March 5, 2006

By Staff

What's new:The big news in calling home cheaply is "voice over Internet protocol" (VoIP) services like Vonage ( www.vonage.com ) or Skype ( www.skype.com ).

Since VoIP services generally work best with a broadband or wireless Internet connection, they are recommended for travelers who want to make calls from fixed locations, such as hotel rooms or a conference room - although they can also be used from Internet cafes or wireless hot spots if you have a notebook computer. (Some specialized VoIP services or phones like Vonage's Wi-Fi UTStarcom F1000 phone will work only at hot spots that do not require a user name or credit card.)

March 5, 2006

By Staff

Who Got The Swag: Jon Stewart, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Morgan Freeman, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Keanu Reeves, George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Jamie Foxx, Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Charlize Theron, Queen Latifah, Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson, Uma Thurman, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Naomi Watts, Ludacris, Luke Wilson

Swagables by Sequioa Productiosn

Click on the Swagable item for product and purchase information...

March 2, 2006

By Heather Svokos

The first Oscar goody bags, back in 1989, were simple things. Maybe some lipstick, perhaps a bottle of champagne, a token thank-you to the celebs who showed up to present the statues on the big night.

Seventeen years later, they have become a verb ("gifting"), an industry unto itself -- an obscenely lavish behemoth whose diamond-encrusted talons have reached all pockets of Hollywood and beyond: $25,000 trips to Hawaii and $1,500 cashmere blankets.

March 2, 2006

By Staff

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - Sen. Ron Wyden on Thursday proposed legislation aimed at preventing high-speed Internet service providers from charging content companies extra so consumers have faster access to their Web sites or receive special treatment.

The Oregon Democrat said he was pushing the legislation to ensure smaller start-ups trying to do business on the Internet would not be outgunned by bigger companies.

March 5, 2006

By Staff

Jennifer Aniston and many of the presenters of the Oscar's on Sunday night will receive a pretty impressive gift bag commonly know as swag. The "Stuff We All Get" estimates to be about $55,000 worth of freebies and some have it as high as one hundred grand worth of free stuff.

March 3, 2006

By Greg Sandoval

When it comes to cashing in on the celebrity of Hollywood film actors, the technology sector is certainly no novice.
Yet, at this year's Oscar ceremonies at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, the tech sector will likely cast a faint shadow, as companies of every ilk compete in one of the world's most competitive product-placement events.

Some of the more exotic gifts that will be doled out to Oscar luminaries include a vintage silk kimono from designer Kay Ungera, a spa visit at Cornelia Day Resort in Manhattan and a retreat to the Mayan Riviera or a Canadian ski vacation, courtesy of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, according to Entertainment Weekly's Web site.

March 3, 2006

By Staff

I don't know about you, but I know what I'll be doing Sunday night at 8pm: watching the 78th annual Academy Awards! Of course I'm a little upset that I won't get to see what's happening on Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy this week, but seeing Johnny Depp and Christian Bale on my TV screen is way better.

And where would the swanky Awards Show be without tech swag? If only I could get my hands on the Oscar nominees' goodie bags! According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the goodie bags are estimated to be worth over $100,000, full of trips, massages, and tech galore. We won't know all of the products in the bags until the Show, but PCMag Reviews Editor Laarni Ragaza managed to get us a sneak peak.