Category: Back to School 2008

In what may be most promising portable music sharing application to date, Simplify Media -- available now for iPhone and iPod Touch on the App Store -- lets users stream their friends iTunes libraries from any broadband Internet connection, making storage capacity something of a non-issue. Like its sister apps for Mac, Linux, and Windows, the program lets users stream songs and playlists from ...

Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are breaking down barriers between teachers and students, and, predictably, not everyone is happy about it. While many teachers are thrilled with the connections they're able to form with students outside of the classroom on the site, they also admit there is a fine line they must walk. A flurry of student-teacher sexual relationships has set off ...

Do your professors twitter? Do they blog, or even e-mail? Professor Dave Parry from the University of Texas at Dallas does all of the above. Now, after twittering to solicit some ideas for taking one of his classes online, Parry is taking things a step further by opening up the seminar to (almost) anyone who wants to join in, free of cost -- assuming his school goes along with it. Online classes ...

A clever name, a clever design and a solid premise -- now, if only we didn't see a set of front and rear pegs along with Dave Mirra grinding down a stairwell each time we looked at it, we could actually take this thing seriously. Unfortunately for our childish hopes, Ultra Motors' A2B electric bike actually won't be used in the next X-Games, but it may just get you to and from your downtown ...

Twitter's popularity has soared recently, and, of course, this has caused spammers to flock to the service like right wing radio hosts to a fiery black preacher. Twitter has plenty of problems of its own with out having to worry about spammy posters ruining the party for everyone else. One of the most common techniques used by spammers to rack up a significant number of followers -- folks who ...

A new application available from the iTunes App Store promises to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a powerful tool. DataCase transforms your Apple mobile device into a wireless networked hard drive that can be accessed from any Wi-Fi equipped computer, whether it runs OS X, Windows, or Linux. DataCase is $6.99 and, once activated, allows other PCs on your wireless network to access two ...

Plantronics Discovery 925 The first thing that caught our eye about the latest Bluetooth headset from Plantronics was its one-of-a-kind shape -- a hollowed out, elongated triangle attached to a rounded diamond. With style becoming an essential part of the Bluetooth earpiece, Plantronics did well with the Discovery 925. It's also among the lightest of the earpieces, weighing in it at only ...

Nokia BH-902 Not many Bluetooth headsets feature screens -- and for good reason, we might add. One issue is the seemingly impractical nature of having a screen on a product that is worn on the ear, another being the inevitable size of the headset. Despite these concerns however, Nokia's BH-902 does as good a job, featuring a 1-inch OLED display, and is only slightly wider (and not much ...

BlueAnt Z9i The update to the widely popular BlueAnt Z9, the Z9i makes an already good thing better -- it's more comfortable, it sounds clearer, and it's cheaper. The newest headset from BlueAnt has been praised almost as much as the Jawbone. Though perhaps lacking a bit in the fashion-forward department, the Z9i's blue-glowing-ant-shaped LED display is pretty cool. It has an ear bud with ...

Samsung WEP700 If you're looking for a simple, economical choice, Samsung's WEP700 may be your best bet. For 50 bucks, you get a quality Bluetooth headset, without all the bells and whistles of the pricier options. The design is sleek and minimal, and it has a nicely-fitted earpiece with an optional ear hook for additional stability. This was the best-sounding of the Samsung models we ...

Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset If you wake up every morning and pray to a shrine consisting of an Apple IIGS and a signed headshot of Steve Jobs, then you probably have an iPhone -- and your Bluetooth headset of choice may be Apple's iPhone Bluetooth headset. Though this headset does have a great, minimal look and auto-pairs with the iPhone, it's not entirely bump-free. For one, the device ...

Jabra SP5050 For those of you with the clear intent of avoiding fines and making driving-plus-talking a more pleasant experience, the Jabra SP5050 speakerphone may be right up your alley. As far as speakerphone devices go, this .4-inch thick device is among the slimmest we've seen. It attaches to the sun visor like a garage door opener, and does everything a basic Bluetooth earpiece would ...

Aliph Jawbone 2 The follow-up to the original Jawbone, this much-improved successor is, in a word, awesome. Designed by Yves Behar (of OLPC-fame), it looks cool enough to wear as a fashion accessory, featuring a sleek design and a diamond-patterned shell. It's also quite minimal in size (2-inches long, .5-inches wide, .5-inches thick). And it's loaded with features and delivers supreme ...

Mac or PC – it's the perennial debate for anyone looking to buy a new computer (or win an argument). Passionate and valid points exist in both camps, but it ultimately boils down to your personal tastes, needs, and budget. We played around with all shapes and sizes of Macs (Mini, iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro) and PCs (Gateway One desktop, Gateway M-Series laptops, Dell Adamo laptop, ...

We've already learned not to break up with others via Facebook status, or to advertise that you're looking for a new job (unless you've already left or lost your previous one). But how are we to know what other potential pitfalls avoid? Lucky for us, Wired put together a handy list of 10 things it is safe to assume should never make it to your Facebook status update. What specific faux pas, you ...