Google Website Down!

Try doing a search at Google did it work? Try it again, it probably won't that time. It appears that Google is under a DoS attack and it can only fulfill search commands when the DoS attack is not at full strength!

UPDATE: Looks like Google has fixed the problem! But here is a screenshot to prove that it existed.

UPDATE: I think I goofed here.

iMovie HD 5.0.1 Update

Apple has posted an update to their video-editing program, iMovie. The update addresses issues related to video and audio synchronization for DV projects and other minor issues, including: audio in PAL widescreen, compatibility with some analog-to-digital converter boxes, and importing video from a DV videocamera, such as when using analog passthrough or recording live video.

Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30GB MP3 Player Drops to $172.99 Shipped (AFTER REBATE)

Buy.com is offering the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 30GB MP3 Player (some name, huh?) for $172.99, after a $20.00 mail-in rebate. The device plays both MP3 and WMA, holds up to 8,000 songs, runs 14 hours per charge on a removable Li-ion battery, and has a USB 2.0/1.1 port. Remember: this thing will not replace your iPod. Ground shipping is Free. It's the best deal I have seen on this model. Click image for product page.

New Apple PowerBooks (no, they are not G5s)

Apple has just released some new PowerBooks! Unfortunately they don't have G5 CPUs (the new fastest PowerBook has a 1.67GHz PowerPC G4), but they do have up to 100GB Hard-drives, something called "Scroll Mate" that lets you run your finger of over the laptop's trackpad to scroll through documents (including web pages), the new PowerBooks also include built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, they have new video ports (DVI, ADC, VGA, S-video and composite), and all PowerBooks have a standard 512MB PC2700 (333MHz) DDR SDRAM! Also Apple has put something called "Sudden Motion Sensor" into all of the new PowerBooks. Sudden Motion Sensor instantly parks the hard drive heads, if you drop your (2 grand) computer, so they won’t scratch the disks on impact, lessening the risk of damage and improving your chances of retrieving valuable data. When the Sudden Motion Sensor senses your PowerBook is once again level, it unlocks the hard drive heads automatically. I can't wait to see the lab-testing for this!

Pepsi iTunes Music Promotion Launched

Apple and Pepsi have launched the Pepsi iTunes Music Promotion. Here is the down-low: You buy a "specially marked" 20 oz. or 1-Liter bottle of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Wild Cherry, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red or Sierra Mist (make sure to tilt the container to make sure that you have a bottle that has a free code, because only 1 out of 3 bottles have a free music code). Then go to iTunes and enter that code and download some music!

Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog"

Looks like my favorite flavor of Linux, Ubuntu, is going through a makeover! I have talked a lot about Ubuntu here.

iRobot Roomba Robotic Vacuum: $108

This is a super deal! Linens 'n Things is offering the iRobot Roomba Robotic Vacuum (base model) for $134.99. Use coupon code "842900000007" to save 20% and drop your price to $108. It's by far the lowest price I have seen on the coolest vacuum around. Click image for product page.

Chaintech Socket A Motherboard + AMD Athlon XP 2900+ Processor Bundle: $99.99 AFTER REBATE

TigerDirect is offering the Chaintech 7NJL6 Socket A Motherboard, bundled with an AMD Athlon XP 2900+ Processor Bundle for $99.99, after a $80.00 mail-in rebate. It's the best price I have found on this bundle, and the rebate expires 1/31/05. Click image for product page.

PC Mag Review of Apple's iLife '05: 4 Stars

PC Mag has a review of Apple's new iLife '05 giving it 4 out of 5 stars. iLife '05 includes GarageBand 2, iTunes 4.7, iMovie HD, iPhoto 5, and iDVD 5. The review says that Apples' new multimedia software suite will compete well with the best Microsoft Windows has to offer, except for iMovie. iMovie, the review says, is missing critical features like automatic color correction, its workflow needs revising and the titling tool needs revamping.

Search Google Ads?

Found this page at Google that lets you search all the Ads in Google's system. It is cool to see what comes up for searches like iPod.

Bye, "Do not eat iPod shuffle"

Remember Apple had the fine print "Do not eat iPod shuffle" at the bottom of the iPod shuffle product page? Well it looks like Apple took that off and changed a lot of the other fine print notices too (just take a look at the bottom of the page).

10% Off All iPod Cases at Shop4Tech

Shop4Tech is offering 10% off All iPod Cases. Use coupon code "iPOD10" to get the savings. Click on the link to browse the styles. This deal expires 1/31/05. Go here for product page.

PC Mag Review of Apple iWork '05: 3.5 Stars

PC Mag has a review of Apple's new office suite, iWork '05. iWork '05 includes a word processor, called Pages (though the article refers to it as a cross between a page-layout program and a word processor) and presentation software, called Keynote. They say that iWork '05 is a "small but significant assault on Fort Microsoft." The article also explains that the suite is strong in typographic and visual features—the areas where Office is weakest.

$5 for a Free Movie at Movielink

Breaking news! Here is a link for $5 for a Free Movie at Movielink! I took a look at Movielink, it looks pretty cool, nice selection.

[Via kevin rose dot com]

Website of the Day!

The above error messages were created using this very cool Error Message Generator. Have fun! Created any particularly funny error messages? Send them to me.

Mac mini Upgrades Just got Cheaper

CNET News is reporting that as of Tuesday many of the build-to-order options on Apple's Mac mini got less expensive. Upgrading the diminutive desktop to 1GB of memory initially cost $475--almost as much as the computer. It now costs $325. Apple also reduced the price for adding Bluetooth and AirPort Extreme to $99, a $30 drop, and it cut the price for upgrading to an 80GB hard drive to $50.

Asus A8V Deluxe Via Socket 939 ATX Motherboard and AMD Athlon 64 3400+ Processor: $279.99 AFTER REBATE

TigerDirect has the Asus A8V Deluxe Via Socket 939 ATX Motherboard and AMD Athlon 64 3400+ Processor for $279.99, after a $100 mail-in rebate. This rebate expires 2/28/05. Click image for product page.

Teen Arrested for £20k ($37,287.77) Web Fraud

The Register is reporting that a l4 year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly ran an ecommerce operation from his bedroom at his grandma's house. He made £20k ($37,287.77) by offering cheap plasma TVs for sale but never sending them out.

T-Mobile Sidekick II: Free AFTER REBATES

Amazon.com has the T-Mobile Sidekick II for $-25.01 (I wonder if they give you the cash?) after a $150 Amazon.com Rebate and a $50 T-Mobile Rebate (T-Mobile Rebate is only good if you activate a T-Mobile rate plan of $39.99 or higher). Go here for product page. You can read a review of this thing from PC Mag here.

[Via jake jarvis dot com]

iBook G4/1.2GHz Combo 12": $899.99 Shipped AFTER REBATE

Amazon.com has the factory new iBook G4 with a 1.2GHz CPU, 256MB of RAM, a 30GB harddrive, Combo drive, Airport, and a 12" screen for $899.99 after a $100 mail in rebate. With free ground shipping, it's the lowest price I have seen and expires on 1/26/04. Go here for product page.

Week In Review

• Mac OS X Tiger Screenshots
• FreeiPoders Rejoice!
• Jazzy Sport Pack: Free AFTER REBATE
• Stratego for PC Computers: $4.99 Shipped
• PC Mag Reviews iPod shuffle: 4 Stars
• Tech info Blog! Conga Started!
• RoboVac: $49.99 Shipped
• Bye, Bye Comment Spam!
• Free Stuff Conga Forum?
• Picasa 2
  
• Put the Mac Mini in your dashboard?
• Sony Admits PSP 'update' is Genuine
• iMac G5/1.6GHz 17-inch Back at $949 (Shipped)
• Kingston 64MB USB Flash Drive: $4.99 AFTER REBATE
• PC Mag: Apple Unveils $499 Mac , $99 iPod
• Order Status: iPod shuffle

Mac OS X Tiger Screenshots

MacShrine was showing some screenshots of Apple's non-public Mac OS X Tiger, but there site is down from bandwidth issues. So somebody has mirrored all of the pictures. They all look very clean and nice (if they are real that would be great).

[Via Smash's World]

FreeiPoders Rejoice!

Gratis Network (the people who started freeiPods.com and freeiPodShuffle.com) has gotten CallWave back as a company to sign-up under! The advantage if signing-up to CallWave of all the possible choices is that they will not touch your credit card for 30 days and you can cancel whenever you want. There are some new requriements though (probably so less people just sign-up and instantly cancel): To be credited you must sign up using valid information and activate your new CallWave number by using it.

Jazzy Sport Pack: Free AFTER REBATE

Tiger Direct has the Jazzy Sport Pack (available in different colors) for free after a $9.99 rebate. I don't know how good a $9.99 back pack is though. Tiger Direct charges several dollars for shipping, depending on location. Rebate expires February 28, 2005. Go here for product page.

Stratego for PC Computers: $4.99 Shipped

SurplusComputers has Stratego software for $4.99. Everything you remember from the classic board game is now on your PC. Shipping is Free. Click image for product page.

PC Mag Reviews iPod shuffle: 4 Stars

PC Mag has a great review of Apple's iPod shuffle. It covers the quality of the audio output saying that it is has dead-flat frequency response, less harmonic distortion, and most notably, better bass response than its bigger siblings. The older iPods, especially the Mini, have been rightfully criticized for being somewhat deficient in bass, and although the bigger players have flat frequency response, they have trouble sustaining big bass notes. The article also goes on to say: The shuffle had no sonic flaws that are detectable. Harmonic distortion does show up in the last two clicks on the volume control, but to run it that loud, you'd have to be deaf or crazy. For such a diminutive player, the iPod shuffle was extraordinarily loud. We measured an in-ear music peak of 106 dB (louder then legal in some countries), and the shuffle had no problem sustaining 100 dB levels on loud rock tracks. At that level, extended use of the shuffle could damage your hearing. PC Mag did have a problem with the iPod shuffle not having a screen though (the reason for the 4 instead of 5 star rating).

Tech info Blog! Conga Started!

I just got the Tech info Blog! Conga line started! Basically a conga line is where people sign-up under each others free stuff referral links to help each other get free stuff. Okay so here is the link to the new conga line (instructions and everything are on the site): http://www.theplaceforitall.com/conga/.

RoboVac: $49.99 Shipped

SoftwareandStuff has the RoboVac cordless low-profile vacuum for $49.99. This vacuum features three interchangeable cleaning brushes that are specially designed for low-pile carpets, medium-pile carpets and hard floors. Shipping is Free. Click image for product page.

Bye, Bye Comment Spam!

About a week ago I got hit with about 30 spam comments (remember seeing those?), a spam comment is basically when person goes around posting comments on every blog he can find with links to websites, then search engines such as Google think I am personally link to that site which makes Google count that as a vote for that site. Well Google has been working on a way to stop people from spamming blog comment sections: a new rel=nofollow attribute added to any anchor tags will prevent Google, MSN, and Yahoo! (yes, they are working together!) from indexing any such links, so the motive for content spamming disappears. Especially hopeful is the fact that a bunch of makers of blogging software, including Six Apart and Blogger, have announced they are supporting the new attribute.

Free Stuff Conga Forum?

Okay, so I have these forums. I don't even use my own forums, probably for the same reason why nobody else uses them. There are so many huge technology-centric forums that are very helpful from all the people that use them. So I was thinking: should I create a free stuff conga forum were people can (respectively) post there referral codes so other people can sign-up using them and then have other people use their codes. If you think I should do this make some noise in the comments!

Picasa 2

Google has released Picasa 2. Picasa 2 lets you edit you photos with more power, you can email your photos using Gmail, print at home, and make gift CDs. One thing that I think is great is that you can share your photos by automatically having them posted to your Blogger blog.

Put the Mac mini in your dashboard?

The company Classic Restorations was already working on a way to install a Mac laptop into a car dashboard when Apple Computer introduced the Mac mini last week. Then Melvin Benzaquen, president of Classic Restorations, noticed that the dimensions of the Mac mini were just about perfect to fit into the space automakers allot for car stereos. I don't really see the point of this though, who is going to be surfing the internet while driving? Where is the screen going? How much will a touch screen cost anyway?

Sony Admits PSP 'update' is Genuine

According to a story at The Register Sony has confirmed that the PlayStation Portable (PSP) updater that leaked onto its web this past weekend is genuine. However, it publicly warned owners of the handheld console not to run the software, because it will cause the PSP hardware to stop operating. The updater was "configured" to install a bunch of stuff including a text-to-speech utility, a calculator, web browser, email application and, weirdly, a word processor and spreadsheet tool. Decided you would install this thing and now have a broken PSP? Anyone who has applied the update can send their malfunctioning PSP back to Sony for a repair but the company will charge them for the privilege.

iMac G5/1.6GHz 17-inch Back at $949 (Shipped)

Apple has the restocked factory refurbished iMac G5/1.6GHz 17-inch iMac 256/40GB with no optical drive and no modem for $949. With Free ground shipping, it's the best price I have seen to date on a G5 flat panel iMac. Go here for deal page.

Kingston 64MB USB Flash Drive: $4.99 AFTER REBATE

TigerDirect is offering the Kingston 64MB Data Traveler USB 1.1 Portable Flash Drive for $4.99 after a $10 mail-in rebate. The device is compatible with both Macs & PCs. This rebate expires 2/28/05. Go here for product page.

PC Mag: Apple Unveils $499 Mac , $99 iPod

PC Mag has an overview of all the happenings of Macworld San Francisco this year. It includes the iPod shuffle, Mac mini, iLife '04, and iWork.

Order Status: iPod shuffle

When I go jogging I use my not-very-good Audible compatible and MP3 compatible MP3 player with 64MB of RAM. So when Apple released the iPod shuffle I knew it was time for a upgrade, especially with the 512MB RAM, iTunes AutoFill, and it works as a thumb drive, and all for under $100 bucks. So I ordered my iPod shuffle on 01/14/2005 and it says on my Order Status page that it will ship on or before
02/08/2005, three days more then the estimated 2-3 weeks delay. Expect a in-depth review with lots of pictures as soon as I get the iPod shuffle.

Week In Review

• freeiPodShuffle.com
• SanDisk 512MB USB Flash Drive: $45.25
• iPhone Mockup
• Partner: Texas Aims to Snag Spammers
• Google Mini
• Upgrade With the Coolest Memory Ever
• Apacer 512MB Handy Drive + MP3 Player: $63.00
• Dell Deals!
• 40GB 4th Generation iPod w/ Click Wheel: $379.99 Shipped
• Website of the Day!
• iTunes 4.7.1: The Software that Powers the iPod shuffle
• iPod shuffle = Cool!
• New Products from Apple
• You Lost 2.68 Microseconds Today
• Kingston 512MB Secure Digital Memory Cards: $29.99 Shipped AFTER REBATE
• Screen-less iPod Flash Rumors True?
• MSN Answer to Question: "How can I get MSN Music downloads to play on my iPod?"
• Headless Mac Photos?
• Syba NEC 4+1 USB 2.0 PCI Card: $9.99 Shipped
• iTunes for Movies

freeiPodShuffle.com

From the same people that brought you FreeiPods.com: freeiPodShuffle.com. It works the same way as FreeiPods.com except freeiPodShuffle.com only requires you to have 3 (compared to 5 for FreeiPods.com) friends complete a offer in order to get your 1GB iPod shuffle:

In order to get your free iPod your must sign-up for one offer and get other people to sign-up to an offer using your referral code. There is a common misconception that it is impossible to get a free iPod because the 5 people that sign-up under you must get 5 people to sing-up who in turn must get 5 people to sign-up just for you to get a free iPod etc. etc. This is not true. The five people that sign-up under you must only complete one offer themselves in order for this to work.

You can sign-up to freeiPodShuffle.com using my referral code to help me out too:
http://www.FreeiPodShuffle.com/?r=14001823

P.S. Please, please, please, if you are gonna sign-up to freeiPodShuffle.com and try to get some friends to sign-up under you don't just spam every blog and message board with your referall code it's really annoying!

P.P.S. You can post your referral codes in the comments section on this post only.

SanDisk 512MB USB Flash Drive: $45.25

ComputerGeeks is offering the SanDisk Cruzer mini 512MB USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $45.25. The drive is backwards compatible with USB 1.1. Shipping is $6.00. Go here for product page.

iPhone Mockup

A guy named Nike Fisher has made a nice looking mockup of an nonexistent Apple "iPhone." It does not look perfect but is an interesting design.

Partner: Texas Aims to Snag Spammers

News.com is reporting that Texas on Thursday sued what is thought to be one of the world's largest spam e-mail operations, seeking millions of dollars from two men it says are responsible for sending illegal messages on the Internet, the state's attorney general said.

Google Mini

Want to have the same stuff that powers Google power the searching on you website or intranet? Have 5 grand to blow? Then you want Google's new Google Mini. The Google mini is the little brother of Google's Google Search Appliance. Here are some specs for the Google Mini:

1. Indexes and searches up to 50,000 documents.

2. Works with more than 220 different file formats, including HTML, PDF, Microsoft Office and WordPerfect.

Upgrade With the Coolest Memory Ever

ExtremeTech has some info about Corsair's newest memory modules that include an LED that can show memory speed, voltage, temperature info, or scroll your very own custom message.

Link

[Via ExtremeTech Newsletter]

Apacer 512MB Handy Drive + MP3 Player: $63.00

With all this noise about the iPod shuffle SupermediaStore is offering the Apacer Audio Steno AV220 512MB All in one Handy Drive+MP3 Player for $63.00. Use coupon code "apacer6" to get the discounted price. Go here for product page.

Dell Deals!

Limited time offer beginning 1/7/05 12:00am CST (don't worry you can use this code now):
Save 20% off Axim X50v 624MHz (before tax and shipping) purchased from the Electronics and Accessories site!  May not be combinable with dollars off, percentages off or select other promotions. Only one coupon may be applied per cart at checkout. Offers subject to change. View details in My Cart.  Enter coupon code at checkout to receive this offer. Coupon Code:  DCB2TW51W2P024

40GB 4th Generation iPod w/ Click Wheel: $379.99 Shipped

Buy.com is having a sale on the M9268LL/A 4th Generation 40GB iPod w/ click wheel for $379.99. This iPod holds up to 10,000 songs (AAC four minutes each), and shipping is Free. It's the best current price I have found. Click image for product page.

Website of the Day!

Today's Website of the Day is:

Toogle Image Search

When you give Toogle Image Search a search term it goes out to Google Images, pulls the first image in finds on Google Images using your search term, then converts that image to plain text! Very cool.

iTunes 4.7.1: The Software that Powers the iPod shuffle

Apple has just released iTunes 4.7.1. The upgrade gives iTunes support for Apple's new iPod shuffle, and Apple is saying it also has performance increases.

iPod shuffle = Cool!

I was reading the product page for Apples new iPod shuffle. Not only does it shuffle music but you can set it to randomly download music from iTunes each time you connect it to your computer. That is a great idea to keep your music fresh when you only have 1GB of space. Also it doubles as a thumb drive

New Products from Apple

Well, Apple has just released a bunch of stuff!

iLife '05
Upgrades to Apples iApps.


iPod shuffle
The much rumored flash based iPod!

iWork
Apple office suit.

Mac mini

The $499 face-less Mac!

You Lost 2.68 Microseconds Today

NASA scientists calculated that every day is 2.68 microseconds shorter using data from the Indonesian earthquake. The Indonesian earthquake also affected the Earth's rotation, slightly changed the planet's shape, and shifted the North Pole by centimeters. Dr. Richard Gross of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., said all earthquakes have some affect on Earth's rotation. It's just they are usually barely noticeable.

[Via Slashdot]

Kingston 512MB Secure Digital Memory Cards: $29.99 Shipped AFTER REBATE

Buy.com has the Kingston 512MB Secure Digital Memory Cards for $29.99 after a $15.00 mail-in rebate. This is the best current price I have found. This rebate expires on 1/31/05. Click image for product page.

Screen-less iPod Flash Rumors True?

MacityNet.it has supposedly had their staff hangout around the Moscone Center. Their staff (supposedly?) saw people mounting billboards inside the Moscone Center with images of a new iPod and the slogan: "Life is random". The billboards also had the number of songs this new iPod will hold, 240. This suggests to me that the rumor of the screen-less iPod is true, and that the main feature of it will be song shuffling as the slogan "Life is random" infers.

MSN Answer to Question: "How can I get MSN Music downloads to play on my iPod?"

This page has MSN's answer to this question: "How can I get MSN Music downloads to play on my iPod?" Here is their answer:

The iPod does not currently support the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format and will not natively play any songs purchased from MSN Music, or any other Windows Media-based music service.  If you are an iPod owner and would like to play MSN Music songs on your iPod, you can send feedback to Apple and ask them to change their policy and add support for the Windows Media format.

I think it is funny that they have an entire support page about why the iPod does not support their lousy music service when Microsoft says that the iPod is not that great. Why not just have a general page saying that not all music players support their service?

Headless Mac Photos?

Some guy has supposedly taken some photos of the rumored headless sub-500 dollar Mac (The photos show the product labeled as an iHome)! The photos look very real. There is also a short video showing this new Mac.

Syba NEC 4+1 USB 2.0 PCI Card: $9.99 Shipped

4LinkComm has the Syba 4+1 (4 External & 1 Internal ports) NEC USB 2.0 PCI Card for $9.99, $3.00 off our last post. Use coupon code "uss-25" to get the discounted price. This card is backwards compatible with USB 1.1 devices, and shipping is Free. Expires 1/09/05. Go here for product page.

iTunes for Movies

Helixent Technologies has just released iFlicks (Mac only program, sorry PC users). iFlicks lets you store, browse, and play all your favorite movies. It does not say on Helixent Technologies's website but it seems to me that it looks and work like iTunes. It is being advertised as having these iTunes resembling features: gallery view (A.K.A. Album art) and smart collections (A.K.A. Smart Playlists). The only problem is where do we get our favorite movies in digital form legally?

Free iTunes Music

Apple is offering the iTunes New Music Sample (Universal Motown Edition) free of charge from the iTMS.

[Thanks, Your Mac Life!]

Motorola Previews iTunes Phone

Speaking during a keynote at the International Consumer Electronics Expo a Motorola executive previewed the long-awaited iTunes Phone. Is it going to be an iPhone? No, apparently not, it will simply have a iPod-like interface used to sync music with iTunes (including iTunes Music Store files) and then it incorporates the iPod interface for navigating and playing digital music.

Bill Gates Bombs

According to this web page:

Bill Gates in his seventh annual keynote speech at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show explained that the proliferation of broadband Internet access and the falling price of data storage are compelling people to put music, photos, movies and other aspects of their life into a digital format. ..... But while promoting what he calls the "digital lifestyle," Gates showed how vulnerable all consumers -- even the world's richest man -- are to hardware and software bugs.

During a demonstration of digital photography with a soon-to-be-released Nikon camera, a Windows Media Center PC froze and wouldn't respond to Gates' pushing of the remote control.

Later in the 90-minute presentation, a product manager demonstrated the ostensible user-friendliness of a video game expected to hit retail stores in April, Forza Motor Sport. But instead of configuring a custom-designed race car, the computer monitor displayed the dreaded "blue screen of death" and warned, "out of system memory."

IBM 4-Button Optical Navigator Mouse: $7.97

TigerDirect has the IBM 4-Button Optical Navigator Mouse for $7.97. This mouse features an illuminated scroll wheel (very cool, but as far as I can tell, useless), and it is USB/PS2 compatible. Shipping is a hefty $9.00. Go here for product page.

Windows AntiSpyware Released

Microsoft just released their [free] Windows AntiSpyware program today. The program is currently in beta and only available to you if you pass a system test to make sure you are using a non-pirated version of Windows (Microsoft is calling it the Windows Genuine Advatage).

UPDATE: Thanks to the person who pointed out this page at Microsoft.com to download the Windows AntiSpyware without having to take the system test.

CES Coverage

ExtremeTech has full CES coverage (Consumer Electronics Show, the place were tech companies unveil cool products). One of the things ExtremeTech is covering at CES is the long-awaited Fossil Palm OS wristwatch. The Fossil Palm OS wristwatch packs a 66 Mhz, Palm OS 4.1 device with a 160x160, 16-grayscale screen – the same diagonal resolution as the Treo 600, amazingly enough.

Emprex 2.2GB USB 2.0 Drive: $79.99

Outpost.com has the 1" Emprex 2.2GB USB 2.0 Drive for $79.99 (rebate not required). It is powered through the USB cable, which means no batteries! Limit 1 per Household. Click above image for product page.

Apple Cinema Display Price Drops

Apple lowered the retail prices on Cinema displays today. Here's how the new prices look:
The 20-inch Cinema is now $999, down from $1299
The 23-inch Cinema is now $1799, down from $1999
The 30-inch Cinema is now $2999, down from $3299
Obviously, expect refurbished display price drops to follow from various vendors.

Apple's Xsan Now Shipping

Apple has just started shipping their enterprise-class storage networking solution Xsan. Xsan lets you share files and volumes up to 16TB in size on a high-speed Fibre Channel network. Up to 64 systems on the storage area network (SAN) can read and write to shared storage simultaneously,

New Dual 2.3GHz Xserve G5

Apple has just released a new Xserve with Dual 2.3GHz G5 processors.The new Xserve also has dual Gigabit Ethernet. Final price: $3,999.00.

Gmail-Lite Upgrade

I have just upgraded my Gmail-Lite demo to version .7. Gmail-Lite is a little web program that lets you access and read messages from your Gmail account on any browser in the world because, unlike the official Gmail site, it uses plain HTML, no Java.

256MB Kingston Technology Data Traveler USB 2.0 Flash Drive: $15.99 Shipped AFTER REBATE

Buy.com has the 256MB Kingston Technology Data Traveler USB 2.0 Flash Drive (quite a name?) for $15.99 after a $10 rebate. It ships with free shipping. Click above image for product page.

Xbox II Specs

Alex Albrecht, former The Screen Savers co-host, is reporting that he talked to a Microsoft employee about Xbox II. The employee said that Xbox II will have a flash based HD, for small size and fast access. The employee also said that Microsoft will show the Xbox II at E3 and announce a release date at E3 as well.

15GB iPod: $189 Shipped

I reported about this before and I thought that it would sell out: The Apple Store online has restocked the factory certified 15GB iPods for $189. With Free ground shipping, it's the lowest price I have seen. Go here for product page.

Apple Releasing iWork '05 at Expo?

Think Secret is reporting they have "learned" Apple will be releasing a new suite called iWork '05 at Macworld Expo. iWork '05 will have keynote 2 as well as a new application, Pages. It is almost certain iWork will come bundled with most, if not all, of Apple's new systems.

Free Stuff Roundup

On the web there are a lot of ways to get some free cash (or iPods or whatever), most of them require you enter a malling list or sign-up for a offer. Here are some sites that I found that give you free stuff (after you meet the requirements):

FreeiPods.com
FreeiPods.com is the holy grail of free stuff on the internet. The company that runs this program, Gratis Internet, is totally legit. In order to get your free iPod your must sign-up for one offer and get 5 other people to sign-up to an offer using your referral code. There is a common misconception that it is impossible to get a free iPod because the 5 people that sign-up under you must get 5 people to sing-up who in turn must get 5 people to sign-up just for you to get a free iPod etc. etc. This is not true. The five people that sign-up under you must only complete one offer themselves in order for this to work. If you want to help me with getting five people to sign-up to a offer you can use my referral link to join FreeiPods.com. Here it is: http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=9218378

FreePhotoiPods.com
FreePhotoiPods.com is the big brother of FreeiPods.com (above) and is run by the same company. The only difference is that in order to get your free Photo iPod your must sign-up for a offer and then get 10 friends to sign up for one offer through your referral link.

FreeFlatScreens.com
FreeFlatScreens.com works exactly the same as FreeiPods.com (above) except instead of a free iPod you get either a free LCD screen or a TV. Also instead needing 5 people to sign-up under you FreeFlatScreens.com requires 8.


Lightspeed Consumer Panel
I have looked at this one a bit and here is how it works: You go through the extensive sign-up process with Lightspeed then you take additional surveys with other companies though Lightspeed. For every Survey you are either entered into a contest or awarded Lightspeed points which can be redeemed for cash or prizes.

Survey Networks
After signing-up to Survey Networks (which in it self places you in a contest) you are able to enter many other surveys. Each survey you enter gives you a chance to win prizes and special offers. This is not the best site on the internet to get free stuff because you are only being entered into contests with a chance to win something.

LuckySurf
I can not vouch for this site. LuckySurf is a lottery site. Basically you just sign-up for offers or surveys through them and then for everything you sign-up for you are entered into a lottery.

EZSweeps
I can not vouch for this site either. Here is how EZSweeps works: You sign-up to EZSweeps (which enters you into a $5 million dollar contest) then you can enter lots of other constantly changing contests.

2000Freebies.com
2000Freebies.com is a mailing list site that lists ways to get free stuff and the things you need to do to get it. I signed-up for their mailing list and have not noticed any increase in spam.

3000FreeGoodies.com
3000FreeGoodies.com is basically the same as 2000Freebies.com: it is a mailing list site that lists free things on the net and what you need to do to get it.

There you have it, a list of places to get free stuff on the internet! Enjoy.

TiVo for under $80.00!

Amazon.com has the TiVo TCD540040 Series2 40-Hour Digital Video Recorder for $179.94 then there is a $100 rebate bringing the price down to $79.94! Deal is good until January 30th 2005. Go here for product page.

50,000 Word Story Without Using the Letter 'E'

This guy wrote a 50,000 word story without using the letter 'E.' He even taped down the 'E' key on his keyboard to prevent any mistakes.

Belkin Wireless Cable DSL 802.11b Gateway Router: Free AFTER REBATES

PC Connection has the Belkin Wireless Cable DSL 802.11b Gateway Router for $49.95. Free after a $29.95 rebate and a $20 rebate. PC Connection charges $9.40 for shipping within the U.S. Both rebates expire January 31, 2005. Belkin is a good comapny and this is a great deal if you want to go wireless. Go here for product page.

Week In Review

• Google Suggest Tech Used At PHP.net
• Save Up to 90% at CompUSA's New Year's Event (Two Days Only)
• 15GB iPods Back at $189 Shipped
• Nero 6.3 OEM Suite: Free (No Rebate Here)
• EFX Solar Charger
• Fight Phishing with the Netcraft Anti-Phishing Toolbar
• Get Your Gmail Invites!
• Gmail Invites (Soon)
• Playstation 3 Architecture Revealed
• Western Digital 250GB Hard Drive + FireWire/USB Enclosure: $196.00
• Get Your Gmail Invites!
• Gmail Invites (Soon)
• sub-$500 Mac Without A Screen to be Released at Expo
• Ultra 512MB PC2700 DDR 333MHz Memory: $59.99 AFTER REBATE
• Yahoo! Domains: $4.98 for a Year
• Valve Disables more than 30,000 Steam Accounts
• How to Speed up Firefox
• Dell.com: $35 Off Electronics and Accessories orders of $400 (+) Today Only
• Dell.com Coupon Codes