Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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ATP Petito Turns Flash Drives Pink, Nuzzles Up to Breast Cancer Foundation
11:15PM Charlie White | What do you do if you sell USB flash drives that have quickly turned into commodities, and you need a fresh sales angle for one that’s been on the market for well over a year? Why not paint it pink, and exploit those unfortunate ladies suffering with breast cancer? That’s just what ATP Petito has done, selling its mini flash drives in a limited-edition Pink Ribbon version, available in 512MB ($39.99) and 1GB ($59.99) capacities. Being huge breast fans ourselves, we think getting into the tit-saving (and life-saving) business is a nice racket for a company with a product named Petito, but we’re just wondering why there’s no indication of how much of each drive’s price will benefit the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation. Is it one cent? Is it five dollars? Any time a company is contributing a percentage of sales to a worthy cause, we think buyers have a right to know the exact portion of the money that will actually be contributed. If that number is not readily available, something smells fishy. [ATP, via Get USB] More »
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More weight to Orange being the iPhone’s …
11:10PM Matt Buchanan | More weight to Orange being the iPhone’s exclusive carrier in France comes via the French publication La Tribune. [Google Translated La Tribune, Thanks Marc!] More »
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Amazing Gravity-Defying Beta Gel Cushions 72-Foot Egg Drop
10:42PM Charlie White | Geltec Corporation has been working on its shock-absorbing gel, and now has improved upon its Alpha Gel with this Beta Gel, shown here protecting an egg from its untimely demise as it plummets from a dizzying height of just over 72 feet. Remarkable. It just seems to defy the laws of physics. We want some of this stuff installed in our walking shoes for the next trade show. We also got quite a kick out of the frantic enthusiasm of these Japanese TV personalities. [Japan Probe] More »
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Aiptek A-HD Camcorder Stoops to New Low as Cheapest HD Camcorder
10:30PM Charlie White | We were shocked, shocked! when Aiptek rolled out a $299 720p GO-HD camcorder last May, but now the company’s topped that pinnacle of cheapness with the Aiptek 720p A-HD camcorder, a stripped-down version of its piece-of-shit brandmate, rolling in at a rock-bottom $169.99. More »
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More Info Surfaces: Moto ROKR E8
9:50PM Charlie White | Looks like that Motorola ROKR E8 we first showed you a few weeks ago is fo’ reals. In addition to that cool-beans backlit keypad, we’re liking that “Omega Wheel” navigation device that makes it easy to jump around your music and menus. Plus, there are haptic controls that give your finger a little vibrating action whenever you press a key. Besides that coolness, the other specs are nothing surprising for this GSM/GPRS phone, giving you a 2MP camera, 2GB of internal storage, a microSD slot and an FM radio. And hey, there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack that’ll accommodate normal headphones. No pricing was announced but it will be rolling out in Europe in Q1 of next year. [Unwired View] More »
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Radiohead Still Shuns iTunes, Sells Full Albums in DRM-Free MP3
9:45PM Matt Buchanan | While the Beatles might one day pull the Yellow Submarine into iTunes, don’t expect the UK’s second-biggest iTunes holdout, Radiohead, to deliver any Pablo Honey, at least to Apple. Even though their albums can go DRM-free (EMI was their label), Radiohead only wants them sold in their entirety, not as individual tracks. But! Their albums are available online in delicious 320kbps, DRM-free MP3 from 7digital, who takes international credit cards and PayPal. In this age of the digital single, it’d be easy to give Radiohead grief for being stubborn, but the purist in me respects their full album stance, actually. [Listening Post, 7digital] More »
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Pimp Your iPhone, for iPhone Users Who Aren’t Fanboys
9:29PM Charlie White | In case you’ve been completely zoned out by our obsessive iPhone coverage for the past year, here’s an encapsulated video by a sensible-sounding guy from WonderHowTo.com, giving you a nice short course showing you how to install applications on your iPhone. You did know you could do that, didn’t you? Look at all the apps that are available now! Welcome back to the world, Rip Van Winkle! It’s the iPhone—heard of it? [YouTube] More »
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Umbra Magtable Coffee Table Stores Your Mags, Props Your Feet Up
9:10PM Matt Buchanan | For those of you who still read words printed on glossy paper and don’t just get your fix by loitering in Barnes and Noble’s magazine section for an hour or two, Umbra’s magtable makes for a classy but functional means of storage. It’s a pretty simple idea—slots are cut into the top of the $160 coffee table, and your rags just hang through, spines up for quick sortage. Probably not so ideal for your Playboy collection if your mum visits, though. [Umbra via NY Mag via BB Gadgets] More »
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Alaska Airlines and Row 44 Planning First U.S. Satellite-Based In-Air Wi-Fi
8:15PM Matt Buchanan | It looks like the first U.S. carrier to offer in-flight Wi-Fi using a satellite-based setup will be Alaska Airlines, which plans to roll the service out to its entire fleet by 2009, pending the results of a monthlong test this spring. Using Row 44’s satellite system instead of an air-to-ground one, a la Virgin America and AirCell, means more bandwidth and wider coverage, at least according to Row 44’s CEO. Either way, since AA’s routes go outside of the continental US and therefore AirCell’s coverage, satellites seem to be the only way to cover every route they offer. Unlike past satellite offerings though, supposedly Route 44’s setup is fairly quick and easy without exorbitant overhead, so hopefully the free access proposed for first and elite class passengers will trickle down to coach—though “a few dollars” for all-day access is reasonable enough not to awaken our inner Scrooge. [WSJ] More »
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