9/01/2009
FTC Bans Robocalls
The era of telemarketing robocalls is over, at least for Americans. As of September 1 (hey, that's today!), the Federal Telecommunication Commission (FTC) is banning all prerecorded "robocalls" unless the telemarketer has written permission from customers opting in to receiving the automated calls. Violators will face penalties of up to $16,000 per call.FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said American consumers have made it "crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year."
But don't be too surprised if you still get a robocall every once in a while. There are exceptions. The following types of robocalls will not be banned by the FTC.
- school cancellations
- flight delays
- prescription notifications
- Politicial related messages
- Charity calls
- bank and insurance payment reminders
- survey calls
The robocall ban only leaves one option left for telemarketers: making a live call to someone not on the do-not-call registry. You can eliminate that option by taking yourself off the list here: https://www.donotcall.gov
[image via - How to Stop Annoying Ads And Advertisers]
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8/24/2009
Woman Drags Child On Leash Through Verizon Store [video]
This Alabama (USA) mom was caught on video dragging her child through a Verizon Wireless store on a leash. Guess she didn't realize that most people in a cell phone store either A) already own a cell phone that can take pictures and video or B) just bought a cell phone that can take pictures and video.
Don't worry there's nothing wrong with your speakers. The clip doesn't have any audio.
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Don't worry there's nothing wrong with your speakers. The clip doesn't have any audio.
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7/14/2009
Texting Teen Falls Down New York City Manhole
Ever wonder what the New York City sewer system looks like? Ask 15 year-old Alexa Longueira. She got an unexpected hands-on tour when she fell into an uncovered manhole while walking and texting.
"It was four or five feet, it was very painful. I kind of crawled out and the DEP guys came running and helped me," Longueria told the Staten Island Advance. "They were just, like, 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Alexa suffered some scratches on her arms back and even lost a shoe in some "muck" when she fell into the Staten Island manhole.
Alexa's mother, Kim Longueira, plans on filing a lawsuit against the City of New York and says that it shouldn't make any difference that her daughter was walking and texting. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) workers told Alexa's mother that they left the open manhole unattended for only a second as they went to fetch some cones from the truck.
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Labels: mobile
6/15/2009
iPhone Helps Apple Triple Total Number of Mac Users in Only 2 Years
Before announcing the new iPhone 3.0 S at WWDC last Monday, Apple's SVP of Marketing, Phil Schiller, presented some big news about the increasing number of Mac users."We’ve TRIPLED the number of users," he said to big applause. "It's astounding."
In the 5 years after Apple launched Mac OS X, the number of Mac users has grown steadily to 25 million. But between 2007 and 2009, the number of Mac users tripled and now surpasses 75 million.
According to statistics compiled by Net Applications, Mac OS X is the second most popular general-purpose operating system in use, after Microsoft Windows, with a 9.6% market share. It is also the most successful UNIX-based operating system ever released.
So what happened in 2007 that could have caused the spike in new Mac users? If you guessed the iPhone, then give yourself a pat on the back. Apple first announced the iPhone in January 2007.
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6/03/2009
iPhone 3.0 to Get Direct Video Downloads
According to Apple Insider, the new Apple iPhone 3.0 operating system will include the ability to directly download movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Users would be able to skip the step of downloading and syncing an iPhone or iPod Touch with their Mac or PC.Apple already supports the direct downloading of video podcasts and music from their mobile version of the iTunes Store, but has held off directly selling movies and TV shows while mobile carriers expanded their 3G network capacity. The update will make Apple one of the top companies selling paid content to mobile users.
The iPhone 3.0 software update is due to arrive later this summer. In addition to direct downloads, the update will introduce over 100 new features, including the ability to:
- Send photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS
- In App Purchases, allowing developers sell content and services from within their apps
- Peer to Peer Connectivity, particularly useful for multi-player game apps
- Cut, copy, and paste
- Email Push Notification
- A new Map Kit framework integrating Google Mobile Maps
- iPod Library Access allowing users tap into their music, podcast or audio book libraries from third party apps
- The ability to search your iPhone
- Read and compose email and text messages in landscape orientation
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5/21/2009
Palm Pre Release Date Confirmed
Good news iPhone haters, this week, Palm announced the release date for the Palm Pre. The much-anticipated touchscreen/keyboard hybrid will be available June 6th at several locations including Sprint stores, RadioShack, Best Buy and even Wal-Mart.
So why is everyone so excited for the Palm Pre anyway? The Palm Pre has several main advantages over the iPhone. They include:
The Pre was the darling gadget of CES 2009 and Palm has a lot of momentum right now. Palm is using this momentum by aggressively going after Apple. Not only are they matching the iPhone price of $200 with a 2-year commitment, but June 6th is only two days before Apple's WWDC keynote. Two days doesn't give Apple much time to calculate a response. The rumor mills have been pretty quiet, but who knows, maybe Apple has something clever up their sleeves for WWDC.
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So why is everyone so excited for the Palm Pre anyway? The Palm Pre has several main advantages over the iPhone. They include:
- Touchscreen / Keyboard Hybrid - One of the biggest complaints of iPhone users is the lack of keyboard. The Pre combines the QWERTY keyboard of the BlackBerry with the touchscreen easy of the iPhone.
- Synergy - Palm's new Synergy service allows you to group all your conversations by contact not service. This means all conversations with a contact - even if it's a mix of several services including phone, MMS, IM, email, or SMS - will all be grouped together on the same screen.
- Multi-App OS - Palm's new OS allows users to run more than one application at a time and quickly switch between them. In comparison, the iPhone has to shut down each app before opeing another.
The Pre was the darling gadget of CES 2009 and Palm has a lot of momentum right now. Palm is using this momentum by aggressively going after Apple. Not only are they matching the iPhone price of $200 with a 2-year commitment, but June 6th is only two days before Apple's WWDC keynote. Two days doesn't give Apple much time to calculate a response. The rumor mills have been pretty quiet, but who knows, maybe Apple has something clever up their sleeves for WWDC.
methodshop
4/14/2009
Amazon Blackberry App
Like shopping on the go? This week Amazon.com released a free application for trackball BlackBerrys like Bold or Curve. The new application lets users search, browse, purchase products, view customer reviews, track packages and access their wish lists while on the go.You can download the new Amazon app from your Blackberry's web browser by going to http://amazon.com/bb
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3/19/2009
BlackBerry iPhone Theme
Are you stuck with a BlackBerry at work but really want an iPhone? There's no magic trick to physically convert your BlackBerry into an iPhone, but you can install the free "bPhone for BlackBerry" theme and make your BlackBerry feel like an iPhone.
The theme will reskin your Blackberry icons with iPhone icons and even replaces the hourglass with the OS X spinning beach ball.
You can install the bPhone theme here if you are reading this on your phone right now or check out the author's website here.Here's a step-by-step bPhone install tutorial:
- open this link on your phone
- Select your BlackBerry phone model (ie. the curve is the 8300).
- Select the "Icon" theme
- Enter in your BlackBerry email address
- A download link will be emailed to your phone
- Download the bPhone theme on your phone
- Go to Prefs on your phone
- Select the bPhone theme
- Enable the bPhone theme
But before you install the theme, please make sure your BlackBerry meets the following requirements:
- 8700 series: BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or later. WARNING: You MUST have OS 4.2.1 or later or you may render your BlackBerry 8700 unusable! Go to Options > About to check your OS version.
- Pearl (all versions): BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or later
- Curve (all versions) and 8830: BlackBerry OS 4.2.2 or later
- 8800: BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or later
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3/18/2009
Apple Debuts Upcoming iPhone 3.0 Software
Yesterday, Apple disclosed some details about the new iPhone 3.0 operating system, due this summer. The beta release, now available to registered developers, will deliver 100 new features, including:- cut, copy and paste (was it really that hard?!)
- MMS (finally!)
- landscape view for Mail
- Text and Notes
- stereo Bluetooth
- Notes syncing
- shake to shuffle
- parental controls for TV shows
- movies and App Store apps
- a new Voice Memo app
- automatic login at Wi-Fi hot spots.
Apple also disclosed some stunning figures about the iPhone platform. There have been more than 800 million apps downloaded; there are now more than 25,000 apps to choose from at the App Store and over 50,000 companies have joined the developers program to date.
methodshop
3/03/2009
Samsung SGH-T719
Here’s a very intense round up of the gadgets featured by Gizmos For Geeks this past week.
At the beginning of the week we looked at the new Samsung SGH-T719 which is Samsung’s equivalent of the BlackBerry – good for checking emails on, but perhaps not as easy to reply to them. Ironically, that was followed the next day by accessories for the BlackBerry Bold, which probably is a bit better for replying to emails.
This week’s articles seem to be mainly centered on phones, so to continue the trend we announced the release of the Helio Hero – a phone designed for rich multimedia content, without much regard for size! And, finishing the mobile theme, saw the biggest article of the week: Google Mobile Sync. This application from Google Mobile allows you to sync your phone, via the cloud, with your Google account, copying over your contacts and calendar entries.
And, just to show that phones aren’t the only things we talk about, we threw in the USB SATA Drive Dock and Multi-Color Lightbulb. The SATA Drive Dock being a very useful kit for hot-swapping between your SATA drives, and the Multi-Color Lightbulb was, well, absolutely just another ridiculous, unnecessary thing that we feel we had to have!
10/07/2008
Amtrak iPhone App
When someone says "trains," you probably think of non-modern things like the Wild West, Jesse James and drunken boxcar hobos, not the iPhone right? Well, not if Amtrak can help it.
According to an Amtrak press release, the company now has an "iPhone App." After unsuccessfully searching for the Amtrak App in the iTunes App Store, we quickly realized that the Amtrak App isn't an "App," like an iTunes App Store "App," but a "Web App" (aka an iPhone compatible web page). The Amtrak press release probably should have said they made an "iPhone optimized mobile site" and not an "App" for the iTunes App Store, but you have to at least give Amtrak credit for trying.
The Amtrak iPhone "Web App" enables mobile customers to buy, change and manage ticket reservations, check train statuses, review schedules and sign up to receive email alerts to find out when their train is delayed (which with Amtrak is quite often).
Amtrak iPhone Site: http://www.amtrak.mobi/
With the soaring price of gas and plane tickets, you might find yourself taking the rails sooner than later.
methodshop
According to an Amtrak press release, the company now has an "iPhone App." After unsuccessfully searching for the Amtrak App in the iTunes App Store, we quickly realized that the Amtrak App isn't an "App," like an iTunes App Store "App," but a "Web App" (aka an iPhone compatible web page). The Amtrak press release probably should have said they made an "iPhone optimized mobile site" and not an "App" for the iTunes App Store, but you have to at least give Amtrak credit for trying.
The Amtrak iPhone "Web App" enables mobile customers to buy, change and manage ticket reservations, check train statuses, review schedules and sign up to receive email alerts to find out when their train is delayed (which with Amtrak is quite often).
Amtrak iPhone Site: http://www.amtrak.mobi/
With the soaring price of gas and plane tickets, you might find yourself taking the rails sooner than later.
methodshop
10/06/2008
iPhone 2.2 Firmware Beta Includes Google Street View Feature
Is the Street View feature from Google Maps finally making its way over to the iPhone?
For the past few years Google has been sending out special cars mounted with 360º 11-lens cameras that take street level panorama photos for Google Maps.
The Street View feature is available online, but it hasn't made the transition over to mobile devices until just recently. Google has slowly enabled the Street View feature for a few mobile phones and Android, Google’s own mobile platform, but not for the iPhone... at least not just yet.
But according to Mac Rumors, a developer version of the upcoming iPhone 2.2 firmware update includes Google Street View. Let’s hope Google also gives the iPhone their new Compass View feature that debuted with Android. Compass View automatically senses your orientation and will rotate the Google Street View panorama to match the direction you are facing.
Here’s a video of the Compass feature being shown on stage at an Android demo:
methodshop
For the past few years Google has been sending out special cars mounted with 360º 11-lens cameras that take street level panorama photos for Google Maps.The Street View feature is available online, but it hasn't made the transition over to mobile devices until just recently. Google has slowly enabled the Street View feature for a few mobile phones and Android, Google’s own mobile platform, but not for the iPhone... at least not just yet.
But according to Mac Rumors, a developer version of the upcoming iPhone 2.2 firmware update includes Google Street View. Let’s hope Google also gives the iPhone their new Compass View feature that debuted with Android. Compass View automatically senses your orientation and will rotate the Google Street View panorama to match the direction you are facing.
Here’s a video of the Compass feature being shown on stage at an Android demo:
methodshop
7/31/2008
Moblyng Expands Mobile Features
Mobile social media integrator Moblyng expanded its mobile content site this week. Moblyng now offers easy access to top viewed content from MySpace and YouTube, and can push videos, slide shows and photos directly to mobile devices.
The company also unveiled a new mobilize me button on select artist's MySpace profiles allowing users to sign up to have videos, pictures and slideshows sent to their phones.
methodshop
The company also unveiled a new mobilize me button on select artist's MySpace profiles allowing users to sign up to have videos, pictures and slideshows sent to their phones.
methodshop
6/16/2008
Loopt Now Available For BlackBerry, iPhone 3G Coming Soon
Wish you knew where your friends and family were at all times? Have you heard of Loopt yet?
Loopt is a mobile phone application that enables users tospy on see the location of their friends on an interactive map (see image below). The application also allows you to message friends in your general area and setup automatic alerts to notify you when friends are nearby.
In the last few months, Loopt has published several BlackBerry versions of its software for all major American cellphone carriers including T-Mobile, AT&T, Alltel and Sprint. Loopt also demonstrated an Alpha version of their software for the 3G iPhone at the 2008 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). You can sign up to be notified when the full iPhone version of Loopt is released here.
If you have a Jailbroken iPhone, then the function and features of Loopt might sound similar to Twinkle. Twinkle is a native Twitter client for the iPhone that pairs your GPS location with your Twitter posts. Twinkle also gives you the ability to add images to your Twitter Tweets.
But whether or not you use Loopt, Twinkle or Twitter.. it's not any fun unless all your friends are also using the service.
methodshop
Loopt is a mobile phone application that enables users to
In the last few months, Loopt has published several BlackBerry versions of its software for all major American cellphone carriers including T-Mobile, AT&T, Alltel and Sprint. Loopt also demonstrated an Alpha version of their software for the 3G iPhone at the 2008 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). You can sign up to be notified when the full iPhone version of Loopt is released here.
If you have a Jailbroken iPhone, then the function and features of Loopt might sound similar to Twinkle. Twinkle is a native Twitter client for the iPhone that pairs your GPS location with your Twitter posts. Twinkle also gives you the ability to add images to your Twitter Tweets.
But whether or not you use Loopt, Twinkle or Twitter.. it's not any fun unless all your friends are also using the service.
methodshop
4/05/2008
'Type' faster on a Mobile using SlideIT and/or ThumbKey
If you've got a Windows Mobile-based device with a touch screen, and you're terrible at texting/writing quickly, then take a look at these products from Israeli company, Dasur.
First up is SlideIT which is an app that combines a keyboard, graffiti as well as predictive text. It's best explained by taking a look at their video demo. After the jump, we'll also look at their ThumbKey product.
Source: Gizmos for Geeks
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First up is SlideIT which is an app that combines a keyboard, graffiti as well as predictive text. It's best explained by taking a look at their video demo. After the jump, we'll also look at their ThumbKey product.
Source: Gizmos for Geeks
methodshop
Labels: mobile
3/07/2008
New cellphone coaches, monitors heart rate
Adidas and Samsung have teamed up for a new twist in training — a mobile phone that can coach.The companies announced Thursday a mobile phone that works with Adidas shoes and apparel to plan, track and motivate users in training.
The device directs and motivates users during workouts by combining a mobile phone, heart rate monitor, stride sensor, MP3 player and the voice of an electronic "personal coach."
MiCoach hits retail stores in Europe this month and will roll out in the United States in 2009. It will cost $304 to $608 in Europe, depending on the service plan users select. U.S. pricing has not been set.
"This is the most advanced coaching system that is out there," said Andrea Corso, spokeswoman for Portland-based Adidas U.S.
MiCoach is a bit more expansive because it includes a mobile phone and a camera. It also helps runners set goals and then reach them by monitoring their heart rates and telling them when to slow down or speed up to meet a goal for distance, fitness or calorie burn.
"This about getting to the next level, whether that is running a mile or running a marathon," Corso said.
Adidas will offer equipment and clothing for runners to attach miCoach and the heart monitor to themselves. The sensor can be attached to any shoe.
[Read: USAToday]
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Labels: mobile
10/01/2007
BlackBerry iPhone Theme
Got iPhone envy? I do. My company is Blackberry only and won't support the iPhone. So I installed the free "bPhone for BlackBerry" theme.
It reskins all your Blackberry icons with iPhone icons and even replaces the hourglass with the OS X spinning beach ball.
You can install the bPhone theme here if you are reading this on your phone right now or check out the author's website here.
Here's an install step-by-step:
methodshop
It reskins all your Blackberry icons with iPhone icons and even replaces the hourglass with the OS X spinning beach ball.
You can install the bPhone theme here if you are reading this on your phone right now or check out the author's website here.
Here's an install step-by-step:
- open this link on your phone
- Select your BlackBerry phone model (ie. the curve is the 8300).
- Select the "Icon" theme
- Enter in your BlackBerry email address
- A download link will be emailed to your phone
- Download the bPhone theme on your phone
- Go to Prefs on your phone
- Select the bPhone theme
- Enable the bPhone theme
methodshop
6/12/2006
Cell Phone Jammers
We've all wanted to strangle them before. There's nothing worse than some jerk blabbing away on their phone while you're trying to enjoy a movie, meal at a restaurant, or a nice quiet nap on the bus/train ride to work.You can try to send the offending mobile blabbermouth a few evil looks or the old "courtesy cough" but those passive aggressive gestures rarely work.
If you really want to silence a dopey chatter box, then you'll need to acquire a cell phone jammer.
Continue Reading >>
2/21/2005
Paris Hilton's Sidekick Phone Gets Hacked
According to The Drudge Report, Paris Hilton's T-Mobile Sidekick cellphone was hacked and all its contents, from celebrity cell phone numbers to nude photos, were posted on the Internet.Paris' Sidekick buddies from the T-Mobile commercials (Snoop, Wayne Newton, Wee-Man, etc.) might want to think twice before handing out their numbers again to Ms. Hilton.
One angry celeb grunted to Drudge, "I gave her my number after we met in Miami, I did not know she f**king kept it on her cellphone!"
After recieving a flood of phone calls from curious fans, scores of A-list celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera, Andy Roddick, Victoria Gotti, Vin Diesel, Eminem, Anna Kournikova, and Ashlee Simpson, are now all scrambling to change their cell phone numbers.
But the address book is the least of Hilton's problems. The hacker was also able to download all of Hilton's personal cell phone photos, including several of her engaging in sexual acts with another woman.
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Turkey Bowl is a 3D perspective target game where you celebrate the fall harvest by knocking over turkeys with bowling apples. Here's a hint, the turkeys further away are worth more points. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Has a virus or hard
drive crash wiped out your entire music collection on your computer? No
problem. Here's how to copy music off your iPod or iPhone and back onto your computer.
Bugs tend to freak us out. Mosquitoes, spiders, wasps, centipedes... you name it. If it crawls, bites or buzzes anywhere near our faces, then we squirm, swat and run. But what's worse than a little bug crawling on or biting you? How about a really, really big one? Here are some of the biggest bugs on Earth. Enjoy!. 
Need
something to watch on your iPod or iPhone? Here's a tutorial that
explains how to use a program called Handbrake to rip DVD's
into iPod compatible MPEG-4 video files.
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