The new Logitech Harmony 1000 Remote Control (available in October) is the latest entry into the touch screen remote market. With a sharp 3.5″ color touch screen, this new remote allows users to control all aspects of their audio and video systems while impressing their friends with a device that looks much cooler than their TVs.

The Logitech Harmony 1000 uses Harmony’s great PC-based setup wizard which pings an online database containing over 150,000 devices, resulting in an easy and accurate setup without having to create complicated macros or programming. Using the device is easy and intuitive with a simple but effective UI that allows you to use all the functions on your devices with simple screen taps. Since the Harmony 1000 transmits both infrared and RF, you can control RF devices (or IR devices with optional receiver) that are inside a closed cabinet or in another room. The remote is rechargeable by placing it on its docking station (included).

Logitech Harmony 1000 | $499.99 (Pre-Order)

Lonely Planet’s travel guides have always been our first choice for in-depth information on our many travel destinations. The style and presentations of the guides combined with the insightful information provided to us by the writers has served us well in our journeys. With this in mind, we are happy to talk about Lonely Planet Bluelist: 618 Things to Do & Places to Go, a fun and useful book which inspires us to continue traveling.

The book compiles 618 of the best places to go to and things to do in the world today as recommended by the authors, staff, and travelers at Lonely Planet. Covering every country in the world, this book lists the best travel experiences ranging from the normal (best place to drink) to the bizarre (best place to get naked). Individual country reviews provide great insight into the travel experience while also discussing the impact of global events and trends. And, of course, the book includes the great photos you would expect to see in a Lonely Planet guide. Lonely Planet is offering the book for free with a $40 purchase. Amazon is offering the 2006-07 version for $13.59. The 2007 version is available for pre-order.

Lonely Planet Bluelist: 618 Things to Do & Places to Go | Lonely Planet
Amazon | $13.59

Amazon.com officially launched its first full digital store with the debut of the Amazon Unbox Video Downloads Store. The concept is pretty simple — download the Amazon Unbox Video Player and then go to to the Amazon Unbox Video Downloads Store and download the videos of your choice (see Amazon graphic below).

Some highlights from the Frequently Asked Questions:

• Videos will play on computers identified in the “RemoteLoad” pull-down menu when you make a purchase (so you can play on multiple PCs but only select ones.
• Amazon Unbox video downloads are not compatible with Apple / Macintosh hardware and computer systems and iPods.
• One hour of programming is roughly equal to one gigabyte (1 GB) of file space on your computer.
• Amazon Unbox only plays files downloaded from Amazon.com. Each download includes two .wmv files (one main file containing the video and a preview file) and a .amzn file (smaller format file optimized for mobile devices). You cannot use Amazon Unbox to play video files downloaded from other vendors.
• You can store your downloaded files on a DVD or other removable computer storage. However, any DVDs that you burn with Amazon Unbox files will not be readable by a DVD player.
• When you choose to rent an Amazon Unbox video, your access to view the file is limited by the rental term (usually 30 days). After you begin playing an Amazon Unbox Video, you will have 24 hours to complete viewing it. After these expiration times, the Amazon Unbox Video will automatically be deleted from your computer and Your Media Library.
• Puchased videos do not expire. You can download a purchased file onto 2 different PCs at one time and each PC can transfer the file to one portable video device.
• Current supported portable video devices (PlayForSure): Creative Zen Vision: M, Creative Zen Vision, Toshiba Gigabeat S, Archos AV 500, Archos AV 700, and iRiver PMC.

The current selection of movies is pretty interesting and includes some favorites such as Office Space, Walk the Line, The Matrix, and Everything is Illuminated.

In the TV category, Amazon Unbox offers shows from: A&E, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BBC, The Biography Channel, Cartoon Network, CBS, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, E!, Fine Living, FOX, Fuel, FX, Hanna-Barbera, HGTV, The History Channel, Logo, MTV, MTV2, The N, Nickelodeon, PBS, Speed, The Travel Channel, and VH1. That means you can download 24, South Park, CSI: Miami and some of our favorites including Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Mythbusters, and Chappelle Show: Uncensored.

Unbox also offers titles from several international sources including BBC (UK), KBS (Korea), and Bandai Anime (Japan).

To celebrate the opening of our new Amazon Unbox Video Downloads store, Amazon is offering a $1.99 instant rebate on your first purchase or rental (most TV shows are available for purchase at $1.99)

Amazon.com is now taking preorders for Microsoft Windows Vista. Considering Amazon lists January 30, 2007 as release date, I would say it’s pretty early. Initially scheduled for a 2006 release, Vista’s debut has already been postponed a few times and Microsoft will miss this years holiday shopping season.

Windows Vista is being released in several flavors ranging in price from $99 for the Basic version to $399 for the Ultimate version. As always, “upgrade” versions are about $100 cheaper. AP is reporting that Goldman Sachs analyst Rick Sherlund told his clients that Amazon’s pricing on the higher-end version was above his forecasts. He also through the product won’t be on the market until March. (Update: Microsoft has confirmed that these prices are official)

Having tested Windows Vista, I was impressed by the look, feel, and quality of the user interface. I think expert Windows users may struggle with the simplification of the the OS (particularly folder and file management) but with some customization, users can quickly regain control. I’m not crazy about the User Accounts Control, but thankfully that can be disabled or limited.

Anyway, If you want to be the coolest kid on the block and lock up your copy of Vista today, here are the links.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic DVD-ROM – $199.00

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade DVD-ROM – $99.95

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium DVD-ROM – $239.00

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade DVD-ROM – $159.00

Microsoft Windows Vista Business DVD-ROM – $299.00

Microsoft Windows Vista Business Upgrade DVD-ROM – $199.00

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate DVD-ROM – $399.00

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade DVD-ROM – $259.00

Today is one of the better music release days we have seen in a while. No release is bigger than the latest from Bob Dylan. If that wasn’t enough, we here at Shopperism are giddy about the new album from The Roots. Here are some of the big releases:

Bob Dylan – Modern Times:   Download / Buy

The Roots – Game Theory:   Download / Buy

Method Man – 4:21… The Day After:   Download / Buy

Jessica Simpson – A Public Affair:   Download / Buy

Ray LaMontagne – Till the Sun Turns Black:   Download / Buy

Pete Yorn – Nightcrawler:   Download / Buy

Pete Townshend – Empty Glass:   Download / Buy

BT – This Binary Universe:   Download / Buy

Dave Holland – Critical Mass:   Download / Buy

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary:   Download / Buy

Since many of you responded to our recent quick look at the Nokia E61 and E62, we wanted to provide more information on where you might find one. We know that Cingular is likely to release the E62 in the fall and at this time we do not have any news on T-Mobile‘s plans. Regardless, right now you can buy an unlocked Nokia E61 and use it with either provider.

Here are some of the stores and prices for the Nokia E61:

• TigerDirect.com – $399.99
• Amazon.com – $536.26 $389.99
• JR.com – $149.99 (with activation)
• Overstock – $569.95 – Try coupons: $15 off $125 (expires 8/31/06) and 12% off and $1 shipping (expires 8/31/06)
• SHOP.com – $569.95 (use coupon code SHOP25 for $25 off until 9/1/06)
• eBay – Various (Generally $300-$400)
• CompUSA – $599.99 (Free Shipping)

As you all probably know, Pluto was recently demoted to a dwarf planet leaving our universe with only 8 planets. Unfortunately, the experts from the International Astronomical Union (IAU) concluded that Pluto is nothing more than a ball of ice orbiting Neptune. Attempting to please Pluto-files, the IAU considered modifying the definition of planets to include Pluto, but that would have promoted Ceres (formerly an asteroid) and 2003 UB313. Elementary school teachers would have rebelled if they had to teach kids about that last one.

So now the old mnemonic “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” has to change. Since I’m no longer enjoying my nine pizzas, I’m opening it to you to tell me what I’m being served (be nice, I’m moderating comments).

Pluto may no longer be a planet in our solar system, but it is a superstar in the Shopperism universe.

Join us as we all wear our I Love Pluto T-Shirts (see photo above).

Like a baseball card with a typo on it, maybe one day this book – Pluto the Ninth Planet – will be considered a collectors’ item.

Want to show your kids and grandkids what the universe used to look like? Try this stunning Astro Lab Planetarium from the Smithsonian.

Gustav Holst was ahead (or actually behind) the times when he composed The Planets in 1917, 13 years before Pluto’s reign of phony planet-dum. Riding the wave of Pluto euphoria, composer Colin Matthews added Pluto to Holst’s work in 2000. Even Matthews admitted that Holst’s family would “amused and dismayed by this venture”.

But, there is no better way to say goodbye to the stinkin’ ex-planet by smelling like it. Thanks to our good friends at Disney, now you can smell like Pluto — the dog. (FYI – this fragrance is described as a “fresh, clean citrus, very youthful”)

Nokia has finally decided to make a major push into the growing smartphone business which is currently dominated by Palm’s Treo and RIM’s Blackberry devices. The Nokia E61/E62 is a thin but wide, metal-encased device with a full keyboard thumbpad. The device runs the latest version of Symbian and includes all the applications one can imagine on such a device including email, address book, web browser, and calendar. Both versions of the phone include bluetooth and offer data connectivity using GPRS and EDGE. The E61 includes Wi-Fi while the E62, which will be available through Cingular, will come with GoodLink preinstalled.

Having personally used the E61 and compared it to other smartphones, I was quite impressed. I found the software to be quick and responsive. The web browser is the best I have seen on any smartphone (even better than Opera on a Sony Ericsson P900/P910). The device feels solid and the screen is incredibly sharp and clear. You can also read PC Magazine’s recent preview of the E62 and Brighthand’s review of the E61.

While the E62 is not available yet (we will tell you as soon as Cingular has it), if you are a Cingular or T-Mobile subscriber, you can buy the more powerful E61 unlocked from Amazon today.

Update: See our follow up post for more info on where you can buy the Nokia E61 today

A few years ago, EA Sports ran a terrific print ad which summarized the Madden football series. The ad showed a sad woman with her head in her hands. The text said something like “Madden Football arrives in August, break it to her nicely”.

Yes, on Tuesday, August 22nd, Madden NFL 07 is finally out and millions will buy the game and spend the next month huddled around a TV, computer screen, laptop, or portable gaming device trying to show that they too can beat the Jets by the score of 84-7 (sorry Jets fans). Fan sites who tested/demoed that game have already issued their lists of complaints, but as always, once you play it for real for the first time, you’re hooked no matter how easy it is to score or beat up on 1972 Dolphins.

You can find the game at Amazon.com, Buy.com ($2 off), Toys R Us, Computers4Sure, J&R, Walmart, and others.

P.S. – Don’t forget to check for any coupons.