This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.
Over the past year, Boost Mobile had a hugely successful ad campaign with their $50 monthly unlimited plan. Millions of savvy cell users flocked over to Boost where there are no long-term contracts and no hidden fees. It’s simply $50 bucks for unlimited calling, texting and web access with no additional fees and even tax is included. The hurdle that Boost was facing with all these additional customers was the strain put on the old Nextel iDEN network. The iDEN technology was never designed for multimedia and high speed internet access let alone the incredible demand from all the new customers wanting unlimited access. Well this month Boost unveiled a new line of phones utilizing Sprint’s CDMA network. Boost seems to realize the limitations of the iDEN network and is now offering an option for those users that want Boost’s unlimited plan WITH the power of Sprint’s 3G web access.
SANYO Incognito is one of the new phones available now through Boost. The Incognito™ SCP6760 features a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2MP camera, video/music capabilities, bluetooth and GPS. The phone is the perfect choice for those wanting to take advantage of the speed of the 3G network but not wanting to pay a premium for it. I’m glad to see Boost expanding their line of phones beyond those iDEN based Motorolas. I like the iDEN band for their ability to get their signal through thick office building walls better than other networks but I was never impressed by those cumbersome Motorola phones. With the new Sanyo Incognito™, you lose the iDEN signal advantage but you end up gaining a whole lot more with access to the 3G network.
The Boost version of the Incognito™ is priced at $129.99 which may seem more expensive than what it’s priced for with other providers but you have to remember that Boost doesn’t lock you into a two-year contract. And because there isn’t a contract, there isn’t much of a discount on the phones. But in my opinion, I’d rather pay for the phone upfront than get chained to a wireless phone company for two LONG years. Get smart and say so long to contract-based phone companies. Get Boost Unlimited today!
Boost Mobile Sanyo Incognito™ (SCP-6760) specs:
network: CDMA
main display: 320 x 240 pixels, 65536 colors, TFT
memory: microSD
size: 4.20 x 2.20 x 0.70 inches
other features: Full QWERTY keyboard
2MP camera with VGA camcorder and digital zoom
Multimedia (picture & video), text & instant messaging
Stereo Bluetooth(R) capable
GPS enabled
Speakerphone with voice-activated dialing
600-entry phone book
Alarm clock, calendar, calculator, to-do list and voice-memo recorder
Check out this new interview with guitarist Neal Schon from the recent Winter NAMM show in Anaheim. Schon talked briefly about his vision of the upcoming Journey record. I’m pleasantly surprised to hear that he’s not going for radio-friendly hits this time around. Apparently he and Jonathan Cain will be working on a “conceptual record” that’ll be more musically adventurous than their previous albums. awesome! I’m looking forward to it. According to Schon, the new album is scheduled for a 2011 release.
In the meantime, Schon is keen on doing some solo shows with his own band which includes his son Miles Schon, Marco Mendoza and Prairie Prince. Hopefully he’ll be doing some gigs near me sometime soon. stay tuned…
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Tony’s Pizza. All opinions are 100% mine.
I recently received some coupons from Tony’s Pizza for me to try their new Crispy Crust style frozen pizzas. Since pizzas and our household go together hand in hand, I had no problem going out to the local grocery store to seek these out. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these pizzas were priced around $1.50 at our supermarket but you have to take into account that these are “individual sizes” and not one of those super-sized pizzas. But even so, I thought it was a pretty good deal.
I brought home three varieties of the Crispy Crust style pizzas – the Supreme, Pepperoni and cheese. It took around 12 to 15 minutes to heat up in the oven and yes indeed the crust was crispy and not spongy like some other brands. My kids were the official taste testers on this occasion and the pepperoni was the unanimous pick of the three. They thought the supreme had “too many vegetables” on it and they felt the cheese was too plain. From what I tried, I thought the Supreme was the tastiest of the bunch but had to agree with them about the Cheese pizza being too bland.
Anyway, I have FIVE extra Tony’s Pizza coupons that I’d like to giveaway to one lucky RetroBlog reader. Each coupon is good for one free Tony’s Crispy Crust Brand Pizza. All you have to do is post a comment here to let me know you’re interested in the Tony’s Pizza drawing. You can get an EXTRA entry in the drawing by following me on Twitter but be sure to post here to let me know that you did so. I’ll gather all the entries and draw a winner at random on February 10th, 2010. And while you’re at it, why not enter for a chance to win a $500 Tech Prize Pack from Tony’s Pizza. The contest is currently being held on several different blogs. Here’s more info on the tech prize along with links to all the participating blogs. good luck!
Minnesota Night is a nice little snapshot of Eric Clapton’s tour in support of his 1986 album August which happened to be produced by his ol’ buddy Phil Collins. I’m not sure if Collins felt like he owed Clapton after the album got panned by critics at the time but in any case, Collins played with him for a number of shows during 1986 and 1987.
So what we have here is a fantastic sounding recording of the April 18th Minnesota show which featured a stripped down four piece unit that included Nathan East on bass and Greg Phillinganes on keyboards. It’s a stellar band and it’s also nice to hear Clapton as the sole guitarist in the group since he normally includes one or two extra guitarists in his touring band.
Even though I’m a huge fan of Phil Collins’ drumming, I have to say that his style is a bit too heavy-handed for some of the material featured here. Frankly, at various points in the show, his pounding backbeat overpowers the rest of the band and even ruins “Layla” by setting the tempo way too fast. But I’m a musician and I’m probably being overly critically about the playing captured here. In any case, this is a unique band lineup and I’m glad to have a nice sounding document from this tour.
retroGrade: B+
It’s definitely worth seeking out. In the meantime, here are a couple tracks from the boot.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.
I recently had a chat with a younger colleague of mine who has been house hunting for the last few weeks. He’s a first time home buyer and wants to take advantage of the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits that are being offered as part of stimulus package the Obama administration put into place last year. The deadline is fast approaching so my friend is scrambling to find just the right place. Apparently, as long as you have a contract by April 30th and close on the house by June 30th, it’ll qualify you for a tax credit of up to $8,000. It’s definitely a great time to buy especially with the low interest rates and the decline in home prices. According to news reports, the tax credit has successfully fueled a surge in existing home sales the last few months which is a good sign for our economy. I wasn’t aware of this but during our conversation, my colleague mentioned that there’s even a tax credit for existing homeowners seeking to “move up”. It applies to homeowners that have lived in their current home for 5 of the past 8 years and are in the process of purchasing another home. This particular tax credit can go up to $6,500 and the same deadlines apply as the first time home buyers tax credit. Income limits to qualify have increased to $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for married couples. I’ve been in my current house for approximately six years so I’d would qualify for the new tax credits except for the fact that I’m not ready to move on up to a bigger home just yet. There’s no indication that these incentives will be around next year so be sure to take advantage of them while you still can.
Nobody cared what we’d think, what we’d say, what we’d do… – Findlay Brown
Well, if they didn’t care about Findlay Brown before, I’m sure they care for him NOW! Brown’s recent U.S. release titled Love Will Find You is a superb sonic tribute to the classic pop sounds of the early 60′s. The new album is like unearthing a time capsule from that era and finding pop gems that hark back to the sounds of Phil Spector, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley.
From a songwriting point of view, it’s no easy feat to conjure up new and memorable melodies and catchy refrains within the confines of early 60′s pop chord structures. But somehow Brown has come up with ten terrific tunes that successfully capture the feel and mood of that long gone era without overstepping the line into cheesy parody.
At the helm of this project is producer Bernard Butler who is pretty much the “go-to” guy for getting vintage sounds (i.e. Duffy’s 2008 album “Rockferry”). Highlights on the album include the ultra-catchy “Love Will Find You” (complete with Phil Spector’s “Be My Baby” drumbeat), the Roy Orbison-ish “Everybody Needs Love” and the dramatic album closer, “I Had A Dream”.
TrackList: 1 Love Will Find You (Brown) 3:18
2 Nobody Cared (Brown) 3:56
3 All That I Have (Brown) 2:40
4 Everybody Needs Love (Brown) 4:33
5 That’s Right (Brown, Hinkley) 2:27
6 Teardrops Lost in the Rain (Brown) 3:23
7 Holding Back the Night (Brown) 4:19
8 If I Could Do It Again (Brown) 2:37
9 I Still Want You (Brown) 2:04
10 I Had a Dream (Brown) 5:34
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Eye-Fi. All opinions are 100% mine.
Like most people, I’ve amassed a number of digital cameras over the years. I still have an old Sony digicam that has been with me for what seems like forever. Even though it’s a bit outdated, it’s small and easy to carry around while on the go. And I also have a newer Kodak super zoom which takes great photos but is a bit bulkier and not as convenient to lug around everywhere. And then my 12 year old son has his own digital camera which he’s constantly using to capture candid photos of the family. He seems to have a knack for capturing the weirdest expressions on my face for some odd reason. go figure.
The obvious drawback of having so many cameras around the house is trying to keep track of all the different USB cables. As most of you know, camera manufacturers require specialized USB connectors for their own brand of cameras. So unfortunately you can’t just use a “universal” USB cable for all the different devices. Why can’t these companies keep things simple and agree to a standard USB connector? I don’t know the reason behind all the different connectors but what I DO know is that I always end up misplacing these cables at some point.
Having to keep around all these tangly cables just to upload photos to the computer is a big hassle. And like most folks, I tend to put off inconvenient tasks like this and I eventually end up with a massive amount of photos stored on a SD card that I have to sort through and organize which compounds the whole ordeal even more.
That’s why I love the new Eye-Fi wireless SD card. It works just like a normal SD card that you’d place in a camera but it also features built-in Wi-Fi capabilities that allows for it to automatically upload photos off the card and onto your computer. Once you configure the settings with the included software and USB card reader, the Eye-Fi card will transfer all your photos and organize them into date-based folders. You can also set up Eye-Fi to upload to your favorite social networking sites like Flickr and Facebook.
It’s simple, fast and easy. Plus, there’s no longer the need to search through desk drawers and closets for those elusive USB cables. The new Eye-Fi card is definitely a must-have for any digicam user. Just think how easy it’ll be to update Facebook now with something like Eye-Fi in your camera!
While my kids were watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs the other day, I was in the kitchen doing some cleaning when I heard a vaguely familiar intro during one of the scenes. I went over to the family room to listen more closely and I immediately recognized the artist – Trevor Rabin. For some reason, the music editors of the film chose to include the intro to a old song of his titled “Promises”. I’m not sure why but perhaps it’s a nod and a wink to Rabin since he does soundtrack work for big-time movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer. In any case, hearing that lil’ snippet of Rabin’s song made me pull out his 1989 album Can’t Look Away for a quick listen. It’s a phenomenal album by the way. I wish Rabin would take a timeout from the lucrative work in movie soundtracks and get back to rockin’ out on the guitar a bit more. It has been way too long Trevor!! It looks so easy to be walking close behind
And I found it easy to be near you all the time
I’m looking at you now as if you knew the way
But I can’t reach you, you’re far away
It doesn’t seem so easy like the river that flows upstream
Promises! Don’t give me promises
Don’t give me promises when all you do is lie
No promises when all I do is cry
Look for the questions from the minds of those who care
You’ll find them waiting and you’ll learn that we can share
Losing the love been looking out for freedom
Been losing our love along the way …
- Promises by Trevor Rabin (more…)
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Heineken. All opinions are 100% mine.
When out bar-hopping with the guys it’s sometimes tough keeping alcohol consumption within reasonable limits. Who wants to be the “Debbie Downer” of the group while everyone’s in celebratory mode, right? No one wants to ruin anyone’s buzz but we need to realize that if we care about our friends, we need to take some responsibility here. We all know what can happen when excessive drinking is mixed with driving. But how do you bring up this sensitive issue during the evening’s conversation? Well, why not with an iPhone app? Heineken has come up with a fun little iPhone application called the Breathalyzer. Just start up the app and then get your friend to blow into the iPhone. The app will then characterize the person in question with one of seven profiles including “The Crier”, “The Sleeper”, “The Groper” and “The Stumbler”. Of course, it’s not a REAL breathalyzer but it’s definitely an effective conversation starter and helps remind everyone to provide transporation for those in no-condition to drive home.
You can Download the Heineken Breathalyzer iPhone app for free at the iTunes store. And to learn more, head on over to the The Heineken Know The Signs website. I think it’s great that Heineken is making an effort to be a more social responsible beer brand and the added humor in the app helps the message go down a bit easier.
Get Ready To Rock radio will be streaming a brand new Todd RundgrenAWATS interview on their website this weekend.
Todd recently spoke with Get Ready To Rock to celebrate the forthcoming London A Wizard A True Star concert at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Friday February 6th!
Here’s the official announcement from Get Ready To Rock:
Hello and Happy New Year!
Have you checked out our radio channel?
We broadcast every day with a mix of continuous music sequences and feature programmes.
We are available in the radio section (iTunes), via the Reciva and Pure software that powers many wi-fi radio sets, or via the pop-up player at our dedicated website.
All music is hand-picked by specialists and you’ll always hear a healthy blend of the new, less familiar, and classic rock tracks.
This month TODD RUNDGREN is our featured artist, when we add more of his music to our playlists.
This Sunday (10 January, 20:00 GMT) Stuart Hamilton profiles Todd Rundgren’s music followed by a new interview with the man himself (21:00)
Todd talks about his forthcoming London show and his recent career…
More information:
Other weekend highlights include Tony Charles (Sunday 15:00), Joe Matera (Sunday 18:00) and Peter Muir (Sunday 19:00) with their choice of classic rock, melodic guitar-based rock and progressive.
More information: http://www.getreadytorockradio.com
This is your radio station, so do get in touch with your requests, suggestions, and comments.
And starting soon, our quest to find “Ten for 10″, ten bands we’ll support through the year and with a chance to vote for your own favourite.
With best wishes
The Get Ready to ROCK! Radio Team
When out bar-hopping with the guys it’s sometimes tough keeping alcohol consumption within reasonable limits. Who wants to be the “Debbie Downer” of the group while everyone’s in celebratory mode, right? No one wants to ruin anyone’s buzz but we need to realize that if we care about our friends, we need to take some responsibility here. We all know what can happen when excessive drinking is mixed with driving. But how do you bring up this sensitive issue during the evening’s conversation? Well, why not with an iPhone app? Heineken has come up with a fun little iPhone application called the Breathalyzer. Just start up the app and then get your friend to blow into the iPhone. The app will then characterize the person in question with one of seven profiles including “The Crier”, “The Sleeper”, “The Groper” and “The Stumbler”. Of course, it’s not a REAL breathalyzer but it’s definitely an effective conversation starter and helps remind everyone to provide transporation for those in no-condition to drive home.
