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Latest by Mike Flacy

cox-installer

Cox testing $35-a-month TV, cloud DVR package aimed at cord cutters

Looking for a way to win back consumers that are ditching traditional television service for streaming video, Cox's FlareWatch Internet TV package is packed with channels and easy on the wallet.
netflix-max-rating-game

Netflix gamifies content recommendations on the PS3 with “Max”

Looking for a new way to encourage more Netflix Instant users to use ratings tools, Netflix is launching a voice assistant called Max on the PlayStation 3 which is tied into a batch of mini-games.
keyme

KeyMe stores a copy of your house key in the cloud, prints at kiosks

Definitely a great idea for anyone that's extremely forgetful with their home or office keys, the KeyMe kiosk will save a digital scan of your key and print off a new copy if you lose your original.
peloton-bike

Peloton Bike brings exercise classes into the home with Android tablet

Ideal for anyone that hates to make the trek to the gym, but loves to participate in classes at the gym, the Peloton Bike may provide the extra motivation you need to get in shape without having to leave your home.
jackery-air

Jackery Air offers slim design, will charge a smartphone two to four times

Ideal for anyone that needs a significant amount of battery power for mobile devices, the Jackery Air offers an extremely slim design in addition to significant recharging capabilities.
Chelsea-Chaney

Teen sues school for $2 million over misuse of Facebook bikini photo

Clearly not the smartest way to teach parents and students about responsibility on the Internet, one school district is in hot water after using a student's Facebook photo without her permission.
game of thrones retains the crown for most pirated show 2013 season 3 wallpaper rob

Game of Thrones retains the crown for most pirated show of 2013

Continuing to be an extremely popular show within the torrenting community, HBO's Game of Thrones racked up more than five million illegal downloads per episode during the most recent season.

Withings launches Pulse fitness gadget to compete with Fitbit, Nike

Entering an already crowded market for fitness gadgets that track user activity during the day, Withings is hoping that consumers will want to check their heart rate with the Withings Pulse.
nokia-zombie

New Nokia ad depicts iPhone users as pale, red-eyed, freakish zombies

Looking for a way to differentiate the Nokia Lumia 925 from the rest of the smartphones in the mobile space, Nokia has produced a creative ad poking fun at Apple users and promoting a feature of the Lumia lineup.
virgin mobile users get access to the iphone 5 next week review main

Virgin Mobile users get access to the iPhone 5 next week

Potentially good news for anyone looking for the iPhone 5 without having to sign a service contract, Virgin Mobile plans to start carrying the Apple smartphone starting late next week.
dietbet

DietBet encourages weight loss through betting on yourself

Ideal for anyone that needs extra motivation to get off the couch and hit the gym, DietBet allows users to put some money on their progress and compete for the entire pot by hitting a specific weight loss goal.
ivee Sleek

Siri for the smart home, meet the ivee Sleek Wi-Fi voice assistant

Attempting to transition consumers away from controlling smart devices with their smartphone or tablet, the ivee Sleek offers voice control for smart home functions like changing the temperature.
purdue-university

Purdue students arrested in key logging scam to change grades

Faking their way through tough engineering and aeronautics programs at Purdue University, a group of students thought it would be a brilliant idea to use keyloggers steal their professor's password in order to alter grades.
small-airplane

OpenAirplane makes it easy for pilots to rent a small airplane

Designed to simplify the process of renting a small aircraft at a local airport, OpenAirplane cuts through the red tape and gets pilots up in the air quicker with a service that's similar to Zipcar or Airbnb.
CASSINA-MyWorld_Philippe-Starck-2

Philippe Starck MyWorld sofa offers USB, wireless charging

Ideal for a connected household that's always in need of a convenient place to charge their mobile devices, the MyWorld sofa includes a bevy of options for keeping your battery power full.

Google’s Project Loon brings Internet access to remote areas with giant balloons

Looking for an inventive way to bring Internet access to people all around the world, Google's Project Loon uses balloons floating in the stratosphere to bring Web access to remote, rural regions.
electronic-license-plate

South Carolina considering license plates with electronic displays

Looking for a way to quickly identify drivers that aren't playing by the rules, a company in South Carolina is proposing an electronic license plate that can be controlled by the DMV.
Goji Smart Lock

Goji Smart Lock captures pictures of visitors at the front door

Adding an extra element of security to the relatively new concept of the smart lock, the Goji Smart Lock captures images of anyone at the front door that's attempting to interact with the lock.

Goodbye 3D programming, ESPN 3D shutting down by end of the year

As 3D adoption continues to limp along among U.S. consumers, ESPN has made a decision to stop producing 3D programming and get rid of the ESPN 3D channel in order to free up resources for Ultra HD.

Comcast X2 set-top box moves all your DVR shows into the cloud

Useful for anyone that's currently in a test market for the Comcast X1 entertainment platform, the company will be launching the X2 platform complete with cloud-based recording for DVR content.
netflix-user-profile-select

Netflix to add user profiles to streaming accounts by late summer 2013

Definitely ideal for customizing content recommendations among multiple people that share a single Netflix Instant account, the streaming video company plans to launch user profiles in the coming months.

NHL coach gets fired during a Skype chat

Definitely a crappy way to find out that you've just been fired, professional hockey coach Ralph Krueger got canned after connecting on a Skype call with the team's general management.
solepower

SolePower turns walking energy into battery power for your smartphone

Designed to help charge your mobile devices like smartphones and tablets without plugging them into an electrical outlet, the SolePower can charge up a battery pack by simply walking.
Facebook Login Close-up

Prosecutor posts as accused killer’s fake girlfriend on Facebook, gets fired

Definitely a tactic that should have been left up to the lead detective on the case, an Ohio prosecutor recently lost his job after attempting to manipulate alibi testimony using Facebook.

Comcast exec thinks there’s little demand for Google Fiber level speed

Probably hoping that Google Fiber doesn't branch out into major markets any time soon, a Comcast executive simply doesn't believe Americans are ready to make the jump to gigabit services.
bose-soundlink-mini

Bose announces a Jambox competitor, the SoundLink Mini

Jumping headfirst into the extremely competitive mobile speaker market, Bose is launching a smaller version of the original SoundLink called the SoundLink Mini; complete with Bluetooth connectivity.

WiSee uses your Wi-Fi network to track movement like the Xbox Kinect

Creating a potential future for home automation that doesn't require a single remote or smartphone controller app, WiSee measures signal variation to interpret specific gestures using a home's wireless network.
likebook

Likebook takes your Facebook Timeline and turns it into a real book

Providing a way to transfer a large chunk of your digital life to paper, Likebook is a service that takes nearly everything posted about you on Facebook and prints it out in a full-color book.

Domino’s Pizza is testing pizza-delivering drones

Testing the potential of delivering pizzas without having to hire a single delivery driver, Domino's Pizza hired a firm to create a drone that transports a fresh pie to the doorstep of a customer.
couple neglect imprison children to play world of warcraft all day lester louis huffmire

Couple neglect, imprison children to play World of Warcraft all day

Definitely a deplorable situation, a California couple put their World of Warcraft addiction ahead of the well-being of two young children in their care and now face up to seven years in prison if convicted of child abuse.
qpid-me-site

L.A. schools and Qpid.me partner to encourage students to check STD status

Attempting to provide a high tech way for teenagers to receive and privately share their latest STD test with a potential partner, Qpid.me and Los Angeles schools have joined forces to promote education on sexual health.

The Mutator aims to silence the iPhone, once and for all

Definitely ideal for situations where you absolutely don't want your smartphone to make a peep, the Mutator plugs into the headphone jack on your iOS device and makes sure it stays quiet.
money

Feds shut down online payment network on money laundering charges

Striking a blow to the way criminals digitally launder money online, federal authorities took steps to close online payment network Liberty Reserve on a few charges of money laundering.
embrace-wristband

EMBRACE+, the wristband that glows when you get texts, notifications

Perhaps ideal for anyone that's constantly checking their phone at home or work, the EMBRACE+ wristband uses glowing colors to indicate what type of notification was just pushed to your smartphone.