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Today is the release date for the brand new Microsoft Zune, but it seems that many of us have found a cheaper way to enjoy the new Zune experience: purchase an old Zune and upgrade the software. It is so popular that the first generation Zune is now the top selling MP3 player on Amazon.
From first-hand experience we can tell you that the new Zune software is a significant improvement from the first generation. The device comes with the original software but you can choose to upgrade software from the main menu (once the PC software is updated, you can upgrade the device firmware.
If you want to give it a shot, you can get the brown 30GB Zune for under $90 at Amazon. It is a great deal for a 30GB MP3 player.
November 13th, 2007 |
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 Palm has just introduced its highly anticipated $99 Palm Centro smartphone and now you can be first one on your block to own one. This new smartphone, initially available on the Sprint network, comes in red or black (aka Ruby or Onyx) and features Palm OS 5.4.9, Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO, a 320×320 color touchscreen, 64MB of availble storage, bluetooth, microSD expansion, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Palm is now accepting pre-orders and is also offering a free car charger and free shipping.
Links:
September 28th, 2007 |
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It’s thin… really thin.
Apple has completely redefined its iPod Nano with a very thin square look, 2-inch screen, and metal finish. It has also upgraded the user interface to include cover flow and even games. Still available in 4GB and 8GB, the iPod Nano is now available in blue, metal, green, purple, and PRODUCT (RED).
Links:
September 8th, 2007 |
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Leading off the updated Apple product lineup is the refreshed iPod Shuffle. Still a small clip on music player with 1GB capacity, the iPod Shuffle is now available in blue, metal, green, purple, and now also in PRODUCT (RED). You can pick one up at Apple for $79 or save a few cents on Amazon.
Links:
September 8th, 2007 |
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Just announced: New iMacs made out of aluminum. Small, Sleek and fast. Check them out.
August 7th, 2007 |
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(Apple Store as of this afternoon)
June 29th, 2007 |
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 Architectural firm Foster & Partners, world renown for designing innovative modern buildings such as London’s 30 St. Mary Axe (AKA The Gherkin), the New Wembley Stadium, and the rebuilt Berlin Reichstag has recently designed the 20-06 Chair for Emeco, the Aluminum Chair Company. The 20-06 is based on Emeco’s classic 10-06 all-aluminum Navy Chair which was first manufactured for submarines in WWII. The ultra-light (only 5.5 pounds) aluminum (80% recycled) 20-06 Chair is hand made at Emeco’s Hanover, Pennsylvania factory and has an estimated lifespan of 150 years.
A limited-edition run of the first 500 20-06 Chairs is available for pre-order exclusively at DWR with delivery scheduled for January, 2007. As this is a one of a kind limited production, each chair will be engraved on the back with a number: 2/500, 3/500… (Norman Foster has chair 1/500).
20-06 Chair (Limited Edition / Numbered) | DWR | $400
November 7th, 2006 |
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Apple has finally updated its MacBook Pro to the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor which, according to apple, are up to 39% faster than its predecessor. The processor has been out for some time but for some reason Apple waited until today to quietly release the new hardware. The new MacBook Pros are available in three configurations:
- 15-inch MacBook Pro with 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor – $1,999
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor with 128MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
1GB expandbale up to 3GB
120GB hard drive (optional 160GB or 200GB)
2 USB 2.0 ports
6x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
1 FireWire 400, 1 FireWire 800, and DVI ports
AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth, Ethernet
iSight
- 15-inch MacBook Pro with 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor – $2,499
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
2GB expandbale up to 3GB
120GB hard drive (optional 160GB or 200GB)
2 USB 2.0 ports
6x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
1 FireWire 400, 1 FireWire 800, and DVI ports
AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth, Ethernet
iSight
- 17-inch MacBook Pro with 2.33 Intel Core 2 Duo processor – $2,799
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
2GB expandbale up to 3GB
160GB (otional 100GB or 200GB)
3 USB 2.0 ports
8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
1 FireWire 400, 1 FireWire 800, and DVI ports
AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth, Ethernet
iSight
Link: New Apple MacBook Pro with Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
October 24th, 2006 |
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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.
Links:
October 6th, 2006 |
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 RIM has revolutionized the way American businesses operate by introducing advanced wireless communications to the corporate masses. Through its now ubiquitous BlackBerry devices, executives, lawyers, and politicians stopped calling and started texting. Now, in its continuing expansion into the consumer market, RIM and T-Mobile just released the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 ($199.99 – T-Mobile Only).
The new lightweight T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl is a quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE world phone with all the benefits of a professional BlackBerry plus the features and technology we would want in our phones. For example, this is the first BlackBerry to include a camera (1.3 megapixel) and a media player with a microSD slot for media storage. Internet messaging and data functionality includes support for up to 10 different email accounts, instant and text messaging (AOL/AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, and ICQ), and a web browser. For easy communication, the BlackBerry Pearl comes with Bluetooth 2.0 and a speakerphone. At $199.99, it’s also a good deal for an advance phone.
BlackBerry Pearl | T-Mobile | $199.99 | $99.99 (Amazon)
September 16th, 2006 |
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