So apparently there is a new clause in the AT&T terms of service which says that they have the right to shut down your interwebz if you complain about the service or billing publicly. Now, we would usually discourage anyone from trying to anger a conglomerate with lots of money and legal resources. But this is just ridiculous, folks. Go out and vBlog about them sucking to your hearts content. They don’t really go into details other than that you aren’t allowed to do anything which would damage the already excellent reputation of AT&T. Update: My deepest apologies for misspelling a word, sorry for any confusion and/or pandemonium it may have caused. The necessary changes have been made thanks to the dedicated community we have established here at CrunchGear. Please feel free to correct any other mistakes you may have found. Or not. AT&T T.O.S via [BoingBoing] → Read More
So here we are, entering the fall of another year. This is the time, traditionally, when we prepare our brains to be assaulted by hundreds of ads for electronics (as well as less important stuff) that will be available at low, low prices in just a few months, in time for the holiday shopping season. There will be specials on iPhones, Centros, Oceans, and other high-end cellphones that will, with time, become mid-range. That is the color of it, the way that it works. What is shiny and new and bright today may, no, will become the stuff of landfills and junk drawers tomorrow. What is sad is the emotionless way in which this happens, top-of-the-line technology that is loved and cherished for but a few months, a couple years at the most, is discarded as if it meant nothing. So I’m suggesting that you, the reader, join me, the writer, as I look back at some of the hardware I’ve owned and thrown aside for the next big thing. I feel guilty for my sins, let this be my crucible. Today, we’re going to revisit my cellphones. → Read More
So Facebook will finally allow users to group friends and control information flow based on friend type. For guys like Robert Scoble, who have 5,000 friends (the limit), this may be a way to finally sort through the real friends from the fans. It’s a much needed feature that people have been requesting for a long time. It also shows the steady maturity of Facebook from a college network to a full on world network, where friendships, business contacts, family and other types of relationships need to be more fully described. And this is also as much about privacy as it is about organization – users will be able to limit the information that certain friend groups receive. A few existing applications are going to be affected, like Slide’s Top Friends application, the most popular third party app on Facebook. Lots of other applications will likely need to be tweaked to work properly when this launches (so many of them access the friends list). And this will shut down at least one “startup” we’ve been tracking that was creating this exact feature as an application. At least they can quit now and stop putting good time and money after bad. Building Facebook applications is a big dice roll. If it’s too popular or too obvious of an idea (even if it hasn’t been done yet), Facebook is just as likely to compete with you as pay a few bucks and just buy you (they are probably more likely to compete with you than buy you, actually). Some developers will probably wonder if getting a cash grant from Facebook’s just-announced fbFund will lessen the likelihood of direct competition from the company. Only time will tell. Update: Wired is writing about a slew of Facebook ad networks and the almost inevitable fact that Facebook will be competing with them directly, too. We’ve covered most of these: SocialMedia, VideoEgg, Lookery, fbExchange, and RockYou. Also mentioned are Cubics and Appfuel. Lots of brave souls racing to build a business before Facebook comes in and stomps all over the scene. → Read More
Sure, you can always sell those old iPods (working or not) on eBay, but it’s far easier to use BuyMyBrokeniPod, a site that promises to buy any model of iPod, working, broken or in between, with no questions asked. You even get an estimate of the price before you send it to them. Since launching earlier this year, the guys who run the site say they’ve purchased more than 1,000 iPods from happy customers. The average price paid for a working iPod is $100 (range from $10 to $330). A broken one fetches an average of $30 (range from $2 to $216). You have to pay to ship the unit to them in Colorado, and they pay you via paypal or check. The price they’re offering on my slightly used (and currently bricked) 8GB iPhone is $213. My last generation 60 GB iPod is worth $63. That’s competitive with eBay prices, without the hassle. And if your iPod is broken, these guys may be one of your only choices. Broken iPods are sold in bulk to third parties or broken down for parts. Working iPods are refurbished and resold directly to to resellers. The site is full of happy customer testimonials. If any readers have direct feedback, let us know. See CrunchGear’s coverage of TheGadgetLocker’s iPod Recycling Program as well. → Read More
NetBank, one of the first online banking startups and a survivor of the first web bubble, was closed Friday after intervention from the US Office of Thrift Supervision and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). NetBank had been in trouble for some time with failed mortgages and serious operating deficiencies. The service, which floated at $12 a share in 1997 hit a high of $249/ share in April 1999 until settling to a price of $15 a share in mid 2004. The company was delisted from the NASDAQ on August 3 this year and last traded at $0.068 on the OTC board on Friday. An interesting comparison can be drawn between NetBank’s model and a number of verticals being targeted by startups today. In 96 internet banking was new and the big players were only just starting to roll out internet banking services, and even then they weren’t very exciting. Services such as NetBank offered a product suite that was innovative at the time; however the major players saw a demand for online services and eventually caught up. It’s not too dissimilar today to the various Google Maps mashup services that have launched, only to find Google 6 months later offering the same features themselves. We’ve seen it a little bit with MySpace add-ons and I suspect we’ll see it with Facebook in the months to come as well. Existing NetBank accounts have been acquired by ING Direct. NetBank joins the veiled halls of the TechCrunch Deadpool. → Read More
Google has launched YouTube Adsense video units that let users monetize a YouTube video embed with text or image ads. The product is not dissimilar to one of the multitude of slide products currently on the market, essentially you use the unit as a display point for your favorite content (in this case from YouTube). Site visitors get to play videos from your list with the ads displayed when these videos are played, and like Adsense you get paid when people click on the ads. As Google Operating System points out, it’s not clear as yet exactly what videos will be available; whether it’s a run of site option excluding premium videos that don’t allow embedding, or just particular content partners, like the creators currently part of the YouTube advertising program. According to Google, the YouTube units can be delivered by category or perhaps more interestingly: contextually, “Bringing users to your site more often and keep them there longer with highly relevant, frequently refreshed video from popular content providers.” CrunchBase Information YouTube Information provided by CrunchBase → Read More
If someone says something feels good in their hands one more time, I swear my head is going to explode. Here’s a decent video walk through of the Centro’s interface. I guess it’s not that exciting, which is probably why I skipped the unveiling at Digital Life. Maybe your mom will like it. → Read More
Get ready to rock! Pricing and launch dates have been announced for Guitar Hero’s closest rival, Rock Band. The MTV and EA mashup will be available on the PS3, PS2 and Xbox 360 platforms with varying kits that include guitars, drums and mics. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will begin shipping November 23 for $169.99 and will include the aforementioned accessories. The PS2 version, which was initially announced for 2008 will actually make it in time for the holiday rush on December 10 for $159.99. The guitars for the Sony platforms will be wireless while the 360 version will be wired. That’s a bummer. “Rock Band” PS3/Xbox360 Price Set, PS2 Release Moved Up To 2007 [MTV Multiplayer] → Read More
Do all the varying memory cards require you to travel with tons of readers and cables? Not every USB card reader supports all the cards you have either, right? I feel your pain and so does Elecom, which is why they’ve introduced the MR-C12 USB 2.0 card reader. It comes in a tidy package with a flipup lid that stores your SDHC, SD, MMC, xD, and Memory Stick MagicGate/Pro/Duo cards. It starts shipping October 20th for $28.13 and will be available in black, red, blue and white. Product Page → Read More
This is a neat present for that person in your life who seems to have been swayed into submission by pictures of the Loch Ness monster and ghostly ladies at the side of the road. The point and shoot single-use camera adds a ghost into every picture so you don’t have to invest in film editing equipment to get that perfect shot of the Jersey devil. All the fame and fortune of being a ghost hunter is yours for only $10, Spectre Snare and Dematerializer not included. Ghost Finder Camera via [NerdApproved] → Read More
Ah, acronyms. The downfall of society. It started with “lol” and now this backpack for Geniuses, Artists, and Innovators is continuing the tradition. OK, so it’s really the Booq Boa, a bag which has won multiple awards for being totally awesome but that’s beside the point. I mean is this thing gai or what? It has a whole lot of James Bond-y features like a rain proof coating and plenty of pockets to conceal even the largest bag of whatever you are trying to smuggle into the country. Oh and it’s also good for carrying MacBook’s and MBP’s unfortunately however, this model is incompatible with PC’s. Sorry. It’s available right now for $165. Boa backpack by Booq → Read More
Transferring numbers from your old cell phone to your new one can be a royal pain and I’m sure most of you have experienced this at some point. Sometimes you forget to backup your contact list onto your SIM before it gets tossed, which will certainly make you want to kick yourself for such a grievous mistake. Well, the Backup Pal takes all the worry out because it backs up everything on the handset as well as the SIM because sometimes your inebriated ass will even toss a SIM out or you choose to get a new number. It may or may not be compatible with your device so check out the site before you shill out the $40. Product Page → Read More
We’ve told you about the Armani phone a few times in the past but this weeks launch of the device revealed some sweet details. The phone sports an innovative “help, I’m being taken against my will!” alarm which sends a text message to five preprogrammed numbers after the volume control is rapidly pressed four times. We suggest you choose wisely though as your room mate might not always be the person you’d entrust your life to. Said people can assess the situation and notify authorities who will then track you down via the phones GPS beacon. Just in time to collect your remains. Mr. Armani even included an anti-theft system which texts you when a new SIM is inserted. The phone will run you a cool $760 and is apparently a very sought-after accessory. Armani launches mobile phone with built-in ‘rape alarm’ [DailyMail] → Read More
I’m not so sure what to make of this, but a MacDailyNews reader came across a placeholder page in the iLife guided tour section specific to the iPhone. Now there isn’t any real substantiating evidence to spark any wild and erroneous rumors, but it’s all in the URL and a QuickTime video is evident although it’s missing for now. Am I going to have to take back every terrible thing I’ve said about the iPhone in the last few weeks? Probably not. Does anyone care? iLife Guided Tour for iPhone → Read More
A new HTC device dubbed Phoebus has breezed by the FCC and surprisingly it looks a lot like the HTC Juno, which we broke a few weeks ago. Some of the features on the Phoebus are strikingly similar to that of the Juno and I’m inclined to believe that’s what it is. Specs reveal it to be a GSM 850/1900 handset with a 2-megapixel camera. There isn’t a whole lot more to be gleaned from the filing and no pictures of its façade were anywhere. Update: The Phoebus is the Juno, which is the T-Mobile Shadow. A few more details after the jump. → Read More
The University of Portsmouth has just unveiled a $13,000 system to help protect your crappy bike. Obviously, a bike is hard enough to replace to warrant such an extravagant security measure. The system requires a special bike rack and a motion sensor on the vehicle itself. It is then engaged via a text message to the security office. Once motion is detected the system sets off a silent alarm and directs campus CCTV cameras towards the site of the crime. Security cameras never have anything interesting to capture anyway. Of course, $15 snake lock is out of the question when it comes to bike security. Hopefully the system will migrate to things that actually need some sort of protection. You know. Like cars? High-tech bike lock turns cameras on thieves [24dash.com] → Read More
If you haven’t already realized this I loves me some comic bookish TV shows and movies. My previous Transformers and Iron Man coverage should make that quite apparent. Although, I didn’t post the Iron Man trailer because everyone else at CG thought it was lame, but here’s the link in case you missed it. Man, this coffee is making me all sorts of antsy (Note to self: no more coffee). Back to the task at hand. → Read More
Umm…yeah. The SonyDrive site has a big secret, but I have no clue what it is. I don’t even have any witty guesses as to what it could be. What the f*ck is it?! Whoa. Sorry, folks. Coffee tends to make me fly off the handle. I have to stop looking at this or I’m liable to go crazy. Any guesses? SonyDrive Japan → Read More
Novatel went ahead and released a new USB EV-DO dongle on Verizon and Sprint. The Ovation U727 is the world’s smallest dongle and features an integrated microSD slot. Those are pretty much all the details you really need. Road warriors will probably appreciate this more than most because they know how much real estate previous dongles take up near the ports. My AirCard 595U is one obese chunky monkey and using the USB extender is a pain in the ass. → Read More
