$50

Skullcandy 50/50 earphones control your iPhone

Skullcandy has made quite a name for itself in the headphone world, thanks largely to its focus on funky fashion and its aggressive marketing tactics aimed at tweens, teens, and young adults. However, the latest Skullcandy earphones to come down the pipe are perhaps the most adult-oriented we've seen from the company.

The 50/50 earbuds, which are moderately priced at $49.95, come in an array of relatively muted color options and feature inline controls for the iPhone and iPod, as well as a striking low-end response. The audio clarity isn't the best and they feel a … Read more

Barnes & Noble offers $50 gift card with Nook

In a move that's sure to impact the e-reader pricing wars, Barnes & Noble has fired the first salvo with a $50 gift card offering when you purchase its $259 Nook eBook Reader.

While this technically doesn't qualify as a price cut, it definitely puts pressure on Amazon to either lower the price of the $259 Kindle or throw in a gift card or freebie of its own, such as a case (neither the Kindle or Nook comes with a protective carrying case). Needless to say, Barnes & Noble is trying to gain an advantage as we head … Read more

Hands-on: Skype video conferencing

When it comes to group video calls, one-time VoIP pioneer Skype plainly lags behind others. It's been fewer than two weeks since Skype added beta support on Windows PCs for a video conference call feature that competitors like ooVoo and VoxOx have long integrated to differentiate themselves.

However, Skype has the advantage of being a known quantity among casual technologists who would be otherwise less inclined to sign up for new services once they've already settled on one. Such is the case with one of the toughest test groups I know to please: my family. Five of us … Read more

TechCrunch50 start-up show canceled

TechCrunch50 has run its course after three years--a mere two years after one of its founders said a rival conference needed to "die."

Michael Arrington and Jason Calacanis, co-founders of the annual tech start-up conference, announced the show's cancellation and the end of their partnership in separate blog posts Tuesday.

"We have parted ways with our long time TechCrunch50 business partner, Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis," Arrington wrote in a blog post. "Sometimes, having more than one bull in the china shop can get a little messy."

Arrington said he was "pleased to … Read more