Amazing deals at Staples. ACT FAST.

Staples.com is offering some fantastic deals on a wide variety of refurbished electronic equipment, including printers, multi-function machines, a GPS, a scanner, a portable DVD player and more.

Prices are generally less than half the new price, and even lower than the regular price for refurbs. CLICK

AMAZING: a rental car company that doesn't rip you off on gas charges

Two of the most annoying travel rip-offs have been the price for making long-distance calls from a hotel room, and the price for filling up the gas tank when you return a rental car.

A couple of times I nearly missed my flight because I was racing around trying to find a gas station before turning in a car at an airport.

Cellphones have largely eliminated the need to pay to use the phones in hotel rooms, and now Enterprise Rent-A-Car has made a major move to eliminate the sting of returning a car.

They have a new program that charges in the same range as local gas stations, or even less. Earlier this year I stumbled on an amazing bargain -- Enterprise was charging 30 cents less per gallon than nearby gas stations.

So, if you've been renting from Enterprise but automatically reject their gas plan, change your strategy. And if you've been using another company, you now have a good reason to try Enterprise. I've been using them for years, for both local rentals when my car is being serviced, and on out-of-town trips. Prices are fair and service is excellent -- including free pick-up and drop-off.

I don't know if the gas deal is available at all Enterprise locations, so if it isn't offered, ask. One time I was at a location that I knew had the deal, but it wasn't offered to me. Fortunately I knew to ask.

CLICK for their website or call 1-800-261-7331. Join their free "Members Benefit Program Plus." You'll get faster service and email notification of special deals. The company has a wide variety of vehicles, optional GPSes, and also sells low-mi used cars. They have more than 7,000 rental locations, so there's probably one near you, or where you're going.

A good reason to become a cop in Italy

Traffic police patrolling a highway in southern Italy have a new employee benefit, driving the force's first Lamborghini Gallardo.

The gift from Lamborghini, in blue and white and marked with the word "Polizia", has a top speed of 192mph. It should have the edge in any chase on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway. However, the car is just as likely to be used for emergency deliveries such as human organs for transplant.

The sleek two-seater, topped with a flashing blue light, has a six-speed tranny and a 500-horsepower engine designed to make the Lambo go from zero to 60mph in four seconds.

Donated by the Lamborghini factory in Bologna, its list price is $165,000, making it unlikely that the Italian police force will actually buy any. (info from the BBC)

Blu-ray player prices dropping

If you've held off on buying a Blu-ray player because they cost $400, or -- if like me -- you're an early adopter who paid $1,000 and are ready for a second or third player for another part of the house, there's good news.

Electronics manufacturers and retail chains are slashing prices of Blu-ray players in a bid to boost adoption of the high-def movie format, which has yet to catch on with American consumers.

Entry-level Blu-ray players have dropped to below $230 at major retailers including Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Some experts predict that promotional prices may fall below $150 on Black Friday, the big shopping day after Thanksgiving. Earlier this year, most Blu-ray players retailed for $400 or so.

Industry analysts believe stores may have been overly optimistic in ordering Blu-ray players for the holiday season. That's another factor behind the price cuts, especially since some older models in retailer inventories can't connect to the Internet, which is necessary to tap interactive features on some Blu-ray discs.

There is another motive for markdowns. Manufacturers and retailers want to speed the adoption of Blu-ray before digital-movie downloads and video on demand overtake movie disc sales and rentals -- a looming development that already may be damping sales.

Blu-ray movies depict images in 1,080 lines of resolution compared to 480 for DVDs. They were expected to make up a bigger slice of disc sales after Blu-ray won the backing of Hollywood studios earlier this year over the rival HD-DVD technology. But as of last month, only 4% of U.S. movie disc sales were Blu-ray, according to Nielsen VideoScan. Many consumers remain happy with mainstream DVDs, and "upconverting" DVD players that cost less than $100 can boost the image quality to a level that many consumers can't distinguish from Blu-ray.

Big-box retailers rely on sales of movie discs, not just because of the profit they generate, but because they lure customers into showrooms where they may be enticed to buy other items.

Sales of DVD discs have begun to decline, however, and Blu-ray has yet to take up the slack, leading some analysts to conclude that retailers risk losing sales to movie downloads, much as they lost CD sales to music downloads.

Cable-TV, phone and satellite providers as well as electronics makers are still piecing together the infrastructure and alliances necessary to offer a large library of downloadable and video-on-demand movies and TV shows in high definition. But as soon as that happens, "Blu-ray is done," predicted Rob Enderle, an analyst who advises companies including Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard on technology trends. "Retailers have every reason to be worried."

Blu-ray boosters remain optimistic that they will see a consumer breakthrough this Christmas season. They note that retailers are devoting generous shelf space to showcasing the technology, despite the soured economy.

The vast majority of the estimated 6.5 million Blu-ray devices now in US households are Sony Playstation 3 game consoles, rather than dedicated movie players. The Playstation 3 can play Blu-ray discs, but surveys show that gamers are not buying many Blu-ray movies.

The challenge for retailers such as Wal-Mart, which has been featuring eye-catching Blu-ray kiosks alongside inexpensive DVD players, is how to balance promoting the new technology with providing the DVD values that consumers crave in the current economy.

"We expect to see continued interest in Blu-ray this year as more people continue to embrace HDTV," said Kevin O'Conner, Wal-Mart's vice president of consumer electronics, adding, "We will continue to grow Blu-ray in line with the customer's desire." (info from The Wall Street Journal)

Cheapie DTV converter and rabbit earschange shitbox TV into super TV

My parents have cable TV in three rooms of their condominium home in Florida. They also have a TV in their kitchen. Unfortunately, the kitchen was not pre-wired for TV diring construction. And like most Florida homes, their home has no basement; and another family lives above them. It would have been difficult and messy to snake cable from another room to the kitchen, so for 15 years they've been using rabbit ears in the kitchen and settled for shittty reception, on just a few channels.

The arrival of digital television (DTV) has made a big change.

I got them a $40 coupon from the Feds, which they used toward the purchase of a $60 DTV converter from RadioShack, and the improvement is absolutely amazing. With no upgrade in antenna and no effort to aim it for optimum reception, they are getting about 20 channels in crystal-clear, perfect color.

The transition to digital television is happening on February 17, 2009, so if you or anyone you know is still dependent on regular terrestrial TV broadcasters (not cable or satellite or phone company TV service), and you or they don't have a TV that was built to receive digital signals, you'll need a box like this.

I normally don't review low-tech stuff, but I was so impressed with the results, I thought I'd tell you about it. The model is the Digital Stream DTX9950. It has a decent remote control that handles both TV and converter functions, but there is no channel display on the box. There are other similar boxes from other sources that are probably just as good, and may have fancier features.

Dell PCs available loaded with movies and music

Dell has a new preloaded movie service that will allow direct-buy customers to customize select PCs with exclusive pre-installed movie bundles. Music bundles are also available.

Dell is kicking off the program with a special edition of Iron Man with a bonus featurette, preloaded on select factory-direct Inspiron, Dell Studio and XPS laptops and desktops. The movie will be available for a fee of $20 and can be ordered through www.dell.com/movies.

Dell plans to expand its entertainment selections in the future, and continually refresh the offerings. Movie bundle 3-packs start at $25. Music compilations start at $25 for a 50 song bundle or $45 for a 100 song bundle. Additional titles can be downloaded from Dell after a PC is purchased. CLICK. (info from TWICE)

Samsung Blu-ray players will download from Netflix

Two Samsung Blu-ray DVD players can retrieve movies and TV shows from Netflix's Internet streaming service.

The deal, to be announced Thursday, could set the stage for Netflix to embed software connecting to its streaming service directly into television sets made by Samsung. In a statement, Netflix and Samsung said they are planning to plant the streaming capability in a variety of home entertainment products.

LG Electronics began selling a $350 Blu-ray player with Netflix streaming earlier this month.

Netflix currently has nearly 8.7 million subscribers, most of whom still go online to request DVD rentals that are mailed to them a day or two later. But the company has been trying to provide more instant gratification with service that sends movies and TV shows over high-speed Internet connections in less than a minute.

After a slow start, the "Watch Instantly" service has been become more popular as Netflix expanded the selection to include more recent titles and forged various partnerships that have made it easier to watch on a big-screen TV instead of being tethered to a personal computer.

Samsung's connection to the Netflix service will work through two Blu-ray models, the BD-P2500 and BD-P2550, that have already been on the market. People who own those models will need a free software upgrade to make the players compatible with Netflix's streaming service. Future models will have the Netflix feature built in.

Fetching the movies and TV shows from a streaming library of more than 12,000 titles requires a minimum subscription of $8.99 per month that also includes DVD rentals delivered through the mail.

Netflix is aiming to make access to its streaming service a standard feature in all Blu-ray players, much like Dolby audio noise reduction became a staple in tape recorders. (info from The Associated Press)

Cool inexpensive phones from Sprint

Sprint just announced the availability of the Samsung Rant and Samsung Highnote, both exclusive to Sprint. Both phones use Sprint's Now Network, which features the "Simply Everything" price plan and Mobile Broadband's immediate access to exclusive content including NFL Mobile Live.

Samsung Rant costs $49.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Samsung Highnote is priced at $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Both devices can now be purchased at www.sprint.com, 1-800-SPRINT1 and Sprint retail locations.

Samsung Rant and Samsung Highnote are among the first devices to feature Sprint's new One Click customizable user interface, which was awarded Best Overall Product of CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment 2008. Samsung Rant was honored as Best Cellphone of CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment 2008.

Samsung Rant is the first device to debut at less than $50 offering the fast data speeds of Sprint's mobile broadband network (3G), Sprint-exclusive content and innovative applications all at a price previously available only on basic, voice-only devices. It features a smooth horizontal slide with a full QWERTY keyboard making it easy to send email or text messages. Samsung Rant is available in red or black, with Best Buy offering an exclusive purple color option.

The music-focused Samsung Highnote slides up to reveal a dial pad and slides down to showcase its stereo speakers. Its unique scroll wheel makes it smooth to use. Samsung Highnote is available in red or blue.

One Click gives users of either device the ability to easily access the features they use most in just one step. One Click allows users to personalize their home screen and bring the Now Network right to their fingertips by selecting and organizing features and content such as text messaging, Google search, Sprint Navigation, email, favorite Web sites, music and call log.

One Click makes it easy for users to access advanced features including Sprint TV with an extensive selection of live and on-demand programming, Sprint Music Store offering over-the-air downloads of full-length songs and Sprint Radio with more than 150 channels. Sprint Navigation with GPS-enabled audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions and Sprint Mobile Email for access to POP3 email including AOL, Yahoo!, Windows Live and Gmail as well as corporate email are both just one-step away through the One Click interactive carousel.

One Click allows users to access Google on their home screen so they can take advantage of the high speed of the Now Network to search the Internet and access other Google services in just one step. People can use One Click to add shortcuts to their favorite Internet sites so they can be accessed directly from the home screen, and have the ability to download applications and services from the Web without restrictions.

Additional features of both Rant and Highnote include a 2.0 MP camera/camcorder, stereo Bluetooth with audible caller ID, expandable memory up to 16 GB and speaker-independent voice recognition. Samsung Highnote has a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack.

Customers purchasing devices at Sprint retail locations can get the most out of their phone by having it personalized just for them before they leave the store. With Ready Now, Sprint retail associates work with new or existing customers to explain, set up and demonstrate the features and applications of their new phone.

Sprint's Ready Now program is a first in the industry - no other wireless company offers a similar customer experience. The service is available whenever the customer wants it; however, only existing Sprint customers have the option to schedule an appointment online by visiting www.sprint.com/readynow.

To take advantage of all the great features on these new phones without having to worry about additional monthly charges, Sprint customers can sign up for the $99.99 Simply Everything plan, which includes unlimited domestic calling, messaging, email, Web surfing, GPS navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV Premier, NFL Mobile Live, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, Direct Connect and Group Connect on compatible phones. The Simply Everything plan is available to current customers without renewing their contract. New service requires a two-year agreement.

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This is a preview, not a review.

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Gerber's zwieback sucks

I have previously praised the excellent zwieback toast sticks made by Nabisco. Although it's allegedly a teething aid made for babies, I've enjoyed zwieback as a treat all of my life.

I assume that when my teeth are gone and I'm unable to chew, I'll suck on them until they become a mass of mush that I can swallow. Unfortunately, my most recent experience with zwieback sucks.

The medical definition of Zwieback is "sweetened bread that has been baked twice, preferred for infant feeding during teething."

It's baked as a loaf, which is then sliced into individual pieces that are baked again. (The more accurate name is zweiback from the German words meaning "twice baked.")

Zwieback is about the size and shape of two adult fingers, golden-brown and crunchy, with a mild cinnamon taste. Babies love it. I love it. My dog loves it.

I've always eaten the Nabisco version, but when I went into my local Shoprite supermarket on Friday, they only had the "Gerber Graduates" version.

It's much too sweet, and much too soft. A baby might like it. My dog liked it, but he'll willingly devour almost anything. I bought two boxes, but one is going back.

I hope I can find Nabisco again. It's much better for big babies like me.

Circuit City promises same prices through all channels

Just days after a KeyBanc financial analyst predicted that Circuit City would be bankrupt next year, the teetering electronics chain has announced a new program which pledges that shoppers will get the same price for merchandise in stores, online or by phone.

According to the company, "One Price Promise will be the focus of Circuit City's marketing program through the holidays and is a powerful pledge in a national retail environment that all too often favors special deals that are hidden to many shoppers. In fact, new nationwide research shows that nearly half of consumers surveyed (47%) believe retailers post different prices for the same merchandise in their stores and on their websites. Moreover, more than half of shoppers (51%) said they would place more trust in a retailer who offered the same prices on the web and in their stores."

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Personal bias revealed: I hope Circuit City survives because I would not like market leader Best Buy to inherit all of the big box consumer electronics business. Actually I don't like shopping in either chain, but the chance of a third super-power eclipsing them is remote. RadioShack tried with Incredible Universe, and failed. Lechmere, The Wiz and Crazy Eddie are gone. From my personal experience, BB's people are nastier and lazier than CC's people, but CC's people are more ignorant and less honest. Aah... fuck 'em all. I prefer a store with people who are knowledgeable and nice, like Tweeter.

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New MacBooks from Apple

Yesterday Apple unveiled an all-new MacBook family, and also a lower entry price.

The new MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro both have a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, resulting in thinner, more durable and better looking designs. In addition, every member of the new MacBook family includes state of the art NVIDIA graphics, instant-on LED-backlit displays and new large glass Multi-Touch™ trackpads that offer almost 40 percent more tracking area and support more Multi-Touch gestures.

The entire new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold and RoHS environmental standards, and is said to lead the industry in the elimination of toxic chemicals by containing no brominated flame retardants, using only PVC-free internal cables and components, and using energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass.

“Apple has invented a whole new way of building notebooks from a single block of aluminum. And, just as important, they are the industry’s greenest notebooks,” said Apple boss Steve Jobs. “The new MacBooks offer incredible features our users will love —like their stunning all-metal design, great 3D graphics and LED backlit displays—at prices up to $700 less than before.”

The new MacBook line features the powerful new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, a new 3D integrated graphics processor that features 16 parallel processing cores and delivers up to five times the 3D graphics performance as previous MacBook and MacBook Air™ designs. Apple has worked together with NVIDIA on this groundbreaking graphics processor and is the first to bring it to market in the new MacBook family.

The new smooth glass Multi-Touch trackpad on the MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro gives users almost 40 percent more tracking area than before, making it even easier to use Multi-Touch gestures like pinch, rotate and swipe. New gestures allow users to activate Exposé® or switch between applications at the touch of a fingertip. The entire trackpad surface is also a button, allowing users to both track and click virtually anywhere on the trackpad. Users can easily enable multiple virtual buttons in software, such as right-clicking.

Every member of the new MacBook family features an LED-backlit display for brilliant instant-on performance that uses up to 30 percent less energy than its predecessor and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights. The ultra-thin displays provide crisp images and vivid colors which are ideal for viewing photos and movies, and the edge-to-edge cover glass creates a smooth, seamless surface. Every display in the new MacBook line uses completely arsenic-free glass.

The new MacBook delivers the top three features that MacBook customers have told us they want in a new MacBook—an all metal enclosure, high performance 3D graphics and LED-backlit displays—at an entry price that is $700 less than the $1,999 price of the MacBook Pro. At only 0.95-inches thin and weighing just 4.5 pounds, the new 13-inch full featured aluminum MacBook is a compact and durable notebook starting at just $1,299. Featuring the new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor, MacBook delivers outstanding 3D game play on a consumer notebook, with up to five times faster graphics performance than the previous generation. The new MacBook is available in two models: the 2.0 GHz MacBook with a 160GB 5400 rpm hard drive, and the 2.4 GHz MacBook with a 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive and a backlit keyboard.

The powerful new 15-inch MacBook Pro at only 0.95-inches thin and weighing just 5.5 pounds offers high performance and extensive expansion features in a remarkably portable design. Starting at $1,999, the MacBook Pro uses the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors available, running up to 2.8 GHz, and a new graphics architecture that allows users to switch between the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance. The new MacBook Pro is available in two models: a 2.4 GHz model with a 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive and a 2.53 GHz model with a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive.

Apple also updated MacBook Air and the 17-inch MacBook Pro. MacBook Air, measuring only 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, 0.76-inches at its maximum height and weighing just three pounds, now includes new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a faster architecture to provide robust support for 3D games and enhanced performance. Starting at $1,799, MacBook Air is available with a 120GB 4200 rpm hard drive, a 50 percent increase from the previous generation, or a new 128GB solid state drive. The updated 17-inch MacBook Pro keeps its original aluminum design, and now comes standard with a high resolution 1920 x 1200 LED-backlit display and a larger 320GB hard drive or an optional 128GB solid state drive.

Every model of the new MacBook family achieves EPEAT Gold status. Each MacBook unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements, contains no brominated flame retardants and uses internal cables and components that are PVC-free.

The new MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air include a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with a built-in iSight® video camera, mic and speakers in an elegant, thin aluminum and glass enclosure. Part of the next-generation DisplayPort industry standard, the new Mini DisplayPort delivers a pure digital signal that can drive up to a 30-inch widescreen display. The Mini DisplayPort is ultra-compact at just 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector, perfect for the sleek design of the new MacBook family. Adapters are available for using the MacBook’s Mini DisplayPort with older generation VGA, DVI/HDMI and Dual-Link DVI displays.

Every Mac® in the Apple lineup comes with iLife® ‘08, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring iPhoto®, the easiest, fastest way to organize and share digital photos, and a completely reinvented iMovie®, both seamlessly integrated with the MobileMe™ Gallery for online photo and video sharing.** Every Mac also includes Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system which features Time Machine™, an easy way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder™ that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, the best way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces®, an intuitive feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; and major enhancements to Mail and iChat®.

The new MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro and 17-inch MacBook Pro are now shipping and the new MacBook Air will be available in early November through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. An updated 13-inch white MacBook featuring 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors, a 120GB 5400 rpm hard drive and a slot-load 8X SuperDrive® is now available for $999 (US).

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,599 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 250GB 5400 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 video memory;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire® 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.53 GHz aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;
320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 250GB 7200 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm or a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit high resolution 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
120GB serial ATA hard drive running at 4200 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
128GB solid state drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options and accessories for the MacBook Air include the MacBook Air SuperDrive, Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple Remote and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 2.5GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:

17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200 glossy display;
2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
800 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 512MB with GDDR3 video memory;
320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
DVI output port for video output (VGA adapter included);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
three USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, anti-glare display, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

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This is a preview, not a review.

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Pentax cuts camera prices

Pentax has lowered the price of its flagship digital SLR and waterproof compact camera.

The Pentax K20D, initially launched at $1,299 (body only), comes down to a body-only price of $999. The K20D features a 14-megapixel image sensor developed for Pentax by Samsung. The K20D offers a 2.7-inch LCD display with 230,000-dot resolution and a live-view mode. It has the ability to make custom adjustments to five scene modes within the camera, including adjustments to saturation, hue, contrast and sharpness. It is offers ISO 6,400, a CCD-shifting image stabilization system, an 11-point autofocus and 16 segment metering. It is capable of continuous shooting at 2.8 fps to 38 high-resolution JPEG images or 16 RAW files (in the DNG format).

The Optio W60, originally $329, will be reduced to a suggested $299 price. It is waterproof up to 13 feet and can remain submerged for up to two hours. It has a 5x optical zoom lens (28mm to 140mm, 35mm equiv.), a 2.5-inch display and can also be used in sub-zero temperatures. The W60 can record HD video at 1,280 by 720 resolution and offers a face-detection mode capable of recognizing up to 32 faces in a frame in 0.03 seconds. A smile-capture mode will only record an image when a subject is smiling while blink detection will warn consumers when a subject’s eyes are closed. The camera also features an auto picture mode, which automatically selects one of seven scene modes that best fit the shooting environment, along with 36MB of internal memory, panorama stitching and ISO 6,400. (info from TWICE)

Car mirror has GPS, Bluetooth, backup video

The Azentek SmartMirror is a rearview mirror with integrated GPS navigation, Bluetooth hands-free cellular connectivity, and backup camera capability. It offers the technology features that people want without changing the appearance of the car's dashboard.

The SmartMirror SM-450 is priced at $799 and features GPS navigation, Samsung 400Mhz processor, 2GB SD card for storing maps, pictures, and e-books, 4.0” Touch Screen LCD monitor, Integrated speaker, Built-in Bluetooth functions including Bluetooth hands free phone, Call History log, and Auto call answering.

General Features
- Rearview mirror with integrated GPS Navigation
- Samsung S3C244OA-400MHZ processor
- 64MB internal memory
- 2GB SD card for storing Maps, Pictures, and e-Books
- Built on Windows CE .NET 4.2
- Built-in GPS receiver with highly-sensitive (16 channels)
dual antenna design
- 4.0” Touch screen LCD monitor with 16:9 aspect ratio
- Integrated speaker
- Built-in Bluetooth functions: Hands-free phone, Incoming caller ID display on screen, Call History Log, Manual/Auto call answering
- (2) Video inputs with reverse camera input sensing
- Storage temperature: -65 to +150 degrees Fahrenheit

Navigation
- Navigon Mobile Navigator 6.5
- Lane Assistant and Reality View™ for extra guidance
- Spoken street names via text-to-speech
- Intuitive menus and stunning 2D and 3D maps
- Easy-to-read map views that adapt to your needs

CLICK for more information.

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This is a preview, not a review.

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Tivoli radios:full-size sound from itty-bitty boxes

Because of the success of the Walkman and the iPod, and their imitators, it's hard to find a compact-size portable radio with a speaker, particularly one that sounds good.

Fortunately, for those who don't want to wear headphones or earbuds, or who do want to share the music, Tivoli Audio makes some some excellent, innovative and stylish portables that actually have speakers.

Don't be put-off by the small size of the Tivoli radios. They can easily fill a room with glorious music, and you can have fun fooling people into thinking they're hearing your big-buck audio system, when the sound is really coming from something the size of a Kleenex box.

You can choose from several models. I have an analog-tuning "PAL" (Personal Audio Laboratory, $150) in my kitchen, that sometimes goes out on my rear deck. I also have a digital-tuning SongBook ($160) in my bathroom, and I keep another one in my office, and sometimes take it on vacations.

Both models have weather-resistant, rubberized cabinets (for most colors), auxiliary inputs, and can use rechargeable batteries (standard on PAL, optional on SongBook), or a 12VDC power source, or an AC adapter. Although both radios merge left and right channels through their single speakers, you can plug in stereo headphones for full channel separation.

The more expensive SongBook does not come equipped with rechargeable batteries, but it does have features that PAL doesn't have: five preset tuning buttons, a wakeup alarm, cool-blue illuminated display, and even a hang-up slot. It does not have the convenient finger-grip slot that PAL has; but it should, because unless you hold it tightly, it can slide out of your hand.

The SongBook's volume conrol knob is a particularly stupid design. It has a slippery texture and a tapered shape, and if you try to grip it tightly to adjust the sound, your fingers slip and you lose your grip! PAL's knobs are much easier to use; and instead of a digital display and electronic tuning, it has a retro vernier tuning dial with LED signal strength indicator. A $300 variation of the SongBook includes a flip-down iPod dock, and second speaker.

The whole family of products offers sensitive and selective tuning, and super-sweet sound; and I recommend them highly, despite my minor criticisms. Tivoli portable and non-portable radios are available at Target, Best Buy, Tweeter and other audio specialists. CLICK for the manufacturer's website.

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GEEK TRIVIA: The PAL ("Personal Audio Laboratory") was designed by audio pioneer Henry Kloss (rhymes with gross). Henry's long history with audio began in the early 1950's when he built speaker cabinets for fellow MIT students. Henry dropped out, and co-founded Acoustic Research, where he helped develop the first acoustic suspension speaker. Next came KLH (the "K" stands for Kloss), and the Model Eight, the first highly sensitive FM table radio. Later at Advent (where I met him when I worked for Rolling Stone), Henry developed one of the first projection televisions (an Emmy winner), and one of the first consumer cassette decks with Dolby noise reduction. Next came Kloss Video in 1977, and Cambridge SoundWorks in 1988, with long-time associate Tom DeVesto. In 2000, at the age of 70, Henry emerged from retirement to once again work with DeVesto at Tivoli. Henry died in 2002.

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NOTE TO TIVOLI: After I had my PAL for a couple of years, it developed an intermittent audio problem. The sound would suddenly crackle for a few seconds, and then music would be replaced by silence. I'd thump it on the table, and the music would come back. When the thump-to-thump interval increased to the point where I was really annoyed, I called Tivoli to find out the procedure for getting it fixed. The Tivolian wanted my serial number. I questioned that, because the radio was clearly out of warranty, and I did not expect a free fix. Mr. Tiv said he would not give me a return authorization without the serial number. My radio was two flights down, so I said I'd call back. By the time I walked down two flights of stairs and back up, I was pissed-off enough to open the PAL and re-solder the speaker wires myself. The repair took less than a minute, and I saved about $50!

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2010 Fords will offer parental control

My Mother the Car was an NBC TV sitcom on the air in the 1965-66 season. TV Guide proclaimed it to be the second-worst TV show of all time, just behind The Jerry Springer Show.

The show followed the life of David Crabtree (played by Jerry Van Dyke), who, while shopping at a used car lot for a station wagon, instead bought a ratty 1928 "Porter."

Crabtree heard the car call his name in a woman's voice which turned out to be that of his deceased mother Gladys (voiced by Ann Sothern). The car was a reincarnation of his mother who talked (only to Crabtree) through the car's radio. The dial light flashed in sequence with "Mother's" voice.

Anyway, starting in 2002, Ford will be updating the '28 Porter with some electronic parenting in the form af a computer chip. It can keep your kids from driving over 80MPH, keep them from blasting the stereo, and make an annoying sound if they don't buckle up.

"Our message to parents is, hey, we are providing you some conditions to give your new drivers that may allow you to feel a little more comfortable in giving them the car more often," said Jim Buczkowski, Ford's director of electronic and electrical systems engineering.

The feature, called "MyKey," will be standard on some Ford models when the 2010 cars and trucks come out late next summer. The feature will spread to the entire Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lineup as models are updated.

Ford arrived at the 80 mph limit even though freeway speed limits are lower in most states because it wanted to leave a margin in case an unusual situation arises, Buczkowski said. In some states, freeway speed limits are above 70 mph, Sherwood said.

The company already uses computer chips in its keys to prevent thefts. The car won't start unless it recognizes the chip in the key. "It's making use of existing technology, and through the magic of software, we're able to build features on top of the features we already have," Buczkowski said.

In addition to speed limits, MyKey also will limit the volume of the audio system, and it will sound a six-second chime every minute if seat belts are not fastened. The chime sounds for adult drivers, too, but ends after five minutes to avoid annoying adults who adamantly don't want to wear seat belts, Buczkowski said.

Parents also have the option of having the car sound a chime if the teen exceeds 45, 55 or 65 mph. The feature will debut on the 2010 Focus compact car and quickly move to other company models as a standard feature.

Ford said its market research shows 75 percent of parents like the speed and audio limits, but as you might expect, 67 percent of teens don't like them.

Ford's research shows that parents would be more likely to let teens use their vehicles with the system, Sherwood said, and if it gets them the car more often, the number of teens objecting drops by nearly half.

Several US. auto insurers have begun offering in-car cameras or global positioning equipment to help parents monitor their teens' driving behavior, in the hope of reducing the number of crashes. (info from The Associated Press & Wikipedia)

Blackberry Storm has clickable touch-screen

Verizon Wireless, Vodafone and Research In Motion today announced that the BlackBerry® Storm™ will be available later this fall, exclusively to Verizon Wireless customers in the US. and Vodafone customers in Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Designed to satisfy the needs of both consumers and business customers, the BlackBerry Storm smartphone combines the communications features, global connectivity and personal productivity advantages of the BlackBerry® platform with a new touch-screen technology that dramatically enhances the touch interface and enables easy and precise typing. The world's first “clickable” touch-screen responds much like a physical keyboard and also supports single-touch, multi-touch and gestures for intuitive and efficient application navigation.

In the US, Verizon customers will benefit from the company's high-speed 3G Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network for Internet browsing and multimedia applications. In Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand, Vodafone will support customers with its high-speed 3G mobile broadband networks.

The BlackBerry Storm smartphone comes with an innovative touch-screen that actually depresses ever so slightly when the screen is pressed. The user distinctly feels the screen being pressed and released with a gentle “click,” similar to the feeling of a key on a physical keyboard or a button on a mouse. The “clickable” touch-screen gives the user positive confirmation that they have made a selection and the result is a dramatically enhanced touch interface and a highly-intuitive typing experience.

In addition to the familiar navigation keys (“phone,” “menu” and “escape”) that are common to other BlackBerry smartphones, the new BlackBerry Storm adds support for multi-touches, taps, slides and other touch-screen gestures, so customers can easily highlight, scroll, pan and zoom for smooth navigation.

The BlackBerry Storm smartphone also features a built-in accelerometer, allowing its touch-screen to automatically switch between landscape mode and portrait mode as the user rotates the handset – RIM’s SureType® keyboard layout is available in portrait mode and a full QWERTY* keyboard layout is available in landscape mode. Other relevant features, such as cut and paste, are only a touch away for the ultimate smartphone experience.

The BlackBerry Storm is a top-of-the-line 3G mobile phone with premium features and global connectivity. In the U.S., the BlackBerry Storm 9530 gives Verizon Wireless customers 3G EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA technology – and (2100Mhz) UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM for global use. The BlackBerry Storm 9500 from Vodafone supports (2100Mhz) UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks.

Customers can enjoy a full HTML high-performance browser that works in either portrait or landscape orientation. Navigating Websites should be fast and easy with the touch-screen interface that lets users double tap to zoom in and slide their fingers to scroll and pan.

Icons along the bottom of the display allow for quickly accessing Web sites, switching between “Page View” and “Column View” as well as the ability to toggle between “Pan” mode and “Cursor” mode. The enhanced browser supports file downloading, streaming audio and video (RTSP), and with its built-in RSS support, new content from supported Web sites can be automatically pushed to the user.

The BlackBerry Storm smartphone supports personal and corporate e-mail and text (SMS), picture (MMS) and instant (IM) messaging on the most prevalent consumer and enterprise platforms, as well as easy access to popular social networking sites.

The BlackBerry Storm smartphone also includes the following features and functions:

BlackBerry® Internet Service, BlackBerry® Unite!, BlackBerry® Professional Software and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support Preloaded DataViz® Documents to Go® allows users to edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset 3.2 megapixel camera with variable zoom, auto focus and a powerful flash that also provides continuous lighting when recording video. Built-in GPS supports location-based applications and services, as well as geotagging of photos.
1 GB of onboard memory storage and a microSD™/SDHD memory card slot that supports up to 16 GB of additional storage. Media player that can play movies smoothly in full-screen mode, display pictures and slideshows quickly and manage an entire music collection; playlists can be created directly on the handset and there’s an equalizer with 11 preset filters – including “Lounge,” “Jazz” and “Hip Hop” – for customized audio ranges when using wired headphones or external speakers.
A 3.5 mm stereo headset jack, support for Bluetooth® stereo audio profile (A2DP/AVRCP) and dedicated volume controls. Sleek, elegant design with contoured corners, stainless steel back and chrome accents surrounding its large (3.25") glass lens; its exceptional 480 x 360 resolution at 184 ppi is said to be crisp and bright. An ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts backlighting for ideal screen viewing and an accelerometer that allows customers to view applications in either portrait or landscape mode by simply rotating the handset. Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery that provides approximately six hours of talk time on 3G networks and 15 days of standby time. Additional details related to availability and pricing will be announced in the coming weeks. To learn more or register to be notified when the BlackBerry Storm is available, visit www.blackberry.com/storm, www.verizonwireless.com/storm or www.vodafone.co.uk/storm.

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This is a preview, not a review.

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New Sony freebie club program

Today Sony Pictures Entertainment is launching a new loyalty program called the Sony Pictures Blu-ray Club, giving points to people who purchase Sony Blu-ray Disc titles with BD-Live bonus features. The points can be used with the Sony Rewards program for Sony products and prizes.

The effort was also timed to give a little extra promotion to the new home video release of “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan.”

To join the free Sony Pictures Blu-ray Club, people can create a user profile on BD-Live — accessible via their network-connected Blu-ray player — or at www.sonyrewards.com/bluray.

Club members earn points by registering their Sony Blu-ray Hi-Def movies when connected to BD-Live. Once the title is registered, the user’s Sony Rewards account balance will be automatically credited. Points and rewards can be managed online at the Sony Rewards Website, where members can log in and chart their progress to earning Sony product and prizes. Members can also use their points to participate in activities and sweepstakes. (info from TWICE)

Zwieback is great for big babies, too.

The medical definition of Zwieback is "sweetened bread that has been baked twice, preferred for infant feeding during teething."

It's baked as a loaf, which is then sliced into individual pieces that are baked again. (The more accurate name is zweiback from the German words meaning "twice baked.")

Anyway, my definition is "YUM."

Zwieback is about the size and shape of two adult fingers, golden-brown and crunchy, with a mild cinnamon taste. Babies love it. I love it. My dog loves it.

I don't remember if I ate it as a baby, but I love it as an adult. I've always eaten the Nabisco version, but apparently it's also sold by the Gerber baby food people.

It's great straight, right from the box. Or smear on some butter, margarine, salsa or peanut butter. You can also crush it and use it in or on cakes and other deserts.

It's definitely high on the list of comfort foods. If you can't find it in the cookie and cracker section of your supermarket, look in the baby section. Buy at least two boxes.

New Sony e-book Reader

Sony's newest digital book Reader has an interactive touch screen display, allowing "the most intuitive digital reading experience to date" according to the company. The new model, PRS-700, will join the PRS-505 model in the Reader family to give consumers a choice of how they would like to read electronically.

A six-inch display allows readers to flip pages with the slide of a finger. In addition, readers can easily search terms within a document or book, create notes using the virtual keyboard and highlight text with the included stylus pen.

Five pre-set text sizes are available so readers can find the one most comfortable for them and for those who need an even closer look, zooming in is as easy as tapping the screen.

The reader features high-resolution, high contrast electronic paper display technology which provides a reading experience akin to ink-on-paper. The result is crisp text and graphics said to be highly readable, even in bright sunlight. For times when ambient light is not available, there is a built-in LED reading light.

Expanded memory offers enough capacity to store about 350 average digital books. Using optional removable Memory Stick Duo media or SD memory cards, this Reader can hold literally thousands of books and documents.

Like its close relative the PRS-505model, the new 700 model uses minimal power and can sustain up to 7,500 pages of continuous reading on a single battery charge. It supports multiple file formats for eBooks, personal documents and music. With the included eBook Library 2.5 PC software, you can easily transfer Adobe PDF documents with reflow capability, Microsoft Word documents, BBeB files and other text file formats to the Reader. The device can store and display EPUB files and work with Adobe Digital Editions software, opening it up to almost a limitless quantity of content.

Sony’s eBook store will also have a new face. This month, a re-designed page layout with more prominent book cover art will improve the overall visual appeal of the site. A streamlined checkout process along with updated search and discovery make finding and purchasing an eBook a breeze.

The new Reader will be available next month for about $400. It will come complete with a USB cable, eBook Library PC companion software and a color-coordinated, protective soft cover. Both the PRS-505 and the PRS-700 models along with their optional accessories can be purchased direct through http://www.sonystyle.com/, at more than 40 Sony Style® stores nationwide and at authorized retailers across the country.

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This is a preview, not a review.

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