Rumors of the iPhone being hacked. People have supposedly found a way to use the phone and internet without having to sign up for at&t’s service. There is also a rumor that someone has hacked it and is able to use it on other networks. If this is true, Verizon, here we come.

So it seems that the PS3’s price has dropped. I am definitely out of the loop because I didn’t even know they had stopped making the 20GB version. Well, for now, you can get the 60GB version for just $499… what a bargain! I also hear there will be an 80GB version released later this year. Kinda makes me wonder if they just took all the leftover 20GB’s and added them to some 60GB systems… Thats one way to get rid of old merchandise.

If you haven’t heard, cell phone companies are now kicking users off their network… more specifically, Sprint. Last wek they sent about 1,000 customers termination letters. They are being terminated for calling Sprint’s sucky customer service too much. Guess they dont like customers that actually expect customer service to work. Rumor is most were calling to have billing mistakes corrected… mistakes Sprint made. The customers have been given until 30 June to find a new service, or lose their number. Sprint balanced their accounts and is not charging them early termination fees. I guess if any had a bill of several hundred (or thousand) dollars, that letter was a blessing. Makes you wonder if they have set a precedent… want out of your contract? Bug customer service until they kick you out. Gotta go, I have several hundred calls to make.

I was in Macy’s yesterday, just hanging out w/ my best friend, looking at stuff I don’t need to buy. As I was looking around the men’s section, I noticed a large object resembling a vending machine. As I looked more closely, I noticed the Apple logo and the words “iPod” following. This was strategically placed, I am sure they knew no man could resist investigating it more closely. I did not disappoint.

There were all sorts of goodies inside. There were iPods, iPod Nanos, and all sorts of accessories. It was like a giant gadget that sold other gadgets. It was beautiful. It even had a touch screen as the interface. I was in awe.

Fortunately, my friend called me and broke me from the hypnotic trance the machine put me in. This is my warning to you: Beware of the machine lest you be drawn in and spend all your money just to see how it works.

Do you have a Nokia cell phone? If so, be careful, someone may have turned it into a spy phone. There is a company out there selling a software that can turn limited models of Nokia cell phones into “spy phones.”

So what exactly makes up a spy phone? Well, first, this software allows you to monitor SMS (text) messages. Whenever a SMS message is sent or received, you get a copy. Second, it allows you to turn on the microphone of the phone remotely. You can call in to the phone, turn on the mic, and listen to everything that is going on in the area surrounding the phone. The third feature is it will alert you whenever a call is placed or received. It will display the other number and allow you to connect as a third party and listed to the conversation.

Crazy, huh? Well, if you are interested, you’d better start saving your money, cause for just one license that will allow you to use all the features, you can expect to $1350 or $1795. Yea, expensive. I guess they priced it so that only rich people, terrorists and stalkers can afford it. Glad I have a Treo so you can use it on me, you stalker.

If you need to satisfy your stalker tendencies, check here.

Evidently, birds have been coming to our front lawn to die. Several weeks ago, I found a small gathering of feathers on our lawn. While I thought it a bit strange, I really didn’t give it too much consideration.

This week, I came home to find a larger pile of feathers on the lawn, this one taking up about a square yard. Now its becoming strange. So, I have a few theories…

1. one of our neighbors is fighting their birds in our yard… hey, its better than pit bulls

2. there is a gang war among the bird community, and they are getting in gang fights on our lawn. I hope they are not trying to claiming as their turf. I’d hate to head out one day only to be jumped by pigeons.

3. the goodfeathers are taking out snitches in front out our house.

4. birds have a club on our roof, are getting a bit too wild at night, having too much to drink, and are not quite making it home. Friends dont let friends fly drunk.

5. there is a family of birds trying to teach their young to fly from our roof… I guess they are not ready for graduation.

6. birds are spontaneously combusting and all that remains is feathers.

Well, no matter what the cause, if I happen to be there next time it happens, I will take video of it and post it on You Tube.

PS - iPhone? Treo, you need to step your game up.

Looks like Apple is in descussion with several airlines for plans to make planes iPod friendly. The plan is to put docks at every seat so the iPod can be seamlessly integrated with the in-flight entertainment system. The passenger will be able to power the iPod, and even watch their video content on the seatback display.

As if Microsoft’s Zune was not having a rough enough debut week already (with various news shows slamming in on opening day and disappointing sales), now this. Sorry Bill.

So I came across this article claiming that HD-DVD and BluRay are already obsolete. It claims that the internet, OnDemand movies, new (and expensive) hardware necessary, and the increasing popularity of hard drives are the main reasons they will not succeed. While the article was interesting, once I thought about it, I decided I think its a bunch of BS.

The article claims that the internet will soon allow for streaming and downloading movies like it does for music now. The problem with this is that the quality of downloaded content tends to be of a lesser quality than that on physical discs. For music, people probably do not mind the slight degradation in quality, but for video, its all about higher definition and high qulaity audio. This will result in larger files, and much longer download times. It will be a while before ISPs are able to provide connection speeds that will make this convinient. In a world of “now”, no one will want to wait hours for something to download like they did years ago.

Now, suppose the ISPs upgrade their infrastructure to allow the speeds needed for easy downloading of movies, the movies will have to be stored somewhere. Sure, hard drives are getting cheaper, but if a HD movie were to average 5GB in size, and the average movie watcher/collector has at least 150 movies, you would need a 750GB hard drive. Look to spend several hundred dollars just for the drive, and that doesnt include any movies. I hope it never crashes….

OnDemand? Seriously? Sure, its good to watch a movie once, but the reality is, its not yours. OnDemand is just a more convinient Blockbuster, not a replacement for purchasing movies.

The cost argument is just as weak as the rest. People who like technology don’t mind paying for new technology. Technology will inevetably become outdated and need to be replaced… but that is known upfront and embraced. Its not a valid excuse.

I dont think those little 5″ plastic discs are going anywhere anytime soon…. I am more concerned which format will be the VHS, and which will be the BetaMax. Wait, did I mention the dual format players slated to come out in 2007? Looks like that may not matter either. Happy movie watching.