November 19th, 2009

Users should be smug, and why the Apple iPhone makes you feel smarter

Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 3:05 am

Categories: Apple, Feature, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple Inc., MAYA Design, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Andrew Nusca

Manufacturers build an awful lot of complexity into their gadgets, but very few of them take pains to hide it — leaving users confused, bewildered and angry.

Who the heck wants to page through a 300-page instruction manual?

That kind of attitude can hurt a company’s bottom line when customers return products before bothering to figure out how to use them.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

MAYA Design’s Mickey McManus says products should be so intuitive that a customer feels silly explaining to another how it works.

And by silly, I mean smug — as in, “Isn’t it obvious?”

That’s why the Apple iPhone is so popular…it appears so obvious to use that you feel a little smug using it.

On SmartPlanet’s Smart Takes blog, McManus explains why such innovation is necessary as technology grows more complex and our brains stay exactly the same. Who doesn’t want to be a little smug?

November 9th, 2009

Australian iPhone worm won't give some users up

Posted by Rachel King @ 2:59 am

Categories: Apple, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original

Tags: Apple iPhone, Phone, Worm, Virus, Cyberthreats, Smart Phones, Telecom & Utilities, Viruses And Worms, Security, Consumer Electronics

Jailbroken iPhone users beware: Rick Astley could be appearing on your phone soon, and he’s never going to give you up. So at least the new worm crawling around down under says. Read the rest of this entry »

October 16th, 2009

Gadget Gal's daily deals: Acer Aspire One netbook, Sony CyberShot digital camera, KEF PicoForte 1 iPod speaker

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 7:30 am

Categories: Acer, Cameras, Camcorders and Software, Computers, Digital Cameras, Gadget Gal's Daily Deals, Home Theater, Laptops, MP3 & portable media players, Netbooks, Sony, Toybox Highlights, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod touch

Tags: Sony Corp., Apple iPod, Speaker, Digital Camera, Acer Inc., Sony Cyber-Shot, Camera, Netbook, KEF PicoForte 1, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs

A KEF PicoForte 1 iPod speaker system, an Acer Aspire One netbook, and a Sony CyberShot 12.1-megapixel digital camera. Here are your daily deals for Friday, October 16, straight form the Gadget Gal:

1. Get the KEF PicoForte 1 Speaker System for iPod for $99.88 at OneCall.  The KEF PicoForte 1 has a list price of $399.99. It features two 35-watt KEF 1001 speakers and an amplifier base with integrated iPod Dock connector. It doesn’t support the iPod shuffle, but you can plug the shuffle another players in through the auxiliary input. There’s a $15 fee for shipping, but you’re still saving a major chunk off of the original price. The deal expires at the end of the day.

[read the review] [find the deal]

2. Get a refurbished Acer Aspire One D150 10.1-inch netbook at Woot.com today for $229.99. The netbook has a list price of $499.99. It has an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 1GB DDR2, a 160GB hard drive, a six-cell battery for up to 6.5 hours of life, and comes with XP Home. It comes in black, blue, red, or white.

[read the review] [find the deal]

Read the rest of this entry »

October 8th, 2009

How much is too much for an iPod speaker dock?

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 1:54 pm

Categories: Apple, Home Theater, MP3 & portable media players, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original, iPod classic

Tags: Apple iPod, Bose, Speaker, Bose SoundDock 10, SoundDock 10, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Jennifer Bergen

I realize it would be nice to have the finer things in life — champagne wishes and caviar dreams –, but how much would you pay for an iPod dock? Bower & Wilkins just made its new Zeppelin Mini iPod speaker dock (pictured above) available for pre-order on Amazon for $400. Bose, who’s known for continually releasing high quality, but expensive, products, also just released a new iPod dock, the Bose SoundDock 10 at $600.

The Bose SoundDock 10 boasts a pair of proprietary Twiddler transducers, also known as a speaker, which is the secret behind the high fidelity sound. The SoundDock 10 is available now.

The Zeppelin Mini streams digital data straight from the iPod and uses an internal digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) to bypass the DACs in the iPod itself. Of course, it works with any MP3 player, but B&W claim that by using the internal DAC, the sound is unparalleled by any other iPod speaker system. The Zeppelin Mini will be available in November, but is available for pre-order now at Amazon.

With all that said, how willing are you to dish out $600 just to have something to plug your iPod into? With digital music becoming more and more of the norm, and CDs and vinyl taking a backseat, then maybe it is worth the extra money to get the best out of your digital music.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

October 2nd, 2009

Gadget Gal's daily deals: Apple iPod 30GB, 3M micro projector, MartinLogan Helos in-wall speakers

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 6:17 am

Categories: Accessories, Apple, Gadget Gal's Daily Deals, Hardware, Home Theater, MP3 & portable media players, Toybox Highlights, iPhone original, iPod classic, projectors

Tags: Apple iPod, Speaker, 3M Co., Apple Inc., Projectors, Hardware, Components, Jennifer Bergen

A refurbished Apple 30GB iPod, MartinLogan Helos in-wall speakers, and a 3M micro projector. Here are your daily deals for Friday, October 2, straight from the Gadget Gal:

1. Get the MartinLogan Helos 20 In-Wall Speakers for $149.99 at Amazon today. The speakers have a list price of $399, but you can save 63 percent off of that price. It has twin 3/4-inch tweeters, aluminum woofers, and top crossover for great stereo sound.

[compare prices] [find the deal]

2. Get a refurbished white or black Apple 30GB 5th Generation iPod at Sellout.Woot for $99.99. The 30GB iPod holds up to 15,000, 25,000 photos, or 1,000 videos.

[read the review] [find the deal]

Read the rest of this entry »

September 30th, 2009

Bravo Gustavo iPhone app puts conductor's baton in your hand

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 1:11 pm

Categories: Gaming, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPhone, App, Music, Bravo Gustavo iPhone App, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jennifer Bergen

Maestro, if you please. For those of you who think games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are full of the devil’s music, with all that crazy rock and roll, then this new iPhone app will be music to your ears. The Los Angeles Philharmonic has released Bravo Gustavo!, an iPhone app that lets you conduct a full orchestra.

Now, don’t get all Sorcerer’s Apprentice on us. The free app puts you in the shoes of Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil’s new music director, and transforms your iPod touch or iPhone into a conductor’s baton. You can then wave your phone around and pretend your conducting a symphony orchestra (or just look crazy). Also, you can set the tempo by tapping the screen.

If you don’t have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can play an online version, which is more like Guitar Hero. There’s only one song there too, but it’s a pretty fun way to pass a few minutes.

Hopefully both the online game and the app will add more songs soon! Check out both here.

September 25th, 2009

Gadget Gal's daily deals: Philips universal iPod remote, HP Mini netbook, HP LaserJet printer

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 8:04 am

Categories: Apple, Computers, Gadget Gal's Daily Deals, HP, Home Theater, Laptops, Netbooks, Printers, Toybox Highlights, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPod, Hewlett-Packard Co., HP LaserJet, Netbook, Philips Electronics N.V., Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Printers, Digital Music, Digital Media, Hardware

A Philips 6-device universal remote for iPod, an HP Mini netbook, and an HP LaserJet printer. Here are your daily deals for Friday, September 25, straight from the Gadget Gal:

1. Get the Philips 6-Device Universal Remote for iPod for only $34.99 today only at Sellout.Woot. The remote comes with a docking station, which allows two-way communication between the docked iPod and the remote control. The remote has a backlit LCD screen, and it works through walls, doors, floors, ceilings, and windows. In addition to having access to your iPod, the six-device design allows you to have remote access to your TV, VCR, DVD player, cable and satellite systems.

[read the review] [find the deal]

2. Get the HP Mini 1030NR FW376UA Refurbished Netbook PC at Comp USA for $269.97. The netbook has a list price of $519.99, but you can save $250 instantly. It weighs only 2.38 pounds, has an Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB Solid State drive, and a 10.1-inch LED-backlit SD display. The deal is only available for a limited time, or while supplies last, so hurry.

[compare to other netbooks] [find the deal]

Read the rest of this entry »

September 22nd, 2009

McSweeney's introduces iPhone app, literary nerds rejoice

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 11:53 am

Categories: Applications, Software, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPhone, McSweeney, App, Small Chair, McSweeneys.net, Internet, Smart Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jennifer Bergen

Today’s news will make both tech nerds and literary nerds very happy. McSweeney’s, a publishing house founded by writer/editor Dave Eggers, has released an iPhone app. If you’re scratching your head trying to figure out why the name McSweeney’s sounds familiar, or you just don’t know what the big deal is, then you should know that McSweeney’s has published the works of well-known authors such as Nick Hornby, Michael Chabon, Stephen King, David Byrne, and Joyce Carol Oates.

The app will bring you daily humor from McSweeny’s Internet Tendency site, along with news, updates, and announcements. But the main advantage of having the McSweeney’s app is the debut of the Small Chair, which is a weekly sampler from different parts of the McSweeney’s family. Besides publishing books, and the daily-updated literature and humor site McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, McSweeney’s also puts out three regular publications: the quarterly literary journal entitled “Timothy McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern,” the monthly magazine “The Believer,” and a quarterly DVD magazine called “Wholphin.” The app will feature different surprises each week, such as a story from the upcoming Quarterly, an interview from the Believer, or even a short film from the next issue of the Wholphin.

Great minds such as Spike Jonze, Wells Tower, and Chris Ware are already lined up to release material for the app. The app costs $5.99 at the Apple App Store, and expires after six months. The material on the app will not be available anywhere else on the Web.

Read what McSweeney’s has to say about the app after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

September 21st, 2009

Barnes & Noble iPhone apps surpass 1 million downloads

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 11:59 am

Categories: Apple, E-book Readers, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original, iPod touch

Tags: App, Barnes & Noble Inc., eReader App, E-books, Smart Phones, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics, Jennifer Bergen

If you’re an iPhone owner, chances are you’re one of the many people who have downloaded the B&N Bookstore app, or the B&N eReader app for the iPhone and iPod touch, which recently hit the one million mark.

According to a press release from Barnes & Noble, Inc., the free B&N eReader app is one of the most popular apps in the iTunes Books category, and held the No. 1 spot throughout the summer. Barnes & Noble also added the addition of free Wi-Fi this summer, which has proved to be a popular choice with almost two million AT&T Wi-Fi sessions since the service became available in all Barnes & Noble stores six weeks ago.

If you’re curious about the iPhone/iPod touch app, but haven’t ventured to download it yet, then you’re missing out on being able to browse bestsellers, B&N Recommends, and new releases lists, as well as watching video interviews with the authors. The app also allows you to check events at your local store, and find your closest Barnes & Noble with maps and directions.

Read the rest of this entry »

September 18th, 2009

GoGoStand: An inexpensive, wallet-sized way to prop up your iPhone

Posted by Jennifer Bergen @ 11:50 am

Categories: Accessories, Apple, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone original, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPod touch

Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, Smart Phones, Digital Music, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jennifer Bergen

If the DIY iPod/iPhone dock wasn’t cutting it for you, but you’re still looking for an inexpensive way to prop up your beloved gadget, then check out the GoGoStand. This small, credit card-sized piece of plastic fits in your wallet and easily unfolds into a travel-friendly gadget holder.

The stand is only $4.99 plus shipping and handling. The adjustable plastic tabs allow you to view your iPod Touch or iPhone in three different angles. Of course, you can also use it to prop up non-Apple-related products.

Visit the GoGoStand.com for more information, and check out the video after the jump to see it in “action.”

Read the rest of this entry »