On Gear Live: Circuit Breaker: The Tech Newsletter that Elevates Your Gadget Game

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iPod mini PinkWhen we introduced the FreeiPods.com story last week on Gear Live, many a reader emailed us telling us that it had to be a scam. Others were excited and wanted to join in, so we set up a thread on the Gear Live Boards dedicated to helping people earn free iPods.

We now have word that Andrew B., one of our own, has in fact received his free 15 GB iPod from FreeiPods.com. Click the link to see the pictures.

Click to continue reading FreeiPods.com Is The Real Deal


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Yahoo!

Tired of having excessive charges for each picture-message you send on your camera phone? Yahoo is now providing a way to share all your pics with a larger audience through its new site. The new Yahoo Photos feature, free to any registered Yahoo user, provides you with an exclusive e-mail address to use when sending photos from your phone to your Yahoo Photo online account. Get your MoBlog on!

Read More | CNet News
Carnival Cruise

Looks like the idea of getting a cell phone signal while you're miles away from the nearest tower at sea, is becoming a reality. Carnival Corp. and Royal Carribean Ltd. are ramping up services that'll let you chat away if you ever find yourself bored, or forgot to turn off something back at the office. Rates for U.S.-based crusies haven't been set, but you can expect them to be similar to roaming prices.

Read More | CNN

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Verizon FiosWhile countries like Japan and Hong Kong have been kicking the rear end of the United States, many an American has wondered what exactly it is that is holding the US back from the incredible speeds that the Orient is able to give its customers. Well, Verizon is about to change the game with its new Fios internet service. What is it about Fios that makes it any better than Verizon DSL, Comcast, Cox, and all the others? One word: Speed.

Click to continue reading Verizon Fios To Bring Ultra Speed Net Access To The US


Duke iPodsAs if the free Napster story wasn't enough, it now seems that Duke University plans to give 20 GB iPods to all first year attending students on August 19, 2004. Duke says that the iPods are being distributed for "educational use", and will have school related content preloaded on it. I am guessing this will be done via the Notes section on the iPod. Duke plans to have content such as orientation information, the academic calendar, and the ability to download faculty-provided course content all on the iPod. Now, despite how great this is for the students, wouldn't this idea have worked better if they were giving this content out on PDA's rather than iPods?

Read More | Duke University
Napster University ProgramIn what has to be seen as a big move in digital music, Napster has signed eight colleges up to its "Napster University Program". If you haven't heard about this, basically Napster subscription service is paid for by the universities and offered to the students for free. In some cases, part of the service is covered by the tuition. Napster says this is a big step in weaning college students off illegal Peer-to-Peer file sharing. Music downloads will still cost students the regular $0.99 per track, but streaming unlimited tracks is absolutely free.

The colleges that have signed up with the Napster University Program this far include Cornell University, George Washington University, Middlebury College in Vermont, University of Miami, University of Southern California, Wright State University, Penn State University, and University of Rochester.
Sony Memory Stick Duo Price DropIf you own a Sony gadget, you now have reason to rejoice! Sony just lowered the price on a number of Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick PRO Duo flash media cards. Starting today, the 512MB full-size Memory Stick PRO media is priced around $180, down over $40. The 256MB Memory Stick PRO card will now go for $90. Of course, that still makes it overpriced compared to other types of non-proprietary memory.

Read More | Palm Info Center
Google IPOIf you paid any attention during the late 1990's, then you remember the "dotcom crash" well. The tech stocks that were supposed to send us into the 21st century with a bang, instead went bust. Since then, many tech stocks have not been taken seriously - but that is all about to change.

Google, the world's most popular search engine, is soon to release their initial public offering on the NASDAQ, and people are chomping at the bit to get in on it. It has been said that Google will be using a Dutch-style auction, thus allowing anyone and everyone to have the opportunity to own a portion of Google stock. The IPO would probably instantly turn Google into a $15 Billion company. Could this be the return of the tech boom?

Read More | Silicon Valley
I know we have all experienced it: You walk into a store to pick up the latest gadget, game, or other gear. You did your research, and because you read sites like Gear Live, you are in the know. As you approach the sales associate, you already know what it going to happen; but you walk up to them anyway and ask your questions about the product, the sale, the release date, etc. All you get is a blank stare, or an answer that you know is incorrect.

Now is your chance to get it off your chest, and let us know about it! We want to hear your tales of inept retail associates who led you astray, or just had no clue what they were talking about! Send us your best at submit@gearlive.com. We will post some of the greatest in a couple of weeks.
Archos GMini 220The Archos GMini 220 is another contender in the portable digital audio game. With all the focus on the iPod right now, we decided to contact Archos to take a closer look at their hard-drive based MP3 Player. Without giving too much away up front, we felt it performed well enough to be taken seriously. Find out why in our Archos GMini 220 Review.

Click to continue reading Archos GMini 220 Review


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