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Vaja Announces Leather Clad iPod Case
Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, Portable Audio / Video,
Vaja, the makers of some of the coolest leather cases for phones, laptops, and MP3 players just announced their newest leather iPod case. The AP96 comes in metal studded black leather with that oh-so-fetish feel. Perfect for listening to some tunes while strolling through your local S&M club. Am I wrong to want one of these?
Read More 
| Vaja via Generation MP3
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One thing that all entrepreneurs should remember is that it is important to constantly be getting your brand out there in all you do. Now, if you are the sole person running your venture, then you become the brand - and the brand becomes you in a way. There are a few small steps you can take to represent your brand to the fullest, and leave a great impression on those you come in contact with, or interact with digitally.
But what is a personal brand? Peter Montoya, author of The Brand Called You, defines it as “a personal identity that stimulates precise, meaningful perceptions in its audience about the values and qualities that person stands for.” But your personal brand is only as strong as the moments in which it is manifested.
Now, because YOU are the product, because YOU are what people want, and because YOU need to make an UNFORGETTABLE first impression; everything must be stamped with your personal brand.
Click to continue reading Remember to Represent Your Personal Brand
For the perfect way to spice up any dull workspace, check out these Flowers In A Can. Available in Pansy, Dahlia, Geranium, and Impatiens “flavors”, these aluminum cans contain soil and seeds necessary for a cool mini-garden conversation piece - just add water. A set of two cans goes for about $20 USD.
Read More | Flowers In A Can via Cool Hunting
Latest Gear Live Videos
Gear Live Podcast: Optimus OLED Keyboard, Xbox 360 Launch, MP3, And More
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Misc. Tech, Podcasts,
The Gear Live Editors are back to share the hottest stories of the past week on Gear Live. This week we cover:
- Optimus OLED Customizable Keyboard
- Xbox 360 November 4 Launch
- MP3 Turns 10 Years Old
- RK Launcher For Windows
- The Death of Analog TV
Click here to download the MP3, or you can just subscribe to the Gear Live Podcast feed. Conversely, you can now subscribe to us directly from iTunes.
Voices: Andru Edwards, Edwin Soto, Sparky, Oscar Cantu
Length: 41:57, 19.3 MB
Don’t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley! Also, be sure to check out the Gear Live Odeo Channel, and subscribe there as well. You can even tag each episode with keywords.
Listen | Gear Live Podcast
Pantech PH-S8000T - Korea’s First Microsoft Smartphone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones,
Pantech has launched their PH-S8000T smartphone, the first Microsoft smartphone available in Korea. It ships with Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition and an Intel Mobile processor. It has a nice 2.2” QVGA (240 x 320) LCD screen, and will be aimed at mobile professionals and multimedia enthusiasts.
Read More | Telecoms Korea
Skype is an excellent VoIP program which allows its users to communicate with each other using voice chat at no cost. Many have wanted to use Skype to create good quality qudio recordings for their websites, but Skype does not have that functionality built-in. Enter Pamela - available in three flavors, each ranging in functionality, you can now record your Skype calls, and even use Skype for creating podcasts - complete with XML file generation and file uploading.
Click to continue reading Pamela Plug-in For Skype
Apple’s Digital Media Trinity Coming Soon?
Posted by Sparky Categories: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio / Video,
With rumors flying around about a video iPod and an Apple videos store (iMovies?) Gear Live would like to take the following opportunity to speculate wildly that Apple would secure dominance in the emerging digital multimedia market place if they do the following things:
- Launch an Apple videos store - not just music videos like iTunes has now, but full feature length movies from all the major movie houses available in (sadly a necessity) DRM’ed H.264. Apple already has the store infrastructure in place through iTunes, and the bandwidth, media savvy, and codec to pull this off.
- Apple then must produce a multimedia focused set top box - A slightly modified Mac Mini would be perfect for this. The device will need to be able to browse the movies store on a TV screen, and include a remote. They might want to include PVR software and a TV tuner, but that is neither here nor there.
- The final spire of Apple’s digital media trinity would be the video iPod to allow consumers to take (compressed) versions of their content with them wherever they go.
With all three of these key points presented to the marketplace at the same time with Apple’s legendary user interface ease of use and industrial design skills they could not only make a big splash, but gain iTunes dominance in yet another new marketplace. If they are going to do it they had better do it quick though as Microsoft is trying to make hollywood connections to do the same thing with their Windows Media Center and Portable Media Center platform, Sony has the PSP and store infrastructure and Tivo is rumored to be in the works with a video download service as well.
This coming digital media revolution will be far reaching - within 5-10 years physical media like DVD’s, HD-DVD’s, Blu-Ray, and CD’s will disappear entirely. CD sales are already starting to sag under the legal downloaded music juggernaught. Whoever gets there first with this “digital media trinity” will certainly end up with the lions share of a market that is set to replace every visual entertainment sales and rental business that we know of.
Did you hear it here first? Did Gear Live call it? Well we will have to wait and see - the industry analysts are saying to expect a big announcement come September.
Read More | TUAW Video iPod
Read More | Wired Video iPod
The folks who are working feverishly at getting the Optimus OLED keyboard out to market have updated their FAQ/Answer page with a few more details about the product. Most notably, it is real and will be OS-independant. They also plan on making an ergonomic version. Here is the full list:
It’s in initial stage of production
We hope it will be released in 2006
It will cost less than a good mobile phone
It will be real
It will be OS-independent (at least it can work in some default state with any OS)
It will support any language or layout
Moscow is the capital of Russia
Each key could be programmed to produce any sequence
It will be an open-source keyboard, SDK will be available
Some day it will be split (‘ergonomic’)
It will most likely use OLED technology (e-paper is sooo slow)
Our studio is located two blocks from the Kremlin
It will feature a key-saver
Keys will use animation when needed
It has numeric keypad because we love it
There’s no snow in Moscow during Summer
It will be available worldwide (why not?)
OEM will be possible (why not?)
A few days ago we posted the original details on the Optimus OLED Keyboard here on Gear Live.
With the newly-released PictureItPostage, Mac users can now more easily join the rabble who are intrigued by putting their own pictures on US postal stamps. While the officially-licensed PhotoStamps project from Stamps.com has been running for about a year, the interest in stamp personalization is just now starting to grow. With PictureItPostage you design your stamp, submit it to the company for review, and they print it and send it back to you. The whole process takes under two weeks. Before you submit anything, though, make sure you’ve read the detailed restrictions in the Terms of Service.
Read More | Endicia
Weather-predicting Clothespins Finally Become Reality
Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Misc. Tech,
For those who refuse to get caught up in the dryer-as-an-appliance craze, Oliver MacCarthy has invented the perfect gadget-ized helper - a set of mechanized clothespins that refuse to work in the rain. A central holder relays weather forecasts to the individual pins and latches them closed when wet weather is predicted. It’s always nice to see real science and engineering knowledge going into common products, and in this regard Oliver MacCarthy may now be crowned king.
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