Houston Consumer Blog

Computer in a credit card

Take a look at this one. It's a credit card with a computer embedded in it. If you have multiple accounts, you can press the "1" button and use the card as a credit card, press "2" and you can use your debit card. Banks are currently issuing these cards to consumers. One card allows you to set a password before it can be used. The magnetic stripe rewrites itself each time you use the card which can prevent fraud. The company won a top award here at CES. They also won awards from Rice University.

The Smallest PC you've ever seen

Get ready for the smallest PC you have ever seen. The Xi3 is turning heads at this year's Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. It is about the size of a soda can and manufacturers say it can do everything your current PC can do without the tower. The device runs on a fraction of the power and can be upgraded so you won't have to buy a new computer every 3 years. It is pricey right now, 850 dollars, and it will not be widely available until March. [LEARN MORE]

More reports from Jeff Ehling at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

See top headlines on abc13.com

What do you think of this?

I created a big list of headlines from the various sections on abc13.com.  You can subscribe to RSS feeds here too:

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/feature?section=news/local&id=5829181

The new abc13.com blog

You might have noticed that abc13.com has relaunched with a brand new look and a lot more features.  We have a new blog dedicated to the new site and its features where you can leave comments and ask questions. Let us know what you think.  Enjoy!

Cool things I saw in Tokyo

I just took a trip to Tokyo and saw two things I think the Consumer Blog audience might enjoy.

The first was the Sony Rolly video demonstration.  This is a robotic mp3 player that 'dances' to music. I wouldn't personally buy one, but it is fun to watch this video demo.

Next, for you computer types out there, a sushi USB thumb drive! The only time that saving documents can make you hungry. Do you have to use chopsticks to insert it into the USB port though?

REVIEW: Flip Video is very portable

By Mike McGuff

 If you are looking for an inexpensive way to capture memories this holiday season, you might want to consider the rectangular shaped Flip Video camera by Pure Digital Technologies.

The first thing you will notice is the device's extremely portable size, next you will notice it is a lot less expensive than most video cameras. For $150 you can get the model that holds 30 minutes of video or $180 for the 60 minute model. There are no removable discs, only an internal hard drive.

That price isn't too shabby and neither is the video quality considering what you are paying. Is the quality something that will blow you away? Probably not, but it is pretty good considering what you pay for.

Here are some videos I shot during my test with The Flip:
- Star Wars
- BarCamp Houston 2
- Jeff's cheap eats

The other feature that gets a lot of attention is the flip part. By pressing down on a button, you flip out a USB connector built into the camera. That means you can easily move video into your computer and to sites like YouTube and Brightcove. There are also no cables to connect or carry around. In fact the cameras have software built into them so as soon as you plug into a USB port on a computer, you can:

• Email videos and video greeting cards
• Edit video clips
• Capture stills

The only downside, is for the compact nature, you lose standard video camera features and qualities. For one, the flip is shaped like an iPod. That means you have to be careful of how you hold the camera and make sure you don't move it around a lot or you could be getting lots of jerky video. The zoom has a lot to be desired too and there is no microphone input.

From personal experience I learned that your subjects don't realize this is a video camera at times. At a distance, they most likely think this is a cell phone and you are trying to snap a still picture. I figured this out after people posed with a big smile and no movement a couple of times.

For any shortcomings, you can't beat the portability (in your pocket) and the price. I could see this being a great video camera for travel or for kids to cut their teeth on making mini movies.

Also, out of every consumer electronic gadget I have reviewed over the past few years, this is one of the few items I went out and bought because I liked it so much.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

IRS warns of E-mail scam seeking donations to wildfire victims

People should be on the lookout for a new e-mail scam soliciting donations to California wildfire victims in the name of the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. government, the IRS said Friday.

The tax agency said the bogus e-mails appear to be a "phishing scheme" that tries to trick recipients into revealing personal and financial information that can be used to steal a person's assets.

The IRS said it does not send e-mails soliciting charitable donations and never asks people for the PIN numbers, passwords or other secret information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

People "should avoid opening any attachments or clicking on any links until they can verify the e-mail's legitimacy," IRS Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support Richard Spires said in a statement.

The agency said the scam e-mail urges recipients to click on a link which opens on a fake IRS Web site. That site includes a link to a donation form which requests the recipient's personal and financial information.

The IRS said it also believes that clicking on the link downloads malware, or malicious software, onto the recipient's computer. That software will steal passwords and other account information it finds on the victim's computer system.

It urged those who received the scam e-mail to help the IRS shut down the operation by forwarding it to phishing@irs.gov, using instructions found in "how to protect yourself from suspicious e-mails or phishing schemes" on the genuine IRS Web site, www.irs.gov.

Since the mail box was established last year, the IRS has received more than 30,000 e-mails from taxpayers reporting almost 600 separate phishing incidents.

   (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

TeleNav is a car navigation system in your phone

By Mike McGuff

Have you ever seen the commercial where a man is driving a car and feels that he is falling in love with the voice in his vehicle's navigation system? I had a similar experience, but it was only more of an affair since I have to give the unit back to the company.

Over the last few weeks, I've been testing TeleNav's GPS Navigator v5.2 on a Samsung m610 through Sprint, but the service is available on most phone companies.

That's right, this is a navigation system on a cell phone. The company sent me a mount for the windshield that could hold the phone while I drove.

The program was easy to launch and within minutes I was being told where to go. All I had to do was enter my destination, which was La Marque's football stadium on the first run, and TeleNav located my starting point with its GPS system.

Then I was off. A pleasant female voice told me where to turn and which roads to take. That is accompanied by a display that shows where you are and going on a map.

What's the advantage of using a cell phone based navigation versus one that is not connected to a service? Real time data is the answer. TeleNav scanned the freeways and looked for traffic. In Houston, that didn't take long to find. The service told me how many miles till the congestion and to press '0' to find an alternate route.

Another cool feature is a countdown in miles to your destination plus an estimated time of arrival which during my tests was always pretty much dead on.

I am a native Houstonian. That's not me bragging, but telling you that I know the roads around here pretty well. I know when the freeways will have a lot of traffic. This kind of experience cannot yet be captured by a navigation system.

What I am trying to say is there were a few directions the system gave me that I did not agree with. That's cool, because if you go your own route, TeleNav reorients itself and continues on your current path to the destination.

An another trip we were trying to go to a new barbecue joint in Spring. The navigation told us to exit the freeway miles before the destination. Then it told us to get back on the freeway only to exit again for the restaurant that was located right on I-45. In all fairness, this is a new location and Google Maps could not even locate it. While sending us on a strange path, it did tell us how to ultimately get there.

TeleNav will cost you around $9.99 a month. Also consider the data usage charge your company would charge for use of a Web application. Another consideration is the cost of your phone's batteries power if you are on a long trip.

This system would be overkill for a driver who goes to the same spots every day. However if you are new to a city, it could be a lifesaver.

Time picks iPhone as invention of year

The most talked-about cell phone is getting more juice for the jabber. Time magazine has named the iPhone "Invention of the Year."

   Apple Inc.'s latest darling topped dozens of other creations
that made leaps in environmentally friendly technology, molecular
science, robotics or military uses. The photogenic personality of
the sleek, hybrid cell phone-iPod media player didn't hurt either.

   "Intel's 45-nanometer (parts for chips) -- that's a serious
deal, but it's a lot less glamorous than the iPhone even though
it's important," said Lev Grossman, a Time staff writer who covers
technology and helped select the magazine's annual honorees.

   Yet the gadget's celebrity chic was not the core reason,
according to Grossman's story, which appears in Friday's issue.

   The iPhone's design and beauty contribute to its appeal, but its
functionality and features are what gets people talking. The
features themselves may not be groundbreaking, but the way in which
Apple presents them is.

   Take the iPhone's touch screen. Apple neither invented nor
reinvented the technology, Grossman contends, but "Apple knew what
to do with it."

   The wide-ranging impact of the iPhone -- on the cell phone
industry and how it will evolve into an ever more useful handheld
computer -- is only beginning, he concludes.

   Last year's winning invention was the online video site YouTube.

   (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Consumer groups ask FCC to fine Comcast

A coalition of consumer groups and legal scholars on Thursday formally asked the Federal Communications Commission to stop Comcast Corp. from interfering with file sharing by its Internet subscribers.

    Two of the groups are also asking the FCC to fine Comcast $195,000 for every affected subscriber.

The petitions will be the first real test of the FCC's stance on "Net Neutrality," the principle that Internet traffic be treated equally by carriers. The agency has a policy supporting the concept but its position hasn't been tested in a real-world case.

The long-standing industry practice of treating Internet traffic more or less equally has started to fray. In tests spanning several states, The Associated Press found that Comcast hindered file sharing by subscribers who used BitTorrent, a popular file-sharing program. The findings, first reported Oct. 19, confirmed claims by users who also noticed interference with other file-sharing applications.

Comcast is the country's largest cable company and has 12.9 million Internet subscribers, making it the second-largest Internet service provider.

Comcast denies that it blocks file sharing, but acknowledged last week that it was "delaying" some of the traffic between computers that share files.

In practice, the company blocks requests from users who are trying to retrieve files from a Comcast subscriber's computer for a period of time. But it eventually lets the requests through if they are repeated.

In one AP test, a request went through after 10 minutes of trying. The technology does not directly affect downloads of BitTorrent files by Comcast subscribers, only uploads.

Comcast has said the interference is intended to improve the Internet experience for all its subscribers, noting that a relatively small number of file sharers is enough to slow down its network.

In response to the filings, David Cohen, an executive vice president at Comcast, said that the FCC's policies recognize that ISPs need to manage the traffic on their networks.

If other ISPs follow in Comcast's footsteps, file sharing would essentially crawl to a halt. While the technology is a popular way to illegally share copyright movies and music, legal uses are proliferating, particularly in movie distribution.

"They're blocking an innovative application that could be a competitor to cable TV," said Marvin Ammori, general counsel at Free Press, one of the advocacy groups behind the petition to the FCC.

The petition asks the commission to immediately declare that Comcast is violating the FCC's policy. The co-signers are Consumer Federation of America; Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports; Media Access Project; and professors at the Internet practices of the Yale, Harvard and Stanford law schools.

Free Press and another group, Public Knowledge, are separately filing a formal complaint that asks the FCC to demand a "forfeiture" from Comcast of $195,000 per affected subscriber.

The number is based on the statutory maximum of $97,500 for a single continuing violation, doubled by what the groups see as deception on the company's part. Comcast kept its practice secret until publicized by the AP, saying that it couldn't divulge the inner workings of its network for security reasons. Its filtering technique also involves the company forging network messages so that they appear to come from subscriber and non-subscriber computers.

The complaint includes affidavits from three Comcast subscribers who say they have been affected by Comcast's interference. The complaint asks the FCC to determine the total number of affected subscribers.

   It's not clear how quickly the FCC would act on the filings.

"The FCC should be aggressively reviewing these cases because they go to ensuring the freedom and openness of the Internet which is so vital to our communications future and to our civic dialogue," FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said in a statement.

Comcast's Cohen noted that the FCC's policy statement, which says that consumers are allowed to run the Internet applications of their choice, makes that "subject to reasonable network management" by ISPs.

   "The Commission clearly recognized that network management is necessary by ISPs for the good of all customers," Cohen said.

"If Comcast is right -- that what it's doing meets the policy statement -- then anyone can start blocking BitTorrent tomorrow," Ammori said.

A ruling against Comcast could cause problems not only for the cable company, but other Internet service providers. Many of them acknowledge managing traffic to improve flow, which likely includes slowing down file-sharing traffic by means less drastic than Comcast's.

The Net Neutrality debate erupted in 2005, when the FCC abolished the obligation of providers of Internet service via digital subscriber lines, or DSL, to carry all traffic nondiscriminately (that obligation had been abolished for cable broadband in 2002). The obligation was replaced with the policy statement.

Phone companies started suggesting that they would like to be able to charge large Web companies more for guaranteed delivery of their traffic as a way to finance the build out of their networks.

Web anchors like Google Inc. and Amazon Inc., joined by consumer groups, opposed the notion, saying it would make Internet service providers the toll keepers of the Internet and enable them to stifle competition and innovation.

The debate was stilled when AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. agreed to shelve their plans temporarily to get their respective plans to acquire BellSouth and MCI approved by the FCC.

Ammori said it appeared that the "nightmare scenario" portrayed by Net Neutrality proponents like his own group, Free Press, had been averted.

"Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Comcast is doing exactly what we most feared ... secretly degrading an application," Ammori said. "We didn't expect the first violation to be so blatant."

   (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Federal regulators approve ban on exclusive cable TV contracts with

Federal regulators on Wednesday approved a
rule that would ban exclusive agreements that cable television
operators have with apartment buildings, opening up competition for
other video providers that could eventually lead to lower prices.

The Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved the
change, which Chairman Kevin Martin said would help lower cable
rates for millions of subscribers who live in apartment buildings
and other multi-unit dwellings, or about 25 million households. He
said the move would particularly help minorities who
disproportionately live in multi-unit dwellings.

"There is no reason that consumers living in apartment
buildings should be locked into one service provider," he said in
a statement Wednesday.

   The rule would prohibit cable companies, such as Comcast Corp.
and Time Warner Cable Inc., from enforcing existing exclusive cable
TV contracts with apartment managers and allow telecommunications
companies, such as Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc., to
offer video services along with high-speed Internet access and
phone service.

   "The FCC decision will provide access to new competitive
options for residents of these properties and encourages further
deployment of broadband networks," Susanne Guyer, Verizon's senior
vice president of federal regulatory affairs, said in a statement.

   But Comcast said the change is a "blow" to consumers in
apartment buildings and condos and could spur litigation for years
to come.

   "The net result is that many consumers are likely to wind up
paying more for services if the FCC's interference in the
competitive marketplace stands," Comcast spokeswoman Sena
Fitzmaurice said in an e-mailed statement.

   David Brenner, senior vice president with the National Cable and
Telecommunications Association -- the cable industry's lobbying
group -- called the agency's action "legally suspect" in a
statement.

   A NCTA spokeswoman said the group is considering legal options,
but would not say whether it will sue. NCTA previously said it was
unlawful for the government to invalidate existing cable TV
contracts with apartment buildings and condos, but was not opposed
to a ban on future exclusive contracts.

   The new FCC ruling is a reversal of its stance four years ago
when it found little evidence that the contracts stifled
competition.

   FCC commissioner Robert McDowell, who agreed with the "thrust"
of the order, said the agency needs to better explain why it
reversed course and indicated the order may not hold up in court.

   "I only wish we were giving our attorneys more legal ammunition
to use to defend the agency," he said.

   But Martin said increased competition from telecommunications
companies now offering video services would help lower cable
prices, which have risen 93 percent in the last decade.

   He said in an interview with the Associated Press on Monday that
all FCC rules are challenged in court, but still hoped groups would
be supportive of the rule's objective.

   (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Tips to get your blog read

The number of blogs keeps increasing so how do you ensure your posts are getting read?

Rick Calvert, CEO and Co-founder of the BlogWorld & New Media Expo gave us some ideas.

Mike McGuff:  What makes a well trafficked blog?

Rick Calvert:  Original quality content, frequent posting. At least 4 times a week and preferably multiple posts per day.

MM:  Does that necessarily translate into high earnings?

RC:  Surprisingly, No. There are blogs with as little as 1,000 viewers a day who make really good money and there are others with as many as 20,000 readers a day who make next to nothing. Most bloggers simply do not understand the tools available to make money blogging. There is this elite group of tech guys who know all the tricks and then there is everyone else. Some people just don't care, or don't want to monetize their content. The topics you cover also have something to do with your earnings potential. If you post about technology, or celebrity gossip, or some high ticket industry it is much easier to make money blogging than it is if you blog about basket weaving, or model airplanes.

MM:  What are the steps to take to make money with a blog?

RC:  There is no set formula but the foundation is an audience. You need eyeballs. Second you need to use some combination of the available tools, AdSense and other text link advertising, display advertising, affiliate programs, an online store or private label merchandise.

MM:  What kinds of posts attract attention?

RC:  Again it depends on what your subject matter is. The most important thing, and what I love most about the blogosphere, is quality wins. If you post quality content you will build an audience. Hot news items, celebrities, Fortune 500 brands will get noticed. Posts about other famous bloggers, a tried and true form of linkbaiting, works pretty often. Headlines like "10 ways to save money", or "Three things you need to know about blogging" give readers a reason to click. And the old advertising standbys of money and sex seem to always get attention.

MM:  How can you encourage readers to leave comments?

RC:  Pretty simple really, do just exactly that. Encourage them to leave comments. Ask questions of your readers so they will respond. End a post with questions like "What do you think"? Or "Can anyone share their experience with this topic", etc. Secondly always respond to comments when people leave them. I like to respond in the comment thread and send a personal email thanking people for taking the time to leave a comment and contribute. This lets people know you value their contribution and gets them to come back and comment again instead of just once.

MM:  Anything else you want to add?

RC:  Just that most bloggers don't start blogging with any intent to make money. Most of us are passionate about something, a hobby, politics, sports etc. It is only after you have enjoyed some level of success that you wake up one day and realize Hey I have a lot of eyeballs here. There must be someway to make some money at least enough to pay for my web hosting. If you write about something you care deeply about, you work hard, and you offer quality content you will build an audience and if you want to you will be able to eventually make some type of money doing it. Readers can tell if you are faking it just trying to make money or if you are sincere.

It was just announced that Mark Cuban will be the headlining speaker at Calvert's Blogworld and New Media Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nov. 7-9.

Internet video watchers will like this

Our sister station in Chicago had these cool stories:

Samsung says it has developed the world's largest flash drive  capable of storing 64 gigabytes of information. The "Nand" can hold 18,000 music files  and store over 80 DVD movies. Production of the "Nand" will begin in 2009.

How about a device that lets you take your downloaded videos from your computer to your television? That's exactly what Sandisk's Sansa Take TV can do. It's basically a flash drive that plugs in your computer's USB port. From there you can take it to a docking station that's plugged into your television and watch all the videos you've downloaded. Take TV sells for $100 or $150 depending on the storage space you want.

Who lives in your zipcode?

I found this on our sister station's blog:

Whether you're 90210 or 77005, zipskinny.com will give you the skinny on all sorts of fun facts about your neighborhood. When you log onto this website did you get all the information you could possibly want about one neighborhood. Simply type in your zipcode, and the site breaks down each neighborhood by demographics, such as the percentage of single people on your block versus the percentage of married couples.

GPS in your kid's jacket: The latest Fall fashion?

A friend of mine sent this article from the UK's Guardian to me.  Would you GPS out your kid's clothes?:

The asset's coordinates are longitude -0.098610, latitude 51.519699. At least that's what the read-out on my computer screen says. I've never heard my son, Robbie, described as an asset before, but I guess there's a first time for anything. Two minutes later, I get an update. He's barely moved, since he's walking at an unbelievable 1.1 mph. It's definitely him. No one else can dawdle like that. I switch the screen over to a Google Earth satellite map and follow his return to the building.

Robbie is wearing one of the first GPS tracker jackets, launched this week in the UK by Blade Runner, the clothing manufacturer that specialises in equipment for the police and security services and which recently brought out the first school uniform in slash-proof Kevlar, in partnership with Asset Monitoring Solutions (AMS), a market leader in tracking and security technologies.

And he's impressed. Not so much with my ability to know where he's been, but with the jacket itself. He'd been decidedly sniffy when I'd shown him the promotional picture of a three-year-old wrapped up in a twee puffa jacket.

"I'm not wearing that," he announced. When you're nearly 12, street cred counts for a great deal. But the jacket that turns up is black, urban and edgy, with a sewn-in iPod holder. He nods: "Nice."

READ THE REST

Comcast actively hinders subscribers' file-sharing traffic, AP testing shows

The Associated Press has been running tests on Comcast:

Comcast Corp. actively interferes with attempts by some of its high-speed Internet subscribers to share files online, a move that runs counter to the tradition of treating all types of Net traffic equally. The interference, which The Associated Press confirmed through nationwide tests, is the most drastic example yet of data discrimination by a U.S. Internet service provider. It involves company computers masquerading as those of its users.

If widely applied by other ISPs, the technology Comcast is using would be a crippling blow to the BitTorrent, eDonkey and Gnutella file-sharing networks. While these are mainly known as sources of copyright music, software and movies, BitTorrent in particular is emerging as a legitimate tool for quickly disseminating legal content.

The principle of equal treatment of traffic, called "Net Neutrality" by proponents, is not enshrined in law but supported by some regulations. Most of the debate around the issue has centered on tentative plans, now postponed, by large Internet carriers to offer preferential treatment of traffic from certain content providers for a fee.

Comcast's interference, on the other hand, appears to be an aggressive way of managing its network to keep file-sharing traffic from swallowing too much bandwidth and affecting the Internet speeds of other subscribers.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV operator and No. 2 Internet provider, would not specifically address the practice, but spokesman Charlie Douglas confirmed that it uses sophisticated methods to keep Net connections running smoothly.

"Comcast does not block access to any applications, including BitTorrent," he said.

Douglas would not specify what the company means by "access" -- Comcast subscribers can download BitTorrent files without hindrance. Only uploads of complete files are blocked or delayed by the company, as indicated by AP tests.

READ THE REST

Shopping help for buying a new TV

By Nydia Han

October 16, 2007 - Buying a television can be really confusing these days. With so many options, features and price points to consider, many are turning to the experts for help.

Consumer Reports Video Buying Guide is free even if you aren't a magazine subscriber.

The magazine's engineers and technicians can tell shoppers the seven things needed to know before buying a big-screen television.

Consumer Reports tests about 150 televisions a year and clarifies the difference between LCD, plasma and other types of televisions.

The magazine says LCDs tend to have a brighter screen, making them a better choice for a brightly lit room. We test using a brightness meter measuring the brightness of a tv.

So what is the t-v with the best picture of any flat-panel that Consumer Reports has ever tested? The Panasonic TH-50PZ700U. This one isn't cheap, though. Expect to pay $5,000.

In the same category of models 58 inches and larger, Consumer Reports best buy is the Vizio Maximvs VM60P HDTV10a for about half the price as the Panasonic.

The Consumer Reports Best Buy for a 42-inch set is the Panasonic TH-42pz700u for $1,200. The magazine also says the 42-inch Maxent MX-42HPT51 for $850 is a good value.

You can find more information by visiting http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/index.htm

Put your name on Google

A few years ago, I was writing a segment called 13 Clicks which eventually morphed into ABC Clicks.

I featured a site that let you take Google's search engine and put your name over the search bar. 

This was a very popular article because who wouldn't want to have a personalized Google?

Then the site went away one day and never came back.

The good news is someone just tipped me off to a new site that does the same thing!

Here is my personalized version.

Googlemyway.com lets you easily add your name over the Google search bar. Give it a try and impress your friends. That is if that kind of thing really impresses them.

Leave the url of your personalized Google in the comments below!

Email me something to write about.

Using a PC to control your mobile web experience

If your mobile phone doesn’t have a keyboard, it can be difficult for some to use the mobile web.

AT&T is trying to change this for its customers with My MEdia Net.  It’s a new service that lets customers set up their mobile web experience from a PC. 

  That means that customers can add content to their mobile web home page from stock quotes or weather updates to bookmarked sites. When the user adds content to their account from a PC, the changes are automatically synched to the phone.

“This easy personalization process will help increase the use of wireless data services as consumers become increasingly more dependent on wireless technology for information while they’re on the go,” said Mark Collins, vice president, consumer data for AT&T’s wireless unit.

The company says the service is available now at no charge.

Led Zeppelin music finally goes digital

Rock on, there is no more communication breakdown, Led Zeppelin's music is hitting the Internet finally:

Led Zeppelin, one of the last major acts to resist digital distribution, are releasing their back catalog online.

Led Zeppelin said their songs, including "Communication Breakdown," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Stairway to Heaven," will be available from online music stores Nov. 13. The band is due to release a two-CD retrospective, "Mothership," the same day. "We are pleased that the complete Led Zeppelin catalog will now be available digitally," guitarist Jimmy Page said in a statement Monday. "The addition of the digital option will better enable fans to obtain our music in whichever manner that they prefer." The band has signed a separate deal with Verizon Wireless to offer their songs as ringtones and downloads to mobile phones, Verizon said in a statement. The Beatles are the highest-profile holdouts for digital distribution. Led Zeppelin, which split up in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham, announced last month they were reuniting for a Nov. 26 concert in London. The lineup includes Page, singer Robert Plant and bass player John Paul Jones, along with Bonham's son Jason, on drums. More than 1 million fans entered a draw for a chance to buy one of the 10,000 tickets to the show. The concert is a tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died last year. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Comcast rollout of TiVo box begins

After more than two years of promises and delays, Comcast Corp. has finally begun rolling out its first set-top boxes that run TiVo's digital video recording technology.

As expected, New England is the first market to get the long-awaited Comcast-TiVo offering. The rollout started in the last few days with test customers only, TiVo spokesman Whit Clay said in a statement Thursday.

The boxes will be commercially available "in coming weeks," a Comcast spokeswoman said. Pricing has not yet been disclosed.

The Comcast-TiVo deal was first announced in 2005 and is considered a key part of TiVo's future as it works to attract more customers and become profitable. TiVo pioneered the DVR and is the best known brand name but has struggled amid cheaper offerings by rivals, including Comcast.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable TV provider, has said it will continue to offer its basic DVR service; the TiVo-based offering will be a premium service.

Shares of TiVo gained 3 cents to close at $7 Thursday.

   (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Restaurant coupons

This looks delicious. About.com linked to restaurants offering printable coupons and special clubs and deals!

AT&T's Tilt promises to be a feature packed phone

Just when you thought the wireless companies couldn't pack anymore features into a mobile phone, they somehow top themselves.

  Friday, AT&T launches the Tilt which they say is the most feature-packed smart device available in the United States.  Based on the specs, that might be the truth.

This Windows Mobile 6 smart device features a slide-out QWERTY keypad, a 2.8-inch color screen and a three megapixel camera. It also allows up to six Bluetooth 2.0 devices to be wirelessly connected simultaneously with stereo support.  Then there is the TeleNav GPS Navigator which offers turn-by-turn voice and on-screen driving or walking directions.

The hard charging business crowd might like the BlackBerry e-mail service, while the kids could be more interested in the games like Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, Ms. PAC-MAN and Brain Challenge.

  The Tilt will connect through both 3G and Wi-Fi networks.  It will run you around $300 with a promotional offer and is available through AT&T October 5th.

The fake check web site

The fake check problem is so bad that the Unites States Postal Service and some other groups have built the web site www.fakechecks.org.

You can check it out and see if you could be tricked into cashing a fake check.

Verizon offering iPhone lookalike

With an eye toward the holidays, Verizon Wireless is launching a cell phone that looks a lot like the hottest phone so far this year: Apple's iPhone.

The LG Voyager features a large touch screen, a camera and extensive multimedia, Web browsing and e-mail capabilities.

However, it one-ups the iPhone by folding open lengthwise to reveal a QWERTY keyboard and a second, non-touch sensitive screen. The lack of a hardware keyboard has been one of the main complaints about the iPhone.

The Voyager will connect to Verizon Wireless' latest data network, providing speeds much higher than the AT&T network the iPhone uses. The Voyager also has direct access to Verizon Wireless' online music store.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Here are other phones that Verizon Wireless let us know the company is introducing:

Juke In October, music lovers will flip - literally - with this mp3 device from Samsung that keeps the music coming with favorite tunes and a new rotate-to-open design. Available in bright red, teal and dark blue, the switch-blade styled Juke is exclusive to Verizon Wireless and perfect for the fashion-conscious music fan. Customers can choose from more than 2 millions songs in V CAST Music to keep you rockin' and rollin'.

Venus Exclusively from Verizon Wireless, the Venus from LG will turn heads with its sleek design, color touch screen display and a unique slider function that reveals the keypad. Available in black or pink, the phone includes a 2.0 mega pixel camera, speaker phone and Bluetooth and provides access to V CAST Get It Now applications. Touch screens get more responsive with the Venus and America’s Most Reliable Wireless Network in November.

Voyager Sure to be popular with the trendsetters, the high-end Voyager from LG features a smooth, touch-screen display that flips open to reveal a QWERTY keypad for quick texting. Available in November exclusively from Verizon Wireless, the device is equipped with a 2.0 megapixel camera and is Bluetooth capable. The Voyager also provides access to V CAST Music, V CAST Mobile TV and VZ Navigator.

BlackBerry Pearl Verizon Wireless gives charismatic executives a sleeker, faster way to stay connected with the new silver BlackBerry Pearl from RIM - the first high-speed, 3G Pearl, with expandable memory up to 4GB and a 2.0 megapixel camera. This November, the ultra-capable Pearl gets a turbo boost on the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network.

Breaking up with MySpace

Cheryl Burton

(10/02/07) - The largest social networking Web site, Myspace.com, has 110 million members. But some former MySpace junkies are dumping their profiles.

 

Whether you've logged on or not, you can't escape the popularity of MySpace. One in six Americans use it. But some young people are now looking for the next hot place to be, so they're breaking up with MySpace.

Social networking sites saturate the Internet. MySpace currently rules, but for how long?

"it's just out with the old and in with the new, pretty much," said user R.J. Caraj.

Several new sites are gaining popularity, especially Facebook. The site was only for college students until it opened up to everyone in September of 2006.

"It's cleaner, more sophisticated," said user Yasha Dwivedi.

Facebook says in the last year it has more than doubled its membership to 43 million active users.

"I migrated over to Facebook along with a number of my colleagues," said user Aaron Goldman.

Goldman, 29, said he's outgrown MySpace. Some Internet experts say it's something that's becoming more popular, especially with professionals who are tired of MySpace's bright-colored themes and flashy images.

"It looks very disorganized, it looks very childish," said Blagica Stefanovski, Web entrepreneur. "I think people realize Facebook is cleaner. It loads faster."

Stefanovski monitors Internet trends. Her abandoned MySpace page now says "I like Facebook better."

"MySpace tends to get very spam-y. You get spam comments, people asking you to be your friend," she said.

MySpace representatives say they are trying to reduce spam and speed up load times of the site. That doesn't matter to user Paul Simmons.

"I don't think it's anything you get rid of. I think it's about how much time you allocate," he said.

But 14-year-old Kirk Wells of Burr Ridge is on Facebook, but he deleted his MySpace page.

"It kind of got old to me, and it was repetitive, and I thought it was a waste of time," he said.

MySpace points out that about 300,000 people sign up for MySpace every day, and that it has three times more members than Facebook. But some job recruiters say professionals may want to dump all of their social networking sites.

"Because people are not getting jobs because of what's being found, you know, it seems like the trend was so big for MySpace and now it's pulling back from what I am seeing in the marketplace," said Brian Price, Solomon Edwards Group, LLC.

Rich Lyons, a social networking developer, said he thinks all of the sites will grow by targeting specific interests and demographics.

"You'll see social networking sites popping up everywhere around certain brands. You have bands, you have TV shows," he said.

Experts say the ultimate rule of success for any site is simple people always want to go where their friends go.

Facebook fans also like that they can control how much of their profile their friends can view. And overall, Facebook has more privacy settings. With recruiters and employers checking out these sites, privacy is now the biggest concern, no matter which one you're using.

New Site Lets You Dish About Your Neighbors

   

Some Think It Goes Too Far

By Debora Villalon

Mill Valley, Calif. Sep. 27, 2007 (KGO) - Have a neighbor who drives you nuts? Well now you have a place to vent your complaints in a web site that's attracted a quarter million visitors in its two months of existence, all by word-of-mouth.

Behind these grocery carts, lies a rotten neighbor, at least according to a new web site where people vent about what's bugging them next door.

The site www.rottenneighbor.com collects complaints about neighbors -- messy, noisy, inconsiderate neighbors- and plots their location on Google maps to warn others to avoid moving in near them.

"I had a rotten neighbor of my own," said Web Site designer Brant Walker.

A San Diego web designer launched the site -- now nationwide with thousands of postings.

"Some real estate agents don't want it, they don't like it, think it will hurt their business. People looking to buy homes love it. Some people looking to sell homes think it will bring their values down. Just a huge variety of people," said Walker.

People can praise "good" neighbors too, but complaints outnumber compliments 100 to one. Most common: loud music, neglected yards and suspicions of drug activity.

"It's a very judgemental site," said Nancy Kenyon from the Fair Housing Alliance of Marin.

The site's a bit troubling for fair housing advocates, who say neighbors should communicate, not slam each other anonymously. Plus they worry about discrimination; for example families with children tend to be noisier.

"If someone were to say there are too many people living in this house, well that could easily apply to nationalities that have larger families," said Kenyon.

And the comments, sometimes amusing can also be mean. The person mad about these abandoned shopping carts calls his neighbors "trashy low class bums".

A Mill Valley neighborhood is criticized for having too many barking dogs. "Ridiculous," one comment said, don't move here if you want peace and quiet.

But some residents don't think squealing on the web is the way to go.

"Then they should approach the neighbor, rather than do the 'end around' going on the Iinternet. Communication is a way to solve the problem," said one Mill Valley resident.

The site will soon add photos and video, and comment capability. Apparently rotten neighbors are a growth industry.

Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.

YouTube meets Monster in video resume play

David Louie

If you're looking for a new job or for a new employee, there's a website you should know about. It combines key elements from sites like Craigslist and YouTube, giving people on both sides of the job market a place to get acquainted.

"I would be a perfect spokesperson for any company because I'm energetic, enthusiastic, and I'm not afraid of being in front of crowds," said one woman in her video.

A San Francisco based website, CareerTV.com, is posting video resumes from job seekers.

Katherine Garvey from Novato sees them as an idea way to stand out in a sea of applicants.

"Often I have seen an open position online, and I go that's exactly what I want to do, and I want to explain to them why I'm the person for a job. Oftentimes, a one-page paper resume just can't do it," said Garvey.

Her video resume has already resulted in a job interview.

"My love and passion and what I always do on the side is in organization behavior, which is what I got my degree in from the University of San Francisco," said Garvey, in her video.

Another young man, in his video, wants a job in federal law enforcement.

"I'm reliable. I'm very good at paperwork. I'm organized. I'm punctual."

CareerTV.com also features recruitment videos from major companies. They're polished, while many of the resumes are a little rough around the edges.

"It is really all over the map. I think that that's one of the things that's a challenge right now, especially for recruiters 'is how can I get something that's in somewhat of a standardized format like a resume is today?'" Jim Buttimer, CareerTV.com Chief Operating Officer.

Kit Yarrow is writing a book on Gen Y, the group of 17 to 28 year olds most likely to embrace video resumes.

She was critical of some of ones she reviewed.

"People are going to form impressions really quickly," said Yarrow, Ph.D., Golden Gate University consumer psychologist.

Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.

Some Halo 3 disks scratched by packaging

Within hours after die-hard fans finally got their hands on a copy of "Halo 3," blogs brimmed with reports that special limited-edition packaging is scratching the video game disks. Microsoft Corp., which owns the studio that makes "Halo 3," responded quickly on its Xbox Web site with details for a replacement program. Customers can fill out a form and send in their scratched limited-edition disks for a free exchange through the end of December.

A Microsoft spokesman and a member of the company's outside PR firm did not immediately respond to calls and e-mails from The Associated Press requesting more information.

Microsoft is selling the limited-edition version, which comes in a tin decorated with the "Halo 3" logo, for $70. A regular copy of the game costs $60, and a "legendary" version, which comes with a replica of the helmet worn by game protagonist Master Chief, costs $130. The game officially went on sale early Tuesday.

Richard Mitchell, the lead writer of the Xbox 360 Fanboy blog, said one of the disks that came in his limited-edition set is scratched but the damage didn't seem to interfere with its playing.

The AP received several review copies of "Halo 3" in limited-edition tins. Both the game disk and an "essentials" disk had come loose from plastic housing designed to keep them in place. The game disk had been scratched but seemed to work fine.

Microsoft has been plagued by Xbox 360 problems in recent months. In July, the software maker said it would spend more than $1 billion to repair broken Xbox 360 consoles, and in August it disclosed that some Wireless Racing Wheel game controllers were overheating and smoking.

Since its launch, the Xbox 360 has outsold Sony Corp.'s next-generation PlayStation 3 console, but it hasn't been as popular as Nintendo Corp.'s Wii. Investors and analysts are watching whether Microsoft can turn a profit in the division that makes the Xbox 360. Microsoft, which expects to hit that milestone in the current fiscal year, has said "Halo 3" is one part of its strategy for reaching that goal.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Fans brace for latest `Halo 3'

Can "Halo" hero Master Chief blast his way past "Spider-Man 3" too? We'll soon find out as the third installment in the "Halo" video game franchise debuts Tuesday for the Xbox 360 console.

Microsoft Corp. won't divulge exact sales predictions for "Halo 3" (and won't specify just how many tens of millions they poured into developing it) but seems confident of outdoing the "Spider-Man 3" movie, the summer blockbuster that grossed $151 million in its first day -- a comparison the company has embraced itself.

Released in 2004, "Halo 2" grossed $125 million during the first 24 hours of its release, according to company sales statistics.

"We know we're going to clear that," Microsoft spokesman Ryan James said.

For months, the "Halo 3" hype machine has been in overdrive with star-studded events where celebrities effuse about how chic it is to be a "Halo" geek. And then there's a merchandising juggernaut that would make George Lucas proud: From "Halo 3" edition Mountain Dew soda bottles to novels, comic books and action figures.

Even for some self-professed "Halo" fans, it's all getting to be a bit much.

"It's crazy, you see it everywhere," said Rich Douek, a 32-year-old graphic designer who lives in New York. He plans on buying "Halo 3" soon but won't be lining up for one of the Monday midnight madness events.

"At end of the day it's just a really good first-person shooter. I don't see it as breaking any molds or being any new revolutionary concept in gaming," he said. "It may turn out to be best first-person shooter ever, but it's not going to, like, change the world in a meaningful way."

In Atlanta, 25-year-old insurance worker Graham Jones plans to be among the first in line at a local GameStop store to snag his pre-ordered $69.99, "limited edition" version of the game that includes an art book and other extras.

(More than a million copies of the game already have been pre-ordered, according to Microsoft. There's also a $59.99 "regular edition" that comes with just the game; a $129.99 "legendary edition" complete with a replica helmet worn by Master Chief; and a $399.99 special edition Xbox 360 with a "Halo"-themed custom paint job -- but no "Halo 3" game).

"I'll be there at 12:01 a.m. with all the other 14-year-olds to get my copy," said Jones. "I gotta work and I gotta eat, but I can sacrifice my sleep."

A Best Buy Co. store near Times Square also will be open at midnight, when rabid fans can get their hands on the game as soon as possible.

"Halo 3" promises to tie up the loose ends in "Halo 2" that left some fans confused, even angry, said Brian Jarrard, an executive for Bungie Studios (which Microsoft acquired in 2000).

With the tagline "Finish the Fight," it resumes the saga of hero Master Chief, a masked human soldier of the future, returning to Earth in the midst of a battle for humanity's survival.

The alien armies of the Covenant are seeking to take over the planet, while an even more nefarious alien threat called the Flood threatens the galaxy's very existence. As a player, gamers will guide Master Chief in the single-story mode to the conclusion.

"We've definitely heard a lot of complaints about the cliffhanger ending in `Halo 2,"' Jarrard said. "For us this is the third chapter. We are definitely wrapping up the story arc. We talk about it as our `Return of the King."'

The significance of "Halo" can't be underestimated for Microsoft, which was a newcomer to the video game console business when it debuted the original Xbox in 2001.

"Halo: Combat Evolved," the first game in the series, "really defined an entire gaming platform," said Dan Hsu, editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly.

"Halo" and "Halo 2" have gone on to sell 14.8 million copies on the Xbox and PC, according to Microsoft.

"When you look back at when Xbox launched, there was this cold software company trying to get into the gaming market," he said. "If it weren't for Halo 1, who knows if there would still be an Xbox."

And despite "Halo 3" being the final chapter in the story arc, it doesn't appear the series will be fading anytime soon, Jarrard said.

A strategy video game called "Halo Wars" is set for release in 2008. Last year, Microsoft reached a deal in which Peter Jackson, the Academy Award-winning director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and his wife, screenwriter Fran Walsh, will help create two new video games, at least one of them in the "Halo" universe.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.