Author: Jeff Morgan (Page 164 of 168)

13-Year-Old Wins the Billionth App Package

April 26, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Earlier this week Apple announced the download of its billionth app from the iPhone app store. The store has been an obvious success, hopefully at a level that continues to fuel innovation, and not just apps for taking out your frustration on a wailing baby.

To celebrate the milestone, Apple was offering a pretty sweet prize package for the billionth download. A 13-year-old from Connecticut won with his download of Bump, from Bump Technologies. The kid won a $10,000 iTunes gift card, a Time Capsule, A MacBook Pro, and an iPod Touch.

Source: CNet

Apple, Computers, iPhone, News

app store billion downloads iPhone

X-Mini Happy Supports MP3 Playback

April 25, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

If you’re looking for a tiny, alien-looking portable speaker, look no further than the X-Mini Happy. This latest update of the funky and hyper-functional speakers includes an SD slot for hardware supported MP3 playback. Of course, you can connect your iPod, iPhone, what have you via the headphone jack on the back.

The speaker utilizes a 40mm driver to put out sound, powered by a rechargeable battery. The unit boasts up to 11 hours of use as a speaker, six in hardware playback. As you can see from the picture, it also sports some serious geek-cred. The original X-Mini retailed for under $30. We’d expect a similar price when the X-Mini Happy drops in Q3.

Mobile, Music

portable speakers x-mini x-mini happy

Philly Friends Set Texting Record, Receive $26,000 Bill

April 25, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Imagine your excitement (or paranoid chagrin) on opening your front door to an unexpected package. It feels heavy, and you can see from the postage stamp that it cost a whopping $27.55 just to send the thing. Would you ever imagine it was a phone bill? How about a phone bill for $26,000?

That’s exactly what two friends in Philadelphia received after they attempted to set the monthly texting record. Nick Andes and Doug Klinger began their quest with the highest record they could find – 182,000 from 2005. Armed with unlimited texting plans and fast fingers, the two set themselves to the task, sometimes texting so hard their phones couldn’t even receive phone calls.

They crushed the previous record, making 217,000 texts over the course of the month. T-Mobile has reportedly credited the massive phone bill in its entirety. Klinger and Andes are just waiting on the official congratulations from the Guinness committee.

Source: Gizmodo

Mobile, News

text message texting texting record

Ford MyKey Takes Parental Monitoring to New Heights

April 24, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

Ford’s MyKey is really no new technology. We’ve had programmable keys for some time now, allowing drivers to store their seat position, favorite radio stations, mirror angles, and so on. The MyKey simply adds to the list of stored features (and restricts a few of them).

Aimed at parents with teenage drivers, MyKey functions by limiting radio functions and alerting young drivers to excessive speeding. A warning sound chimes in when you hit speeds of 45, 55, and 65 and your radio won’t work unless your belt is buckled. MyKey also limits radio to half-volume so the kiddies can focus on their driving, not on their Fall Out Boy.

Luckily I don’t have any kids, let alone kids close to driving. Even if I did, though, you’d never see them with one of these things. I understand the importance of safe driving without distraction, especially for teens. Enforcing it like this though? Yeesh. Makes my skin crawl.

Source: Ubergizmo

Uncategorized

ford ford mykey mykey

Xbox 360’s “The Strike” Adds Fishing Rod Peripheral

April 24, 2009 / Jeff Morgan

I’ve never been big on fishing games, but maybe that’s because they never feel authentic. The fish don’t hit quite right. There’s no sense of cast. The best lures are things I’d never pick (of course that holds true to live fishing at times).

Griffin International’s “The Strike” aims to change all that by adding this swanky little fishing rod peripheral. As far as additional controllers go, this is one of the best looking pieces I’ve seen. The controller+game bundle will only run you $69.99, a remarkably decent price considering the cost of other powered periphs on the market.

The game will also be released for PC and Wii later this year.

Source: Crave

Gaming

fishing pole the strike xbox 360