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Dog-e-Minder keeps tabs on your dog's vitals so you don't have to (video)
You're already weighing down the massive head of your Frenchton with some sort of bark collar and GPS-enabled location tracker, so what's another pendant around the neck, anyway? Dog-e-Minder, which is cleverly being marketed to the "As Seen On TV!" crowd, is a battery-powered device that records the last time your pup (or cat, or iguana, or anything else that rocks a leash) ate, walked or took his / her medications. Essentially, owners simply mash the corresponding button after an event has occurred, and an internal timer keeps track of how long it has been since said event has happened. It also doubles as a dog identification tag (displaying the owner's contact information and the pet's name) whenever it's idle, and it's even available in a foursome of hues to match your canine's personality. The pain? $19.95, and the second one is thrown in absolutely free. Obligatory TV spot is after the break, and remember, "If you own a dog, this product will change your life." Change your life. P.S. - There's also the Accuwalker for those of you who have no clue when the last time your pet was walked. Shame on you.
Pilgrim's Bounty ends today
Pilgrim's Bounty ends tonight at 1 minute before midnight, server time. That means today is the last day to do the following: Get really frustrated fighting people for wild turkeys. Hit people in the head with cranberries. Crash the opposing faction's dinner parties. Coerce a druid for a chance at the Raven Lord while wearing Puritan attire. Go from 0 to 350+ in Cooking quickly, easily, cheaply. Even if you aren't interested in chasing turkeys and looking like a Mayflower reject, I highly recommend taking advantage of leveling Cooking. To get the Winter Veil Gourmet during the Feast of Winter Veil, you'll need 325 cooking. And of course there are all of those yummy food buffs. For a complete list of Pilgrim's Bounty achievements, please see our OverAchiever Guide. Have fun with your last minute, food-related fun!
Reminder: Today is the last day of Brewfest
If you haven't quite finished your Brewfest activities, today is the last day. Not only will you not be able to earn (and spend) tokens after today, but there are a few Achievements that can only be earned during the event. For example, even though you don't have to be wearing or drinking anything Brewfesty, you can only get the Drunken Stupor Achievement during the holiday. So go get virtually smashed and jump off a virtual bridge today, if you haven't already.Many of you will not be able to get Brewmaster before midnight if you haven't been diligent with your daily token earning. I highly recommend, however, that you get as much done as you can this year so you have less to do next time around. Check out our Brewfest Guide for any Achievements you might have missed.Warning: Tokens will not carry over into next year, so spend what you have today.Good luck ...hic!
OmniFocus for iPhone finally has reminders, but implementation is awful
[Update] Ken Case comments below, addressing some of the concerns listed here. It looks like a future version of OmniFocus on the Mac will be able to directly update the OmniFocus reminders on the server, removing at least one of my complaints. Ken Case from The Omni Group has been twittering for awhile about the impending inclusion of alarm reminders for OmniFocus. The task management app's iPhone users have been pestering The Omni Group to implement reminders as push notifications, but OmniFocus refuses to do so. They say that reminders that rely on connectivity are not good enough, and they have instead chosen to implement reminders by exporting due dates and times into iCal. Once the time comes for a reminder, it pops up like a normal iCal appointment reminder. Well, OmniFocus 1.5.2 for iPhone was released, and now we get to see how this alternative reminder system works. If I had to choose a word to describe this implementation, that word would be "awful." Here's why: The Omni Group has taken great pains to point out that you do not need to be using the desktop version of OmniFocus to get use out of the iPhone version. But for users that only have the iPhone version and are not synchronizing it to either MobileMe (which has a yearly fee) or a WebDAV server (complicated for non-techies), they can't use this implementation of reminders. That's right; the way it works is that OmniFocus on the iPhone exports your reminders to your synchronization server, then points iCal on the iPhone to the server to import your reminders. That means that if you enter new due dates in OmniFocus for iPhone but don't happen to have connectivity, you won't get reminders. Wait, I thought it was implemented this way in the first place to guard against a lack of connectivity? Your OmniFocus reminders unnecessarily pollute your iPhone calendar with reminders. This is a visual problem when you need to glance at your calendars and see what actual appointments are coming up. On the iPhone you can either look at one specific calendar, or all calendars, so if like me you need to regularly stay on top of more than one calendar, you're forced to look at your OmniFocus reminders as well. Oh, and even when you complete them in OmniFocus and resync, they don't go away in your calendar. [Update] Stephen points out in the comments that this works as expected, and upon further testing I have to agree. Maybe I was being a bit too impatient. Since your OmniFocus reminders are actually just fake appointments, there is no way to audibly differentiate them from appointment reminders. They sound and look exactly the same. Remember the Milk, for example, uses push notifications on its iPhone app, and you can set the notification sound to a number of different options. That way you know that you're being reminded of a task rather than an appointment. Reminders are set based on Due time, rather than Available time, and in terms of flexibility you can set the reminder to be 5 to 60 minutes before the task is due. By the time a task is actually due, isn't it too late to be reminded about it? Finally, if you're a user of OmniFocus for the Mac, your reminders are not created on your iPhone until you think to launch OmniFocus on the iPhone and synchronize it. That means that if you work all day in OmniFocus on your Mac (like I do), then drive home and start doing other stuff and don't happen to open OmniFocus on your iPhone, you won't receive any reminders for tasks that you might have set for that night, or until you actually open and sync OmniFocus on your iPhone. So, what would I rather see? Push notifications, like the many other OmniFocus for iPhone users out there that have been providing their feedback to The Omni Group. As mentioned, Remember the Milk has implemented push notifications, and the ability to change the notification sound isn't the only trick it has up its sleeve. The Remember the Milk icon on my iPhone's screen shows how many due tasks I have that day, and the number changes almost instantly when I make changes on the web version. To see how many currently available and due tasks I have in OmniFocus, I again have to launch the app and wait for it to synchronize. While I love OmniFocus and I think The Omni Group does amazing work, this implementation of reminders for the iPhone version of OmniFocus is just full of an amazing amount of fail. It's a hacky workaround that still doesn't ensure that a lack of connectivity won't adversely affect the user's ability to receive reminder notifications. Omni folks, this is just meant to be tough love -- I wouldn't be saying all of this if I didn't truly care about OmniFocus.
Palm Pre User Guide: the highlights, so far
When word that Sprint Gurus had gotten hold of the Palm Pre User Guide came across our desks yesterday, we couldn't wait to get our eyes all over it... and then we saw that it was almost as long as Infinite Jest. Okay, we kid, it's not as bad as all that -- just 344 pages of heretofore unseen glorious tidbits. So here's what we've culled thus far: first, the Pre's main musical squeeze, Amazon MP3, will queue your music downloads when on the 3G network for later download when the device is on a WiFi network -- which is sure to cause annoyance and dismay the whole world over (and by "world" we mean the Pre's world, which is US only). There is however, plenty of good news: the Pre will, in fact have IMAP IDLE (AKA Push) Gmail capabilities, meaning that you'll get your spam nearly the moment it hits Gmail's servers. Finally, the previously spied Reminder field in the Pre's Contacts has been found out, and it's a really awesome feature allowing you to make a note and attach it to a particular contact, so that the next time you are in contact with that person, the reminder will pop up and... remind you. For anyone suffering mild memory loss (like us) little touches like this are sure to make the Pre a more attractive proposition. Hit the read link for the full manual, and let us know what you find. Warning: the user's manual is a PDF, and has an insanely huge Sprint Gurus watermark across every blasted page. [Via Pre Central, My Pre]
Reminder: Enter WoW Insider's Guild of the Month contest
Don't forget: if you haven't entered our Guild of the Month contest yet, do so now -- we'll be choosing April's winner in just a few days. All you have to do is send about 200 words on how awesome your guild is to guildofthemonth@gmail.com, and be from either the US or Canada (excluding Quebec -- sorry Quebecois and EU folks, them's the legal rules). The winner will get a profile of their guild right here on WoW Insider (our first group of winners, back in March, was doing some amazing things with both raiding and professions, but we're awarding the prize every month based on the criteria of performance in raiding, originality, and community), and they'll also pick up a raid pack for their officers from our friends at Warcraft.Swagdog.com.If you entered for March, you've got to enter again for April (we want to give everyone a chance every month), and official rules are right here if you need them. Good luck to everyone who enters -- we've gotten some terrific submissions already, and we can't wait to spotlight one of the best guilds in the game.
Reminder: Cowon S9 giveaway ends tomorrow!
Didn't take three seconds out of your immensely busy schedule to enter your name to win an 8GB Cowon S9 portable media player? Fret not, as we're reminding you to do so right this moment. The contest ends tomorrow night (full rules are listed in the read link), so you've only yourself to blame if you let this opportunity pass you by as well.
Reminder: VUDU's movie set-top-box giveaway ends tomorrow!
Like it or not, most of you are about to come to terms with the fact that the next major holiday is months away. Do you really want to face that realization without a copious amount of on-demand content at your disposal? We thought not. Thus, we're giving you one final shot to register for a chance to win a VUDU movie set-top-box; if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, head on over and leave a comment. It all ends (the contest, not life as we know it... hopefully) tomorrow night (January 2nd) at 11:59PM ET.
Reminder: Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD giveaway ends tomorrow!
Nope, the holiday season ain't over yet (at least in our minds), so we're giving you one final shot to enter your name in the hat for a Slingbox PRO-HD. The contest ends tomorrow night (January 2nd) at 11:59PM ET, so head on over and drop a comment in order to consider yourself registered.
AT&T sending out SMS to confirm free iPhone WiFi at Starbucks
Oh, so you know what's hot, huh AT&T? Is flipping the on / off lever back and forth a gazillion times on this finicky Starbucks iPhone WiFi plan hot? Because it feels downright cold over here. While we can only hope and pray that this is the signal to finally close the book on this ridiculous saga, AT&T users all over the US are receiving text messages from AT&T confirming that free Starbucks WiFi (for iPhone owners) is on. Reportedly, the message indicates that their iPhone purchase gives them access to two hours of gratis use per day, though we'd go in with the lowest possible expectations in order to not be let down (again). Good luck, mettlesome ones.[Thanks, Boy Genius]
Reminder: Declare your loyalty to enter to win a T-shirt from SwagDog!
Have you declared your faction yet? SwagDog.com and WoW Insider are teaming up to give away a trio of their custom t-shirts -- to enter, you've just got to leave a comment on our post from earlier this week (not this post -- leaving a comment on this post gets you nothing but a grimy sense of self-satisfaction), and make sure you declare your loyalty to the Alliance or Horde.Why? Because we're giving away three custom-designed t-shirts in total -- one to a random Ally, one to a random Hordie, and a third to a random commenter of the faction with the most supporters. If more Alliance comment, they'll get the third t-shirt, or if more people shout that they're "For the Horde," then an Orc, Troll, Forsaken, Tauren, or Blood Elf will get the extra freebie. We haven't tallied all of the comments yet, but I believe (this is an unofficial estimate) that the Horde currently have a slight advantage. So if you're Alliance, or you have some Alliance guildies who haven't commented yet, tell them to "grab your sword and fight the Horde!" and send them over to the post. Or if you're Horde, you might want to try and solidify your lead.The contest ends tomorrow night, Friday the 3rd, at midnight, so while you can only comment once (remember, on that post, not this one), you've only got a day left if you want to get your comment in. Good luck!
Lexmark X7675 wireless printer giveaway reminder
Don't forget kids, you could still win yourself a succulent Lexmark X7675 wireless printer and two cartridges by simply submitting a comment in the giveaway post here. What are you waiting for? C'mon, you have until 11:59PM tonight! The thing is free! Get!
Reminder: It's Winter's Veil in July!
"Ho ho hello, everyone! It is I, Greatfather Winter, reminding you that time is running out on your chance to enter WoW Insider's Winter's Veil in July contest. Yes, I and the kind folks at Smokeywood Pastures -- fresh from our farm to your plate, it's Smokeywood Pastures' wholesome goodness -- and Upper Deck are giving away a TCG Winter's Veil Gift set right here on WoW Insider in the middle of summer! Huzzah."To enter, I hear you have to go to our contest post, and put a comment there (one per person, must be in the USA or Canada, full rules available here). Please note: you must comment on that post, as putting a comment on this post will get you nothing but on my naughty list -- although that means that you might get some of Smokeywood Pastures' new line of coal products. They'll warm your fire so well, you'll feel just like me on Winter's Veil Eve."Wait, what? That makes no sense. Anyway, folks, your Great-father Winter is getting pretty tired here -- unlike the usual Winter's Veil festival, I don't have players bringing me cookies and milk all the time during the summer, so I get a little parched. But do make sure to run back to that post and comment, and have a happy -- what is this? July. From your friends at Smokeywood Pastures. I give up. Where's the Schnapps?"
Breakfast Topic: Sunday is Mother's Day
Just a reminder that Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday, May 11. If you're planning on sending a gift, flowers, or a card, it's about time to get them in the mail. For the record, I have never met a Mom that didn't treasure a pretty bracelet given to her by her son. All of these things are positively fantastic for a traditional Mom, but we've got a lot of WoW Moms that might like something a little different. Even as I get older, I've found that my Mom, and other Moms around me still enjoy homemade gifts. Our Thursday column, World of Warcrafts, has given us some excellent ideas on some very special gifts. Last week Shelbi showed us how to make a lovely Basket of Flowers. I'm also fond of her wonderful guide for making Super potions. I'm pretty sure my Mom would like these (even more than the paperclip necklace she treasured for years.) You may also consider World of Warcraft T-shirts, or even paid play time. If you don't have a lot of money to dedicate to Mother's Day Shopping, you can give your WoW Mom the gift of playtime or even something special in-game. For those of you with less fantasy-oriented Mom's, here are some easy links to get gifts online: Flowers 1-800-Flowers FTD Teleflora Food: Ethem M Chocolates Harry and David Godiva Remember, you only get one Mom (ok, so in modern families, you may have 2 or 3), and Mother's Day only comes once a year. Make it count! What's your plan for your mom? (I can't tell you, my mom reads WoW Insider.) * This public service announcement was brought to you by gamers who love their moms.
Reminder: PS3 Laptop charity auction ends today!
We just know you haven't forgotten that the PS3 Laptop auction ends today, but just in case all of your friends have, here's a friendly reminder from us to you. Ben Heck's masterful machine is up for grabs to the highest bidder, and yes, 100% of the proceeds will go to National Cancer Coalition. Head over here for all the rules and regulations, and tap the read link to place your bid. Good luck!
Reminder: Xbox Live scheduled for maintenance
It's not an April Fools' prank nor is it the spring update. Xbox Live is simply scheduled for routine maintenance this morning, Tuesday, April 1, between 2-5am Pacific Time (5-8am ET, 0900-1200 GMT and Stardate 61703.5 - 61703.9). S'il vous plaît, do not panic (notice the dolphins are still around).Xbox Live users should have received a reminder last week that this was going to happen. To curb speculation now: The spring update is still many weeks away.
MenuMinder: quick reminders in your menubar
MenuMinder is a simple piece of software that does one thing, but does it reasonably well. It sits in your menubar and allows you to enter quick reminders to yourself. The reminders pop up whenever you like (though in an unfortunate brushed metal interface, right). You can also set them to be emailed or sent to your phone via SMS. While you can obviously set events in iCal or even use Quicksilver for quick reminders, MenuMinder is extremely quick and straightforward. If, like me, you're often writing little reminder notes to yourself this might be just the ticket.MenuMinder is $10 and a demo is available.
Neck-worn posture reminder keeps your back in check
No, we don't honestly expect any of you to actually lower your pride enough to replace those Mr. T-styled chains with a posture reminding bird, but at least you've got the option, right? The admittedly zany Sitting Pose Corrector and Reminder Alarm is apparently designed to hang 'round your neck and use internal sensors to determine just how far you're slouched over, and if that spine gets a bit too crooked, we assume it emits an embarrassing array of noises to straighten you back out. Again, we've no idea who'd submit themselves to this type of inhumane torture, but for just $8.43, it'd make for a swell gag gift.[Via CNET]
Reminder: Joystiq Reader Meetup in Santa Monica this Friday, July 13th
A reminder: if you want to come out tomorrow, meet your favorite video game bloggers, get some free grub and drinks, and even get a chance to win our swag, some t-shirts, and some other surprises, we'll be holding our very first reader meetup in Santa Monica tomorrow and you're invited. We'll have a Wii and a 360 playable on giant projectors, we'll have gaming rigs hooked up to 30" monitors, and we'll be raffling off prizes.If you'd like to come, please be sure to leave a comment on this post here. And again, we've really got to thank our friends at Mahalo.com for helping put all this together.
qStart speaks up to keep you on the right (left) side of the road
Those Thanko crazies finally have a worthy opponent in the much-coveted "oh man, that is totally useless but I want one" category. Go Concepts might not be as USB friendly or warmth oriented, but we're pretty sure the cigarette lighter-based qStart, which voices a warning every time you start your car to drive on the correct side of the road, along with other friendly "keep alert!" reminders along the way, ranks up there with Thanko's finest. Designed for international travelers, or for those UK residents who've subconsciously wised up to the fact that driving on the left is completely ghetto, the qStart features a small selector to set which side of the road you're supposed to be driving on, and warns you accordingly. Of course, if you set it wrong you're completely screwed, but at least you'll know you've blown £9.99 ($20 US) on Doing the Right Thing.[Via Crave]
