Posts Tagged ‘iphone’

I’m headed to CES in Las Vegas this week. CES is the BIGGEST consumer electronics show of the year. It’s where the best of the best come to show-off their latest and greatest tech achievements.

Last year, we experienced the rise of Blu-Ray, the loss of HD-DVD, and the introduction of slim TVs from Sony, large TVs from Panasonic, and a plethora of wire-free products.

What’s going to be the must-have items this year? Right now, I’m looking forward to more of the “Look Ma, No Wires!” that we expect to see with all kinds of devices. Plus, after the launch of the iPhone, I’m looking forward to seeing what companies have incorporated the 3G network capability into their products.  Also, I can’t wait to see what goodies have caught on to the whole touch-screen fad.  My favorite, of course, is the latest in iPod accessories.

I’ll update from the show room floor.  Wish me luck!

You’ve heard me prattle on and on about all of the top trends over the past year. Americans have Ba-rocked the vote, shopped for their favorite Jonas brothers memorabilia and showed their support for Britney’s comeback, turning pop culture obsessions into possessions on eBay.

We put our math hats on and decided to get the lowdown on the numers, identifying exactly what Americans were most fascinated by in 2008. You can read the full press release here.

But here is a sneak peek—my picks for America’s top 10 pop culture obsessions of 2008  include:
1.    Nintendo Wii – 2,056,866 related items sold
2.    Xbox 360 – 1,297,903 related items sold
3.    Apple’s iPod Touch – 281,361 related items sold
4.    Hannah Montana – 223,139 related items sold
5.    Apple’s iPhone 3G – 212,837 related items sold
6.    Brett Favre – 199,832 related items sold
7.    Barack Obama – 111,546 related items sold
8.    High School Musical Cast – 109,813 related items sold
9.    Guitar Hero III – 98,159 related items sold
10.  Madonna – 96,511 related items sold

Get the full scoop here!

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Now that I’ve lost one cell phone, I’ve decided to switch to using the iPhone full-time. It’s truly amazing how many things this phone can do. Here are a few of my favorite apps (aside from the eBay app, of course!)

Shazam: This is so amazing! I am constantly hearing music thinking, “Who sings this song and what’s it called?!” This program will actually tell you! Start Shazam and hold it up to a speaker that’s playing a song you can’t remember. Seconds later the app returns the song name, album title, album art, artist, and links to YouTube videos!

Ambiance: If you’ve ever tried to work in a noisy environment, you know how counterproductive it can be. If you need some peace, this app is for you. Use it to scroll through several different relaxing sounds like rain, waves, white noise, and more.

Restaurant Nutrition: I’m a bit of a junk food junkie so trying to keep all of the calories, carbs, sugars, and fats straight is really hard. This app helps me like no other! It has a list of almost every fast food chain along with their menu. After you’ve ordered, bust out the app to get the nutrition stats for each item. At the end of the day, it gives you a full update on what you’ve eaten.

Writing Pad: The iPhone’s touch screen now lets you place your finger on the screen and move from letter to letter to “type” easily and quickly. It’s pretty amazing and very responsive. This is one of the coolest apps out there.

iRibbit Plus: This eBay approved app keeps you up-to-date on the items you’re watching. It alerts you via email or text when auction-style listings are ending or you’re being outbid and includes a link to those listings so you can update your bid anytime. Plus, it includes a big countdown clock at the top of each item page so you can see how much time is left. If you don’t want to bid, you can use it to “Buy It Now.”

I’ve been really into adding videos to my iPhone lately. Recently, I loaded up “Swingers” for my latest plane ride. Then I thought about it: do I want to hold my iPhone for two hours while trying to relax and watch a movie? Well, no.

So, before leaving for the trip, I dug through my room-of-gadgets and came across this rad device. It’s called the MicroPack Portable iPod Dock. Not only does this device hold up your iPod or iPhone at a nice viewing angle, but it acts as a battery charger. It also has a spot for two sets of headphones to tune in. Best of all, it’s small and slim so it can easily fit into any carry-on. I’m never leaving for a long trip without it!

I scored my new iPhone last weekend and immediately downloaded the new eBay application. The speed in which the application downloaded was quite impressive. Plus, the process is smooth and streamlined, which is what all of us eBay addicts really care about.

At the top of the screen, there’s a big search box. Underneath the search box, you can see your profile picture and big buttons showing your stats for each listing. At one glance of the home screen you can see what you’re watching, winning, won, were outbid on, selling, and sold.

eBay on the iPhone lets you make those quick on the draw decisions with the freedom of mobility that will once again make you the winner!! Well done, eBay.

This morning, I thought I’d stroll over to the Apple store and score my new iPhone. I’ve been dreaming of white cases and faster connection speeds for weeks now, so today is an exciting day for me!

I called ahead to make sure they had some in stock. Sure enough, the happy Apple dude on the other end assured me they did. As I walked up to the store, the line looked totally manageable. I could all but smell the new packaging in my hands! Right at that moment, I was stopped by a fully-armed guard who informed me I was in the non-iPhone line. If I wanted one, I just had to go around the corner and get in the 3-6 hour long line. Ha! I stayed put and waited 20 minutes just to get a glimpse.

Once inside, a guy came up to me and told me his name. As cute as he was, I tried to ditch him so I could have some privacy with the new device. No dice. It turns out he had been “assigned” to watch over me as I checked out the iPhone! I went with it and asked him to show me what he liked best. The new ALS is cool, the GPS looked fine, but the white was disappointing because it was only on the back.

Most importantly, a heads up to all of you eBay peeps who may have waited in the line to try and resell: You have to sign up for servicing there.

I went in front of the store watching people being brought in ten at a time after waiting for over three hours, still smiling away. Here is a picture of the line they were in. Steve, you really are a genius…

When texting first became popular I thought, “meh, who needs to text, that’s why I have a phone.” Little did I now that texting would become all the rage and I would later sound like a wizened old lady—so much for being an arbiter of trends. But I digress, I have since adopted the text and have come to love it. It appeals to my writing sensibilities and my desire to emulate 14 year-old jr. high students. Now there are phone plans with dedicated texting components and TV commercials where parents hound their over-texting teens. But did you know that there is a National Texting Championship? I am not kidding; LG sponsors the competition and it is taking place on July 9th in New York City. From what I gather, people line up and text until their fingers bleed and a winner emerges. LOL! Last year a 13 year-old girl won $25,000 for her texting prowess. Like the National Spelling Bee, I am waiting with baited breath until this athletic event makes its way onto ESPN. Some favorite phones for texting include: the new Palm Treo, the Apple iPhone, the BlackBerry, the LG Vu, and of course, the Sidekick.

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com