As we close in on the purported release date for Best Buy’s Insignia cTV, more details have come to light about the TiVo menu system (but not DVR) powered HDTV. Zatz Not Funny reports the 32- and 42-inch models available initially will cost $599 and $999, respectively, with a pretty standard list of features including built-in 802.11n WiFi, 4 HDMI ports, etc. More interesting however are these box shots that reveal unannounced apps on the way including Chumby widgets — destined to replace the late FrameChannel? — as well as Twitter and Facebook, which were integrated via the iPad app but not the box, yet. So far we still don’t know for sure if these TVs will be able to serve as multiroom extenders and stream video from a TiVo Premiere (whenever TiVo brings the feature back) but until there’s some official word you can get more pictures and details at the source below.

 
Ion Piano Apprentice plays nice with your iPad, lights up your life

It’s not enough anymore to simply cram a single-octave keyboard into the bottom of a Nintendo DS, effective piano instruction requires at least twice as many keys — and an iPad. The Ion Piano Apprentice (when coupled with a compatible iDevice and companion app) offers aspiring Tchaikovskys octave-selectable free play, lessons on reading sheet music, and even a view of award-winning piano instructor Scott Houston’s handsome hands. If those mitts are too distracting for you, just follow along with the light-up keys, you’ll be fine. This mini keyboard / iPad dock will land this fall to the tune of $100 — – it’s either that, a real instructor, or a pair of haptic robot gloves. Your choice, really. Hit the PR after the break for a peek at Mr. Houston’s official nickname, if you’re into that sort of thing.

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ION Intros Portable Keyboard with Lighted Keys & Piano Learning Software for iPad, iPhone & iPad
PIANO APPRENTICE turns a portable keyboard into a traveling music teacher with an intelligent piano learning software app.

Cumberland, R.I. (July 19, 2011) – ION, a leader in consumer audio and entertainment technology, announces PIANO APPRENTICE, a portable lighted-key piano learning system for iPad, iPhone or iPod. ION will showcase PIANO APPRENTICE at Booth #400 at the 2011 Summer NAMM show from July 21st- 23rd in Nashville, TN.

PIANO APPRENTICE portable piano transforms iPad, iPhone or iPod into a personal piano instructor. The PIANO APPRENTICE App – a free download from the App Store – is piano learning software designed and built by ION to work seamlessly with PIANO APPRENTICE and creates a comprehensive music-learning experience. Piano players follow along as Emmy award-winning piano instructor, Scott Houston (aka “The Piano Guy”), appears on the screen demonstrating how to play while the PIANO APPRENTICE keys light up in time with the music. In addition, Scott’s hands are right above the PIANO APPRENTICE keyboard, showing the user where to place their hands, teaching them how to play.

Other modes will teach aspiring pianists how to read sheet music or allow them to simply play the piano at any octave they choose. The portable keyboard itself is touch sensitive, responding to soft or hard playing accordingly for expressive music creation. PIANO APPRENTICE is lightweight, battery powered, and has built-in speakers for learning and playing anywhere. A headphone jack is included for quiet practice at anytime.

“PIANO APPRENTICE enables people everywhere to bring out their inner musician using their iPad, iPhone or iPod, even if they’ve never played an instrument before,” said Wendy Mittelstadt, Product Manager, ION. “This is a incredibly easy-to-use and portable system for learning and music creation.”

 

Hey Vonage customers, your VoIP service of choice is about to get a bit of a mobile value-add. Announced today, the company’s new Extensions service links your existing home internet calling plan to extra phone numbers — like a cellphone– for free, so you can make that long-distance call to Tante Lulu in Gstaad on-the-go. Okay, so the feature isn’t exactly gratis — you’re still required to sign up for an unlimited international calling plan, but the bucks literally stop there. All it takes to get started with this “virtual calling card” is an access number and some foreign digits. Sound too complicated for you? Don’t fret, official iPhone and Android-compatible apps are scheduled to hit their respective markets in the coming weeks. So, go ahead and ring ol’ Lu for her 89th birthday. She’ll be glad you called.

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Vonage Adds Free Mobile Extensions

Now Anyone With Vonage World Gets Unlimited Calling To More Than 60 Countries From Their Mobile At No Extra Charge

HOLMDEL, N.J., July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG) is breaking beyond the four walls of the home by allowing customers to extend their Vonage home calling plans to any phone, including mobiles. The move allows customers to use Vonage’s signature unlimited(1) international calling plans from their mobile phones to call friends and family abroad. The new service offering — Extensions™ — is free to all Vonage customers and builds upon Vonage’s history of providing unsurpassed value to customers for both domestic and international calling.

“Vonage World set the benchmark for unlimited international calling. Now new and existing customers can call these unlimited countries on their mobile phones for no additional cost,” said Marc Lefar, CEO of Vonage. “This new service dramatically increases the value of Vonage’s core offering, providing customers with more flexibility and savings when making international calls.”

Existing customers can add any U.S. phone number as an extension by logging into their online account at www.vonage.com. The extension phone number can be a cell phone, a home phone or even an office number. Once registered, the service works like a virtual calling card. Simply dial the access number and international destination number and the call is connected over the Vonage network.

Extensions works with any mobile phone, and in the next several weeks Vonage plans to offer downloadable apps for iPhone® and Android™ devices, enabling one-touch dialing directly from the customer’s contact list.

Customers with the Vonage World plan will now have the additional flexibility of unlimited calling to more than 60 countries from their cell phones in addition to from their home phone. Those who call internationally for as little as an hour a week will save an average of $250 a year versus the best international rates from major wireless carriers.*

For more information visit www.vonage.com.

 

After a full morning of filming alongside sister Khloe and fiance Kris Humphries, Kim Kardashian said her goodbyes as she was spotted heading off for a photo shoot in Los Angeles on Wednesday (July 27).

Not letting the non-stop workload dampen her mood, the always-busy E! reality star was especially pumped up for the midday photo session, as she tweeted, “Huge cover shoot today!!! I am soooo excited for this one! I will try to send a twitpic! It’s my 1st cover for the middle east! Sooo major!”

And while Kim happened to be solely focused on her demanding celebrity schedule, fellow sister Kourtney’s priorities commendably laid in spending time with her 1 1/2-year-old son Mason as the twosome were spotted having a blast while out shopping in Calabasas.

Despite carrying out the separate schedules, Kim and Kourtney both joined together on Twitter to make a big announcement during the course of the afternoon – as the ladies have chosen the name for their first literary offering.

The “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” stars wrote, “We’ve picked a name for our very first novel…. DOLLHOUSE! A big congratulations to Courtney Powell who picked the winning name, and will get a guest role in the novel!”

For all of those interested in grabbing up the Kardashian sisters’ book, it hits store shelves November 1st while currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

The book is out on November 1 but it’s available for pre-order NOW an Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

 

It’s set to arrive in theaters this November, and “Happy Feet Two” just released a fun-filled teaser trailer.

The animated flick will be featured in 3D, 2D, and IMAX 3D, and follows Mumble, the Master of Tap, as he tries to get his son Erik past his choreographobia.

Thanks to the help of The Mighty Sven, Erik begins to realize his own courage and ability, but that’s just the beginning of his fascinating journey.

“Happy Feet Two” features the voice talents of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Alecia “P!nk” Moore, Brad Pitt, Sofia Vergara, and Matt Damon.

 

She typically prefers a grungy look, but Ke$ha recently participated in a photoshoot and cleaned up a bit, and we must admit, it worked for her.

The “Tik Tok” singer posed for pictures with famed photographer Terry Richardson and showed off her bright smile for the camera.

Meanwhile, because of her rocker behavior and bad girl ways, FOX News host Laura Ingraham recently took quite the shot at the singer.

Of Ke$ha and fellow controversial entertainer, Chris Brown, Laura referred to them as “the cultural rot that’s eating away at American society.”

 

Easing back to her car ever so slowly, Ashley Greene was spotted leaving her local gym in Los Angeles earlier today (July 27).

Dressed in a cute Snoopy t-shirt with black tights, the Alice Cullen actress’ day of physical fitness comes amidst a report that she may be going in on a new pad in New York City with her “Twilight” co-star Kellan Lutz.

According to E! News, Lutz told, “I was talking to Ashley about maybe sharing a place out here in New York.”

Explaining further, Kellan added, “We’re never here at the same time but we both love New York. So we’d be rooommates without being roommates…more like housemates!”

 

Enjoying an afternoon outing, Jake Gyllenhaal was spotted arriving at a friend’s house in Los Feliz, CA on Tuesday (July 26).

Dressed in workout clothes, the “Source Code” actor looked a bit on the buff side as he hurried out of the view of the on-hand paparazzi.

The sighting comes as Jake headed to the North Shore of Oahu over the weekend to show his support for his film director father’s second wedding.

Joined by sister, Maggie, the 30-year-old stud happened to be one of the groomsmen, while he also was able to fit in a little Aloha State surfing during the brief island getaway.

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