pimps

Access unique wallpapers with Pimp Your Screen for Mac

For people who often change their desktop backgrounds, locating unique images can be a problem. Pimp Your Screen for Mac addresses this with its selection of unique, high-quality wallpapers, which may be worth the price for some people.

Available only as a paid app from the Mac App Store for $2.99, Pimp Your Screen for Mac has no free trial, which would have been a welcome feature. Since it is an App Store program, download and installation completed easily without any user activity. Pimp Your Screen for Mac also started up cleanly and the interface was very well designed. … Read more

Pimp My Shadow failed to impress

There are tons of photo-editing tools out there that allow you to edit and add effects to your smartphone pics on the fly. Pimp My Shadow is another contender that, as its name suggests, lets you add shadow effects to your pictures. While the idea sounds like fun, the reality falls a bit flat.

First things first: You have to either take a new picture or select one from your Camera Roll. From there, Pimp My Shadow takes you to a screen where you have to erase the background of your picture by swiping your finger around the figure you … Read more

Change your screen and battle on Europa: iPhone apps of the week

Maggie Reardon wrote a post today on her Signal Strength blog about AT&T beginning to crack down on customers using the iPhone's tethering capabilities without paying for the service. Apparently the company has begun sending out e-mails and text messages to the offending customers inviting them to sign up with its tethering plan--$45/month for what it calls a "DataPro" 4GB service.

I haven't used this feature at all yet on my iPhone and I probably never will at $45 a month. But this story also brings up the old "Unlimited Data" plan argument. I think I was grandfathered in with an Unlimited Data plan (which frustratingly doesn't include texts for no reason I can understand accept that AT&T is nickel-and-diming us to death), but as you can see, my "unlimited" plan has very clear limits when it comes to tethering (and texting!). I don't know about you, but last I checked, unlimited meant without limits. Also, if the connection is going through my iPhone to my laptop, how is that any different than simply using the same connection on my iPhone without a laptop? It's the same connection, right? If not, is it really a $45-per-month difference? Somehow I doubt it.

Anyway, I just thought I would (vent) put it out there and see what readers think about the new tethering features, the pricing, and the highly limited "unlimited data" plans. Let me know what you think in the comments.

This week's apps include a unique background image collection app, and a combination first-person shooter and role-playing game that's set on Europa, the ice-covered moon of Jupiter.… Read more

The 404 346: Where Anna David wonders if you can be Bought

Journalist and author Anna David comes on the show to give us a glimpse into the world of high-class escorts as featured in her new book, "Bought." Wilson uses this opportunity to solicit tips on how to obtain one of these (books), and we dig deep into Anna's experience researching the topic. It's getting foggy in here.

Today's show is all about Anna, a well-established journalist and sex/relationship expert whose second book tells the story of a tepid journalist who gets slapped with an assignment to explore the steamy underbelly of high-class glitterati and … Read more

Princess Zelda spits hot fire in debut album, 'Ocarina of Rhyme'

If you enjoyed Eric Franklin's post on 8-bit NES-style hip-hop, you'll definitely enjoy Team Teamwork's "The Ocarina of Rhyme." It's a mix tape of mashups that combines hip-hop tracks with the score to the Zelda game Ocarina of Time.

Team Teamwork produced the mix, which features unique tracks by Spank Rock, Common, Aesop Rock, Clipse, and my personal pick: MF Doom. Most of the songs fit well with the background score; for example, in "Fumbling Over Words," artist Edan Portnoy's intensity melds seamlessly into the rumblings of the "Battle" … Read more

The 404 209: Where Dan Ackerman plugs everything under the sun

Since Wilson can't be here today (or tomorrow), we invite Dan Ackerman into the studios to give us his expert opinion on the new Apple laptops and the latest video games. Unfortunately, he ignores all of our pressing questions in lieu of his own shameless promotions. Dan is a man of many talents, and his many creative projects give us a glimpse into his kooky world. Listen in for hilarious banter from Mr. Ackerman and even a brief look into the sad state of existence that is affectionately dubbed the Ackergoad household!

What more can be said about a man who literally has his hand in everyone else's cookie jar? Dan Ackerman, Senior Editor for Laptops at CNET, simply can't be pinned down or pigeonholed into one creative arena. No way! Mixed media is his art of choice, and on today's episode he invades the waves with several of his own personal projects including a unique take on the classic podcast and even his DIY amalgam music group! We play a clip on second half of the show after a bit of technical troubles (typical) and I have to admit that although Jeff and I were poised and ready to give Dan hell, the music is great and we actually find ourselves grooving uncontrollably to the penny licks and rolling bass lines. Buy a copy here and prepare yourself for a night of aural love making. And if you can't get enough of Dan's awesome radio voice, be sure to catch his new CNET podcast Digital City, available every Monday on CNET.com.

Episode 209 Download today's podcast … Read more

The 404 186: Where the sleep doctor is in

Dr. Michael Breus aka "The Sleep Doctor" drops by the studio today to catch up on some Zzzs and give us a few tips to improve the quality of our sleep. The good doctor answers our pressing questions about sleep walking, energy drinks, and spooning, and dispels a few sleep-related myths.

We're all excited for Dr. Brues' appearance on our show. This is actually his second appearance on The 404, but we're happy to get him back in the studio to answer our pressing questions about sleep cycles, naps, sleep talking, snoring, and lucid dreaming. Personally, I have a big problem with sleep talking (or so I'm told--I've never actually heard myself). One time, I apparently jumped out of bed and yelled "THE VORTEX!" for absolutely no reason at all, then proceeded to fall back into a deep sleep. Another time, I answered a phone call, made plans to go out, and had a full on conversation with a friend all in my sleep. Am I clinically insane? Listen to the show to hear Dr. Brues' professional opinion!

EPISODE 186 Download today's podcast … Read more

The 404 132: Where CBS is brought to you by The 404

Today's show is all about answering the questions that nobody is asking. These questions include: Is "doing the robot" considered cheating? If California legalizes marijuana, will we need to find a new co-host? Is the vibrating iPhone keypad a curse or a blessing in disguise? When will Amy Winehouse evolve into a Homo sapiens? How can we stop the Ninja Turtles from stealing our precious metals? Do the Netflix executives listen to The 404? Is there a problem that can't be solved with Viagra? All this and much much more, now brought to you by CBS … Read more

The 404 127: Where Justin gets his wardrobe off eBay

All the bizarre stories on today's show throw us into a rollercoaster of emotions. We start off innocent enough, begging Rick Moranis to do more movies, but then quickly spiral into flora weaponry, gender identity and male pregnancy, heartbreaking eBay auctioneering, and the difficulty in "Shorty" pimpery. We also come to the sobering realization that we've been duped...AGAIN! This must stop. EPISODE 127 Download today's podcast