Okay, I’ve kept quiet for the last two weeks with regard to my whole Kindle episode. Over that time Doug posted on the new price parity by eReader and, as expected, I have heard no follow up by Amazon customer service let alone from Jeff Bezos in response to my email to him.

The fact remains that Amazon’s customer reps have no idea what the DRM policy on books they sell actually is. The first told me there is a limit to the number of times you can download books (there is not!) and the others we unclear about the number of devices any give book can be on at any one time. Bottom line of the whole episode is that Amazon needs a clear policy regarding the number of devices any give book can be loaded on and needs to develop an automated system to release one device in order to register a new one.

I’m disappointed in the lack of responsiveness from Amazon but I still love my Kindle so I’ll suck it up… for now.

Imagine, however, how amused I was to read this post that Amazon is seeking a patent for “in-book” advertising.

Amazon, do us a favor, before moving into new areas how about putting some time into providing clear information on ALL aspects of DRM and finding a way to simplify the process of releasing one device to make room for another…

Some people like shoes while others like jackets. Me… I’ve always had a thing for notebook cases. There is something about the combination of function and style that draws me to a new case when I see one. So when the opportunity to take a look at Rivet’s new Vertical Leather Bag came up I jumped. It looked nice and, perhaps more importantly, it looked DIFFERENT from the other bags available.

Let’s take a look…

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As a quiet holiday weekend begins, it leaves more time than ever for random, mindless musings like this… what exactly IS the iPhone?

Sure it is usually lumped into the mix as a “smartphone” but it does so much more that I’m not sure the label actually fits.

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I read the other day that the group The 88 had used an iPhone and the iPhone app Four Track to record their song Love Is The Thing. That was pretty neat, but not nearly as neat as those groups who have recorded entire SONGS on the iPhone using virtual iPhone instruments. Or so I thought.

After watching a video of them creating the song on the iPhone I’m more than blown away by yet ANOTHER amazing use of this pocket computer. Seriously, it is nothing short of amazing.

Take a look for yourselves…

When I first got a Grand Central (now Google Voice) account the choice of phone numbers was somewhat limited. The result was that I had to get a number with an area code that was…. well, out of my area. In fact, it was such a jumble of numbers that it was almost impossible to remember. And when Grand Central became Google Voice this number went with it.

Well Google is clearly ramping things up these days with regard to Google Voice.

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I’m a huge fan of the Roku Player. It is simple to set up and use and is great for streaming Netflix instant movies and Amazon Video On Demand. What is especially nice about the Roku player is that, if you already have a Netflix subscription, there is no additional cost after you purchase the player. That’s right Netflix subscriptions include their streaming service and although the choice aren’t fantastic there is always something to watch. Add to that the ability to rent and view movies from Amazon at a rate that is often better than iTunes and you have a nice media player.

What’s even nicer is that you can now get a refurbished Roku player for under $90. Add to that the fact that by linking your new player to your Amazon account you’ll receive a $5 credit toward movies and there’s never been a better time to get a Roku. (And when you DO get it be sure to check out the BBC show MI-5 on Netflix. Awesome!)

More information  on the Roku on their website. To purchase a refurbished unit visit HERE.

Evernote seems to come out with at least one update a week. That’s especially impressive since they are working on support for multiple platforms at the same time. Windows, OS X, WM, OS X iPhone, the Pre and more, that’s a good deal of juggling to be doing.

This update is one that potentially impacts every Evernote user regardless of platform. It is a small change but potentially one that can save hours of work if you aren’t careful and close your browser before hitting “save”.

That’s right, Evernote’s web interface now auto saves your work. Some may see this as a small update but if, like me, you have ever closed a browser window (or had it crash) before saving your work it is one that is truly a huge advance.

We all knew an update to iPhone OS 3.0 would be on the way some time in the near future, but this is not only fast but significant too.

If you recall, last summers’ release of iPhone OS 2.0 was a bit problematic. An update was released within a few weeks but it simply made the new operating system not suck stink. Feature enhancements were made to that generation of the OS but those came later.

Well, OS 3.1 is on the way, and while it is filled with the requisite bug fixes it actually adds some significant enhancements to Video and Voice Control as well.

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I have to admit that when it comes to gaming I have a weakness for 1st Person Shooters and… Zombies. But can games that combine the two really work on a device as small and “buttonless” as the iPhone or iPod Touch?

After spending the last 45 minutes or so playing id software’s new release DOOM Resurrection the answer is a definitive “YES!!!”

DOOM Resurrection, currently $9.99 in the App Store, combines great graphics, a good story line, and truly usable touchscreen controls into a fantastic gaming experience. While other games have done a good job with using the touchscreen to control a wide range of actions, DOOM Resurrection has found a fantastic balance between using the accellerometer and “soft-buttons” to give you more than enough control as you make your way through the maze of the UAC Research Facility in Mars City and come face to face with a host of creatures ready to… when you know what they do if they get you.

You can grab the game HERE in the App Store but before you do you might want to take a look at the host of screen caps I grabbed as I first made my way through level one.

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TechCrunch has an excellent post up answering the question “Should you get an iPhone 3GS” from a number of perspectives. Overall it is a fantastic piece that looks at a wide range of variables and offers answers to the question based upon each, and I must say I agree with the authors conclusions. Well, that’s not COMPLETELY true. He had me at “Hello” but lost me at the end when he wrote…

Overall? Maybe.

As I said, there’s really no clear-cut answer as to if you should get the device. You really need to look at the functionality above, and determine how badly you want all of those things. If you think a bunch of stuff is missing, you’re probably thinking about features that are a part of the iPhone 3.0 software. Most of those work on the older iPhones as well. If something like cut, copy & paste is most important to you, that works on the iPhone 3G, so I would either stick with that device, or if you don’t have one, consider paying $99 to get one — that seems like a hell of a deal.

(emphasis mine)

I just can’t but think this is awful advice. Here’s why…

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My very first bluetooth headset was from Jabra. Since then I have pretty much always had one of their products in my kit bag. I currently use their Jabra SP700 Bluetooth speakerphone every time I am in the car.  I love its sleek design, fantastic sound quality and host of advanced features. It truly is a pleasure to use and, now that the iPhone supports Bluetooth stereo, is even better. That combination of advanced technology and great design is what has made me a fan.

Well it turns out the good people at Jabra have done it again. This time they have collaborated with Synaptics to incorporate capacitive touch technology into their new GOâ„¢ 6400 series Bluetooth headset. The touch control allow the device to be sleeker than ever while enabling them to do away with physical controls. The result is fluid scrolling for easy volume control and microphone muting.

It is an awesome looking headset with some great new features. We’ll look forward to getting our hands on one as soon as they are released.

The full Press Release after the jump…

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Who ever thought I would be using a belt-driven turntable in 2009? And yet, that’s what I did over the weekend. Sure, we all know DJs love vinyl, but me, the typical end-user? What gives?

Well it turns out there are a host of treasures to be found if you “go retro”. LPs stored in the attic are just waiting to be broken out once again. And if you don’t have any disks left you can just go to your local record store where your favorite music can be had for a song. (Ha, music… song… get it???)

If you DO have records, however, you need something with which to play them. That’s where the Stanton T.55 Belt-Driven Turntable comes in. It takes the “old” technology of vinyl records and delicate needle and merges it with “new” technology such as USB out so the output can be captured by your computer. I checked it out over the weekend and was rather impressed. What follows are the specs and a video look at this merger of modern and classic technology.

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Image via jkOnTheRun

To anyone who follows the release of the latest tech the pattern is familiar. First there is the announcement. Next, there is the growing excitement as the rumor mill spins up. Then there is the release buzz. Finally… there is the nitpicking… and, eventually, the quality complaints.

That’s right, after a new device is released we can always expect the requisite reviews, complaints AND initial hardware issues. We saw them with the iPhone 3G’s initial wall plug. That one led to a recall! And recently, we saw a post about the iPhone 3GS getting so hot it discolored the white case. Such complaints are commonplace but usually isolated cases.  If the complaints about Palm Pre quality reported over on JKOnTheRun are even partially true however, they could spell big trouble for Palm.

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I am a huge fan of the “bundling” of applications for the Mac. This approach to promoting a wide variety of applications has introduced me to some of my favorites. In fact, it is safe to say that I might never have even considered many of my current favorites had they not been part of a larger bundle. They were, though, so I tried them a loved them.

Well, he newest “bundler” on the block, TheMacBundles, is back with their second offering.

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Okay, so it is a bit late for spring cleaning but after a year collecting iPhone apps it seemed the right time to start culling a bit. I mean, almost 700 apps had found their way into iTunes on my iMac, and I don’t use most of them. Some are outdated thanks to OS 3.0. Others are just… garbage.

I started the process of cleaning things out and… well, you can join me…

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