It’s being reported that Sprint’s increase of text-messaging costs from $0.10 to $0.15 means that anyone tied up in a Sprint contract can terminate by October 31 without incurring any penalty. We haven’t tried this yet although we’re tempted.
If you are a Sprint customer, this could be a good opportunity to take advantage of the great incentives offered by mobile phone providers and retailers to lure you to sign up for new service. Below are some of our suggestions for the latest and greatest mobile phones on the market today.
Verizon
Like Sprint, Verizon offers a high speed data network to compliment its already strong voice coverage. The Verizon lineup is headlined by several smartphones including the latest Treos and the very popular full keyboard Windows Mobile based Motorola Q. If you are looking for something a little smaller and cooler, consider the Verizon LG Chocolate, a slider phone which not only resembles popular MP3 players, but also includes media and music functionality. This minimalist-inspired phone comes with support for VCast Music, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and a microSD slot for extra storage.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has been the most active mobile phone provider lately, highlighted by its announcement of a new high speed data network (launching in 2007). The Blackberry Pearl, released just a month ago, is only available on T-Mobile and represents a significant attempt by Blackberry to create a consumer-friendly product that incorporates the best of Blackberry with features consumers want (camera and music, for example). Additionally, T-Mobile announced the upcoming release of the T-Mobile Dash which is a full keyboard Windows Mobile device designed to compete with the Motorola Q. And, of course, there is always the celebrity-friendly Sidekick III which incorporates instant messaging, email, and browsing in one cool device.
Cingular
It’s hard to hide our enthusiasm for the Nokia E62 and its bigger unlocked brother the Nokia E61. Cingular is the only wireless provider offering the sleek Nokia E62 which features a full keyboard, a sharp screen, and very good software for all your needs (check out the web browser, it’s very good). If you’re looking for a smaller entertainment phone, try the Sony Ericsson w810i which includes a music player and software allowing you to transfer music from your favorite CDs or your PC to the phone. It includes a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus, a full email client, and like other Sony Ericsson phones, it’s well built and designed with great software.
Sprint
Maybe you like Sprint and their broadband network. If so, you can sign a new contract and pickup a new Treo at a discount. Treo 650 users can upgrade to the Treo 700p which addresses many of the shortcomings (including memory issues) with the previous Treo products. Or, you may want to change your experience compelety and try the Windows Mobile based Treo 700wx.
Shopperism (the concept, not this website) has taken over our world and no where is that more evident than the new Monopoly Here and Now. The latest reissue of the classic Parker Brothers board game has been redesigned to what Hasbro considers “a representation of America in the 21st Century”. The game boasts five new tokens including a Toyota Prius Hybrid, New Balance running shoe, McDonald’s French Fries, a cup of Starbucks coffee, and a Motorola RAZR. The remaining three tokens are not branded and they include a Jet, a Labradoodle, and a laptop (couldn’t get Apple or Dell branding on this one?). It’s interesting that these products, representing the best and worst of mainstream American commercialism, were chosen. Despite their denials, I still suspect it has more to do with deals cut by the Hasbro team than anything else. Also, unlike the other products, Toyota is not an American company but they are the largest car company on the planet and if you look at the roads today, you’ll see that they are as American as Soccer and Gelato (meaning we’ve adopted them as our own).
Continuing the modernization of the game, which was based on Atlantic City real estate in the Great Depression, the new properties represent expensive real estate across the country. Boardwalk is now Times Square while Park Place was dropped for Fenway Park. How will kids ever know about Ventnor Avenue or Marvin Gardens? The four railroads were replaced by the four busiest airports in the country: Atlanta’s Hartsfield, Chicago’s O’Hare, LA’s LAX, and New York’s JFK. Also, inflation hurts, so dollar amounts are higher (pass “Go” get $2 million).
Monopoly Here and Now is available for around $30 from several online merchants including, Amazon, eToys and WalMart. Expect to see a significant advertising campaign in the near future. Those of you still craving for the original Monopoly (as designed in 1935) can continue to purchase the classic version and the many custom versions out there.
We know how hard it is to try and get a hold of a TMX Elmo so to make the process a bit easier, we’re posting interactive frames (below) which should show live prices for the various TMX Elmo products on Amazon. We hope this helps.
It seems like there are only a handful of products that Amazon does not sell. Therefore, we are not surprised to hear that they have teamed up with Restaurant.com to sell discounted gift certificates for more than 7,000 restaurants nationwide. Once purchased, the gift certificates are emailed to you for use. What makes this offer very interesting is that most of these certificates are significantly discounted. $25 gift certificates cost $10, while $10 certificates cost only $3. This seems to be a very good deal, so check it out.
The Australian based Crumpler began as a messenger bag company and has since added new products to its lineup including excellent camera bags. We were drawn to the Million Dollar Home series because we saw seven different sized bags designed to hold cameras plus accessories. Since looks matter, we were happy that the bags are made from high quality materials and are built and padded to securely hold cameras yet not look like camera bags.
Ultimately we chose the 4 Million Dollar Home because it fits our SLR with a long lens, an extra lens, 2 filters, and a spare battery. The main compartment is padded and feels like a solid square container. It includes a removable/adjustable divider which allows us to rest our camera (lens down) while still leaving a space for another lens or an external flash. A pocket, big enough to hold 2 plastic filter cases, is located in front of the main compartment and is sealed with a Velcro flap. The main flap includes a mesh pocket which comfortable holds an extra battery, cleaning cloth, and even extra memory cards. When closed, the main flap holds with both a Velcro and a plastic snap. The strap is about 2 inches wide and easily adjustable. Even though it sits very comfortably on our shoulder, we wish it had come with some padding on it.
A couple more details on the bag. The 4 Million Dollar Home is made from water resistant 1000D Nylon shell and 420D Ripstop Nylon lining with brushed Nylon lining the main compartment. The bag is available in 4 different color combos: dark brown and oatmeal with pale olive interior (left), blue and light blue with dark orange interior, black and gun metal with light grey interior, and dark red and red with light blue interior.
The W300i is one of Sony Ericsson’s latest Walkman phones which allows you to listen to your favorite MP3 and AAC files stored on a Memory Stick Micro or on the nearly 20MB of built-in memory. In addition to the music functionality, the W300i is a quadband phone with EDGE (for higher speed connectivity) and comes with Bluetooth, a Camera, and support for USB connectivity for PC synchronization of calendar and contacts. The clam shell style phone features a 128×160 pixel 262K color TFT screen with an external monochrome display.
Here is a list of merchants offering the W300i (unless otherwise noted, prices discounted with new Cingular account):
This past week, U2’s Zoo TV Live From Sydney was re-released on DVD nearly 12 years after its first VHS release. In addition to the standalone DVD, U2 also released a limited 2-DVD version which includes the original concert DVD plus a second which includes bonus live tracks, mini-documentaries and the legendary Video Confessional. The DVD is mixed in Dolby Digital 2.0 (Linear PCM Sound), Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS.
Zoo TV (1992-1993) was a 157-show tour featuring a gigantic spectacle of music, video, television, and Trabants (old East German cars). Bono, The Edge, Larry, and Adam performed great tracks from Achtung Baby and Zooropa and several classics from the 1980s. The elaborate stage setup included 36 video monitors, several televisions, and 11 painted Trabants suspended in mid-air. The constantly changing monitors and screens rotated through images, art, and videos meant to create a feeling of information overload. Later in the show, Bono assumes the role of MacPhisto an over-the-hill rock star who has brought us the “evils” of music, TV, and war (MacPhisto, of course, looks like the devil). To get a flavor of the show, the bonus DVD features clips from the video confessional which fans used during the show. As U2’s Manager described it: “There were people who proposed to each other. There were people who confessed to adulterous liaisons. There were people who took their clothes off – that was quite common. Yeah, and there were people who made serious points. We used to edit them together in the afternoon before the show…. there’s a good sample of those on the DVD.”
It’s been decided! (at least according to the national media, my friends, and family). TMX Elmo is the one gift you have to buy for the holidays.
We all remember the mass hysteria ten years ago as mothers trampled mothers in the toy store to get the must have Tickle Me Elmo. Well, since we don’t have enough hysteria today, the good folks at Fisher-Price, decided to release a 10th anniversary edition code-named “TMX Elmo”. In case you wondered, TMX stand for Tickle Me Extreme. Wow, that’s pretty serious.
The TMX Elmo is so extreme that is starts tickling as soon as you turn it on. The doll flaps, rolls, and generally can’t stop laughing (like me writing this post). The masters of tickle incorporated not two but three different tickle spots — the chin, the tummy, and the foot — which when tickled set TMX Elmo into a seizure like mode where he laughs, slaps his leg, sits down and rocks back and forth until he stands again. You thought that was innovative? If you tickle him again, he sits and falls backwards kicking his feet in the air. By the third tickle he turns over on his stomach and starts pounding the floor. I’m not kidding… I have video proof (at the end of this post).
Priced at $39.99, it’s already impossible to find one. So, we have checked out the universe of stores and here is our list of where you may be able to get your hands on one. So far, all the store we checked are sold out but we urge you to revisit the links below as supplies may reappear at any time.
eBay
Available for prices ranging from $50 to $90. We urge that you verify the seller is legitimate before proceeding with any purchase.
Link: TMX Elmo at eBay
So what did we learn this week?
We all remember the mass hysteria ten years ago as mothers trampled mothers in the toy store to get the must have Tickle Me Elmo. Well, since we don’t have enough hysteria today, the good folks at Fisher-Price, decided to release a 10th anniversary edition code-named “TMX Elmo”. In case you wondered, TMX stand for Tickle Me Extreme. Wow, that’s pretty serious.
