Alba Gu Brath!

The cable news viewing habits of Democrats and Republicans revealed.

It's probably no big surprise but your political affiliation probably is a decent predictor of which cable news operation you prefer. Overwhelmingly Democrats prefer CNN and MSNBC while Republicans have a taste for Fox News.

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From Mediabistro

Every two years, the Pew Research Center looks at how people get their news. Throughout the day, we'll take a look at several facets of the latest study, which was released today.

• When it comes to audience breakdown by political lines, CNN and MSNBC showed more Democrat viewers while FNC, more Republican. But the minority party viewership is much stronger at Fox News than its competitors: 33% of Fox viewers are listed as Democrats, while 18% of CNN and MSNBC viewers say they are Republicans.

"Currently 51% of regular CNN viewers are Democrats, up from 45% two years ago. Nearly four-in-ten regular Fox News viewers are Republicans (39%), about the same as in 2006," reports the survey.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media

[From Who Watches What: Party Lines & Cable News]

Just when I switch phones my old phone gets a nice little upgrade.

The AT&T Tilt users have been waiting for this for a while.

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From Gizmodo

AT&T and HTC have finally pushed out the Windows Mobile 6.1 update, which according to Softpedia, brings threaded SMS, video share calling, MS Voice Command, Remote Desktop Monitor and managed programs. Everyone with a Tilt should download this ASAP and get the benefit that fewer bugs provides. Our tipster also tells us that WM6.1 will be available on stock phones within 7-10 days as well. Does improve the video drivers any? [HTC - Thanks Ding!]

[From AT&T's Tilt Finally Gets Windows Mobile 6.1 Update [Windows Mobile 6.1]]

Palm's Treo Pro: Too little too late?

My first smart phone was a Treo. The Palm operating system was a dream but now is archaic. It's too bad that they were able to keep up with Microsoft's Windows Mobile or Apple's entre with the iPhone. Palm is coming out with a smart looking device that they have branded the Treo Pro. Unfortunately, I think that this is too late to help the once dominant smart phone manufacturer returned to its former glory. If it wasn't for their adoption of the Windows Mobile operating system Palm would be relegated to the trash bin of technology history much like the Newton.

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From Gizmodoa

Wow, check out the Treo Pro, previously thought to be the Treo 850. It's safe to say Palm is plunging ahead with the Centro's industrial design, but the stark (glossy?) black and white color scheme with the phone/end orbs make it slick, rather than kiddie cool. Unfortunately, the Palm OS (new or othewise) is nowhere in sight, just Windows Mobile. Here's a shot of the back, too:

Hard to tell how big it is—if it's Centro-sized or more like the Treo 800w, though it looks slightly more like the former in terms of design. [WM Experts]

[From Palm Treo Pro Revealed (Lookin' Good) [Palm Treo Pro]]

3G iPhone chipset fix is on the way? Didn't I just do a firmware update?

I haven't experienced any significant reception or connection problems with my iPhone 3G I've read all lot of posts indicating that there are a significant number of users struggling with dropped calls and overall poor data connection performance. With all the problems that Apple has with their relaunched Internet services, MobileMe, I'm wary of that consumers might be in for a world of headaches surrounding undisclosed issues with the hardware. Recently the firmware for all of the phones was upgraded to 2.0.1 and if this story is true a new firmware upgrade is on the horizon.

I wonder if Apple slowly rolls out fixes and upgrades to the hardware so that they can cause problems for all those who have Jailbroken their phones.

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From Gizmodo

According to Businessweek, the solution to the iPhone 3G's chipset issues could be easier than most of us probably expected. Apparently, Apple set up the Infineon chip to demand more of a 3G signal than was necessary, which resulted in a switch back to the slower network if there are too many people in the area using an iPhone at the same time. This involves an issue with software on the chip which can probably be remedied through an upgrade instead of a costly and annoying recall. Businessweek claims that Apple and chip maker Infineon are hard at work on the fix and it could be released as early as the end of this month. [Businessweek via CNET]

[From Apple Working on Software Fix For iPhone 3G Reception Problems [IPhone 3G]]

Logitech aquires Ultimate Ears.

I love my earbuds. The current ones I'm using I had custom ear molds created at an audiologist. But I'm always looking out for new better sounding and more comfortable ear buds. Just recently I had been turned on to Ultimate Ears. One of the reasons I was interested in products from Ultimate Ears is that they all offer a set of earbuds that are compatible with an iPhone. That is to say that they have an in-line microphone. Today I read this post that they had been acquired by per referrals giant Logitech. Hopefully, this will mean that their products will enter a wider distribution chain and be more readily available to consumers.

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From Engadget:

Filed under: Portable Audio

Logitech is getting into the earbuds game, announcing today that it's buying privately-held Ultimate Ears. Historically focusing on spendy in-ear monitors for live musicians, Ultimate Ears has recently hit the earbud game with full force, and Logitech seems to want a piece of that action. Plus the acquisition price of $34 million is like, what, profits from your last seven minutes of iPod dock sales, Logitech? Logitech and Ultimate Ears expect the deal to close in August.

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[From Logitech snaps up Ultimate Ears, chasing this "portable audio" market we've heard so much about]

Engadget: SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling

Now this is something I really want to try. I've had a Slingbox pro connected to a TiVo and a raw cable feed for the last year. I'm impressed with the basic technology but I've been less than impressed with the implementation. Setup is not as seamless and as easy as it could be and documentation is terrible. I'm glad to see that while the much-anticipated SlingCatcher still seems far from release that the people at Sling are still marching forward with development.

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From Engadget:

Filed under: Home Entertainment

SlingPlayer 2.0 was announced way back at CES 2007 (and, uh, re-announced this year) and it looks you'll finally be able to get a taste, public beta style -- but only a taste, since it's missing its most hyped feature, Clip+Sling. If you'll recall, C+S was supposed to let you nab up to 5 minutes of content and share it online with your friends, but it looks like only the local DVR features have made the cut, so while we're still excited about the new 60-minute buffer and EPG, it's not all we've been promised. On the bright side, the holdup isn't technical, it's legal, so once all the appropriate networked partnerships and contracts have been signed, you'll be clipping and slinging like there's no tomorrow. Other minor changes include a tweaked UI (skin support has been dropped) and (finally!) the death of Slingbox Finder IDs in favor of user accounts. Windows-only for now, with a video demo after the break -- let us know how you're doing in comments!

Read - Slingcommunity announcement
Read - Dave Zatz's take

Continue reading SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling

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[From SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling]

Engadget: Karmazin promises interoperable Sirius / XM radios in less than 9 months

What I'd really like to see is the merger of some of the content. For instance XM's version of "public radio," should be replaced by NPR which is currently only available on Sirius. This merger of content would benefit the hundreds of thousands of vehicle owners who currently have manufacturer installed receivers that only receive the channels from one service or the other.

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From Engadget:

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

While the newly formed Sirius XM Radio has already promised the FCC that it'll deliver interoperable radios within nine months, CEO Mel Karmazin has now told investors that they can "assume" that the radios will actually be available "a number of months sooner" than that. Karmazin added, however, that we shouldn't expect them quite as soon as this holiday season, which nicely lines up for a debut at CES in January and an actual release shortly thereafter in the first quarter of the year. Unfortunately, Karmazin didn't spill any details on said radios, with him only going so far as to describe them as "very cool."

[Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]

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[From Karmazin promises interoperable Sirius / XM radios in less than 9 months]

CRAP! Apple Stays Exclusive with AT&T

I have to keep reminding myself that there is currently no better GSM alternative in the US than AT&T.

My recent experience purchasing an iPhone 3G was so painful I currently loath my carrier. I realize I'd feel the same no matter who the carrier is. The all are pretty bad.

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From VoIP & Gadgets Blog

According to USA Today, AT&T and Apple have agreed to extend their exclusivity relationship through 2009, meaning the next iPhone will be made specifically for AT&T service.

The report claims that Apple originally signed the deal with AT&T through 2008 and next year would start selling iPhones on other carrier services. But after AT&T offered a $300 subsidy on each iPhone instead of the revenue-sharing model that became such a hot issue last year, Apple decided it was in its best interests to stay on with AT&T for one more year and take the subsidy.

Undoubtedly some will say that AT&T may have made the best deal in quite some time and I tend to agree. But still others will say that Apple did the right thing in taking the money and although it's forced to sign up for another year with AT&T, it's still the right move.

Those people are dead wrong.

And The Digital Home got that right -- read on!

Tags: apple, at&t, iphone

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[From Apple Stays Exclusive with AT&T -- Boo!]

Gas as an economic engine?

What if the Federal and State gasoline taxes were "suspended," for the summer as some politicians had proposed?

Now that prices are falling would the added relief of a temporary tax suspension have acted as an economic stimulus at just the time it is need most?

We'll never know.

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German Family Buys Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle For Grocery Runs [Wtf]

Any German rearmament is always a worry.

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From Gizmodo

When Joachim Schoeneich of Neu Anspach Germany goes shopping for groceries with the fam from now on, he does so in style: with a tank. Or, more accurately, with a $47,376 six-ton British Army Fox FV721 armored reconnaissance vehicle. "We take the tank to go shopping and little trips," Schoeneich said. "It is a bit hard to find a parking place, but we get right of way at every junction." No kidding. It's too bad the gun doesn't work, but this thing's definitely intimidating enough without it. Well, that and the baby seat he installed for his kid. [Ananova via DVICE]

[From German Family Buys Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle For Grocery Runs [Wtf]]