The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Reviews, Independent,

There are two kinds of music I don’t like: Country and Western. And there’s one kind of comic book I’m not naturally drawn to: the celebrity biography, particularly one of a musical act.

And yet at San Diego this year, I picked up a preview copy of Abrams Comicarts’ upcoming musical biography graphic novel The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song by Frank M. Young and David Lasky.

I’m not supposed to quote from it since it’s an uncorrected proof - a sampler - and only contains the first 64 pages out of 192, but based on what I read, I’m hooked.

The Carter Family is a legendary music act that featured A.P (Alvin Pleasant), Sara and Maybelle Carter and that, from 1927 to 1956, pretty much defined and set the standard for country music. They sang, recorded and kept alive classic tunes and also wrote their own. June Carter was one of the Carters and she eventually married Johnny Cash - the Carter Family had a long reach.

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Starbucks iOS app updated with Passbook support

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Food & Drink, Passbook, Free Apps,

Last week we mentioned that Starbucks was looking to add Passbook support to its iOS app by the end of September. Well, they missed the target by a few days, but this evening Starbucks released an update to its iPhone app that includes, among other things, the long-awaited Passbook support. Here's the full changelog:

• Passbook support
• iOS6 support
• Now easier to sign up and start earning Rewards with our new account creation flow
• Accessibility, data optimization, and performance improvements
• Multiple bug fixes

When setting up Passbook for Starbucks, you can select different Starbucks locations that you want to set as your favorites. This will allow Passbook to pull up your Starbucks card upon arrival, without you having to go looking for it.

Which Wii U titles will be available on day one? Here’s the list

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Nintendo, Wii U,

Nintendo's Wii U console is set to hit North America in six weeks, and Nintendo has finally confirmed exactly which titles will be available on day one. Buyers will have 23 different titles to choose from, along with deciding between the basic white Wii U bundle, and the Deluxe black bundle. We've got a full list of the games that Nintendo says will hit stores within the Wii U "launch window"--but it's disengenuine, to say the least, as that launch window lasts a ridiculous five months. So click on past the break, and pay attention to the launch dates of the 50 listed titles to see which you can get on day one. It's unfortunate that the only first-party Nintendo titles that will be available alongside the launch of Wii U are Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U.

Click to continue reading Which Wii U titles will be available on day one? Here’s the list

Political Arena is like candidate Punch Out

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Games, New Apps, Reviews, Free Apps,

The first of many presidential debates, leading to the election next month, kicks off tonight. What can we expect? Probably a lot of verbal attacks more than anything else. A shame, we know, but why not make it a bit more fun? The folks at Vellum Interactive have launched Political Arena, a smartphone game that allows you to choose your favorite candidate and step into a boxing ring to take on members of the opposing political party.

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Ask Andru: How do I convert cassette tapes to digital format?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Music, PC / Laptop, Software,

With the move to cloud and digital content that's taken the world by storm, older technologies have fallen by the wayside. The problem, though, is that there are still plenty of great pieces of content that are relegated to VHS, film reels, cassette tapes, and records. Today in my Ask Andru column, we have a question from Janine, a kindergarten teacher who wants to know how to convert her books on cassette over to a digital format. Let's jump into it.

Q: I listen to your show and really enjoy all your tips.  I teach Kindergarten and have many books on cassettes that my students love listening to. Some of the cassettes are getting a bit worn. So I thought I could convert them over to CDs instead of buying new books with CDs. Do you have any suggestions on what would be the best way to do this that is affordable?

Click to continue reading Ask Andru: How do I convert cassette tapes to digital format?

Microsoft is working on a first-party Windows Phone device

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

Last week we received a tip from a fairly close source that Microsoft would likely be introducing its own first-party Windows Phone device. We decided not to report on this one, because it seemed to make no sense. Why would Microsoft release a first-party phone that will be in direct competition with the Windows Phone 8 devices that its partners will be selling later this month?

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Nest Learning Thermostat gets a redesign, new software features

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Smart Home,

You may have seen our videos of Nest, the learning thermostat that aims to change home heating and cooling. If you haven't, check out our Nest thermostat unboxing and Nest thermostat installation video. It's been about a year since Nest launched, and Tony Fadell and company haven't been resting on their laurels. Instead, the company has just announced the next version of the Nest Learning Thermostat. What's changed? Well, the new model is noticeably thinner, doing away with the front ring wheel and instead incorporating it into the body of the thermostat. It also works much a much wider array of heating and cooling technologies, as well as whole home humidifiers.

If you own an Android tablet, you'll be happy to know that Nest has finally made an app available to control the device remotely, while the existing iOS and Android apps are seeing updates to support all the new hotness. You can pre-order the new Nest now for $249, or you can grab the first-generation model for $229. All of the software features that the new model sports are also supported by the older version, so it appears the only difference between the two is the size of the actual device.

Read More | Nest Blog

Go Now: Green Valley Book Fair

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,

I love a book sale and one of the best ones in the country is the annual book clearing house that goes on several times a year in Mt Crawford, VA. It’s the Green Valley Book Fair.

I’ve written about them before, and what a great place they are for a variety of terrific remaindered books. In addition to all the usual categories, they always have a nice selection of graphic novels and trades at discounted prices and it’s impossible to get out of there without dropping $50 (at least).

Opening day is October 6 and the sale runs through October 21 and then it’ll close for a while so they can restock.

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iPhoto 9.4.1 now available

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

Apple has released iPhoto 9.4.1, an update primarily focused on killing a few bugs and overall performance. Here's the rundown of changes:

• Improves the reliability of syncing to iOS devices via iTunes
• Fixes an issue that could cause iPhoto to quit unexpectedly when using the Export command
• Addresses an issue that could cause iPhoto to quit unexpectedly when upgrading multiple books, cards, and calendars
• Resolves an issue with downloading and viewing photos synced from Facebook albums

Fire up Software Update to grab the new version. You can get iPhoto on the Mac App Store.

Bleeding Edge TV 457: Private tour of Apple Store Bellevue Square

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Features, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,

The Apple Store at Bellevue Square Mall was the first that the company opened here in the Pacific Northwest region of the country, way back in May 2003. At the time, it was a bold and innovative move, but as time went on and Apple's popularity surged with the introduction of the iPhone and iPad, the location became overcrowded. So what did it do? Rather than refurbishing the existing location, Apple began work on building a new, groundbreaking location on the upper level of Bellevue Square, right above the original and across the hall. As is typical when Apple has something under construction, the location was covered up under a shroud of  mystery until opening day. We were on hand as Apple opened its new, much larger Bellevue Square Apple Store, and were able to get a private tour of the location. As you'll find out in the video, the Bellevue Square Apple Store sports the largest glass-front display of any mall location, the first domestic skylight in an Apple Store mall location, and the first 360 degree Genius Bar, with 40 seats in total. All in all, the new location is about three times larger than the previous one. Check out the video for all the new hotness, and try and count the number of times that Duke Zurek uses the word "opportunity."

Be sure to also check out our Apple Store Bellevue Square Grand Re-opening hype video, and our Apple Store Bellevue Square gallery. While you're at it, take a peek at our iPhone 5 review as well!

[Camera credit: Eric Vitolo]