On Gear Live: iPhone 16e Review: Apple Just Killed the Budget iPhone

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Chris Daughtry

If you recall, we told you about the Toilet Tattoos that jazz up your tank. Okay, they don’t play music or light up your life in the bathroom, but they may give you a bit of your fave celebrity. Creator Celeste Massullo went to the AMAs and brought along some of her designs, which have been autographed and are to be auctioned off on eBay February 11. Choose from Chris Daughtry, John Legend, apprentice Omarosa, Ernest Borgnine, Ne-Yo, Larry Birkhead, Telma Hopkins, and more. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Sociey.

(Thanks, Todd)

 

Read More | Toilet Tattoos

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IACmusic logoIndependent Artist Company Music is apparently drumming up business, as we received an e-mail from them telling us that they thought we should open up an account. While it’s true we can’t play the violin, we thought the least we could do is let them know that we think that was a noble effort on their part. If you profess be an indie musical whiz, sign up for the service, build DMDs via their Ultrapage, then sell them and keep the profits. By the way, IAC has station managers to help you promote your tunes if they suspect you have talent.

(Thanks, Toby)

Read More | IACmusic

FlyTunes Beta

If you want to get in to the new FlyTunes iPhone and iPod touch music service, we’ve got the good for you. While FlyTunes is currently a closed service, you can get in using our special invite URL. Be sure you click on the following link while using an iPhone or iPod touch, otherwise it won’t work:

FlyTunes beta sign-up

For more details on what FlyTunes actually is, here you go:

FlyTunes offers you a music experience that’s better than satellite radio, offering access to thousands of high quality music channels that you can personalize and enjoy on your iPhone any time, anywhere you go, without limitations, and without fees.

FlyTunes for iPhone/Touch is available now. As we scale up our systems to meet the tremendous demand, we will be sending your invitation to rock on with Flytunes.

Be sure to check out the FlyTunes demo we’ve embedded, after the break.

Click to continue reading Early access into FlyTunes iPhone music service


Latest Gear Live Videos

Since most robots are made to serve, it’s nice to discover one that solely entertains. Engineered Arts’ RoboThespians speak, sing, tell stories, and do a dance step or two. You can watch it perform Robert Shaw in “Jaws,” something very “Alien,” “C3PO,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” and our fave of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. If you are fortunate enough to live in the UK, you can see them perform at The Eden Project in Cornwall. If not, there is always YouTube. It ain’t Shakespeare, but it is amusing.

 

Read More | technabob

quarterlife cast

If you are a fan of “quarterlife,” you will be happy to know that the series, which is up to episode 24, has been picked up to run on network teevy, namely NBC. The series about neurotic twentysomethings was created by “thirtysomething’s” Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick and will premiere February 26. While we don’t see the show as exactly earthshaking, we recognize and note that other series (such as Lil’ Bush and TMZ) began on the Net and now have found a comfortable albeit moderately successful run on legitimate TV. Those that can, apparently do and literally get to capitalize their title.

 

Read More | NBC

QTrax logoQTrax appears to be available with 25 to 30 million copyrighted tracks for file sharing. The free service is funded with advertising revenue that the company shares with music labels and will operate without spyware and pop-up adware. Users can exchange and download tunes, hopefully without the hassle of sites such as Limewire. QTrax then counts the number of times each song is played to compensate both artists and rights owners. USA Today reported yesterday that the coming out party was delayed after it was found that the company hadn’t quite finalized all the details, but we managed to download the beta service this morning without a hitch. We have yet to put it to a test drive, however, but we noticed that 30,000 others were utilizing the service.

Read More | USA Today

Amphibian

Start up company Ribbit is soon to be open for business in Silicone Valley with its Amphibian service that will make voice features on cell phones accessible on PCs and Websites. With Flash and Flex software from Adobe, developers can build their own virtual phones. Specifically, you can manage your mobile voicemail like e-mail on your computer and phone, turn your voicemail into text, take and make mobile calls from any browser or Webpage, and use its Caller ID 2.0 to find out what your buds have been doing of late. No pricing was announced, although unlimited service may go for about $15.00 a month or $10.00 monthly for 40 voicemails.

 

Read More | Reuters

AQUOS LC46D64UNow that we have given you PC Mag’s suggestions for Superbowl Sunday, which HDTVs are actually the public’s choice? According to Amazon, these are their top sellers (with prices):

  • Samsung’s 2007 model LNT5265F ($2,199)
  • Sharp AQUOS LC32D62U 32 and 42-inch ($889) ($1,349)
  • Samsung model LNT4665F ($1,674)
  • Toshiba 42HL167 42-inch Regza LCD HDTV ($1,299)
  • Sony 32-inch Class BRAVIA S-Series LCD HDTV ($899)
  • Sharp AQUOS LC32D62U 46-inch ($1,799)
  • Sony KDL-40XBR2 40-inch Bravia XBR LCD HDTV ($1,499)
  • Samsung LNT4661F 46-inch LCD HDTV ($1,549)
  • Samsung LNT5271F 52-inch LCD HDTV($2,652)

We dig that the prices get lower all the time, but not that the choices will now be twice as extensive.

Read More | Gearlog

YouTube MobileIt was only a question of time. As a hint of things to come, YouTube has made a site available for cell phones. In cooperation with many of the mobile companies, such as LG, Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson, YouTube Mobile will work with 3G phones that support RTSP. Favorites, videos, channels, and personal accounts can all be accessed. In addition, you can comment, rate videos, or upload from your phone. Here again is an example one less reason to bypass your PC to become a viral video star. By the way, YouTube Mobile Java is also available for free if you live in the U.S. or UK and have a J2ME MIDP2 capable device.

Read More | Mobileburn

Verizon FiOS Privacy issues

Seeing as we’ve been experiencing a ton of customer service issues with our service for the past 8 months, we figured it was time to put out a warning to you guys. After all, we typically hear that the FiOS Internet service is remarkably amazing, and people have been dumping cable in droves when FiOS becomes available in their area. Hey, there is good reason to. Where we are at, right outside Seattle, our choices are slow DSL, Comcast at 8.0 down and 768k up, or FiOS with a max speed of 30.0 down and 15.0 up (which is the plan we are on.)

Now let’s be clear here, we love the FiOS service. It works fantastically, it has never gone down in the 8 months we’ve been using it, and it’s, well, fast.

So what is the problem? To put it bluntly, Verizon has shown that they don’t care - at all - about protecting their users private, confidential information. Now, why would we make a statement like that? Check it.

Click to continue reading Our Verizon FiOS customer service nightmare: Why won’t they protect my private customer information?


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