We’ve often thought that billionaire Sir Richard Branson leads a charmed life. Now, you can too via the SpaceShipTwo series of spacecraft from Branson’s Virgin Galactic (www.virgingalactic.com), the “world’s first commercial space line.” Branson and company unveiled the line’s first spacecraft, the VSS Enterprise, in early December in the Mojave Desert. Five reusable commercial spacecraft are reportedly planned. Interested in a space ride? Lay down a $20,000 deposit and eventually fork over $200,000 for a ticket, and you just might get a flight. Flights are expected to begin in 2011, following an 18-month test program.

AViiQ Stands Up

Seen one notebook stand you’ve seen them all, right? Well, not exactly. AViiQ’s Portable Laptop Stand ($79.95; www.aviiq.com) has received some nice buzz for its svelte design, which uses four aluminum plates constructed of a Hylite aluminum composite material that’s bonded to a polypropylene core. The stand accommodates all notebook sizes, features a 12% incline that encourages proper ergonomic usage, and offers the side benefit of moving heat away from the bottom of a docked notebook. Additionally, it folds to just a quarter-inch thick and weighs just 5.5 ounces when not in use.


Monocle Eyes A $1,500 BlackBerry

So you’re a real BlackBerry connoisseur, huh? Well, how about putting your money where your mouth is. London-based magazine Monocle recently partnered with Research In Motion to construct 100 “unique Bold 9700 handsets” that bundled customized Monocle wallpapers and preloaded versions of the publication’s 25/25 travel guides that feature the world’s best resorts and business cities. At roughly $1,500, a buyer’s greenbacks also net a 16GB memory card, leather strap, charging pod, world charger, battery, headset, and more all gift wrapped.

A Future Filled With Smartphone Attacks

If Scott Totzke, RIM’s VP of BlackBerry security, is correct, that smartphone in your suit coat pocket could one day become a “rogue” device that a hacker uses to launch warfare on wireless networks via a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack, essentially amassing an army of thousands of computers to crash networks. A Reuters article reported that malicious software on smartphones loaded via such apps as games and mapping software could serve as the source of attacks. “These are not telephones anymore,” stated Kevin Mahaffey of Lookout (www.mylookout.com), a mobile security software maker. “These are computers. So people are going to have all the problems on their phones that they have on their computers."

Survey: Poor Customer Service = Billions In Losses

$338.5 billion: That’s how much poor customer service costs businesses annually, according to a survey of 8,880 buyers in 16 countries (at least 500 from each country) that Genesys Telecom-munications (www.genesyslab.com) recently conducted. Financial services ($44 billion), cable and satellite TV providers ($37 billion), and wireless and Internet services ($36 billion each) were the hardest hit industries. Across all countries, each lost business opportunity resulted in an average loss of $243 per customer. Customers taking their business elsewhere resulted in 63% of the losses, with abandoned transactions accounting for the rest.

AT&T Wants To Hear Your iPhone Complaints

Got a gripe with AT&T’s iPhone service coverage? Well, there’s no reason to be shy about it, especially with AT&T recently releasing its Mark The Spot app (free; available at iTunes) that encourages users to offer up their complaints about dropped calls, data and call failures, voice quality, and more. The app, which uses the iPhone’s mapping abilities to “pinpoint location where network incident occurred,” will even send an SMS acknowledgement that the company received your various beefs all in effort to improve service.

GateGuru Empowers The Traveler

Ever suffered through a horrible airport meal? GateGuru’s Dan Gellert (gateguruapp.com) feels your pain. Ever passed through security only to realize the best food options were on the presecurity side? Gellert has been there. Ever needed a last-minute airport souvenir but didn’t have one clue where to find it? Again, Gellert knows your frustration. All are why Gellert has released the $1.99 GateGuru iPhone app to “transform the chaotic and unfamiliar airport environment into a more satisfying experience before and after flights and during layovers.” Features include access to real-time airport restaurant and lounge ratings, photos, and reviews; a search engine complete with post-security options and nearby ATMs, coffee shops, etc.; and bookmarking ability.


Dell Gets Serious About Its Mobile Biz

Expect more mobile devices and other related wireless communication goods from Dell (www.dell.com) in the near future, as the noted computer maker announced in early December that it is restructuring various company divisions to create a communications business unit. Former head of Dell’s consumer business and Motorola’s phone business Ron Garriques will oversee the mobile unit. To date, Dell has unveiled the Mini 3 smartphone, which is set for launch in China and Brazil.

Hearst Steps Out With Skiff

Legendary newspaper publisher Hearst (www.hearst.com) went digital in early December by announcing a new ereader service in collaboration with Skiff (www.skiff.com). The companies will distribute digital content from various newspaper and magazine publishers to “dedicated ereaders” and mobile devices. Advertising and subscriptions figure into the plan, and Sprint Nextel will deliver the ereaders and digital goods via its 3G mobile network sometime in 2010 with “visually appealing layouts, high-resolution graphics, rich typography, and dynamic updates.” Elsewhere, The Wall Street Journal reported that Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp., and Time were set to “unveil a joint venture to prepare print publications for a new generation of electronic readers and other digital devices.” Reportedly, plans are to create tech standards for content delivery, a common advertising standard, and a digital store.

For The Sharp-Dressed Man

If you listen to music by way of an iPod nano, and silk-woven ties see regular rotation in your daily travels, UK clothier Thomas Pink (www.thomaspink.com) has something for you. The company’s collection of Commuter ties (about $89) feature a “small yet subtle pocket on the reverse of the tie” in which to stick your nano for on-the-go listening. There’s even an extra fabric loop to keep wires out of sight. Blue, gray, charcoal, orange, purple, and red options all await you.

by Blaine Flamig