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Barbie's First iPod
One man's idea of hell is another 10 year old girl's idea of heaven: in this case the difference of opinion is a Barbie iPod dock / FM radio / alarm clock so pink we could puke.
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Limited-edition Wisin & Yandel Zune
Wisin & Yandel, the reggaeton duo with an uncanny knack for delivering hit singles, will become the first act to get its own customized Zune player, Billboard has learned.
The limited-edition Wisin & Yandel Zune device will hit Wal-Mart stores nationwide October 29, before the release of the duo's new album, "Los Extraterrestres," November 6.
Featuring the new album, videos, exclusive pictures and customized packaging, the MP3 player is but one aspect of a multiplatform Microsoft promotion that targets a new Latin consumer at the same time it promotes a hip Latin act.
Wisin & Yandel are Juan Luis Morera Luna (Wisin) and Llandel Veguilla Malave. Their breakthrough album, 2005's "Pa'l Mundo" (Machete), has sold nearly 600,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and more than 1 million worldwide, according to their label. In the digital realm, they've sold more than 1 million mobile and digital tracks combined, according to SoundScan, and are Machete's top-selling digital act.
In 2006, the duo became the first act to place four singles in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot shoes Latin Songs chart.
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Skype to sell first cell phone through 3
EBay Inc's (EBAY.O) Skype is expected to announce a deal soon with wireless service provider 3 to sell the Internet telephony company's first mobile phone, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Skype plans to introduce the phone in the countries where 3 operates, the source said, without giving a timeframe or saying where the phone would be sold first.
3 is the mobile venture of Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa Ltd (0013.HK) and operates in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Austria, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Sweden and United Kingdom.
Skype spokesman Chaim Haas confirmed that 3 and Skype "are working together on a new product to make Skype completely mobile," but declined to give full details.
Skype is expected to reveal its plans in the last week of October, the source said.
Gadget Guide
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UM150 USB Modem From Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, today announced the immediate availability of the UM150 USB wireless modem through business sales channels and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The UM150 USB modem will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, on November 2.
The UM150 USB modem is designed to work with any computing device equipped with a Type A USB port -- including most desktops, notebooks, and tablet PCs -- and provides on-the-go access to BroadbandAccess, which runs on Verizon Wireless' national high-speed wireless broadband network. With out-of-box support for most operating systems, including Windows(R) (Vista, XP, 2000), Mac(R) and OS X 10.3.9 or higher, the UM150 USB modem enables Verizon Wireless customers to stay connected to online resources with speeds and performance similar to those of traditional cable or DSL connections.
The UM150 USB modem is optimized for Verizon Wireless' Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revolution A (Rev. A) network and the company's BroadbandAccess service, which provides average download speeds of 600 kilobits per second (kbps) to 1.4 megabits and average upload speeds of 500- 800 kbps. Verizon Wireless customers in Rev. A coverage areas using the UM150 USB modem can download a 1 Megabyte e-mail attachment -- the equivalent of a small PowerPoint(R) presentation or a large PDF file -- in about eight seconds and upload the same-sized file in less than 13 seconds.
Designed to be as durable as it is small, the UM150 USB modem combines a variety of innovative features into its tiny form factor, including a high- performance, retractable antenna and a Y-shaped extension cable for added performance and convenience. In addition, the UM150 serves as a mass storage device with its built-in microSD(TM) memory slot which has a minimum capacity of 4 GB. VZAccess Manager Software is included to simplify set-up and navigation through the UM150's features.
