Penny College

You just can’t trust anyone these days. Your’s truly have been drinking out of the Shrek glassware that McDonalds has been hawking along with the Shrek movie release promotion and I just found that the glasses are being recalled due to toxic metal content. More information is located at the link below. Needless to say, if you have one, stop using it immediately and get a refund by following the directions on the website.

http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/mcd_faq/shrek_glasses_recall.html

While this may seem pricey, this new Android phone may just break the carrier lock on the purchase of new cell phones.  Check out the video below to see it in action. Hopefully, they’ll release it for T-Mobile with contract pricing.

Now that the banking industry is back from the brink of collapse, new players are jumping into the marketplace. Which is a good thing for consumers, because competition tend to drive better service and lower cost. This is the case with a new online bank called bank Simple.

The bank will be FDIC insured and do have a notable leadership team who are background heavy in technology and finance. So why do we care? Well, the bank promised to offer simple products with low to no fees. So if you’re tired of big banks ripping you off with checking fees or bad service, it may be worth a look.

The bank is just in starting phases and not open for business just yet. However, you can add your name and email address to the database for more information when they launch. The link is below.

www.banksimple.net

Another day, another MVNO. Today, we have another upstart in the Prepaid mobile market – My Simple Mobile. The services runs on the T-Mobile network and does come with a few good features. For example, they offer SIM cards so you can use any unlocked GSM phone in the world. Two, they offer unlimited Talk and Text (Including International Tex) for only $40 a month. Other plans are available with data etc. Overall, not a bad choice for those looking for cheap prepaid plan that runs on the GSM network to use their own phones with.

mysimplemobile.com

Unless you’re a senior or receive government aide, you may never have heard of a program called LifeLine. Lifeline is a service developed by the FCC to provide phone service to low income families and seniors.

If you’re part of the program, you can receive basic home phone service from the local phone company for low as one dollar a month. The idea is that even low income and senior citizens will have access to this vital communication service. The service is funded in part by the Universal Service Fund fee that is tacked on to everyone’s phone bill.

As time and technology progressed, the service was expanded in 2009 to include cell phone service as well. However, a family must choose one or the other. Meaning, they can choose to receive lifeline phone service at home or lifeline cell phone service. They can not receive both benefit simultaneously. In addition, only certain service providers and states participate in the cell phone portion of this plan.

Assurance Wireless is one provider that is available in NY and several other states that provides this service. The service is a sub-brand of Sprint Wireless, so you do have the access or a large celluar carrier. If you qualified, you will receive an free cell phone (Basic unit) and 200 free wireless minutes per month for free. In addition, you can purchase additional minutes if you exceed your allotment. Since the program is free, it is a great deal for seniors and others who traditionally cannot afford wireless service.

Full information here:

www.assurancewireless.com

Virgin Mobile, our favorite low cost carrier is about to shake up the prepaid world again.  This month, they will launch a $25 plan that will include 300 minutes of talk and unlimited text, data, and web. This probably the lowest cost unlimited plans (excluding voice) that we’ve seen. Hopefully other carriers will be forced to match the pricing. Unfortunately, your phone selection is limited and will not include the powerhouse like the Android phones on the Sprint network.

Via: Phonearena.com

Well, with the release of Avatar Blu-Ray and DVD imminent this week. A number of questions popped up regarding the new 3D television sets on the marketplace. So here we’ll give you a quick primer.

One, the Avatar Blu-Ray and DVD releases for this week are not in 3D. The 3D releases won’t be availalbe until later this year. So even if you have a 3D tv, you can’t watch Avatar in 3D yet.

Two, to watch 3D Blu-ray movies in 3D, your player must support the new 3D Blu-Ray specification. Those players that are compatible with the new specs have just come on market and are expensive. The Bu-ray players you have are in a sense outdated and incompatible. The only older player on the market that will be compatible in the future is the Playstation 3, which will receive a firmware update later this year to enable the 3D content.

Three, only a few cable companies and networks have committed to supporting 3D content on the broadcast side. So you won’t be watching too many 3D shows on tv at least for awhile.

Four, your HD tv must be able to support 3D. All TVs purchased within the last year are not compatible. You will need to purchase new TVs that can support the 3D standards – currently hovering around $2,500 or so.

Five, to watch the content on the 3D tv, you must each wear and purchase 3D goggles similar to the ones you wear in movie theaters. The goggles currently cost about $150 a pair. So definitely not a cheap proposition.

Given the pace of the technology and lack of content. We would highly recommend anyone thinking of purchasing 3D tvs to wait until the prices come down to a reasonable range. In the mean time, you can enjoy the markdowns on the regular HDTVs and purchase one for your viewing pleasure. By the time 3D is mainstream, if it ever is, the money you saved will enable to purchase the latest and greatest.

Are you an interior design newbie? Or are you an aspiring
designer looking to sprucing up your own dig? Either, today
we have some good news to share.

Autodesk, the design software company, is releasing Homestyler.com
as a free tool for those looking to use software to design their
interior homes and spaces.

The software is free and the results are quit good and simple to use for
beginners. So what are you waiting for?

www.homestyler.com

Drivemint.com is a new Zipcar like car-sharing service operating in NYC. The service offers a range of rates that are just a little lower in cost than Zipcar or Connect by Hertz. The service is started by an owner of car parking garages in NYC. So the cost saving is a direct result of the lower operating cost.

So if you’re in the mood for a deal. Signed up using the code AMNY and receive your first year’s membership for free and $50 driving credit.

http://www.drivemint.com

Are you a filmmaker? Do you stress on making your mark in the world but lack the tools to do? If so, then you have one less excuse today. Editshare, the company that makes Lightworks, is open sourcing their popular Lighworks professional editing software.

This isn’t some half baked tools offered for free. Just for reference, you need to know that the recent Leo hit “Shutter Island” was edited using Lightworks. So this tool is definitely up to task for hobbyist as well as the professional filmmaker. Now the only thing left out is your talent – could be the next one to deliver an “Shutter Island” caliber film?

http://www.editshare.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=208