Every now and then a TV commercial for one of those made for TV type of products comes around and you just have to have that product. You watch the advertisement over and over as it pops up in between your favorite TV shows.

Each time you say to yourself, that product really makes sense, its simple, yet logical, and I can’t believe someone didn’t think of it sooner. I’ve never bought anything by calling the 800 number before myself, but have picked up a couple things online and even at the local ‘Made for TV outlet store.’

For me this new product called the ‘Auto Cool Solar Powered Car Fan’ is just this type of product. Its a simple idea, a solar power cell, runs a fan that works as an exhaust to expel the hot air out of your car through the cracked window, keeping your car from turning into an oven.
If you haven’t heard of it, here is a picture or possible reminder
. from Auto Cool Solar Car Fan

Now, I’ve used the crazy fold up reflector things in the windows for at least 20 years now. About 1 in 8 times, something goes wrong with my brain or my hands and I lose the trick that allows me to twist these pop-up tent like contraptions and I end up cussing myself out as I bake in my oven car, trying to fold these things down, get the car started, and get the air condition going. So this solar powered air conditioner gadget seems like it might be the gadget for me!

What other made for TV Gadgets reach out and grab you? Ginzu knives? The Clapper? Tan through Swimsuits? . . .

We all get caught up on something . . .

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ITWire seems to have missed something in their recent article “Microsoft Zune rack and ruin” written by Stan Beer.

They discuss how Microsoft’s Zune won’t be able to stack up against Apple’s iPod due to the lack of a store and that the collaboration with MTV won’t benefit MTV in terms of dollars. What seems to be missing from this analysis is the fundamental change in the technology. The WiFi / Xbox extension may prove to be somewhat of a red herring or it might not. However absent the Xbox tie in, the combination of the technology allows Microsoft to move content to eyeballs and inner ears in a fundamentally new way. This puts MTV in viewers hands from new locations, which is good for MTV. More viewers, who’s downloads can be counted is good for advertising revenue for MTV and good for prolonging MTV’s ability to keep up with the times (don’t get me started on all of MTV’s mistakes, but this is a good move for them.)

Similarly, this is just one example where Microsoft can capitalize on the technology and we’ll reveal more information on other areas that they will move in upcoming articles.

Lastly, ITWire dismisses Microsoft’s ability to break the Apple monopoly on proprietary music(itunes). Yahoo this week also released a mechanism not aimed at recapturing existing customers, but offering new customers the option to purchase DRM free (non-protected) MP3 files for download a price premium of $1.99. I do not know if this tact will gain traction, but might have been the silver bullet for Apple’s iTunes if it had been rolled out 4 years ago as iTunes was launching. Today with millions of users already stuck with an Apple monopoly, they need help buying their way out of the Apple protection racket.

Enter big bucks Microsoft. Microsoft has a war chest of cash, and has been spending it all year long. Microsoft might actually be willing to subsidize the buyout of itunes customers from their Apple handcuffs. They could afford it and they might win some converts along the way. Now the reality is that Microsoft is unlikely to get all Apple ipod listeners to switch, even with a Microsoft buy out of the content rights. We all know that some Apple fans are Microsoft haters and no benefit from Microsoft will be accepted, even when its a good benefit.

So if maybe 20-30% of the iTune customer base decides to sample the new Microsoft service over the next 2 years, lets say 10 million people, each owning on average 300 song titles through itunes. Using Yahoo’s DRM free price differential ($1.99 - $.99 apple download) that’s $1 per title to pay for the rights removal. So that’s $3 billion dollars total to free the chains of 10 million users and sway them to the Microsoft camp, and family of products. If those same customers buy 50 more titles, or an xbox 360, or a subscription to napster or anything over the next 2 years, Microsoft’s marketing program (buyout) can be successful.

Afterall, Microsoft has been known to chase after market leaders in technology in the past. Some people might even recall a little known company called Netscape that once held the market share lead for web browsers. Who is to say that Microsoft wouldn’t use its war chest to establish an MP3 beach head here?

(Oh and let’s not think that Microsoft is the only company with their scope pointed at Apple, this isn’t a monopoly fighting a monopoly, its a potential oligopoly fighting a Apple’s Monopoly.)

Tags: Apple Microsoft Zune WiFi MP3 Player

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Things have moved along in California courts recently and many Californians will receive vouchers from Microsoft (that can be redeemed for cash). The typical voucher may be as much as $100 but a person, business or school might receive more than one voucher or vouchers totalling more depending on how much Microsoft Software they purchased.

Of course Windows Vista is set to roll out in January, and its likely that Microsoft will see that money roll right back in again before too long.

So maybe this program (similar to settlements recently from Google to its advertisers) will be more like a discount or coupon offering. Here Mr/Mrs. Ex-Customer, here is $100 oh and by the way now that we are no longer a monopoly ;o Please buy our new software!

Now the planets didn’t align in the courts due to disputes amongst the classholders receiving funds, but I find it a little more than coincidental that the price of XP at retail is around $300 and the expected price of Vista will be $450.

Hmmm $450 - $300 = $150 - $100 claim => Leaves $50 per box for legal bills and lobbyists!

Microsoft Vista price Microsof Settlement

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We’ve all run into the problem of what to do when good gadgets go bad. Sometimes we buy that perfect gadget, it does everything we expected and ten things more. We raive about it to all our friends, bragging about the great price, and great experience and great user interface and color.

And then the unexpected happens, the gadget goes bad.
We want to trumpet our displeasure, but our reputation is at stake. We’ve told too many people how good the gadget was.

Call support, call warranty, take it back. Sometimes these things return us a working gadget but sometimes it returns a REFURB! So we suck up our pride, and hide it in the side pocket of our cheek.

Then sometimes a service comes along that helps us redeem that favorite gadget. Back in 2002, I was writing my master’s thesis on International Taxation in Belize. I was also moving from Florida to Georgia that year, and my primary computer was 700 miles away. So I went to Costco and bought a $900 Compaq Presario 700 laptop. It was cheap(at the time) worked great, very fast, and got the job done. I finished my Master’s and the laptop survived. It wouldn’t die. I bragged about it. “Yeah, who would have thought that I’d get soo much mileage out of a cheap laptop . . .”

But several months ago, my good gadget started to go bad. It wouldn’t hold a charge. I bought a new battery, and it helped for a short time, but I noticed that the laptop would crash with a sudden sparky pop and instantly shut down. I had a very hard time keeping the power cord plugged in so that the laptop would charge or run for that matter.

Now I’ve recently learned about a company that specializes in “laptop power jack repair.” They do other services as well, but they devote one area of their business to just this function. (http://www.absoluteraleigh.com/power_jack_repair.html)

So I’m going to give them a try and see if I can earn bragging rights on my 4 year old Presario back again.

If you’ve got a gadget gone bad and found a way to redeem it chime in and lets hear your story too. Maybe its an old Newton or a laptop or analog cell phone or that MP3 player that won’t quit and just needs a driver. Let’s hear about your favorite gadget and if you want to post anonymously to protect your ego, your more than welcome!

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Movielink has inked a deal today which will allow them to sell downloads that can be burned to DVD. For sometime Movielink has offered a service, where users could download a rentable version of a movie. Last month they added the ability to download to own a movie and now that owned movie can be burned to a DVD.

Movielink is basically providing more on demand videos to their customers in any format that the user wants to view the movie.

They have also ramped up their advertising campaigns. As they ramp up their business and offer more and more competitive advantages over Netflix, Blockbuster and other DVD resellers and rental companies, their advertising spend grows and they are spending it.

Movielink inked the deal with Sonic Solutions, which is operated by 5 movie studios. Details of just how much additional movie content might be available with or because of the deal have not been released. However, its safe to say that as the movie industry becomes more and more comfortable with the technology that protects their intellectual property, they will continue to race to get this technology to market with their products and avoid situations that has injured the music industry.

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