Brandon Dimmel

One of the hottest products for Apple, now and ever, has been the iPod nano. It seems the device is certainly living up to that billing lately, with reports that the nano recently engulfed one Atlanta man in flames. Hot, but certainly scary stuff. ... The report comes from The Register, which cites the case of one Danny Williams. Williams apparently told local news agencies that the glossy paper in the pockets of his pants saved him from burns. Although smoke allegedly surrounded Williams by one point, injuries are reported to be only minor and superficial. (Source: theregister.co.uk ) Still, it ... (view more)

Concerned about gaping holes in Microsoft Word, Outlook Express, or Internet Explorer? With a handful of updates recently made available, users of these programs can rest a bit easier. Microsoft has now made available six security updates for its ... products, filling holes in the above programs plus Kodak Image Viewer (which ships with Windows). The update itself fixes a total of nine bugs in MS software, four of which have been deemed critical. (Source: informationweek.com ) Perhaps the most frightening of the bugs is the one staring down college students as they ready for fall essays and exams ... (view more)

The Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) is currently embroiled in the first American trial of a person accused of illegally sharing music. According to the organization itself, it won't be the last. Although we've been hearing for a long ... time that there can be real trouble for those who skip the CD store to visit Torrents and, in the past, protocols like Kazaa, to some it has seemed an empty threat. While 26,000 lawsuits have been filed since 2003, only this most recent trial proves the RIAA is taking such matters very seriously. According to Cary Sherman, president of the RIAA, "We ... (view more)

I guess AMD just felt like making a right turn for once. The chip maker recently announced it was ending its deal with NASCAR, citing new marketing strategies. Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, is the primary competitor of Intel. Last year it acquired ... ATI Technologies, a move that led to a complete re-evaluation of company marketing tactics and, subsequently, partnerships. According to spokesman for AMD Travis Bullard, that re-evaluation left no room for Jeff, Tony, and the boys from NASCAR. "When we acquired ATI, we about doubled in size and it brought on a whole new series of products and ... (view more)

Just how much do you think early iPhone buyers deserve in the wake of Apple's decision to drop its price $200 so soon after launch? $100? $200? How about a million buckaroos? That's exactly what one early iPhone buyer seems to believe she's owed, ... seeing as she is currently suing Apple for the rather Regis-like amount. What makes this woman think she's owed so much? Dongmei Li, a New York resident, says she waited four long hours on a hot July day to purchase the 4GB iPhone. She did so just three days after launch, meaning she got the PS3-like price ($599) and not the Xbox 360-like ($399) ... (view more)

Just when you thought Apple was going to run away with yet another handheld market, industry powerhouse Samsung has announced its own contender. The iPhone may not be the only super communicator if the "Serenata" has something to sing, er say, about ... it. The Serenata will be a joint venture launched by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and audio electronics designers Bang ... (view more)

Too lazy to get off your duff, pick up a guitar, meet some friends with purple mohawks, and form a band? Me, too. That's why it's pretty likely that Electronic Arts' "Rock Band" is going to be a hit, even if the price point seems a bit steep. Gamer ... or not, you've probably heard of Guitar Hero. Like the Nintendo Wii, it's brought many casual players into the next-gen fold, offering untraditional approaches to gaming. Although Guitar Hero III is slated for this fall, it's being overshadowed by industry giant EA's Rock Band. Rock Band, which ships November 23 for Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, ... (view more)

Although it is, without doubt, head of the pack when it comes to operating systems and some of the software for those operating systems, Microsoft is nowhere near the lead as an online search engine. That title belongs to Google, although a recent ... initiative from Microsoft appears ready to challenge for the crown. So, what's 'ol MS up to? In the world of search engines, the king is often the one that can find the most results on a given query. Microsoft's new plan is to actually quadruple the number of sites its searches link to. Not only that, the company announced that a new core technology ... (view more)

That's right, get 'em while they're hot. It seems Nintendo's tiny white console may be the first to remain so popular that it sells out during its second holiday season in release. According to Nintendo of America, the company is still struggling to ... cope with an enormous demand for the casual gamer's console. Given the usual spike in sales with the upcoming holiday free-for-all, Nintendo expects its hardware will be a rare bird indeed come December. In a statement, Nintendo of America's president said, "We're working very hard to make sure that consumers are satisfied this holiday, but I can' ... (view more)

It took my parents years to relinquish their cynical ways and begin using the web to purchase items, even join auctions for everything from DVDs to glassware. If they get word of the recent hack and exploitation of personal details on eBay, it might ... just scare them back into the department store forever. According to reports, the names and private data of some 1,200 eBay users were leaked onto the company's public Trust ... (view more)