Bleeding Edge TV 429: Vonage Mobile review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Cell Phones, CES, CES 2012, Features, Internet, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Software, Videocasts, Videos,

We give you a look at Vonage Mobile and explain how you can win one of twenty $25 iTunes gift cards in this episode! Vonage Mobile allows you to make free phone calls to other users of the app (which is currently available for iOS and Android.) In addition, you can also send free text messages as well to other users of the app, cross platform. Even better, you can call any phone number, the rate is much lower than what your mobile carrier would charge, and is even 30% less than what Skype would charge you as well.

The app works over both Wi-Fi and cell service (3G and 4G) and it uses your existing contacts and address book, rather than requiring you to set up a new username, get a new phone number, etc. Even cooler, you don't need a Vonage account to pay for your calls - instead, you just add your minutes right from the App Store or Android Market! As we said, the video also explain how you can win one of the 20 $25 iTunes gift cards we will be giving away as well!

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.

Bleeding Edge TV 428: Ooma Telo free home phone service

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, CES, CES 2012, Features, Household, Internet, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,

We give you a look at Ooma in this episode. Ooma is a service that provides free phone calls within the United States. All you need to do is buy the Ooma Telo box and connect it to your home network, and you're up and running. Calls within the United States are then completely free. They also have the Ooma Telo handset, which almost acts like a smartphone for your home phone service, and a monthly Ooma Premier service that adds a ton of calling features to your package. You can pick up Ooma products on Amazon.

Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! GoToMeeting provides rich, super-simple collaborative virtual meetings. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.

Gary Friedrich & Ghost Rider

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Marvel Comics,

This made the rounds of Facebook all day the other day. It's a little snippet about Gary Friedrich, Ghost Rider and who created what.

I couldn't trace it back to the original poster, so I apologize for not giving him or her their deserved credit, especially in a post about credits!

One of the issues between Marvel Comics and Gary is the issue of Gary's credit as the sole creator of Ghost Rider.

While it may not be definitive, this is an excerpt from Marvel's own Bullpen Bulletins page in August 1972.

Marvel says of Ghost Rider: "...this GR is a mad, mod, mystic hero who straddles both the world of motorcycles - and the supernatural! (And that's some job of straddling!) It's by the titanic team of Groovy Gary Friedrich who dreamed the whole thing up, and Madcap Mike Ploog, whose own Werewolf by Night series is scheduled to gain its very own mag in a month or two!"

Daniel Best, who originally broke the story of Gary's fight with Marvel, has an update separating fact from rumor.

[Artwork: Bullpen Bulletins, © Marvel Comics]

Enter to win 1 of 20 $25 iTunes gift cards in our Vonage Mobile giveaway!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Smartphones, Features, Software,

Vonage Mobile has launched, and we're giving away 20 iTunes gift cards to our readers to celebrate! In case you're unaware, Vonage Mobile allows you to make free phone calls to other users of the app (which is currently available for iOS and Android,) anywhere in the world. In addition, you can also send free text messages as well to other users of the app, cross platform, anywhere in the world. Even better, you can call any phone number, and if that other person doesn't have Vonage Mobile, then the rate is much lower than what your mobile carrier would charge, and is even 30% less than what Skype would charge you as well.

The app works over both Wi-Fi and cell service (3G and 4G) and it uses your existing contacts and address book, rather than requiring you to set up a new username, get a new phone number, etc. Even cooler, you don't need a Vonage account to pay for your calls - instead, you just add your minutes right from the App Store or Android Market!

So, how do you enter to win one of the $25 iTunes credits? We've got a few different ways for you to enter. You only need to enter once, but for each method of entry, you gain an additional entry in the contest. Here's how you enter:

• Download the Vonage Mobile app (it's free!)
• TWITTER ENTRY: Follow the Gear Live Twitter account and take a picture of the app on your phone. Include that image in a post with this tweet exactly as written: “Hey @GearLive I got @Vonage Mobile! Hook me up with that prize! http://gear.lv/vonagecontest” (Click here to tweet this now)
• FACEBOOK ENTRY: Like the Gear Live Facebook page, and take a picture of the Vonage Mobile app on your phone. Leave a post on our wall and include that photo.
• YOUTUBE ENTRY: Subscribe to Gear Live on YouTube and leave us a video response on this video showing us that you downloaded the Vonage Mobile app.

That's it! Again, there is no requirement for you to perform all three methods of entry, but you do get a point for each entry that you do. At the end of the week, we'll choose twenty winners at random who followed the rules!

Click to continue reading Enter to win 1 of 20 $25 iTunes gift cards in our Vonage Mobile giveaway!

Marvel Comics And Gary Friedrich

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Marvel Comics,

Unless you’ve been living in a hole for the last several days, you’ve no doubt heard about Marvel Comics' demand against one of their former writers, Gary Friedrich.

Friedrich sued Marvel for compensation related to exploitation of a character he created, Ghost Rider. He lost the first round, and Marvel’s coming after him. Here’s a round-up of just a handful of links and commentary to get you better acquainted.

Daniel Best at 20th Century Danny Boy broke the story about Marvel’s pushback against Friedrich, with a post that includes documentation.

Here’s an update with a note from Friedrich.

Mark Evanier has a sane and rational view of the situation.

One of the greatly appealing things about webcomics is that the creators managed to hold onto their rights and are free to exploit their work according to their own path. Gary Tyrrell at Fleen has some thoughts on Friedrich’s situation.

Click to continue reading Marvel Comics And Gary Friedrich

Comic Book Jobs: Art Editor @ Medikidz

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Independent,

The medically-themed comic book company, Medikidz, is looking for an Art Editor.

But what’s Medikidz, you ask? It’s “a fast-expanding multimedia company set up to explain medicine to children in a way they can understand.”

That way, happens to be through comic books, and they’ve got an “endorsement from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, as well as leading health specialists” to prove it.

Medikidz “aims to address the current paucity of medical information available to children, by explaining disease pathophysiology and pharmacology in a fun, exciting and novel way.”

Click to continue reading Comic Book Jobs: Art Editor @ Medikidz

Read More | Medikidz

Weekend Reading: Gary Friedrich, Walking Dead, Ted McKeeer & Arcana

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics,

What a weird, weird funnybook week. Let’s take a look:

Artist Tony Moore is suing writer Robert Kirkman over his portion of money from The Walking Dead.

Gary Friedrich is getting legally crapped on by Marvel Comics.

DC Comics is still legally battling over Superman.

Columbia Pictures drops The Boys from their film roster.

Vietnam is banning comic books.

And how was the rest of the week?

If you've ever thought about opening a used bookstore, here are 25 Things you might discover.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Gary Friedrich, Walking Dead, Ted McKeeer & Arcana

Unboxing Live 083: Samsung Focus S Windows Phone

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Microsoft, Videocasts,

In this episode we give you a look at the Samsung Focus S, the Windows Phone 7.5 Mango follow-up to last year's Samsung Focus (which was one of the launch Windows Phone 7 devices.) The Samsung Focus S features a 1.4 GHz processor, an 8 megapixel camera that can record in 720p, and a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display. It also supports 802.11n Wi-Fi networks and has Bluetooth built-in as well. You can pick up the Samsung Focus S on Amazon for $119.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.

Bleeding Edge TV 426: Casio G-Shock GB-6900 Bluetooth Smart watch

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Accessories, CES, CES 2012, Wearables, Features, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos,

We bring you a demo and overview of the Casio G-Shock GB-6900 Bluetooth Smart watch from CES 2012. As you'll see in the video, the GB-6900 features Bluetooth functionality that pairs it up with your Bluetooth Smart Ready smartphones and other devices, and lets you get information from those devices (like call alerts, text messages) as well as send commands to them (like lost phone alerts) all from the watch. Very cool, and we are definitely looking forward to getting our hands on the Casio GB-6900 G-Shock! This was recorded at CES 2012.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.

Unboxing Live 082: SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Features, Portable Audio, Videocasts,

SOL REPUBLIC Tracks on-ear headphones were engineered from the ground up to sound incredible, feel comfortable, be virtually indestructible, and sets itself apart from the competition by being totally customizable. In this episode we open up the SOL REPUBLIC Tracks on-ear headphones and give you an up-close look at how they work. As you'll see, the headphone design is a first as it pertains to how the ear cups and band work together, allowing you to switch up the colors and cups easily, customizing things to your own personal liking. You can pick up a pair of SOL REPUBLIC Tracks headphones on Amazon.

Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! GoToMeeting with HDFaces provides rich, super-simple collaborative virtual meetings. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.