Contract free iPhone 3G sales begin in France

It was a few weeks back when we first learned that the iPhone 3G would be available contract free in France, and now retailer FNAC has become the first to begin sales. Of course, as you would expect, the contact free handsets are not in any way inexpensive. The 8GB model is priced at �799 (around $1,123 US) and the 16GB model is priced at �899 (around $1,263 US). It was also noted that France Telecom has appealed the previous decision that made the injunction. In the meantime, if you are in France and have plenty of extra cash on hand, then I suppose you could pick up a contract free iPhone.

Read the whole article @ iPhone Freak


Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

A Date with Elizabeth Aspenlieder

With New Year's Eve you get a hangover but with Elizabeth Aspenlieder you get laughs. (All photos by Kevin Sprague.)

(My review of Bad Dates is now available at Berkshire Fine Arts. I recommend it highly.)

The Wall Street Journal called her "One of the funniest actresses on the East Coast," causing her career course to change. As one of the regular company members at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, she spends her summers playing drama and tragedy as well as comedy. But with 2007's Rough Crossing, and this past summer's The Ladies Man, she has honed her gift for making audiences laugh.

Shortly she will assume the identity of Haley Walker, a brassy divorced mom with a teenage daughter, her new starring role in the one-woman tour-de-farce, "Bad Dates."

Aspenlieder makes it feel like Haley is sharing her innermost secrets just with you.

Scheduled for a winter long run from January 9 to March 8, Aspenlieder will have the task of keeping things light and funny during a sometimes dark and dreary season. Written by the immensely gifted Theresa Rebeck, Bad Dates is a sharp-tongued, ironic look at what multi-tasking women have to cope with today.

How do you survive as a single mother and working mom while searching for elusive romance in a devious world? How do you pick shoes to wear from a collection of more than 600? How do you know if you've gone over that invisible line?

It is from the familiarity of these situations that much comedy can be extracted, and watching a recent rehearsal, it is amazing what Haley's daily diary of dilemmas discloses.

Under the firm hand of director Adrianne Krstansky, Haley is always in motion, fussing with her appearance, and fulminating about her latest mishap. Although alone on stage, Haley is constantly monitoring the reaction of her guests. "The audience is having a two way conversation with her the whole time," Krstansky notes, "and is brought into her life in a very personal way."

What David Mamet does for na'er do wells and petty con-men, Rebeck does for the women who date them. "Is sex that much more fun for men than women, that they'd do it with just anyone? That would be one conclusion. The other would be that maybe men don't have enough to think about."

How many pairs of shoes?

You can preview this show by visiting its website and a video blog that Aspenlieder has created for us to enjoy. There is also a "Bad Date Story Contest" in which you are invited to share your horror stories. The first entry is hilarious.

One final note. If you are a Berkshire resident you can get some pretty serious discounts on tickets at Shakespeare & Company, too, many performances are 40% off regular prices. In this case you will pay $21.60 for previews and $28.80 for the rest of the performances.

And here's tip to the guys: if you think this is a show for women, and pass it up, you lose. There is more valuable information about getting dates, and getting, um, results, than you can imagine. Be smart. Go. It will be a good date...for both of you.

Shakespeare Theatre Companies Plan Revolutionary Conference

Revolutionary Shakespeare is the theme

Shakespearians are a sturdy and traditional lot, so the prospect of snow squalls, frosty temperatures and a recalcitrant economy won't deter them from making the trek to Lenox, Massachusetts for the 2009 annual conference of the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America (STAA). Scheduled for January 29 through 31, the Berkshire's resident Shakespeare & Company hosts this prestigious conference in their newly created Performing Arts Center. You can find conference information here.

The theme will be Revolutionary Shakespeare exploring how the Bard was an agent of change then, and now. Upwards of 200 participants are expected, representing the 100+ theatre organizations in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom that make up the STAA. Among the throng will be members of Shakespeare's Globe (Stratford-Upon-Avon, England) and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (Ontario, Canada).

Most sessions will take place in the newly completed Performing Arts Center on campus. Photo by Kevin Sprague.

The avalanche of out-of-town visitors to the Berkshires in the dead of winter is made worthwhile by several days of world class programming. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore local sites, getting a taste for the culture and cuisine that define the Berkshires. Many local places of lodging are offering special rates to STAA conferees, including The Cornell Inn, Cranwell Resort and Spa, Devonfield Inn Bed & Breakfast, Gateways Inn, Hampton Terrace Bed & Breakfast, Harbour House Inn, Inn at Stockbridge, Kemble Inn, Quality Inn, The Red Lion Inn, The Rookwood Inn, Stonover Farm, The Village Inn and Walker House.

The Cranwell Resort is particularly inviting this time of year with skiing nearby.

There may be a recession and economic uncertainty out there, but �just imagine a hundred Shakespeare Companies brainstorming, celebrating, creating national initiatives,� says Founder and Artistic Director Tina Packer. �The work that Shakespeare & Company does in training and education has relevance to all the Shakespeare work in this country," adds Packer as she races to break the record for the longest run-on sentence, (takes breath) "and it is very thrilling to have the opportunity to invite them to participate in what we have spent 30 years developing and pioneering, and to learn what they are doing, to come together in a two day work-a-thon and a three day conference to understand the relevance Shakespeare has in our community and across the U.S. as a whole.�

Never Dull. Talking about Shakespeare and the Language that Shaped a World. Kevin Sprague photo.

This is the first time Shakespeare & Company will host this annual conference, which is the central purpose of STAA, the professional alliance that provides a forum for the artistic and managerial leadership of theatres focused on producing the work of Shakespeare. Past conferences have been hosted by Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare�s Globe (Stratford-upon-Avon & London, England); Stratford Shakespeare Festival (Ontario, Canada); Folger Shakespeare Theatre (Washington, D.C.), Bard on the Beach (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, Oregon).

One of Shakespeare and Company's New Rehearsal Studios. Photo by Kevin Sprague.

AroundMe Free iPhone App Offers Neat Navigation Capabilities

TUAW is reporting that AroundMe (submitted to the App Store two months ago and approved by Apple) has become one of the highly praised and heavily downloaded apps in the venue. The reasons are because the app does what it's advertised to do, showing you nearby restaurants, hotels, theaters, parking lots, hospitals etc, but mostly because it's free!

Best of all, French speaking iPhone users can also download the utility and find out what they've missed out on in their neighborhood, as can German, Portuguese, Swedish, and Japanese handset owners.

�AroundMe allows you to quickly find out information about your surroundings. How many times have you found yourself in need of finding the closest Gas Station? [...] Fast, easy and accurate. AroundMe is your ideal day to day companion,� an excerpt from the official iTunes App Store description goes.

Read the whole article @ Softpedia

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

PCEverything: Top Ten Free iPhone Applications

In the past year or so I�ve made two major purchases. One of these purchases was my new gaming rig which is used everyday when I�m at home. The other purchase was my iPhone which I use everyother place I go whether it be in a long car ride�..or in the back of Trigonometry when our teacher is talking about �God knows what�. The point being that I have scoured near every popular free app there is and that is how I make my mark with these, my top 10 free iPhone apps.

10. Remote- This application created by Apple was created to allow an iPhone owner to sync their iPhone with their iTunes library. I find myself using this when I lie in bed not wanting to get up and turn on some tunes from my computer that�ll liven me up and begin the day. Although it is number 10, it is still a good app.

9. Pandora Radio- For those of you who don�t know, Pandora Radio is an online music genome. Meaning that the site owns hundreds of music licenses that allow you the user to pick the style of music you want to hear and the website searching through it�s many databases to acquire you the perfect play list. I strongly recommend this app for long trips so you don�t find yourself searching through staticy stations every 30 miles down the road. For use of this application without wifi I recommend you have the 3G iPhone as the regular iphone�s Edge network is limited to how fast it can receive data leaving awkward buffering silences in the middle of the solo for �Don�t Stop Believing�.

Read the whole article @ PCEverything

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Equus on Broadway: Pick of the Week

Daniel Radcliffe rides high in Equus. Carol Rosegg photo.

With only about five weeks left in its run, this is the time to think seriously about seeing the brilliant revival of Equus on Broadway. The play by Peter Shaffer hardly needs stars to succeed in pleasing its audiences. But its top roles have been filled by major actors such as Richard Burton playing the role now filled by the remarkable Tony-winner Richard Griffiths.

Richard Griffiths and Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway. Carol Rosegg photo.

That Daniel Radcliffe, star of the popular Harry Potter films, so captivated London and Broadway theatre-goers is no surprise. This is not a shallow teen idol filling an opportunistic role, but rather a serious actor proving his mettle. Equus wins our "Pick of the Week" because it is a great psychological inquisition into the character of a young stable boy who blinded horses, and great theatre that will keep your mind actively involved in the evolution of both the boy's pathology, and that of his equally troubled psychiatrist. As if that was not enough, even more is bared in the famous nude scene, in his relationship with his girlfriend, all while the authorities sort out his crime.

According to the UK's Daily Mail, the nude scene with actress Joanna Christie had many parents objecting that someone who plays a boy wizard in films for children should remain innocent. But Radcliffe clearly wanted to get beyond such type casting, and spent months in the gym pumping up his physique so his love scene would not disappoint.

Daniel Radcliffe and Joanna Christie in the London Production

Of course our pick of this show would not be complete without providing a key to some discounts. This one is particularly good, and there are others around. This may prove particularly useful for weekday performances since it is very deeply discounted at $49.50 for rear mezzanine and $66.50 for orchestra and front mezzanine on Tuesday to Thursday evenings. Click here for tickets. Or check one of the ticket brokers that specialize in discounted tickets. Cheapest for fees is to visit one of the TKTS booths run by the Theatre Development Fund. Finally, you can call "Special Promotions" at 212-947-8844 and mention code EQNYT28.

This riveting tale is one whose images will stick in your memory for a long time. The stylized horses, with heads wrought out of steel and whose actors carefully constructed stances and actions makes them real to the audience is a minor miracle of theatrical trickery, aided and abetted by a magnificent cast and brilliant technical support.

Mad Men series from AMC worth renting via Netflix

The series is on rentable DVD's from Netflix and others.

With all the drinking that will be going on this New Year's Eve, it's a perfect time for you to discover Mad Men which is a bit of a cult series that was made for AMC. I have been catching up with it thanks to Netflix. I would recommend it at your local video store, but places like Blockbuster and Movie Gallery have such paltry selections, you will end up frustrated.

Mad Men is set in the advertising world of the 1960's, full of never-ending cocktail hours, deceit and lies, worry-free smoking, and ego-stroking ladies men. Women also led one-dimensional lives, their sins leaning towards anorexia and vanity, and they tend to be as duplicitous as the men. Well, mostly. In this series, nobody is immune to the sins of the era. The naievet� of the times is stunning.

Jon Hamm and January Jones were nominated for Golden Globes, as was the series.

For the second year in a row, Mad Men will be competing for Best Television Series (Drama) and Jon Hamm for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Drama) at the Golden Globes. January Jones is also nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Drama). Last year, both the series and Hamm delivered wins. The 2009 Golden Globe Awards will take place on Sunday, January 11.

The Mad Men

The Mad Women

My Own Advertising Agency Background

I spent those very years as a copywriter, account executive and media buyer in Boston's advertising world - I worked with Arnold and Company, Quinn and Johnson and did freelance work for the infamous BBDO. I was inspired to my radicalism by the shallowness of the culture, and to my former alcoholic excesses...



...which were encouraged by the acceptance of the practice of drinking at lunch, and having a bottle at the ready on the office credenza.

If you are younger, you may view this series (scheduled for a third season this summer) as fiction or an anachronism. But let me tell you, it was as real and disgusting as portrayed.

As for me, by the late 60's I had moved on to the client side as an advertising manager for Sweetheart Plastics where I helped develop the market for disposable cups, plates and utensils in fast food establishments. Somehow I was even named one of America's top ten Packaging Experts by Plastics World magazine. I still have the clipping. And I still feel the shame.

I have been doing my penance ever since.


One more note on the Mad Men series and the Golden Globe Awards. They missed a couple of nominations.

I think both Christina Hendricks and John Slattery should have been nominated for their memorable work as well.

Surprise! Santa delivered a bunch of free iPhone apps for Christmas

Got coal in your stocking? Not happy with your festive sweater or that beautiful tie that you�ve always wanted? Don�t sweat it, Santa delivered a bunch of free iPhone apps - just in time for Christmas.

• Easy Shake � Do you want to have a band or training your sense of tempo ? There are 6 sound effect with Easy Shake. Hold your iPhone and press one of it. Follow the background music and shake your iPhone!
• Classic Memo � Simple classic audio recorder with very basic functions with attractive interface! and let�s you change wallpaper!
• Tankcheck � With these program you can check the prices of petrol stations in - Germany - France - Belgium - Netherlands - Switzerland - Austria - Luxembourg You can check it with you postcode.
• Weather: Zero configuration! � Weather application does what it claims: it shows current weather and 4 days forecast for exact point where you are.
• Crossbones � Crossbones is a challenging and addictive pirate-themed puzzle game. Match cards as fast as you can to collect pirate loot. Play solo or against computer opponents.

Read the whole article @ ZDNet

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Watch TV Over Wi-Fi with Joost Free iPhone App

If you would like to watch TV shows and independent bands on your iPhone, Joost's free iPhone app is for you. Joost allows you watch TV shows from CBS, Comedy Central, Warner Bros. and Sony at no charge over a Wi-Fi connection.

Joost is one of the most popular iPhone applications noted USA Today. Similar to Joost.com Joost on the iPhone is ad-supported and free for users.

"Offering Joost on the iPhone and iPod touch is an important step for Joost as we endeavor to offer users premium entertainment, where they want it and when they want it," said Mike Volpi, CEO of Joost.

Read the whole article @ Wireless and Mobile News

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

A Spirited Holiday to You!

And you...and you...and you...and even you, Mr, Scrooge!






It's that time of year, and whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Festivus, or Whatever, here's wishing you all the best of the season!

The Fragmented Orchestra - John Cage Redux

The Fragmented Orchestra's "neurons"

When you can't compose or play music, this is what you do. You let serendipity do the work for you. Composer John Cage was among the first to do this, and his results still set a high standard of nonsense for others to emulate, follow and perhaps even top.

The Fragmented Orchestra is such an effort. Jane Grant, John Matthias and Nick Ryan have modeled this project on the neurons in the human brain. Of course the brain can make millions of connections and is organized in an incredibly complex way. So the first task of the creators was to dumb down the human brain's functions to that of a gnat, or something even simpler. They have selected 24 sites scattered across the UK and connected them together in an ersatz "neural network". They then capture sonic information at each individual site and use the internet to make the other sites "fire". There is a video demonstration of this on You Tube.



Serious art or satire....that is the question. You can decide by visiting their site and playing with it for a while. You can add and delete sites and put together your own compositions.

Having both watched the video presentation and mucked around their website, I say it is a pompous bore. Your opinion may differ. These kind of random artistic experiments are becoming rather commonplace. Recently, right here in rural Western Massachusetts we had another, consisting of various lamps that flashed off and on in interconnected galleries.

"Lumens" used borrowed lamps from residents of the Berkshires.

Called Lumens, it was an installation by artists Ven Voisey, Sean Riley, and Matthew Belanger of Greylock Arts which is discussed here and also here.

The concept was to (re)connect North Adams and Adams. It was housed in two galleries, Greylock Arts in Adams, and the MCLA Gallery 51 Annex in North Adams. Excuse me while I yawn. In the end It held my interest for about six seconds. I guess I just don't get it. It was about as exciting as listening to my Rice Crispies, or that old clich�, watching paint dry. This sort of art is what I call theoretical art. It is more interesting to talk about as a concept than to see.

In the end, Turbulence, the site that records and documents this work is far more interesting than the work itself.

Hairspray closes January 4, 2009

Just a few days left to see this award winning musical with Harvey Fierstein in its full Broadway glory at the Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd Street. Lots of half price tickets around too. Check out the TKTS booth.

Broadway welcomes tourists from Ohio with free tickets

Larry says: "go see it!"


After Nancy Coyne hurled her disdain at "tourists from Cleveland" (see previous blog entry) the blockbuster show Chicago the Musical responded. They are not a show that is handled by Coyne's ad agency, so perhaps they were more sensitive to the hurt her remark engendered. They announced that "Chicago Loves Cleveland" and have offered free tickets to the musical to those from Ohio - see details below.

Because of the speed and generosity of the response, we are declaring Chicago our Show of the Week! You don't even have to be from Ohio to find a great ticket deal on it. But first a little about why this is indeed a terrific show to see.

Brenda Braxton has rejoined the cast!

It is one fast paced musical with great songs by tunesmiths John Kander and Fred Ebb, based on the original play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, co-authored and directed by the late Bob Fosse. The choreography is by Ann Reinking and John Lee Beatty did the sets.

It boasts a great cast, which includes the return of Brenda Braxton as Velma, the gorgeous Charlotte d'Amboise as Roxie, Tom Hewitt as Billy Flynn, and Lavon Fisher-Wilson as Matron "Mama" Morton. You can see and hear them in action with the widget just below:



Ticket Deals

1. Free Tickets for Ohioans.

During the month of January, you can go to the Ambassador Theatre (219 West 49th Street) box office window on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, show a government issued photo ID proving you live in Ohio, and you will get in free that night. Of course, there are a limited number of seats, but how can you beat such a deal.

2. Listen to Cleveland Radio.

Nancy Coyne who started this brouhaha represents 24 Broadway shows, will reportedly be giving away tickets in January and February on Cleveland Radio. I am searching for more details.

3. For Everyone Else, including New Yorkers.

Chicago is running a promotion in which you receive one free ticket with every three you purchase. In addition you will receive a free CD of the show. The promotion code to use is CHDR08. This is limited to sales from now until December 31, 2008 but is valid on most performances through March 20, 2009. Some blackout dates apply. You can take advantage of this at the Ambassador box office (no service charges) or by calling or visiting Telecharge at 212-239-6200 (service charges apply.)

Nancy Coyne to Broadway tourists: "We hate you"

Advertising big shot Nancy Coyne hates tourists from Cleveland.

Oh my. I guess we all put our foot in our mouth once in a while, but Nancy Coyne - as in Serino Coyne Advertising - is going to have to live with her gaffe for some time to come. Her agency is Broadway's biggest, and generally spends 10% of any show's receipts on the ads that promote it. For most Broadway shows, that means $100,000 a week. Not exactly chump change.

So here is what happened. Coyne is a well liked personality in the Broadway community, and often asked, "How's business?" That's exactly what the New York Times did a few days ago, and here is what she replied:

�The last 15 years have been boom years for theater � I always expected the pendulum to swing, and I simply see this as a correction,� said Nancy Coyne, chairwoman of the theater advertising agency Serino Coyne. �The good news is that so many straight plays are now coming in the spring, and I think New Yorkers will come out for them once the tourists go away. We�re horrible snobs. We hate tourists from Cleveland.�

Of course, we think people from Ohio are a whole lot nicer and friendlier than most. In fact, most are a living Chamber of Commerce for the Buckeye state. And don't try to portray the state as a backwater. Just ask any theater that is part of the Cleveland Theater Collective what's going on in the state. There's plenty to choose from.

You know, Nancy, they don't have to go to New York to see great theatre. Just be glad they do!

A Free IPod Touch 2G is Faster than a Free iPhone for Gaming

Performance difference is credited to faster CPU in 2G touch

The iPod touch and iPhone are typically considered to be twins with the obvious exception that the touch lacks the phone hardware. Games and applications for the iPhone are usually able to play on the iPod touch as well.

Thomas Fessler, CEO of Handheld Games Corp., says that the 3D performance between the platforms is far from the same, according to Touch Arcade. TouchSport Tennis from the company is one of the most demanding game titles for the platform and according to Fessler; the performance of the game is very different between the iPod touch and iPhone.

Significant performance differences are seen between the generations of the touch device and iPhone as well. Fessler says that his company had to modify its game to run well across all platforms and that the 2G iPod touch is by far the highest performing platform for mobile gaming from Apple.

Read the whole article @ Daily Tech

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Chill With More Free iPhone Ringtones From MacMost

MacMost.com and Anji Bee Team Up For Free iPhone Ringtones

Englewood, CO (PRWEB) December 18, 2008 -- Los Angeles artist Anji Bee, known for her smooth vocals and music podcasts, can now be heard whenever someone calls you on your iPhone. She is featured on the latest set of ringtones from MacMost.com, the Mac news, tutorial and iPhone content Web site.

MacMost began providing free iPhone ringtones earlier in 2008 as an alternative to pay-per-song downloads at the iTunes music store or illegal music downloads elsewhere. There are now 15 sets of ringtones in the MacMost collection. They feature everything from holiday sounds to short, original musical creations.

"We began creating ringtones to fill a need," said Gary Rosenzweig, the producer of MacMost.com. "There are plenty of ringtones out there that you can buy, but we thought it was ridiculous to pay more for a ringtone that you would pay for a full song."

The MacMost collection of more than 150 ringtones is available at the MacMost iPhone Ringtones (http://macmost.com/iphoneringtones/) section. You can also subscribe to it as a podcast at the iTunes Music Store for free.

"One of the ideas we had for the free ringtones was to use them to promote artists," said Rosenzweig. "We knew Anji Bee from her work as a podcaster and thought it would be perfect to begin with her."

The ringtone set features sections of Anji's work with various other artists, as well as her podcast theme and vocal recorded specifically for the ringtone set.

Anji hosts The Chillcast, a weekly podcast that presents a smooth mix of electronica, jazz, soul, and world music each week. She is also the vocalist and lyricist for Lovespirals, who have produced several full-length albums and have been featured internationally on network and cable television including: MTV, Vh1, ETV, The WB/CW Network, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

You can find all of Anji Bee's projects at anjibee.com (http://anjibee.com).

Read the whole article @ PR Web

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Microsoft Has a Free iPhone App in the App Store

Seadragon has been implemented as the "Deep Zoom" feature of Silverlight

Microsoft apparently has �deep� feelings towards the iPhone (or Apple), as the company behind the Windows OS has released a free iPhone app, and a cool one at that. Immediately available for download from the iTunes App Store, Seadragon Mobile lets iPhone and iPod touch users zoom in as deep as possible on high quality images with near zero transition times.

Microsoft's app makes it possible for users to �browse large quantities of high-resolution imagery smoothly and quickly with a flick or a pinch,� according to the iTunes App Store description. �Explore massive galaxies, pore over maps, or flip through collections of photographs, all over the air,� says the Windows maker.

You can also add your own photos, or browse some that are already available on the official Photosynth website. For example, you can grab a picture of Times Square at night and try to spot anyone who might have been picking their nose at the time the photo was taken.

The app's main features, as Microsoft points out, include the ability to view thousands of images over the air, view massive gigapixel pictures, explore Photosynth collections in 2D (including your own), add your own PhotoZoom / Deep Zoom Composer content, and even an RSS feed service.

Read the whole article @ Softpedia

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Developer unrest prompts App store re-jig

Apple has tweaked the App Store in response to unrest at how the store presents its wares. The App Store now spotlights the most popular applications on each category page, separating the most popular free apps from premium apps. The overall layout has also been adjusted to mimic the design of the App Store application on the iPhone itself.

There's been a growing tide of criticism of the store, which has become a victim of its success. The proliferation of cheap and free iPhone apps - necessary to get visibility on the site - is perceived to be suppressing the development of quality premium products.

Read the whole article @ Mobile Entertainment

Get a Free iPhone! Yes, that is correct! Stay away from the hassles of earning enough to pay for it for you can get it the simple way .... straight to your doorstep! Free! Interested? Then find out how to get a Free iPhone!

Kids Can See A Christmas Carol Free at Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA

A large cast makes A Christmas Carol at the Berkshire Theatre Festival a delight to watch. Kevin Sprague Photo.

Closer to home, the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, MA just announced that they are matching the Disney "Kids Go Free" program with their own promotion for A Christmas Carol.

Charles Dickens' classic tale has never been more vibrant or more joyous than in this year's incarnation at the Unicorn Theatre. And, from now through December 22 you can receive a Free children's ticket for each adult ticket purchased. This means that youngsters can see this annual holiday event for free!

This offer is only available by calling the Berkshire Theatre Festical ticket office at (413) 298-5536 ext 33. Do call ASAP as these tickets are limited. BTF's Unicorn Theatre only has about a hundred seats and everyone is close to the stage. What a great way to see this production up close and personal.

The ghost of Christmas Future at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Kevin Sprague Photo.

This glorious production runs through December 30, but the offer is only for shows between now and the 22nd.

Updated NYC Ticket News - Discounts for Broadway, Radio City and Disney

Even the Spectacular Radio City Christmas Show is discounting!

The big, expensive New York City shows have all taken a hit with the downturn in the economy, and it is almost as if Broadway is having a clearance sale.

Certainly a number of blockbuster shows - like Hairspray, Gypsy, Grease and Young Frankenstein - have gone discount crazy. Disney too has reacted to the economic times with wisdom and what amounts to a huge price cut for its tickets to their three Broadway shows. Scroll down to check out our story on discounted Broadway tickets in New York, and across the USA which we compiled last weekend.

The Fabulous Disney Promotion

Disney has a "Kids Go Free" promotion which yields one free ticket for a child with each adult ticket you buy. First announced several weeks ago - see our earlier blog entries - it has just been extended for the second time, and this promotion is effective on until the day before Christmas for performances that take place early in 2009. It applies to �The Lion King,� �Mary Poppins� and �The Little Mermaid.�

Now there are a couple of important details. First, the window for buying the tickets is very short. During that period, ticket buyers can receive one free child�s admission (18 and under) with each purchase of a full-priced but this is just for performances between January 6 and March 13. Some dates blocked out, including what is school vacation week. To get these tickets, just go to this special Disney website which has been set up for this promotion.

Last week there were plenty of half price tickets for Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid at ticket agents and TKTS.

Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular has a 40% Off promotion!

The annual outing of the RCMH holiday show is a wonderful and nostalgic treat for adults and children, and there are significant discounts available - as much as 40% - for the remaining shows through the end of December. All you need is the discount code which is DECNYT. You can call the Ticketmaster Christmas Hotline at 212-307-1000 and get a discount using this code. If you prefer to do this on line use this link.

Future Shop Sells Contract Free iPhone 3G

While most cell phone service providers are willing to sell you just about any mobile phone without forcing you to sign a contract, this was not the case when the Apple iPhone 3G arrived in Canada.

In order to get your hands on the latest Cupertino hotness, you had to latch yourself down to a new three-year service agreement with either Rogers Wireless or Fido.

The three-year contract may have been a major hurdle for some people, but it seems that it just may be possible to pick up the iPhone 3G without having to sign a new agreement. How? We�ll have to take this with a great deal of hesitation, but on the Future Shop website last night, they were listing the iPhone 3G from Rogers with some rather interesting price points.

Read the whole article @ HT Lounge

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The 24.5 MP Camera of Nikon

It is a fact that technology has been something which requires nothing from people but the readiness on following it. It is also a fact that technology is made to make people able in fulfilling every kind of needs they may have. So all we need to do is only preparing ourselves for the very next invention provided by the technology through its fast movement. Technology will be very dynamic in changing itself so whenever you are not well prepared to face this fact, be ready in being left behind while the technology itself will be gladly serving only anyone who has been very ready for its coming.

Gadgets are the things which always are been changed all the time. We only knew one gadget to help one term of need at the first. But along with the development caused by the technology movement, one gadget can be useful for any kind of purpose. But that is not our focus now. We here are going to discuss about the latest gadget came from Nikon as the very famous camera vendor in the world with its camera titled D3x. As we know, camera is the gadget that always changes for its ability in capturing the pictures.

At the first, this camera only comes in the rumors. This camera is having a lot in common with another product from Nikon, D3. They even share the same things in specifications unless the fact that this camera D3x comes with the 24.5 of mega pixels and also 6048 x 4032 of resolutions. Coming out to the market this December, the camera is put in the $7.943 of prices. Of course it is definitely a very high price of a gadget so maybe; only the wealthy photographers � professional or amateurs � can surely effort to buy this gadget.

Discounted Theatre Tickets Plentiful From Broadway to the Boonies

Sometimes you just have to get in line, but more discounts are being offered on the internet.

It's happening all across America, tickets for theatre, music and dance are being discounted more heavily than ever before. If you are in the hinterlands, you may be able to find deals as well. Our survey indicates a growing number of half price and discounted ticket operations springing up everywhere.

If you want to get away, travel to the big cities is being discounted as well, Amtrak just finished its holiday promotion, and Greyhound has just began theirs. The airlines are beginning deep discounting again what with a recession and oil prices dropping like a rock.

The biggest destination of all is New York City, but further down in this blog you will find details on Atlanta, Austin, Boston, the Berkshires, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Los angeles, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, DC. If we have missed one, let us know through the comments sections.

Half Price Tickets in New York City

TKTS during its recent construction in Manhattan

I have written before about TKTS, run by the Theatre Development Fund, but I have only mentioned their Times Square location. There are two others as well - in South Street Seaport on the lower East Side and in Downtown Brooklyn in the MetroTech Center. ??The TKTS ticket booths offer same-day discount tickets to Broadway shows, Off-Broadway, and other arts events at up to 50% off their original prices. There is no way of finding out which shows are featured day to day, or even minute to minute, since additional tickets often arrive as show time approaches. The theatres are mostly close by, so if the box office manager thinks the show will be left with unsold seats, TKTS may be called and a messenger dispatched to pick them up.

If ticket lines and seating roulette is not your idea of fun, there is a wonderful site you can visit that enables you to buy show tickets ahead of time, and at deep, deep discounts. You can even choose the seats, though it is always from whatever inventory remains at the time you buy.

This arrangement works best for those who make frequent trips to New York and don't mind paying a membership fee. New York Tix

My personal choices are August: Osage County from the incredible Steppenwolf company - a resident Chicago company, and Slava's Snowshow, a holiday pick. Among the musicals, there is Young Frankenstein, Hairspray and Gypsy. Timing is important since many of these shows will close shortly after Christmas.

Here's some great news for parents! The Disney "Kids Free" promotion which I detailed in an earlier Arts America blog entry has just been extended until December 23. I will work up a new blog entry on that tomorrow.

The basic rule of thumb for buying tickets to live performances is that the earlier you act, the better your seats. On the other hand, if you wait, you can often get the remaining seats at bargain prices.

Here too are some links to shows doing various other promotions.

The Blue Man Group - Use code NYTTW and call 1-800-blueman or go to this page.

Gypsy with Patti LuPone until January 18 - half price which means only $59.50 orchestra and $27 balcony - Use code GYNYT54 at 212-947-8844 or go to this site.

And if you are 40 or under, you can get tickets for events at Carnegie Hall for $20 with a "57 and 7" Membership. Details are here.

Even the super expensive Metropolitan Opera has instituted a $25 Weekend Ticket program which is more like a lottery than a sale, but worth the effort. You could end up with $250 seats at that bargain price. The incredible Met Lottery Deal Each week's entries begin on Mondays at 10:00 am ET.

Never, ever, trust scalpers!

Now on to the other cities.

Half Price Tickets in Atlanta, GA

There are plenty of same day half price tickets in Atlanta, and two places you can get them - the Underground Atlanta Vistitor's Center and Lenox Square Guest Services. You can also buy them online and in advance.

Atlanta's Metro makes it easy to get around too. However, if the word "Peachtree" is in the address, be sure to note exactly which Peachtree, since it seems about half of Atlanta's addresses use the word. There's a world of difference between Peachtree Street, Avenue, Place, Way etc.

Atlanta Performs website

Half Price Tickets in Austin, TX

Austin's Paramount and State Theatres

Austin continues to be an up and coming Texas city with a growing arts community. Certainly there is nothing shabby or second rate about their music scene. But theatre is growing too. Covering most of Central Texas, the Austin Circle of Theatres has established their own full price and discounted ticket venue on line, AusTIX.

Visit Austin, Texas

Half Price Tickets in Berkshires, MA

There are four half price ticket buying locations in the Berkshires


Even in our lightly populated Berkshires, there is so much going on that we have developed three half-price ticketing operations which have offerings ranging from Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow and Barrington Stage Company to Shakespeare and Company and the Berkshire and Williamstown Theatre Festivals.. The four locations are in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, Adams and Chatham, NY.

This past summer I detailed its operation and hours for Berkshire Fine Arts. You can read it here: Half Price Tickets in the Berkshires article

Half Price Tickets in Boston, MA

The biggest provider of half-price and other discounted tickets in Massachusetts is ARTS/Boston which is still going strong several decades after I helped create this umbrella organizaion. They have two BOSTIX booths with day of performance half-price tickets. Their half price kiosks are located in Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Copley Square. There are also advance on-line discount tickets, and you can find all the details on their website. Bostix has more than 160 participating arts organizations and theatres.

The ARTS Boston website