Eschewing a fancy name, the Griffin Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer does absolutely everything advertised on the box. Part executive wondertoy, part creative multitool, the Griffin Stylus is a bit pricy when you consider that all three of its features can be purchased separately for a fraction of the cost, but the convenience and the quality of this product easily make up for the discrepancy.

The first thing that struck me about the Griffin Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer was the weight to it. Now, while said weight may not make it an ideal thing to clip to a breast pocket, it feels absolutely wonderful in the hand, with a nice heft that feels sturdy, solid, and just built well overall. The pen’s clip is tight but still easy to slide onto the edge of a pocket, or onto a string, and it looks very professional with its matte black exterior and silver details.

When it came time to use the Griffin, I was very pleased with everything I got out of it. As a pen, it’s fairly standard. It writes well and clearly, without requiring too much pressure or the fear of leaving little trails of ink from lightly sliding the pen across paper. It works just right, and has an easily replacable cartridge when your ink starts to run low, but to be perfectly honest, I expected something a little fancier than just a standard ballpoint. The fact that it is standardized turns out to be a plus in the long run, making ink replacement a simple task without having to search for special cartridges. The only real downside to the pen is that the place where the top half of the pen containing the cap and the laser pointer is located is not intuitive, and both myself and most people I’ve handed the pen to have spent more time than is probably normal trying to figure out exactly how to write with it.

The laser pointer is also fairly standard in nature. With a small circle button on the side of the cap, the red laser turns on, with decent intensity and distance. It’s not going to help you spot something on a hill three miles away, but in an indoor or office environment, it’s absolutely perfect, and considering the presentation of the product, meets expectations in every way. The only concern I have considering the laser pointer is the button placement. If you remove the cap of the pen and click it over the stylus when writing, my hand at least has a tendency to grip the pen right where the button to activate the laser is located, so I am always fearful of accidentally shining the laser into my own eye when I am writing.

As for the stylus third of the Griffin Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer, I have absolutely nothing but great things to report. Using a sort of rubber bubble tip that emulates the feel of a human finger tip, the stylus is smooth and responsive without leaving smudges or scuffmarks common from plastic or hard styli. Based on its design, the stylus also works with devices that use capacitive touch like my laptop’s touch pad, cellphone touch screens, and iPads just as well as it works with my Nintendo DS or other stylus-driven device. Everything I’ve used the Griffin stylus with has worked better than imagined, with nice, fluid, and responsive movements.

If you’ve already got all three devices handy like a true office pro, the Griffin Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer isn’t going to bring anything new to your arsenal, but it does combine the best of all three devices into one handy, good-looking, quality tool. I personally don’t go anywhere without mine now, whether I’m working on something at my desk, using it to sign a check for lunch, or showing somebody a funny video using a mobile device. Without being necessarily original, the Griffin Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer is a quality product that looks as good as it feels to use.

Editor’s Rating

4.5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Bottom Line: The Griffin Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer doesn’t innovate in the slightest, instead offering incredible performance for all three of its functions with very few setbacks. The price point may be a little steep for some people, but with easily replaceable batteries and ink, the life of the Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer is guaranteed to go as long as you need it to.

Pros:

• Stylus works incredibly well with all devices, even those that require capacitive touch like an iPad or laptop touch pad
• Pen uses standard ballpoint cartridges when ink needs to be replaced
• Laser pointer is bright and clear, with easily replacable batteries

Cons:

• The constant fear that you will shine the laser in your eye while writing with the pen
• Misleading design for uncapping the pen will make people spend a few seconds trying to figure out how it works
• Too heavy to clip to a breast pocket comfortably

The Griffin Stylus + Pen + Laser Pointer is available direct from Griffin for $49.99.

The key to getting a new smart phone from your carrier is to know when to hold em, and when to fold em.  What does that mean?  Often, it means a game of bluff poker where your best cards have to do with your contract being up and your wireless carrier being desparate to keep your business.  Here’s what to do.

1. Talk to the right people

When you’re looking to get a new smart phone and you want to keep your existing carrier, don’t just talk to the first person you get on the phone and don’t tell them you want to renew your contract.  In fact, do just the opposite.  Tell them you’re thinking of cancelling your service and you want to talk to the RETENTION DEPARTMENT.

The retention department is a special division in all wireless companies who’s job it is to keep your business.  As such, they are empowered to do more than the typical service rep.  They are the ones who can get you a new smart phone for a two year deal and they’re the one’s who can make sure you get to keep your unlimited data plan when you do.  And that’s key.  If you go online and buy a new phone or talk to some Johnny Come Lately at the AT&T store, they’ll be happy to sell you a new phone, and they will also be happy to stick you into a new contract with stricter data limits and higher prices than what you currently enjoy.  That’s because even the slightest change in your wireless service will allow them to void your old deal and stick you in the new one.

2. Negotiate relentlessly

When you do go get to the retention department, tell them you’re thinking about going with someone else.  What can they do to keep your business?  They’ll whip out quick offer. And they know that most people will likely take it.  That’s what the numbers say.  Balk.  Counter with a better model, keeping your old deal, etc.   Keep pushing.  The longer you’re on the phone with them, the better chance you have. Now here’s where it gets tough. there is one thing you have to be willing to do.  LEAVE.  If they don’t give you the deal you want, you have to be prepared to go elsewhere.  In fact, tell them that.  Tell them you were in a competitor’s store and they can get you a better deal on that new smart phone.  They will give you a better deal.  Even something you didn’t expect.   They may even offer you that new smart phone you really want.  If not, ask for it.  And always ask for more than you’re willing to accept.  And always be willing to walk away.  There are not only plenty of carriers interested in your business, but phones as well.  With so many choices, consumers can now choose the carrier first and then choose the phone they want.

3. Ask questions

Make sure you ask questions about the phone .  They may offer you a smart phone you like, but it may be refurbished.  That’s not really a bad thing in that the price will be REALLY low on a new phone.  Refurbished phones are phones that have been returned and usually can’t be sold brand new due to state and federal laws.  So they are sold for far less.  The downside is, they also usually have a shorter warranty period – may be even 90 days.  So push for a longer warranty.  Ask if it will affect your existing data plan.  As stated above, any change to your deal will allow them to void any previous deal, and if you have been “grandfathered” with an unlimited data plan, you may be forced into plans with data caps if you’re not careful.  Also, make sure you can return the phone if you don’t like it and choose another.

4. Get it in writing

Ask for a written confirmation of the terms of the deal so that you can be sure you can prove that they gave you the right phone or are allowing you to keep that unlimited data plan.

5. Think refurbished

If the phone you’re looking at is over 6 months old, there’s a really great chance you can get it for half price or more by choosing a refurbished phone.  As we stated above, they can’t sell these phones new and you can get them for cheap – but with a shorter warranty period.  Normally, this would be a deal breaker, but if you pay for the phone with a credit card that has extended warranties as a perk of membership, then the shorter warranty isn’t that big a deal.

6. Buy online

Many online retailers offer better deals than the carriers themselves and sometime include a free Bluetooth headset or carrying case.  Checkout Amazon and Wirefly as they often sell phones below the carrier’s price.  However, you’ll still need to sign a 2-year contract.

7. Buy a phone unsubsidized

If you like the deal you have and don’t want to rock the boat, buying a phone at full price will enable you to keep the deal you have an get the phone you want.  It will cost you more up front, but in the long run, you end up paying less.  Yes, that’s right, less.  When you do the math about how much you’re paying every month for smart phone cell and data service, you realize that you’re paying up to twice as much for that phone than you would if you bought it unsubsidized.  That’s why your wireless companies can offer those phones so cheap.

The bottom line is you can make your wireless companies work hard to keep your business.  You just have to be ready and willing to say good bye if they choose not to.

Just as the NFC payment is heating up, Square, the same company that brought us the credit card processing device for the iPhone, has their own solution.  Instead of relying on physical proximity to a reader, like NFC, Square’s solution, called Card Case, relies on the customer and a smartphone app to process the transaction.

The Card Case app acts very much like Paypal, but is designed to be specifically compatible with Square merchants.  The consumer downloads the app, punches in their credit card info – they can even add a photo for added security – and launches it when they walk into a participating restaurant or coffee shop.  The consumer must then select the merchant, where upon the restaurant can see their name and identity within the merchant application.  Once the consumer has finished with their meal they simply provide their name and the checkout process is completed.  A virtual receipt is sent to an on file email address.  Square has added a few features since the app’s launch, which include the ability to tip waiters and allow merchants to charge a $0 item to help them track complimentary goods.

Transactions over $25 require a signature, but anything less and the customer can just dine and dash.  Since launching today, at least according to Square, the Card Case app is only useful in major cities where they have a strong presence, such as San Francisco, New York City, LA and others.

If merchants want to participate they’ll need to acquire a Square account and reader.  Consumers, however, just need to download the Square Card Case app, which is already available from the app store.

If you didn’t know, GadgetReview’s home is in Santa Monica.  And aren’t we lucky, because Apple has plans to build a brand-spanking new Apple store just down the street.  Aside from the surrounding walls, it will be made entirely of glass, which is oh so SoCal.  If you’ve ever set foot in the Apple store on the Promenade (it’s chalk full of tourists, teens and bums), then you know the store is in desperate need of an upgrade.  It practically explodes at the seams at all hours of the day.

In actuality, the new store will replace the old Borders store – you know, the company that crashed and burned recently because they didn’t follow Apple’s proven, high revenue generating model.  We can only assume that the old store, which probably isn’t more than 2500 square feet will be shut down and replaced by this 8000 square foot behemoth with a 75-foot glass roof.

We’re just a bit concerned about earth quakes, and the people that have a tendency to walk into glass walls.

4.5 out of 5 stars

First things first: if you’re strictly a home based laptop user, the ProBook 5330m probably isn’t the best choice for you.  If you’re looking for a gaming laptop that you can bring with you places, look somewhere else my friend.  The HP ProBook 5330m designed for the business/enterprise user that is on the go, with a slew of features that compliment that lifestyle.

Still with me?

The first thing that stands out about the 5330m is it’s look – the think is damn well sexy.  The ProBook 5330m isn’t flashy, it doesn’t try to make you drool by showing you bright colors or by being extremely curvy – what it is though, is distinguished and refined.  It’s brushed aluminum finish on the top is a real eye-catcher, and while the two-tone keyboard is bland at first glimpse, it’s backlighting ends up complimenting the look; making it seem smooth.  The chassis is also magnesium, with a soft coating on the bottom for comfort.

One of the nice things that’s on the inside of the ProBook 5330m, is the inclusion of Beats Audio.  While you’re still dealing with laptop speakers (and their limitations on sound clarity/volume), the technology makes even a cheap headset sound downright amazing.  I took two conference calls on it, and they were both 100% clearer than if I was using my old Acer.

While Beats is a nice feature, the real gold here can be found in the slew of security features that the ProBook 5330m sports.  It features a robust facial recognition program, Bluetooth pairing with your phone, and a fingerprint reader -all of which can be used separately, or in unison, in order to unlock your laptop.  The ProBook 5330m also features complete drive encryption and cryptographic protection from a TPM chip.

The security features alone are worth the price of admission in my eyes, but there’s still other features here left to be discovered.  HP’s QuickWeb is a really neat feature (especially if you haven’t experienced it before).  Essentially another mini-OS, it allows your laptop to turn into a simple web browser (with all the bells and whistles – flash, java, etc) from a powered off state in less than thirty seconds.  There were plenty of times during my testing where (as normally happens to me) I would shut it down and then immediately get an email through my phone.  It’s so much easier to hit the QuickWeb button and reply than to try and do it on a tiny touch screen.

One of the issues I had with the 5330m was the lack of an optical drive, but with it’s extremely small form factor, I can understand how fitting one in would be difficult.  Another issue was how the ProBook handled heat; I don’t know if the laptop itself was running hot, but there were times that I had my hand next to the exhaust port and it felt very hot (a RYOBI IR thermometer clocked the exhaust at 102 degrees when I was pushing the system.  It’s not the worst I’ve used, but it’s definitely not the best either.

Performance wise I had no issues, it easily handled pretty much anything I threw at it – I was able to play on the Battlefield 3 Alpha, but I had to keep every setting to a minimum in order to keep from having a lot of stutters.  America’s Army ran fairly with settings on medium, but it did run into lag when too many things were going on at once.  For business work though, I did spreadsheets to power points with ease, so it does what it’s supposed to in that aspect.

Battery life is a major issue for me – maybe it’s because the mobile broadband card sucks up juice when it’s searching for a network to join, but the battery only lasted a bit over three hours whenever I had it unplugged.  When I’m out of the house, I’m usually gone for hours at a time, so three hours doesn’t really cut it.  To HP’s credit though, the battery is extremely small which keeps the ProBook very lightweight (3.99 lbs).

In closing, tomorrow is when I’ll be packing the HP ProBook 5330m up to send back, and I wish I didn’t have to.  While it has some issues, none of them are glaring, and they all are easily overshadowed by the good points.  You get a lot for your money, even with the lowest end model – a fingerprint reader, an encrypted drive (7200 rpm no less), and 3G mobile broadband for around $800?  That deal alone is enough to make me give the HP ProBook 5330m a rating of four and a half stars out of five.

Pros:

• Sleek and elegant styling is both timeless and refined
• The complete package of HP’s security tools
• Mobile 3G Broadband on a laptop at an affordable price

Cons:

• Gets very hot when pushed beyond standard business tasks
• No optical drive on a laptop makes it look like a netbook
• very short battery life means lots of recharging

You can get the HP ProBook 5330m from Amazon for $806.67

Starting today you’ll be able to enjoy the first 4 seasons of Mad Men streaming on Netflix.  We originally thought the show was arriving on April 27th, but it turns out we were wrong.  In fact we’re idiots, because we just didn’t read the original article correctly.  But no matter, because today has arrived and Don Draper and co are here to entertain you.

On another note, Netflix struck an International deal to bring CBS content to the popular streaming service in a variety of countries.  Earlier this month, Netflix announced that they’ll roll out their streaming service in a 43 countries including, but not limited to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean later this year.  Canadian subscribers, where the service most recently launched, will be able to enjoy this content this September.  The content will include the CW hit “90210,” as well as past seasons of critically lauded fan favorites from SHOWTIME such as “Californication,” “Dexter,” and “The United States of Tara.” Canadian members will also have access to a broad range of CBS library programming, including “Numb3rs,” “Sleeper Cell,” and “Twin Peaks.”

Netflix recently increased their pricing by as much as 60%.  It’s said that this additional revenue will help them expand into other countries as well as improve their library of streaming movies and tv shows.

CBS AND NETFLIX ANNOUNCE INTERNATIONAL LICENSING AGREEMENT FOR CANADIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN SUBSCRIBERS

NEW YORK and BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – July 27, 2011 – CBS Corporation [NYSE: CBS.A and CBS] and Netflix, Inc. [Nasdaq: NFLX] today announced a two-year, non-exclusive international licensing agreement that will enable certain television shows from across CBS Corporation to be streamed instantly to Netflix subscribers in Canada and Latin America. The agreement follows a separate domestic deal announced between the two companies in February. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Beginning in September, and for only $7.99 a month, Netflix members in Canada will be able to enjoy both the current and complete back seasons for CW hit “90210,” as well as past seasons of critically lauded fan favorites from SHOWTIME such as “Californication,” “Dexter,” and “The United States of Tara.” Canadian members will also have access to a broad range of CBS library programming, including “Numb3rs,” “Sleeper Cell,” and “Twin Peaks.”

Netflix announced in early July that it would be launching in 43 countries across Mexico, South America and the Caribbean later this year. Under this new deal with CBS, previous seasons of series, including “90210,” “Medium,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Californication” and “Dexter,” will be available for Latin American members to watch instantly, as will a broad range of library titles, including the original “Star Trek,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Charmed,” and “Twin Peaks.”

“We are pleased to be partners with Netflix as they rollout their superb service to new markets,” said Armando Nunez, President, CBS Studios International. “This new arrangement-which does not compete with U.S. ratings or SHOWTIME’s domestic subscriber base-underscores the popularity of CBS content around the world, and illustrates yet another meaningful way for us to realize incremental value from our vast library of content.”

“We are delighted to be expanding our successful relationship with CBS to our newer markets in Canada and Latin America,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix. “We aim to provide the widest possible range of great TV shows so our members can always find something compelling to watch wherever and whenever they want.”

About CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and The CW – a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime Networks, Smithsonian Networks and CBS College Sports Network), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Television Studios, CBS Studios International and CBS Television Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS Consumer Products), video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment), motion pictures (CBS Films) and sustainable media (EcoMedia). For more information, please visit www.cbscorporation.com.

About Netflix, Inc.
With more than 25 million members in the United States and Canada, Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) is the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. For $7.99 a month, Netflix members in the U.S. and Canada instantly watch unlimited TV episodes and movies streaming over the Internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, Internet-connected TVs, home theater systems, digital video recorders and Internet video players; Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 200 devices that stream from Netflix are available in the U.S. and a growing number are available in Canada.

We could be dead wrong, but this looks to be the first credit card reader for the iPad.  It comes from the folks at AppNinjas.  The reader allows merchants to process credit cards using their iPad, provided of course they’re connected to the Net via WiFi or 3G.  Their compatible Swipe app costs 99 Cents in the App Store and all new customers approved for a merchant account will receive a free credit card reader worth $79.  Cost to use their service is 24 cents per transaction plus 1.74 percent of the sale in addition to a $24.95 monthly fee.  The Swipe reader is also compatible with an iPod or iPhone.

If it we’re up to us, we would have chosen a case that wraps around the iPad and employs a vertical credit card reader.  Let’s also not forget about Square, which works with the iPad in addition to the iPhone.

Dublin, Ohio, July 22, 2011 – For its Swipe mobile payment application, AppNinjas introduced a new credit card reader designed to fit the iPad, CEO John Waldron announced today. With this app, merchants can process and swipe credit cards securely and easily from any location. The Swipe iPad version allows users to process payments via Wi-Fi or their cell carrier’s network.
“We’re excited that our new iPad reader will allow so many small businesses to accept credit card payments,” said Waldron. “I’d estimate that some 10 million businesses and/or nonprofits can benefit by taking mobile payments.”
Swipe costs 99 cents on the App Store. New customers approved for a merchant account will get a free credit card reader for their iPad worth $79. Along with the iPad, Swipe is compatible with iPhone and iPod touch devices and has appropriate swipers for each. It will soon be available on Android phones.
For qualified transactions, Swipe’s fees are very competitive: A transaction charge of only 24 cents, plus 1.74 percent of the sale. Qualified transactions are swiped at the time of sale using a credit card such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. Swipe has no monthly minimums, set-up or activation fees. A monthly charge of $24.95 includes everything needed to accept credit cards.
“In addition to costing less than competing mobile payment systems, Swipe is also recognized for customer support,” said Waldron. “We assign an account rep to each new merchant to answer questions and take them from the sign up through acceptance of the first credit or debit card payment using Swipe.”
To ensure security, Swipe employs SSL encryption that transmits information back and forth securely and stores login details in the Apple Keychain, which provides encryption and application isolation that further improves security. In addition the app supports Address Verification (AVS) for ZIP code and street address to authenticate the identity of the credit card holder and CVV fraud detection to recognize invalid credit cards.
Swipe developer AppNinjas was founded in 2009 and was purchased in 2010 by John Waldron, Derek Del Conte, and Ryan D. Johnson, partners at Inner Fence and Merchant Focus. At AppNinjas, Del Conte is President and Johnson is CTO.

Today is June 17th, and as promised Redbox has rolled out their video game rental biz nationwide to over 21,000 of their boxes located at super markets, convenient stores and those alike.  They’re offering a wide variety of titles, including new releases such as Infamous 2, L.A. Noire and Duke Nukem Forever.  Much like their movie rental business you can hop online, login and reserve a copy of the game at the closest Redbox.  However, while movies cost $1 for a single night, games are twice that (plus tax).

Read

If the New York Post is be believed, Conde Nast, the company behind such publications as Wired Magazine, GQ, Galmour, Golf Digest, the New Yorker and others, will soon begin selling subscriptions on the iPad.

The rumor says that the company will start with the New Yorker as early as next week, largely in part to do with the added interest in the killing of Osama Bin Laden.  The other magazines mentioned above would also receive a launch date, albeit later in the month.

Pricing will reportedly start at $19.99 for a full year’s subscription, which is a vast discount over the single-issue price, which started at $4.99 per issue for the New Yorker and $3.99 for Wired or GQ.

Earlier this Spring Apple introduced their subscription model.  However, the news has been met with tepid results.  Subscription numbers have dwindled after launch and publisher are frustrated with Apple’s 30% commission on all sales and unwillingness to share subscriber information.

As of this posting, Hearst is the only publisher to officially announce plans for iPad subscriptions.  However, Time, Inc. announced that they’ll produce iPad editions of Fortune, Sports Illustrated, and Time for free to print subscribers.

Via: PCmag

Read

The Veer 4G is launching on May 15th.  That same day Nintendo will officially slash the price of their Wii Bundle from $200 to $150 according to retail sources.  They say they’ll replace Wii Sports Resort and Wii Sports, which is currently included with the console, with Mario Kart Wii and include a plastic steering wheel.  Both colors will continue to be offered.

It’s worth noting a few things.  One, the Wii 2 will be announced at this year’s E3, which takes place in the beginning of June.  So from a business standpoint it’s only logical that Nintendo would slash the price of their current gen console to help move units.  Second, we’ve seen the Wii sold at this price at Amazon a few times before, so if you stick it out, you should be able to find the Wii, after the price cut, for even cheaper.  Lastly, we heard in March that the Xbox 360 would receive a price cut and Sony and Nintendo would follow.  It seems that we had the timing wrong, but the question remains, when will Microsoft and Sony cut the price of their consoles?  Will the Wii’s price cut be a call to action for the two other major players?

Nintendo will also kick out a handful of budget games called “Nintendo Selects”.  It includes less expensive versions of Mario Super Sluggers, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.  We’re not sure what will be lacking, if anything in these games, but they’ll only cost $19.99.

Read

Redbox already owns over 30% of the DVD rental market and now they’re ready to officially launch into video games.  Starting on June 17,2011 they’ll begin to offer video game rentals at over 21,000 location.  Games will cost $2 a day, which is twice the cost of their DVD rentals and $0.50 more than Blu-rays.

Redbox began testing video game rentals alongside DVD and Blu-rays this past June at more than 5,000 locations.  They’ll now expand the service to 21,000 locations throughout the US.  Titles for all the major video game consoles, including Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii and PS3, will be offered.

Is this launch strategic in terms of timing?  We’d say so since Blockbuster recently filed for bankruptcy and has been shuttering stores ever since.

GAME ON! REDBOX ANNOUNCES IT WILL OFFER VIDEO GAME RENTALS NATIONWIDE THIS JUNE

April 28, 2011 –Redbox, America’s movie rental destination, today announced it will offer video game rentals at more than 21,000 redbox locations nationwide beginning June 17, 2011. Top video games will join new release movies for only $2 a day complementing $1 DVD and $1.50 Blu-ray™ daily rental prices. The announcement follows a test of video game rentals in select U.S. markets that began in August 2009.

“Redbox will increase consumers’ access to video game rentals by leveraging our incredible technology and business model to keep rental prices low for consumers,” said Mitch Lowe, president, redbox. “With more than 21,000 redbox locations slated to feature video game rentals alongside movies this June, redbox will be the one-stop shop for entertainment.”

Redbox, a Coinstar, Inc. brand, has tested video game rentals alongside movies at 5,000 redbox locations. “Redbox has rented more than one million video games in less than two years at these locations, underscoring the popularity of video game play in America,” added Lowe.

Today, nearly 64 percent* of people in the United States own a game console.
Upon launch, redbox will feature games across the three major console platforms: PLAYSTATION® 3, Nintendo Wii™ and Xbox 360®. Video game titles will range from top releases to popular family and kids titles.

“Redbox will make discovering the latest games as easy as a trip to the local grocery, convenience or drug store,” said Joel Resnik, vice president, games, redbox.

About Redbox
Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinstar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR), offers new release DVD and Blu-ray Disc rentals through its network of conveniently located, self-service kiosks. Redbox has rented more than one billion movies and is available at more than 27,000 locations nationwide, including select McDonald’s restaurants, leading grocery, drug and convenience stores, select Walmart locations and Walgreens locations in select markets. For more information, visit www.redbox.com.

Say goodbye to Cisco’s line of Flip Camcorders.  Yesterday, the company announced that they would discontinue the production of their handy, pocket sized camcorders.  Their official statement is that  they “will exit aspects of its consumer businesses and realign the remaining consumer business to support four of its five key company priorities — core routing, switching and services; collaboration; architectures; and video.”

We’re not surprised to hear this news.  In fact we’re a bit astonished it didn’t come sooner in light of the proliferation of smartphones, competitors and media players that sport high resolution camera sensors that can record full HD video in a comparable if not better quality.

According to Engadget, up to 550 employees will be let go.

Looks like Flip got out while the going was good.  In Spring 2009 they sold the company to Cisco for an all stock deal that was valued at $590 million.

Cisco Restructures Consumer Business

SAN JOSE, CA–(Marketwire – April 12, 2011) – As part of the company’s comprehensive plan to align its operations, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced that it will exit aspects of its consumer businesses and realign the remaining consumer business to support four of its five key company priorities — core routing, switching and services; collaboration; architectures; and video. As part of its plan, Cisco will:

* Close down its Flip business and support current FlipShare customers and partners with a transition plan.
* Refocus Cisco’s Home Networking business for greater profitability and connection to the company’s core networking infrastructure as the network expands into a video platform in the home. These industry-leading products will continue to be available through retail channels.
* Integrate Cisco umi into the company’s Business TelePresence product line and operate through an enterprise and service provider go-to-market model, consistent with existing business TelePresence efforts.
* Assess core video technology integration of Cisco’s Eos media solutions business or other market opportunities for this business.

“We are making key, targeted moves as we align operations in support of our network-centric platform strategy,” said John Chambers, Cisco chairman and CEO. “As we move forward, our consumer efforts will focus on how we help our enterprise and service provider customers optimize and expand their offerings for consumers, and help ensure the network’s ability to deliver on those offerings.”

In connection with the changes to the consumer business, it is anticipated that Cisco will recognize restructuring charges to its GAAP financial results, with an aggregate pre-tax impact not expected to exceed $300 million during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2011. The charges will be disclosed in upcoming earnings conference calls and quarterly Form 10-Q filings. Additionally, the company expects this will result in a reduction of approximately 550 employees in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.

Steve Jobs’ official, yes official, biography will hit retail shelves in early 2012.  It will be called iSteve: The Book of Jobs and will be published by Simon & Schuster.  What serparates this biography from past bioptic pieces is that Steve Jobs has agreed with its author, Walter Isaacson, to exclusive interviews, access to friends and family as well as a tour of his childhood home.  The book will also include thoughts and reactions from hit competitors.

Walter Isaacson is no stranger to biographies and boasts credits to Kissinger: A Biography (1992), Benjamin Franklin: An American Life (2003) and Einstein: His Life and Universe (2007) amongst others.

Read

Dish Network just bought Blockbuster for $228 million in cash.  We can only assume that DirectTV is laughing their asses off, all the while scratching their heads.

What the hell does Dish plan to do with 1,700 retail locations?  There’s no way they could break even on the investment by trying to hock their service and boxes at Blockbuster locations, right?  How many subscribers would they have to nab to make this worth their while?

According to the press release issued today, “Blockbuster will complement our existing video offerings while presenting cross-marketing and service extension opportunities for DISH Network,” said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Programming for DISH Network.  Perhaps there’s some sort of licensing agreement that Blockbuster still has right to that could net Dish Network an amount of money that would justify the acquisition.

DISH Network Agrees to Acquire Blockbuster Assets

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced that it was selected as the winning bidder in the bankruptcy court auction for substantially all of the assets of Blockbuster, Inc. DISH Network’s winning bid was valued at approximately $320 million. After certain adjustments are made at closing of the transaction, including adjustments for available cash and inventory, DISH Network expects to pay approximately $228 million in cash to acquire Blockbuster at the closing which is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2011.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100611/LA19624LOGO )

“With its more than 1,700 store locations, a highly recognizable brand and multiple methods of delivery, Blockbuster will complement our existing video offerings while presenting cross-marketing and service extension opportunities for DISH Network,” said Tom Cullen, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Programming for DISH Network. “While Blockbuster’s business faces significant challenges, we look forward to working with its employees to re-establish Blockbuster’s brand as a leader in video entertainment.”

Completion of the transaction is contingent upon satisfaction of certain conditions, including bankruptcy court approval.

Safe Harbor Statement under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements set forth above involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any such statement, including the risks and uncertainties discussed in DISH Network Corporation’s Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements included in its recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and DISH Network Corporation expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

About DISH Network

DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), through its subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., provides more than 14.1 million satellite TV customers, as of Dec. 31, 2010, with the highest quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy industry-leading customer satisfaction, the largest high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.

For some reason we just couldn’t sign on to Jon Hamm’s performance in “The Town”.  But no matter, because Mad Men, the AMC TV show, will soon stream on Netflix.  The first four seasons will start streaming on April 27th. The last 3 seasons will start streaming after each subsequent season of the show has aired on AMC – the fifth season is currently in production.  According to Variety, Netflix may have dropped $1 million an episode.

Read

Google ain’t taking the news of Amazon’s recently launched Cloud Music player sitting down.

Today, a new version of Android’s Music app, analogous to that of the player found in Honeycomb, was accidentally leaked to developers.  It includes a new rating system and options for what is purportedly Google’s cloud music service.  However, and despite the app being available for download, no one has had any luck with pushing or playing music from the cloud.  This is not surprising since Google probably hasn’t allowed the service to be accessible to those who aren’t employed or cleared by Google’s project managers. Perhaps a trip to Mountainview and logging into Google’s network will resolve that.  Any takers?

So should Amazon be nervous?  Hells yes.  The app will ship with all Android phones, and if we’ve learned anything from Microsoft’s past it will surely lead to some sort of law suit with citations to the good old monopoly clause often invoked by those that feel as though their capitalistic opportunities are being infringed upon.  But on the the other hand, Amazon has been at this for a long time and presumably amassed a vast array of knowledge that should give them a leg up in terms of infrastructure.  Plus it doesn’t hurt that they’re the world’s largest online retailer.

Read

While broadband data caps have yet to hit all service providers it is a growing concerns, especially amongst Canadians.  As a result, Netflix today announced that “watching movies and TV shows streaming from Netflix will use 2/3 less data on average, with minimal impact to video quality.”  In other words, CA Netflix users can watch 30 hours of streaming and only consume 9GB of data, compared to 70GB if it were all in HD.  Sure, the picture clairyt will be diminished, but Netflix says that quality will continue to be great, and if the customer so chooses they can opt to switch back to a higher bit rate, though at their own risk of paying overages on their bandwidth.

The three settings are as follows:

1. “Good” – The default setting with good picture quality and lowest data use per hour (about 0.3 GBytes/hour)
2. “Better” – Better picture quality and medium data use per hour (about 0.7 GBytes/hour)
3. “Best” – Best picture quality and highest date use per hour (generally about 1.0 GBytes/hour – or up to 2.3 GBytes/hour when streaming HD content)

It’s our best guess that Netflix has decided to test this feature in Canada since the customer base is probably relatively small compared to the US.  But in light of AT&T’s bandwidth caps on Uverse and DSL, which we recently told you about, we expect this feature to roll out State side in the some what near future.

Read

We can’t tell you how long we’ve been hearing that Apple will soon launch a cloud based music service.  But who cares, because Amazon just launched their own, and there is no reason not to try it out.

For free, as in $0, you’ll get 5GB of storage.  However, if you buy an MP3 album from Amazon’s MP3 store, you’ll automatically be upgraded to 20GB for one year.  Any future MP3 purchases from Amazon will automatically be stored to the cloud and won’t count against your storage capacity – makes sense since Amazon already owns and stores the music.

As of now, and strategically so, there is no official iPhone support, though the service will launch with an Android app called Cloud Player that allows you to buy and play music from the same app.  Mac and PC users can access tunes using Safari, IE, Firefox or Chrome, although we have yet to test if it works with the iPhone’s browser, Safari.  Sure, battery concerns will be at the forefront of everyone’s mobile mind, but if you’re on the road, in close proximity to a car charger it should be a non-issue, and shouldn’t be any more taxing than Pandora’s streaming app.

Files can be stored in either AAC or MP3 and they’ll retain their original bit rate upon upload.  Uploaded files should be downloadable again and transferable to any portable device that accepts the aforementioned formats.  But that’s not all.  Amazon’s cloud service can be used to store pictures, videos and really any digital file of your choosing.

As of now, Amazon’s hasn’t rolled out a tiered pricing plan, but based on the copyright on the site, we’re guessing that they’ll eventually roll out an option for increased space at a cost.  Keep in mind that the free 20GB only lasts for up to one year from purchase date.

Introducing Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon Cloud Player for Web, and Amazon Cloud Player for Android
Buy anywhere, play anywhere and keep all your music in one place
Start with 5 GB of free Cloud Drive storage – upgrade to 20 GB free with purchase of any MP3 album

SEATTLE, Mar 29, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the launch of Amazon Cloud Drive (www.amazon.com/clouddrive), Amazon Cloud Player for Web (www.amazon.com/cloudplayer) and Amazon Cloud Player for Android (www.amazon.com/cloudplayerandroid). Together, these services enable customers to securely store music in the cloudand play it on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC, wherever they are. Customers can easily upload their music library to Amazon Cloud Drive and can save any new Amazon MP3 purchases directly to their Amazon Cloud Drive for free.

“We’re excited to take this leap forward in the digital experience,” said Bill Carr, vice president of Movies and Music at Amazon. “The launch of Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web and Cloud Player for Android eliminates the need for constant software updates as well as the use of thumb drives and cables to move and manage music.”

“Our customers have told us they don’t want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices,” Carr said. “Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere.”

Store Music for Free

Customers automatically start with 5 GB of Cloud Drive storage to upload their digital music library, and those who purchase an Amazon MP3 album will be upgraded to 20 GB of Cloud Drive space. New Amazon MP3 purchases saved directly to Cloud Drive are stored for free and do not count against a customer’s storage quota.

Adding Music to Cloud Drive

Amazon’s easy uploading process makes it simple for customers to save their music library to their Cloud Drive. Files can be stored in AAC or MP3 formats and will be uploaded to Cloud Drive in the original bit rate. Customers can hand-pick particular songs, artists, albums or playlists to upload or simply upload their entire music library.

Cloud Player for Web

Customers who have a computer with a Web browser can listen to their music. Cloud Player for Web currently supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari for Mac, and Chrome. Cloud Player for Web lets customers easily manage their music with download and streaming options. Customers don’t need to worry about regularly updating software on their computer to enjoy music, and Amazon MP3 customers can continue to use iTunes and Windows Media Player to add their music to their iPods and MP3 players.

Cloud Player for Android

Cloud Player for Android is now bundled into the new version of the Amazon MP3 App; it includes the full Amazon MP3 Store and the mobile version of Cloud Player. Customers can use the app to play music stored on their Cloud Drive and music stored locally on their device. Features include the ability to search and browse by artist, album or song, create playlists and download music from Cloud Drive.

Secure Storage

Customers never need to worry about losing their music collection to a hard drive crash again. Files are securely stored on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and each file is uploaded to Cloud Drive in its original bit rate. Customers can buy music anywhere and know that their MP3s are safely stored in Cloud Drive and accessible from any device.

Store More than Music

Cloud Drive allows customers to upload and store all kinds of digital files; music, photos, videos and documents can be stored securely and are available via web browser on any computer. In addition to the 5 GB of free storage, customers can purchase storage plans starting at $20 a year for 20 GB.

Read

Living in London has its fair share of problems, the which of least is their underground network of trains and stations.  But, as we’ve learned today, the city will soon roll out 120 FREE WiFi hotspots in tube stations throughout city in anticipation of next year’s Olympic games.  

Unfortunately, WiFi will not be available in the tunnels, but instead be accessible from platforms and perhaps even those lingering at the entrances of the stations.  A trial has already begun at Charing Cross station, organized by British Telecom.

Read

We’re huge, no strike that, massive fans of Netflix’s streaming service.  So large in fact that we dropped our cable company’s TV service in favor of the $8 a month service.  But now one of the selling points that drew us into Netflix’s sticky web of awesome videos is going the way of the Dodo bird.

What are we talking about?  Starz TV shows and movies.  For a while there Netflix had instant access to all of Starz’s content.  The deal was struck as a work around to the royalty and licensing debacle that comes with movies, but now the company wants to delay the delivery of Starz content to Netflix by 90 days.  That means no more “Party Down” episodes on the fly and most certainly no new releases.

On a positive note, we recently discovered that a large number of James Bond movies will begin streaming on Netflix as of April 1st.  Perhaps that will help you dry your tears?

Read