Whatever the counterculture trend is now, Le Car or Cadillac, I've decided that bigger is better. I don't mind the Zune's heft, and I'm wishing I'd bought the 17-inch Macbook instead of the 15.
So, I'm very happy to find this classic moto styled brick phone with a GSM SIM slot inside. And the china-import even has MP3 ringtone support, a speakerphone, SMS, a color screen, and other modern niceties. It is 3/4 of a pound, and nearly 8 by 2 by 3 inches in size, though. At $170, it's a steal, when you think about it per pound. One wish -- I'd like a shoulder strap, and a chiropractor on speed dial number 1.
Stat smather, post jump.
* GSM Network GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900 * CSTN, 65K colors LCD Display * 128 x 160 pixels, 29 x 35 mm Display Size * Speaker phone * Screensavers * Wallpapers * Polyphonic (32 channels), MP3 ringtones * 500 Phonebook entries * Call records: 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls * SMS Mes...

Filed under: Features, Misc. Gadgets

Sure, Washington had his dentures, Lincoln his ironclads and Jefferson his swivel chair, but what kind of kit would they be messing around with in 2007? In search of answers based on broad and most likely mis-guided and / or offensive stereotypes, we bring you the following list. Feel free to rip it to shreds in the comments, just make sure to keep it patriotic -- Big Brother is watching. Happy Presidents Day!#vistachart { border: 2px solid #333; border-collapse: collapse; } #vistachart td { padding: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc; vertical-align: top; margin: 0; line-height: 1.3em; } #vistachart th { font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 4px; background: #eee; } #vistachart th.mainth { border-bottom: 1px solid #333; font-size: 1.2em; } #vistachart td.red { background-color: #f08c85; } #vistachart td.green { background-color: #b3e2c4;


Washington
(rebel)Lincoln
(uniter)Jeff...

The Onion's satire piece on the development of iPhone 2.0, due out only months after the first rev, is only too close to the truth."When the second-generation iPhone comes out this fall, we want iPhone users to feel not just jealous, but downright foolish for owning such laughably primitive technology." Jobs also hinted that the second iPhone device would not be compatible with existing Mac computers, third-party peripherals, or any future Apple products.The lack of backwards compatibility thing? Hmm. Sounds more like a Zune/Plays for Sure kind of move. Also noteworthy, is The Onion's Palm sponsorship (see image above).–Brian Lam
Apple Hard at Work Making iPhone 2 [Thanks Kevin M.]

The lucky folks at Zune Scene have gotten their hands on what could possibly be the best-looking Zune accessory out there, the VAF Octavio 1. The Octavio 1 is basically a stereo dock for your Zune, much like the Hi-Fi is for your iPod. The difference here is style. The Octavio 1 is oozing with it. The 52-pound dock comes wrapped in leather and can be connected to your Zune or even your Xbox 360. Audio-wise, the folks at Zune Scene think it's worth the $499 splurge delivering "full room" sound. They even connected it to their 360 and though it may not blow away your current speaker set up, it is far better than the built-in speakers that come with most flat-panels. I'd have to agree, based on looks and initial reports, if I had a Zune, I'd be saving up for this bad boy. – Louis Ramirez
Zune Octavio VAF [Zune Scene]

Is it just our machine, or does the Zune software use a hell of a lot more CPU on Windows Vista than iTunes? They were pretty equal back on Windows XP SP2. Readers?
p.s. Here's a cat on a laptop courtesy Cute Overload – Jason Chen
Zune [Gizmodo]

Filed under: Features, Portable Audio
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:
Searching for nearby Zunes... None found.
Searching for nearby Zunes... None found.
Searching for nearby Zunes... "Lola" found.
Sending "Hello" by Lionel Richie
Receiving "Hi There" by Killdozer

Sending "Do You Come Here Often?" by The Tornados Ridin' the Wind

Receiving "I Get Around" by The Beach Boys
Sending "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns 'N' Roses
Sending "What Brings You Here?" by Sandra Knight
Continue reading Switched On: Radar love
 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

  One of the biggest issues regarding digital music right now is DRM. Recently, we have seen that the industry is strongly reacting to Steve Jobs open letter concerning DRM. EMI Group is thinking about making all their digital tracks DRM-free. But what would the loss of DRM mean for Zune. We will discuss the pros and [...]

Video: Zune Remote controls an Xbox 360 Nothing spectacular, but Cesar from Zune Insider found out that the little remote that comes with the Zune AV pack works on the Xbox 360 if you enable inputs from other remotes. Don't believe us? Check out the video. Nothing breathtaking, but it saves you from having to buy a separate remote if you've already got a Zune with an A/V Pack. Jebus knows we've got enough remotes already. – Jason Chen
Use Your Zune Wireless Remote to Control Your Xbox 360 [Zune Insider]

What do you get when you combine three execs from companies that didn't quite make as huge a dent on the portable media player industry as Apple? A company called Broadband Instruments with plans to release some sort of ultimate music player that's based on an "internet radio ecosystem".
What's supposedly special about this is its wireless connectivity (like the Zune), online radio station integration (presumably streamed over Wi-Fi), socialization (again, Zune, or perhaps Pandora-like services), and music recommendation.
What's also interesting is that they say "traditional" USB connections will "play a minor role in getting content to your device." We wonder which one of those three gets stuck being heart. – Jason Chen
Music Vets Prep Next-Gen Player [Wired]

Although it seemed like Microsoft was abandoning the PlaysForSure platform when they made Zune use its own proprietary WMA DRM, they've just announced a new DRM called PlayReady that brings PlaysForSure to mobiles. PlayReady, designed for cellphones and smartphones, will be provided to network providers like Verizon and Cingular/AT&T in order to support Windows Media DRM 10 and PFS files that you purchase from online music stores.
We don't know yet whether PlayReady will support Zune's DRM or not—it'd be weird if it didn't—but PlayReady will be demoed at 3GSM this week. Stay tuned for more details. – Jason Chen
Microsoft launches PlayReady interoperable DRM platform for mobile devices [Ars Technica]