TechBytes: MagicJack for Cell Phones
This Is It, Google Phone for Business, See-Through Computer, Snuggie Upgrade.
Jan. 11, 2010— -- Apple developed the gold standard of smartphones with the iPhone, but the competition may finally be ready to close the gap in 2010. Google may be the best bet with a bunch of phones on the market running its Android operating system and dozens more expected this year. The biggest winner, however, could be a true Google phone. The company is expected to unveil its own branded phone next week.
There is a new way to cut down on your cell phone bills. The company that created the MagicJack, the device that lets you make cheap calls over the internet, has a new version for cell phones. The new MagicJack routes calls for free over the web in your home, instead of going through your carrier's cellular tower and using up your minutes. The device goes on sale in about four months for $40.
Michael Jackson's "This is it" will be released on Blu-ray later this month with some new features. The disc uses technology that lets you view supplementary materials on a computer or iPhone while you watch the movie without any of it appearing on the TV screen. The disc also has a feature that allows viewers to create and share custom playlists using songs from the movie.
Fresh off the release of its new smartphone Google is already thinking about its next one. A top Google executive tells the website All Things Digital that the company is working on a version of the Nexus One for businesses. He did not give many details, but said the new phone might have a real keyboard.
Samsung unveiled a laptop at the Consumer Electronics Show last week that looks like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie. The computer has a see-through screen.It's made from OLED technology, which generates light on the screen's surface but doesn't have to be illuminated from behind. Anyone anxious to get their hands on this laptop will have to wait because it is just a prototype for now.
The Snuggie has become something of a pop culture phenomenon and now it's got some competition. The Toasty is the world's first electric blanket with sleeves. It features a built-in thermostat and temperature controls. Unfortunately, it won't provide much comfort during this cold winter because the Toasty won't be available until Spring.
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