Say Hello to eBay's New Logo

As technology continues to evolve at the speed of light, all things gotta change, cool cats. Today, eBay has introduced a spanking new logo, which, natch, is accompanied by numerous changes to its webbie. Nearly two decades since the merchant's founding, it has also introduced the "eBay Feed," a personalized page of items you might be interested in, arranged in the Pinterest, pinboard-style of image tiles. Just like so many other sites, eBay now knows who you are, based on your searching history.

In addition, it is supposedly overhaulings its search function for better speed and accuracy in the coming weeks, although one major new advantage is already in place: It allows users to connect with (its) Paypal without having to transfer to the separate site and sign in, which was always a bit cumbersome. See eBay's explanation of all new things here, which outlines all just-introduced and coming enhancements.

Mind you, there's still no cure for eBay's most egregious sin: When you sell an item on the site, it takes it portion of the net, of course... But what I have always found just plain hateful is that when that payment tranfers to Paypal (an eBay sister), you are again charged against the full price of the item sold... meaning that not only does eBay swipe its 20%, but Paypal, in turn, grabs a larger percentage of the full selling price. In essence, it's double taxation. So wrong.

All the same, as a regular eBay peddler who has tried all the competitors—iOffer, Bonanza, etsy and even evil Amazon—the traffic speaks for eBay. It still rules the roost. And so I crow... silently into the darkness. *

A Covert Attempt At 'Guydar' In NYC's Soho

One of my fave blogs, Boyculture, O&O'd by my bud Matt Rettenmund, offers a regular feature he calls "Guydar," in which he captures come-hither dudes below the radar with his cell phone. I've tried this now and again, but always feel like a bit of a dumbass who's ultimately gonna be swatted for being anything but covert. But today in the city I had a... shall we say, emotional reaction to a handsome stud wearing jeans that fit just so while standing on the sidewalk, and I was determined to successfully execute my own Guydar picola. Success! Fine work, if I say so meese-self. *

Masturbating The Mind: Society's Ungodly Obsession With Cell Phones

It was three years ago in the Hamptons when I first saw a couple having dinner and completely ignoring one another as they both sat and fucked with their cell phones. They must have been all of 22. I'm assuming by the end of that summer, one of them sent a text wondering why they had nothing in common.

Since then, mobile phones have, no doubt, become all the more obsessive for many, like a third hand constantly masturbating the mind. Last November, I joined the iPhone revolution; and sure, I love my phone more than ever before... downloading fab fart apps, Fatify & Oldify, using a handy alarm clock app that includes the weather and dozens more... but I tell you what: I am still in no way married to my damn phone. We're friends, but hardly as intimate as I've seen so many become.

Let me share two recent instances that about had steam coming out of my ears: My friend "A" visiting from another city and I were walking through my Brooklyn Heights nabe on a beautiful summer afternoon. I was attempting to have an animated conversation with him, but found it impossible, since he was always 10 paces behind me, with his eyes glued to his iPhone. When I insisted he put the damn device in his pocket and make eye contact, he reacted as if I'd held a gun to his noggin and said, "Gimme all your money." Seriously. Boo hiss!

I find the second grievance even more repugnant. Dear friend "L" recently came to my apartment for dinner, whom I hadn't seen in weeks. As I tried to catch up with him about life and subsequently share a movie together on TV, I literally had to ungrip his palm from his iPhone so he would stop searching Grindr for potential hook-ups... and not even in my hood, but in his own nabe... the next day! Hello, I'm here, living and breathing in the now. What the fuck?

That's why I take delight in an initiative from Beverly Hills' restaurant Eva, which has created a viral splash (more here and here) by offering a 5% discount to patrons who check their cell phones at the door. Their mission has less to do with loud, obnoxious customers talking on their phones than something much more organic: According to FoodBeast, owner and chef Mark Gold is hoping the initiative will allow guests to sit back, relax and interact with their table mates and meal, sans outside distractions.

"It's about two people sitting together and just connecting, without the distraction of a phone," Gold told Southern California Public Radio. "We're trying to create an ambiance where you come in and really enjoy the experience and the food and the company."

So far, fewer than half of the eatery's customers have taken advantage of the deal, which shows how obsessive the mobile connection has become. So far, I have maintained enough sanity to depend on my mobile as a tool, a convenience and... a phone. If it ever becomes a necessity that replaces social interaction, I hope someone will cut all three of my hands off. *

Awesome: Facebook Intros New Calendar View For Events

At last, a Facebook update that is actually constructive, instead of disruptive. Now when you click on "Events," it gives you a Calendar View option, including birthdays. Loving this! *

The Future Of The Music Business @ New York's 'New Music Seminar'

As I've mentioned previously, cool cats, the past six weeks have been consumed with a wondrous freelance project for the 2012 New Music Seminar, as editor of its 150-page Guidebook. Deadline met! The convention takes place this coming Sunday, June 17 through Tuesday, June 19, and I hope to live blog from the premises... or at least offer reports of the goings on throughout its duration. I will also be filing regular reports with RadioInfo.com.

The NMS is truly the gold standard of the new music industry, with more than 160 speakers addressing the future of the biz, including Pandora, Spotify, SoundExchange, Clear Channel's iHeartRadio, YouTube and so many more; as well as Grammy winners Wyclef Jean, Desmond Child, Bob Ludwig, Peter Asher, Ron Fair, Andy Wallace and Rico Love.

This is the one music industry convention where you're not going to be hearing the same old woe-is-me tales from dusty veterans that continue to focus on age-old platforms in an effort to appeal to millennial music fans. Forget about suing those dastardly individuals who dare to swipe songs online. How can forward-thinking companies inspire consumers to spend their hard-earned $$ on quality music that is readily available—and ultimately monetize those players that have an eye (and ear) on the digital future?

The NMS is commandeered by its co-founder & president Tom Silverman, who is also founder & chairman of Tommy Boy; and executive director Dave Lory (right), who have spent decades in the label and artist management sides of the biz... celebrating its heyday and then witnessing the standard model collapse. Their focus for NMS is clearly focused on tomorrow. Tom's mandate for the 2012 gathering: "Appetite for Disruption." Hear that, Clive?

Stand by as The Smoking Nun regains its mojo after several weeks of admittedly slim pickings. We're back in full force, with a rejuvenated focus on radio, music, artists and the industry that fueled my years at Billboard.

Admittedly, these past couple months have taken a slight toll, as I've been holed away in near total isolation, between duties for RadioInfo.com, the Brooklyn Heights Blog and NMS. But I'd say the changes are ever so slight, right? See you soon... and much more often (again), cool cats. Thanks for standing by. *

Praise God: Apple Bestows Its MacBook Pro With A Dazzling Update

At last, cool cats... Papa has been hungry for a new laptop computer. My more-or-less trusty MacBook Pro turned three years old in February—which is essentially, in computer years, the age of your toothless, bald-headed granny. While I had my hard drive replaced in December—two months before my blessed three-year Apple warranty expired—my poor overworked laptop now operates about as fast as a crowd of tourists shuffling through Times Square. That little endlessly spinning icon is seemingly part of every app I open. Sigh.

Monday, I was like a kid checking under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy (again, like your granny) to discover what Apple had in store for the MacBook Pro line with its grandiose announcement of upgrades, new products and the usual blah blah bravado. And like most of the tech world, I am practically starry eyed with the news regarding the MacBook Pro's first major overhaul since 2008.

First, the new gen sports a hi-res "retina" display that actually supersedes the iPad... nice and all, but what matters most to me are 1) Intel’s third-generation Core i-series processor, which adds speed and reduces start-up time and 2) its ultrabook-thin body (0.71 inch thick) and reduced weight (4.46 pounds).

Apple has also finally added an HDMI port, allowing plug-in to external monitors and plasma TVs—which, for some reason, they've always forced on consumers as an add-on extension. The idea of working here in my office and doing my daily duty plugged into a meaningfully large screen brings all the advantages of an old-fashioned mega-display desktop to the laptop realm. Bring it on.

The biggest caveat: Apple has done away with the optical disc drive, meaning that users can no longer slip in a CD or DVD to play or record... The company's take is that it slims down the MacBook like its AirBook. My take: Apple arrogance that we've already entered the post-era of needing physical media. Sadly, my 5,000 CD collection begs to disagree (although, yes, most everything I listen to is on iTunes). Still, I am not amused at the notion of having to purchase an external disc drive to record a CD or download pics onto a DVD.

As usual, you pay for what you get. While one can lap up a PC laptop for under $1,000, really, why would you opt for your great-great-Granny's plodding Window's technology in 2012? I've been a Mac user since1995 and would never consider turning back. The new MacBook starts at $2,199, with an amped processor version for $2,799. Yes, please, to the latter. I will willingly sacrifice Five Guys for the next 27 years to load this baby onto my credit card.

Hope to see you soon with a brand new laptop to type all these damn words with joyous post-millennial abandon. If nothing else, it will be a relief to no longer deal with this damn cracked "C" on my computer keypad. And to get that fucking spinning wheel to take a break for a good long time. *

Mobile App Of The Month: Gay Event Guide WsupNow

Who needs gay mag rags anymore? My favorite new mobile app of the month is WsupNow, an easy, breezy scroll-through guide to all the hip happenings in the nation’s biggest gay destinations.

Here, in New York, for example, WsupNow opens with events for “Today,” with an easy finger swipe away on my iPhone to find chronological listings into the next week and beyond. On the main screen, I can find out the most relevant facts about—for example—the can’t-miss “Piggy Bear BBQ & Beer on Saturday May 5: date, time, location and even how far it is from wherever I am at the moment.

Click on the arrow to the right of the event and I get more details, including the venue address, performing DJ and the flyer. I can even “Save Event” and email it to myself or back it up on my phone. There’s also a Map arrow at the top of the screen that shows me the here-to-there details. And then once I’m at Piggy Bear, smacking down on BBQ, the app offers a Photo icon to take pics with my phone, which I can save and share.

The same goes for my lonely Sunday night: Scrolling through, I find XL Nightclub’s Detour Sundays, with event details like featured acts, liquor sponsor (always important), DJ, drink specials and the other relevant factoids: time, address and event flyer.

Of course, the app is an even better tool for travel. So far, WsupNow offers listings in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Las Vegas—with a smattering of national events, as well—and it promises more cities in the future (hello, Miami). Perhaps it’s time to return to Vegas… just so I can utilize Wsup. Hmm, I wonder if Celine Dion is considered a gay event?

Once you get into the real details of WsupNow, there’s a handy FAQ, which explains how events are sorted, how to add your own event and a mechanism on its website to report any discrepancies you might find among the listings. It’s as if “operators are standing by.”

Best of all: The app is FREE in the iTunes App store, while WsupNow also has a Facebook page (which almost seems retro compared to the mobile app) and a webbie here. *

I've Been Feeling Kind of Funny Lately...

I haven't been feeling quite like myself lately... (God, I love iPhone apps!!) No more words necessary, right? (Thanks to Alex Z!) *

iPhone Update: Still Getting To Know My Gizmo, But It's True Love

When my very first iPhone arrived around December 8, it took me a couple days to activate "Snickey," knowing that once he was reality, there was no turning back to my previous dim-witted smartphone. Of course, it's not like anyone actually reads an instructions manual, but since the 4S doesn't come with one, it's all left pretty much to intuition. I felt trepidation...

And boy, has it been a stop-and-start process, with some real dumbass gaffes along the way. But sure enough, day by day, app by app, Snickey and I are falling in love. There's no doubt—as any iPhone owner knows—it's a match made in tech heaven... but the learning curve is a little more testy than I anticipated.

For example, it took three days to figure out where the hell my voicemail could be accessed. On another occasion, I took my digital voice recorder to conduct a face-to-face interview with pal Tinatin... and she gave me a "poor little darling" look, as she showed me the kickass Voice Memo app that comes standard on an iPhone...

Or the time I took my point-and-shoot digital camera to an event and was asked why I wasn't utilizing the iPhone camera instead. The response: Uh, duh, I forgot.

But bit by bit, just like all of us, the iPhone is so thankfully ubiquitous that everyone I know trades fave apps and tips. Friend Dennis informed me that two clicks of the main menu button shows what apps are open: If you don't close them from time to time, they all remain open, draining battery life. Even Tinatin didn't know about that one.

And of course, the 4S' Siri is straight from The Jetsons, capable of sending texts by simply saying them aloud (though, irritatingly, sans punctuation), while she's helped me find any number of destinations... with limitations. Last week, I attempted time and again to ask Siri where I could locate the nearest U.S. Post Office in the city: She simply could not figure out "U.S Post Office, USPS, post office" or "nearest postal office." Then again, someone asked me, "Why didn't you just say, 'Where can I mail a letter?'" Whoops.

Tonight, I truly realized the miraculous possibilities of this space-age gizmo in my hand, when I was able to deposit a check to Chase Bank by simply accessing the Chase app, following simple directions to take pics of the front & back of the check and verify my account number. ATMs used to be pretty damn cool; now, who needs them anymore?

Three weeks in, I have some 40 apps, including:
* Shazam: recognizes songs heard in public simply by syncing app. Beloved and effective.
* HopStop, NYC Subway: great apps for figuring out how to get where you're going sans drama.
* Chase.com, Mint.com: unbelievable flexibility for scanning checks, checking balances, transferring funds, while mint.com is the ultimate budgeting tool, aligning all accounts and credit cards in one place.
* Dragon Dictation: Talk and it converts to words. No more annoying transcribing.
* IdolsNow: My pal Fred Bronson's app that offers all goings on with top American Idol finalists. Absolutely consummate among fans.
* Vonage Extensions: As a Vonage subscriber, allows me to make international calls free from my iPhone. Rockin'!
* AroundMe: Intuitively searches out popular destinations based on your whereabouts.
* Carbonite: My Mac laptop is backed up virtually via Carbonite. I can access every iota of hard drive content  on my iPhone via its app.
* Dropbox: Increasingly popular way to share info, photos, documents with other users (and yourself), instead of emailing or YouSendIt.
*Boost Magic: Battery running low? Plug in and this provides a quick jolt without having to wait for a full charge.
* Flashlight: Genius little app that lights up everything around you. Perfect when you're walking through a dark alley or drop a quarter under the table.
* Clock Free: A fabulous alarm clock app that wakes you with either a gentle tone or your choice of hundreds of internet radio stations. Absolutely wonderful... and free.

And I have a feeling this is just the beginning... iYee-iHaw! *

Say Hello To My New iPhone 4S Snickey... The Game-Changer!

It was March 18, 2010 when I got my fifth Verizon cell phone, the cute Razzle. The unit introduced me to my first Qwerty keyboard—requisite since I was working for the U.S. Census and sending dozens of texts every hour—along with a clever flip mechanism to play music. Mind you, had I known then that the only way to access music was to purchase it from Verizon, I'd have chosen another unit. How preposterous.

So last week I at last joined the iPhone revolution with the new 4S... After waiting weeks for my contract to come up for renewal, the phone was back-ordered; when it finally arrived, I was terrified... It actually sat in the FedEx box overnight as I contemplated making the change to its bold technology. Duhhh...

Now that "Snickey" the iPhone is activated, Siri and I have become fast friends. No need to type texts anymore... lovely. Man, this is a game-changer, all right.

I'm just beginning to explore all the possibilities of this little marvel, but I feel hopeful we're going to be buds for the long term. Can't wait to try Facetime, the video phone call feature... and to add Shazam and dozens of apps that I'm gurgling to investigate. I've already got a list compiled.

And for god's sake, at last I can add my iTunes to the phone, while taking advantage of the 8 megapixel camera, instead of my lil' Nikon point & shoot. This adds a little grin to my everyday existence. I know I'm far from alone with the sentiment.