Apple has raised the bar, again, with the iPhone 4S and iOS 5.

The list is endless. A5 chip, 8MP camera, 1080 HD video, 200 additional features integrated into iOS 5 and let’s not forget about Siri.

As much as I LOVE the iPhone, this post is NOT about the iPhone 4S.

Motorola released the “impossibly thin” Droid Razr today.  Thin has to be an understatement.  I saw a couple of Droid’s this weekend and they were incredibly thin, so I can’t imagine how thin the Razr is, nor do I care – ok, so I’m a little curious, but it ends there.

I’m sure the Droid Razr is aweseome, but this post is NOT about the Droid Razr.

Which phone IS this post about?

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce you to the Casio G’Zone Commando.

What the……????

Let me explain.  Actually, take a look at this video (courtesy of PhoneArena.com):

I saw someone do this in front of me this afternoon and I was like a 6-year old watching cartoons.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

Check it out: (I know, not the best picture)

Casio G'Zone Commando in a Bucket of Water

What else do I know about the Casio G’Zone Commando?  Absolutely nothing.  Do I want to know anything else about the Casio G’Zone Commando?  Absolutely not.

This isn’t a debate about which phone is faster or thinner or has better service.  Another time, another place.

This phone is bad ass.  Period.  End of story.  Actually, that is the story.

You can buy this bad boy from Bestbuy for $149 OR you can get it for $0.01 at Amazon with a new contract from Verizon.  Yes, just a penny!

Do you have the Commando?  Would you consider getting one?  Let me know what you think!

The GREATEST iPhone of ALL TIME is the iPhone 4S.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Let’s dig in…….

The iPhone 3GS feels smoother when I hold her in my hand.  She’s sexy.  Her curves rival those of Jessica Rabbit.  I prefer to hold the iPhone 3GS over the iPhone 4, BUT I don’t.

Every time Apple releases a new iPhone, it’s superior to the last one.  Faster, better camera, another camera, new service provider, new features, more features, more capabilities.

The “secret” behind it all is evolution.

Here’s another “shocking” news flash, the next iPhone will be better than this one.

What You Really Want To Know About The iPhone 4S

iPhone 4S sales will be insane.  Sprint is the new kid on the block and they’re bringing their posse with them.  AT&T and Verizon customers will buy it too.  Blackberry users have been fighting the urge for a long time.  It might be their time.  Either way, the sales numbers will be shocking, even though we know what to expect.

Anyone who doesn’t buy it will knock it for any reason they can find:

“I’m waiting for the iPhone 5……It’s not that much better than the iPhone 4……I heard it has glitches to be worked out…..The next one will have a 12MP camera…….”

Been there, done that.

The iPhone 4S has incredible new upgrades:

• A5 chip
• 8MP camera
• 1080 HD video recording
• Siri
• iCloud
• iOS 5

iOS 5 is being released to current iPhone owners on Oct. 12th.  iMessenger, Reminders, Twitter integration and more.

Bottom line, the iPhone 4S is the greatest iPhone of all time AND the next one will be better.

If you can afford it, get it.  If you can’t, get a free 8GB iPhone 3GS for free (with a new two year contract of course).

The choice is yours.  What are you going to do?  Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Pre-order iPhone 4S will be available on Oct. 7th.

The iPhone 4S will include iOS 5, which will be launched on Oct. 12th.

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Pricing for the iPhone 4S will be $199 for 16GB (black and white), $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB, which is the first time that an iPhone will have the capacity to hold up to 64GB.  The iPhone 4 will still be available for $99 in both black and white, and the 3GS will be available for free.  Yes, free.

Hardware updates for the iPhone 4S include:

• A5 Chip – up to 7x faster than the older iPhones “Dual-core CPU, 2x as fast at CPU tasks. Also dual-core graphics”
• 8MP Camera Sensor
• 1080 HD Video Recording
• New Antenna System - CDMA/GSM chip for various networks, making it a world-wide phone
• Siri – Voice Controlled “Virtual Assistant”

iOS 5 features, which will be released on Oct. 12th for all iPhones, include:

• iMessage – free messenger-to-messenger feature which seems similar to the BlackBerry Messenger system
• Notification Center
• Reminders
• Twitter Integration
• Newsstand
• Improved Camera Capabilities – red eye removal, cropping, rotating, one-click access from the lock screen, etc.
• Game Center Upgrade
• Mail App Update
• Safari Upgrade – improved speed, tabbed browsing for the iPad
• Activation without connecting to iTunes

iCloud features were also announced, but this gives us enough food for thought for now.

What do you think?  Are you going to get an iPhone 4S?  What do you think of the upgrades?  Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Special thanks to Ryan Block from Gdgt for keeping me posted throughout the event, as well as TechCrunch for the after-event summary and of course, Apple (especially for the pictures

What can we expect?  Mashable is reporting that the new iPhone 5 has been rumored to have an “8 MP camera, 1 GB of RAM, an aluminum back, a larger screen and a slew of other upgrades.”  Voice control and adding Sprint to the list of available carriers are expected as well.

A lot of people want to know why it took Apple so long to bring the iPhone to Verizon, and now Sprint, which was leaked in the memo from BestBuy (see the memo and read more about the Pre-Order iPhone 5 from Sprint, BestBuy).

I don’t know if the iPhone 5 Sprint rumor is true, nor do I care why it took them so long.  I do know that according to CNN, Apple has more cash than the US government, so they must be doing something right.

As far as the other expected features are concerned, voice control makes perfect sense.  One of the most impressive, yet under valued and barely used apps, Siri, was created Nuance and eventually bought by Apple.  Nuance’s Dragon Go! and Dragon Dictation but use the same voice recognition technology, yet neither is considered a popular or top iPhone app.  Not only are these apps cool, but they’re useful too.  For now, we’re going to have to wait and see about the future of voice control.

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Regardless of the updates and improvements that Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook introduces with the iPhone 5, any iPhone is an incredible device to have.  The iPhone is more than a phone.  In fact, the phone is just an added feature.  The true power of the iPhone comes from it’s apps.

Yes, she’s beautiful, sexy, fast and powerful, but so are other phones.  The iPhone is a portable computer with less power.  The saying “there’s an app for that” is dead on.  Think of almost anything and there’s an app for it, which aside from Apple’s marketing, makes the iPhone the best in its class.

What’s your verdict?  Are you going to be a proud owner of the iPhone 5?  Are you happy enough with your iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS?  Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Another one of those pictures is here BUT it’s not of the highly anticipated new iPhone 5.

Mashable has released this picture courtesy of BGR:

BGR has updated the story to say that iPhone 5 pre-orders will start this week:

“……possible presales will be starting this week with the phone arriving in the first week of October, not preorders starting in October.”

Aside from the news of the release and pre-order dates, the other breaking news is that the iPhone 5 will be available on Sprint.

Is this another “new, real, leaked” picture?  Possibly.

Maybe Apple is looking to bring some life back to their stock that recently dipped when Steve Jobs “quit.”  Maybe Apple realizes thatback-to-school shopping is done at places like Bestbuy, which would be great time to start taking pre-orders.

Then again, I don’t work for Apple, Bestbuy or Sprint, so what do I know?

I know that this Apple’s 5th edition of the iPhone with possibly the 3rd new carrier AND it’s still the hottest rumor since Brad and Jen broke up.

What do you think?  True?  Another rumor?  Let me know below and keep your eyes on Bestbuy……

Show Some Love

Original Article on BGR

Follow-up Article on Mashable

Possible Pre-Orders on Bestbuy

Saturday morning, August 13th, 2011, 10:42AM:

1,662,772 views on YouTube/Vevo

That number is going to EXPLODE.

LOTS of versions have already hit the streets.

Busta Rhymes & DMX seem to be the people’s choice:

“I’m ’bout to call the paparazzi on myself…..” – Jay-Z

“I made “Jesus Walks” I’m never going to hell” – Kanye West

Lyrics courtesy of KillerHipHop.com

[Otis Redding]
It makes it easier, easier to bear
You won’t regret it, no, no
No, girl they won’t forget it
Love is their home
Happiness yeah
Sq-sq-sq-squeeze her, don’t tease her
Never leave her…

[Jay-Z]
Sounds so soulful don’t you agree

I invented swag
Poppin’ bottles, puttin’ supermodels in the cab, proof
I guess I got my swagger back, truth
New watch alert, Hublot’s
Or the big face Rollie I got two of those
Arm out the window through the city I maneuver slow
Cock back, snap back
See my cut through the holes

[Kanye West]
Damn Yeezy and Hov,
Where the hell ya been?
Niggas talkin real reckless: stuntmen
I adopted these niggas, Phillip Drummond ‘em
Now I’m bout to make them tuck they whole summer in
They say I’m crazy, well, I’m ’bout to go dumb again
They aint see me cause I pulled up in my other Benz
Last week I was in my other other Benz
Throw your diamonds up cause we in this bitch another ‘gain

[Jay-Z]
Photo shoot fresh, looking like wealth
I’m ’bout to call the paparazzi on myself
Uh, live from the Mercer
Run up on Yeezy the wrong way, I might murk ya
Flee in the G450 I might surface
Political refugee, asylum can be purchased
Uh, everythings for sale, I got 5 passports
I’m never going to jail

[Kanye West]
I made “Jesus Walks” I’m never going to hell
Couture level flow, it’s never going on sale
Luxury rap, the Hermes of verses
Sophisticated ignorance, write my curses in cursive
I get it custom, you a customer
You ain’t ‘customed to going through Customs, you ain’t been nowhere, huh?
And all the ladies in the house, got ‘em showing off
I’m done, I hit ya up mana-naaaa!

[Jay-Z]
Welcome to Havana
Smoking cubanos with Castro in cabanas
Viva Mexico, Cubano
Dominicano, all the plugs that I know
Driving Benzes, wit’ no benefits
Not bad huh? For some immigrants
Build your fences, we diggin’ tunnels
Can’t you see? We gettin’ money up under you

[Kanye]
Can’t you see the private jets flyin’ over you?
Maybach bumper sticker read “What would Hova do?”
Jay is chillin’, ‘Ye is chillin’
What more can I say? We killin’ ‘em
Hold up, before we end this campaign
As you can see, we done bodied the damn lames
Lord, please let them accept the things they can’t change
And pray that all of their pain be champagne

Boardwalk in Long Beach NY via Instagram

What was I doing?  Playing with my iPhone. I wrote about the eBay Fashion iPhone app, which lets you try on virtual sunglasses to see what you look like in them before you buy……and now I’m writing about it again.   Augmented reality, the technology behind the app, has come a long way, and it’s still picking up steam.  Similar to QR codes, it’s just a matter of time before it hits the masses.

iPhone and Android apps aren’t the mystery they used to be.  With services like Appsbar now available, anyone can make an iPhone app for free.  That’s right, for FREE! Without going too far off topic, to have an iPhone app, iPad app or Android app made using augmented reality, won’t cost you as much as it used to.  Outsourcing services such as oDesk, Elance and rent-a-coder can have it all done for you at a very good price.

Trying on sunglasses with the eBay Fashion app is fun.  I’m not in the market for sunglasses, but I used it anyway, and I’m not the only one.

Every store that sells eye glasses and sun glasses should have an iPhone, iPad 2 or any other tablet with a camera, waiting for customers to use.

If you don’t want to spend the money for your own app, use the eBay Fashion app.  Let customers take a picture and send it to their friends and family to get their opinions.

As you can see, this is just the tip of the iceberg on a lot of these topics.  For businesses, the bottom line is that the potential is there and the resources are here.  For consumers, have some fun and try on some virtual sunglasses.  If you can’t find a pair on eBay or Amazon, you can check out Memorial Day sales on BestBuyEyeglasses and FramesDirect.

I almost forgot, if you need an iPhone to use the app, I just found out about that BestBuy is having a midnight sale that starts tonight Which pair do you like?  Are you interested in sun glasses or just the app?  Let me know what you think with a comment below….

Most recently, The Beastie Boys new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2, was released early because the album leaked. The B-Boys explained on their blog:

“Good people, unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control, the “clean” version of our new album, The Hot Sauce Committee pt 2 has leaked. So as a hostile and retaliatory measure with great hubris we are making the full explicit aka filthy dirty nasty version available for streaming on our site.”

The Beastie Boys new video, Make Some Noise, is on Vevo, along with Vedder’s new video, which is featured on their homepage.  The featured area for Vedder’s video reads, “This touching new track, Longing To Belong, is on iTunes now.”

Is it an attempt to help Vedder sell more music while still being able to use services like Vevo?  Is technology the end of the music industry as we know it?  “Can’t we all just get along?”  Maybe we can…….until then, here’s Longing to Belong by Eddie Vedder:

**Vevo doesn’t have a mobile site, but they do have apps available, so if you’re checking this out on your cell…..I’m working on it**

This is how it all went down……..

I got a text yesterday from my friend Drew, “Make some noise……”

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Drew educates me  and I in turn find out that the Beastie Boys have released a new single, Make Some Noise, from their new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.

YouTube had the entire song.  I posted it to Facebook.  The people dug it.  I dug it.  We all got down………and so did the video.

It’s been pulled from YouTube BUT can be found on the Beastie’s blog over here.

B-Boys shoot out an email.  It’s far from crystal clear.  In a nutshell, “go check this shit out……”

So I did and this is what I found:

The “unofficial” breakdown of places where you can buy the iPad 2 tomorrow starting at 5PM:  Apple (’cause you had to be a “jenius” to figure that out), BestBuy, Target, Wal-Mart, AT&T and Verizon.

Apple has the entire world in frenzy.  Generation 1 iPads are being sold on eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, in back alleys……it’s mayhem, exactly the way Apple planned it.

The Samsung Galaxy and Motorola Xoom are both already on the market.  They might even be a better fit for some people, but they’re not the iPad and certainly not the iPad 2.

Well folks, it’s almost 24 hours away from “game time.”  Are you heading to a retail store?  Are you buying online?  Are you still trying to hock your 1st Generation iPad in a back alley right now?   Talk to me……..