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Crunch gyms use satellite technology to re-create Groundhog Day.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with extraneous flesh and respiratory deterioration.

Some control their diet with the rigor of Reese Witherspoon and go for long walks, waving their arms around like angry spouses. (Which many of them appear to be.) Others staple their stomachs like a two-page letter from a lawyer. And there are those of us who go to gyms, where at least one can bike, read a book and laugh (inwardly, of course) at the progress of leotard design.

I choose to exercise at one of the amiable horse boxes in the stable of Crunch gyms.… Read more

YouMail puts voice messages on the mobile screen

YouMail, a free visual voice mail solution to organize cell phone messages like e-mail for online playback and response, announced on Thursday that customers can start viewing those same voice mail messages from their mobile phones.

By pointing the mobile browser to YouMail's home page, fans of the service can access their account with the usual login and pin to view contact's images, play back messages in any order, and forward or reply to voice messages in a form factor tailored from YouMail's servers to many high-end smartphones.

YouMail certainly isn't the first visual voice mail … Read more

Apple's iPhone loses U.S. market share in Q1

Apple experienced a bit of a setback in the U.S. smartphone market during the first quarter after coming out of nowhere last year to rank among the top companies.

According to data compiled by IDC, Apple's still the second-leading smartphone maker in the U.S. behind Research in Motion and the BlackBerry franchise. But it lost market share going from the fourth quarter to the first at the expense of RIM and Palm, according to the figures provided by IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.

RIM's market share went from 35.1 percent in the fourth quarter to 44.… Read more

Black Francis, 'The Seus': Free MP3 of the Day

No one can make a kooky lyric feel utterly affecting like Charles Thompson. With "Svn Fngrs," as brisk an "LP" as you'll likely find, the erstwhile Pixies sage returns with more scarcely sensical, highly conceptual, and dangerously inviting alt-rock. Every ugly riff does seem so pretty.

Download free MP3 now!

Quick Tips: Color your BlackBerry trackball

There's a not-so-secret secret that BlackBerry Pearl owners in the know have been using to impress the socks off those astute enough to notice the glowing neon ball at the center of the handset. And that it isn't glowing white.

The trick is owed to a little software application called ColorPearl, which beams out multihued lights from RIM's famous navigation pearl by taking advantage of...well, we don't want to spoil the plot. Tune into this Quick Tip video from CNET Producer Randall Bennett to see the amazing Technicolor sphere in action.

Weekend fun: Find the signed copy of Sarah Lacy's book at Green Apple in SF

I ran into Sarah Lacy and her husband Geoff at Green Apple and she sneakily signed the only copy left of her book in the store and stuck it back on the shelf. That's a special prize for whoever picks up Once You're Lucky, Twice You're Good: The Rebirth of Silicon Valley and the Rise of Web 2.0

I've been giving her a bit of a hard time that I don't really care about the story (I am still waiting for my copy from Amazon) but the truth is I am just jealous that … Read more

Possible dates, prices for the BlackBerry Bold

We know it exists. Now, the question is when can we get one and for how much? We are, of course, talking about the RIM BlackBerry Bold, which has drawn many an admirer before and after its official debut earlier this week. RIM and AT&T have already confirmed that the Bold will be released later this summer, but InfoSync reportedly has information with more specifics about date and price as well as details about availability for other carriers. According to the Web site, the BlackBerry Bold will show up in AT&T stores about July, while Sprint, … Read more

Garmin and BlackBerry: lifetime buddies, for a price

Today, Garmin announced a new plan that will give BlackBerry users unlimited, lifetime access to its Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry navigation application. Designed for those who don't want to be bothered by monthly subscription fees, the lifetime plan only requires a one-time fee of $99.99 and then you can get navigation assistance till you can drive or walk no more. Garmin Mobile for BlackBerry services includes Navteq maps, turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions, points of interest, as well as real-time traffic, weather, and fuel price data. You can use the service on the latest BlackBerry models, including the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 series, … Read more

Touch-screen BlackBerry coming soon?

Research in Motion has a touch-screen BlackBerry in the works that should be out in the third quarter, according to a report Thursday.

The Wall Street Journal has echoed a previous report from The Boy Genius Report that RIM's BlackBerry Thunder will arrive later this year exclusively on Vodafone and Verizon's networks. The device is seen as an answer to Apple's iPhone, which will likely be running on AT&T's 3G network by the time the Thunder arrives.

RIM is by far the leading smartphone company in the U.S., but Apple has come out … Read more

Hands on the BlackBerry Wallet

I must admit, my interlude with the new BlackBerry Wallet in the quiet, early morning hours has been a bit of a letdown. That's because I'm comparing it with eWallet Professional and CodeWallet Pro, neither of which is available for BlackBerry (they patrol Windows Mobile territory, and in eWallet's case, Palm's,) and both of which guard much more information than credit card, gift card, password, and loyalty card numbers and details.

What I like about the other two wallets (reviewed side-by-side here) is their wide definition of sensitive data. If you're reaching for your smartphone … Read more