Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

RIM has just announced that the recently released MySpace app for the BlackBerry has been a record breaking success.  The app was originally made available just one week ago on November 13, and since then it has seen more than 400,000 downloads.

According to Jim Balsillie, Co-Chief Executive Officer at Research In Motion;

“This rapid adoption is a reflection of an evolving consumer lifestyle where social connectivity and information access are more important than ever.”

And how true that statement is, it seems that those 400,000 downloads allowed users to send and receive more than 15 million messages and also update their mood and status a whopping two million times.  I guess despite the previous availability of a Facebook app, there were still plenty of users itching to get on MySpace.

Read [Business Wire]

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Sections: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Websites

This story has all the makings of a tragic soap: a vulnerable love sick teenager, a sick vengeful adult and death.  Unfortunately this story is not confined to the pages of a book, but is a reality that took place in October 2006 and resulted in Megan Meier, aged 13 at the time, taking her own life.  But why did she do it?  What had happened before?  Who caused it?  And what does this have to do with technology?

It all started when Megan fell out with the daughter of her neighbor Ms Drew in St Louis, prompting Ms Drew to take it upon herself to spite Megan.  She did this by creating a fictitious 16 year old boy, Josh Evans, who lived in the local area which she did by creating a fake MySpace account.  This was then used to contact the unassuming Megan, and create a friendship, although the implication is that Megan believed it to be more serious than that.  Contined . . .

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Sections: Web, Websites

Microsoft just announced that they are giving Windows Live a major face lift.  They plan to debut a whole bunch of new beta Windows Live features to help users combine all parts of their online life.  These features are not going to just be Microsoft services either.  But they will all be under the Windows Live umbrella page.

Even though they already hold the title of the most used messenger program; they obviously want to reach even farther into the online cookie jar.  Microsoft wants to offer competition with the popular social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.  Whether or not they can actually provide any kind of competition coming into the game this much later remains to be seen.  What’s Microsoft’s plan?  Keep reading.

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Sections: Computers, Desktops, Software / Applications, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites

Classmates.com is one of the biggest advertisers on the ‘net.  It’s been around since before MySpace, Facebook, or Friendster grew to the popularity they have now.  They spend wicked amounts of money on their online advertising; $30 million was spent in 2005 to give you an idea.  However, now they just may have to answer for some of their “lure the customer in” tactics.

Anthony Michaels had been a free member of the Classmates.com site since last year.  Then, Classmates.com informed Michaels that his old school pals were trying to contact him.  He got that familiar to many message “Your former classmates are trying to contact you! Upgrade now to see their messages!“ sent to him from Classmates.com.  So, curious as to whether it was an old grade school buddy or that girl he was always secretly smitten by, Michaels did what many others are suckered into doing with that message. 

Keep reading to find out what could happen to Classmates.com.

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Sections: Web, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites

In news straight out of 2006, BlackBerry and MySpace have finally gotten together and jumped on the app train.  Seems straight laced corporate types have been clamoring for a way to keep tabs on their social networking bit for years and finally it is happening.  BlackBerry already has a FaceBook app.

The new MySpace application will do what you’d expect it would:

• Send and receive MySpace mail
• Update your Status and Mood
• View and send Bulletins
• Add comments
• Post your photos
• And much more

I don’t know about you, but “and much more” bugs the heck out of me and BlackBerry doesn’t go on to discuss the much more bit.  Of note, the application requires your device to have 64MB of on-board memory and 100KB free.

The timing suggests this move is all about adding features that the young folks buying the BlackBerry flip phone want.  As the lower priced flip phone trends into younger users, BlackBerry wants to make sure it is hip with the young ones. 

App page: [BlackBerry ] and [MySpace]

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Sections: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Websites

Looking for something to set you apart on MySpace?  Need a funky-fresh, dressed to impress photo?  Head on over to Pixisnap and use there free service to create your very own mosaics and Polaroid images.  The site is just a web application so there is no downloading.  Getting images to look cool is super easy.

This morning, I created the image above.  The site does not make users sign up, so it took all of two minutes for me to be in and out.  Simply upload a photo, choose the design (you can pick from several choices on the Polaroids, each choice adding more glimpses of the photo), then pick a background and decide where you want the image to go.  The site interfaces with MySpace so you can send it right there.

As a quick, easy to use photo generator, this site is great.  It does all that it says and does so well.  I am pretty sure a cat could get this site to work, it is just that easy.  The site is in beta, but worked without a hitch in my trial.

Head over and try it out: [pixisnap]

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Sections: Imaging, Web, Web Apps, Websites

Look out Apple, there could be a company in town with a player to kill the iPod.  In all seriousness, MySpace might enter the MP3 player department, a place where Apple’s iPod has dominated for quite a while now. 

At the Web 2.0 Summit meeting on Thursday, MySpace co-founder and Chief Executive, Chris DeWolfe, shed some light on the fact that MySpace could develop a music player, but nothing is set in stone. 

MySpace has used music a lot to make their site bigger and bigger.  Many small (and large) bands use MySpace as a way to share their music.  They even launched a new service, called MySpace Music, which works with popular music labels including Sony BMG Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group.  More after the break.

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Sections: Apple, Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video, Web, Downloads, Websites, Online Music/Video

It was a feature that Blackberry users have been longing to have on their handsets.  Finally the wait is over as video web streaming service Qik has just released the alpha version of its mobile video streaming client for Blackberry devices.

The new Qik mobile video streaming app will let you live stream your video from your mobile phone to Qik.com and major social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace as well your personal blogs.  Download the application from http://qik.com/dl/165.  After installing the app on your Blackberry device, you can start streaming live videos by simply pressing the Stream button that will appear when you fire up the application on your Blackberry device.

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Sections: Video, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Online Music/Video

HP and MySpace just announced that they’ve teamed up and the partnership will now be providing the ability to print on all user profiles on MySpace.  Now, true, you could do this yourself before by going through steps of your own and saving things yourself and sending them to alternate programs to then print.  But now, it’s just oh so much more simple.

Beginning in November, MySpace users will see a HP-branded button that says “Click to Print” all over the place, not just their photo album.  It will be in their blog, comments, even the mail sections. 

Plans are to extend this even further by selling personalized merchandise.  The merchandise will have users’ photos on it.  No details have been provided at this time as to exactly what kind of merchandise, but, expect the usual mugs, t-shirts, calendars, that sort of thing.

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Sections: Computers, Networking, Software / Applications, Imaging, Accessories, Peripherals, Displays, Printers / Scanners, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites, Online Music/Video

Here’s a quick question: would you give up beer before Wi-Fi?  According to a new study by the Wi-Fi Alliance, 48 percent of the 501 college students polled would.  That wasn’t the only question asked, though to some it can be interesting what college students prefer over beer.  Of the students polled, over half admitted to using MySpace, Facebook and/or email during class.  That’s not really all that surprising, a lot of college students flood computer labs during free time to check Facebook/MySpace, so why wouldn’t they during class if it’s available?

The main focus of the study, however, seems to be if Wi-Fi helps in college at all.  In the study, 79 percent of students “said that without Wi-Fi access, college would be a lot harder.“  Again, not surprising.  Later, it mentions students getting a head start on assignments on their laptops before class ends, or quickly researching some small detail in order to appear smarter.  Another not-so-surprising finding, but an important fact is that more incoming students and their parents are looking at technology when choosing colleges, with 60 percent saying that “widely available Wi-Fi on campus is an indication that a school cares about its students.“

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Sections: Communications, Email / IM, Computers, Laptops, Wireless, Web