BuyMeGetMe.com

Fresh on the heels of rolling out their Google Voice (VoIP and SMS) messaging system, Google also wants to change the way you send and receive all your other messages.

Throw in large portions of e-mail and document sharing and you approximate their new system Google Wave. Announced at a conference back in May, Google has just announced that they’re about to start letting selected users start testing the beta beginning in late September.

As you know, they have a pretty good track record when it comes to changing the way we look at apps the Web. Think in terms of Google Maps. And Google Earth. And Google News. And Google Docs. And iGoogle. You get the idea.

As a matter of fact, Google Wave is the brainchild of developers who had just completed creating Google Maps four years ago. They thought it would be a great idea to somehow come up with an online application that would combine e-mail, chat rooms, blogging and sharing documents.

According to their blog, they’re now ready to let 100,000 or so beta testers share in the experience.

Google Wave may be the next really big thing coming from the company. We’ll see.

So far, developers have been really tight lipped about whether Wave will be the future of both Google Docs and Gmail and Blogger. But, they have previously gone on the record stating that it would be great to have “one communication tool” for all communication needs.

If you’re interested (I know I am) you should hurry and sign up for a chance to be chosen to test the beta Website. If you decide to wait – you’ll probably want to try it as soon as it’s officially released.

For lots more info:

I like it!

Reviewers received their test handsets by FedEx, this morning and were able to get their first, real hands-on experience with the world’s second Google/Android phone.

My myTouch 3G (and others’) arrived in very classy packaging. Once you slide-off the colorful cardboard “box” you find yourself holding the very classy-looking vinyl/leatherette, zip-open case containing the handset.

In my case I found a “Merlot” myTouch – a royal burgundy wine colored phone. I can’t believe they sent out anything other than the usual black test phone.

Inside the case there’s a sharp-looking, AC charger and separate USB interconnect, a set of earbuds with no standardized jack — you still need to use the enclosed headphone-to-USB jack/adapter/dongle. That was a problem on the G-1 and remains a mistake on the myTouch 3G.

What is not in the box is any kind of protective case. The G-1 comes with a slide-on sleeve. So does the Palm Pre. I know people like to buy their own cases – and T Mobile wants you to customize what they’re calling myTouch 3G “shells” – but the addition of any kind of sleeve or cover would have been a nice touch.

I’ll have a full review of the new phone tomorrow – but my first impression is very, very positive. myTouch 3G is only slightly shorter and thinner than the previous Android phone but it feels a lot smaller my hand.

I’ve started loading a slew of necessary (and probably some unecessary) applications from Google’s Android Market (like Twitter, Facebook and some news feeds) and so far, so good. I’ve had zero problems.

I also have the new Google Voice application running on the handset. And we’ll see about mT3G’s new voice search feature which combines with the built-in GPS system allowing you to talk to your phone and ask for directions.

Stay tuned.

This might just be a case of “We did it because we can.”

British scientists at Kingston Technology have just announced a 256 GB flash/thumb drive. That’s giga not mega.

They claim their new DataTraveler 300 USB (1.1/2.0) Flash is the highest capacity big-little drive on the market today.

I’m not going to argue.

For the record, 256 GB of data, allows you to store 10 Blu-ray discs (~25 GB each) or 54 DVD discs (~4.7 GB each), 365 CD discs (~700 MB each) or more than 50,000 or so images!

How many people actually need to carry that much stuff around with them?

The monster drive provides data transfer rates of up to 20MB/sec. read and 10MB/sec. write. It works in Windows, Mac OS or Linux computers with USB ports.

Kingston says that 90% of the drive’s content can be password protected (Windows computers). No administrator rights are required and fast transfer speeds are said to guarantee smooth data flow to the host device.

I’m happy to report that the DataTraveler 300 is backed by Kingston’s legendary (their term – not mine) reliability plus a five-year warranty and 24/7 tech support. I hope so.

Because this 256 GB flash drive will set you back somewhere in the neighborhood of $900-$1,000 from one of Kingston’s online resellers. And, those listed resellers don’t mention prices as of yet.

Don’t expect to see these little babies being heavily discounted at your local Wal-Mart or Costco anytime soon. They’ll be available (in Europe for now) by special order only.

As I mentioned in a previous dispatch (below), Research in Motion needs to do a number of things to survive including listening to future generations of BlackBerry users.

They need to start getting the current crop of kids “hooked” on BlackBerry devices when they’re young:

But that’s not all.

RIM’s leadership needa to innovate again – like they’ve done so many times in the past.

Right now is the time for them to rethink their entire line of devices – from top-to-bottom – and show the world they still have the stuff that made their previous products so popular:

Cheap Trick was one of the hottest power-pop bands of the mid-to-late 70’s and 80’s. They were popular here in the U.S. and super, red-hot popular in Japan where they were referred to as the “American Beatles.”

Their best-remembered hit, “I Want You To Want Me” was a staple of early MTV videos. Their “Live at Budokan” album is a classic.

I’m happy to report that they’re still around – still making music and still rocking the house.

As a matter of fact, they’ve just reseased a new album called “The Latest”. It was made available on their Website last month and is set to hit retails stores (if you can find a store) next week.

But, in a stroke of genius public relations, in addition to CDs and downloads the band is also releasing their new album in a medium more suited to their 70’s roots: 8-track tape cartridge!

You can pre-order the Limited Edition (limited to anyone who still has a way to play it) 8-track version on Cheap Trick’s Website. They’re selling for $30.

I plan to get my hands on one and play it in my super-cool, AM/FM, 8-track player. Far out!

In addition, Cheap Trick addicts should know that recently performed the theme song for “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen” and are set to perform their version of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at the Las Vegas Hilton in September.

They’re planning to be accompanied by a full orchestra.

Hot on the heels of my story about Morgan Stanley’s teen intern memo on “old media” modes youngsters hate and which “new media” they love to embrace (see below) comes another instance of the young letting older types know which end is up – or should be.

Let me set the scene.

Tuesday in Toronto. It’s Research in Motion’s annual shareholders meeting. After corporate presentations and the like came the pretty-much standard question-and-answer session.

According to the account in Canada’s Financial Post, RIM’s big bosses were fielding questions from the packed audience when a child was chosen to ask a question.

“Are you going to make a phone more for kids so that my Mom will let me get one?” asked the youngster. A great question – and somewhat of a no-brainer for RIM but more about that in a minute.

The newspaper’s reports: “The child’s question met with hums and haws by RIM Co-Chief Executives Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis before they summoned up a vague response.

“There’s lots of opportunity and, you know, if the current BlackBerries aren’t acceptable to your mother, hopefully the next ones will,” Lazaridis said.

Research in Motion’s co-execs are two very, very smart guys. And after hearing from a representative of the next generation of BlackBerry buyers/users I’m guessing that they are taking the child’s question quite seriously.

I don’t think fulfilling the kid’s request would be all that difficult to accomplish. I’m guessing that one or more of their current models – like the BlackBerry Pearl Flip and/or a Curve could be put into action.

Kids don’t need to tap into the BlackBerry enterprise e-mail system (disable it) but they do need a device which allows them to send and receive text messages with ease, do some e-mail (when they’re forced to interact with adults), surf the Web, take photos, watch and shoot videos, and listen to mp3s. That’s stuff all modern-day BlackBerries do right out of the box.

So, what is really needed is a new marketing scheme. And maybe some hot colors. Cheap prices for the BlackBerry Kids’ phone as well as affordable cellular data plans would be great incentive for parents. Throw in some meaningful parental controls to protect kids’ calls and texts and this should be a terrific revenue boost for the company.

In addition, as kids get used to using a BB kids’ phone they’ll want more and more as they get older. It’s no stretch that as those Blackberry-toting children enter the workplace they’ll be prime candidates to stick with RIM products.

Who know, decades from now they could be using a Bold 11, Storm 9 or maybe even a Tour 7.

Interesting story on the front page of Monday’s Financial Times. It tells of a 15-year old intern working in Morgan Stanley’s London office who was asked to describe his friends’ media habits.

What Matthew Robson wrote is now the hot topic with fund managers around the world. It also serves as a warning for “old media” industries and their customers.

The story quotes the lad as saying that teens don’t use Twitter. That’s because Tweets can be accomplished on cell phones but that uses valuable cellular data plan minutes. Teens also don’t like the fact no one looks at their Twitter profiles. Robson concludes that Tweets are “pointless”.

The lad is also down on watching television or listening to over-the-air radio. He believes Internet radio and TV/videos are the way to go.

Newspapers are at the bottom of his list because teenagers “can’t be bothered to read pages and pages of text rather than reading or watching a summary” (probably on their cell phones rather than sitting in front of the “telly”).

The memo concludes that teens prefer spending their time and money on movies, concerts and video game consoles (which allow them to not only play games and watch videos but also facilitate chatting with friends).

This memo brings-up a number of interesting points:

Robson basically told the world that our current crop of teens and young adults are unwilling (or unable) to digest anything but small amounts of information at any given time. I’m not sure this bodes well for the next generation of leaders and thinkers. Garbage in – garbage out.

Odds are teens don’t worry about who pays for home Internet access. If they did, and had to ration its use like they do with cellular data minutes, they might think differently about their ubiquitous, free Web access in their parents’ home.

Robson also says that teens find advertising “extremely annoying and pointless.” I would think that, if that’s the case, watching the BBC (or PBS here) would be very appealing to teens. What it really says is that kids reject being sold to by older generations. That sounds a lot like what teens complained about in the 1960’s, 70’s, etc.

Finally, and we’re already seeing the effects, broadcast TV, radio and newspapers are suffering. Just look at the lengths some television stations are going to (watch the local news on New York’s Channel 4 – if you can) to appeal to generations of viewers who don’t care to watch. Forget about the older generations (with lots of disposable income) who do. We are being ignored.

The current King of “Older” Media, 78-year old Rupert Murdoch has a growing problem. Not only in Great Britain and the U.S. but everywhere. His worldwide newspaper, radio and TV holdings won’t be reaching younger generations – and that doesn’t look promising for many businesses.

Verizon had a once top-of-the-line BlackBerry called the World Edition (8830). It was a CDMA phone with an internal SIM card slot for use on overseas GSM networks.

When I started working at TheStreet.com they gave me one to use. It seemed flimsy to me. The trackball was so loose it barely worked. When I traveled overseas on business the phone wouldn’t make/accept calls (despite Verizon’s best intentions). I gave it back within a week.

I have nothing against BlackBerry phones. I love them. As a matter of fact, I use a BlackBerry Flip on a daily basis. I did not like the World Edition phone at all.

Happily, Research in Motion has just overhauled the 8830 and turned it into the new BlackBerry Tour (9630). The phone is based on the super-successful BlackBerry Bold (AT&T). That’s a terrific start.

This new handset also works on Verizon’s CDMA 3G network as well as having a SIM card slot for overseas GSM use. It’s very slightly smaller and thinner than the Bold and the great looking screen is slightly smaller too (same size as the 8830). The wonderful keyboard seems to be lifted from the Bold. Add a 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS, BlackBerry Maps and you have yourself a Tour.

Verizon doesn’t like adding Wi-Fi to their phones. The Tour is no exception. Subscribers using Wi-Fi instead of Verizon’s 3G, EV-DO data network cut into Verizon’s profits

I’m sorry to report though that the trackball on the sample they sent me is just as useless as one I had on that 8830 I used. I’m guessing it’s because the test phone I received had been heavily used and tested by the RIM people. It didn’t have a RIM Test Model sticker on the back – but there are still remnants of that sticker stuck on the back cover.

What are the odds of that happening twice with BlackBerry world phones? That’s not meant as a rhetorical question. I want to know what are the odds of getting a BlackBerry with a bum trackball? I would be very upset if I bought a phone that was delivered like this. Make sure your Tour’s trackball works perfectly before you leave the Verizon store.

Verizon is asking $199.99 for the Tour as long as you sign-up for a “2-year voice plan with e-mail feature – or an e-mail plan”. Online activation is free.

There is also a Sprint version of the Tour (9630) available at the same price..

OK. I know it’s not really called the G2. But it’s easier to use that moniker rather than it’s real name – the “myTouch 3G.”

Whatever you call it – it’s the world’s second Google/Android-OS-based is about to hit T-Mobile stores in the next few weeks.

Here in New York, yesterday, they threw a big press party for journalists to tell us that the new handset will be available to pre-order for current T-Mobile customers beginning tomorrow, July 8th.

The handset is the first second-generation Android smartphone. It runs on the latest version of the Android OS (1.5/Cupcake) and contains a very similar set of software features as it’s bigger brother, the G1.

I call the G-1 bigger because physically it is. But, it’s only slightly bigger.

The G-1 is longer than the new phone and very slightly thicker. The G-1 has a slide-out, QWERTY keyboard (as does the Palm Pre) while the new myTouch has only an on-screen, virtual, software keyboard (a la Apple’s iPhones).

When the two phones were placed slide-by-side, I was amazed to find that myTouch wasn’t all that much smaller or thinner than the older design. The myTouch does look sleeker though when the G-1 isn’t right next to it.

There are also some specific software differences between the two phones – the most interesting of which is support for Microsoft Outlook e-mail. Considering the fierce competition between the two companies Outlook support is an amazing feature. Don’t forget we’re talking about a Google/Android device that deals with Microsoft Outlook e-mail – a favorite of businesses around the world.

myTouch 3G will retail for $199.99 with a 2-year service agreement. Devices sold through pre-sale will begin shipping in late July. Others will be able to buy their myTouch 3G beginning early August. You can find out more by visiting T-Mobile’s Customers can visit the myTouch 3G’s special Website.

I hope to have a test device very soon and will let you know what it’s like to actually use a myTouch 3G as soon as possible.