Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Android is taking the books and the teachers out of music lessons.  The newest way to learn music – via your cell phone (as long as you have Android).

Among the first of many Android applications is SplashPlay Mobile Music Maker, an instrument learning and music sharing tool.  Wherever your phone goes, SplashPlay goes with you to learn, listen or share music anywhere.  Right now, guitar is the only instrument compatible with the software.  Continued after the break.

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Everybody else is doing it.  Microsoft is going to give a shot at it too.

In an effort to keep programmers loyal and customers happy, Microsoft has recognized the need to match their competitors’ moves toward cloud computing with Azure.  Gadgetell has a more in depth look on cloud computing here.  Making operating systems and programs remotely accessible means real changes for us.

Keep reading to see what some of them are.

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What is the strongest thing in the world?  The Boy Scouts know the answer.  The Internet.

Since putting their fundraising products on the Internet, the Boy Scouts have seen a 700% increase in sales.  Yes, I said 7.  700%!  Now that’s a great return on your investment.  Weaver Popcorn, the Boy Scouts’ supplier of popcorn changed their ecommerce provider to LaGarde and updated the Boy Scouts’ fundraising site. 

Find out how to order some for yourself after the break.

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Nikon users get in line.  Everyone’s about to get enlightened.  A new training video titled “A Hands-on Guide to Creative Lighting” is on its way for Nikonians of all experience levels.

Two very knowledgeable photographers lead the training: Bob Krist and Joe McNally.  Both have done work for National Geographic and have a close relationship with Nikon.  Both are multi-award winners, authors/photographers of best-selling photography books, and have shot for major magazines and companies.  Both men also teach seminars and workshops.  It is without question these men know their stuff.  Who better to learn from than masters of the craft?

Read on for more info on the DVD…

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Christmas is for the kids, right?  Better get them crossed off the shopping list first.  I checked out a few of the wish lists floating around and thought I would share them with you.  Wouldn’t you know, they are filled with electronics.  We have plenty of shopping days til the holidays.  That is, unless your kids want Elmo Live, which is already selling out.

What are your kids asking Santa for? Keep reading to see.

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Sunday, October 26, a lot of horse racing fans will be seeing the big picture very clearly.  For over a year, Churchill Downs has been preparing to broadcast in HD.  High-definition simulcasts are going to be broadcast at off site betting locations, other racetracks and various places onsite.

The 2008 Fall Meet goes from October 26 through November 29.  The Kentucky Derby, first telecast nationally on May 3, 1953, will be seen May 2, 2009 in high-definition!  Interested? 

Keep reading to find out why Keeneland Racecourse is part of this story…

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Microsoft’s Virtual Earth has partnered with DigitalGlobe to provide searchers with high-resolution mapping images.  Word of this came out only two weeks after DigitalGlobe announced the renewal of its agreement with Google as one of their main suppliers of imagery.  Google and DigitalGlobe have been working together since 2002.

Virtual Earth now has access to 460 million square kilometers of earth imagery with about 1 million square kilometers of images being collected from DigitalGlobe satellites daily.  This growth makes DigitalGlobe one of the world’s largest catalogs of images.  With how fast the world is altered with new developments, most of this new imagery goes to updating current maps.

Keep reading for lots more info and why I think Google is a pimp…

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Kodak has two new All-in-One (AiO) printers, the EasyShare 7 (“ESP7”) and the EasyShare 9 (“ESP9”).  The ESP7 and ESP9 showcase Kodak’s promise of the lowest ink replacement cost in the industry.  MSRP on black ink is $9.99 and color ink is $14.99.  Those prices are pretty reasonable.  Other goals for these printers are lab-quality prints and easy to use.

Keep reading for specs on each printer and a SALE!

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Satellite radio took a hit this past week as WorldSpace filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Only two weeks ago, both Chief Operating Officers resigned.

WorldSpace is a subscription-based service that broadcasts news, sports, music and educational programming to over 150,000 people.  They charge $5.00 - $10.00 per month for their plans and provide more than 100 channels.  WorldSpace offers the only satellite radio service outside the U.S. (except Japan and South Korea).  Sirius XM is the licensed provider of satellite radio here.  Judith Pryor, Senior Vice President of Worldspace, told me that they do not expect for the U.S. to ever be in their market.  With a reorganization and probable sale in its immediate future, it is uncertain who their audience will be.

Keep reading for the rest on Worldspace and how Sirius is in trouble too…

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Sit down in front of my computer and you will find upwards of five Internet windows each with at least eight tabs, all open to different sites.  Pages just don’t load fast enough for me.  The moment it takes a page to load, I feel like I need to be doing something else or it is time wasted.

I am going be in trouble when they make things even faster than the cable Internet I have now.  It is in the works to increase Ethernet speed from 10 Gigabit Ethernet (“GbE”) to 40GbE or 100GbE (or 80 GbE,120 or even 160 GbE as the actual number is undetermined at present).  From the way it looks, I have about two years to figure out what to do about that and come off my multi-window addiction.

How does this effect you?  Keep reading to find out.

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