Zune functions coming to Windows Mobile 7?

Microsoft’s “not full steam ahead” project called the Zune will soon have many homes on multiple devices.  WM Power Userhas been tipped off regarding the next rendition of WinMo and the Zune.  Apparently some of the Zune’s musical features are going to make their way into Windows Mobile 7.  How exciting.  Hey I can’t knock it that bad since I had a first gen Zune.  The device itself was ugly as sin but it played music and had a decent enough interface.  Certainly with some “steam” and money for development it could have become something more than it is now.  But you heard the Balm’s…apparently Microsoft is fresh out of steam….

Source: Mobile Crunch

iTunes “variable pricing” going live on April 7th

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Tunes has gone through some radical changes the last couple months.  The biggest and most important is the removal of DRM from soon to be all tracks and the quality getting a bump up to 256kbps from a lowly 128kbps.  In order to get the greedy labels to relinquish their grasp on DRM, Apple finally caved in to demands for tiered pricing.  What does that mean for you the consumer.  Only that the “popular” songs as deemed by some recording industry shmuck will now sell for $1.29 instead of the old $.99.  To somewhat lighten the load, less popular tracks will be let go for $.69.  Granted, songs socially labeld as “less popular” are often some of the best songs…much different than the crap that is more and more being labled as “popular”.  To each his own I guess.  So now that your popular song is a whole thirty cents more will you think an extra second or two before hitting “Buy”, or will you blindly click away?

Source: Gizmodo, LA Times

Mobile TV service coming to Blackberry as early as next week?

Blackberries aren’t exactly known for their eye candy nor consumer oriented features.  Since birth they have been corporate workhorses.  However, since the launch of the iPhone, many companies have been scrambling to add features such as multi-touch screens and *successful* app stores.  Argue with me if you want, the flood of touch screen phones and app stores after Apple’s original speaks for itself.  *Stepping off my soap box*…so it appears RIM is trying to honor the claims of more consumer oriented features.  The Blackberry Storm was RIM’s direct response to Apple’s iPhone.  Though it hasn’t exactly had the best of launches.  While RIM did come out and issue quick updates for many of the issues, the Storm isn’t the “Storm” that it was expected to be.  So what is RIM’s next foray into consumer land?

PhotoFast G-Monster PCIe SSD is blazing fast!

So SSD’s don’t have the longest lifespan…ok their lifespan is substancially shorter than a tranditional spinning hard drive.  But what they lack in life, they make up for in pure speed and durability (shock resistance).  If you have a PCIe slot just sitting unused and unloved on your computer, the PhotoFast G-Monster would love to call it home.  This beast will read/write data at the blazingly fast speeds of 750MB/s and 700MB/s respectively…fast.  Said card will come in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities.  (I’ll take two 1TB cards please).  The big letdown for now is that their is no pricing information.  I guaruntee that all of the capacities, especially the 1TB will cost you pretty close to an entire limb and maybe even part of an internal organ.  But for geeked tech lovers such as us, organs are but trivial things…

Source: Geek-Gadgets, Tech Fresh, Akihabara News

Grindr brings gay match making to the App Store

While I myself am not into the whole gay/bi-sexual scene, I’m sure many readers out there are.  With more social dating sites and social network sites making iPhone apps, mainly tuned for heterosexual relationships, the gay community may feel shunned or left out.  Grindr hopes to fix this.  Joel Simkhai, the man behind Grindr has released a location based application for iPhones that you can use to chat and maybe even eventually hook up with the lucky guy of your choice.  Finally the gay community has some techie social networking love.  The rest is just inside…

Fennec theme now available for Nokia S60v3 devices

After two long and involving posts I’m taking a short break with some lighter reading.  Specifically to show you a Nokia theme that looks simply awesome: Fennec, designed and created by Ahmed at Daily Mobile.  Awesome because it just looks so polished and fit…like it were straight from Nokia themselves…though designed better.  If you have a compatible device (Symbian S60v3 Feature Pack 1 & 2…again the list for those who don’t know:

• N79, N82, N85, N95, N96, E61, E63, E71, E75

All interested individuals can pick up your copy right inside Daily Mobile’s Forum.

Source: Daily Mobile

Mass migration to Verizon’s FiOS imminent as AT&T, Comcast, and Cox announce they’re in bed with the RIAA

Do you cherish the internet?  See it as the portal to the world?  Do you download gigs of data everyday?  Every week?  Every month?  Are you downloads pirated content or legitimate stuff?  The RIAA or “the almighty satan” as known by most never really gave up on tracking down individuals.  No, instead they went behind the scenes and started coaxing ISP’s to become their new roommates.  Why waste time and money suing a single person when you can have someone else waste their time and and money while you sit back and simply collect the lawsuit winnings when everything is said and done?  If you think like this, first of all you’re a sick F***.  Second: you must have some sort of RIAA branding somewhere on your body.  Third: That is exactly what the RIAA is doing.  By cozying up with ISP’s they get the best of both worlds: more time at the golf course and more dollar bills to drop on gold encrusted champagne glasses….