Phil Baker is an expert in new product development and market development for large and small companies. He has held senior product development and marketing positions with Apple, Polaroid, Seiko, Proxima, Atari, Polycom, and Think Outside. He has pioneered the use of Far East resources to bring products to market quickly and cost-effectively. His products have won numerous awards including Best Computer Product of 2000 from PC Magazine and design awards from Business Week, ID Magazine, and numerous other publications. Phil founded Think Outside, inventor and manufacturer of the most popular PDA accessory ever, the Stowaway folding keyboards. He previously managed product development for Seiko, Apple Computer, Polaroid, Polycom and Proxima. Products include notebook computers, PDAs and other handheld electronics, cameras and optical devices, software products, electronic projectors and printers. Baker holds more than 30 patents. He received a BS in physics from Worcestor Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass., an MS in engineering from Yale University and an MBA from Northeastern University. Phil currently provides consulting in product development and market development for companies in the consumer and computer segment. Phil was San Diego's Entrepreneur of the Year 2000 for Consumer Products. He serves on several boards and resides in Solana Beach. His website is www.philipgbaker.com. His e-book for Kindle, "The Best of Phil Baker-2011: Personal Technology at Home, on the Road and on the Go," is available through Amazon.com now.

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 is this year’s replacement for the company's hugely popular Galaxy S III, introduced a year ago. The S III has been a huge success because it took the lead in bringing Google’s Android OS to a phone with a beautiful large display in a thin, lightweight package. If there was one criticism about the S III, it was the cheap feeling of its plastic enclosure. It’s the tradeoff Samsung makes for cost and thin shape.

With nearly a million apps in Apple's iTunes store, it’s nearly impossible for an app company to get noticed. I’ve found that a better way is to check with friends and see what they like. Word of mouth seems to be the most effective marketing approach.

The Pear Sports training system is a clever approach for those who do personal workouts. It's designed to make these workouts more effective by providing a level of feedback and interactivity that’s previously only been available with a coach by your side.