Nokia Lumia 920 coming exclusively to AT&T

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Microsoft,

Oh man--looks like the Nokia Lumia 920 is set to drop in November, and it's going to be an AT&T exclusive. That's unfortunate, since it's the new hotness from Nokia that Microsoft may just be hanging it's hat on as it pertains to Windows Phone 8, so it's a little odd that the 4G LTE smartphone won't be available on Verizon, the company that has the largest LTE network by far. The Lumia 820 should launch alongside the 920, but that is more of a mid-range phone rather than a top-of-the-line model, and that one should make an appearance on multiple carriers. That said, if you're interested in one of the colorful (yellow, black, cyan, red, white) 920 models, you're gonna have to go with AT&T come this November. No word yet on pricing.

Be sure to check out the top 5 features of Lumia 920.

SMS Audio Street by 50 on-ear headphones arrive October 7 for $179.99

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Music, Portable Audio / Video,

SMS Audio, makers of the 50 Cent-endorsed Street by 50 headphone line, has got a new addition to the family. The new wired on-ear model sports 40mm professionally-tuned drivers, memory foam cushions on the ear cups, and come in Shadow Black or Ghost White. The Street by 50 on-ears are set to launch on October 7th, but you can pre-order them now. The cost is $179.99.

Read More | Amazon

Xbox Music set to launch on October 26th alongside Windows 8

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Music, Video Games,

Xbox Music has hit the Xbox 360 consoles of beta users, and now we are hearing that the fill service rollout is set for October 26th, just three weeks from now, and the same day that Windows 8 is released. Reportedly, the rollout will begin with the Xbox 360, Windows 8, and Windows Phone, with iOS and Android Xbox Music apps coming soon after. Smart. The service will have a paid subscription, as well as a free, ad-supported option as well.

Read More | The Verge

Google Street View comes to iOS web app

Posted by Ponzi Black Categories: Apple, Google, Internet,

iOS 6 and iPhone 5 users now have a popular Google Maps feature available to them again--Street View. Google Street View is available in the Google Maps web app in Mobile Safari, as well as in the Chrome app. Users can save the web app to their Home screen for quick access to Google Maps. Not as elegant as a native app, but definitely usable.

Quote Of The Day: Timothy Truman

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,

In case you've been wondering what Timothy Truman's been up to lately:

“Got a call from Grateful Dead Productions yesterday. They've asked to paint the covers for all 4 CDs of the 2013 run of the new 'Dave's Picks' series. Needless to say, I accepted! Will be doing 5 covers altogether -- 1 each quarter plus a cover for the bonus editions. Yep, purty cool gig! This week: cover for the last issue of Jeff Lamire's Vertigo comics series, Sweet Tooth & wrapping up the script for King Conan: The Hour of the Dragon issue 2. Next week: a cover for IDW's Judge Dredd & another for a special Joe Kubert Tribute issue of Comic Book Creator magazine.”

Timothy Truman
(Taken from his Facebook page)

Be sure to check out our other notable quotes.

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.

Click to continue reading The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song

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.

Click to continue reading Political Arena is like candidate Punch Out

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?