Countdown promotions page. The contest ends when that milestone has been reached, so happy downloading!

(Snapshot of download counter was taken at 2:43PM ET Sat Feb 18th)

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

Looking for that last minute Apple inspired Valentines gift for your sweetheart? While gadgets, gizmos and digital delights are no guarantee to strengthen your relationships, they can certainly go a long way on that special day in helping to say, I Love You in a geeky sort of way!

14 Best Free Apps

The name says it all – Valentines Day 2012: 14 best free apps for your love. This app by MagicSolver, unlocks a free app each day for 14 days. It selects what it sees is the best from the over ½ million selections out there

You can enjoy a selection of melodies to keep you in the spirit and the more you play and the more hearts you unlock the more free bonuses and new surprises you’ll rack up.

This app runs on the iPad and iPhone and only requires iOS 3.0 or later.

Take a Spin

Does she like to gamble just a little without all the risk? If so, check out Loving Hearts Slots, ($0.99) by Playtinium. It’s a slot machine game with 3 exclusive set ups filled with hearts, flowers and cute Teddy Bears. Play a classic 3-reel single line game, a 3-reel 5 line or a 3-reel 25-line game.  It includes a Teddy Bear Bonus and other bonus games to increase your winnings.

You won’t get real money, but you can save your games and your loved one can have lots of fun.

Works with all late model iOS devices running 4.0 or later

Looking for Apple Love?

Now if you are looking for the love of your life and the deal breaker is that he or she must be an Apple fan, well of course there is an app for that. It’s free and it’s called Cupidtino, by Anta Labs and it claims to be the first Mac-inspired dating app.

It was created on the premise that Mac-peeps have a lot in common and that the app will help you find your Mac-hearts around the globe. It’s not affiliated or endorsed by Apple, but is geared towards the Apple Fan Boy and Fan Girl.

This Social Networking app features include the ability to create a profile along with your uploaded photos; search and browse other profiles; view full-screen slideshows, see who has checked you out and even send a “Heartbeat” to someone that may pique your iOS interest.

It also includes a lifestyle blog called –“One more thing…,”  How apropos!

There are upgrade features like unlimited messaging and chat, which require a $4.99 monthly subscription.

Personal Love Song

Love doesn’t always mean a Valentine app. How about giving your loved one the gift of music? Get them an iTunes gift card, or if you want them to serenade you let them create a personal creation just for you with Apple’s GarageBand ($4.99). It turns your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio at the tips of your fingers.

McCartney’s Kisses on the Bottom

If you want to leave the music to the professionals, why not a former Beatle? If you caught Sir Paul McCartney on the Grammys this past Sunday, you would have heard My Valentine, a cut from his latest album, Kisses on the Bottom. It’s filled with 20^th–century standards, featuring greats like Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder and Diana Krall and her band.

This 16-track album, mastered for iTunes is available for $9.99.

And if your loved one doesn’t have an iPod, iPhone or iPad 2, I’m sure there’s an Apple Retail Store or dealer nearby to fulfill that need, too!

Chocolate is good too! Yummy chocolate! Dark, creamy filled chocolate!

Happy Valentines Day!

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

When we think of speakers, we typically think square boxy and big and not usually very practical for use on the road. Enter the Volcano, by Orig Audio, a little pocket portable speaker that quite literally erupts with sound when you turn it on.

At first glance, you can see where it gets its namesake. It’s small, weighs 3 oz., fits easily in the palm of your hand but also sits nicely on your desktop. It runs off a rechargeable lithium battery that lasts for about 10 hours with a 2-hour charge.

Switching it on illuminates a little but bright blue LED indicating that there is power to the unit.

Turning it upside down reveals a short wrapped up attached cable that plugs into any standard headphone jack; its compatible with iPhone, iPod any mp3 or music player with a headphone output. I tested it first with my iPad and was surprised how good the sound was. Now it won’t rock the house but the audio was respectable.

But it gets better.

With a little twist, the speaker expands up in a small accordion motion giving Volcano a slight resemblance to a modernized Dr. Who Dalek. The expansion opens up the sound to a richer deeper bass.

There is a mini USB connector at the back and with the supplied cable you can plug the USB into your computer so you can charge your unit while playing

Daisy Chain Volcano

What’s particularly cool about the Volcano and where it really earns its name is that you can daisy chain multiple Volcanoes together; and when you do, the volume actually increases as each one attached, so theoretically stringing a series of them together could sound up the whole room and offer virtually endless, albeit monoaural sound.

It’s a neat little speaker system with a funky design. It’s great to allow you to have external audio and if you pair it for example with an iPod Shuffle you have a completely wireless mini sound system that that sits in the palm of your hand.

I have no issues with the unit itself. My only though is because of its shape and concern that it could be damaged if thrown into a purse or knapsack, it would have been nice to have a compatible carry case to hold it and the cable to protect it.

It’s available in Canada at OrigAudio.ca ($40) or for a better deal, you can get it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $24.99.

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

We’ve all heard about Last Comic Standing, how about Last Gadget Standing? It has nothing to do with funny gadgets or anything funny about them, but it does have to do with bragging rights. Hosted by a duo of guest emcees – Gary Dell’Abate and Jon Hein from the infamous Howard Stern Show, Last Gadget Standing, according to the good folks from CES (Consumer Electronics Show), singles out one product that’s voted as “most likely to change the face of technology.”

And the Last Gadget Standing, funny enough, after the dust had settled and the people voted just happen to be a camera, called Lytro, from a company with the same name.

Now Lytro is not your ordinary camera. Regular cameras capture a single plane of light. Lytro captures the light field data. It’s like you’re capturing that live moment in time and space and all the light that surrounds it; then later, you can go back and choose want you want to focus on.

Snap Now Focus Later

So instead of focusing on a particular object or a subject, as you would normally expect to do, you capture the data and using their software, you pick your focal point after the fact.

You simply hit the centre of gravity shutter button and your HD quality picture your living image is captured.

The camera has instant power-on so no delay; no auto-focus; no shutter motor, no flash, and so again, no delay. You won’t miss that split second opportunity to capture the moment.

This technology is not new. According to Lytro, light field images were captured over 15 years ago at Stanford University, but that technology required a plethora of cameras tethered to a supercomputer. Today, the company has taken the concept out of the labs and created Lytro.

More than just a box

On the outside Lytro looks small plain and simple box camera. It has an extruded anodized aluminum skin with a silicone rubber grip. It measures 1.61”x1.61”x4.41” and weighs 7-½ oz. It features 33mm backlit LCD multi-touch display, an 8x optical zoom lens with touch slider and a constant f/2 aperture. It runs off a long-life internal lithium ion battery and images are stored in its proprietary light field format (.lfp) on an internal flash drive.

Lytro has the potential of creating another art form. Instead about worrying about capturing that moment, Lytro gives you the opportunity to freeze that moment and relive it in different dimensions.

You have to check out their site and see how you can pick a point and focus the image.

Lytro is available on pre-order and comes in 2 configurations. It sells for $399 (8GB 350 Pictures) & $499 (16GB 750 Pictures) all in USD. The 8GB model comes in Graphite or Electric Blue; and the 16GB in Red Hot.

TRY IT

The photo above was taken with a Lytro. Click anywhere on the photo to see how it refocuses. Double-Click to zoom in.  Click on the small click box on the bottom right corner will give you an option to enlarge; this is where you can really experience a living picture. (If the photo doesn’t appear, refresh your screen)

Try it and tell me what you think?

This is so cool!

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

Honda's Super Bowl commercial has already racked up more than 11 million views online. Save Ferris!

There are a lot of great things about being Canadian. We’ve got universal health care, other countries tend to like us, we know the right way to spell “colour” and “neighbour”, easy access to poutine and good beer… the list goes on.

But every year when the Super Bowl rolls around, we’re reminded of one of the downsides of living in this great nation: We don’t get to watch the good commercials.

With airtime for the game selling for as much as $4 million US per 30-second spot, advertisers naturally bring out their big guns. Supermodels, special effects, celebrities, monkeys, laughs, tears… if only the Super Bowl itself could be this entertaining.

Problem is, even if you watch the game on a U.S. station, the feed will be subbed out for CTV’s own. Which means you’re getting commercials localized for our maple syrup-lovin’ market. Hey, did you know American Idol is on CTV? After the 15th promo spot airs during the game, you sure as heck will.

If you absolutely must see the Super Bowl commercials that our American cousins will enjoy today, here are some tech-savvy strategies that might help. None of which requires leaving the country. Whew!

Watch them now

Dozens of advertisers have already released their Super Bowl commercials online to capitalize on advance buzz, or to feature extended versions that won’t be aired on TV. (Honda’s salute to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is the most-watched so far, with more than 11 million views.) They’re a bit scattered across the web, but you can find most of them at Adweek’s Super Bowl hub, or our own Canoe.ca.

Stream the game

This will be the first year the Super Bowl is streamed live online, through NBC Sports and some mobile phone providers. The catch is we’re not sure if they’ll be showing the TV commercials in the online stream (and the NBC online broadcast might be unavailable in Canada anyway.) While the U.S. Attorney General recently shut down a bunch of illegal sports streaming sites, user-driven video sharing websites such as Justin.tv and Ustream.tv will almost certainly do an end run around the law and have live streams from U.S. networks – including the commercials.

Get an antenna

If you live close enough to the U.S. border, you might be able to use an HDTV antenna to pick up a signal from an NBC station in the States, which will naturally feature the full roster of American commercials. As an added bonus, these over-the-air signals are in crystal clear, uncompressed (or at least less-compressed) high-definition. There are tons of antenna retailers out there, but Xtek.ca has a good selection of gear, as well as primers on how to set it all up. Of course if you don’t have one already, this might have to wait until next year’s Super Bowl. Not even FedEx does same-afternoon delivery.

Wait a little while

While some advertisers won’t reveal their commercials before the game, they invariably put them online moments after the ads air on TV. YouTube’s AdBlitz channel will round up all the commercials after the game is over, and there are even iPhone apps – like the $1.99 Super Ads app – that are updated with new commercials as soon as the ads hit the web. This means you can actually use the commercial breaks during the game for more important things, like fetching beer and going to the bathroom. These truly are enlightened times we live in.

With Super Bowl XLVI just around the corner, in addition to ensuring you have eats and treats and reserve your best seat on the couch, there are a number of Super Bowl inspired apps that you can indulge in before, during and probably after the game. Let’s have a peek at just a few of them.

Designed for the iPad, the Super Bowl XLVI Commemorative App (Pre-Game Price discounted price of $2.99), is the official app presented by NFL Magazine, Ltd.

It’s a digital souvenir that chronicles each team’s road to Super Bowl XLVI with NFL.com editorial and video content. After the big game, the app will include official video highlights, a recap of the NFL season, exclusive interviews, pictures and more.  It also has bonus content and Super Bowl history.

Another app, also optimized and also designed for the iPad, is the Super Bowl XLVI Official NFL Game Program .

Presented by Chevrolet, this free souvenir game program from the NFL also chronicles both teams’ road to the championship game. It also features key moments from the past season as well as highlights from past Super Bowl games.

This app is bandwidth intensive; it’s a 537MB download which includes over 400MB of exclusive NFL video. This is version 2.0, so it’s been updated for XLVI.

Designed for both the iPhone and iPad, the SB XLVI Guide, is the NFL’s official Super Bowl Guide, presented by Verizon.

Developed by UpNext Inc., it’s deal for any fan but especially for those who plan on being at or near the game. It includes a guide to local eateries, nightlife and Super Bowl themed events.

The app includes an interactive 3-D map of Lucas Oil Stadium and downtown Indianapolis. It’s a funky way to explore the sights on your iPhone or iPad tablet. The app also allows you to follow the entire social media buzz with NFL Huddle. If you happen to be one of the lucky 70k+ individuals, who will be there to see the game live, you can also pin your parking spot and easily find your way to your seat.

If you already own this App, version 2.02 has been updated for Super Bowl XLVI.

Game time is 6:30PM ET, Sunday Feb 5, 2012; it’s just around the corner!

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

Final Cut Pro X, Apple’s profession video editing application has become a little more powerful, offering a number of enhancements needed to keep up with today’s demand for professional broadcast quality video.

One of the major enhancements is its new multicam-editing feature. It automatically syncs up to 64 camera angles and offers support for mixed frame sizes, frame rates and formats.

The precise Angle Editor allows you to make adjustments to your multicam clip and the Angle Viewer lets you play back multiple angles at the same time and seamlessly cut between them.

Version 10.0.3  introduces advanced chroma keying for handling the most challenging adjustments from right within the app so you no longer have to go out to a third party app to do so, giving you the ability to immediately get real-time playback.

The updated version incorporates XML 1.1 with support for exporting basic primary color grades and both importing and exporting effect parameters and audio keyframes. It will also allow for a richer interchange with the growing number of third party apps like DaVinci Resolve and CatDV and plug-ins from developers like GenArts & Red Giant to name a few.

What’s also new in this version is the ability to import and edit layered Photoshop graphics.

Along with the update comes a Beta version of broadcast monitoring, which allows you to connect to waveform displays, vectorscopes, and calibrated, HD monitors.  Its supported through Thunderbolt I/O devices as well as PCIe cards (for use with the MacBook Pro).

For a full list of features of Final Cut Pro X, visit Apple’s Website.

Final Cut Pro X is available from the App Store for $299.99;  Good news for existing users. The update is free!  If you are not a current user and would like a 30-day free trial, you can have that too!

Import FC PRO 7 Projects

One of the complaints users had was the lack of ability to import projects originally created in Final Cut Pro 7. Now Final Cut Pro X doesn’t do this natively, but app developer Intelligence Assistance Inc., has rolled out 7toX for Final Cut Pro, a new app that will allow you to import those legacy projects. It’s available from the Mac App Store for $9.99.

One more thing… A New Retail SVP

If you haven’t already heard, Apple has a new senior vice-president of retail. John Browett, who has been the CEO of European technology retailer, Dixons Retail for the last 4 years, will join the Apple team and will be responsible for Apple’s retail strategy as Apple opens up more retail stores around the globe.

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

Unless you are one of the 70,000 or so lucky fans with tickets to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis next weekend, the next best way to enjoy the game along with 100 million others, would be to watch it on a big screen TV in high definition.

The Sharp Aquos LC-80LE632U is an 80” LED TV – the largest of its kind in Canada. At 80”, measured on the diagonal, it actually has 200% more viewing area than a 55” and 300% more than a 46”. But to get the best seat in the house with an 80” TV and enjoy the big game to its fullest, there are a few things to consider, even before you take it out of the box.

Wall Mount or Stand?

The unit weighs 122 pounds, so if you use the stand, it will support the TV’s weight. If you are going to mount it on your wall, you need to ensure that you can support it by ensuring the bracket is attached to studs, otherwise you may not make it through to half time.

Seating Distance

You might think that sitting close is the best way to view, but with such a big screen it’s not necessarily the case.

“It’s 80” and so high res, 1080p, so you don’t want to sit so close that you see all the pixels,“ says Abraham Cherian, Senior Director Marketing, Sharp Canada.

While it’s ultimately the viewer’s choice and preference, says Cherian, 10ft. is the distance at which you won’t see any pixels at all. Comparatively, 8ft. would be the distance for a 70” TV.

Viewing Height

There is yet one more important thing to consider when placing your TV. If you are using the stand and watching from a typical couch, you’ll notice that your TV sits more or less at eye level. But when mounted it on a wall, sometimes more consideration is put on esthetic placement, rather than considering the viewing experience.

“Sometimes they mount it above the fireplace to save space,” says Cherian.

But placing it there make look nice, but it forces you to look up, even 10-15 degrees, which Cherian says is too high for viewing for longs periods of time, like watching the big game. It eventually becomes too uncomfortable.

He equates it to sitting in the first row of a movie theatre.

So whether you’re rooting for the Giants or the Patriots, here are a few tips to enjoy watching the game on your 80” TV.

Of course you do need to buy one first.

The Sharp Aquos LC-80LE632U retails in Canada for $5299. Best Buy has them on sale right now for $4799.

Greg Gazin is the Real Canadian Gadget Guy.

Follow me on Twitter @gadgetgreg.

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