All Entries Tagged With: "Tech News"
ABC Is First To Offer Live ‘TV’ Streaming to iPhones
If you want to see television on-the-go and via your iPhone, now you have the chance. Live streaming has been available for several years, but mainly through third party applications. Now, one major network will begin streaming their television programs straight to iPhones.
According to the Wallstreet Journal, ABC will be the first network to offer live streaming to public TV stations. The network is currently streaming The View in New York and Philadelphia. It is not known if other major cities will evetually be added. For now, local residents can have the luxury to go about their daily routine and still be able to catch their favorite ABC television programs.
Learn more about this new development in the video below.
Founder of BET Launches New Urban Youtube Paid Channel “OnCue”
The uber strategic businessman and founder of Black Entertainment Televison (BET), Robert L. Johnson, announced the launch of two new paid Youtube channels. The new channels, “Acorn TV” and “OnCue”, will be two of several other channels that will fall under Youtube’s new “paid subscription” plan.
Johnson’s RLJ Entertainment will now give Youtube fans the opportunity to watch “theme-driven” videos. “OnCue”, for instance, will offer urban-only content that will showcase African-American films and digital television series. All of the videos will highlight the best in action, drama, romantic comedies/stand-up, documentaries, music, and stage plays. Content will include 35 & Ticking (starring Kevin Hart and Meagan Good), All Things Fall Apart (50 Cent & Lynn Whitfield), The Last Fall (Lance Gross), and I Ain’t Scared of You (featuring the late Bernie Mac).
RLJ Entertainment created these channels on the basis of giving audiences an alternative in digital programming. The “paid” subscription route will be profitable for shareholders, but also create an outlet for producers to air original content.
“Acorn TV” will showcase British TV-related content.
Dennis Rodman Enters the Wild Side of Online Gaming
NBA legend Dennis Rodman is a smart man. He always know how to keep his name relevant and profitable. After several stints on various television shows like Celebrity Mole, Celebrity Big Brother, and recently Trump’s All-Star Celebrity Apprentice, Rodman has switched gears from the flat screen to online.
MX Digital, the leading gaming developer, has inked a deal with Rodman to create a series of online casino games. Rodman’s celebrity and wild antics throughout his career has set him apart from other athletes. Because of this, MX Digital believed this controversial character was a perfect fit for their online games. Last week, Rodman began shooting digital footage in Miami.
“We are shooting footage with Dennis in order to bring him directly into the game. Rodman is a perfect crossover personality, and it’s exactly that personality that we’re making sure to infuse into the games. I have worked with Dennis for a long time going back to his dynasty days with the Chicago Bulls, and am excited to have him as a part of our business,” noted Eric Bischoff, part of MX Digital’s management team through Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment, the well-known Hollywood production company behind dozens of reality television shows.
Apparently, Rodman has a keen sense when it comes to tapping into huge revenue generators. The online gaming industry is a multi-million dollar industry. In the UK, especially, online gaming is quite popular. Recently, Rodman acted as spokesman for a top European operator. After his appearance, Rodman’s celebrity garnered over $1 million in online bets immediately following.
“I travel a lot in Europe, so I knew online gaming was big business,” said Rodman of his foray into the sector. “I’ve wanted to get into this part of the gaming sector for a long time, and this was a great opportunity.”
“I love the interactive element of games these days. Connecting with fans in a totally new way is what really got me excited about the project,” Rodman concluded. “I’m lucky to be in a position where I can try moving from one medium into another one, from sports, to TV, to games. And it’s great when something new like this takes off.”
MX Digital is expected to debut the Rodman series on mobile devices, online, and social networks in the summer/fall 2013.
Very Innovative…Indie Filmmaker Shoots 90min Movie Using an iPad 2
Wow…talk about innovative. The things you can do nowadays with cell phones and notebooks are amazing.
Indie filmmaker, Aaron Mento, recently saved thousands of dollars on a crew and production equipment when he geniusly thought of using his iPad 2 to create a movie. In conjunction with Ocular Migraine Productions, Mento shot the first feature length film on an iPad 2. The film is called “Standard of Living”.
An unpredictable hybrid of horror, comedy and science fiction, “Standards of Living” follows struggling stand-up comedian Peter Sayer, who is desperately unfunny and desperate to change that. One night, Mr. Randall witnesses Peter’s routine. A mysterious man who conducts teleporting experiments, Mr. Randall claims he can cause cargo to “improve” during the journey back—including Peter. Hoping the mission will make him funnier, Peter agrees to be teleported. The result is no laughing matter.
“Standard of Living” is not within industry standards, but turned out to be pretty good considering no rig, tripod, or lens were used. The iPad 2 also cut production costs way down which was great for a young indie filmmaker.
“When you’re low-budget, needing high-end equipment and an operating team can keep you from getting your story out into the world. I saw my iPad 2 one day and thought, ‘Why can’t I make my movie using that?’ ” Mento said.
For all of you indie film lovers, the movie will be released today via live stream at www.standardsoflivingmovie.com. Go check it out and let us know what you think.
1 Billion Facebook Users Invited to Bob Marley’s Worldwide Listening Party & Tribute Concert
On Wednesday April 24, Facebook users will have the opportunity to celebrate the anniversary of one of most influential artist of our time. This historic event will span across the globe servicing over 1 billion users. The event will commemorate the release of Bob Marley’s Kaya: 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition CD. The celebration will begin with the online listening party followed by a live concert broadcast from the Roxy Theater in Hollywood. His son, 5 time Grammy Award winner Ziggy Marley, will be performing.
Bob Marley & The Wailers originally released ‘Kaya’ in 1978. Universal Music Enterprise will release the 35th anniversary album on April 23. The anniversary album will feature 24-tracks all completely re-mastered. Marley’s music continues to live on an inspire. He legacy is felt deepest in this new era in which images, music, and inspirational quotes are highly regarded as one of the most followed online figures. On Facebook, for instance, Bob Marley ranks in the Top 25 of all Facebook pages garnering over 42 million fans. His page also ranks in the Top 10 of all celebrity pages. He’s sold more than 50 million records worldwide and is inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, GRAMMY Hall of Fame, and Hollywood Walk of Fame.
To honor this icon legend, join in on the fun Wednesday, starting at 7:00PM (PDT). At 9:00PM, immediately following the album stream, the FREE live concert will air. Video streaming will commence on the Facebook pages of Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, and Legends In The Cloud, as well as www.bobmarley.com and www.ziggymarley.com.
New DJ Mixer “DJM-750″ Offers More Creativity & Connectivity
Here’s a new gadget for all the DJs and aspiring ones!
The new DJM-750 was introduced recently by Pioneer Electronics Inc, as equipment that will enhance music and mixing arrangements via its 4-channel digital DJ mixer. The DJM-750 offers excellent sound quality and a professional control layout, which includes a built-in performance USB sound card and the industry’s first Boost Color FX feature. The Boost Color FX enables DJs to switch the intensity of various effects with just a rotation of the a built-in effects knob.
In addition to the Boost Color feature, the DJM-750 offers Sound Color FX (filter, crush, noice, jet) and can be matched up to the Boost Color as music is playing. Also, the Beat Effect function offers 13 different types of effects (delay, echo, spiral, reverb, trans, filter, flanger, phaser, robot, vinyl brack, slip roll, roll, and reverse roll).
The new gadget retails at $1,199. For more information about the DJM-750′s additional features and sound quality, got to www.pioneerdjusa.com.
Charlie Sheen Teams with DigiDev to Create “Charlie Sheen Cyber TV”
One of Hollywood’s most well-known misfits, Charlie Sheen, hasn’t let his outlandish antics in the past few years stop him from making stacks. Outside of his current gig on FX’s show Anger Management, he know has teamed up with an television content acquisition and distribution company to soon create new shows via the internet.
The Hollywood, California based company, Digital Development Group (DigiDev), sought out Sheen to be the spokesperson for the network, DigiDev TV. Sheen will have the responsibility of creating special content for his own channel “Charlie Sheen Cyber TV”. The channel will showcase unique and unconventional programming.
“A long time ago on a movie set far, far away, a character I once played said, ‘life all comes down to a few moment, and this is one of them.,’” says Sheen. “DigiDev is one of these moments. For years I have longed for a home and an outlet for the tsunami that is my brain. Batten down the Forbes hatches; I hope DigiDev can hold its breath for a long time.”
DigiDev thank the Sheen team members Darius McCrary (“Family Matters”), Kato Kaelin, and Jeff Ballard (Sheen’s publicist) for making this vision become a “virtual reality.”
Source: BusinessWire
Tech News: U.S. Banks Target Of “Denial-of-Service” Cyber Attack
Yesterday, several U.S. financial institutions were the target of a widespread cyber attack. The group responsible for the cyber attacks, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters, is a muslim group that decided to target banks in protest for those who considered as anti-Islam. Banks hit by the attack are (and will be) Wells Fargo, PNC, BB&T, Chase, Citibank, U.S. Bankcorp, SunTrust, and Fifth Third Bancor.
Wells Fargo, although not affected through ATMs, branches, or mobile apps, received a high volume of calls from customers stating that they experienced difficulty accessing their account info via their website. A spokesperson for Wells Fargo says customer accounts are currently safe and suggested to call their customer service line for questions.
In September 2011, Wells Fargo and other banks were the target of a cyber attack as well. Although it is not confirmed that the attacks are caused by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters group, the group does proclaim that the attacks will continue until an “Innocence of Muslims” video is removed from the internet.
We’ll keep you posted on this developing story.
What’s The Deal With #HashTags? + Facebook’s Plan To Incorporate Them
About a month ago, a “friend” on Facebook asked “why is everyone creating statuses and leaving comments with hashtags?”. It was apparent that she didn’t understand the concept of using hashtags (#). Ironically, she isn’t alone. There are quite a few less social meda savvy individuals that aren’t hip to this communication style that was created about 5 years ago on Twitter. What started out as probably a simple act of sarcasm, has now turned into a muti-billion dollar marketing method used by companies, celebrities, and everyday people.
What the hashtag does is identify a subject or thought and group them together (which makes it easier for others to connect with people/things/conversations of the same interest). As stated above, Twitter was the first social media application that saw the usage of the hashtag. The symbols’ popularity grew to the point that advertisers saw its marketing potential. Most companies will jump on anything that can and will equate to dollars. But what Twitter probably didn’t expect is that the hashtag would eventually be used on other social networking sites (i.e. Facebook, Instagram).
It was recently reported that Facebook are making plans to configure their systems to recognize the hashtag. According to WSJ, “Facebook is testing whether to follow Twitter’s lead and allow users to click on a hashtag to pull up all posts about similar topics or events so it can quickly index conversations around trending topics and build those conversations up, giving users more reason to stay logged in and see more ads.”
Since Facebook is a much larger social network than Twitter, the possibilities of securing billions in advertising revenue is the main factor why the hashtag is very important. Last year, Facebook generated $4.3 million in advertising. In comparison, Twitter only generated a fraction of that. This just adds fuel to the flame that already exists between the two.
The hashtag concept, overall, is a brilliant one. It makes searches much more convenient and less time consuming. But, will the hashtag become an aggravation like some of the other components on Facebook. For instance, Facebook timelines are congested with pop-up advertisements and pages that your friends liked. If the hashtag is incorporated, will users see all related posts and/or comments related to that subject on their timeline? Let’s hope not…because that will be an #EPICFAIL.
Russell Simmons Plan to Revolutionize Youtube with “All Def Digital”
Leave it up to Russell Simmons to find a gap in urban social media and creatively fill it up with something innovative.
According to Entreprenuer.com, the music-philanthropic-fashion-media mogul has his eyes set to revolutionize how people brand themselves on Youtube. In this “post-racial” day and age (as he calls it), Russell will launch All Def Digital. With help from Awesome Tv’s CEO Brian Robbins, the two plan to create a central place where individuals can properly manage their brand across numerous media platforms.
For “All Def Digital,” which will officially launch in the spring, Simmons is taking that penchant for churning out professional content and mapping it onto a platform for an urban, millennial audience. “I want to brand people across all forms of media,” he says. “Hollywood lacks the understanding of how to integrate properly to really speak to this post racial America… and that’s what I want to do.”
To understand more aoout “All Def Digital” Youtube channel, check out Russell Simmon at this years CES convention:
Tech News: Apple Set To Release “Largest” 128G iPad [Video]
Apple is set to release its largest iPad device. Although, there’s been no word on the official release date, this iPad is expected to be a fan favorite for the business-minded individual. At about $100 more (which translates to approx. $1000), the 128G iPad will feature more storage space, large screen, and applications catered to people who tend to use their device for more work-related things. Companies will surely appreciate the new “laptop replacement” because it is expected to boast applications that will allow more practical usage for design work, presentations, reporting, etc.
WallStreet Journal’s Digits web series digs deeper into the new iPad. Check out the video below:
Best Buy’s New Price-Matching Promise
Best Buy is changing its policy and has decided to give price-matching on a full scale a try. While the company originally tested the waters with a price-matching deal that existed only during the last holiday season, this time the deal will just be a part of how they do business.
Starting next month, the retail company will match the pre-tax price of identical products from local retail competitors and major online retailers. The offer is good only at the time of purchase.
The new price-matching policy applies to all product categories. In the case that you’re a big online shopper, here’s the list of the online retailers that are covered by Best Buy’s price-matching promise.
• Amazon.com
• Apple.com
• Bhphotovideo.com
• Buy.com
• Crutchfield.com
• Dell.com
• Frys.com
• hhgregg.com
• HP.com
• HomeDepot.com
• Lowes.com
• Newegg.com
• OfficeDepot.com
• OfficeMax.com
• Sears.com
• Staples.com
• Target.com
• TigerDirect.com
• Walmart.com
The official kick off date for Best Buy’s price-matching promise is March 3rd.
Blackberry Appoints Alicia Keys Global Creative Director; Launches Blackberry 10
This girl is truly on fire! Setting her trail further ablaze with yet another power is none other than Mrs. Alicia Keys. You can now add to the path she’s laid for herself, Global Creative Director.
With the launch of the Blackberry’s brand new smartphone, the Blackberry 10, it was announced that the singer has been brought on board as the brand’s Global Creative Director. About her goals for her new job, Keys said, “I am an extremely committed and focused individual. I am going to work closely with the app designers and developers, the content creators, the retailers and the carriers to really explore this BlackBerry 10 platform and create ideas for its future.”
Once an avid Blackberry user but had since moved on with the craze and hype of other smartphones, Keys said of her feelings for the Blackberry device, “I was in a long-term relationship with BlackBerry and then I started to notice some new, hotter, attractive, sexier phones at the gym. I kinda broke up with you for something with a little more bling. I always missed the way you organized my life and the way you were there for me at my job. So I started to have two phones, I was playing the field. But then you called and you said you were working it out. And now, we are exclusively dating again.”
Cute! Now let’s see is Alicia’s love is enough to put Blackberry back in the running with Iphones and Androids.
As for the new mobile operating system, Blackberry 10, check out the video below and watch company CEOThorstein Heins gives you the rundown.
2 Chainz Endorses New Adidas Adicolor [Video]
Some celebrity endorsements seem a bit far fetched. But, this recent collaboration between Champs Sports and 2 Chainz is undeniable.
2 Chainz, who was once a basketball player, recently joined forces with Champs Sports on a nationwide campaign. Champs is releasing a new show line called Adidas’ Adicolor Originals. To promote the new shoes, who else to call upon than the “I’m Different” rapper. His involvement apparently includes a commerical and a new digital game. The game can be played via Champs official Facebook page and features 2 Chainz’s image and voice.
Check out the video below where 2 Chainz speaks on his basketball days and his need to redirect his playing skills…
Tech News: Nintendo Taking Gaming Experience to New Level With ‘Wii U’
It’s been six years since Nintendo released a game system dating back to The Nintendo Wii. Well now their back and taking the gaming experience to a whole new level with the release of The Nintendo Wii U.
The Wii U is the first gaming console for Nintendo with the capability to support high definition graphics and houses a mini touch screen on the game pad controller. Features of the game pad also include motion control, a front-facing camera, a microphone, stereo speakers and rumble features. Along with that is a sensor bar plus a stylus.
For now there will be two versions of the Wii U both built with 2GB of memory. The basic white version will come with 8GB of internal flash storage. The deluxe version will be black with 32 GB of flash storage and it comes with a game stand and a docking station.
In addition to the major advancement in technology this system seems to make, another major upside is its backwards compatibility to the Wii. That’s right, unlike a lot of other game systems, with the Wii U, your old stuff will work. This includes games, the Wii Remote, the Wii Remote Plus and the Nunchuk controllers. They get two thumbs up for that!
The Nintendo Wii U is set to make its debut into the retail world on Black Friday and retails for $299. For more info about The Nintendo Wii, you can check out Nintendo’s preview presentation of the game system below…
Are You A “Black Friday” Shopper? Try This App!
Considered one of the biggest shopping days of the year, Black Friday is steadily approaching us. The day after Thanksgiving signifies the day in which deal seekers brave the cold and long lines to catch great discounts on various merchandise. Large multi-faceted stores like Walmart and Target, will likely slash prices on products ranging from flat screens to dvds. If you are in search of a good price on early Christmas gifts, Black Friday is the day to get out and tackle the crowd. You may want to get a jump start like some people and stand in line as early as 4am.
To help you get a head start, you can now find products on your very own Black Friday app. If you have an iPhone or iPad, or even a Andriod, you can download the app for free. Most of the major stores are featured on the app along with their Black Friday price reductions. You can even map out a plan and mark the products you are in search for. This tool will definitely map out your route in advance saving you precious time and money.
Happy Black Friday shopping!
Alicia Keys To Launch “The Journals of Mama Mae and Lee Lee” Children’s App
Alicia Keys seems to be pretty busy these days with making power moves. In addition to promoting her upcoming album, she’s also gearing up for the release of her new children’s storytelling app called “The Journals of Mama Mae and Lee Lee” which details a young girl’s (Lee Lee) relationship with her grandmother (Mama Mae) while growing up in New York City.
The app gives users an interactive forum to enjoy the art of storytelling, journaling and creating music all while Lee Lee shares empowering life lessons. Key’s produced the music for the app which will be launched via Key’s company, AK Worldwide, in partnership with Bento Box Interactive.
About her new venture, Keys said, “It’s a new adventure for me, and I’m really enjoying it. It does remind me of my world. The piano, the journal, music’s such a big part of my life, the city, all of that.”
“The Journals of Mama Mae and Lee Lee” will be released Thursday, November 1st at the Apple App Store for $3.99. For more info about the app visit www.mamamae.com, twitter.com/mamamae or facebook.com/MamaMaeAndLeeLee.
Hip Hop Invades the Gaming Sector + Angela Yee & Miss Info Share Their Thoughts On ‘Hip Hop Dance Experience”
The gaming industry’s first authentic hip hop dance video game, The Hip Hop Experience, is a sure bet for stocking stuffers this Christmas. In same realm as The Michael Jackson Experience (which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide), The Hip Hop Experience will give players the opportunity to boogie down to choreographic moves developed by top hip hop dance instructors in the business. Players will get the experience of being in a live music video with visual effects signaled by your every move. The music selection hit a wide range of hip hop associated artists such as Drake, Rihanna, Outkast, Nelly, and N.E.R.D..
The Ubisoft-developed video game will be released on November 13 and will be availabe for Wii and XBox.
The Hip Hop Dance Experience [Trailer]:
In related news….
With their ear steady on the pulse of hip hop, two well-respected media princesses Angela Yee (Power 105.1fm’s The Breakfast Club) and Miss Info (MissInfo.tv) recently expressed their thoughts on the new video game. Check out what the ladies had the say below:
Angela Yee
Minya Oh aka Miss Info
Source: Michelle McDevitt|Audible Treats
Tech News: 5 Good Reasons To Buy Apple’s iPhone 5 [Video]
On Sept 21, Apple will release their newest product the iPhone 5. As one of the most anticipated tech gadgets, the iPhone 5′s newly iOS 6 operating system may be the best reason to buy one. But, in addition to iOS 6, the iPhone 5 will come with four more features that users will appreciate.
- Thinner and lighter handheld
- Large 4-inch screen with an extra row for icons
- 3-D digital maps
- Free Passbook app that allows users to see airline tickets or payment apps from the locked home screen
To get a glimpse of the new iPhone 5 experience, check out the footage below from Apple’s press conference:
If you want to get ahead of the crowd, pre-paid sales start Friday, Sept 14. The iPhone 5 will cost $200 with two-year contract.
Stacks Gone…Tupac Hologram Company Digital Domain Files A Chapter 11
I’m sure we all remember the Coachella 2012 infamous performance with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and the Tupac hologram. Well in my mind and I’m sure in the mind of many others, outside the whole thing being a bit freaky, the question of how much this cost arose. Now if your thought went much further like mine did, then you thought of the lick the company must have hit creating it. While yes it may have cost quite a bit to create, you would think that with what they had to have charged the buyers, that the venture would be a come up for the company and quite possibly put them on top of their game.
Well I say to myself and those that thought alike…think again! Digital Domain, the company behind it all has filed for bankruptcy. According to CNN Money the company filed a Chapter 11 after claiming to have been struggling with debt for a while.
Now I know times are hard and no one or company is immune to struggling. But considering that Digital Domain have also had their hands in the making of major films such as Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, Transformers and not to mention the Oscar they won for their work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I just see no reason that they shouldn’t have stacks on deck.
I’m not exactly sure where Digital Domain went wrong, but it’s clear that no matter what the reason this is a true case and prime example of what is called the mismanagement of funds. So word to the wise…be it personal or business, if your outgo is more than your income then your upkeep WILL be your downfall. Simply put, SPEND WISELY!!
NBA 2K13 Tracklist [Handpicked by Jay Z]
2K Sports has released the tracklist for the highly anticipated NBA 2K13. The 24 songs for the tracklist were put together by music mogul Jay Z. Besides the hot tracks, the game will also feature an enhanced My Player Mode, all new gameplay features plus the ’92 Olympic Dream Team and the 2012 Men’s Olympic team. Check out the tracklist below…
NBA 2K13 Track Listing
The Hours – Ali in the Jungle
Too Short – Blow the Whistle (Main)
Eric B. and Rakim – I Ain’t No Joke
Phoenix – 1901
JAY Z – Pump it Up (Freestyle)
Puff Daddy and the Family – Victory (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)
Daft Punk – Around The World (Radio Edit)
Santigold – Shove It (feat. Spank Rock)
Kanye West – Amazing
JAY Z – Run This Town
The Dirty Projectors – Stillness is the Move
Nas – The World is Yours
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Roy Ayers – We Live in Brooklyn, Baby
Justice – Stress
JAY Z – The Bounce
Kanye West – We Major (feat. Nas & Really Doe)
Mobb Deep – Shook Ones, Pt. II
Meek Mill – Ima Boss – Instrumental
Kanye West – Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz)
U2 – Elevation
JAY Z – On To The Next One
JAY Z – Public Service Announcement
JAY Z – H.A.M. (Instrumental)
NBA 2K13 will be released October 2, 2012.
Tech News: Microsoft Unveils New Logo
To gear up for new technological advances, like the rollout of Windows 8, Microsoft recently unveiled their new logo. The MS logo, which hadn’t been changed in 25 years, is designed with a multi-colored square alongside the company name in plain text. The new logo is part of Microsofts’ introductino of several new products: Windows 8 operating system, Office, and phone software. The company’s hope is that the new logo will create an unique and memorable version of the “customer experience”.
“It’s been 25 years since we’ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change,” said Jeff Hansen, general manager of Microsoft’s brand strategy, in a blog on Microsoft’s website. “This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning.”
The new logo is already in use at their corporate offices and was unveiled at a new store in Boston.
Are You Still Paying for Cable TV???
Remember when “having cable” at home was the BIG thing?? Well, those days are almost over. With television networks offering online videos of their most popular shows, people are dropping their cable service left and right. Nowadays, you can find any of your favorite shows online…just search on Youtube.
Cable networks are now feeling the wrath. Since the recession hit a few years back, thousands of subscribers have ditched the dish. In 2010, approximately 170, 000 customers dropped their service. In 2011, close to 200,000 canceled their service (and that was in the 2nd quarter alone).
Move forward to 2012, Direct Tv recently announced that their company lost 56,000 customers (2nd quarter). We wonder if the Viacom dispute played a major part in that. Nevertheless, Time Warner also announced that it has losses up to 170,000 (2nd quarter). According to Reuters, the Time Warner situation has experienced a downfall for quite some time now.
“Basic video subscriber losses aren’t getting better,” Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett told Reuters about Time Warner. Reuters points out that while Time Warner still has 12.3 million customers, this is the company’s 10th quarter in a row with customer losses.
Should we “pay-tv customers” feel any way about their losses? Probably not! The cost for cable service is ridiculous. Most households pay over $100 per month to look at a few channels. No one really watch at over 300 channels. Who has the time too?? Also, the extra charges for HBO, Encore, Cinemax, etc and the charges for each cable box in your home is reason enough to “kill your bill”.
Cable providers should cut us some slack. If not, there will be more pay-tv customers cancelling their service. They can just take notes from telecommunications companies (i.e. AT&T). They experienced losses in the landline circuit due to customers relying on their cellphone for day-to-day calls. Everybody like finding ways to save a buck. And hopping online to watch whatever you want is a excellent coin saver. But we’re sure cable providers do not want that to happen, for real.
Watch Out! “Gameover” Malware Seeks Banking Info
At the top of the year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a new scam that’s collecting personal banking information. The malware called “Gameover” sends out fake emails to under recognizable names such as the Federal Reserve, FDIC, or the National Automated Clearing House Association. The body of the email cites that your account of recent ACH transaction has an issue and that you need to click on a link to resolve it.
Once the link is clicked, Gamover attacks by retrieving your passwords, usernames, and money. This malware can obtain any information you set as a “authentication” setting (i.e. answers to personal questions, birthdays, etc). In addition to emails, the FBI also believes that Gameover can hack through mobile devices. In efforts to safeguard your banking information, here are a few tips the FBI suggested:
•Keep your computer and mobile device updated with the newest versions of anti-virus software.
•If you have any doubts about an email sender’s authenticity, do not click on any embedded links.
•Remember, banks never request any personal information via email.
•Be vigilant about checking your account balances. The sooner you notice and report any type of fraudulent activity, the more likely you’ll be able to be reimbursed for any missing funds.
Source: Bankrate
Vid: Star Trek Video Game [Official Trailer]
Hey there Trekkies (or Trekkers)!!! Get your Xbox 360’s, Xbox Live’s, and PlayStation 3’s ready. The new Star Trek video game is set to come out early next year and boasts lots of bells and whistles:
And by the look of it, the game boldly goes where no other Trek game has gone before, as it plays out in 3-D like the upcoming sequel. And like the sequel, it stars Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock.
It also features plenty of the kind of action-packed adventure that was a signature of the director’s 2009′s big-screen reboot, including epic free falls and phaser battles that make good on Abrams’ apparent aim to make Gene Roddenberry’s sci-fi series as hip and cool as rival franchise Star Wars once was.
Check out the trailer below…
4 Cool Apps To Ease Your Tax Preparation
Taxes can be a bit of a hassle. Filing taxes can take up a lot of time especially if you are not the most organized person. You may have pertinent receipts stashed in file cabinets or old purses that will take you almost a day just to locate. Also, what about filing taxes in general? The task is daunting and probably one of most fearful processes an American citizen has to go through. Tax preparation for you or your accountant (or tax preparer) is complex and can be overwhelmingly time consuming.
So, how do you cut back time for the professional that’s always “on-the-go”? Well Blake Ellis, of CNN Money.com, wrote an article suggesting Smart phone applications that can surely earn hours back in your day. Here are a few:
1. Shoeboxed – Great application to store receipts. Simply snap a photo of a receipt with your phone and upload the image to your Shoeboxed app. At NO COST to you, you can organize the save receipts into categories (i.e. Meals, Gas, Supplies, etc). During tax preparation, you can search for a category or receipts, add them up, and claim that amount as a deduction. The Shoebox app can also provide more detail and organizational options for your receipts. To do this, sign up for just $9.95 a month.
2. iDonatedIt – For $2.99, this app helps users keep track of charitable donations. It also values the items you’ve donated and provides an estimate of what you will receive in tax savings.
3. EITC Finder – Need extra money??? Well, if you earn under $49,000 annually, there’s a benefitial tax credit waiting on you. All persons earning under $49K can receive a $5700 Earned Income Tax Credit. Because many tax payers overlook this credit, Intuit created this free app for iPhones and Androids.
4. IRS2Go – If you are tired of waiting on your refund and need to know the status, download this free app by the IRS. This app will tell you if your return has been processed and when you can expect to receive your refund.
If you want to find out what other cool apps are available that’s tax oriented, check out the full article here.
Sony’s ‘SmartWatch’ Takes Telling Time to the Digital Age
Smart Watch by Sony, $149
Don’t stress! You will be able to access most, if not all, of the same applications you use on your laptop or iPad. SMS, Facebook, Twitter, email, and weather will all be accessible. In addition, the watch comes with a pop-up caller id which will allow you to accept or deny incoming calls.
Watch the demo video below to see the Sony SmartWatch in action!
Source: CNet, Sony
LL Cool J Presents New Recording Software in Las Vegas
During the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), in Las Vegas, rap pioneer LL Cool J presented a cool new product for artists. The software product, called Boomdizzle Virtual Recording Studio (BVRS), will allow artists and prduction teams to work more efficiently while not being in the same place at the same time.
Boomdizzle provides a platform for artists to create digital production, use sound tools, mix, and upload tracks. It also features a video chat for artists to stay connected with their engineers. LL Cool J says that, “The problem was: I’m in L.A.; my producer or my engineer’s in New York. I want to go in the studio tonight, but I want to collaborate,” LL Cool J said at a press gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES). “I don’t want to email you my track and then you email me back your bass line, then I email you back a vocal and then you email me back a drum and then we email back and forth and back and forth.”
For more details on the product and to see how it works, check out LL’s sit down with CNet below:
This is dope! Check out www.boomdizzle.com for more information.
Twitter Broadens Its Concept with New Features
In the next few weeks, the tech geeks over at Twitter will roll out some new features to the micro-blogging site. As new users come aboard and join millions of other Twitterers, they will notice some cool additions that are sure to enhance their experience.
- “Stories” - this section will be added to each user’s account and will be visible as soon as you log on. This section will allow all of the global content, being spread about throughout the site, to be centralized so that the user can easily spot people or content that is interesting to them.
- Advertising - to compete with Google’s self-advertising platform, Twitter will enhance their advertising options by allowing any user to purchase ads on Twitter.
- Corporate Branding - big corporations such as American Express and American Red Cross, will now be able to customize their publicly-viewable profile pages. This will give these companies more control on how their pages look.
Twitter currently has 100 million active users, of which the majority are users located internationally.
Wanna Play Spades w/Kandi?? + New Show “The Kandi Factory” On The Way
When we interviewed Ms. Kandi Burress a while back, she clearly had her head on straight when it comes to money and business. Outside of the music, she’s proven this so by venturing into other avenues like TAGS Boutique, Kandi Koated Nights online video show, and becoming a reality star on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta. Well this year, Kandi has spread her wings into other business opportunities.
Coming in 2012, Kandi will star in her own reality show. “The Kandi Factory” will follow her as she teaches two artists the “real” ropes of the music business. As Kandi focuses on the Song, the Look, and the Performance, she’s sure to turn these two into tomorrow’s superstars.
Bedroom Kandi sex toy line is hitting bedrooms worldwide… hard. The line offers a variety of products suited for women, couples, etc. Whatever you need to get it popping, Kandi’s got you. Check out the website at www.BedroomKandi.com.
Do you enjoy a good game of spades? Well, Kandi is now offering a spades app via iTunes. For only $0.99, you can play Kandi Koated Spades with multiple players as if you were sitting at someone’s kitchen table. The new app showcases features like “Reneg”, “Dueces Wild”, and “Jokers” to make your experience an true authentic one. So, go cop the new app now!
