AudioVideo

This new high-end remote control allows programming completely via its own interface. No PC or internet connection is required. The setup wizard guides you to configure the Universal Remote Digital URC-R50 to control up to 18 other devices.

But simple doesn't mean inflexible or limiting. The URC-R50 can have 48 custom labeled buttons for each of those 18 devices.

It uses four standard AA batteries and will accept rechargeables. Sofa Mode keeps the battery from being drained if a button is pressed for a long time.

The URC-R50 can be purchased now at major retailers like Best Buy or online at BestBuy.com for $149.

A simple, affordable flip phone from Alltel and LG that has a 1.3 MP camera and bluetooth. The Fastap Press-to-Experience keys are six Quick Keys integrated with the regular numeric keypad. The ability with Realtone Jukebox to play music stored in the memory slot (up to 8 GB) might be a good reason to choose this phone. There are external buttons to make controlling the music player much more convenient.

Alltel Wireless is offering the LG Swift, in a red and blue clamshell design, for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. This discounted price is for new customers on two-year service agreements, as well as existing eligible customers on qualifying rate plans.

Nokia is always innovating its products. The brushed metal look of the 6650 conveys a sense of coolness that most consumers expect. Plastic just does not hold up well when phones are dropped, and metal takes a lickin’ and keeps on calling.

The Nokia 6650 has a 2.0MP camera, integrated Flash, and a 2.2” color display with QVGA (16 million) colors. It also has a dedicated key for AT&T Navigator, you can share your videos with AT&T Video Share, and listen to music with AT&T Mobile Music.

Form meets function with style in this Nokia 6650 package. I like the fact that you can access and use the camera and music playback features without even opening the phone itself. There is a 1.36-inch display on the outside of the phone to view music, see who's calling etc. The ability to download additional applications is great for those who want to personalize their handheld voice-device – because face it – this is not your Father’s phone.

The Nokia 6650 is now being sold from AT&T retail stores for $69.99 with a two-year contract. For more information read the press release.

With everything going wireless, Monster Cable’s founder Noel Lee has to do something to keep the Monster Cable brand alive. In recent years the company has entered into the consumer electronics field with products for your iPod and other electronic devices. I particularly like Beats by Dr. Dre headphones that feature Powered Isolation technology for reduced external noise and deep bass and have extra large 40mm drivers. The Beats by Dr. Dre headphones have an MSRP of $349.99.

Lee recently said, “Hearing is believing.” If you have not invested in good headphones before, you might want to research this purchase and compare it with others in the market and make the plunge. After all, Dr. Dre knows his music, and his co-development with Monster only guarantees that you will hear Dr. Dre’s music the way he intends for it to be heard. My only suggestion is to trust your ears.

I mean, do you listen to Slacker.com where there are custom radio stations of your favorite music? Seriously, check ‘em out: www.slacker.com. The Slacker G2 Personal Radio Player plays digital music in all its glory, and you can customize your play lists, and more. The Slacker G2 records, and fills up with your favorite radio stations by refreshing those favorites over Wi-Fi or USB. There is a 2.4’ color screen that displays artist profiles, album reviews and cover art. This is one sleek, modern looking consumer electronics device.

You can choose “Favorite” or “Ban” with one button for each to customize your device with your likes and dislikes. A custom Equalizer (EQ) and Volume normalization options provide flexibility in your listening preferences. The Slacker G2 comes in 25 and 40 station capacities. Oh yeah, your MP3’s and WMA files will also play on this device that has 15 hours of battery life.

The 4GB that holds 25 stations has an MSRP of $199, and the 8GB that holds 40 stations has an MSRP of $249. Digital music freedom comes to mind when explaining this product, enjoy…www.slacker.com

Well, not really, but when you buy a new phone from T-Mobile and sign-up for a two-year service agreement from 11/19 – 12/24/08 you will receive a companion ticket for free.

Have you been eyeing the new Google G1 phone? Get your phone with a free companion airline ticket and fly to Puerto Rico and all 48 States that connect to one another (meaning Hawaii and Alaska are not included). Taxes and fees including a per-flight booking fee apply. You can receive a maximum of five (5) companion flights per T-Mobile account, so if you plan on extending your T-Mobile service wait until 11/19/08. You must purchase a full fare ticket in order to use the companion ticket, but it is like buying one and getting one free. As with all offers there are restrictions, and you will find those here: www.flywitht-mobile.com. Save travels!

Talk about the gift that keeps on giving … the speaker is actually built right into the gift card and is super thin and functional enough to actually enjoy what you are hearing. You can plug an iPod, MP3 player, or any device that plays sound and has a plug similar to headphones into this speaker-card. It amazes me that the technology is still getting smaller! Now it is small enough, and cheap enough to be built into a pass along item like a gift card. This will surely be one card that won’t see the inside of a trashcan anytime soon.

If you are giving Best Buy gift certificates this Holiday Season, you might as well give away speakers: www.bestbuy.com

The innovators at SanDisk are at it again with the recent roll out of the Sansa Clip MP3 player. 4,000 songs on a clip sounds like endless entertainment to me. Combine this capacity with 15 hours of rechargeable battery life, and you will be glad you bought this player ($99 MSRP). One of my favorite features on this tiny MP3 player is the built-in FM tuner. Another great feature is the OLED color screen. This little-bitsy MP3 player seems too small to have a screen, and yet, there it is in full color.

The Sansa Clip, which is the size of most ear buds, can pack 8GB of data and impress the person in your life that is the hardest to please. I recommend the Amazon music store as a great place to pack this player full of music (for all of those iPod people who don’t know that music is sold outside of iTunes). Check Sandisk’s Sansa Web site out for more information: www.sansa.com The 8GB Sansa Clip is in stores now.

Samsung is going to make the long awaited Omnia available in the US in a CDMA version from Verizon. They of course released it in Asia and then Europe much earlier in GSM. This SCH-i910 is otherwise identical.

Similar in size and general appearance to the iPhone, the SCH-i910 runs Windows Mobile 6.1 with built-in 128 MB RAM and 8 GB of storage. PhoneArena says "...this is the first device with a built-in support of not only DivX, but XviD video.". Very cool. It also has a 5-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, GPS, and something I like – built-in FM radio.

PhoneArena has lots of details starting here - www.phonearena.com/htmls/Hot-new-phones-coming-to-Verizon-next-month-article-a_3375.html

UPDATE - 11/25/08: Samsung Releases New All-Purpose Smartphone for Holiday Season

If you are in New York on Thursday, November 13, 2008 go to Father Duffy Square for a chance to win the most anticipated BlackBerry ever … the BlackBerry Storm. You will walk into a LARGE BlackBerry Storm that is like a “money booth” of sorts. You will have tickets flowing around you while you grab as many as you can. The prizes include the highly-anticipated BlackBerry Storm (plus $50 gift card for activation) and Bluetooth headsets. If you read this post, and go to the event and win the smartphone … let us know about it!

For more information on the BlackBerry Storm visit www.blackberry.com/storm or http://estore.vzwshop.com/storm