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Get an Obihai OBi100 voice-over-IP adapter for $29.99

Whenever I write about landline alternatives like the NetTalk Duo or Ooma Telo, readers invariably line up to sing the praises of the Obihai OBi100, a voice-over-IP phone adapter that many say is a better alternative.

It's definitely a cheaper one, especially today: Obihai (via Amazon) has the OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter for $29.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code TALK2DAD at checkout, and about 25 percent off the regular price.

Update: The coupon code does not appear to be working at the moment. I'm checking with Obihai and will update the post again when I … Read more

Google creeps up on Microsoft at HP: Now office apps

Hewlett-Packard is now a Google Apps reseller, as it continues to lean more on Google-related products and tries to make itself more relevant in the age of the mobile device.

Those mobile devices now include the Google-software-based HP SlateBook x2, HP Chromebook, and HP Slate 7.

Now add HP SMP IT in a Box to that mix, which HP defines it as its "entry into the Google Apps Reseller program."

The program will "leverage" HP hardware, including PCs and printers, with Google Apps for Business.

"More than 5 million businesses currently run on Google Apps … Read more

White House petition seeks to ban men from driving

Forget texting or driving with Google Glass. A petition on the WhiteHouse.gov "We The People" site is going after the true menace behind the wheel -- men.

Full disclosure: I'm also a man, and have been for nearly 15 years in the eyes of the law (although according to certain cultural traditions, I've got more like 13 years of official manhood under my belt, and folks who know me well tell me I'll never actually achieve the title).

The official demand of the petition is to "Prohibit Straight Men From Driving," although there's also a reference to include "men of other sexual orientations who are attracted to women" under the proposed ban.… Read more

Comcast ditches the DVR for cloud recordings

CNET Update is posting to Myspace:

In this episode of Update:

- Learn how Comcast and other cable providers are updating set-top boxes and channel guides.

- Give your smartphone more camera with the Galaxy S4 Zoom coming out later this year.

- Prepare for Google Maps to get more social, now that Google bought the app Waze.

- Rock out with music stations and GIFs on Myspace's new iPhone app.

CNET Update delivers the tech news you need in under three minutes. Watch Bridget Carey every afternoon for a breakdown of the big stories, hot devices, new apps, … Read more

NSA surveillance retrospective: AT&T, Verizon never denied it

When Internet companies were recently accused of allowing the National Security Agency direct access to their servers, they strenuously denied it. But when AT&T was accused of allowing the NSA direct access to its network, it did the opposite.

Mark Klein, who worked as an AT&T technician for over 22 years, disclosed in 2006 (PDF) that he met with NSA officials and witnessed domestic Internet traffic being "diverted" through a "splitter cabinet" to secure room 641A in one of the company's San Francisco facilities. Only NSA-cleared technicians were allowed to work … Read more

Telerobotics helps sick teen toss a baseball 1,800 miles

There are some baseball players known for their strong arms, but a lot of people probably stood up and took notice when 13-year-old Nick LeGrande threw a baseball 1,800 miles today.

Before you scoff at the physical impossibility of such a notion, take solace in the fact that technology was very much behind LeGrande's feat, telerobotics to be precise. The Kansas City, Mo., teen, who suffers from severe aplastic anemia, a rare blood disease, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Oakland A's-New York Yankees game in Oakland, Calif., tonight. … Read more

Receive push Gmail alerts on iOS after losing ActiveSync support

Last December Google announced its plans to discontinue support for Google Sync as of January 30, 2013. Sync allowed users to access Gmail, Google Contacts and Calendar using Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync system. What this allowed iOS users to do was set up Gmail as an Exchange account, which in turn provides push alerts for new e-mails in a real-time sync of Calendars and Contacts.

The cutoff date has long passed, but if you had an account already set up and running on your iOS device as Exchange, you had nothing to worry about; Google promised to keep the service … Read more

Bing's U.S. search market share continues to climb

Microsoft's Bing carved out a 17.4 percent slice of the U.S. search engine market in May, according to the latest ComScore data provided by investment firm Macquarie Capital.

An investors note released today by Macquarie analyst Ben Schachter revealed that Bing's share in May rose only 0.10 percentage points from April. But that slow but steady rise showed an ongoing gain that's held relatively firm for the past three years.

Still, Google remains the search engine champ, well ahead of the other contestants. Its May market share showed an increase of 0.20 points … Read more

As Apple reorients its Maps, Google forges ahead

Apple blew it big-time last year with the botched launch of its own Maps. At its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, the company tried to show that it knows which direction to take Apple Maps.

We won't how know how well it works until the fall. But Google -- the leader in online maps -- isn't waiting around.

Google's purchase of Waze -- a deal that Google confirms Tuesday but won't elaborate on -- will, if nothing else, keep a rival from snapping up the hot Israeli startup.

Google reportedly spent more than a literal ton of cashRead more

Feedly starts weaning itself from Google Reader servers

Less than three weeks before Google Reader shuts down, a top alternative called Feedly has begun switching the foundation of its RSS-reading service off Google's technology and onto its own servers.

Feedly released a new iOS app Tuesday that is "Now powered by the Feedly cloud," according to the app description. "Let's all wish a happy retirement to Google Reader."

Feedly got its start as a new interface to Google Reader, a service that lets people subscribe to Web site updates using the RSS and Atom technologies. But in March Google announced it's axing Google Reader on July 1, … Read more