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Posts tagged iPhone
Global Geek News Podcast #52
Jan 14th
Here are the shownotes for episode #52 for the Global Geek News Podcast.
Help support us with a $5/mo subscription!

Stories:
- Judge: RealNetworks caused its own legal problems
- Politicians worldwide start asking questions about ACTA
- Prove piracy losses says digital economy bill
- BREIN shuts down 393 torrent sites, nobody notices
- Microsoft patents DRM’d torrents
- Site’s terms of service still enforceable even if users don’t read them
- Court unfriendly to the FCC’s internet slap at Comcast
- New scanners break child porn laws
- Judge: Subway system can’t ban violent video game ads
- Netflix coming to the Nintendo Wii
- DirecTV launching 3 dedicated 3D channels this year
- State of the vlogosphere
- Android demand up 250%, iPhone down
- Why Microsoft killed upgrade versions for Office 2010
Tips of the Week:
- Vacuum-seal your electronics for temporary protection
- Get free access to pay-walled content with a simple Google hack
Fan Global Geek News on Facebook and follow it on Twitter!
Host: Jeremy Bray
For more news, check out the Global Geek News Blog
Global Geek News Podcast #49
Dec 22nd
Here are the shownotes for episode #49 for the Global Geek News Podcast.
Help support us with a $5/mo subscription!

Stories:
- DirecTV sued by Washington State
- Netflix sued for privacy invasion
- The fourth most used search term by toddlers this year? Porn!
- Installing Linux will void your warranty
- Microsoft seeks patent on shaming fat gamers
- Microsoft: Our Windows 7 call center isn’t so busy
- The iPhone overtakes Windows Mobile in the US in October
- Texting more popular than calling in the US
- Legislator wants cancer warnings on cell phones
- Supreme Court takes texting privacy case
- Twitter may be profitable
Tip of the week: The complete in-flight WiFi cheat sheet
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Host: Jeremy Bray & Wesley Faulkner
For more news, check out the Global Geek News Blog
Global Geek News Podcast #44
Nov 10th
Here are the shownotes for episode #44 for the Global Geek News Podcast.
Help support us with a $5/mo subscription!

Stories:
- nVidia denies x86 chip rumors, pushes Fermi back to 2010
- Got friends? Now you can thank Facebook
- Myspace traffic drop costs News Corp. $100 million
- Sony’s PSPgo sells 28,000 units in Japan on launch day, physical media points and laughs
- Inventor of cell phones say they have become too complicated
- Apple’s hypocrisy continues, approves Mein Kampf for the App Store
- Why you should think twice before dating an iPhone user
- Comcast’s new throttling plan uses triggers to throttle bandwidth
- Secret anti-piracy treaty turns ISPs into cops or pirates
- Anti-piracy group throws in the towel, pirates walk free
Tip of the week: 100 Open Technology Courses
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Host: Jeremy Bray & Wesley Faulkner
For more news, check out the Global Geek News Blog
Top 10 Geek Gifts for the 2009 Holiday Season
Nov 6th
Greetings everybody!
It is that time of year again, with a little over a month left before Christmas, it is time to start figuring out what you are going to buy! The big question is what are you going to get that geek in your life? I have compiled another list again this year of great geek gifts to get that geek in your life assuming they don’t already have them. Here we go!
#10. Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt
Are you so good at Rock Band and Guitar Hero that you want to take your act on the road? You can do something like that with this awesome electronic rock guitar shirt. With this shirt, you can let everybody enjoy your awesome guitar skills! The shirt comes with a mini-amp that you can clip on your belt that will allow you to tweak your sound and crank up the music so that you make sure that everybody can hear you. ThinkGeek is selling this awesome shirt for $29.99.
#9. Kill-A-Watt Graphic Timer
Are you or your loved one concerned about the safety of your electronic devices and just how much energy you are using? If so, than this Kill-A-Watt Graphic Timer is for you. Not only will it protect you from voltage spikes, but it will also protect your precious appliances and gadgets from over current, over voltage and even under voltage. This device will not only let you measure your power usage down to the minute, but you can program it to function at different times for up to 7 days. There are a number of other features, but if you are looking to track your energy usage to help cut down on your electric bill or just want to protect your appliances and gadgets, you should definitely check out the Kill-A-Watt Graphic Timer from ThinkGeek at the reasonable price of $69.99. If you can use it to save on electricity or protect your appliances, this wonderful meter could easily pay for itself over time.
#8. The Laptopper Portable Shelf
Have you ever been sitting in your car outside of a coffee shop using their wifi? Kind of uncomfortable isn’t it? Well now you have a place to comfortably set your laptop while you are surfing the net. This portable shelf will slip on your steering wheel or even over a headrest to give you a place to set any laptop 17″ and smaller as well as whatever other gadgets you may be using. Whether you just want to watch a movie or participating in a wardriving competition, at $14.99, the Laptopper Portable Shelf from ThinkGeek is great for anybody!
#7. Rovio – WiFi Roaming Bot
O Rovio, Rovio, where for art thou Rovio? Are you looking to keep an eye on your home while you are away on vacation or just want to check up on that new babysitter? If so, the wifi connected Rovio is just for you! This cool little robot is equipped with a webcam, microphone and speakers. You can control Rovio manually or set up way-points to monitor your house. Rovio can be controlled from any internet connection around the world. What is really impressive is that you can control it with a PC, Mac, an iPhone and even your PS3! The Rovio also has built in LEDs to light its way in poorly lit areas. At $229.99 from ThinkGeek, Rovio seems reasonably priced, especially considering the fact that it has a base station it returns to for charging similar to the Roomba.

Rovio - WiFi Roaming Bot
#6. Grab-It Pack Gadget Holster
I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for ways to carry more gadgets with me. I have been made fun of on numerous occasions for having my pockets so stuffed full of stuff that you would suspect I just robbed an electronics store. Now you can carry more items and get more strange looks than ever before with the Grab-It Pack Gadget Holster! Strap this around your waist and legs and you will turn a lot of heads when people see just how many gadgets you can carry! ThinkGeek sells the Grab-It Pack Gadget Holster for $24.99.
#5. Scottevest Quantum Jacket
Maybe the Grab-It Gadget Holder isn’t quite your style or maybe it doesn’t have enough pockets to put stuff in, so why not try Scottevest’s Quantum Jacket! Not only does this jacket look far less goofy, but it is also breathable and water resistant! Did we mention this jacket has an amazing 28 pockets?! Just think how many gadgets you can carry with you from phones to mp3 players to portable gaming devices when you have 28 pockets to store them in? Just think how much fun you could have have going through airport security when you have to empty out 28 pockets! Don’t forget, this jacket has their patented Personal Area Network (PAN) to manage your earbud wires! If you head over to Scottevest, you can get this jacket for $250, but can you really put a price on carrying 28 pockets worth of gadgets while staying warm and looking good all at the same time?
#4. Mini 300Mbps Wireless N Travel Router
Have you ever wanted to say that you are the proud owner of the world’s smallest wireless N router? Now you can! This tiny wireless N router from TRENDnet will make sure you can transfer data across your wireless enabled devices quickly and easily. A product like this is great if you are stuck in a hotel with crappy wifi that you can only get if you are standing on the toilet with your arm stretched out like a fountain. Just fire this up where you can get the signal and you instantly have a good enough signal that you can get anywhere in the hotel room. For $79.99 from ThinkGeek, the TRENDnet Mini 300Mbps Wireless N Travel Router might just be the best router for the road warrior in your life.
#3. Ironkey Military Strength Flash Drives
How important is the security of the files you move around? Do you carry your financial documents on a thumb drive so you can have access to them anywhere? What about confidential plans from work? Now you can rest easy because with an Ironkey USB drive because you won’t have to worry about your data falling into the wrong hands again! With hardware encryption, the tough looking Ironkey can stand strong against both virtual and physical attacks. These drives have so much encryption and security on them thanks to a built-in encryption chip, even the military is using them in Afghanistan! The only way to access the information on the drive is with the password and if somebody tries to hack into it and enters the wrong password 10 times, the encryption chip self destructs and makes the drive useless and nobody will ever be able to get your data. If security is what really matters to you, you can’t go wrong with an Ironkey Military Strength Flash Drive. ThinkGeek sells a 1GB model for $69.99 and a 4GB model for $139.99. Although they aren’t cheap, you should ask yourself just how much your data is worth.
#2. Motorola Droid
My, how far we have come in a year. Last year’s list included T-Mobile’s G1 Android phone and this year, we have a vastly improved Motorola phone by the name of Droid for Verizon customers. With a 5-megapixel camera, turn by turn directions, a physical and virtual keyboard as well as turn by turn directions just to name a few of the features, many are calling this an iPhone killer or at least as good as the iPhone. With over 10,000 applications available on the Android Marketplace, now is a great time to be looking into getting the Droid on what many consider to be the best wireless network in the US. If you are in the market for a new phone and don’t want to suffer the hell of the AT&T network just to have something as nice as an iPhone, check out the Motorola Droid which you can get from LetsTalk.com for $150.
#1. Mimo Mini USB Monitor
Not a day goes by that I think to myself, “Gee, I could be much more productive if I had room for a second monitor.” Now I can and I won’t need a new desk and power strip to get it! Any of the Mimo mini USB monitors might give you just the extra amount of screen you need to be extra productive without taking up as much room on your desk as a full sized monitor. These monitors are powered by a USB cable so you don’t have to worry about trying to get a bigger power strip to plug a second monitor into or a new graphics card that can support a second monitor. Now you can keep email or whatever you want open on a smaller, secondary monitor while you work on your main screen so you can see when you get that important email you have been waiting for. Did I mention there is a touchscreen model? If you are into the touchscreen movement and want a monitor you can physically interact with, for a little higher price, you can have just that! You might have a hard time putting a price on productivity, but ThinkGeek managed put put a price on it, and depending on which of the three models you get, the Mimo Mini USB Monitor will cost you between $129.99-229.99.
Did we miss something? What geek items are on your Christmas list?
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Global Geek News Podcast #39
Sep 30th
Here are the shownotes for episode #39 for the Global Geek News Podcast.
Help support us with a $5/mo subscription!

Stories:
- Sony sets the PSP Go up for failure
- Expect PS3 shortages this Christmas season
- Two more Pirate Bay appeals judges accused of bias
- Ignoring RIAA lawsuits is cheaper than going to trail
- France gives final approval to three strikes law
- Feds weigh cellphone bans for bus and truck drivers
- Netflix CEO hopes to stream to PS3, Wii, iPhone
- US wants UK hacker to pay for the security holes he exposed
- NSW seeks to build unhackable netbooks for students
- Moronic pervert to officer: “Hypothetically, what would you do if you found child pornography?”
Major announcement: Global Geek News is giving away a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate!
Tip of the week: Save $50 on an Xbox 360 Elite with a rebate
Host: Jeremy Bray & Wesley Faulkner
Global Geek News Podcast #37
Sep 15th
Here are the shownotes for episode #37 for the Global Geek News Podcast.
Help support us with a $5/mo subscription!

Stories:
- Vermont teen sentenced to prison in sexting case
- Can a domain name be deformation?
- iPod Touch doesn’t have a camera because its a great gaming device
- Monopoly goes global with Google Maps
- Pentagon keeps watch on troop’s blogs
- DRM take II – Digital Personal Property
- All your tweets are belong to you
- 2010 could be the last year for IPv4 as we know it
- 802.11n is finally final
- Microsoft teaches Best Buy to trash Linux
Host: Jeremy Bray & Wesley Faulkner
Amazon's VOD success depends on distribution deals
Aug 6th
Greetings Readers!
The streaming video market has become rather crowded in the last couple of years with services like Hulu and YouTube, but the video service with the most potential is Amazon‘s VOD service.
Amazon’s VOD (Video On Demand) service has been around for a while and has a huge library of tv shows and movies including some of the newest releases yet it has never gained much traction in a world dominated by Netflix. If Amazon hopes to really compete in this market, it needs to do more than advertise its service (which it doesn’t do a very good job at anyway). Amazon needs to through its weight behind the service and make sure that everybody is aware of it and it is accessible as possible. How can they make it accessible? Amazon needs more distribution deals with hardware manufactures.
Amazon currently has deals which allow its service to be accessed on Roku boxes, Panasonic Blu-ray players, TiVo DVRs and Sony Bravia TVs, but they have to do much better than that. Amazon needs to push for a deal with every TV manufacture instead of just Sony and their Bravia line. With many people upgrading to new and better TVs after the DTV transition to take advantage of the new HD content, there is a huge opportunity for Amazon if they work to put themselves on all internet connected TVs. Same thing with Blu-ray players, Blu-ray is starting to gain traction and Amazon needs to do its best to get on more than just Panasonic players if it wants to get in on the ground floor before the mass exodus from DVD to Blu-ray begins. As far as TiVo goes, that is a great move for them but they should also work towards being on the DVRs offered by cable and satellite providers.
Amazon has the huge opportunity to grab a huge chunk of the streaming video market if they are willing to do what is necessary to put their service in front of as many people as possible. They have started moving in this direction, but so as Netflix and others, so if they want to put themselves in a dominant position, they must act now!
Finally, I think they need to go mobile with their video on demand service. Apps for the iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile and such should be coming too. Many people like to watch videos on their phones, so if you have a way to stream videos to a phone, even if it is over wifi, you are ahead of the competition.
The competition in this space is in its very early stages and Amazon is on the position of either being left behind or taking the lead. The potential for profit is there, will they strike before its too late?
For Android to thrive, Google must do more
Aug 4th
For months, I have been toying around with the Android SDK. There are a number of reasons that I have decided to being creating Android applications that range from the potential money I could make to the fact that it is an open source OS and I don’t have the money or time to invest in a Mac and learning Obj-C just so I can make iPhone apps. Along the way, I have come to realize just why android isn’t an iPhone killer or at least not at this stage in the game and that reason is Google.
I will admit that for the most part, I am a big Google fan (not a fanboy), I believe that they aren’t doing what they could be to really help their products, specifically, Android. As I am sure you are aware by this point, Android is Google’s mobile operating system. While it certainly has its its drawbacks, I am sticking to my belief that in the end, it will wipe the floor with the iPhone OS primarily because it is open and designed to work on many different phones. There are supposed to be at least 20 android phones available by the end of this year alone (the main reason I think it will eventually beat the iPhone). Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle to achieving this goal is android’s creators, Google.
There are a couple of big obstacles that Google is creating that aren’t making things better for them. The main obstacle is applications. There are some amazing applications for android that are far and above many iPhone applications but there is a big problem, there aren’t very many of them. Last I heard, the iPhone had over 50,000 apps and growing rapidly. How many apps does Android have? The last I heard was around 5000. Unfortunately, I believe that is Google’s fault. Why is that Google’s fault? One word: documentation.
In my months of playing with the Android SDK, I have discovered the documentation in many places are terrible! In many places, there are examples using code that has long since been removed from the SDK, other lines of code that just don’t work and even some that are not necessary. This is especially true if you want to do anything with multimedia. Want to record audio? You are in for many hours of headaches if you are going by the examples in the android dev guide (trust me on this). The bottom line is that if Google expects to have more applications and be a real competitor for the iPhone, it needs to do all it can for developers and that includes keeping documentation up to date.
The one other big issues I have is with advertising. It wasn’t until recently that Google finally announced the ability to put ads in mobile applications and even that is reserved for a select few that meet the various requirements including 100,000 impressions. Having such a small group of people able to take advantage of it is bad, especially for those that want ad supported applications so they can give away their applications. Free applications attract far more customers than paid ones, but developers still need to make money for their time and effort. Without advertising, this won’t happen like it should. Considering the fact that Google is in the ad business, you would think that they would have had this out and ready to go the second android launched. Clearly, Google lacks focus and dedication to Android.
If Google became truly focused and dedicated to Android, I think that within a year, it could be ahead of the iPhone, but until that happens, the only advantage they have is the ability to put their OS on many phones. Wake up Google!
Global Geek News Podcast #26
Jun 10th
Here are the shownotes for episode #26 for the Global Geek News Podcast.
Help support us with a $5/mo subscription!

Stories:
- Russia launches anti-trust probe against Microsoft
- Snow Leopard to launch in September at the upgrade price of $29
- 50,000 Palm Pres sold and 150,000 apps downloaded so far
- Murder caught because of his “no cellphone left behind” policy
- The Pirate Party wins big in EU elections and likely gets 2 seats
- Publishers want a slice of the used game market
- Nintendo: We could be stuck with the Wii for 8 more years
- Most blogs now abandoned
- Super Chirp brings paid streams to Twitter
- 80% of Twitter accounts have less than 10 followers
Hosts: Jeremy Bray and Wesley Faulkner









