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Latest by Mike Flacy

att-corporate

AT&T hits mobile customers with new fee, rakes in half a billion a year

Sneakily adding a way to collect more revenue from subscribers without changing contract terms, AT&T has added a new administrative fee that will help the company collect hundreds of millions per year.
scanadu-scout

Scanadu Scout makes Star Trek’s medical tricorder a reality

Effectively putting a variety of hospital machines in the palm of your hand, the Scanadu Scout is a medical gadget that allows users to track their vitals and record that data on their smartphone.
Rocky playing with Petcube

Petcube allows you to play with your pets while at work

Ideal for any pet owner that has to spend a significant chunk of time away from home, the Petcube uses a video feed and laser pointer to help keep your cat or dog entertained during the day.
helios-bars

Helios Bars add GPS tracking, turn-by-turn navigation to your bike

Definitely useful for anyone that rides in heavy urban areas with a large amount of traffic, the Helios Bars provide cyclists with a built-in headlight, turning blinkers, GPS tracking and turn-by-turn navigation,

Burglary suspects butt-dial 911, record themselves commiting crime

Definitely one of the quickest ways to get arrested, accidentally butt-dialing 911 emergency services and recording a crime from start to finish landed two California men in jail last week.

PhoneSuit Flex keeps your iPhone 5 charged, fits in your pocket

Definitely ideal if you are constantly fighting a losing battle with the iPhone 5 battery life, the PhoneSuit Flex Pocket Charger will more than double your battery life for the day.
xistera-led-light-lens

XiStera packs eight iPhone functions into one handy tool

Very similar to a Leatherman tool or Swiss Army knife, the XiStera is a multi-purpose tool for the iPhone 5 that provides an extended level of functionality for photographers and general users.

Kwikset Kevo unlocks the front door with a single touch

Using technology to develop a more convenient way of entering your home, the Kwikset Kevo is a new type of lock that communicates with an iPhone using a proximity sensor in order to unlock the front door.

Texas woman turns to WebMD instead of 911 after son is shot

Definitely a terrible reaction to something as serious as a gunshot wound, a Santa Fe woman opted for WebMD over emergency services after her son was shot by a handgun in their home.
Microsoft and Xbox 360

Media Streamer Showdown: PlayStation 3 versus Xbox 360

Interested in adding a gaming console as a dedicated media streaming device in your home theater? Check out our breakdown of the PlayStation 3 versus the Xbox 360 for streaming video off services like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video.

ABC to start streaming live programming to mobile devices this week

Definitely a move to combat the potential popularity of start-up Aereo, ABC announced a new application that will stream live television to both Web and mobile users. However, it's limited to premium TV subscribers.

Spotify closes Chrome exploit to stop MP3 downloads using Downloadify

Swiftly moving to prevent users from downloading a ton of free music, the music subscription company recently patched the Spotify Web player to kill the functionality of the short-lived Downloadify Chrome extension.

Huggies TweetPee sends you a tweet when the baby pees

Have you always wanted to strap an always-connected device to your baby? Enter the Huggies TweetPee, a small humidity sensor that attached to the front of a diaper to alert the parents when the baby needs a change.

TiVo to pull free Desktop PC software in early June

Definitely something for TiVo owners to jump on before June 2013 rolls around, the free version of TiVo Desktop for PC will be discontinued in favor of the premium version of the software.
dominos-pizza-live

Domino’s Live lets you watch streaming video of your pizza being made

Potentially a feature that could be integrated into online ordering in the future, a new site called Domino's Live allows anyone on the Web to watch pizza being made at a Domino's Pizza location.
amazon box

Internet sales tax bill passes Senate, headed to the House

Potentially bad news to anyone that likes to shop online and skip out on paying sales tax, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that will allow states to roll out an Internet sales tax for many online retailers.
beer-drone

Beer drone using GPS will deliver frosty brew at music festival

Definitely an awesome way to order a beer while listening to your favorite band on stage, the OppiKoppi Beer Drone will send a cold one floating down from above to your GPS location.
barman

The Barman helps you create the perfect cocktail

Definitely ideal for anyone that consistently creates mixed drinks that taste absolutely terrible, the Barman provides an easy to follow, step-by-step process for making drinks with the help of some advanced technology.

Nest thermostat updated to beat the summer heat

Focusing on new software updates rather than rolling out new hardware, Nest has launched an automatic update that adjusts the thermostat accordingly when detecting direct sunlight.

NCAA bans Twitter hashtags from being displayed on the football field

Definitely making the job of social media marketing tougher for college athletic departments, the Twitter hashtag has been banned from the football field according to a new NCAA ruling.

Netflix will lose roughly 1,800 titles tomorrow

Unfortunate for any Netflix Instant subscriber that enjoys classic movies, the streaming video company will lose a large collection of titles tomorrow due to the end of a licensing deal.
fitbark-device-home-base

FitBark helps dog owners keep track of their pet’s activity

Designed to help dog owners keep an eye on their pet throughout the day, the FitBark records and relays information regarding a dog's activity levels to the owner's smartphone through a mobile app.
budweiser-buddy-cup

Toast with someone using the Buddy Cup to become Facebook friends

Designed for people socializing at an event that want to share their social media profile, the Budweiser Buddy Cup allows two people to become Facebook friends by simply clinking their glasses.

New York Times announces discounted digital subscription plan

Ideal for Web users that want a cheaper way to access the New York Times, management at the popular newspaper will be launching a digital subscription plan at $10 or less per month.

Scan these smart pajamas to launch a bedtime story for the kids

Possibly ideal for overburdened parents with several children, this set of smart pajamas interacts with mobile devices like smartphone and tablets in order to launch bedtime stories within a custom application.
virgin-america-seat-flirting

Virgin America encourages passenger flirting with seat-to-seat texting

With the potential to go extremely well or become incredibly creepy for passengers, Virgin America has rolled out a new service that offers the ability to send text messages and gifts to other passengers on the plane.
numi_integrated_toilet

Kohler’s new $6,600 toilet features Bluetooth … ahem … streaming

Combining a ridiculous price tag with an opulent amount of advanced technology, the Kohler Numi toilet received a few new upgrades that offer greater appeal to the mobile generation.
med-vault

Med Vault prescription drug bottle limits drug use electronically

Designed to help regulate the use of addictive prescription medication like painkillers, the electronic Med Vault pill bottle limits the number of pills available to a consumer during the day.
alpha-house

Amazon launches 14 pilots to gauge interest in series development

Skipping the traditional Hollywood executive review in favor of a mass audience opinion, Amazon is reaching out to viewers on the Web to review and rate a multitude of new pilots for Amazon Instant Video.

Juror gets sent to jail by judge for texting during a trial

Likely a case of someone believing the rules simply don't apply to them, a young jury member in Oregon received an important lesson on why you should listen to the judge during a trial.

Volkswagen iBeetle offers built-in iPhone dock, custom app

Designed to take advantage of the massive popularity of Apple's iPhone 5, the Volkswagen iBeetle offers a variety of custom options that will appeal to anyone obsessed with Apple products.

Google rolls out Google+ comments within the Blogger community

In order to continue pushing out social sharing into more Google products, the team working on Google+ has incorporated the Google+ social commenting system into the Google Blogger interface.

HAPIfork tracks your eating habits, encourages healthier eating

Designed to slow down the eating process and help you feel better after each meal, the HAPIfork is a new type of smart utensil that provides a detailed snapshot of your eating habits.

American Airlines computer glitch grounds hundreds of flights today

Definitely a terrible day to be traveling on American Airlines, a software issue cut off access to the reservations system and forced the company to ground all flights for several hours earlier today.