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Low-power WD My PassPort AV Drive, New Best Friend of Sony Handycams

3/11/2010 11:33:33 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

Western Digital's My PassPort AV is a tweaked version of their portable storage line specially designed to work with a selected few camcorders, LCD TVs and other CE devices, including XBox 360 and PS3. The USB hard drive enclosed is one of Western Digital's lower power model, packing about 50% more space than most drives while still able to function on USB bus power. The 320GB drive is encased in the standard Passport enclosure that dissipates heat efficiently, which has been tested over and over by WD on all their many previous versions. This is an important feature for any device that will spend extended periods in a bag or next to warm theater components.

Additionally, about a dozen of camcorder models now support the option to connect directly to USB drives to transfer video to. Many Blu-ray players also are able to play digital media from connected devices. However, only Sony's HandyCam camcorders released in 2010 and players are specifically mentioned on their site as compatible, but others should follow. The price is set at $109 and is available from their online store right now. The box also includes a proprietary adapter cable to connect the My Passport AV to the said Sony camcorders. Due to the power requirements of larger drives, there may not be many other models released with additional capacity.
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AT&T Packs Some AGPS into New 3G USB Modem Dongles

3/11/2010 9:29:56 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

Finally, AT&T has added a few fan favorite features into their mobile broadband dongles. These two new USB modems both have their benefits. The Option entrant is the USBConnect Velocity model, and is equipped with a flip out connector. The steel accented 3G dongle also adds the coveted AGPS technology. This allows cellphones to use highly available location sensing with fairly accurate location discovery. The cellular AGPS signals offer less accuracy than true GPS systems, but are much less finicky when it comes to finding a signal. AGPS systems only work well in areas blanketed by multiple towers for triangulation. Rural denizens will need to stick to true GPS.

The second model being released doesn't have the AGPS feature, but it is the speed demon of the two. Able to operate on the 7.2Mbps HSPA protocol where available, this should provide double the usual speed found in UMTS 3G areas. This model from LG, the USBConnect Turbo, comes with a rotating version of the flip out connector and looks almost as good as the Option option. They both have microSD slots for memory storage or digital camera card reading. Both are practically free with new activation and a 2 year contract and a data plan. AT&T has yet to release unsubsidized pricing for the pair but those seldom arrive until the device is ready for order which should be any day now.
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SteelSeries 7H-USB, Serious Gaming Headset with Options to Suit All

3/11/2010 9:13:03 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

SteelSeries is launching a pair of new gaming headsets to that will make anyone looking for some serious gaming sound very happy. The most exciting of the two is a USB model, the 7H-USB that promises a virtual 7.1 surround sound environment via its on-board sound card. The 50mm drivers should push more clear highs and deep bass than most other comparably priced gaming headsets. The USB sound card insures that traveling gamers are able to change machines without sacrificing sound quality. The 7H-USB headset also packs a hideaway microphone, easily retracted when not in use. Interesting, it is powered by a standard microUSB connection so no fussing with any custom cables. This same connection now powers most cell phones so you should have one lying around already. They also include an extra set of ear cups. The foam set is for casual listening while the leather version provides a tighter seal and isolates sounds for interruption free gaming.

The 7H-USB USB sound card will work perfectly for both PCs and Mac but has been targeted at gamers of independent of platform. Profiles exist for MMO's and FPS's which are suited to the special requirements that each have. SteelSeries has also made transporting these easier than other devices of the same size. Besides being able to tuck away the microphone, this large headset breaks down into 4 manageable pieces. The release date hasn't been solidified but there's already a pre-order link at Amazon so it can't be far off. The USB version costs $30 more than its analog cousin at $149.
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Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 Portable USB 3.0 Hard Drive Review
3/10/2010 2:20:31 AM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0
Storage is critical in today's technologically advanced home and business. Some would say more storage is better, others would say performance is king, but what would you say if you could have both performance, capacity and portability in one simple and attractive kit at a generous price? Today we'll review Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 - the world's first truly portable USB 3.0 hard drive - over the fastest consumer storage interface available. Permanent Link

Plus-sized, Interactive Dog Gives Fans of Japanimation or UrumaDelvi a Treat

3/9/2010 12:56:11 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

This purportedly popular fellow has been enshrined in plastic from its celluloid beginnings. Fashioned by Cube-Works into a peripheral, the anime dog, Dodobongo, is a USB watch dog for your PC. He comes with a food bowl which doubles as a sign holder for those times you leave your computer and put Dodobongo in charge of security. He'll bark or wiggle his head in response to motion. He'll also waddle up to you to the length of his USB tether. Be aware of the space you put him on, he doesn't seem to pay much attention to where he's going. This depressing character is the brain child of design team Uruma and Delvi. They refer to themselves jointly as UrumaDelvi. They are a pair of very modern designers that seem to have a genuine following, something akin to the Blue Dog craze in the US that lasted a year too long.

While he may not be as strong as some security systems released lately, having this on your desk should deter many a hacker or promotion. There's not much that a USB dog barking and roaming around your desk doesn't tell about you except that you have ONLY useless information on your computer. It may not be a high profile successory if this is going to make your daily routine even a little bit brighter, do it. Dodobongo can be had from Amazon Japan for about $40 not including shipping. Video demo after the jump.
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Intel Says USB 3.0 Likely to Reach Mainstream Status in Windows 8

3/9/2010 11:51:48 AM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

Amidst speculation of features of Windows 7 SP1, Intel has confirmed that it is working with Microsoft on USB 3.0 integration. That's the good news, the bad news is that they are working on getting into Windows 8. Windows 8 is expected to ship in 2012. That's a little long for our taste. Steve Peterson of Intel thinks that SuperSpeed USB devices will only show up on high end PC's, and will take another a year or two to reach mainstream. Despite obvious signs that USB 3.0 is on the rise, the titans of the industry apparently haven't put USB 3.0 as their first priority. Instead, NEC is taking the opportunity to rake in large sums from money with their world's first and only xHCI USB 3.0 host controller ICs.

We're still hoping that the rumors of Windows 7 SP1 having native support melded into the forthcoming patch are true. There's more than a few things we hope get fixed with SP1, not the least of which is the handling of USB autoruns, or lack thereof. At least this means that Intel is working on USB 3.0, we'll take what we can get. Even though the lack of dedicated, native drivers from Intel and Microsoft won't keep USB 3.0 devices from being rolled out, upgrade card and driver disc will only add to cost and slow user acceptance. Compared to Linux, which has had USB 3.0 support for some time now, Microsoft is lagging way behind. Yes, we do hope that kind of mud-slinging is all that it takes to get Redmond off it's duff and on the SuperSpeed bus. We are willing to add some snide comments about Bill's mother if that will help.
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Asus EeeBox Packs Dual USB 3.0 Ports for One Hot Nettop

3/9/2010 1:10:19 AM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

Asus, you had us at HELO, now you deliver us the USB THReee we've been waiting for. Apparently unfazed by the economy's stagnant state, they are still popping out innovations with their nettop line. Still riding high on the netbook craze that they cashed in on, they continue to hawk their nettop line with the EeeBox EB1501U. Tiny desktop systems claiming sufficient performance for everyday tasks and a much greener, low power consumption footprint. The most surprising addition is the two USB 3.0 ports right next to the slot-loading DVD drive. The Atom processor may be close to its limit moving 5GB/s of data around, but we'd rather spend our money getting close to the limit than staying away from it.

This is a smart move by Asus to add support for faster peripherals early. USB 3.0 makes this a much more future-proof desktop alternative. Large, high powered machines may still run years from now, but their bulk ultimately limits their usefulness. Laptops and tiny desktops can live on for many years performing niche tasks. Hand-me-down laptops make great learning tools for kids as well as gaming stations or even the heart of a MAME cabinet. A nettop may make a decent media center today, and it will make a fine webmail tool tomorrow and network storage device after that. Unfortunately, this doesn't pack the even lower powered ION 2 chipset that's all the rage, but it should have enough power to run most tasks you can think of today and tomorrow. Pricing and availability details are still lacking as of this writing.
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Porn Detection Stick Strikes Fear in the Hearts of All Men

3/4/2010 9:50:21 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

There are many who posit that the Internet was developed around a single major goal, the one goal, the cause of more struggles, bloodshed and wars than even religion: The desire to ogle cans. From the era of crude paint drawings to the barely discernible ASCII images on sheets of perforated green bar paper, naked pictures have been sought after since the first hairless apes donned clothing. Whether the internet birth drove porn or just followed it is a chicken-or-the-egg question that will likely never have a satisfactory answer. Everyone needs a little sumtin-sumtin in their lives, but there's a time and a place for everything. The Porn Detection Stick contains portable software that will scan through all images stored on a computer doing heuristic pattern matching to find out if you have a secret cache of skin pics. Even more frighteningly, it will rummage through the remnants of deleted files as well. So even if you, like my friend Derek, deleted all your porn the day you got married, this tool will still be able to find your filthy, filthy stash.

The tool is currently only designed to hunt stored images so your browsing history won't be inspected but your temporary internet files may still tattle on you. The drive's maker, proofpronto, claims the drive has less that .007% false positives. You really should go clean off your drive right now because your boss is ordering a few as we speak. For workplace legal concerns, this really could be a useful tool, a small office could be inspected in weekend "A search of a 500 GB hard drive with over 70,000 images takes only about an hour and a half". The drive is on sale now for $98 on their site. Here's hoping they run out of them or something and you get to keep your job.
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Super Talent's Third USB 3.0 Thumb Drive Series, Now with Heavy Encryption

3/4/2010 9:29:45 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

SuperSpeed USB is here, you can touch it, buy it and USE it, but where are our USB 3.0 thumb drives? Super Talent has revealed another slim uber-fast flash drive for our portable pleasure in the near future. The drive is being released in two line-ups. The first will be the consumer models, the SuperCrypt, available in sizes from 16GB to 256GB. The second is the more prosumer variation starting a 32GB up to the same 256GB, the SuperCrypt Pro.

Both lineups are equipped with serious hardware-based encryption built into their tiny chassis. The SuperCrypt sports 128-bit ECB encryption while the Pro model rocks with 256-bit XTS encryption, but will likely add to the price-tag. This robust data encryption won't get them top secret clearance though, there's still no tamper-proofing that really needs to go along with drives that tout security muscles. The DoD is only allowing drives with physical and digital security certifications back on premises. Hopefully, SuperTalent will craft a Pico version soon, and get it FIPS approved. We're also still waiting on an overdue RAIDDrive from SuperTalent as well. We love press releases, but until it's on Newegg, it's just empty words. This latest promise predicts sales in March. We Are holding our breath.
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50 USB 3.0 Products Have Passed Inspection by USB-IF, Many More to Follow

3/3/2010 5:16:15 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

There's a list of 50 products that the governing body around the USB standard has listed as approved by them to carry the USB-IF logo. This number seems awfully small, especially for those of us still forced to use USB 2.0 to move VMDK's and encrypted DB archives around. Spending hours a week waiting on data to move adds up and costs valuable work dollars. While this doesn't seem like many, the number is growing fast. The other thing to consider is that the silicon is what is getting approved and that it will be re-used and re-sold under many other names. NEC's chipset is now in dozens of the first USB 3.0 upgrade cards and many more core technologies being examined now will be similarly cloned under a single USB-IF product banner.

Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of the MUST HAVE devices on the market yet. Currently, our top pick for most useful device would be the Sharkoon drive station; anyone doing mass amounts of drive cloning and imaging should have one of these already. Once R&D groups have their imagination stimulated we should have a plethora of interesting products in the chute like Tritton's. Here's to 50 more USB 3.0, we're right here behind ya!
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Astro Drive - Smallest USB 3.0 Storage to Date (Bestest Colors Ever)

3/3/2010 4:41:25 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

The Astro Drive A101 is here to win hearts and inspire by being the smallest USB 3.0 device. Well, for today that is, currently there are only 50 some-odd USB 3.0 certified devices out there and this may currently hold the title. We'll likely be announcing its successor in about 2 weeks so try not to have a heart attack. This drive from Walton-Chaintech bears the Apogee name and follows close on the heels of a speedy USB 2.0 drive from the same company. Due to the extravagant and ethereal nature of the press release, we're forced to assume that this has similar internals. With 180MB/s read speed and 130MB/s write speed, this will be a very worthy flash drive (There's even a faster, more capable drive, but that's for geeks born with silver spoon in their mouth.) If they have a flip out connector and keep the price under $300 for the large 128GB variant, we'll have our pre-order in before the end of the day (32GB and 64GB models are available as well). Unfortunately, the price and where to pre-order are still absent from their site along with most of the other details that would be important to most of the people that this drive would thrill.

The press release is worthy of a read for fun though. It seems that choosing to use 2 colors in the casing turns this into a super-charged lifestyle drive full of vigor and fashion. They really do go on about the colors, both of them, being really important while details about speed, memory type and pretty much anything else are not to be found. From the text we'd expect to see Ashton Kutcher toting one of these but from the picture they'll be lucky to get an endorsement from Infra-man. Once we have more details, or at least a second detail we promise to get really excited.
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Logitech Z205 Clip-on Speakers, Easy Upgrade for Better Netbook Sound

3/3/2010 3:56:23 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

If you bought your netbook hoping to have a decent MP3 or video player, you probably had a lot of buyer's remorse the first time you tried to crank up some tunes on it. The underpowered netbook is usually equipped with some really underwhelming. Logitech's latest Laptop Speaker Z205 is an easy way to give any laptop a boost. The Z205 sports an internal sound card and stereo speakers for quality sound and projection.

The slim unit is designed to fit directly on the top of you laptop LCD. Sitting a little closer to ear level means less volume and less distortion. There's a carrying case included to making packing this along with you just as easy as it is to plug it in. There have been a few of these to come out int this form factor but none have carried Logitech's name and reputation. The price is a reasonable $39.99, but it would be hard to pass up the option of an NXT version or slightly bigger drivers. If the size is right for you, they should reach shelves any day now.
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IronKey Continues to Break New Ground in Security, Today: Online Banking

3/1/2010 3:19:26 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

IronKey, we remember when you were just a rugged, secure flash drive. Today, the company is making huge strides in secure computing and enterprise level encrypted operations. The Virtualized USB Key that they are now touting is going to be high security private communications device to handle corporate banking. With some banks now turning around and suing their clients for not securing their own assets, companies are forced to take more personal stake in securing their information.

IronKey has been using their secure and tamper-proof / tamper-evident drives to ferry data securely and more recently to host entire secure operating systems. This latest offering extends the last, with a secure operating system, bootable or run from a window, which connects to a specialized webservice or web site. The drives are locked to only be used for the specific bank service as well the account is locked down to only allow access by the drive. The Iron(Bank)Key can be further secured by SecureID or other token device making for a 3 or 4 factor authentication process for maximum confidentiality. This will most likely be marketed to banks to be distributed by them to their bigger customers, like Coke, Hilton or Bruce Willis as the The Jackal. Owing to that, it will likely be a few years before we get to see these come out to the end user.
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Best of February 2010 - Everything USB

3/1/2010 3:10:47 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

USB 3.0 Stuff

Other USB Worthy News

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All-USB Thin Client Workstations En Route from Tritton

3/1/2010 3:10:33 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

USB displays, network cards, hard drives and video cards are here, why not just a whole USB work station? Tritton has the answer to that question. The era of personal computer has peaked and people are now wishing for some more simplicity. Tritton has announced it is working with Microsoft to deliver that simpler future within the confines/garden of Windows MultiPoint Server. Combined with Tritton's SEE2 USB video technology, today's overpowered server computers can provide a full workstation environment to USB thin client workstations. The thin client architecture is already seeing a revival amongst institutional clients via VDI and other contenders.

Partnered with a Microsoft server product for ease of administration, simple USB 2.0 connectivity with no complicated wiring schemes and a workstation price point will make netbooks seem expensive. USB workstations could easily start as low as $100, and require that only a single server be maintained to serve entire offices. Desktop support staff requirements would be slashed right along side hardware costs as the only pieces to maintain are a server and physical connections to the devices. The MultiPoint Workstation 300 is an industry first, and can support up to 10 clients per MultiPoint Server. Due for release later this year expect to have one of these in front of you at some point in the next 2 years as a certainty.
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Going Green has Never Been so Easy, Just Click and Grow

3/1/2010 3:10:10 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

Everyone who ever went to Space Camp or followed the Grateful Dead has probably at one time or another been interested in hydroponics. Click and Grow finally has a computerized, no hassle version that you can run at your desk or windowsill. Insert a custom seed pod into the Aeroponic container and you're halfway done. Hit the Internet to download the latest watering and conditions information for your selected plant and use USB to upload this information to the Click and Grow unit. That's all there is to it. Just keep it plugged in and filled with water and you should have blossoms, fruit, vegetables or buds.

Some of the higher end models can actually extricate moisture from the air to water your plants. All models are completely soil free, but the seed pod packages do come loaded with the vital nutrients and fertilizers required to get your product to prosper. More so than more passive monitoring systems of the past, the chamber is actually used to make temperature and humidity adjustments in the closed environment to get the maximum growth for you prize Crops without letting your deadly black thumb get the best of you yet again. For those of you interest in more aggressive gardening, not the Phish crowd, may want to be wary of the providers claims. At least a few of the species they have listed there take more than a seasons to start bearing fruit. YMMV but Caveat emptor and good luck with your plants, you needs your spinach to grows up big and strong like Pop-Eye.
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Pricey CleanKeys Keyboard is Really Slick, in a Medical Way

3/1/2010 3:09:59 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

The new Cleankeys keyboard is designed to help you keep from getting a virus, you know, a real one, not one of those sissy computer viruses. The keyboard is made to work around the clock in a business setting and be frequently wiped down and disinfected. Dentists and Doctors have been have been waiting for this for years, unfortunately they may the only ones who can afford it. The touch-sensitive keyboards run from $400 to $450, depending on the tactile version you choose; the two models vary by being completely feature-less and smooth or having small grooves that allow for tiled sensation. Both versions have no moving parts or tactile feedback, but do include a round touchpad so that no a mouse is required at all.

While these features seem like they might have been designed by Apple, they actually have function besides just looking cool but they will take some getting used to, something akin to learning to type on that bluetooth laser keyboard. They are waterproof and spill-proof as well, allowing for accidents which are common in the workplace according to Murphy's Law. That way, you don't even have to unplug it, just hit the pause key and wipe it down. The pause key suspends keyboard functions when you need to clean the unit; the CleanKeys resumes when you hit it again. The keyboard is run off a wireless USB connection and recharges via a mini USB port that is tightly concealed until it's needed to juice the battery. If you've got the dough and have a bit of that germ phobia that seems to be so trendy lately, the CleanKeys can be ordered now from their suppliers. Brief video demo after the jump.
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Hovercam X500 USB "Camscanner" is Ready for Business

2/25/2010 11:49:23 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

Overhead projectors were a great idea, and there are tons of twenty year old ones still being lugged around middle schools that are dying to be replaced. The HoverCam X500 is here to oblige with a very modern makeover on the old monster cart machine. The X500 USB imaging device has a 5 megapixel sensor mounted on a swing arm that can either scan and recognize or monitor and project anything happening on a desk or surface under the camera. As a scanner, the HoverCam performs as a 600dpi equivalent scanner. Scans are snapped as photos would be, in an instant. No more waiting for the slow trudging of the scan sensor to run up and down the page. The USB webcam function is pretty straight forward though. It's designed with a flexible neck so that it can be aimed at any subject and broadcast straight to the web. It also has a built in microphone with the camera all driverless via USB. The only thing it seems to be missing is some LEDs to assist in lighting.

The free software that is included with the X500 is called HoverCam Flex. The Flex is not surprisingly built on the Adobe Air platform, and is a desktop based application that connects directly to their web services. Images can be uploaded, saved, published, shared and OCR'd with a quick drag and drop. The HoverCam Flex service also provides quick integration with other cloud services like Google OCR, Picassa, DropBox and e-Fax. The benefits of the software alone might be worth the $199 asking price of the HoverCam X500. It's available now through their website and Amazon storefront. Video demo after the jump.
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R2-D2 USB Humidifier Clears Out Sinuses While Repairing your X-Wing

2/25/2010 11:12:04 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

We've all wanted our own little astro-mech droid, now's your change to have one and maybe improve your complexion at the same time. Thinkgeek's latest geek toy is a hot little number that will steam up your cubicle but not in a NSFW way. The R2-D2 USB Humidifier is ready to humidify your local area network and to make it a little easier to breathe. Add about a cup of water, and R2 will aerosolize it into an ultra-fine mist that should give you a rain-forest style humidity in a very localized area. There are cuter ways to fog up your glasses, but nothing beats a Trilogy reference.

While this guy seems nearly useless, it's also quite dangerous. There's not a whole lot of good combinations of electricity and water. So, unless you're looking for a Darwin Award, use caution when running this little guy. C3PO is not going to come around to clean this up and your boss may go all Darth on you if you ruin your computer. True fan-boys can pick up the R2-D2 USB Humidifier for $19.99 now.
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MagicJack Gets SLAPPed Down for Bully Lawsuit Tactics

2/25/2010 11:02:26 PM Everything USB - Gadgets, Wireless USB, USB 3.0

Well, we had high hopes for this product, but it seems that their early success may have gone to their heads. In what has to be one of the best examples of how not to influence the media, MagicJack, makers of a home friendly internet phone service. MagicJack is a USB device that lets you plug a home phone into your PC, and have a phone number that travels with your device. We'd heard good things about them but fellow news site, BoingBoing, got some details about MagicJack that weren't so complimentary. MagicJack took offense to the details that were published and promptly hit the tabloid with a lawsuit.

BoingBoing didn't back down, and pushed back on the lawsuit. California has some progressive laws protecting against bogus lawsuits called SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). BoingBoing's lawyers had the lawsuit thrown out, and MagicJack even had to pay a hefty sum to cover their legal fees. Mark one down for the little guys. Let's hope MagicJack puts money into fixing the details instead of covering them up with legal scare tactics.
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