If you answered yes, then the TechBloq Team has a very pleasant surprise for you today. We have just happened to run across what we think is one of the coolest software tech nuggets we have seen in a very very long time. The BlueStacks application will allow you to run Android Apps on your desktop and if you are already using the Android OS on another device you can even synchronize your apps across your other devices and to your PC, how friggin sweet is that!

Do The Apps Work?

Surprisingly yes! All the apps that we have tested thus far actaually work and work well. The BlueStacks App Player, seems to have got it right. We are sure at some point, there may be some issues with apps that are looking for a gyroscope or accelleromitor, but the majority of all applications can get by with substituting your computers keyboard, mouse, monitor, microphone and camera for one that would otherwise be on the Android tablet or phone.

Do I have To have An Android Device To Use The BlueStacks App?

No, not at all. If you do have an Android enabled phone or tablet, there are some cool features that this makes available. However, you can run this Android virtualization app as a standalone program on any Windows computer.

Why Mobile Apps and Mini Programs Are Making A Comeback

They say all things are cyclical and the computer world is no different. In years past, people were trying to integrate everything and create large bulky apps that performed many different tasks. Now, the industry is moving back towards simplicity and Microsoft wants a piece of that pie. Microsoft has two different Windows environments that will ship with Windows 8 and you guessed it, one of them is a complete eco-system to run their “apps” many made originally for mobile devices running the Windows Phone OS.

Apple has almost formed a monopoly in this space, at least for paying app purchasers, but you will find that the Android marketplace has many applications that cost money for the IOS that are completely free to download. This makes the Android Marketplace and the BlueStacks App a very dangerous combination for both Microsoft and Apple. If you are looking for a way to break away from the herd and still have a huge selection of great apps, this may be just what you are looking for.

So What Is The WipeCoin iPhone Case

The WipeCoin iPhone case is a new case that is manufacturered in Germany and in belief of full disclosure I will let you know that I was given one of these sweet cases for review and testing purposes. You can see everything I received in the package in the images below. Regardless of how
I came across this case, let’s get down to what does. This case has a small black or white (they come in both colors) round disc or coin, hence forth the name. This coin is lodged into a nice fitting location that does not impede the performance of the touchscreen nor does it get in the way of viewing. When you screen gets all smudged up, you simply slide the coin loose and wipe your screen, then return it to its parked position.

The Wipe Coin iPhone Case Is Very clever!

I think that no only the concept but the design of this new iPhone case are smart. The coin is covered with microfiber so your phone screen gets cleaned with no scratches and no lint left behind. the case does exactly what it is designed to do and it cost right around 20 bones on amazon.

Is The WipeCoin A Good Protective Case?

I think so, absolutely. The case is made of a rock solid material. I have ran not stress tests, but it seems like a very stable case that really keeps you phone locked in once you snap it into place. the case has a few contact points that grab the metal lip on the side of the phone. this also helps it stay very slim, because it almost sits completely flush with the front of the iPhone screen, I like this a lot.

Its Even Great For Gaming!

At first I thought that the small bubble at the bottom of the case where the coin sits would become a distraction, but much  to the contrary, it became an obsession. I don’t know about everybody, but for myself, there are some games that have on screen buttons and as I play I just feel like I am always trying to get a good grip to reach the buttons while still holding on to the phone. The round “knob” at the bottom is great for games that you lay the phone on its side to play because you can wrap your pinkie finger around it like the bottom of a game controller. It is surprising comfortable and is an amazing and undocumented bonus for games.

HP is going to release the last chunk of stockpiled TouchPads tonight!

The HP TouchPad is no longer in production, but that does not meant that these are not some of the most powerful tablets out there. Anybody who has used a Palm OS cell phone already knows that this OS is great and the hardware is solid as can be too, these are not cheap Android tablets, they are high end tabs that were selling for upward of $500 just months ago.

You are not going to find a better deal on a quality tablet that this. You will need to be by a computer and ready to buy at 6PM Central time because they are going to go fast. Here is the information from the official press release….

Refurbished HP TouchPads, both 16GB and 32GB versions, will be posted for sale through the HP eBay store at: 6:00 p.m. (Central Time), Sunday, December 11th. If you are interested in purchasing a refurbished TouchPad, please make yourself a reminder to log-on to eBay a few minutes before the sale starts to make your purchase.

The TouchPads will be available for sale here (under “Laptops”):

http://stores.ebay.com/hewlettpackard

Important information about this sale:

•
There will be both 16GB and 32GB versions available, selling at a fixed price of $99 and $149 respectively…while supplies last.
•
There is also an optional 3-piece Accessory bundle with a Case, Charging Dock & Wireless Keyboard for $79 (est. value $199.97).
•
Purchases must be made through the HP eBay store via PayPal only. If you do not have eBay or PayPal accounts, create your accounts before the sale begins to avoid delays.
•
The product offer will be announced to the general public on Monday morning and is expected to sell-out quickly thereafter, so don’t delay.
•
There will be a limit of two (2) TouchPad SKUs per eBay member, sold on a first come, first served basis.
•
This sale is not associated with any HP-sponsored employee purchase program and there are no additional discounts for HP employees off the HP eBay store price.
•
All sales are final. There are no returns unless product arrives defective.
•
The refurbished TouchPad product comes with a 90-day limited warranty.
•
Please note that eBay orders only allow one ship-to location per order.

Thank you for your cooperation, good luck to you and don’t forget to mark your calendars for 6:00 p.m. (Central Time), Sunday, December 11th.

Hope my readers get some deals, good luck to everyone!

There is already speculation of sales records, after the leak that the next gen iPhone will now be available on the Sprint network and this is no surprise for the real iPhone fan boys out there. There is even more fan boy iPhone update information available on this constantly updated post Time To Talk iPhone – iPhone 4s Release following the iPhone release as it happens.

One new feature many are looking forward to is the iPhone 5 NFC capability. This bundled with a powerful dual core processor and most likely equipped with a 21Mbps HSPA+ data network, this new jewel from Apple may be the second coming of iPhones for real. Android guys, you better watch out because this is going to be one hot piece of tech if you ask me.

You can follow some of the iPhone updates on this iPhone blog’s iPhone 5 Press Release Apple Event post or you may want to check out some of the more standard tech news outlets like: Engadget, Massive Links Tech Blog and Tech Crunch to keep up to date with the release info as it comes out.

Feel free to comment below with any news, updates or questions you may have about the Apple iPhone 5 release below.

Have fun searching and downloading and please comment below and let us know how this bit torrent search engine works for you compared to other “old style” torrent finders.

If you are not familiar with the square credit card reader you really should be. This new creation by Jack Dorsey is really changing the way that merchants are doing business. Just to have a merchant account and the ability to accept credit cards from your brick and mortar store used to be expensive. There were monthly fees, percentages on sales and usually even a flat fee per transaction on top of it all. This means that any business that wanted to except credit cards really had to do some investing and be able to take a hit on every dollar they made to make it feasible to do so.

Go get your free Square Credit Card Reader here.

My Square

Square not only makes it possible for anybody with an iPhone to take credit card payments right on their phone by swiping cards via the square dongle, bu they are also offering some of the most competitive rates in the industry. All this combined with a totally free setup and hardware shipped to door, may make this little company one of the larger credit card processing companies in the near future.

Mobile Credit Card Payments

The Square device allows cards to be swiped or punched in manually and it can be used anywhere that your phone has cell phone reception. This makes the Square device and service perfect for any traveling salesmen, flea market seller or anybody who needs to take credit card payments on the go. There has never been a faster, simpler and cheaper way to sell goods from any mobile location.

Now Even Cheaper

Square just sent out an email today stating that they would be doing away with the flat fee per transaction and now the only fee that will incur when you take payment is a 2.75% surcharge. This makes the Square company cheaper than Paypal!

Here is the most recent concession offered to customers from AT&T. Get 1,000 free and clear rollover minutes and all you need to do is send a text. Don’t miss out on this deal, we have no idea how long it will last but it is currently still working as of today. Even if you aren’t ready to jump over to a different carrier doesn’t mean you can’t cash in on this cool AT&T free minutes code/hack.

How To Get Your Free 1,000 AT&T Rollover Minutes

1. Create a new text to the following number : 11113020
2. In the message type : yes
3. You will instantly get a response saying that you will have these minutes added to your account in the next 4 weeks and only one per account.
4. Type a comment below and thank the editors at Techbloq.com for hooking you up!

If we run across any more hot deals or easy bonuses from AT&T we will keep posting them, until next time…

The mail system from Facebook has yet to officially roll out, but you can currently ask for an early invite to the Facebook email system if you are interested in checking out the newest Facebook features. Here is the address of the official Facebook email request page: http://www.facebook.com/about/messages/

Have fun checking out the new Facebook email and hopefully you get your invite soon. I for one am not sure if using a dedicated Facebook email address has any value for me, but there are many people who are very excited about this new feature. I am more interested in getting accepted into the Google CR-48 Notebook Pilot Program! If you are already using the Facebook email please leave a comment below and let everybody know what you think about this new service from FB.

This new Google authorized notebook will be sure to turn some head and raise the question “Do we really need a operating system at all?” to many users. The cloud based Chrome OS is about ready to hit the streets for real and only time will tell how earth shattering this news really is. There are a lot of consumers who have high hopes for Google making a serious move in the PC world and bringing affordable and usable computers to the masses once and for all.

The very nondescript look of the laptop is definitely a way to keep prying eyes from knowing what you are working with, but because they have already put images on the net, we don’t know why they did not at least slap a Google sticker on the back of it.

Google Cr-48 Chrome Notebook Screen Shots

Google Cr-48 Chrome Notebook

There are no complete spec sheets on what Google has put together yet. However, here is what Google is saying about the first ever official Google Chrome Laptop:

The Cr-48 is the test notebook we designed for the Pilot program. It’s the first of its kind.

It’s ready when you are, booting in about 10 seconds and resuming from sleep instantly. There’s built-in Wi-Fi and 3G, so you can stay connected everywhere, and a webcam for video chat. The vibrant 12-inch LCD display, full-size keyboard and oversized touchpad let you enjoy the web comfortably. And at just 3.8 pounds with over eight hours of active usage and a week of standby time, it’s easy to take along for the ride.

What did we leave out? Spinning disks, caps-lock key, function keys, and lap burns.

The Cr-48 is available exclusively to participants in the Pilot program.

More Information About The CR-48 Chrome Laptop

The official release of this new web operating system based laptop has not happened yet. There is more information on what is in the works, so if you want to learn all the ins and outs of this new laptop and want to see if Google will ship one to you for testing, check out the Google Laptop Pilot Program and see if you can be one of the lucky googlers to test it and get a free laptop to boot. Looking for more information on the new Google Chrome Cr-48? Let Google tell you more about the features on their new operating system by visiting their official project site here : Google Chrome Laptop Features

If you want to learn more about he new Google laptop just keep checking back here, we will be posting more information as we get it and will be posting plenty of screenshots if we get one for testing.

This new device is being called the Blackberry PlayBook and it will only offer a 7″ screen, but some think that this size will actually be beneficial and offer more portability than the iPad and hope that this becomes a selling point for them. Watch the video below to see some footage from the actual release of this new tablet device.

If you have ever wondered how a person could take everything that we thought we knew and loved about a cell phone and totally crush that idea, then inject some new ideas that make geeks spiddle from the mouth, these guys have done it. Just watch the video below and then sit back and think for a minute…would I really want something this cool or not?

Read More About The Mozilla Labs Seabird Cell Phone Concept Here.

This is going to get Nokia and any other company that wants to be a big player in the cell phone industry in the next 5 to 10 years to start re-thinking their strategies and start thinking about how to compete with what Mozilla may have in the oven right now. If you want to learn more about this amazing looking cell phone concept and join the community that is helping develop its concepts, design and more, make sure to visit the Mozilla Labs web site for all the info you need to get this cell phone from the drawing board to your pocket!

Apple Locks Down iPhone Jailbreaking and Kills iTunes Accounts

Since iTunes 9.2 and the iOS 4 Apple has required users to agree to a EULA that stated that Apple had the right to snoop your iPhone or iPod Touch to see if you were using nonstandard software.  If you were using Jailbroken apps and features it was being reported by many users that they were getting suspended from iTunes and sometime even from their carrier.  Well, I am here to tell you that this is thing of the past.  You no longer have to worry about getting caught using the software you want.  No longer is it legal for Apple to punish users for using third party software on iPhones or performing the common hack that is referred to as “Jailbreaking” your iPhone.

US Government Gives Consumers iPhone Freedom

The government has passed legislation that makes it totally legal to jailbreak your iPhone.  You don’t have to worry about getting hassled from Apple or your cell phone carrier when you perform this any more.  It has been decided that jail-breaking your iPhone is not only legal, but does not break any user agreement that Apple has stood behind in the past.

Apple’s Official ResponseTo Legal Jailbreaking

Just like in any situation Apple always has a reply even when they really should not. This situation is no different than the others, except this time they kept Steve Jobs out of the mix.  This quote below is from apples official spokesperson, unfortunately there was no crazy email from Mr. Jobs on this one.

Apple’s goal has always been to insure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience. As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.

It would seem that Apple is trying to hold their ground even when there is nothing to hold onto in this case.  The simple fact is that you can do what you want with hardware you purchased according to the US government no matter if it is an iPhone or any other cell phone or device.    So have fun and what are you waiting for, lets jailbreak em all!

So many are already aware of the new and very cool “free” service Google has started called Google Voice.   This was a great idea and many people are using this service to it’s fullest by taking advantage of the totally free phone number they give you, the customized answering service that can be used from the internet or email, call filtering to only redirect calls you want and much more.  All in all the Google Voice service is simply amazing and a great value even if they were charging for it. The ability to take your voice messages in your email after they have been magically translated into text for you should be a service on it’s own, but it is just one part of this great package Google is offering for free.

I was doing some research on free calling from the internet and was surprised to find how many services still offer totally free calling from your PC.  However, in my journey I ran across this post on 100% free voip phone service using Google Voice and Gizmo which really got me exited about using the free “Skype” like app called Gizmo and the free phone number from Google paired together to make a totally free functional intnernet phone.  However, once I tried to access the Gizmo website, I realized it was down.  So back to the search engine and I soon found this link on Google’s own website http://www.google.com/gizmo5/

So it looks like Google has already acquired this company and is planning on integrating it with their Google voice service. Once this takes place it will cost to make outgoing calls, pretty much like the service that Skype is offering. With heavy competition from companies like Vonage and my personal favorite Magic Jack, it will be interesting to see how Google fits into the new age of VOIP and how long before the telephone companies that we now know are gone altogether. You can read more about this on the Google Voice Blog here.

It looks to be a very fast loading setup that offers a image only page display until you have hovered over an image.  Once you click on an image, you are taken to the website where the image originated, much like before, but now the image is shown big and ready to view in a clean looking ajax shadow box effect over the website instead of being at the top of the page and small.  This really makes it easy for webmasters who are searching for graphics that have been “labeled for reuse” because it cuts one step out of the image download process, cool.

They will surely be tweaking this and making some other small changes. We all know that once they start changing something, they just can’t stop right?  Well, it is looking good so far if you ask me and I can’t wait to see what they are going to do next.  Just wanted to take a quick second to let everybody know that the world’s best image search, just got better.

Amazon has noticed it’s growing popularity and has decided to buy them out.  It sounds like there will be very few if any changes to the existing site.  The only thing that we believe will change is the one off deals, will now be provided by Amazon.com.  This is not a surprise as the huge e-commerce machine known as Amazon has already explored the daily deal marketing method with their own Daily GoldBox Deal section on their main site and now has found another outlet to further monopolize on consumers interest in online savings.

To learn more about the transition to take place and hear what the guys at Woot! have to say here is a great article found on the official Woot site: Amazon, Woot and You

You could go out and download a distribution of any flavor of linux, but hey, what if there was an opperating system that was specifically designed for the netbook user and the netbook hardware in mind? Would you check it out?  We sure did and we think that this hot new release is well worth featuring.  To technology industry leaders, this little OS is nothing to be afraid of or is it?

The mobile industry will hold more users than the desktop PC industry will in the next couple years.  It is a fact, no we are not mind readers, thats just how the numbers play out.  So if a new Operating System came along and started making its way onto many “where used to be” Windows Operating System machines, well we think that should raise some eyebrows.

Meego Net Book Operating System Screen Shots

Meego Net Book OS?

Yes, it may sound strange and this may be the first time you have heard of a “Netbook Operating System” and that is O.K. because this is the first OS to be released that is built specifically for netbook computers.  The rise of popularity of mobile devices and the cheaper smaller laptop computer that we now refer to as Netbooks have brought on this new breed of mini operating systems.  We don’t mean that they have limited features or functionality, only that these new netbook operating systems are build to run quickly on computers with mobile processors and low physical memory on board.

This will surely be a huge push in the next few quarters as the iPad continues to take hold in the tablet market and many others are releasing similar tablet web devices.  The Meego OS is a combination of 2 pre-existing Operating systems combined together.  If you take the best of what he hugely popular Maemo Operating system Nokia packages on it’s N900 model and the Intel created Moblin Linux platform and squish them together, you get Meebo. A fast non-resource intensive graphical user interface that offers a complete operating system and many highly effective web integrated tools.  This culmination of 2 of the most powerful mobile operating systems into one is what some are calling a match made in heaven.

So What Software Comes On It

The Meego Netbook OS is not going to come with Microsoft office or other MS apps, so if that is what you are looking for, you are going to have to put up with the slow Netbook you own. On the other hand you can get to the internet, so you already have your Google Docs account, right?

To make the web faster, this new Meego OS leverages the power of the fast loading and extend able Google Chrome Browser and some other familiar tools as well. You will find many web applications to access twitter and other sites like this along with a full featured media manager. You have access to a media player that lets you play and manage all your favorite music, movies and more.  Don’t forget the awesome email client that also comes built in.

There are not as many applications that may come on a Windows installation on the Meego OS, but that is kinda the point. You have access to everything you need and not all the extra junk that Microsoft tries to bundle together and slow down your laptop.  This OS is made for systems with mobile processors, but we are pretty sure that they will be releasing a version that will be compatible with all X86 processors soon enough.

Download, Learn and Install Meego For Free – Meego Netbook OS

Meego Operating System On Your Cell Phone

The Meego operating system is also ready for use with a few cellular phones and other mobile devices that have a Mobile Atom processor. So if you are interested in getting the most out of your smart phone, the Meego OS may have just what you have been looking for.  The Meego OS is new and will still be working out some kinks for some time, but seems to be fully functional, so if you are looking for something different then MEEGO!

The Firefox mobile browser has been available since January for Nokia N900 users.  However, there are few who are aware of it still.  This new mobile browser promises a lot of create

Firefox Mobile

Mozilla labs have brought many of the fan favorite features to its new Firefox Mobile platform.  You will be glad to know that there are some new web browsing magic being brought to the table too.  Just watch this video and see what Mozilla Labs has cooking for its Firefox Mobile users.

Why Use Firefox Mobile?

There are many reasons that cell phone users and people with other mobile devices that may run Firefox in the future will be glad to use it instead of the built in mobile browser.  The biggest reason most users will flock to Mozilla Firefox on mobile devices, is because it is the first mobile browser to offer plug-ins. Just like the standard Firefox installation, you will have the ability to customize and add functionality to your Firefox mobile browser by adding new plug-ins.  This is a whole new ballgame for those who browse the web from mobile devices and will be sure to find its way on to many more platforms soon.

Using the new Mozilla “Weave” you can also synchronize your browser with your desktop browser.  This is another great feature that will be another first for mobile browsing.  Mozilla is wasting no time in bringing the big features that mobile users are going to love.

Mozilla mobile will also grab many new users instantly because of its current popularity on desktop systems as well.  This may be one way to force all other browser makers to start catching up and make mobile versions to compete.  However at this time, Nokia has a corner on the market for Firefox lovers.

When Will Firefox Mobile Be Available For My Phone?

Well, right now nobody really knows when Mozilla plans to release its mobile Firefox version on other cell phones and mobile devices.  It would make since that they are already working on some other popular phones.  We expect to see Firefox mobile available on the iPhone and Android enabled phones next.  This would be the most logical step.  Ever since the Smartphone marketplace has exploded, these 2 mobile phone OS’s seem to have excelled.  Until we have the news, you can check on Mozilla’s mobile page for updates on the Firefox mobile browser.

How To Get Firefox Mobile

It is very simple to get your Nokia N900 setup with the new Mozilla Firefox Mobile, simply navigate to http://firefox.com/m and your done!  If you want to keep up with the news and updates on this awesome new experience for mobile users, just bookmark this,  Firefox Mobile.

Health Care Goes Digital

The health care industry is one of the largest and most controversial business sectors in our country.  Many changes are coming our way due to recent legislation and this is just the begining.  Healthcare systems are becoming hugely popoular and there are so many ways that making use of popular technology can help make the patient experience better and the healthcare professionals jobs easier.   The technology updates that hospitals are going through are not cheap, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.

The video below explains some of the ways that these new digital updates are making hospitals more efficient and how the digital upgrade coming to hospitals around the globe are making our healthcare service providers more efficient.

They are not totally giving up, they have just rethought their marketing strategy.  They are going to pick out a few retailers and see if it does better online.  This is an interesting change, but there will be no telling if this will spike sales for the Nexus One or maybe the heyday for this phone has come and passed already.   There are many other android enabled cell phones on the market now and it will be hard to compete with these other phones that have already penetrated the market.

Google’s Own Words On This Situation

Here is what Google had to say on their official Nexus One blog:

When we launched Nexus One in January, we announced partnerships with Vodafone in Europe and Verizon Wireless in the US. We have news on both fronts.

In the US, if you’ve been waiting for the Nexus One for Verizon Wireless’ network, head over to http://phones.verizonwireless.com/htc/incredible to pre-order the Droid Incredible by HTC, a powerful new Android phone and a cousin of the Nexus One that is similarly feature-packed. It will be available in stores on April 29th.

Can They Still Breath Life Back Into The Nexus One?

We have never seen a company try to bring a product back from the dead like this, especially one that is not new any more.  this may e a hail merry for Google.  There has been no official mention of what cell phone companies will be to offer the Nexus One at or if there will be any exclusive offers for specific carriers.  The cell phone competition has been heating up, so we expect to see these at a familiar $99 or $149 with a contract upgrade.  The phone is currently being offered on T-mobile, Sprint and Verizon networks with a contract for $179 and $529 with no contract or if you want to take your nexus one to AT&T.  They are going to have to give consumers some more incentive if they really want to boost sales.  However, since their app store has been dwindling too, it seems that they may not have been ready to be big contenders in the mobile world at all.

The iPhone 4G will be released in another month or so and this would be the perfect opportunity for Google to give Apple some much needed competition on release date.

Wouldn’t it just be crazy if Microsoft or Apple tried to pull this off? The open source software industry has been around for a long time and until now it has only really been harnessed to make small, less popular operating systems. Now with Google taking the driver’s seat, it will be interesting if any of the other big players in the software industry follow suit.  After all there is no better free labor and getting input from many developers all over the world is one way to make sure you end up with a dynamite product.

So lets take a quick look at what Google has to say about their new effort to build the next best operating system on the market….

What is Google Chrome OS?

Google Chrome OS Needs You!

I you think your hot stuff, you can go join the dev team and start adding your bits and pieces to make it work better too.  Most of the development that is in a working test environment has been done using a distribution of Linux for its base.  Debian, Ubuntu, Suse and Fedora have been the front running candidates for the actual underlying OS.  What Google has put together so far is nothing more than a few web apps that they call an operating system.  We really don’t know what to think of this.

Here is the official Google Code site : http://code.google.com/chromium/

Here is one of the sites that seems to be leading in the development of the chromium project, so give these guys a look if you are wanting to put your code loving spin on the new Google Chrome OS.

Chromium.org

Google Chrome OS Live ScreenShots

It’s Not About Processor, How Fast Is Your Internet Connection?

Cloud computing is definitely the way of the future and now you even see Microsoft releasing their popular Office on the web too.  So our real question is Google creating and real operating system or are they just using a disto of Linux to fancy up their existing web services?

We have all heard of thin clients, well at least those of us who are to nerdy to admit it at least.  If you have been working with computers and large networks, then most likely you have heard of Citrix and how it can basically take advantage of a fat internet connection and a windows server to make hundreds of workstations run with very little ran or processing power.  These little devices save big companies a lot of money and in fact work rather well.  This is one way that cloud computing can be used in the normal office environment successfully.  The idea is that in the near future all you need is a web browser and if you can run it off of a thumb drive that plugs into a monitor, then so be it.

There will be a lot to see as the development continues on what is being called the Chromium OS or simply Chrome OS.  This thing could ship on netbooks as early as next year and with all the buzz surrounding the Android phones right now, it would only make since that Google would have their own netbooks available at the cell phone stores just like Dell and HP.  Of course you have better got a good 3G connection if you want to be able to open your word processor!

Will Google Chrome OS Take Over Windows In The Future?

Google has pretty much aced every type of business that they have tried to get involved with, so the chances are that they are going to come out with a bad ass OS soon enough.  We don’t want to sound like naysayers, but we are just not impressed with what we have seen so far.

What is that?  You want to see it too? Well here you go, you will find a link below that will take you to a pre-built distro of the new Chrome OS.  Download it, install it, check it out and let us know what you think about it.  We’ll see you on the comments section!

Download Chrome OS/Chromium OS

C’mon Every bodies doing It

Many of my friends have had jail broke their iPhones and I have been interested in the extra features and functionality that this simple hack has made on their phones.  There was a problem for many users who had updated to the iPhone firmware 3.1.3 from 3.1.2 apparently enough changes were made between these two software updates that all the standard methods of jail braking iPhones was no longer working.  I had tried the blackra1n and redsnow versions and obviously neither one was effective.  After doing some extensive research it sounded like if you had a Mac there was software that would do it, but living in an Windows environment that was not a option for me.

You Can Tether Too!

Using one of the many free apps available once you jailbreak your iPhone, you an see the ad-hoc network that is sharing the AT&T Internet connection with my pc here!   It only took about 2 minutes to setup this ad-hoc network and now I am using my cell phones Internet connection on my PC, how cool is that.

Good News For 3.1.3 Users

Recently there was a new application that was released to help iPhone owners unlock and jail break their iPhones even if they were on the new 3.1.3 firmware. There has been a hack ready in waiting for the release of the new iPhone 4 OS, but until it is released there will no way for those who do not have a Apple developer account to take advantage of it.  This new jailbreak takes less than 5 minutes to complete and that includes the reboot and install of Cydia.

Download The iPhone 3.1.3 Spirit Jailbreak

Download iPhone Jailbreak For 3.1.3 Firmware

This is the only easy way to jailbreak an iPhone running v3.1.3 firmware that we know of.  Now, don’t get mad at us if you have any problems, these things can be kind of janky, so read up on this before you attempt to jailbreak your iPhone.  We do not claim any responsibility and all of that too…

The first thing I got installed and working was a cool set of lightning backgrounds.  Now unlike standard apps, this background software actually lets you change the background behind the icons on the iPhone.  The Winterboard allows you to tweak all sorts of setting like transparencies and if text shows under icons that are docked and pretty much anything you can think of on your iPhone “desktop”.  This was pretty cool.  Now on to testing the free tethering software that allows you to use your iPhone as a modem for any computer…..Cool!

iPhone Jailbreak ScreenShots

How Good Was Lala Compared to Other Streaming Music Sites?

You know, this site was my favorite music site on the net for while, there was nothing that even came close. Then Apple came along and bought them out. This changed a lot about the site, but you could still stream and play any song you have ever heard of once, before you bought (in its entirety) and then only 30 shorts of the song. Out of every song in the world, well you know what I mean, you can listen to all of them one time for free is still a rockin’ radio if you ask me.

Well the story only goes south from here. Apple is now closing them down all together and they are offering the existing users a free conversion of credits and songs to iTunes, I still do not understand. It would seem that Steve Jobs has started yet another divide and conquer campaign and won. The only people who loose are the people, it seems that every time there is a great music site that really gets it together, if it isn’t the government that steps in to destroy it, it is big business. Then again, I can member back to when Launch.com (music.yahoo.com) was an amazing experience and look what happened to it.

You will find the official email that was sent out to all Lala.com members and customers, it really doesn’t say a lot. So these may be the final farewell of a great site.

The Day The Music Died “II” (The eMail)

Dear xxxx.,

The Lala service will be shut down on May 31st.

In appreciation of your support over the last five years, you will receive a credit in the amount of your Lala web song purchases for use on Apple’s iTunes Store. If you purchased and downloaded mp3 songs from Lala, those songs will continue to play as part of your local music library.

Remaining wallet balances and unredeemed gift cards will be converted to iTunes Store credit (or can be refunded upon request). Gift cards can be redeemed on Lala until May 31st.

Click here or visit Lala.com/support for more information, or to view Lala’s Terms of Service.

Thank you.

Lala

©2005-2010 la la media, inc. All rights reserved.

Well, we all enjoyed it while it was up and we are always looking for the next cool music site.  There will be sure to be another company fill their shoes soon. so you know of one or just want to tell us that the site wasn’t awesome, please leave your comments below.

John Moore

Their main purpose and aim is to stay and maintain an open and free internet without compromising much. All the rules that this commission follows are directed towards providing the freedom of expression by   conserving the right to connect to the internet freely and the right to be able to communicate freely through the internet.  The chairman of this commission Genachowski also maintained that a policy should be created in favor of innovation and investment. He also insisted upon the fact that the network providers have the full rights regarding management of their own networks.

The federal communication commission has given its view regarding the manner in which this commission should go about addressing specialized or managed services like enterprise business, telemedicine, business services, voice, video and other specialized and advanced applications, e-learning offerings and smart grid.  According to Genachowski the main core of problem lies in the fact that   considering all the different matters , the communication commission is constantly in the danger of making a lethal combination of erratic legal structure and the new everyday challenges that an internet which is open and free faces. The fact remains that if open and free internet ceases to exist because of inaction, the consequences of this action will be very big and on a vast scale. Therefore it was decided that the time was right to categorize which rules were reasonable and which were not. These rules had to be done depending on the nature of individual case and should not be generally applied.

Earth Day 2010 Is Here!

TechBloq is proud to wish you a happy earth day and wants to take a few minutes to learn more about this important annual environmental celebration.

If you are looking for a way to participate in this global initiative to make our future more secure, more sustainable and more green by giving, doing or helping; take a look at some of the great ways we have listed below to go green in your own town, home or school.  TechBloq realized how fragile our environment is and hopes that all of our readers take a chance to make the world a better place for all of us to live.

If you have any green ideas, earth day resources or just want to stop by and tell us how you are celebrating earth day in your neck of the woods, please feel free to drop us a line and leave your comments at the bottom of this page…

Earth Day is more than just another day of the year to us, it is chance a new, brighter beginning for our earth!

So lets get started by learning about how earth day came about, then we will get into some ways you can help the environment and celebrate earth day the green way!

Where Did Earth Day Come From?

Many people love to celebrate earth day and it has become a huge event for schools, workplaces and many environmental groups in todays society.  However, very few know what actually started the “Earth Day” movement almost 40 years ago.

Durring the 60′s there was a lot of change happening in the United States and much controversy over many of the common practices of the big businesses of the time. Many of the protests that took place in the 60′s had a very strong environmental overtone and this was simply pushed off by many as “tree hugger” rubbish or hippie propaganda.  Although there truly was merit to the claims and many of the issues would not be brought to light until many years later.  Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring which was published in 1962 was a changing point for many political enthusiasts and brought many of the environmental concerns to light for the masses.

In 1969 there was a huge oil spill right outside of Santa Barbara, California.  This oil spill received a huge media frenzy and showed sea lions and other local wildlife covered in oil and struggling for life.  The images and stories form this tragedy really struck home for many Americans.  Especially for a senator named Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. He had heard of student bodies putting together teach-ins for various causes and thought that an ecological teach-in may be the answer to stop future incidents like this from happening and teach the youth of America the importance of environment.

The small grass roots campaign that he started turned into a National and then Worldwide phenomenon we now call Earth Day.  On April 22, 1970 the first Earth Day event would take place across the country and over 20 million Americans would participate in one way or another.  Larger than any Vietnam protest this would really have an impact on the country and the world.  Today the celebration, learning events, and recognition of environmental efforts continue on this day every year!

What Can I Do To Get Involved With Earth Day?

There are so many things that a person can do to help the environment today.  You could simply teach another about the importance of our environment, you can plant a tree, you can take part in your local community events, you can donate to the causes and groups that continue to help keep our environment clean, you can recycle something or simply not make waste today.  These are just a few ideas that can help you enjoy the Earth Day celebration.  Many communities have city wide events that you can enjoy and participate in and help the green fund raising events like these.

No matter how you get involved, it is important that you do.  After all we are the only ones who can help protect mother earth and without you, me and all of us together our earth has no way to protect itself.  You are the protector of your environment, so maybe it is time you step up and give back to the planet that has done so much for you!

New Technology To Bring New Tablet PC Experience In 2010

These tablets are rumored to have technology which is so advanced that it can rival apple in its user experience, business functionality and innovation.  It has been said that these Android based   tablets have features like ordering magazines, books and other materials.

Although Apple undoubtedly is the best in the world of gadgets these days but Google is also not a non entity or a beginner in the world of gadgets. Rumors are that Google has created an iPhone killer to rival the Apple iPhone.  Also the new  Google gadget which is rumored to  rival  apples   I pad  will have a lot of features  to enable multi player gaming and have all the features of the  game center.

Top 10 Tablet PC’s Of 2010 Photo Gallery

So Which Company Will Win The Tablet Wars In 2010?

Being the rulers of the tech world Google and apple undoubtedly have a lot of qualities in common which  make them standout like  the  ability of thinking out of the box  and being very innovative as well as being able to change dreams into realities and making iconoclastic changes. Apart from Google even HP has joined the race to produce a gadget to rival the iPad. There are rumors that HP is making efforts towards creating a mini version of the ‘to be released’   android operating system based tablet PC of Slate.

These recent developments in the world of gadgets have a lot of new features like a touch screen interface and the non existence of keyboard and the tablet s come in a large variety of shapes and sizes. They contain features which are distributed in various gadgets like notebooks, e readers and Smart phone’s. Among the top ten PC tablets   are the HP Multi touch tablet which works on windows 7, the Dell Streak Android tablet, the Dell Concept Tablet which also works on Android OS, Lenovo idea pad  tablet which works on windows 7 etc.

nVidia ComPal Tablet – High Res, Full Screen Flash Videos!

This is just one of the many that are coming out very soon and are being shown off at all the tech conferences worldwide this year.  So take a look as Engadget catches NVidia representative with their new “ComPal” device.  Watch the video below and get a sneak peek as to what this video card mogul, may be bringing to the table.