Archive for October 23rd, 2007
Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Computers, iPhone
 In the U.S. , at least, AT&T’s partnership with Apple means an AT&T contract is the only way to (easily) get yourself an iPhone. To go along with its handset, Apple launched a wireless iTunes store, which lets iPhoners get new tunes on the go — as long as they’re in a Wi-Fi hotspot. Now AT&T is making another partnership, this time with iTunes competitor Napster, to create a wireless download service for non-iPhoners.
The service, which launches today, will let AT&T users browse and download tracks from Napster’s catalog of roughly five million tunes. Unlike the iTunes store, though, the wireless, direct-to-phone service from Napster asks users to pay a hefty premium for the convenience of downloading anywhere. Tracks will cost $1.99 apiece, about twice that of a typical Napster download, though you can purchase a five-track pack for $7.49.
One nicety will be the ability to download a second copy of purchased tunes onto a computer, meaning those songs you buy on the road won’t be stuck on your phone. Additionally, Napster users who buy tracks through their computers (at the regular $. 99 price) will be able to sync up with their phones.
Why is the direct-to-phone wireless download with Napster than it is with the iPhone/iTunes? Partly it’s because the Napster/AT&T wireles downloads are done over cell phone networks, which are slower and cost more to operate than the the Wi-Fi method.
Also, there’s nothing really new about the AT&T/Napster partnership, particularly if you’ve had the exact same ability on Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS for nearly the past two years. But for non-iPhone AT&T subscribers, who until now have only had the eMusic direct-to-phone option, this new Napster feature, which launches next month, will provide a choice of about five million more songs to download.
Unlike the eMusic downloads, however, the Napster downloads are laden with DRM (digital rights management), which means the songs are limited in terms of what devices they’ll play on (definitely NOT your iPhone). And, the direct-to-phone downloads will only work on the AT&T phones that are 3G-capable, so make sure you buy the right kind of phone if you’re planning on making the switch to AT&T.
From AOL News (Reuters)
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Filed under: Computers, eBay
 The ‘Times Online‘ is reporting on what seems to be a rash of eBay-account hijackings with a boatload of fraud to match. There are apparently 20 million British eBay registrants, roughly a third of the population, and crooks are taking advantage of many of them by stealing their accounts and posting bogus items for sale. Once a sale is complete, the crooks take off with the proceeds.
By stealing another user’s account, a fraudster can get around the ratings system that many eBayers use to determine whether a given auction is real or a fake. Auctions may appear to be hosted by a user who has completed many successful transactions, while in reality that user has probably been locked out of their account and has no idea about the auction. The article mentions one account stealer who had snagged over 30 accounts from others and was using them to sell cars, typically the most expensive items brokered on eBay.
The article isn’t too specific on how exactly these eBay users’ accounts are stolen, but presumably it’s accomplished by password-snagging e-mail scams, also known as “phishing.” Or if people use really obvious passwords (that include their name, for example, or, the word password), then it’s easy for scammers to just guess their way into people’s accounts.
Since eBay itself doesn’t offer much in the way of protection for buyers or sellers, the “winners” of the auctions may actually find themselves financially duped even worse than the supposed sellers, who only have to get their accounts back and clear their names.
So far, the problem seems to be a bigger deal in the U.K., but there is no reason this same scam can’t make its way Stateside, so what can you do? Well, as a seller, you can choose a strong password to keep others from just being able to easily turn your account on you. And, as always, watch out for phishing scams, where official looking e-mails trick you into typing in your username and password on an unauthorized site. If everyone followed these simple guidelines, eBay and other account infiltration scams would be minimized. .
If you’re buying anything expensive on eBay, make sure to get in touch with the seller, and, if anything smells shady — like, they don’t really know all that much about the 18-century armoire you’re about to buy — then don’t click that “Bid Now!” button.
From Times Online
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SanDisk has a new way for you to obtain content from your computer to the TV, courtesy of TakeTV. TakeTV will come in both 4GB and 8GB flavors, plugging into a docking station that is hooked to your TV and supports up to 30fps DVD resolution at 720 x 576 pixels. It will be compatible with MPEG4, DivX, and XviD formats, including DivX’s DRM scheme. This special scheme will support SanDisk’s Fanfare downloading service (that has yet to be released, mind you) that caters to those who want to download TV shows as well as movies. The SanDisk TakeTV currently works with Windows XP and Vista platforms. No idea on the availability of either, but the 4GB model will retail for $100 while the 8GB model costs an additional $50.
Permalink | Comment | Uberbargain | Uberphones
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Filed under: Wallpapers
Every week, PSP and PS3 Fanboy will bring you new backgrounds for your Sony consoles, in resolutions up to 1080p. Download them directly to your PS3 by accessing PS3 Fanboy on your system. Download PSP wallpapers directly to your PSP by accessing the site wirelessly at m.pspfanboy.com.
This weekend, we’re focusing on Sony’s upcoming PSP title God of War: Chains of Olympus.
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Filed under: Cell Phones
Looking for a new satellite phone? That’s okay, we aren’t either. But if we were, we’d know where to turn: London-based Inmarsat is about to release its new IsatPhone, destined to become the world’s cheapest satellite phone.
The highly pocketable device features the standard satellite antenna that gives you coverage while, say, hiking in the Himalayas, but the overall payoff is pretty significant: With dual mode GSM 900 and satellite reception, you also get regular cell phone coverage in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The battery will supposedly last you as long as two hours and 40 minutes (talk time), and the 42 hours of standby time should help when you’re jet-setting from one country to the next.
The handset will be priced at the equivalent of $775 - a steal if you’re juggling sweatshops all over the globe.
From BetaNews
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The SATA HDD Stage Rack works pretty much like an iPod dock, except that you place a hard drive inside it in place of an iPod. It accepts both 2.5″ and 3.5″ hard drives, and works much better in terms of aesthetics and practicality compared to the many SATA to USB adapter cables that are currently available in the market. A button in front is used to eject drives, while a glowing blue ring indicates that the device is powered while doubling up as a power switch. The base alone retails for $47, while extra weight at the bottom to prevent it from tipping over will set you back by another $38.70 in shipping costs.
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 Motorcyclists are often at a disadvantage where safety is concerned since they are often left defenseless in the event of an accident. The Airbag Jacket aims to help reduce the number of injuries or fatalities on the road by puffing up at the point of impact in order to cushion any potential mortal blows. Airbag Jackets have been around for several years already, and have been proven effective when a Baltimore man was thrown 100 feet from his bike, suffering from just sore ribs and a broken thumb when smashed against the pavement. If you’re a motorcyclist, I’d strongly recommend picking one of these up as it is just about as essential as a helmet, so don’t let the $500 price tag prevent you from forgetting about your own safety.
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Filed under: Internet, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Technology
 Is Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) really feeling threatened by social networking property Facebook? Sensationalist media pundits think so, and the fuel is building on just when social networking websites will somehow “steal” customers from established internet properties like Google and Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO). Oh my, how the flavor of the month can get too many riled up in their seats.
After having perused Facebook for a while, I’m still in disbelief of how it’s such a hot topic these days. Perhaps it is the virtual mall for the tweener and early twenty-something set. No problem with that. But, didn’t MySpace.com have this title a year ago? How long is it since you’ve seen MySpace in the news outside of some sexual predator being busted for posting a profile there? I’m still wondering if Rupert Murdoch is secretly kicking himself over that one. Another question mark in my brain centers around Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and why he has not cashed out at the pinnacle of his brainchild. Maybe the pinnacle is not there yet, but it’s getting very close.
A really cool social networking technology called Second Life had its day (a very short one), and word has it that fans of the site are leaving in droves just as corporate sponsors start littering the environment with their wares and marketing messages. Coincidence? Or, are the target demographics for social networking websites as finicky as all get out? If Google is chasing the new “innernet,” where you connect with those you want to interact with (and only those) using images, voice, chat or whatever, then it’s chasing being un-innovative in this space. First-mover advantage is always where it’s at (ask Yahoo! about Yahoo! Mail), and social networking is still just the flavor of the month in its current incarnation.
It may persevere, but the proof is only partly there. Business models and profit run a business, not page views and ad inserts alone. Although Google may be losing some top talent to Facebook, many are likely looking to cash out once an IPO or buyout occurs. Loyalty is a forgotten term (even with many brainiacs), and social networking has a bit to go to provide a sustainable business platform that works long term and consistently.
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Filed under: News
 New characters, new system details, and some new concert art decorate the interwebs today as White Knight Story’s official site has gotten an update. We’ll bullet a list and give you the rundown of what you’ll find below, if you don’t feel like searching on your own quite yet.
- Several new pieces of concept art, including some airships, castles, and what we assume is a dungeon etched into the side of a mountain, akin to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
- Pretty much everything under the System menu is new — character creation details we can’t read (it is now touted that you can create female characters, too apparently), the battle/combo system is explained as well as your White Knight transformation ability.
- Under the Character tab, you can see what seems to be the bad guys, led by the stereotypical long, white-haired badass. Lame, but we’ll forgive Level 5 for now as we’re basing this on assumption. There’s a girl with a big ugly frog pet, A dude, and a Moogle-like creature. Oh, also a neat picture of some of the big Knights.
It’s a quick update to run through, but if you’re a fan of the game, nay, a fan of the idea of a truly next-gen RPG on your PS3, it should give you the grins to check out. If not, no worries. We’ll keep you posted on any White Knight Story news we come across!
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Filed under: Gaming
While many of the PSP mods we’ve seen have been of questionable utility, at best, this latest creation from Acid Mods member Rex and his R&D team looks to be considerably more practical, although it’s far from a simple hack. Not only did Rex add some presumably improved speakers, but he managed to squeeze in an internal camera that, judging from the video after the break, appears to work remarkably well. Unfortunately, that came at the expense of the PSP’s UMD slot, although Rex says he’s now working on a PSP slim version that’ll keep the UMD in place. While there’s no tutorial for building your own just yet, that is apparently coming “soon.” Continue reading PSP modded for internal camera, speakers
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
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