Apple’s One Big Surprise: Ping Social Network

Sep 01, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

Ping Apples One Big Surprise: Ping Social Network

While most of the announcements Apple made today were expected and rumored for at least a week or two, the one big surprise that it had was Ping, its very own social network. Determined to shrink even more into its own, isolated world rather than embrace the grander landscape around it, Apple has made Ping an iTunes-centric social network designed to allow users to share music and music related news with friends. In addition to sharing music, Ping lets you follow your favorite artists and music news. The social network will be built into iTunes 10, the latest version of iTunes, also unveiled today.

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Apple Offers Few Surprises: Apple TV With 99-Cent Rentals and iPod

Sep 01, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

New ipod nano Apple Offers Few Surprises: Apple TV With 99 Cent Rentals and iPod

Apple’s big press conference went down earlier today, and it ran like a line by line rumor confirmation. For the most part. As was expected, Apple launched a revamped version of Apple TV with some expanded content. Evolutionary rather than revolutionary, the new Apple TV set-top box is 80 percent smaller than the original, carries a lighter price of $99 and offers expanded viewing thanks to $0.99 rental shows from Fox and ABC, movie rentals and streaming from Netflix and iTunes podcasts.

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Borders Drops E-Readers Under $100

Aug 31, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

Kobo Borders Drops E Readers Under $100

Last spring, Borders made a small splash at the shallow end of the e-reader pool when it introduced some cheap, barebones options–the $150 Kobo and the $120 Libre. They were two of the first big moves in the drastic price lowering of the e-reader market, and at the time were priced more than $100 lower than leading e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.

Unfortunately for Borders, Amazon and B&N followed just weeks later with price drops of their own, and when you can get a smaller, redesigned Kindle or a Nook for $139 and $149 respectively, the Kobo and Libre aren’t looking so attractive.

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LG’s Spectacular 1/10″ OLED TV

Aug 30, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

LG OLED LGs Spectacular 1/10 OLED TV

OLED televisions are among those frustrating technologies–so close, so awesome, but so not going to be on the market when I get my next paycheck. This OLED television from LG has got my mouth watering more than ever for OLED technology.

On display at the IFA show in Berlin, the television is a 31-inch OLED screen that measures a hair-like 0.11 inch deep. It also features 2D to 3D switching. If you happen to be at IFA, be careful not to cut yourself on this razor.

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Boxee Adds Movie Library

Aug 27, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

Boxee Movie Boxee Adds Movie Library

Boxee announced today that it will be adding a searchable movie library to its popular TV Show library. The service says that its new library will include thousands of films, most of which are ad-supported and free to users.

Boxee will offer movies from such content partners as EZTakes, Indie Movies Online, MUBI and Openfilm. The sites will give Boxee users access to content that includes independent films, shorts, classics, film-based social networking and movie news.

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Please Say It’s True: Nike Working on Power Laces From Back to the Future II

Aug 26, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

mcfly 620x356 Please Say Its True: Nike Working on Power Laces From Back to the Future II

For those of us growing up in the decade of awesomeness (or maybe that should be dudicalness) that was the 80’s, one of the greatest debates of our day had to be whether you’d rather own a hoverboard or monstrous Nike hightops with auto-laces from Back to the Future II. I’m pretty sure that the hoverboard won out, but you would have been an 80’s god had you managed to make/get either.

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Apple Holding Special Event On September 1; New TV Products Expected

Aug 25, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

apple guitar Apple Holding Special Event On September 1; New TV Products Expected

Earlier this week, the rumor mill was working overtime about an upcoming announcement of $.99 TV show rentals that Apple will offer through the iTunes store. The reports indicated that Apple was going to announce the new deals–which will include Fox, CBS and ABC shows–at a September 7 event, ahead of the upcoming fall television season. The shows would be available on iPads, iPhones and iPod touch models.

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Google Enables Gmail-to-Phone Calling

Aug 25, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

google logo 31 Google Enables Gmail to Phone Calling

You now have a new way to make phone calls: Gmail. Google has integrated Google Voice into Gmail, allowing for free telephone calls to any U.S. or Canadian phone from your Web browser. You’ll also be able to receive calls via Gmail and use your Google Voice contacts book. You’ll see a “Call Phone” function at the top of your chat list, and will be able to enter in a phone number or a contact’s name.

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Dell Launches Its First Smartphone in U.S.

Aug 24, 2010 - By Chris Weiss

dell aero Dell Launches Its First Smartphone in U.S.

Dell has officially entered the U.S. smartphone market with its $100 Aero handset. The Android-based phone is carried by AT&T and will run $99.99 with two-year contract or $299.99 without contract.

The Aero is a mid-level Android handset that Dell touts as one of the “lightest Android smartphones.” It weighs under four ounces. Unfortunately, it’s bogged down with a rather dusty Android 1.5. It does run Flash Lite, though.

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