Gadgetell

Black Friday 2009: Walmart’s Black Friday Blackberry deals leaked

Sue Walsh — 2009-11-12T22:44:09+00:00

Walmart’s Black Friday deals on BlackBerry smartphones have been leaked. The big box retailer plans to offer the AT&T Curve 8310 for free and the Bold 9000 for $78.88. Sprint’s Curve 8330 will also be offered for free while T-Mobile’s Curve 8520 and its Pearl 8120 Black Emerald have a price tag of $28.88.

Walmart’s Verizon offerings include the Blackberry Storm for $48.88 and the Blackberry Tour for $148.88. The latter isn’t much of a savings considering Verizon offers it for $149.99 with a BOGO promo.

While some of these deals offer substantial savings, be sure to read the fine print. A two year agreement is required on all phones and Walmart may charge an activation fee. Also be aware that in some cases, if you need repair service you may need to go through Walmart rather than your carrier.

Other retailers like Amazon have already matched some of these deals, but Walmart plans to start offering them beginning next Saturday.

Read [PhonesReview]

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Looking for a bargain priced Palm Pixi—head to Walmart

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-12T21:10:29+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

Anyone thinking about picking up the soon-to-be-released Palm Pixi may want to head on over to the land of interesting ~~things~~ people, otherwise know as Walmart. Thanks to a recent addition on the Walmart Wireless website we now know that the Pixi will be just $29.99 for new customers.

And the nice part here is that price comes after a $170 instant discount. In other words, nothing to fill out and nothing to send in and then wait 8-10 weeks to get back.

Of course, that $29.99 price tag does require you to sign up with Sprint, and that means a two year agreement. But hey, its a $30 smartphone, I guess you cannot really complain.

Now I am going to go out on a ledge here, but maybe the Pixi or future similar models will end up being the savior of Palm. Maybe Palm is going to take up the role of the low priced smartphone company. And if that is that case, I guess being available for a bargain price through Walmart makes sense.

Product [Walmart]

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Fujitsu’s first break-out phone literally breaks apart

JG Mason — 2009-11-12T19:35:33+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile

Innovation is not dead as is oft reported in tech. Fujitsu is working on a this break-apart phone that allows the screen to detach from the base revealing a keyboard and making way for add-ons. The idea is clever but trouble for those of us with a knack for losing things.

The Fujitsu F-04B is no longer just the prototype that was shown at last years CEATECH. The device was announced by Fujitsu during a press conference. Clearly the device is super thin and has a slide down numberpad, but it has more surprises than just that.

The device can be used in conjunction with a projector (6 lumens) to show movies, pictures or games. Users can create their own impromptu theater or even, as suggested by the site, watch movies on the ceiling in bed. We presume that is all the rage in Japan right now.

We expect this phone to be one of those interesting phones for Japan only. Sorry US readers.

Read: [Akihabara] via [Engadget Mobile]

Image credit: Akihabara

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Uniea iPhone case roundup

NEWS — 2009-11-12T18:12:17+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - Uniea has a lot of iPhone case options, just like always. From minimalistic cases to hip holsters to an exercise armband, they have your iPhone covered, quite literally.
MORE »

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Chumby One now available for purchase, selling for $99.95

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-12T15:43:16+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other

The Chumby One has officially been released, and for those not following the Chumby related news, the One is the updated model, you know the one that takes the Chumby from a plush little bean bag looking device into a slightly more grown up looking model. In other words, the Chumby One is now sporting a hard exterior casing.

Of course, in addition to the exterior there were also some improvements under the hood. The Chumby One has an updated processor and more internal storage. And for a limited time, it can be purchased for $99.99, which is a nice discount considering it will eventually be priced at $119.95. Additionally, the Chumby One features an internal FM tuner and ships with a 2GB microSD card for additional storage.

As of now, the Chumby One is still noted as being “on backorder” but the estimated shipping date is not that far off—November 25. If nothing else, this could make a nice holiday gift for the geek on your list.

Product [Chumby One]

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Interested in touring Bill Gates’ house? Be prepared to shell out $35,000

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-12T14:30:44+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other

It is no secret that Bill and Melinda Gates are generous in terms of charity work, and it also seems that they are willing to open up their home to one lucky bidder. In the name of charity of course.

Each year they participate in a charity auction, at which one of the items that those with more money than they know what to do with, can bid on a tour of Bill Gates’ Lake Washington home (as seen above).

Anyway, last year this tour fetched a top bid of $8,600, but more importantly, this year it topped $35,000. With a number like that, all you can really say is “wow” and be thankful that at least someone has money to spend.

According to TechFlash, the tour covers the “winner and a small group of friends.” It was also mentioned that the tour is done by Bill Gates himself and appetizers are offered at the end. Heck for that kind of money, they should be getting a sit down meal, and maybe a sleepover.

Read [TechFlash] Image Courtesy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiktik/ / CC BY 2.0

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Activision Blizzard creates CODE, war veteran support organization

NEWS — 2009-11-12T14:15:44+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - Activision Blizzard is creating an organization for helping war veterans facing unemployment…
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Black Friday: Sam’s Club leaks $129 Blu-ray player and cheap HDTVs

JG Mason — 2009-11-12T13:08:34+00:00

Section: Video, DVD/DVR/Blu-ray, HDTV, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

While there is no scan of the ad posted yet, bfads.net believes these prices will be the real deal on Black Friday. This year, it looks like the bulk store took a beating as these deals look pretty good. The site is confident the prices are correct.

Black Friday deals:
JVC 1080 Blu-ray player: $129
Garmin Nuvi 255w GPS: $119
Acer Aspire One 10.5” netbook: $197
Hitachi 1080p 42” LCD HDTV: $598
Vizio 1080p 47” 240Hz LCD HDTV: $997
Olympus FE-4000 12mp camera: $98

Surely the product on hand will be limited. We’ll update if the site gets hold of the ad.

Read: [BFAds.net]

Image credit: Device Mag

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Palm Pixi shows up at Walmart, and on television

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-12T12:56:34+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile

With the release of the Palm Pixi getting closer and closer we are now beginning to see it surface in the real world. Just yesterday the Pixi was spotted in both Walmart as well as a newly released television commercial. Of course, that release day is not until Sunday, which means that despite seeing the handset around it cannot yet be purchased.

As far as Walmart, the Pixi was spotted by one eagle-eyed PreCentral reader who was kind enough to not only snap a picture, but also dig a little deeper—he actually spoke to the employees. Shocking, but that aside, it seems that Walmart is listing the Palm Pixi at $400 but do not fully have it in the system. In other words, despite it being out in the open and looking available, it cannot yet be purchased. But with that your mileage could vary, so hit up your local Walmart if you are in desperate need of being one of the first to purchase and own a Pixi. Just remember sometimes being nice will help when dealing with big-box employees.

In addition to the Walmart sighting, the Pixi also made its commercial debut, which you can check out in YouTube format below. The commercial is interesting to say the least, and on a nice note it is entirely less creepy as compared to the Pre commercials.

Read [PreCentral] and [PreCentral]

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Deal of the Day: Buy Wii Fit Plus, get a free case of Hint flavored water

NEWS — 2009-11-12T12:45:28+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - Hint has instead decided to piggyback the popularity of Nintendo’s exercise game. Click through to find out how you can get your free case of fruity water…
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Google adds more online storage for less money

Shawn Ingram — 2009-11-12T12:05:11+00:00

Section: Web, Google

If there’s one rule when it comes to computer storage, it’s that eventually everything gets a lot cheaper. A 1 TB HDD can be bought for about $80, while a few years ago it was simply unheard of to even have 1 TB on one drive. It stands to reason, then, that eventually online storage costs would decrease as well. For a while that was simply not true, until Google stepped in today.

Google has announced that it will now start selling online storage for Gmail and Picasa at $5 a year for 20 GB. The move puts twice as much storage for a quarter of what Google was offering previously. The $20 a year plan now gives users 80 GB rather than 10 GB (users who previously purchased 10 GB should now have 80 GB). The plans don’t stop at 80 GB. Google is also offering 200 GB for $50 a year, and up to 16 TB for $4096 a year.

Keep in mind that for now this storage applies only to Gmail and Picasa. Google has yet to announce the fabled “GDrive” that would act like Dropbox or Ubuntu One, though now at a much lower cost (Dropbox charges $240 a year for 100 GB, while Ubuntu One charges $120 for 50 GB). There is the possibility, as Webmonkey points out that this could somehow impact Chrome OS by offering online storage to offset the relatively small amount of storage available on netbooks. If Google could somehow get the storage to work with both Chrome OS and Android, it would be even better. Sure, it’s probably a longshot, but being able to store music on Google’s servers and have it available to an Android phone, or to a Chrome OS netbook would be a great feature. It could lead to even more people claiming Google is evil and wants to control all your data, but at least the data will be secure at Google.

Read [Webmonkey]

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Appletell reviews LaCie’s Sound2 speaker system

NEWS — 2009-11-12T00:52:48+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - LaCie’s Sound2 speaker system looks great and offers some excellent design features, but it also misses the mark on a couple, and provides only adequate sound.
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Decade’s worst predictions: “The iPod will be dead”

NEWS — 2009-11-11T23:19:33+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - Newsweek has assembled various “experts” to give what they feel were the worst predictions of the decade, and the list starts off with Sir Alan Sugar’s prediction that “The iPod will die.”
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Holiday shoppers going mobile

Sue Walsh — 2009-11-11T22:01:16+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other

A still struggling economy and skyrocketing unemployment rates mean this holiday shopping season will be all about finding bargains and reducing spending. A new study out by Deloitte has found that more consumers then ever plan to use the web and their cellphones to find those bargains. They surveyed over 10,000 consumers about their holiday shopping plans.

The study found that 45% plan to use their cell phones to research prices and 32% will use them to search for discounts. 25% will even go so far as to actually buy gifts on their phones.

The net will continue to play an increasing roll in holiday shopping. 22% said they will do most of their shopping online with 44% saying they will use online coupons to save money. 39% say they will use online reviews to make purchase decisions and 65% say they are likely to buy a product online after seeing it in a store or catalog.

Social networking will be a big factor as well. The study found a whopping 54% of consumers plan to use social networking to research gift ideas, 52% will use online wish lists and 60% plan to use social networking sites to find discounts.

What are your plans for your holiday shopping? Will you be cutting back? Buying online? Please leave a comment and share with us!

Read [CNet]

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Black Friday 2009: Target sale ad and its video game deals

NEWS — 2009-11-11T21:39:11+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - Target’s Black Friday 2009 ad has been leaked and it is filled with video game system bundles with gift cards, $59.99 games with gift cards and discount games ranging in price from $7 to $37.
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Verizon to get 2-way live mobile video?

JG Mason — 2009-11-11T19:49:16+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile

Fed up with trying to convince other manufactures to use their compression software, Saygus went about building their own phone to show it off. Last night, Saygus opened up on their plans and showed off their VPhone, an Android powered ODI phone that, fingers crossed, will get approved by Verizon soon.

2-way video is the key feature here (though according to Saygus, “the phone does everything better than everything else out there”) and Sayguys says it flies on even lowly Edge network, so 3G shouldn’t be a problem or worry to Verizon. Popular everywhere else, 2-way video has yet to make a big impression here in the US. Saygus is out to change that and the Vphone take 24 to 30 FPS.

Working with Verizon, Saygus has put together a hardware project in just six months. The phone showed off last night was a little bulky but the features were impressive. All the standard stuff: GPS, touchscreen, Bluetooth, WiFi, 5MP camera, MicroSD slot (to 16GB), and 624MHz processor. One more stand out feature was the ability to turn the phone into a WiFi hub for up to 8 devices.

Despite lots of phone on the table and a PR team assembled to show us phone, I sensed there was more to the story. When pressed, a non-subsidized price of $450 was mentioned; should Verizon approve the device, a subsidy will surely bring down the price to a reasonable level. I asked Saygus if we’d see a VPhone 2 or is the endgame for Verizon to put the software to work on its other phones and the response was Saygus is a software company.

Company site: [Saygus]

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AT&T CEO says tethering coming soon for iPhone

NEWS — 2009-11-11T18:32:09+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - AT&T’s CEO Ralph de la Vega made the announcement at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Fransisco this month that tethering for the iPhone 3G is coming “soon.”
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2 new must-have gadgets: flip-down iPod dock car stereo and iPod touch GPS adapter

JG Mason — 2009-11-11T17:11:26+00:00

Section: Audio, Car Audio, Portable Audio, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation

Last night at CES Unveiled, Dual showed off two products to take note of. One was a stereo head featuring an innovative flip down iPod dock that costs just $99 and is found at Wal-Mart. The other was a GPS adapter every iPod touch owner should have. Both products looked to be priced below what I’d be willing to pay for them.

The XML8110 in-dash stereo head is pretty clever. While many of us rely on a cradle and cables to broadcast our tunes over FM radio, this stereo head flips down to reveal an iPod dock and specific iPod controls. At just $99, I can’t vouch for the sound quality yet, though I’d guess it is better than the FM transmitter I’ve got working now. Beyond clever, the company is building an iPhone app to allow easier music controls at arms length. The dock charges the phone in addition to relaying the sound to your system. The head is available at Wal-Mart.

The XGPS300 is even more clever. Besides being a GPS unit that connects to iPod touch (both generations), it can function as a back up battery. The GPS works as you’d suspect, a whopping 2.2GB but free app from the app store turns your iPod touch into a sweet personal navigation device with ease. The GPS/battery case also comes with a dashboard mount. The case can be plugged in to both DC power when in the car and has an AUX output for your tunes.

Every question I fired at the rep came back with the answer I hoped for. The unit is impressive and costs just $179.99 and should be shipping by months end.

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Kindle for PC now available

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-11T15:59:12+00:00

Section: Computers, Software / Applications, Gadgets / Other, ebooks

I am not really sure how this one got by me yesterday, but given I tend to obsessively follow ebook reader news and still missed it, I figured someone else may benefit from the news. With that, Amazon has released the promised Kindle for PC app.

Which means that Kindle readers will now have one more option for reading, and the PC app will also include Whispersync. For those not familiar with the Kindle or Whispersync, that is the technology that allows you to read across multiple devices without having to worry about where you left off. Whispersync also keeps your notes and bookmarks in sync between devices.

Personally, and despite being an avid reader and Kindle user I am not sure how much use this will get from me. That said, it does seem to be a nice addition, and could serve readers in a way similar to that of the Kindle app on the iPhone—as a backup device that is used to read for a few minutes when the random opportunity pops up.

Anyway, users can go ahead and download the Kindle for PC app now. The app itself is free to download, but the books are not. Instead those will have to be purchased, however they are typically priced at around $9.99.

Read [Amazon]

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Star Wars gear at Black Friday prices

JG Mason — 2009-11-11T14:34:15+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other, Household, Lifestyle

The StarWarsShop.com has issued a whopper of a deal: for 24 hours only, ending at midnight tonight, all in-stock items are 25% off. The shop carriers a wide range of Star Wars products from common action figures to collectible prints. This pre-Black Friday sale will be visible in the final stage of checkout and take 25% off your in-stock order.

Here are a couple of my favorites:
Cantina Band Galactic Tour t-shirts: was $16.99 now $12.74
Lego Motorized AT-AT: was $129.99 now $97.49
General Grievous life size bust: was $449.99 now $337.49

The store also has a bunch of unique goods that are shipping in the coming months. There is a Jawa garden gnome that is fantastic and t-shirts I’ve not seen anywhere else.

Store page: [StarWarsShop]

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$99.99 Xbox 360 Wireless N Networking Adapter now available

NEWS — 2009-11-11T14:08:05+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - Microsoft has released the Wirelss N Networking Adapter for the Xbox 360, and it supports wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n protocol. The previous model, which only offered 802.11 a/b/g support, is being discontinued.
MORE »

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Blockbuster trying to stay relevant, will begin renting movies on SD cards

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-11T13:32:55+00:00

Section: Video, Content, Video Providers

Blockbuster has decided to begin testing a new pilot program that will allow in-store visitors to rent a movie on an SD card. The plan is simple, those entering a Blockbuster store will be able to bring in an SD card and rent a movie by way of a self-service kiosk. The movies will of course be filled with DRM and will expire after a pre-selected amount of time.

As far as pricing, $1.99 per movie.

That said though, my first reaction is that these kiosks will be entirely harder to use for most of the Blockbuster visitors making them an incredible support nightmare for those employees who already do not care enough.

That and, how many people have an SD card that will be larger enough to make this worthwhile, not to mention where are they going to play this. I am not sure of this following statement, but to me it seems most people want to watch movies using their DVD player, and lets face it there are little to none of those with an SD card slot. One can also make the television argument, but again not many of them have an SD card slot just yet.

I can think of one good place or person that this will work well for—travelers. Of course, this would just add one more thing for them to add to their pre-travel to-do list. All things considered, I would not say this is a terrible idea, but I cannot say its a good idea either.

Read [Fast Company]

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Walmart Shoppers: Buy a BlackBerry between November 14-21 and get a $100 gift card

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-11T12:11:58+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile

Anyone looking to pick up a BlackBerry in the next week or so may want to listen up for a minute. It seems that Walmart is going to be offering a $100 gift card to anyone who purchases a BlackBerry between November 14 and November 21.

Of course, just like most of the other special offers involving cellphones, this one also requires you to sign a two-year agreement. But at this point that should almost go without saying.

Anyway, other than the agreement, customers will need to purchase either the Curve 8310 or Bold 9000 with AT&T, the Curve 8330 with Sprint, the 8520 or Pearl 8120 with T-Mobile or the Storm or Storm II with Verizon Wireless.

Also, this offer will be available both in store and online, however those who brave the in store purchase will get their $100 gift card on the spot. As opposed to waiting a few weeks by mail.

Via [Gizmodo]

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Halo Legends animated short films expand game’s mythology

NEWS — 2009-11-11T11:39:21+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries are taking the Halo universe one step further with a series of computer-generated and anime-styled new short films…
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ViewSonic introduces MovieBook

Shawn Ingram — 2009-11-11T01:21:50+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other, Miscellaneous

You know the holiday shopping season is coming up when devices from strange companies start showing up. Not strange in terms of questionable, but strange as in companies not usually associated with the device in question. Usually it means a large number of personal media players or other small gadgets like e-book readers. The latest of these devices comes from none other than ViewSonic.

ViewSonic, a company not usually known for personal devices, today has announced it’s new personal media player, the MovieBook. ViewSonic claims the devcie will be perfect for music, HD video (up to 720p), photos, voice memos and “reading digital books.” It sports a 4.3 inch 800x480 screen, and a battery that will provide 12 hours of audio playback and six hours of video. It also includes a remote and can easily plug into a PC or TV for easy viewing of video of photos.

The MovieBook does support a wide range of formats, including lesser used ones such as MKV, RM/RMVB (for video) and FLAC (for audio), which is always welcome. With a price of $129.99 for 8GB of storage (more with microSD), it might be good enough to sway a few people from buying an iPod this holiday. However, the fact that it isn’t an iPod would be a big detriment to ViewSonic in selling much of the MovieBook. It might do well among those who just want to watch video while traveling, but for normal usage, it doesn’t sound too great compared to an iPod touch, just cheaper. There’s also the Archos 5 Internet Tablet, the iPod touch for the Android population.

Read [Lewis Wire]

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Shields Up!: The best software for malware protection

Sue Walsh — 2009-11-10T23:59:00+00:00

Section: Computers, Security

Malware is absolutely everywhere these days. Even if you do all the right things like not clicking on links or opening attachments in emails, avoiding bittorents, porn sites and illegal download sites like Limewire (which is full of malware!), not clicking on pop up or banner ads, and being careful about what apps and notifications you open on sites like Facebook, malware can still sneak in. This is especially true if you are on a network. Last night while I was online I was suddenly redirected to a rogue anti-virus site. I was shocked as I am super careful. I disconnected my wireless card and started running scans-they found 5 Trojans and a rootkit on my system! Further digging revealed that my husband’s computer had the same infections plus a few more. I did some more research and asked a few questions and it seems the Trojans are the kind that search out networks and infect every computer on the ones it finds. In other words my husband’s computer was contagious! This doesn’t mean he was careless. Malware is getting so sophisticated these days that many kinds don’t require the user to click on, run or open them. They do it all themselves! This means if you accidentally make a typo and wind up on an unfamiliar site, or accidentally click on a pop up when you try to close it, that site could quietly download malware onto your computer. Many businesses buy up the misspelled versions of their domain names because they know if they don’t, scammers and cybersquatters will.

How do you protect yourself? First of all make sure whatever OS you use (and yes there is Mac malware out there!) is kept up to date and all security patches are installed. Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool is quite good and should be downloaded and run once a month. Keep your anti-virus software updated at all times as well. If you’re on a network, keep your firewall up and running at all times (My husband had accidentally turned ours off, which I believe led to the infections) and make sure your router is protected. WPA-PSK security is recommended as most hackers can easily crack the old WEP protocol. Choose a passkey that is a mix of letters and numbers and change it regularly.

There are several good anti-malware programs out there and you should be using at least one. I highly recommend the following:

Malwarebytes:

This is simple, fast and powerful software that detects all kinds of malware, spyware and adware. It scans files, registry keys, boot sectors, and memory for infections. The free version is adequate but if you want real-time protection and the ability to schedule regular scans, you can upgrade to the premium version for $24.95.

Spybot Search & Destroy:

This is another great tool for finding malware, spyware and adware on your computer. It allows you to back up your registry, run scans and has a useful immunization feature that tweaks your browser to block drive by malware, tracking cookies, malicious websites and other bad stuff. The TeaTimer feature quietly monitors system processes and terminates malicious or suspicious ones and alerts you. It also alerts when a program tries to change a critical registry key.

AVG:

This is a top notch anti-virus program. Unlike Norton and McAfee, it’s not bloatware and won’t hog system resources. There’s a free version and a premium “security suite” for $54.99. I find the free version to be more than adequate. The one caution I have is that it sometimes flags legit programs as viruses, This kind of false positive crippled iTunes for a short time over the summer. It was quickly fixed however.

Watch where you surf, what you click on and what you download/install, keep your network secure and your anti-virus software up to date and running at all times, and do regular scans with one of the anti-malware programs discussed above and you will spoil the fun for millions of hackers and scammers!

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

More Verizon attack ads focus on iPhone and AT&T network

NEWS — 2009-11-10T23:18:00+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - Verizon is certainly on a roll with their iPhone and AT&T network attack ads, and it doesn’t appear as if even a lawsuit is going to stop them.
MORE »

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Samsung ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) laptop gets Hands-On

JG Mason — 2009-11-10T20:29:20+00:00

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Netbooks, Wireless

The Samsung X120 with Intel’s new ULV chip got a hands-on and the result: there is lots to love. It is small, not much bigger than a netbook, packs lots of computing power (it can handle Windows 7) and a multi-touch trackpad.

The hands-on demo came up with a battery life of just 2.5 hours, troubling as the official spec is 4 hours but a six cell battery is available for a suggested 9 hours of run time. The notebook also boasts a 3-in-1 card reader as well as a HDMI input/output so you can connect to your high-def TV with ease.

Mobile Computer Mag is smitten with the device. In the UK, it sells for £470. Word is Samsung has not decided to ship this unit to the US yet.

Read: [MobileComputer]

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New OLPC laptop with “double the speed” coming next month

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-10T19:01:33+00:00

Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Netbooks

Despite not hearing much in terms of the OLPC project recently it seems that they are still seeing their fair share of success. According to Walter Bender they have topped one million downloads on Sugar Labs.

“I had been meaning to mention that already several weeks ago we exceeded one-million downloads from activities.sugarlabs.org. We are now over 1.1 million.”

Of course, it should be pointed out that the one million number does not really represent individual users, but total downloads. But still reaching, or in this case, topping one million downloads is still impressive.

With that, it does make you wonder just where the OLPC project is going, and thanks to a recent New York Times article we are being given a look at just that. It seems that we are going to see the release of the OLPC 1.5 sometime next month. Which, the OLPC 1.5 will be the follow up to the current XO1. According to the details, the OLPC 1.5 will offer “double the speed and four times more memory.”

It was also noted that a future model is currently in development that will come “with double screens to enable several kids to work on each one.”

And for those wondering, as of now nothing has been mentioned in regards to another round of the G1G1 program for 2009.

Read [New York Times] and [Walter Bender] Via [OLPC News]

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Samsung implies Google is untrustworthy: builds Android competitor?

JG Mason — 2009-11-10T18:06:40+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile

If you don’t trust Google, you are not alone. Why else would Samsung develop an open source operating system for mobile phones on their own instead of using the free Android? Samsung’s new OS dubbed, Bada should be found on its first phone come mid-2010.

Bada, which according to Electronista, means “ocean” in Korean, but is more commonly seen with it’s back end “bing”, in Jersey at least. The Bada OS is said to be open, so open in fact that developers will have access to core functions to manipulate and create new ways of accessing data and performing operations. The OS will compete directly with Google’s Android and LiMo.

It is commonly said in the mobile phone industry that consumers don’t care what OS is on their phone, it is all about usability. Samsung here is looking to insure it’s phones are not party to Google’s mobile advertising schemes in the future. It is expected that Samsung will maintain it’s own app store as well for third party applications.

Very vague

Another report on the announcement says Samsung is keeping things very vague. From Electricpig: “Samsung says that whole ‘ocean’ thing “alludes to [its] commitment to a variety of open platforms in the mobile industry.” While it’s keeping everything nicely vague at this early stage, it could mean a new UI which offers Samsung specific apps on top of Android Market, as well as a whole bada OS on other Samsung phones.”

So, Bada could be both a skin on top of Android as we’ve seen from HTC in Sense UI and from Motorola in Blur. Or it could be it’s own OS on non-Android phones. It works with everything is a bit confusing.

Bada will be on phones shipped to over 30 countries and include major markets in Europe. There is no word on if the US will see such phones. With so many sketchy details, only one thing is certain: you’ll find Bada only on Samsung phones.

Read: [Electronista]

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Nokia N900 Internet tablet shipping has begun

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-10T15:39:52+00:00

Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers, Wireless

The last we heard was that the Nokia N900 Internet tablet was being delayed until November. Well thankfully, at least for those waiting, November has arrived and with that the N900 has begun shipping. This news comes courtesy of Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, which means that those who pre-ordered should be expecting an update to their order status pretty shortly.

Or for those who have been holding out, the N900 is available with Amazon (among other places) and is selling for $559.99. That said, the N900 is still listed as not yet released, but I would imagine that will be changing shortly. After all, the news shipping news was just announced yesterday afternoon.

Finally just as a recap, the Nokia N900 Internet tablet features a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 5-megapixel camera and 32GB of internal storage. Additionally, the N900 is running Maemo 5 and can be used as an unlocked device (phone) here in the US with either T-Mobile or AT&T. Well, can be used with either of those carriers as long as you do not mind shelling out the $559 asking price, because this is not going to be offered as a subsidized price.

Read [Reuters]

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3 Reasons to upgrade to Exchange 2010

JG Mason — 2009-11-10T14:08:04+00:00

Section: Computers, Networking, Software / Applications

With the economy on the mend, Microsoft is upping the pressure on it’s sales team to sell Exchange 2010. Microsoft’s new pitch? Save money. Save lots of freaking money. In fact, if you upgrade now, you’ll be rolling in cash - enough to upgrade everything to Windows 7 (haha, small joke).

Microsoft is pitching Exchange 2010 as a way to save major money. The company points out 3 main ways users can cut expenses by upgrading to the latest version of Exchange:

Use less expensive storage with Exchange 2010: it can now be used with attached storage devices instead of SANs (storage area network)

Eliminate voicemail expenses: Exchange can convert voice to text

Save on email archiving: Exchange 2010 adds in this feature instead of needing separate software

According to PC Mag: “As part of its case to customers, Microsoft is citing a study it commissioned from research analyst Forrester. The study says that companies can expect to recoup their costs of deploying Exchange 2010 within six months through savings in other areas.”

Other benefits in upgrading to Exhange 2010 is conversation threading, the ability to ignore conversations users are CC’d on, and sensitive information blocking.

Read: [PCMag]

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Your flight is delayed but WiFi is free, thanks Google

JG Mason — 2009-11-10T13:25:23+00:00

Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Wireless, Gadgets / Other, Transportation

This holiday season, Google is stepping up and covering the WiFi fees in airports across the country as part of a marketing push. Users will be greeted by Google offering classic marketing techniques such as an offer to change your homepage to Google, download Chrome browser or an offer to donate to three charities.

They advertise, we win

If you’ve traveled enough, you know free WiFi in airports is a rare occurrence. It seems everywhere I’ve traveled as of late has been blockaded by Boingo or other scheme set to drain my pocket of loose change. Recently, Google also cut a similar deal on Virgin Airlines where Google will cover the WiFi fees for its new in-flight WiFi service for the holidays.

But Google isn’t the only one jumping on the free WiFi train. Recently Lexus covered the fees on American Airlines as a way to introduce their new 2010 LS line and eBay covered WiFi on Delta during the Thanksgiving holiday. Yahoo is providing free WiFi in Times Square and Microsoft is covering the cost for WiFi at several different hotspots as way to get Bing out to more people.

This is a trend we’d like to see continue.

Read: [CNN] and [Search Engine Journal]

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The OpenOfficeMouse is still a mouse, but is not quite OpenOffice

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-10T12:08:11+00:00

Section: Peripherals, Mice / Keyboards

It seems that ugly looking 18-button having OpenOfficeMouse is not quite backed by OpenOffice. According to the back story here, the OpenOfficeMouse was presented at the recent OOoConference in Italy and that is where the story should have ended, at least with the OpenOfficeMouse name anyway.

As I mentioned in the last post, the mouse is, now was, being called the OpenOfficeMouse, but is actually being made by a company called WarMouse.

Long story short, it seems that WarMouse did not have the proper authorization to use the OpenOffice name and logo. Of course, the WarMouse team claim just the opposite and have stated that they have written permission in the form of emails.

Maybe, maybe not, because WarMouse has also decided that they will change the name of the mouse and cease using the OpenOffice logo.

“Due to the massive confusion about OpenOffice.org producing the mouse and the numerous questions about the mouse working with programs other than OpenOffice.org, we have mutually agreed with Sun to change the name of the mouse and cease using the OpenOffice.org logo.”

I have not seen a new official name, but it seems to be just a shortened version—OOMouse. And with that somehow this story seems a little better knowing that the OpenOfficeMouse was never really an OpenOffice mouse. That said, the mouse is still ugly, but I still want to play around with it. Of course, remembering those 18-buttons is likely to be difficult.

Via [Engadget]

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Navigon announces Traffic Live for MobileNavigator North America

NEWS — 2009-11-10T11:31:32+00:00

FROM APPLETELL - The best GPS app on iPhone just got a little bit better. Navigon’s MobileNavigator is already an amazing GPS routing app, but Today they’ve added Traffic Live for North America.
MORE »

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Dulin’s Books announces two new e-book readers

Shawn Ingram — 2009-11-10T01:30:42+00:00

Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks

Another day, and yet another e-book reader or two. The newest announcement comes from a company that doesn’t actually manufacture anything, but rather is rebranding other devices. Today we have two new readers from Dulin’s Books.

The devices are the PocketBook 301 and PocketBook 360. Both come equipped with 400 MHz Samsung processors, 512MB flash storage (expandable via microSD), support for six languages and a myriad games selection including Sudoku, chess and solitaire. The 360 features a 5-inch display, an accelerometer for changing orientation of the page, and an included cover. The 301 has a 6-inch screen, and has MP3 support with a built-in speaker. The each support EPUB, PDF, DOC and TXT files among others, so compatibility won’t be too much of an issue with most stores.

Having a large selection of e-book readers is certainly a great idea. However, with the 301 and 360 coming in at $275 and $240, respectively, there doesn’t seem any reason to get these over say, a Nook. There will always be those who want lesser-known products and not be stuck with one particular store (or any store for those pirates out there), but we’re seeing the Nook experiencing delays in the second round of pre-orders. There’s no sign that the juggernauts, Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and arguably Sony) are slowing down, so it’ll be tough for these smaller companies to get noticed. Plus, who really wants to be the person stuck with a rebranded device that you need to side-load books onto when everyone else is busy playing with their 3G-enabled Nooks and Kindles?

Read [Electronista]

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Computer-to-computer calling coming to Google Voice?

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-10T00:11:04+00:00

Section: Communications, VoIP, Mobile, Web, Google

In an announcement that came earlier this morning, Google has purchased Gizmo5. Now for those unfamiliar, Gizmo5 is a VoIP provider similar to Skype. Of course, you may be thinking, Google already has Google Voice, and that is a good point. However, that may only be one piece of the puzzle because while Google Voice allows you to make calls, even calls that can be initiated from your computer—you cannot make computer-to-computer calls. A combination of Google Voice and Gizmo5 could make for a nice all around calling solution, and one that could potentially rival Skype, which is something that Gizmo5 was never really able to accomplish on its own thus far.

With that though, it is important to point out that this is just speculation because while Google has confirmed the purchase of Gizmo5 they have yet to clue anyone else into what their plans for the service are. But when you think about it, that is par for the course. I also would not expect anything to happen quick. After all, look how long it took from the time Google purchased GrandCentral until they rolled out Google Voice. Just as a refresher, Google purchased GrandCentral in July of 2007 and did not roll out Google Voice (in limited beta form) until March of 2009.

Bottom line, while this Gizmo5 purchase is indeed interesting, it is important to keep the past in mind. It likely will be a long time before we see anything come from this purchase.

Read [TechCrunch]

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Black Friday 2009: Kohl’s video game sales

NEWS — 2009-11-09T23:45:15+00:00

FROM GAMERTELL - Kohl’s 2009 Black Friday ad has been leaked onto the internet. All DS and Wii games will be 20-30% off and all video game accessories will be 20-50% off during the sale period. Also, for every $50 you spend, you’ll get $10 in Kohl’s Cash.
MORE »

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Nokia recalling millions of phone chargers

Sue Walsh — 2009-11-09T23:05:33+00:00

Section: Communications, Accessories, Cellphones

Nokia has announced a recall of up to 14 million phone chargers after a routine inspection revealed a design flaw. The plastic casing surrounding the charger could separate, posing an electrical shock hazard. The recall involves three separate chargers with model numbers AC-3E, AC-3U and AC-4U. Model numbers AC-3E and AC-3U were manufactured between June 15 and August 9th of this year and model number AC-4U was manufactured between April 13th and October 25th of this year.

To check your charger, look at the label where the voltage is printed. If you have one of the affected chargers, record the manufacturer’s name and the long string of numbers at the bottom of the label and visit Nokia’s recall site here. Enter the information and you will be walked through the steps to exchange it. Affected consumers can also call 1-888-Nokia2U.

This is the second time in recent years Nokia has discovered quality issues with its phones. In 2007 the company issued an advisory about faulty batteries made by one of its suppliers. The batteries had the potential to overheat and the company offered to replace up to 46 million although they never issued a formal recall.

So far no injuries or incidents have been reported as a result of the faulty chargers.

Read [PCWorld]

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AT&T now offering “with Canada” wireless calling plans

Robert Nelson — 2009-11-09T22:31:48+00:00

Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile

AT&T has just announced a few more available calling plans, or more specifically two more calling plans—each of which will be beneficial to those who are calling Canada on a regular basis.

The new plans are denoted as “with Canada” and include the Nation with Canada and FamilyTalk with Canada plans. In short, either of these plans will allow the user to call Canada and not have to worry about paying high fees.

The plans include;

No international long distance charges on wireless calls between the United States and Canada

Anytime and 1,000 Nights and Weekend Minutes for use in the United States and Canada

Ability to save unused Anytime Minutes with Rollover

As far as pricing, that depends on the number of anytime minutes you choose. The Nation wide Canada plans range from as low as 450 minutes and go up to 6000 minutes ranging in price from $59.99 up to $219.99 a month. The FamilyTalk with Canada plans range from 500 minutes up to 6000 minutes and begin at $89.99 a month.

Read [AT&T]

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