7 million -- that's right.  That's what Sony's looking at with the latest

We've got Apple, we've got Dell, Toshiba and Lenovo (IBM) all facing problems with Sony's batteries in their notebook computers.

I'd be worrying even if my notebook battery was part of this massive recall.

This seems to be one of those problems like spinach and E.coli that that just goes from bad to worse and beyond ...

... Is there more bad news on the way?

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: More Sony Battery Woes -- As in 7 Million ... and Counting

That's the date and that's the price for Microsoft's new MP3 player.

The press release gives all of the details.

The big question: Will this make any kind of dent in Apple's domination of this market?

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: Zune 11/14 @$249.99

Holy flaming laptops Batman!

Crazy stuff just keeps on happening in the saga of explodiing notebook computers.  Now we have Lenovo pledging today that public safety "will be the company's first priority" following an incident in which a Lenovo ThinkPad T43 laptop (with a Sony battery; any surprise there?) caught fire at Los Angeles International Airport recently. That's the culprit pictured at right.

(Now that's scary!)

Now Lenovo engineers are working around the clock at laboratories in Japan and Raleigh, N.C., to determine the cause of the fire. Seems no other laptops have met a similar fate, but makes you wonder if the laptop you have at home or in the office or on the train or on a plane with you may suddenly go crazy on you ...

Interestingly, the "fiery" T43 used the same Sony battery cells that were at the center of a recall of nearly 6 million Dell and Apple laptops earlier this year, but the battery pack has a different design than those of Apple and Dell. Lenovo's design is aimed at shutting down the system before it gets to the point of extreme overheating (always a good idea, I say!).

Computer Reseller News (or CRN to its fans) had some good coverage of this latest string of bad news for anyone who likes to be mobile and computing.

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: A Hot One for Lenovo!!!

Yep, that's what I hear by keeping my ears open.

Apple's upcoming iPod-like phone (aka "iPhone") will be available exclusively from Cingular when it becomes available next year.

Check out more of the story here.

(I guess being the largest U.S. cell phone carrier does carry some power ...)

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: A 'Cingular' iPhone?

Always like the concept of the U2 iPod, and now it's been updated with a new lower price (still garners a premium, though, according to some recent

Obviously, you've seen the band involved in promos for Apple's products and now with Disney so involved with movie downloads on iTunes, will we see a Disney iPod from Apple?

I know you can get Disney skins, but how about a real one?

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: U2 iPod Gets an Update

Can you believe this?

Now Toshiba is recalling 340,000 batteries from their notebook computers that were made by (who else!) Sony  apparently because of problems with recharging them.

Interestingly, this problem is not directly related to the one behind last month's recalls by Dell and Apple that cited concerns the batteries could overheat and catch fire. This time, the batteries sometimes stop recharging or simply run out of power; no injuries have been reported.

Hey, let's do the numbers:

• Dell -- 4.1 million faulty batteries
• Apple -- 1.8 million
• Toshiba -- 340,000

(If we graph this numbers, does this indicate a downward trend in battery problems?)

The Toshiba recall involves batteries for Dynabook and Satellite models made from March through May; they will be replaced for free.

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: Toshiba Battery Problems! Here We Go Again (Sony)!

Does anybody really know the price of Microsoft's new Zune?

(Does anybody really care? Hey, sounds like a tune from Chicago, or Chicago Transit Authority as the band was originally known.)

Seems Apple's new iPod pricing threw Microsoft for a loop, according to reports, so the retail pricing for the product is still up in the air.

Lots of intrigue about how to market a product in this story, with one of the key marketing "Ps" (there are four) -- price -- still a big question mark.

Is this anyway to run a company?

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: How Much Is That Zune in the Window?

Disappointed that the Apple mobile phone wasn't the big news this week from "Showtime," but now reports are in that the "iPhone" may be coming early next year.

It now seems more likely that thisi whiz bang gadget  may be announced at the Macworld shindig in early January, if "significant technical hurdles" can be overcome.

Makes you wonder about all the wonderful creativity and technology that gets jammed into our gadgets, doesn't it?

Smaller, better, faster ...

(And don't think you'll see Motorola cell phones too much on the Apple site in the future once their own phone is out there ...)

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: Apple Cell Phone in 2007?

Of course we are all very excited about all of Apple's announcements yesterday, like iTunes 7.0, its movie downloads and ways to get them from the computer to the TV, but where's the Apple cell phone?

If you remember "I want my MTV" from the early days of the music video channel, then it's time to pick up a new slogan -- "I want my Apple cell phone."

(Or is it "I want my iPhone"?).

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: What Happened to the Apple Cell Phone?

Showtime, baby!

Of course, buzz central about Apple's big event today on multiple channels.

Want to get a sneak peak inside "the core" from a source that's got very good sources?  Then check out this post on Gizmodo, which seems to have it down.

Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it a cell phone, is it iPod movies ...

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: Sneak a Peak Inside Today's Big Apple Event

According to an article in the U.K.'s fine newspaper, The Guardian, mainstream adoption of Apple's iPod is making it less cool. (Really?)

This is from industry analysts who speculate the music player has peaked in popularity.

Adding to the iPod's apparent "trouble" are mobile phones with music players. (If only they got it right ...)

Now industry analysts are noted for predicting the future, which in the land of gadgets is very hard; seems their crystal balls sometimes need to be cleaned (or maybe they just get fogged up a bit).

Think they've got it right this time?

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: iPod Becoming Uncool?

Why is this man smiling, you ask?

Don't suppose it's in response to all of the recent chatter about Apple's September 12 special meeting/announcement and, separately, Apple's cell phone plans.

Great article on AppleInsider lays out the intrigue about product development of this mysterious mobile phone.

(Or is there really a product being developed?)

What do you think Steve Jobs has up his sleeve?

(And do you think he dreams in color or just black and white -- or is it white and black?)

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: Apple Cell Phone on Its Way?

Looks like today's blogging is all about more and more.

Now we have Universal Music, home to artists such as U2, planning to make its catalog of recordings and music videos available for free on an ad-supported Web site that will launch later this year.

According to the buzz, SpiralFrog.com will split advertising revenue with the recording company.

Users can download an unlimited number of songs or music videos if they register at the site. Tracks cannot be burned to a CD, but users will be able to transfer music to portable media players equipped with Microsoft Windows digital rights management software.

However, the service will not work with Apple's Macintosh computers or its market-leading iPod music players. (Is that a good idea?)

Fine reporting from The Washington Post.

www.spiralfrog.com

TrackBack (0) | Comments (0) | Tag with del.icio.us | VoIP & Gadget Blog | Permalink: Universal's Making Music Free (With a Catch ...)