The PhoneBoy Blog

Inbox Liquidation, Part 51

24 Nov 2009

As usual, a lot of crap gets backed up into my email. Here’s a few of the more interesting bits. I have a few more that I’ll post later.

Callpod Fueltank Uno: As my portable iPhone charger I bought off eBay bit the dust the other day, this particular gadget comes along at a good time. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t say how big the battery is, but it claims to be “more than 4 times the capacity of a standard mobile phone.” It comes with an iPhone/iPod and a mini-USB charging tip. If you don’t have a phone that charges with one of those, a coupon is in the box that lets you get a free charging tip. Extras are $10 each.

Prepaid Phones a Stocking Stuffer?: One of the emails I had from a PR firm suggested that in today’s economy, a prepaid mobile phone might be just the perfect gift to stuff in someone’s stocking. They are certainly inexpensive and can be had for under $30 and do not require either a long-term commitment or a contract. I wouldn’t necessarily pick phones from TracFone, as was suggested by the PR firm, but maybe you can get a prepaid phone one from one of the major carriers, which can also be had for about the same price.

Walgreens Launches an iPhone App: Aside from the usual “store finder” type functions, the new Walgreens app on the iPhone lets you order prescription refills and upload photos for printing at a Walgreens store. It would be nice if I went to Walgreens, which I almost never do.

Social Networking Wars: From the folks who bring you SuperNews, a hilarious animated take on current events, comes Social Networking Wars. You are a nobody working in an office trying to fend off the distractions of social networking. Armed with a stapler, you must fight them off while not hitting your co-workers–or your boss. It’s a silly game, but like social networking, it’s a nice time killer.

More on the Yamaha USB Speakerphone Gadget I reviewed: Jim Courtney sent me a followup letter about the Yamaha USB Speakerphone that I reviewed a few weeks ago. One of the things he points out is that a lot of people are put off by the price, as I mentioned as a concern in the review. If you can make that jump, however, the “on site” experience of using the gadget is quite good and can prove to be valuable. To that end, In Store Solutions wants to encourage user trial and will extend its return policy such that anyone purchasing during this promotion can return it, shipping prepaid but “no questions asked”, for a full credit until January 31, 2010. This gives purchasers a chance to make their own “on site” decision about its value in the end. Nice promo, guys!

Sony Selling AT&T Service at Sony Style stores: Not that I’m a huge fan of Sony Ericsson phones, but if you buy a Sony Ericsson C905a or W518a–presumably at full retail price–and agree to a new two year contract, you get three free accessories. It’s only in stores, not online. And, if you ask me, it’s not that great of a deal. Sony gets points for trying, but I doubt the promotion will be very successful.