Hasta La Gadget!

Sony Pictures has been hacked, it is being reported, with the company’s computer network in New York and other unspecified locations around the globe being taken over by some group referring to itself as “#GOP”. The company has reportedly shut down all of its computers in Los Angeles as a precaution, and is investigating the matter. In the course of … Continue reading

Despite the BlackBerry Passport sporting a somewhat unusual design in terms of its dimensions, it managed to sell out pretty quickly and based on reviews of the device so far, many users appear to be quite happy with it. Now if you have been swayed by the reviews and are thinking of getting one, BlackBerry is trying to make it more affordable for you.

No, they will not be discounting the phone, but according to BlackBerry, they are offering a trade-in program that is aimed squarely at iPhone users. According to the press release, “For a limited time, starting December 1, Apple iPhone users can upgrade to a BlackBerry Passport and get up to $400 USD/CAD back on their iPhone, plus an additional $150 USD ($200 CAD) from BlackBerry.”

The trade-in program is expected to run until the 13th of February 2015 and the qualifying iPhones includes the iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and the iPhone 6. Presumably the newer the handset the more money you will get for it, but if you have an old iPhone lying around and you want to put it to good use, trading it in could be one way to do that .

So iPhone owners, any of you guys planning on taking up BlackBerry on their offer?

BlackBerry Tempting iPhone Users With Trade-In Program , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

At the end of October, Microsoft made a surprising quiet announcement which unveiled the company’s first wearable – the Microsoft Band. The device, for those unfamiliar, is a fitness tracker that tracks the usual activities but also has the ability to measure the wearer’s heart rate. With it priced at $199, it proved to be a hit and sold out in a relatively short amount of time.

Now the bad news is that it seems that Microsoft appears to be unable to keep up with the demand for the Microsoft Band. The company has recently sent out an email to their customers who have expressed interest in the device, informing them that they are still currently out of stock and that they should try their local Microsoft Store which could have some units available.

In the email Microsoft sent it reads, “Thank you for your interest in the Microsoft Band. Due to customer response, we no longer have any available for online sale. However, your local Microsoft Store may have some in stock through the holidays. Visit or call your local store.” It also seems that Microsoft is issuing a $10 gift code to customers who spend $50 or more in the Microsoft Store as a small consolation.

While it no doubt speaks volumes as to the popularity of the device, the fact that it still remains sold out with the holiday season around the corner will definitely lead to a lot of disappointed customers. No word on when Microsoft will be getting more units back in stock, but if you’re interested in getting your hands on one, you’ll have to try your luck at a Microsoft Store or check back online later to see if more units have been made available.

Microsoft Band Remains Sold Out Ahead Of Holiday Season , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Edward Snowden quickly became a household name when it was revealed that he was the one who blew the whistle on the NSA’s PRISM project which ultimately led to more reports and revelations published in what has been dubbed the “Snowden Reports”. In the wake of that, many companies started to declare their transparency and more reports have surfaced, revealing that government requests for user data is actually on the rise.

That being said with all these revelations, has it affected the way you conduct yourself online? Has it changed the way you share information? Well according to a recent survey conducted by the Centre for International Governance Innovation, it turns out that not many people have changed their online habits.

The survey found that 60% of those who participated have heard about Edward Snowden. However it was found that a little over a third have actually bothered to protect their online privacy and increase their security as a result of his revelations. However for those who have bothered, it was found that these people have went on to try and learn more about encryption and ways to protect their privacy online.

India was found to be the country leading the pack at 69%, followed by Mexico and China, but ultimately the low participation from other countries led to an average of 39%, but what do you guys make of these findings? Have you personally made changes to the way you share information online after these revelations?

39% Tried To Improve Their Privacy Following Snowden Reports [Survey] , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Are you a “within the lines” kind of thinker? Are you afraid to let your thoughts wander outside the perimeter?

Imagine what life could be like if your thoughts had no boundaries — if you could transform a dull moment into an adventurous romp in your head — and think like a writer, like I do.

While driving to work in the morning, I don’t think about how to fold a napkin like Martha Stewart, or how to remove ugly wax buildup from my kitchen floor. I think about the tarp in the pickup truck in front of me and how there might be a body underneath it.

Should I take a picture of the license plate and send it to “America’s Most Wanted?”

Then I remember the ’80s and my mistaken sighting of the Son of Sam on a Metro-North train and the bemused look on the cop’s face as he filed the report.

Back then, my thoughts often got away from me, though I was young enough to be excused for mistaking a bedraggled salesman for the Son of Sam.

Now, I have better control of my thoughts and tell them not to venture into the dark place beneath the tarp. “Stand down,” I say aloud, knowing that anyone who sees me won’t think I’m crazy because of the Bluetooth defense.

I instruct my thoughts to move on to something less sinister, like the frozen food section at the Stop & Shop where the elderly stop to talk to me. But my thoughts veer down another aisle instead. And I think about how the people who cut me off with their cars in the parking lot are the same people who cut me off with their carts at the produce stand.

“How come my brain doesn’t work like yours?” you ask. “Why isn’t my brain equipped to think in psycho-writer mode?”

Well, you’re wrong, my “within the lines” thinking friend. Your brain is also psycho-writer equipped. Remember what Glinda the Good Witch told Dorothy at the end of The Wizard of Oz? — “You had the ability to get home all along.”

Well, you had the ability to think in psycho-writer mode all along.

Turn off the practical humdrum switch in your brain, comforted by numbers and lists and repetitive functions that can cause carpal tunnel brain syndrome. And let your thoughts stretch your imagination.

While driving to work, think about that weird clerk at the pharmacy with the crooked nose and pink-framed glasses. Was she human or goblin?

Start to play the “what if” game that writers love to play. What if the clerk got zapped by a gamma ray before handing you your prescription, and turned into a goblin?

What if aliens captured your husband while he was in the shower and that’s really a doppelganger husband tucking his shirt into his pants?

Yes, you, too, can be as weird as I am.

But use your psycho-writer powers sparingly at first. Some “within the lines” thinkers have been known to overuse their psycho-writer powers before becoming familiar with them — and end up in a white padded room obsessing over that word problem they got wrong in sixth grade math:

“What time will a train arrive in Los Angeles if it leaves New York City at 3 a.m., stops in Chicago for one hour, where you spend thirty minutes at a pizzeria trapped in an avalanche of extra cheese…”

Blurg! Spurt! Gurgle! Numbers — They’re so calculating; they try to disguise themselves as words, but they can’t hide their stubby little digits.

That’s why on days when things don’t add up, I stop trying to figure them out and start to play the “what if” game, a momentary getaway from the complexities of life.

This is a revision of the blog post “How To Think Like A Writer” that previously appeared at ThinkSpin.com.