Starting tomorrow, Verizon Wireless will be giving away free BlackBerrys (of equal or lesser value) with the purchase of a BlackBerry (including the Storm) and a two-year commitment. The promotion runs until March 31st. [BGR]
To use JaJah on your iPod touch, all you need is a wi-fi connection, and a compatible headset so you can talk. Calls can be placed to any phone, anywhere, and you can even have a real number assigned to your iPod touch that let's you receive calls from any phone.
As for service, you can either purchase call minutes through JaJah, or soon enough, they'll make their service available to mobile carriers, letting them use the technology under their own name, letting customers deal with a company they already know. JaJah says pricing for the iPod touch service will be the same as the rest of their devices, which is to say about 3 cents/minute to other people in the US, and as low as 3.4 cents/minute in parts of Europe.
The App isn't out quite yet, but JaJah expects to have it ready as a free download in the coming weeks. [JaJah]
JAJAH Turns iPod Touch Into an iPhone
White Label Solution Enables Any Carrier to Provide High Quality Calls and text Messaging via the iPod TouchMOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — February 5, 2009 — JAJAH, the leading IP telecommunications company, today announced a complete revamp of the iPod touch, turning the device into a fully functioning mobile phone for consumers. The new capability, available as a white label solution, enables carriers as well as non-carriers to launch th! e servic e under their own brand and provide their customers with the ability to make low-cost phone calls and send SMS text messages to any phone in the world from their iPod touch. To use the service, end users only require an iPod touch and a Wi-Fi connection, with no need for a SIM card or contract.
Move over, iPhone
The iPod touch is one of the most popular consumer devices in the world for music, entertainment, Web-browsing and now, making phone calls."Millions of people around the world already have an iPod touch in their pocket. With JAJAH's solution, any company can turn their customers' iPod touch into a fully functioning mobile phone," said Trevor Healy, CEO, JAJAH. "The device is particularly popular amongst students, who live in a world where Wi-Fi access is always available and, like everyone, they are looking to save costs, so this is a perfect solution."
JAJAH's next generation IP communications platform gives its partners everything they need to launch the service immediately. This includes the application itself, plus the entire suite of management services, from termination of the calls and quality control, right through to billing and processing payments in 200 countries around the world.
Given the economic downturn, consumers are seeking ways to make calls on any mobile device they own, as inexpensively as possible. "Offering a turnkey solution provides iPod touch users with added value," said Jon Arnold, principal analyst of J Arnold & Associates. "This is a prime example of how JAJAH's innovative platform helps carriers differentiate their services."
Connection made easy ...
Anyone with the latest version of the iPod touch will be able to download the service from the Apple App Store. With a microphone headset (available from Apple), users will immediately be able to make calls and send SMS messages from their device from any Wi-Fi network in the world. Calling costs will be up to 98 percent cheaper than existing rates on mobile networks, and ! in many cases could be free.A platform for everyone (else)
JAJAH's plug-and-play IP platform is the only service that provides the full suite of services required to develop, deploy and monetize IP communication services anywhere in the world. The JAJAH platform is used by a number of the world's largest companies including Intel, Yahoo! and Comcast, and allows any company to offer value-added-services (VAS) to their customer base with no upfront payment or development work, saving millions for its customers and ensuring partners are prepared for the next generation of service provision.JAJAH continues to develop innovative communications services. In the coming months the company will announce a range of new data communication services, applications and partnerships. For more information, please visit: www.jajah.com.
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/05/samsungs-syncmaster-u70-is-7-inches-of-extra-real-estate/
Filed under: Displays, Peripherals
Samsung's SyncMaster U70 is 7-inches of extra real estate originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/05/nine-year-old-writes-iphone-app-hates-vegetables/
Filed under: Cellphones
Nine-year old writes iPhone app, hates vegetables originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/05/fujifilm-finepix-f200-exrs-photos-shown-off/
Continue reading Fujifilm FinePix F200 EXR's photos shown off
Filed under: Digital Cameras
Fujifilm FinePix F200 EXR's photos shown off originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/05/samsung-nc10-netbook-touchscreen-mod-how-to/
Continue reading Samsung NC10 netbook touchscreen hack caught on film
Filed under: Laptops
Samsung NC10 netbook touchscreen hack caught on film originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsDespite improving click through rates (which they will definitely achieve by reducing the number of ads on the page), it will not lead to improving revenues. CPMs are being depressed by competition, not just oversupply. Click rates are a function of users' hatred of banner ads and conditioning to ignore the top and right of the web page. And even with better targeting, which commands premium CPMs, the total buys are smaller. All of these lead to continuously declining advertising revenues from display ads, whether or not they are able to improve click rates from nearly zero to something slightly higher.
U.S. Internet users saw 4.5 trillion banners last year, according to ComScore. That's 2,000 per user a month, 24,000 for the year.
informal survey of twitter followers about recall and clicks on banners by @bmorrissey
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/hYR7hx_FrBQ/
It's the Valentine month, and love is in the air. Planning out gifts, romantic dinners, cards…awesome fun! Care to sparkle the evening a bit? Dine in elegance in exquisite settings with gourmet food, candlelights and good old charm! Perhaps lightWARE cutlery will illuminate the ambience; after all it's a heady combination of silver, crystal and LED lights.
With a silver head and engraved crystal body, the least you expect from a cutlery is to emit soft colorful lighting. At the tip is a removable silver cap that hosts the LED and a watch size battery. Giving the adage "Silver Spoon" a totally luminous meaning, I reckon this will be a hit during the dating season!
Designer: David Veldkamp
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/tcF7t3RuaMw/d+filemu-renames-your-files-on-the-go
If the enormous command-center-style dashboard interface of previously reviewed Bulk Rename Utility is overwhelming and way more than you need, D-FileMU provides a simple—and soothingly blue—alternative to all that extra chrome. All the basic file renaming tools are present in D-FileMU, but laid out in a step by step way that allows you to selectively activate them. After choosing the actions you want to perform—completely replacing the name, appending it, removing select characters, etc.—you can choose the files to act on one-by-one, or by file extension. In a basic test where one thousand image files were completely renamed, D-FileMU performed the task in a matter of seconds, keeping it on par with other, bulkier renaming tools I use. D-FileMU is freeware, Windows only.
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/XBwDPPMLDGI/roll-your-own-logmein-pro-with-free-apps
The Daily Cup of Tech blog recommends a few free apps that boost a free LogMeIn connection to nearly pro-level features. Key among them is the use of Dropbox, the free, multi-platform, password-syncing, Hive-Five-winning app. The basic idea is that if you need to manipulate a file you've got locally with another remote computer, simply drop your file into your Dropbox bin, and it'll arrive there in a few moments.
For printing from one computer to another, Tim Fehlman suggests using a Windows PDF printing solution, like the http://lifehacker.com/software//create-a-pdf-from-any-document-032880.phpCutePDF Writer and doPDF options we've written about before. Another good pick is the previously mentioned Yuuguu for screen sharing, as its a very simple connection (PIN and username) and works with both Macs and PCs.
The only no-go with Cup of Tech's free substition plan is remote audio streaming—something that only a fraction of the user base would likel! y want, but still a nifty feature. Any suggestions from our remote-savvy readers on getting all your remote system's audio through your local speakers?
The biggest jump noticeable, at least for users of the official 3.8 version, is the window real estate given to video chat and IM chats, and the general overhaul given to the app's skin and look. Skype's standard two-pane video chat has been traded in for a picture-in-picture layout, but that can be changed by dragging out your own video thumbnail.
Skype also touts a new audio engine and network manager, Silk, that uses half the bandwidth to provide audio and tries to save it from stuttering when Skype notices your connection slowing down in the background. The video engine purportedly does the same type of save-the-call moves when your bandwidth drops off.
Skype 4.0 is a free download for Windows systems only. Skype hounds, are you noticing better audio quality and fewer glitch-outs? Liking the new look of video chat? Tell us in the comments. Screenshot from Skype.
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/ixqF5Uo2LeM/make-homemade-vanilla-extract
Photo by Bill HR.
Over at the culinary blog Chocolate and Zucchini, they have a detailed but simple guide to making your own extract. It's not more complicated than putting sliced vanilla beans into a jar with a high-proof alcohol like vodka or rum.
Using a sharp knife, slice the beans open lengthwise to expose the seeds. Tuck the beans in the jar and fill with liquor. Close the jar, shake it a few times, and place it in a cool, dark cabinet; you may have to whisper a few words of reassurance if the jar is, understandably, a little frightened.Let the jar rest in there for 8 weeks, shaking it again once or twice a week, or whenever you remember to. The mixture will get darker and darker over time.
The best part about the entire process is, so long as you throw a few more beans in occasionally and top off the alcohol as needed, you've got a perpetual source of rich and fresh vanilla extract. For a more extensive take on customizing the brew and getting the best results, check out VanillaReview.com's picture-packed guide.
While nothing can compare to getting your hands dirty with a detailed photo editing application like Photoshop, the majority of casual digi-cam shooters won't need or want to invest that kind of time into snazzing up their snap shots. PhotoPerfect Express comes bundled with five pre-set photo enhancement methods—each of which can be further fine-tuned if you desire. There's batch processing options, especially handy if you realize after tweaking the first few photos in a series that you're seeing the same issues throughout the set. If you're having trouble deciding which optimization is yielding the most pleasing result, press the A key while tweaking to display the original next to all five optimization algorithms for easy comparison—a nice fix for those with photo-fixing self-doubt. PhotoPerfect Express is freeware, Windows only.
Installing the gadget is easy—just double-click on the downloaded file to add it to your sidebar, and use the wrench icon to add in your Google account details (works with Apps too). Once you've authenticated you can choose which calendar you want to send your time tracking data too. (It's probably best to create a new one to keep from cluttering your regular schedule.) At this point you can start tracking your time by simply typing what you are working on and clicking Start; when you're done, hit Stop to save your data up to Google. At the end of the day you can check the Agenda view in Google Calendar to see a nice list of everything you worked on throughout the day.
The gadget has a few issues—most noticeably it's too wide to fit in the sidebar so you really have to use it on the desktop, but the bigger problem is the lack of automatic sync, requiring you to remember to use the Stop button to save. The benefits of being able to easily track what you are working on and save to the accessible-everywhere Google Calendar outweigh the problems—and make this worth a look for anybody looking to keep better tabs on their time.
gCalTasks is a free download for Windows 7 or Vista users. If you are looking for a hands-off, completely automated solution, take a look at previously mentioned Productivity Meter or Slife instead. Do you have a preferred solution for tracking your time? Share it i! n the co mments.
Once installed, you can locate the largest files by selecting a drive on the left-hand side, and then choosing the Largest Files tab on the bottom, which sorts by file size regardless of the directory they are located so you can quickly identify files for deletion. The Largest Folders tab shows you a view that resembles the previously mentioned Windirstat (another app that's a whiz at visualizing your hard drive usage), with the option to drill down into folders. Hidden behind the options panel you will find some even better settings—the ability to filter by file type, or only analyze files larger than a specified size, making this a great utility for cleaning up your drive.
Free Disk Analyzer is a free download for Windows users only. For a similar utility with more eye-candy, take a look at previously mentioned DriveSpacio.
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