Hasta La Gadget!

Android users on AT&T and T-Mobile have been able to purchase apps from Google Play and have them billed to their mobile account for a while. Customers on Verizon Wireless didn’t have that capability, they instead have to use a credit card to pay for apps. We mentioned a few weeks ago that carrier billing was coming to Verizon Wireless for Google Play purchases.

That carrier billing for Verizon went live yesterday. This means that you can now purchase your favorite apps, music, and other content and have the purchase price added to your wireless bill each month. There are no hurdles to jump through on the user end in to set up carrier billing, you simply have to choose that payment method when you purchase an app or other content.

There are a few caveats to the carrier billing with Verizon Wireless. A billing cycle limit of $25 is reportedly being enforced. That means that each month you can’t charge any more than $25 worth of digital content to your mobile phone bill.

That’s good in some ways because if you lose your phone, whoever finds it can’t charge huge amounts of money to your mobile account. If you’re afraid a child with an Android phone on your account might take advantage of carrier billing to make unauthorized purchases, you can block web purchases for your account using the Verizon Wireless website.

[via Droid-Life]

Google Play carrier billing comes to Verizon Wireless is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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If you have a notebook Mac and you use it both in an office and on the road, you probably know by now that having it at a comfortable viewing angle when in the office is key to the long-term health of your spine and posture. There are many stands out there to help you get those MacBooks up off the desk, but a new one from Twelve South seems to offer a much more flexible solution compared to most, thanks to fully adjustable height.

The Twelve South HiRise offers a spring-loaded central post that can lift your MacBook between 2-6 inches above your desktop surface, with height you can dial in to match the level of additional secondary monitors, or to make sure that if you’re taller or shorter you can find the right level for your own neck and back comfort. With my setup, I’ve got adjustable mount arms for external displays so I end up moving those down to match my MacBook Pro on the mStand by Rain Design (another very capable notebook stand), but being able to also change the height of the MacBook would be a very welcome addition, especially since it sits at the center of my desk and commands the majority of my attention.

The HiRise is priced at $70, and can be ordered from Apple’s online store and Twelve South directly. Like other notebook stands, it also provides good ventilation for the underside of your notebook Mac, and it’s designed to be easily spun side-to-side to allow for changing the horizontal viewing angle. The only potential downside I can see is that it uses grippy pads exclusively to hold your MacBook in place (the mStand has feet at the front to prevent the computer from ever sliding forward), but I’ll reserve judgement on whether that actually constitutes a weakness until I get some hands-on quality time. Even with that caveat, the HiRise looks like a great option overall, especially for office or home office workers looking for a way to better address chronic back and neck pain.

Bluetooth speakers are getting more and more commonplace these days, thanks to the proliferation of devices that already come with Bluetooth connectivity built in. The £199.99 Block Rocker Bluetooth Speaker might take some aback with its price point, but do not fret – you can be sure every single quid you drop for it will be well worth the investment. With the Block Rocker Bluetooth Speaker, you are able to pair it to just about any other Bluetooth audio device, ranging from smartphones to tablets and notebooks, letting you share your favorite tunes with the rest of the world – or perhaps making a statement in a public place, whether the rest of the folks share your musical tastes or not.

Definitely the ideal device to introduce a little bit of audio wallop to indoor and outdoor soirees. Apart from that, it can also function as a combined amp, PA system and karaoke kit – and just in case you have run out of MP3s to share with the rest of the world, there is always the back up plan of an integrated AM/FM radio. Your Bluetooth-enabled device can reside safely at the top of the Block Rocker for safekeeping, and with a battery life that is rated at 12 hours, you know that this is good enough to sit through the entire night’s partying.
[ Block Rocker Bluetooth Speaker copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

If you’re looking for a good way to scare yourself, then this recently released Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs trailer might just do the trick. For those who haven’t played the first installment of Amnesia, well speaking from personal experience it is one heck of a ride and probably one of the most scariest games you can ever play. We expect that its successor, A Machine for Pigs, will do a much better job at scaring you, what with the new graphics and such. Now it seems that its publisher, Frictional Games, is requesting for gamers to submit their own screams of “fear, panic, terror, anguish, torture and horrid, awful death” which we imagine they will incorporate into the game. If you think you have what it takes, you can record yourself and send it to piggies@thechineseroom.co.uk, or if you’d rather not have your neighbors or parents think you’re out of your mind, you can check out the trailer in the video above.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Diablo 3 players report Error 73, Wii U official advertisement shown,

Back in August we reported on a device called the Ubi, and for those who might have missed our post or have forgotten, the Ubi is a device that will bring voice-activated computing to your home. It plugs into your wall socket and will connect to your home’s WiFi network, letting you dictate commands to the device hands-free, which means that you will be able to ask the Ubi to perform certain commands while you’re reading a book, cooking, watching the television or basically anytime you might have your hands full. At the moment its creators have listed features such as internet search, email, speakerphone, intercom, home automation and monitoring.

The good news is if this sounds like a device you wouldn’t mind getting for your home, you will be pleased to learn that the Ubi is currently available for pre-order via its website where it will set you back $219. It will also come with temperature, humidity, air pressure and ambient light sensors to help provide feedback, a microphone and a set of built-in stereo speakers. If you’d like to learn more about the Ubi or watch some videos, head on over to its website for the details where an extensive FAQ has also been provided.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: The Ubi Kickstarter project wants to bring voice activated computing to your home, LG Hom-Bot robotic vacuum cleaner debuts internationally,