Powerpoint Books for Dummies

(Credit: Transcend)

Transcend has announced the P8, a stylish new all-in-one multi-format memory card reader. The P8 is a compact USB 2.0 card reader with rounded edges and a streamlined design.

All four of the P8′s card slots are clearly labeled to avoid confusion. The P8 accepts most …

Two British adventurers are about to head off on a 3,600-mile maiden voyage that could well give new life to the phrase “from here to Timbuktu.” They’ll be traveling alternately by land and sea in what they’re calling the “world’s first bio-fueled flying car”–the Parajet Skycar, …

Haier America Rhapsody Ibiza Touch

(Credit: Haier America)

Last year, appliance manufacturer Haier America surprised me by producing its very first MP3 player. More specifically, I was confounded by the fact that the company actually made a decent one that offered a variety of compelling features most mainstream MP3 player companies had overlooked (wireless podcast updating, for example).

Now, Haier is updating its Rhapsody Ibiza line with–get this–the Mini and the Touch. Those certainly aren’t the most original names (in fact, the words “blatant rip off” come to mind), but to Haier’s credit, the new players look nothing like the iPods of the same name.

First up is the Rhapsody Ibiza Mini, which will replace the current flash-based Ibiza Rhapsody. This pocketable player measures just 3.5 inches by 2 inches by 0.4 inch and features a 2.2-inch color QVGA screen dominating its face. Just below is a four-way directional pad composed of tactile controls for main navigation. Around the edges of the device, you’ll find a dedicated volume rocker, a power button, and a Wi-Fi connect key.

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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CBS Interactive)

We saw several electric car concepts at the Detroit auto show, but there were also a set of more traditional concepts with internal combustion engines on the automaker’s specification lists. These cars show off the sorts of designs the car companies are looking at …

Originally posted at The Car Tech blog

Nothing is constant in the cell phone world and carriers are no exception. In the past five years, we’ve seen Sprint scoop up Nextel, AT&T Wireless merge into Cingular, and Cingular become the new AT&T. And I won’t even mention the small regional operators that disappeared into the folds of a national carrier.

The latest carrier casualty is Alltel, which , as of last Friday, merged with Verizon Wireless. Like any corporate marriage, there are plenty of details to sort out so this one won’t be completed for some time. But if you’re a customer of either carrier, I’m sure you have questions on how the merger will affect you. So, to help you understand how the merger will proceed, I’ve created this handy FAQ that expands on Verizon’s own FAQ on its Web site. If you have any additional queries, please send them on and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Q: When will the merger be completed?

A: It will be a few months until Verizon and Alltel are one company. For now, Verizon is the legal owner of Alltel. Once the deal is done, Verizon will outpace AT&T as the largest U.S. wireless carrier with an expected 78 million customers.

Q: What will the company be called?

A: Verizon is the buyer here so the Alltel name and branding will disappear starting in the second quarter of this year. Most current Alltel customers will become customers of Verizon automatically.

Q: How much is the deal worth?

A: Verizon is paying $5.9 billion for Alltel and assuming $22.2 billion in Alltel debt for a total acquisition worth $28.1 billion.

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Originally posted at Dialed In Podcast

What was your favorite Mac? The original iMac, maybe, introduced by Steve Jobs in 1998?

(Credit: Apple)

Next week marks the 25th anniversary of the debut of Apple’s Macintosh–and we’d like to hear from you.

We’re putting together a package to mark the 25th anniversary of the …

Originally posted at News – Apple

No shocker: more talk of a price drop on the 80GB version of the PS3.

(Credit: Sony)

This rumor’s a little dubious, but several blogs are reporting that Sony plans to cut the PlayStation’s 3′s price tag by $100 in April. That would put the 80GB PS3 …