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Latest Gear Live Videos
Apple Slaps Unlocked iPhone Users on the Wrist
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Handhelds, Portable Audio / Video,
Apple has announced that its new update will kill unlocked iPhones. Last week, Steve Jobs cried foul as he said that the warranty would be voided, which we are pretty sure most hackers, such as George Hotz, knew about when they performed the operation. Of course, the obvious solution here is to skip the update, but then those users will not get WiFi Tunes. Perhaps Apple should think of this as a quiet demonstration of folks who want to save a bit of cash rather than a direct attack on AT&T. Think amnesty, Apple.
Read More 
| Yahoo Tech
Gallery: Apple Slaps Unlocked iPhone Users on the Wrist
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John Edwards Dialogue Set for MySpace and MTV
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Internet, Music,
MySpace and MTV have teamed together to host a one-on-one Presidential Dialogue for John Edwards, which we means that various politicos and viewers get to grill him live. It will be on this Thursday, Sept. 27 at noon, like we are going to give up our all-important lunch hour. You can ask questions via both venues and a Flektor poll is supposed to track results, although we are not quite sure why that is necessary. We don’t know if all the candidates have MySpace pages and plans, but we did note while on Edwards’ page there was a clever Google ad for Mitt Romney sandwiched in there.
Read More | Mashable
Gallery: John Edwards Dialogue Set for MySpace and MTV
Site Locates Suspicious Activities
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Internet, Misc. Tech,
Can’t get enough terrorist attack information? The Global Incident Map provides worldwide locations of fires, biological and chemical warfare, bomb/explosives, and more. A scrolling list makes updates every few minutes, and you can click on “Display Events” to get more data. You can also use your mouse to move around and zoom in on specific incidents including links to videos, related sites, etc. We find it a scary thought that groups or individuals that caused the incidents may also checking the site as a sort of “Electronic Battleship” game.
Read More | Global Incident Map
Gallery: Site Locates Suspicious Activities
Internet Invades Real Time with Online Nation
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Home Entertainment, Internet,
We can tolerate Reality TV online. We can even suffer through TMZ TV, although we find it rather opportunistic. But when we heard about Online Nation that will premiere on The CW, we really started to wonder why anyone who has access to the Internet would want to see YouTube on the boob tube? There are plenty of opportunities to get your fifteen minutes of fame online, so why would we want to do the same in the real world?
We suspect that this is a chance for Network television to get in on the popularity of such sites that appeal especially to younger people who are the big spenders. In other words, another feeble attempt at making folks look merely foolish in the search for the big bucks. We do, however, applaud the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for awarding a special Emmy to Current TV and its partners Al Gore and Joel Hyatt for recognizing that there is more to the Internet than the exploits of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
Gallery: Internet Invades Real Time with Online Nation
New PSA May Curtail Whaling
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Misc. Tech, Science, Videos,
We admit that we dig anime. We are also partial to saving the whales, many of which are now on the endangered list. Combining the two concepts in hopes that Japan will stop the slaughter in its Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, Greenpeace released this animated short there to publicize the issue. We understand that after the postwar period that the Japanese needed the large mammals as a source of protein, but since the country is now at peace, the poor creatures should be allowed theirs as well. Created by Yamamura Koji, we wanted to share this fine piece of art that also has a message.
Read More | Japan Probe
Gallery: New PSA May Curtail Whaling
Got the Fever for the Flavor of a Ringle?
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Editorial, Music, Portable Audio / Video,
As if releasing a new dancing MP3 Player isn’t enough, Sony BMG has also teamed with the Universal Music Group and devised the Ringle, which contains 3 tunes and a ringtone in a slip-sleeved cover CD. At this point, Sony is the only company that will be offering them at retail outlets. They figure that if we can download tracks and ringtones individually, we will rush right out to purchase them for a $5.98 or $6.98 list price. Excuse our naivety here, but isn’t downloading the way to avoid overcrowded shopping malls?
Read More | Reuters
Gallery: Got the Fever for the Flavor of a Ringle?
Mattel Continues Recalls with Barbie Accessories
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Editorial, Misc. Tech, Toys,
Once again, Mattel has recalled over 800,000 items made in China with lead paint. This time the targets are Barbie accessories, Geo Trax Engines, and Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys. CEO Robert Eckert gives the usual obligatory “I’m sorry” and “You have my promise…” on the company site, but it really makes you wonder when/if the recall will be over.
While we would like to think that this will end the matter, somehow we don’t think it is a complete solution. What can we as consumers do? We can write to our legislators and contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to ask for stricter control. We also suggest you go to your nearest hardware store and pick up or order online a Lead Test Kit, which retails for only about $4.00. If you find a toy and can identify the brand, contact the company and/or send them the part. We certainly no longer agree with their old tagline “If it’s Mattel, it’s Swell.”
Read More | Mattel
Gallery: Mattel Continues Recalls with Barbie Accessories
No More NBC at iTunes Store
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Apple, Editorial, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio / Video,
Apple has announced that it will no longer be offering NBC programs through its iTunes Store. The network broke relations with Apple after they refused to pay more than double the wholesale price for each show. This would have forced the price up to $4.99 per episode rather than the $1.99, which fellow studios ABC, CBS, FOX, The CW, and 50 cable networks now share. Because their contract doesn’t expire until December, Apple decided not to air any of their shows until then so as not to interrupt a series in mid-season. We know a better way to catch them which will not cost us a cent. We believe it is referred to as television watching.
Read More | PR Newswire
Gallery: No More NBC at iTunes Store
Pop4Real Sings Praises of N-81
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Editorial, Handhelds, Movies, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Videos,
Yesterday we told you about Nokia’s four new offspring. We found a video that was done in honor of one of them, the N-81. We sure hope Nokia is paying attention. Not only can this help the career of the
band singing it, Pop4Real, we would love to see commercials like this instead of the heavy sell that we are inundated with constantly. Heck, we were about ready to preorder one of the video/game players after listening to the catchy tune without even realizing that it will set us back €430 (~$588.00.)
Read More | YouTube
Gallery: Pop4Real Sings Praises of N-81
2008 to Become The Year of the Frog?
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Editorial, Science,
Our planet has about 6,000 species of amphibians that will become about 1/3 to 1/2 of that amount in our lifetime, according to Jeffrey Bonner, the chairman of Amphibian Ark. The U.S. based org is trying to raise $50 million to save them from extinction by declaring 2008 The Year of the Frog. The organization wants to establish 500 rescue facilities in places such as Africa and Latin America, where most of them now reside. Other frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians (worm-like amphibians) would be shipped to existing aquariums, zoos, etc.
Plans for promoting the Ark include discussing the plan at the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Budapest when it meets this week, booking Kermit the frog to show up at Times Square during the ball dropping ceremony in New York, and naming 2008’s Feb.29 “Leap Frog Day.”
Bonner says four species secrete a substance on their skin that “completely inhibited the transmissions of AIDS — they stopped AIDS cold. We’ve yet to unlock those mysteries. But if we have no more frogs to work with or lose the one species that holds the key, we will have lost something of immeasurable value.”
We have two suggestions right off the bat. Mr. Bonner, shouldn’t you try to save the frogs for the frogs’ sake, even if they have an additional bonus of being helpful in AIDS research? Let’s not forget that amphibians and reptiles are also used as food, so we should all promise to stay away from eating frogs legs and eye of newt potions.
Read More | USA Today
Gallery: 2008 to Become The Year of the Frog?
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