By: Co-Editor, RB:

Some people may think that radio is dead. Broadcast radio has seen sharp declines in listener base and more importantly ad revenue. However, the rise of satellite radio and podcasts still indicates that receiving media via spoken word or music is still important to a great many people.

ListenerDrivenRadio.com or LDR is a new model for radio built on crowd-sourcing, that allows listeners to go online, or to their iPhone, and offer their input into what plays next on the radio station. LDR is constantly absorbing listener input, song votes, and comments on music, and automatically adapting radio programming in real-time. The audience can control the station’s on-air product … within the parameters that the Program Director creates.

With LDR, constant research is generated from active listener interaction. Listeners log-on, click-to-pick their favorite songs, and then sit back and enjoy hearing what they … and other listeners … selected to play on the air.

The Program Director selects the universe from which the listeners click-to-pick. That way stations will still be “SAFE” while allowing the audience to program the music that they play.
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By Co-Editor, RB:

There are over 150,000 apps now available from the App Store at Apple.com. Many of the apps are buggy or just plain dumb. However I have found one that is phone and works very well.

It was created by a resident of Hawaii and can be reviewed at iFaceLaugh.com

iFacelaugh.com specializes in the conception of unique and compelling iPhone applications and is the brainchild of John Blossom who resides in Hawaii. John is always ready to exchange facelaughs or play a round of Laugh-a-Laugh at iFacelaugh@com. His goal is to unite the world through laughter.

They way it works is that Imbeds recorded laughs – or other sounds – into photos that go off when touched. You can create, collect and send “facelaughs” to family and friends. It can be a very uplifting experience as you touch the faces of loved ones and hear their laughs or words whenever you need to.

You can play all facelaughs at once (like a crowd of your favorite people) or in any combination you choose just by touching thumbnails.

The best part in my opinion is the bonus of a great laugh imitation game called Laugh-a-Laugh that allows you to compete with others in the room or on-line. It is fun and challenging.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:

As my readers know, this space does not focus solely (or even primarily) on gadgets or the latest technology craze. We focus on startups and issues affecting startups and small business. However, I was recently tipped of to the latest offering from Skullcandy.com. The company that recently launched new earbuds, and based on the fervor in which people espouse the “coolness” of Skullcandy’s other products, this interested me.

As an iPhone user and a user of many things Apple, I am consistently intrigued with how other users defend and protect their mode of headphone (be it earpuds, noise cancellers, etc.). Moreover, the type of headphone (or earbud) one uses can apparently say something about one’s style. Skullcandy has been wildly successful reaching that market.

Skullcandy is a privately held company based in Park City, Utah. Skullcandy designs headphones, mp3 player watches, audio accessories and other audio-enabled lifestyle products, such as backpacks with built-in speakers and iPod controls. Skullcandy also collaborates with select brands to integrate its audio technology into products from snow helmets to outerwear, apparel, packs and bags. Skullcandy gear is sold worldwide through top retailers, specialty outlets.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:

A lot of you may have heard of the diet book Eat This, Not That. It is the wildly successful diet book from Men’s Health Editor-in-Chief David Zincenko and Men’s Health food and nutrition editor Matt Goulding.
The book does an excellent job exposing the obscene number of calories in certain foods, such as Outback’s Aussie cheese fries that weigh in at 2,900 calories, Chili’s Awesome Blossom at 2,710 calories , and Lonestar’s 20-ounce T-bone — an astonishing 1,540-calorie steak. And as a result, several restaurants have removed calorie-laded items from their menus.

However, most of us presumably do not walk around with a book under our arm that will let us know what is in the foods we eat. Now comes an iphone application developed by a San Franscisco entrepreneur that was designed to enhance not only healthy eating but food safety as well. Dwayne Ratleff, the sole proprietor of a house keeping business spent six months developing the recently launched iPhone app-Don’t Eat That.
The app is based on the premise that most consumers are not able to understand, let alone pronounce, many of the ingredients listed on food labels. Their food decisions are frequently based on convenience and taste, with few knowing the impact of what they are actually eating. The Don’t Eat That app was designed to enhance food safety with the touch of a finger. Read more

By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:

There are people who you know that are obsessed (not merely interested) with the latest technology releases be it the latest iPhone, Nokia Booklet, or video game release. Some of these people have buyer’s remorse the minute they pick up the latest gadget thinking about the next upgrade.

There is a new site out of St. Petersburg, Russia called PreOrder.it launched in January that has been created in order to give people who are interested in latest novelties in the world of electronics, mobile systems, photo and video equipment a possibility to contact manufacturers directly and leave an order for a product in which they are interested before the official sale starts.

This site would obviously interest any techno-savvy consumer, but the obsessive described above will really enjoy it.

The site actually has two types of users: merchants and customers. Customers can go to the site to access company’s press releases to find out new models, their characteristics, types of set and future price. If the client gets interested in something he can leave a pre-order that goes directly to merchants. Merchants can sell in advance and receive orders directly from loyal and future customers.
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