We Blasters tend to raise our electrical bills in November and December as we test out the holiday season’s gifts, games and gadgets. This year is no exception, economy or no economy. But what did surprise us this year were the extraordinarily low prices of some of the gifts — many of which are under $100 this year.

Without further ado:

OCZ Technology 240 GB Vertex 3 Solid State Drive – $400

If you have someone on your gift list that needs a computer upgrade, the odds are this is it. Solid state hard drives are the best thing going right now, the the OCZ Vertex 3 is a great one.

With a transfer rates averaging over 190 MB/sec on HD Tune, it is much faster than a traditional hard drive. Windows 7 is optimized for solid state drives, and they zoom. PC’s aren’t dead yet, so keep upgrading!

First Act Soulo iPad Microphone and Karaoke App – $69-$99

Of all the things your iPad can do, I bet you never thought to add “karaoke machine” to the list. Well keep on thinking, because you haven’t yet found something that your iPad can’t do.

The Soulo iPad Microphone and Karaoke App does both things. It has a full-size mic to jam away, and a functional app that displays lyrics from the songs in your iTunes library. It also has audio effects to improve pitch and make yourself sound halfway decent when you belt out your favs.

It even has a function to record music videos with the iPad 2′s camera.

The Soulo is $69 for a wired mic or $99 for wireless.

Callet Case, Cover and Wallet for iPhone 4 – $19.99

The Callet is just an example of smart thinking. It’s a simple piece of silicone that fits over your iPhone 4 and has slots on the back for your license, credit cards, etc. In the months before app-based payment takes over at every retail store, this looks like a happy medium.

The case is durable and comfortable both to store in your pocket and hold in your hand. It doesn’t obstruct any of the buttons, either.

If you’re looking for an affordable iPhone accessory that they’ll actually use, look here. Comes in pink and black.

Kensington AbsolutePower – $89.99

The Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger is the authority on device charging. Finally, there’s a device with enough juice and enough plugs to charge your laptop and two USB devices (phone, GPS, bluetooth, etc.) AT THE SAME TIME. Plug the AbsolutePower into one outlet, and it does the rest.

The device works with just about all laptops on the market. It has a power plug with a variety of adapters and two built-in USB ports with 2.1 amps of charging power, good enough for tablets and cell phones alike. This is a great dad gift, too.

Ecobee Smart Internet Thermostat – $400 plus installation

This is one of the most expensive items on the list, and it’s not a give-and-go present. The Ecobee Smart Thermostat requires about two hours of professional wiring and installation by an HVAC contractor, so be prepared for a $600 investment between the device and installation. You also need a WIFI network.

That said, this thing is awesome. The Ecobee is the best Internet-enabled home thermostat on the market, and the pros agree. You get a programmable, touchscreen-based thermostat that’s easy to use on the wall. But the reason you buy the Ecobee is that it’s also entirely app-enabled.

Download the free app for your smartphone (or iPad) and you’re good to go. You can access your thermostat from anywhere in the world, including any computer. You can program complex schedules or just turn on your A/C when you’re on the way home from work, so you arrive to a cool house in the afternoon.

The Cdock – $55, $65, $70

The Cdock is a simple as it gets. An iPhone dock, it uses the phone’s display to create a retro-looking clock while charging your iPhone/iPod touch in style. You use whatever clock/alarm app you want, and the Cdock makes it look good on the outside.

It’s a dock-only. No speakers or anything, but the Cdock plugs in via USB or regular electrical outlet to charge your phone.

The reason we’re drawn to the Cdock is simple: style. You can buy it in glossy black, brushed aluminum or natural walnut. This lets you actually match your iPhone dock to your furniture decor, without some black plastic dock standing out in the crowd.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 – $39.99 to $95.99

This is the year of the voice.

With Siri getting things done for iPhone 4S users, this should be the year you finally give your wrists a rest with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. You can have the home edition for under $40 or the premium package for under $100.

Most importantly, the software works. You talk. It types. It’s accurate right out of the box or can be trained with your own style or accent. This makes a great student gift or a present for someone with a small office. Of course, if you’re buying for a doctor or lawyer, they may already have the software, so ask.

AeroPress Coffee Maker — $30

If you have a friend who’s a huge coffee nut, they probably already know about this device, but many still haven’t given it a try yet because they’re hopelessly dependent on a Keurig or even possibly a traditional coffee maker.

But the AeroPress really works. I have it and love it. Special thanks to Useful Things for providing me with one to test out. The video below, by former Maximum PC editor Will Smith, was my first experience seeing the AeroPress in action. Take a look.

Dazzle DVD Recorder HD — $50

For some reason, Avid did not put their brand name on the Dazzle DVD Recorder. That was a dumb move, because Avid is a symbol of video quality. It’s the software used by TV stations to edit news footage.

So for $50, the Dazzle DVD Recorder is a good bet. You can take any video from your old camcorders, new camcorders, digital cameras, smartphones, DVDs, and even your gaming consoles, and put it on your computer, YouTube, etc.

It’s a really poorly named product. It should be called Avid Dazzle HD. It can record DVDs, but that’s not
what your recipient will use it for.

playGo Wireless Media Streamer — $450

This is another one on the expensive list, but if you have someone in your family who loves music and gadgets, the playGo is a great gift.

It works with all computers (PC and Mac) and allows you to send any music or audio wirelessly to anywhere else in your house, including your kickass home theater receiver/surround sound.

The playGo is a way for people to play their home music library on their “good” speakers without needing to put it on an iPod/iPhone and without having to buy a second computer or a home-theater PC. It works great, and sends high-quality, distortion-free sound up to 75 feet away.

Remote Control Helicopter — $40

No matter what, you’re going to end up at T.J. Maxx and/or Marshalls at some point during your gift-buying frenzy.

In doing some research, I found a couple products that I’d be happy with. The first one is their Remote Control Helicopter. It’s a toy. Not much to it. You use the remote; it flies. It’s a great way to break stuff indoors, and I’m sure we could all figure out interesting ways to break IT outside.

More to come in the next few days, right up until Christmas!

You can’t help but love the Vers brand. A start-up, local company that makes natural wood speakers and accessories for Apple products. It’s like a tree-hugging vegan made a baby with a super-geek.

And that starts their iPhone 4/4s Slimcase off on the right foot.

“For each tree we use in production, 100 are re-planted through our partnership with The Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Forestry Service. Use a tree – plant a forest; we’re excited to be able to go beyond achieving sustainability to helping to restore the environment where it’s needed most,” said David Laituri, creative director and founder of Vers, which is based in Wayland.

The case is designed to be slim and fit in a pocket, and while it does add some girth to the phone, the case keeps the phone size manageable. The case also doesn’t add much depth to the screen, so it’s still easy to text and type. The lightly-colored bamboo shell also gives a great contrast to a black iPhone.

The Slimcase comes in two pieces that snap together and pull apart cleanly with some force. When assembled, you can tell that it’s two pieces of wood, but it doesn’t detract from the loook.

The felt-backing on the inside of the case allows you slide it on smoothly without damaging the back.

If there’s one drawback, it’s that the case does add some depth to the bottom of the phone, which doesn’t allow you to plug it into some common device docks. You have to pull the bottom piece off to fit it in.

The Slimcase is $39.99, so get your wood on.

Apple released the new iOS 5.0.1 upgrade Thursday in response to complaints about battery life. The update can be downloaded to the third and fourth-generation iPod touch, all iPad models, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

The upgrade was released sooner than expected, but according to the Apple discussion forums, it has done little, if anything, for many consumers of the product. Many users complain about the upgrade possibly leading to failure in other iPhone features.

Real Drum is a fresh release from Rubel Co. released this week that puts a variety of drum sets and sounds at your fingertips.

Rubel, which also makes the Real Guitar iOS app now offers 11 unique drum sets with the newly released app. You can take your pick from: Abstract, Acoustic, Bongos, Break Beat, Conga, D’n’B, Electro, Hip Hop, Japan, Jazz, or Rock.

Tested on none other than the iPhone 4S, we could not get this app to miss a beat, pun intended. In Real Drum, you’ll find a relatively bare bones approach, consisting of two screens: the choose drum set screen, followed by the drum set screen to jam on.

While jamming, aside from the instruments, there are only two buttons, one to switch drum sets, and the other to open up the volume toggles – which allows the volume of each individual drum or cymbal to be adjusted, a nice touch for the talented finger drummer looking to perfect their beat.

Even while tapping the snare as rapidly as possible, throwing in some high hat and kick drum – this app will not lag behind the aggressive drummer. Playing multiple drums/cymbals simultaneously was clean and clear as well. You will not find any option to record, save, or upload any of your creative beats – but make no mistake, this app has the basics down. Real Drums looks and sounds great, so for $1.99, it just might be worth tapping into.

Apple’s iOS 5 is out now, promising a better user experience.

The update contains over 200 new features, including the following:

• Notifications
  • Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Center
  • New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen
  • View notifications from lock screen
  • Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app
• iMessage
• • Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users
  • Track messages with delivery and read receipts
  • Group messaging and secure encryption
  • Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi
•  Newsstand
• • Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen
  • Displays the cover of the latest issue
  • Background downloads of new issues
• Reminders for managing to do lists
• • Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlook
  • Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
• Built-in support for Twitter
• • Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube
  • Add location to any tweet
  • View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts
• Camera improvements for devices with cameras
• • Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)
  • Volume Up button to take a picture
  • Optional grid lines to line up shots
  • Pinch to zoom in the preview screen
  • Swipe to camera roll from preview screen
  • Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock
• Photo improvements for devices with cameras
• • Crop and rotate
  • Red eye removal
  • One tap enhance
  • Organize photos into albums
• Mail improvements
• • Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts
  • Indentation control
  • Drag to rearrange names in address fields
  • Flag messages
  • Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unread
  • Customize mail alert sounds
  • S/MIME
• Calendar improvements
• • Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch
  • Tap to create an event
  • View and add event attachments
• Game Center improvements
• • Use personal photos for your Game Center account
  • Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends
  • Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends
  • Discover new games with custom game recommendations
• AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S
•  Multitasking Gestures for iPad
• • Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen
  • Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar
  • Swipe left or right to switch between apps
• On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant
• Software updates available over the air without tethering
• iCloud support
• • iTunes in the Cloud
  • Photo Stream
  • Documents in the Cloud
  • Apps and Books automatic download and purchase history
  • Backup
  • Contacts, Calendar, and Mail
  • Find My iPhone
• Redesigned Music app for iPad
• Hourly weather forecast
• Real-time stock quotes
• Wireless sync to iTunes
• Keyboard improvements
• • Split keyboard for iPad
  • Improved autocorrection accuracy
  • Improved Chinese and Japanese input
  • New Emoji keyboard
  • Personal dictionary for autocorrection
  • Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words
• Accessibility improvements
• • Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
  • Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone
  • New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices
  • Option to speak a selection of text
  • Custom element labeling for VoiceOver
• Exchange ActiveSync improvements
• • Wirelessly sync tasks
  • Mark messages as flagged, read or unread
  •  Improved offline support
  • Save a new contact from a GAL service
• More than 1,500 new developer APIs
• Bug fixes

The update works with the iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, iPad, iPad 2, iPod Touch (3rd and 4th generations)

For information on the security content of the update, visit support.apple.com.

The social networks were still buzzing about how disappointing it was to hear Apple announce the iPhone 4S instead of a 4G-compatible iPhone 5. But, very quietly, 1 million people have purchased the iPhone 4S in one day, shattering the iPhone 4′s sales record.

Still not sold? Here are five reasons why you should buy an iPhone 4S.

1. Processor

The iPhone 4S runs a dual core A5 processor, while the original iPhone 4 only runs a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8. Apple says the iPhone 4S is twice as fast as the iPhone 4 and runs graphics seven times faster.

2. Camera

The iPhone 4S finally has a real camera that can shoot at 8 mega pixels and record video at 1080P. That’s as good as your actual digital camera, odds are. If you’re a shutterbug, always pulling your camera/camera phone out, this will be a real treat.

3. Storage

The iPhone 4S offers at 64GB model for the first time. The main benefit here is shooting HD video and downloading movies. The 64GB offering helps.

4. Better gaming

If you are a mobile gamer, the iPhone 4S is the best thing yet. The phone features an amazing boost in graphic processing power, while the dual core opens the door for deeper, more interactive games.

5. Home button

OK this might not be a glowing positive, but if you’ve had an iPhone 4 for a while, the odds are your home button is starting to go. I have to hit mine a few times to get it to work, and forget about double-clicking to view the open apps. That, right there, makes me want to upgrade.

The launch of the iPhone 4 in June 2010 hit a bit of a rough patch for Apple, when several customers complained about loss of signal strength and dropped calls while touching the lower left edge of the phone.

Soon after the complaints began, Apple made a controversial statement, claiming that while they understood the issue, many of their competitor’s phones had the same problem and initially offered no other resolve for the problem. Once a lawsuit was threatened against the company and their partners at AT&T for fraud, Apple released a five dollar quick patch, a cleverly shaped band-aid with the catch phrase “Apple made a boo-boo.” Later, they released a free bumper casing for iPhone 4 owners in order to put an end to the complaints.

The technical issue and following actions taken by Apple were named by some online tech-bloggers as “Antennagate” and became a black mark on Apple’s mostly stellar cell phone record.

It seems now though; a permanent change has been made to this flaw, as the newly announced iPhone 4S will feature a pair of antennas that should eliminate concerns about a loss of single and dropped calls presented by its predecessor. The announcement of the new tech was made this passed Tuesday, at the unveiling of the iPhone 4S.

Apple says that the two antennas outside the case intelligently switch back and forth between each other to maximize the phone’s ability to transmit and receive data. This system should also minimize the loss of calls caused by the former problem. The antennas are also placed on the top and bottom sections of the phone, so as to minimize them both being covered by its I Phone users while gripping the phone.

This addition has been heralded by some as the long awaited permanent response to the iPhone 4’s issues, though it was said that by some that holding the phone horizontally with both hands to text or type may result in a similar “Death Grip” situation.

Whatever the result of the change, the major issue of calls being dropped due to hand position seems to be a thing of the past for iPhone users.

Steve Jobs is remembered outside the Fifth Avenue Apple Store on October 5 in New York City. (WireImage)

On Wednesday October 5, 2011, the world lost on of its strongest cultural and technological icons when Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Computers and definer of this generation’s entertainment media, died at age 56.

Jobs had stepped down as CEO of Apple in August and died a day after Apple had its first major tech demo without him.

Born in San Francisco on February 24, 1955, Jobs began his professional path in an extremely unconventional manner. A college dropout, Jobs attended classes as an audit student at Reed College in Portland, Ore., staying in friends’ dorm rooms and getting free meals at local Krishna temples. After a short time at the college he began working for the pioneering video game company Atari and attended spiritual sessions for the teachings of Neem Karoli Baba in India. He also became interested in the LSD movement that was popular at the time in San Francisco, an event in his life that he rated as an extremely crucial part of his development.

In 1976, along with partners Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, Jobs founded Apple Computers and gave the world a product called the Personal Computer.

Throughout the years, the company assembled and sold computers on an ever rising scale, with Jobs constantly pushing for new and creative people to help make the company more profitable. In 1984, the first national introduction to the company was given in the form of a now-famous Super Bowl commercial inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. The commercial was used to hype the release of the Macintosh Computer, the first commercially successful small computer with a graphical user interface and arguably the launching point of the American home computer revolution.

The years after the Macintosh was introduced would be a strenuous time for Apple, a time earmarked by Jobs’ controversial forced removal from the company.

Not to be kept down, Jobs purchased the video wing of George Lucas’ Lucasfilm in 1986 and created Pixar Animation Studios

The company’s first project 1995′s, “Toy Story,” would go on to gross $361 million and become etched in our popular culture forever. “Toy Story 3,” released last year, grossed more than $1 billion.

“Toy Story” was the first feature-length animated movie created 100 percent by computers. Jobs had, for the first time, given the world a commercially successful mix of computers and pop culture that would go on to define both him and Apple in the years to come.

In 1996, Jobs returned to Apple and began overseeing what would become the revolutionary Mac Operating System and iMac computer. The combination of these two products would pull Apple from a failing computer company to the second highest distributor in the world.

Next came iPod, which revolutionized the way people carried and listened to their music. Portable music played existed before the iPod, but it was Apple’s mix of cutting-edge technology with an intuitive interface that would drive it.

Jobs next tackled the smartphone. Rivals Microsoft and Research in Motion had been creating smartphones for years before Apple would release its iPhone, but it was the iPhone that ushered in the smartphone revolution. Perhaps never before has so much power and so many features been so fun and easy to use before. It was Jobs who made the iPhone an integral part of Generation Y’s lifestyle.

We hardly need to mention what came next: the iPad. Again, tablet computers were around long before the iPad, but it was the iPad that made tablet computing mainstream and sent every hardware competitor rushing to copy it.

Besides being an acclaimed businessman and ambassador for his company, Jobs was also a notable technician, being listed as either primary inventor or co-inventor in 338 US patents or patent applications. He was famous for his hands-on approach to Apple’s management, being personally involved with many of the company’s most successful products.

A statement issued from his family said that he had died “peacefully, surrounded by his family.” Jobs’ announced he developed pancreatic cancer in 2004 and had received a liver transplant in 2009. An official cause of death has not been announced.

Nearly as impressive as his life, the reaction to Jobs’ death has been a worldwide headline. In a time where the Occupy Wall Street movement is in full effect and the recent scandals of major companies have left many corporate personalities painted as villains, Jobs has received unprecedented admiration for his actions as CEO and a large online mourning has been going on since his passing. A massive twitter movement tagged #RIP #SteveJobs has everyone from celebrities to elected officials tweeting their well wishes to Jobs’ family and their thoughts on Jobs’ as an inventor and public persona. Possibly the most notable of these memorial statements is President Barrack Obama observing how many people discovered Jobs’ death through their iPhones: “There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

OtterBox, which makes the ultra-tough, waterproof and idiot proof cases for cell phones and other devices, will have its most popular cases ready to go for the iPhone 4S, the company said today.

OtterBox Defender, Reflex, Commuter and Impact Series cases will be out this fall with a new camouflage color scheme joining the fray.

More information here.

Apple is holding a press event on October 4 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, where it is widely believed the company will announce, or perhaps release, the iPhone 5.

It is possible that Apple will release the widely anticipated new iPhone at the event, with the top names in tech journalism in the audience.

The event will also probably mark new Apple CEO Tim Cook’s first major appearance at a launch event.

SlashGear reported that Apple may demonstrate the new phone’s 4G capabilities.

The most recent rumors say that the iPhone 5 will have a dual-core A4 processor, 8 megapixel camera, iOS 5, thinner body and larger display.

Fans could be disappointed, however, as it is also possible that Apple will merely unveil a cheaper iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S, SlashGear reported.

The event is tagged “Let’s Talk iPhone” and will be held at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif. headquarters.

Sprint Nextel is planning to offer the iPhone as early as next month, and as it does with other smartphones (and as soon in its commercials) the company says it will offer an unlimited data plan for Apple’s super-phone, according to Bloomberg.

But as CNET points out, that isn’t likely to last very long.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless both got rid of unlimited data, in favor of tiered pricing options, after the iPhone came to their networks. The iPhone comes with a price for mobile phone carriers — it eats an enormous amount of data from up in the clouds.

The new iPhone would likely overburden Sprint Nextel’s 4G network, forcing it to do the same.

The CNET article cites an analyst that expects Sprint to continue using its unlimited data advertising campaign to lure customers away from AT&T and Verizon, and then pull a switch.

There is so much to do in Boston that living here can feel like a full-time job. It only seems fair that someone should offer monetary compensation.

No matter how satisfying your real job may be, getting paid for what you do in your leisure time will always seem ideal. Sadly, no matter how much you think about it on the T or ponder it in the Public Garden, there is nothing out there that will allow you to cash in on your spare time.

Unless of course you’ve got an iPhone. Want to get paid for your walk home? There’s an App for that.

Gigwalk is an application that allows users to report, record and share information about their surroundings. The application is free, and works by notifying users when a job is available in their area.

According to Jenifer Silver, a local Gigwalker, there are over 4,000 gigs in Boston. Provided you’re willing to snap a photo, you can now earn a second paycheck for doing whatever you’re doing, wherever you happen to be.

People rely on Gigwalk to provide them with information the internet may fail to capture, such as the daily drink special at a tiny independent cafe. Gigwalkers, as Gigwalk employees are known, function as a human search engine, providing photographic proof to specialized queries.

Silver reports responding to anywhere between five and 40 gigs per week. “My favorites are the ones where you can pop in and out without anyone noticing, such as Starbucks, McDonalds and other fast food settings. Occasionally I’ll make friends with the person working and they’ll give me a coffee!” Though Silver’s rate of response depends on her daily schedule, she points out that any time can be a good time for a gig: she’s even completed gigs on dates with her husband.

If the idea of earning $5 while dining out sounds appetizing, take heart in the fact that Gigwalk is growing. Over 100,000 gigs are available nationwide, and 5,067 of them are coming to Boston. With most gigs paying between $4 and $7 each, Gigwalkers have the potential to earn $12 to $20 an hour. Unlike you’re entry level office job, effort is always rewarded at Gigwalk. The more gigs you complete accurately, the higher your odds of accessing gigs that pay between $70 and $90 each.

“Since launching Gigwalk in May, we have rapidly grown into an on-demand mobile army of 50,000 iPhone users nationwide,” said Ariel Seidman, CEO and co-founder of Gigwalk. This army isn’t fighting for just anyone, either. With a client roster that includes TomTom and MenuPages, Gigwalk could prove beneficial to both your wallet and your resume.

So go out to eat, drink, and enjoy your city. And, if you’re a Gigwalker, get paid for doing so.

Apple may start manufacturing the iPad 3 in the fall for a release date sometime early next year, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal first reported this latest Apple rumor.

According to the newspaper, the iPad 3 “is expected to feature a high resolution display—2048 by 1536 compared with 1024 by 768 in the iPad 2.”

The screen will remain the same size, however.

This matches the ongoing rumors that the iPad 3 will have a so-called “retina display” made famous on the iPhone 4.

Apple is expected to release iOS 5 this fall, which will be a major update to Apple’s mobile operating system which purports to have interoperability with Twitter and a messaging app similar to BlackBerry Messenger.

The iPad 3 is also expected to be thinner and lighter than the iPad 2, according to ABC News. That report also mentions that AT&T is leaking news of an iPhone 5 release in October.

Google will buy Motorola’s former phone making division, Motorola Mobility, for $12.5 billion in cash, marking the search engine giant’s largest acquisition to date.

“Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies,” said Google CEO Larry Page in a statement. “Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers.”

Google Android competes directly with iPhone, Blackberry, and Microsoft Windows-based devices. Mobility makes smartphones for the Android, but sales have floundered, especially against the iPhone/iPad.

Motorola Mobility split from the rest of the company in January.

In the sale, Google will pay $40.00 per share, 63 percent over Motorola’s closing stock price on Friday.

The Associated Press reported that Google is likely interested in Motorola’s many, many patents on mobile phone technology, as a consortium of its competitors, which included Microsoft, Apple and Blackberry maker Research In Motion, recently won the chance to buy thousands of patents from bankrupt Canadian networking gear maker Novell.

The rumor of the day has been a possible iPod Touch 3G model may. be. coming soon, perhaps as early as this fall, if you believe that we are on the cusp of an iPhone 5.

The iPod Touch 3G would be like an iPad 3G — lots of data, but not “actually” a phone. Plug in Skype or the incredible Line2 app, and you’re “almost” a real cell phone.

In real life, this product doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and that’s not just because an obscure Dutch website “broke” the story.

A “lite” iPhone, which is what a 3G iPod Touch would be, doesn’t make sense for these reasons:

• Manufacturers have essentially stopped making accessories for the iTouch. It’s a dying product. It was amazing. It is amazing, but…
• The iPhone 3GS is just about free if you sign a contract. Why pay for a lite iPhone, when you can get a real one?
• As ZDNet’s Adrian Kingsley-Hughes writes: “Do you really think that just after announcing the iPhone 5 (or whatever it ends up being called) Steve Jobs is going to pause, then turn back to the audience and say “oh, and one more thing … here’s a crappier, cheaper version of the new iPhone we just announced!”? I don’t think so!”

But hey, it’s an Apple rumor!

We could be only weeks away from the next great iPhone release.

Apple will release the iPhone 5 on September 7, and it will come preloaded with iOS 5, according to a report on the website International Business Times.

At least 200 new features are expected in the iOS 5 launch, which Apple has already confirmed for fall.

The competition faced by Google’s Nexus 4G puts Apple in a position to have to make a move, perhaps more quickly than they anticipated. We can only assume that the iPhone 5 will be a 4G phone, since every other major competitor has gone that way.

When it was first announced, Halo was supposed to be a Mac exclusive. Ten years later and it’s the biggest franchise on Microsoft’s Xbox. Welcome home Bungie.

Today, Bungie releases Bungie Mobile, a free app for iPhone and iPad. Just what does it do? Well, as of right now it just serves as a social networking service for the studio’s final Halo title: Halo: Reach but the company’s blog promises big things including “plans to keep updating Bungie.net Mobile with new features and enhancements in the months and years to come.”

Just what that means? We can’t be sure, but expect it to be incorporated into the company’s new game with Activision.

Mower Ride is a fun way to tilt your off hours away with your iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

The game, released today by Vivid Games is a top-down hybrid racing and combat game, entirely motion controlled.

It is a casual game, in the spirit of a SkiFree, where you don’t need a story or elaborate point system. Just move and try not to die.

You take your turbocharged riding lawnmower through back yards, clipping lines of grass, dodging swimming pools, and trying to take out other mowers before they kill you. All while, you are trying to collect energy icons before you run out of power.

The game scores your personal best depending on how much distance you can cover before you run out of power or get taken out by an enemy.

There’s not much skill involved, and that’s the beauty of Mower Ride. It has nice cartoon graphics, catchy music, and provides just enough entertainment value to make it 99 cents worth spending.

If you get really hooked on racing a lawn mower, you can challenge your friends and spend some more cash to pimp and primp your vehicle.

OK, so the iPhone is coming to Verizon. Awesome.

What you should know by now is that this will not be a 4G phone.

What you should also know is that there are already some amazing phones out there that aren’t made by Apple. Here are a few:

Motorola Droid Bionic

The Motorola Droid Bionic is one of the most exciting new phones to come for Verizon. It features:

• GHZ dual-core (yes, dual-core) Nvidia Tegra 2 processor
• 512MB RAM
• 16GB memory expandable to 32GB
• 8MP camera with dual-LED flash
• Front VGA camera
• 4.3-inch qHD display
• 960×540 resolution (iPhone 4’s “retina display” resolution is 960×640)
• Verizon’s LTE 4G network

This is huge improvement over current generation cell phones, including the iPhone 4. Verizon’s LTE network boasts speeds of 10 MBPS and will presumably become faster over the coming years. If you are excited about iPhone’s Facetime, then you will be happy to know that you will be able to use Skype’s video chat over the network with the front facing VGA camera. Further, the quick LTE network will be very useful when using the phone as a Mifi wireless hotspot to provide internet to up to 5 other devices.

The dual-core processor allows the phone to load Flash content at snappy speeds and makes using the Android 2.2 Froyo a dream. The dual-core processor is also important for future iterations of Android after Google’s announcement that Android 3.0 Honeycomb will only be able to run on dual-core processor devices. Currently Honeycomb is limited to tablets, but this will probably change once more dual-core handsets hit the market.

The Bionic was announced at CES and is expected to hit the market Q2 2011. There was recently a leak through Amazon.com of all places where the phone was temporarily on the website priced at $149.99 with 2-year contract and listed as coming soon.

HTC Thunderbolt

For you portable media lovers out there this is going to be the phone for you. This phone boasts:

• 1 GHZ Snapdragon CPU
• 768MB Ram
• 8GB memory plus 32GB SD card pre-installed
• 8MP camera dual-LED flash
• 1.3MP front facing camera
• 4.3-inch super LCD display
• Dolby surround sound speakers
• Verizon’s LTE 4G network.

Like the Bionic the LTE network is going to offer a world of possibilities for this phone, however this is not where the interest ends. This phone is going to be the ultimate [non-tablet] portable media machine. The large screen coupled with kick stand and slide out surround sound speakers which will offer an unparalleled experience for viewing media on a cell phone platform. Again, unlike the iPhone, Flash content will be able to be viewed on this phone as well. With the newest iteration of the Snapdragon processor this phone will be running Android 2.2 Froyo speedily and will process media better than most.

This HTC beast is expected to be on sale soon at a rumored price of $250 with 2-year contract; possibly in the next couple of weeks.

Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7 on Verizon is going to be worth the wait. It has been announced that Verizon will be getting Windows Phone 7 by the end of June. It can be expected that this will not simply be a port of existing Windows Phones that currently run on the AT&T network and will be an exciting new version of the Phones. This release will probably coincide with a major OS update that Microsoft is planning to release mid-year.

Apple says the App Store has passed the 10 billion downloads mark.

The success of the iPhone and iPad have led to an explosion in downloadable programs. That success appears to be increasing with the addition of the Verizon iPhone next month

Apple announced the news on its website Saturday.

By 2015, there will be approximately 804 million smartphones worldwide. Lucky for football fans, the NFL and  mobile advertising agency Adzookie.com are already looking to the future, promising that by 2015 the Super Bowl will be streamed live via an iPhone.

Romeo Mendoza, CEO of the Orange, Calif.-based company that plans to handle the advertising, Adzookie.com, said in a statement that “Streaming the Super Bowl on a phone just makes sense. Cell phones already outnumber television sets 5-to-1.”

Given that the 2010 Super Bowl brought in 106 million viewers and earned over $300 million in network advertising sales — that’s $2.8 to $3 million per 30-second advertisement — streaming the Super Bowl on smartphones is a smart business decision. Further, through cell phones, advertisers can run multiple ads at the same time, catering to individual viewers based on age, gender, income and location, something that television ads cannot do.

“Companies prefer to promote their business via mobile ads than other forms of advertising,” Mendoza said.

Because of the increasing popularity of smartphone use and the edge that mobile advertising has over television advertising, viewers can expect to eventually watch all of their favorite shows via cell phones, said Mendoza.

“The Super Bowl is just the beginning,” he continued. “Eventually all programming will be mobile. We plan on being there when it happens.”

The iPhone is coming to Verizon next month, but don’t buy it until you read these five points about the new marvel of mobile phoning:

1. Carrier reliability

Last May, a survey determined that an astonishing 4.5 percent of AT&T users experienced a dropped call over a 90 day period compared to 1.5 percent of Verizon customers.

Verizon also led the way in overall satisfaction, with nearly 50 percent of their users “very satisfied” with their service, compared to only 23 percent of AT&T customers.

2. If debating the switch, are you willing to shell out the cash?

If you purchased an iPhone with AT&T after June 1, 2010, you better be ready to pay a staggering $325 cancellation fee (minus $10 for every month of service completed). While AT&T claims the “fee is not a penalty,” that is a lot of money we are talking about here… almost the price of two new Verizon iPhones (with 2-year activation)!

3. Talking to a friend while checking e-mail or mapping directions? — Not on Verizon!

Apparently “multitasking” such as checking your e-mail or browsing the internet while on a call, a commonplace task for us AT&T iPhone users, will not be possible on the Verizon network. The Wall Street Journal says that Verizon executives feel this isn’t an important feature to most users, but it is promised to be available next year.

4. How much longer until the iPhone 5 (4G)?

Apple is infamous for quickly antiquating its electronics with updated models, usually within a year and a half.

We saw the release of the iPhone 4 in June so it’s a good bet the iPhone 5 will be out sometime this summer. Are you really going to shell out $200 and lock yourself into a two year contract with Verizon in February when the iPhone 5 could be here as soon as June?

5. The 3G Mobile Hotspot app…

Not only will the Verizon iPhone come preloaded with the 3G Mobile Hotspot app, it will support up to 5 devices. AT&T offers tethering of only one device with their 2GB data plan for $45/month. While Verizon’s hotspot pricing hasn’t been officially announced, you can bet you will get more bang for your buck than AT&T’s measly one-device tethering.

At 11:11 a.m. on 1/11/2011, Apple announced that Verizon will start selling a version of the iPhone 4 on February 10.

This move gives iPhone and Apple devotees a choice between major American mobile phone networks for the first time since the phone’s inception in 2007. Until now, the iPhone has only worked with AT&T.

It appears that this version will NOT support 4G LTE.

The Associated Press reports that Verizon chief operating officer, Lowell McAdam, is making the announcement Tuesday in New York.

Apple COO Tim Cook, called the move “the beginning of a great relationship between Verizon and Apple,” according to the AP.

Pre-sales begin February 3.

You know we’ll have more to say about this. Stay tuned!

Goodbye iPhone…

As a total apple fanatic I counted down the days to the release of iOS 4 for iPhone 3G last April. After much anticipation, not only were many of the exciting new features (multitasking, home screen wallpaper) not available on my “antiquated” 3G, the iOS 4.0 upgrade made my phone unusably slow. 35 seconds to open a text message? Come on Apple – you must be kidding. So off to the Genius Bar I went and after a short protest my “genius” handed me a brand new 3G with iOS 3.1 installed.

I happily used iOS 3.1 until this November when Apple released 4.2 (I skipped 4.1 after reports of only minimal speed increase). Apple promised the 4.2 update would significantly boost the performance of my poor old 3G. Excited again to upgrade, I literally rushed home.

After the “upgrade,” while trying out the performance of my new and “improved” 3G I noticed my entire iTunes library had been erased from my phone. No bother – sync and update again. No dice. Five attempts at an upgrade later I was still without my music and now all of my contacts. After reading a few articles I finally realized the update had somehow “lost” the file locations and re-assigned folders accordingly. With bated breath I tried out 4.2 and like a brick (irony) to the face I was quickly hit with the fact that while this might have been a speed improvement from 4.0 or even 4.1, it definitely was a bit slower than iOS 3.2 which I had previously been running.

Now after all of the money I have sunk into Apple products in the past four years, including a Macbook, Macbook Air, iPhone 3G, iPad and iPhone 3GS (for my boyfriend), I feel cheated. I am the first one in line to buy whatever new gadget Apple rolls out, but does it really take a class action lawsuit to release an upgrade that doesn’t render a 2 year-old iPhone practically useless? I could whine Apple’s iPhone update saga for days so really all there is left to say is “Goodbye iPhone… Hello Windows Phone 7.”

Rumors have been circulating this week that Verizon will finally announce that they will carry the Apple iPhone at a press conference this Tuesday in New York.

According to a number of sources, including Fortune, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, the cell-phone giant has been  discreetly handing out red envelopes containing invites to a press conference this Tuesday at 11 a.m. EST at Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center. The invitation doesn’t offer much more info, save for the fact that Verizon President and COO Lowell McAdam will host the event.

So how does that translate into “Verizon’s getting the iPhone?” Rumors have been circulating since last year that America’s largest network would be getting the incredibly popular phone on the heels of a Wallstreet Journal article saying that Apple had issued a late 2010 production start for iPhones capable of running on Verizon’s CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network.

The phone is expected to go on sale next month for Verizon customers, stick with Blastmagazine.com for more in the coming week.

Avdeep Sahi (Media Credit/Avinder Sahi)

LEXINGTON — At 3 a.m., his alarm clock went off, and Avdeep Sahi, 16, slowly rose from bed, his legs and body aching from the previous day’s football practice. While the rest of Lexington was asleep, Avdeep was getting ready to call India and get to work.

After shaking away his early morning drowsiness, Avdeep, in his ever-gregarious tone, called developers in India to troubleshoot some problems he was having as he worked towards completing the challenging project he undertook at the beginning of the summer: developing an iPhone application from scratch.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, Avdeep is an active and vibrant member of the Lexington High School community. Even though his family moved to the United States from India just four years ago, in 2006, he has adjusted quickly to his surroundings, even introducing his American friends to Indian culture by starting a cricket club in school. As if his numerous endeavors are not enough, he is also a student teacher in a computer programming class.

“He has proven to be a natural leader who is hardworking and active,” Avdeep’s father, Avinder, said.

The iPhone application project originated this past spring when Avdeep was deciding where he wanted to intern for school credit between his sophomore and junior years in high school. Due in large part to his love of Mac computers, he chose to work at Lexington Community Media Center (LexMedia), which has a substantial and well equipped Mac lab for digital editing.

LexMedia covers local events in Lexington, and Avdeep’s main responsibility was to record and edit some of the content that would be broadcast. While interning, he had an idea for how he could help LexMedia take advantage of the fact that people are spending more time on their Smartphones and less time on their computers.

“For about a year I had started teaching myself the basics of how to program applications by viewing videos online and reading magazines,” Avdeep said. “I then proposed that if they let me use their resources, I would attempt to create an iPhone application that would make all of their content available for users, streamlined to their Smartphones.”

When Avdeep offered to volunteer his time to produce the iPhone application, LexMedia said they would be happy to let him attempt to do it. However, there were some questions as to whether or not he could complete such a complex project.

“Avdeep told them that he would have to get connected with the process, the resources, the training, and he would try to make the application, but was not sure if he would be able to do it,” Avinder said.

“Before the summer I didn’t even truly know how to program,” Avdeep added.

Despite his uncertainty, Avdeep dove in head first and dedicated nearly all of his free time to developing the application. However, he soon found that the labyrinthine project was impossible to complete without the help of others. Luckily, he knew a couple of companies that specialize in iPhone development, one of which is a company in Cambridge called Endeca. On Fridays, Avdeep would commute to Cambridge and pick the brains of the professionals at Endeca.

In addition to calling developers in India from home, Avdeep spent many nights in the lab at LexMedia. He also sought the help of individuals at CMC Americas, another application development company. Near the end of the process Avdeep ran into a problem with PC hardware and started using his high school’s Mac lab. His teachers took an interest in his project and helped Avdeep troubleshoot while uploading the content.

“All of the people were truly gracious with their resources and time,” Avdeep said. “They were really nice to me.”

Avinder believes that the country’s recent economic struggles had a lot to do with why people were so willing to lend a helping hand to his son. Avdeep’s mentors and teachers saw a bright future in him and wanted to give a young man a chance in a tough economic climate.

“Ever since the downturn we have become pessimistic about what is around us, but there are pockets of people who are an open source,” Avinder said. “People are available with their time, knowledge, resources, and are raising their availability to high school kids,” he said.

In September, after three months of working tirelessly, Avdeep finished the application. He submitted the content to Apple for them to review. During the review process, the Sahis realized how lucky Avdeep was, as he was exposed to talented professionals who provided him with guidance and let him use their resources for free.

“People are putting their faith in a much younger generation today,” Avinder said.

In early October, Avdeep was informed that the LexMedia iPhone application had been approved, and at the age of 16 he had its copyrights. The finished product, available through iTunes and App Store, provides updates from LexMedia’s portal, Facebook page and videos, as well as access to Lexington news and events schedules. Avdeep is currently working on new features for the application’s updates, including a live feed option.

The process, from start to finish, cost a few hundred dollars and proves that sometimes the only capital you need is drive. This is a young man who saw an opportunity and did not simply dream — he made his dream happen.

“All you need is motivation,” Avdeep said.

Below are screen shots from Avdeep’s LexMedia iPhone application, courtesy of Avdeep and Apple:

“I’ve got gadgets and gizmos aplenty; I’ve got whozits and whatzits galore!”

It’s that time of year again and you’re left wondering what to buy the person who has everything or at least give something besides that lame gift card. Here are 21 different gifts at every price point that are sure to be a delight to whoever receives them.

Open it!  $9.99

Did you know that each year an estimated 300,000 people visit the hospital as a result of a laceration incurred from packaging, mostly during the holiday season? To avoid having your own Larry David breakdown over a plastic wrapped gift, pull these out of the drawer before anyone starts unwrapping anything on Christmas morning to save your sanity and to avoid spiking the coffee.  This highly anticipated package opener now offers a five-in-one method to open everything under the Christmas tree safely and easily.  Open it! Allows you to cut it, snip it, slice it, unscrew it and pop it open.  It’s even lefty compatible.

Scosche: flipSYNC $19.99

Scosche’s flipSYNC is pretty damn awesome if you ask me. If you’re not home or near a car, how do you plan to charge your phone? The flipSYNC attaches to your keychain so you always have a way to charge and sync your phone or MP3 player. The flipSYNC features a USB 2.0 for fastest data transfer possible. Available for both Blackberry and iPhone/iPod with the data cable included.

Desk Pets: SKITTERBOT $19.99

Save the coffee mug full of peppermints for the coworkers you don’t like and buy your neighbor who always has your back one of these for when “doin’ work” ain’t on the schedule. Who needs the water cooler to have a joke when at your desk you can race these for endless bragging rights. The world’s fastest legged micro-robotic toy that travels one foot per second with 5 full-function remote control that allows you to go forward/back/left/right/stop and retractable USB charger for 15 minutes of play. While it sits on your desk begging you to ignore your TPS reports it the SKITTERBOT has red heartbeat eyes that pulse to egg you on. Available in red, blue, clear and green all operating on their own frequency for multi-player racing and battling.

EZ Grill $4.99 – 9.99 (depending on size)

Is there anything better than tailgating? Tailgating can be more fun than the actual event if you do it right but who wants to deal with messy grills you have to transport home later? Not I said the hostess. EZ Grill’s are ready-to-use recyclable, convenient and portable instant grills complete with foil pan, grill grate, stand and charcoal.  Instant all-natural charcoal included – NO additives, unnatural chemicals, fillers or lighter fluid.  Convenient clean-up means no mess. Lights with one match and cooks for at least 1 ½ hours and it’s approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). So encourage your diehard Dolphin fan, or whoever it is you root for to tailgate and gtfu out of your living room for a silent Sunday.

Hercules: XPS 2.0 35 USB Speakers $19.99

I confess, I do not own a stereo, an iPod or any other device to listen to music from other than my laptop. The speakers on my laptop just don’t cut it for when I get the urge to sing into my hairbrush either. The Hercules XPS 2.0 35 USB speakers provide that extra oomph. They are so easy to plug into your headphone jack so in you can listen to it wherever without needing an outlet to plug into. It comes equipped with a padded carrying case for portability.

IDAPT i3 Universal Desktop Charger $49.99

If you have a power strip devoted entirely to charging your gadgets, toss it. The i3 Universal Desktop charger simultaneously charge three different portable devices and clear cord clutter with one affordable system. Interchangeable “quick release” tip system allows for easy, customizable charging

System that is compatible with over 3,500 brands of mobile devices, including Apple, Nintendo, PSP,

Blackberry, Garmin, and more. Package includes either six of the most popularly used interchangeable tips, or you can custom chose 4 tips. Available in black, silver, white, and pink

iSkin: iPad Vu $64.99

If you just so happen to have an iPad on your holiday shopping list, a case cannot be forgot. The iPad Vu case is designed for fashion, functionality and protection with an environmentally friendly soft plastic with a beautifully patterned hard plastic back shield that entirely embedded Microban antimicrobial protection, which is exclusive to iSkin. Vu’s unique rear-bottom hatch that can be easily removed for docking it into the iPad keyboard or standard dock. Recessed volume and power button coverage, an integrated earphone port cover, and home button protection. Available in multiple colors: Pink, Aqua blue, Blue, Red, Orange, Purple and Black.

FINIS: Lap Track $74.99

An avid swimmer would appreciate the ability to easily keep track of the number of laps they have swam, lap times, lap chrono function, split times, calories burned as well as the date and time on a clear 6” by 6” display. With four ways to mount the device for different size tiles.

Sony 8GB E Series Walkman Video MP3 $79.99

For those nonconformists like myself, there are some MP3 players out there that do not reflect a certain piece of fruit in order to be of quality or easy to use not to mention for a lesser price. The Sony E series Walkman has a long lasting battery with up 50 hours of music or up to10 hours of video playback, FM turner, drag-and-drop file transfer, Clear Audio technologies, headphones and a 2.0” LCD. Available in black, red or blue.

Aren’t you tired of us just, literally, pouring stuff down your throats for free all the time? The games, the movie passes, the electronic gizmos. When will it stop?

The next item up for free: Wicked Audio: Wicked Little Buds.

The Wicked Little Buds are the next evolution in earphone design. They are noise-isolating yet super-small.

We have two, and they will be yours. Oh yes, they will be yours.

You know the drill. Register as a Blast user. Comment on the story. Two random comments will win. Post by Thanksgiving, and you’ll get these badies shipped over on Black Friday.

About the Wicked Little Buds:

• Petite earbuds feature a semi-glossy finish and feature tiny Wicked Logos on the ends of each bud
• Fiber-like cord enhances the aesthetic appeal and gold-plated tip prevents corrosion
• Light weight form provides a “barely there” feeling for the ultimate in comfort
• Available in 4 stylish colors: Black, Blue, Purple and Silver
• 5.8 mm Driver, 20-20,000 Hz Frequency, 1.2 Meter Cord
• Price: $29.99

I’ve long been a sucker for certain audio brands. Here in Boston, there’s no shortage of original talent, including Bose, Cambridge SoundWorks, and Tivoli.

Nationally, Altec Lansing’s long history for producing superior sounding products makes them stand out. Even their cheaper products stand out. The audio system on my computer at home is still an Altec Lansing SoundBar. The SoundBar, from 2008, has lasted longer than my last three computers, and I have access to nearly every computer speaker system out there.

And I feel the same about Cambridge SoundWorks products, even since their buyout by Creative. SoundWorks’s Newton speakers are divine. The company’s compact radios sound excellent and rival other tiny sound systems that promise big sound.

That’s what pains me about the SoundWorks i525, an iPod docking radio/alarm clock. By itself, the audio quality and construction make it a great choice. That’s how we should base audio products, right? Sound. Construction.

Well not quite. The i525 was not designed with the iPhone in mind. It plays and charges the iPhone, but Cambridge Soundworks did not get the product certified by Apple. A warning pops up on my iPhone 4′s screen when I dock it with the i525, warning me that it’s not optimized for my phone.

The product is fully functional, but WiFi and cellular phone activity can cause audio distortion and interference.

“The SoundWorks i525 will charge and function with iPhone. The Optimization flag appears as we are not yet certified for iPhone support. The product is fully functional with iPhone; however,” said Maria Cataldo, a spokeswoman for Cambridge Soundworks. “Please note, since we are not yet certified ‘for use with an iPhone,’ the user is presented with a warning that the iPhone may cause interference with the radio and offers you the choice to enter Airplane Mode. If the user does not enter Airplane Mode, the phone will still operate normally, but may introduce some interference from the radio when communicating with cell towers.”

In the device’s defense, I ran it through a few hours of trials and did not encounter any audio distortion.

Should we judge the i525 by this? On one hand, no. The i525 outperforms many similarly priced bedside iPhone docks. At $149.99, it’s the cheapest radio ever produced by Cambridge SoundWorks. it has an AM/FM radio that gets clear reception, and the company’s proprietary Smart Volume feature normalizes volume levels between songs, so you don’t get one really loud song and one quiet song.

But on the other hand, the company really needs to get that certification thing taken care of. The dock needs to fully play nice with what’s docking on it.

Blast recently came into a pretty large amount of codes for games for the iPhone and iPad, and we want to pass them on to you. Here’s what we’ve got:

- Monsters Love Gum (iPad): A terrifically addicting and colorful game reminiscent of hungry, hungry hippos. Here though — you control a monster and you scarf up as much gum as you possibly can. The best part is the ability to mess with your opponents through powers you earn through playing.

- Grumps (iPhone): You know those stupid adds for free…ahem…emoticons? Now you have a reason to hate them rather than them just being annoying. They’re coming to get you! In Grumps, you have to dodge an ever growing army of emoticons as they try to crush you.

- Stranded without a Phone (iPad): Formerly called Stranded, SWAP is one of the most highly recommended iPhone games to come out in some time.Can you survive on a deserted island for days? What about weeks?

- Dragon Fire (iPhone): A retro inspired 2D top down RPG where you have to fend off hordes of enemies.

So just how do you win? Simply register for Blast Magazine and comment here telling us what kind of iPhone or iPad game you’d create. Winners will be chosen at random this weekend. Go ahead and enter as many times as you want, it won’t help your chances though.

Apple announced the results from its quarter two earnings today. In its conference call to shareholders, the company announced sales of 14.1 million iPhones, and 4.2 million iPads.

The results are from the sales period July-September. The company earned record revenues and profits; Apple took in $20.3 billion, with $4.3 billion in profits. The company also sold a quarter-best 3.89 computers in the period.

With the July-September timeframe factored into earlier announced sales, in six months from its introduction, Apple has sold roughly 8 million ipads. And that’s pretty much the entire life of the iPhone 4–so somewhere around 10 million people out there are FaceTiming. Have you gotten one of theseyet?

Doesn’t it seem like a matter of time before the car “cigarette lighter” power socket is replaced by — say — a USB hub? Does anyone smoke in their car anymore? Better question: does ANYONE use the car’s cigarette lighter to light up?

Answer: No. Your GPS is already plugged into the cigarette slot. Or your phone charger. Or your iPod charger. Or something besides a cigarette lighter.

That’s where the Kensington PowerBolt comes in. It fills the slot snuggly — sheesh that sounds dirty — and replaces the cigarette lighter function with a 2.1 amp powered USB port that you can plug any device into.

The device is specifically marketed at the iPod/iPhone/iPad market, with the 2.1 amp capability meant to deliver quick charging to the Apple devices. It also comes with a detachable Apple cable. But you can plug in anything you want, even another smartphone or audio device.

By the way, there are about 6 billion USB devices out there. The electronics standard has been popular since its mainstream introduction in 1996.

The device works. It plugs in, fits perfectly, and has an LED indicator to let you know that you’re in business.

It’s 10 bucks and available at Amazon or most electronics stores. Tell your car “welcome to 1996.”

Well it’s Thursday morning here in Boston. The big news yesterday was that Verizon will roll out an uber-fast 4G wireless network all over the place by the end of the year.

If you’re like one news editor, who shall remain nameless, who wussfully buckled this year and switched from Verizon to AT&T to grab the iPhone 4, you’re outta luck.

That’s because the rumors are spreading, once again, that Verizon will have an iPhone 4 very soon as AT&T loses its contracted exclusivity on the very best cell phone in the world.

The Wall Street Journal fueled the rumors this week with a report, from nameless sources, saying: “Apple Inc. plans to begin mass producing a new iPhone by the end of 2010 that would allow Verizon Wireless to sell the smartphone early next year, said people briefed by Apple.”

We have no idea who these people are. We do not know whom Apple chooses to brief, when they brief them, how the briefings are conducted, and if there is any kind of religious ceremony involved with burning of saintly cards and cutting of hands.

So tell your friends you read it on Blast Magazine: the iPhone is TOTALLY coming to Verizon.

At least, that’s the rumor.

There’s no shortage of music apps out there, but we are fans of this one, which helps you make real music, instead of tapping buttons to create more fake music.

Star Scales Pro 2.1 is the latest update to the iPhone/iPod/iPad app that teaches aspiring guitar players scale patterns instead of complex charts. It helps improve speed and accuracy while playing the real guitar while working on your muscle memory.

The update doesn’t change much of the core functionality, but it adds better sound effects, graphics, and a cleaner fretboard interface.

The app is the product of Slovakia-based JoyApps, and it lets you practice on a six or seven string virtual guitar. It’s a teaching tool that’s good for pros and wannabes a like.

Highlights from the developer:

• Clustered scales for easy orientation
• Double length playback for root note of the scale
• Scale pattern on the whole fretboard in landscape mode
• Random generator to getting to practicing to the scales

“We would like to make the play on the guitar as easy as it could be. Time and time again, the pattern method has been proven the most effective method for learning scales that is why we hope scale pattern will assist in achieving better results,” said Zoltan Bognar, the app’s developer.

Star Scales Pro 2.1 is $0.99 and available worldwide through the App Store in the Music category.

India-based Mirage Labs announced a new app today that allows the user to record video using both the front and back cameras if the iPhone 4 in single recording session.

Flexicorder 1.0 is an interesting innovation that relies on a simple concept, giving iPhone movie makers the ability to get that much more creative with their works.

There are also interesting news reporter and blogger applications. One-man-band journalists can shoot a scene and jump right to their own face for standup without having to cut, shoot another segment and edit the two together.

Mirage Labs is also known for its Videopix app, which allows users to grab frames from videos and save them as still images and Video Zoom, the first digital zoom video app for the iPhone.

When you think of the iHome brand, chances are your familiar with their compact clock radio speaker systems. These inexpensive devices sound great and scored highly in our reviews, but lately the company has been stepping things up a bit, entering into an entirely new territory focused more on audio performance.

The iHome iP1 debuted the company’s new line of performance-based audio products, named to be their “Studio Line.” Being the first product in this new line, the iP1 showed consumers that the company means business and their latest “Studio Line” iP3 is no exception.

Offering up to 50 watts of power along with Bongiovi Digital Power Station technology which specializes to better enhance and restore lost details due to audio compression, the iP3, iPod/iPhone audio system packs a punch of power and is sure not to go unnoticed. Music on the device sounded great and audio levels were excellent for the small overall size of the unit. If loudness is what you are looking for, you will be very pleased with the iP3 as the unit cranks and will just blow you away in terms of volume, despite the idea you might get from its small form factor.

The Bongiovi Digital Power Station technology is exclusive to both the iP3 and iP1 and is without a doubt worth mentioning. Sound quality when using the technology was very good as opposed to when the technology was turned off which was dull and almost computer speaker sounding. We decided to really put the technology to the test by playing a few of our favorite tracks and toggling on and off the Bongiovi technology just to see how much of a difference it made. When enabled, music sounded loud, crisp and had a strong base and when switched off, tones sounded dull and low quality.

From first glance, the product offers a basic, yet compact design featuring an all black body with a transparent border that obtrudes from out and around the speakers. This makes for a unique design allowing the product to be placed practically anywhere and blend in with the surrounding background. On the front of the unit, between the two speakers houses an adjustable iPod dock that no longer requires an iPods inserts — definitely a nice plus. Toward the bottom of the system, you will find the audio controls, which from left to right include the Bongiovi on/off button, power button, and volume up/down controls. Finally along the backside of the unit you will find a power port, component video out connection and a line in port, giving you the ability to connect other devices to the unit rather than just an iPod.

We’re very pleased to see iHome included a component video out port on this device. If you are unfamiliar with what this is, it allows for the video on your iPod to be displayed on an external television or other type of display.

While the unit does sound great, there are some shortfalls to mention, with the price being the number one con of this device. At almost $200, this product is quite costly and we’re not sure it’s worth its high price tag. The iP3 sounds nice, but it has some tough competition out there, the Sony MHC EC709iP being on top of the list. This 180-watt system is $50 less and offers some added functionality like an AM/FM tuner, which isn’t available on the IP3.

It would have also been nice to have seen support for the iHome+Sleep application like featured on the A5. The iP3 does not offer any type of alarm clock functionality, which is what made iHome famous in the first place

Overall we’re pleased with the performance, design and portability of the iP3, but it’s not perfect and lacks a few features that should come with a hefty price tag.

Line2 is already one of the best business solutions for the iPhone, and now it’s gotten even better as the company gives consumers a few more reasons to sign on.

Toktumi Inc., the San Francisco-based company behind Line2, announced Thursday that the app will be updated to include SMS text messaging. The update, Line2 version 3.0, has just been approved by Apple and will hit the iTunes store soon.

This makes Line2 the first VoIP app to incude SMS texting.

“Unlike texting-only applications for the iPhone, Line2 combines VoIP calling capabilities and carrier-grade texting in one app, so that customers can use one number for both types of communication,” the company said in a statement. “There is no other calling app available on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch that offers this.”

In addition to the update, the price of Line2 has dropped to $9.95 per month.

"We believe that Line2 Version 3.0 will be extremely popular with consumers. We added unlimited SMS and removed business features that consumers didn’t need, allowing us to lower the price to just $9.95/month and broaden Line2′s appeal," said Peter Sisson, Founder and CEO of Toktumi. "We still provide our business customers a full-featured version of Line2 with all of the features of the prior version, plus unlimited SMS, for $14.95/month.”

Line2 allows users to add a second phone number to their iPhone, which works over the cellular and WiFi networks. It also works on the new iPod Touch models.

As BlackBerry users flock away and buy new smart phones, the maker of the seminal business phone may be preparing to release a brand new tablet computer and operating system to counter the iPhone/iPad revolution, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Research In Motion Ltd. may announce its tablet at the BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco, the Journal reported, citing anonymous sources familiar with RIM’s plans.

The tablet has been called BlackPad by many, partly in reference to the iPad.

The tablet would have a 7-inch screen, at least one, possibly two, cameras, Bluetooth, and Wifi. It won’t be a phone in and of itself, but it can be plugged into a Blackberry. This is a drawback.

The device would also use a brand new OS under development by QNX Software Systems, which RIM bought in April.

The sudden launch of the iPad, and its resulting popularity, have spurred manufacturers to follow suit. Tablets have been around for years, but they failed to gain momentum before Apple launched the iPad.

What a day for open source loving, torrent-downloading computer hippies.

VLC Media Player, the software that can play nearly any video file, has come to the App Store, with iPod/iPhone and iPad versions now available for free.

Running all your video files on your Apple device has been problematic forever. The built-in player only supports certain formats, but this will no longer be an issue with VLC, which has long been a mega-popular cross-platform desktop computer choice.

The app is being put out by Applidium, a French company that also offers a Google Analytics app and a language translator.

Apple will launch the iPhone 4 in China on September 25 and will open two new Apple Stores there.

New stores will open in Shanghai and Beijing.

The popular new iPhone model, featuring FaceTime, the Retina display, two cameras, HD video, the A4 processor, gyro, good battery time, and all the apps, will finally go on sale in one of the largest and fastest growing markets.

Users in China will also get personal support and free setup of email accounts and other important details.