straight

TracFone's Straight Talk service has added its second Android smartphone today, putting the LG Optimus Q on sale for $179.99.

The no-commitment price gives consumers an Android 2.3 Gingerbread handset with a 3.2-inch display and sliding QWERTY keyboard. Specifications are definitely on the low-end, however they are a slight step up from those of the Samsung Galaxy Precedent announced in August.

Additional details for the Optimus Q include a 3-megapixel camera, a 4GB MicroSD card, and support for Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and 3G connectivity. Like the Galaxy Precedent, the LG smartphone can be paired only with Straight Talk's $45 monthly plan, which includes unlimited talk, text, data, e-mail, and Web.

I'm a big fan of no-commitment Android offerings, even if the hardware typically skews towards entry-level devices. Hopefully we'll get more midrange and high-end products in 2012 as players like Boost Mobile and MetroPCS continue to grow their Android rosters. … Read more

TracFone's Straight Talk brand isn't known for offering fancy phones, but the prepaid carrier at least makes an attempt with the Samsung SGH-T528G.

The candy bar design is dominated by a touch screen with TouchWiz 2.0. You can customize the 3-inch display with shortcuts, and below are three physical controls.

Features include Wi-Fi, support for apps and 3G connectivity, a 2-megapixel camera with video recording, an MP3 player, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, a 2,000-contact phone book, a speakerphone, voice recognition, audio recorder, text and multimedia messaging, and a personal organizer. The SGH-T528G is $99, plus … Read more

Baby, it's the way you make me kinda get me sit straightly, never wanna stop.

The Back Straight Boys aren't singing that tune yet, but they probably should be. The teenagers did, after all, name themselves after the boy band Backstreet Boys. But instead of targeting screaming teens, they're targeting screaming adults--screaming in pain, that is--with a device that aims to prevent poor workstation posture by monitoring wearers' stance and training them to correct it when needed.

Sean Colford, Ethan Epstein, Brandon Loye, and Michael Walsh, all of San Diego and just out of their freshman year of high school, came up with the idea for Posture Pad back in middle school after experiencing firsthand the discomfort computer use can cause.

"We noticed that at school, all the computer workstations were the same size, but Ethan and I had a 15-inch difference in height," Loye said. "I had to hunch my back to see the monitor, and Ethan had to sit on his legs. This caused us discomfort, and we thought we could do something about it."

So the longtime pals decided to delve deep into improper posture at computer workstations and the consequent musculoskeletal problems it can cause among kids and adults in classrooms and offices.

Many hours of research spawned the "Posture Pad," which strategically embeds sensors and microcomputers in an ergonomically designed seat pad to gauge a computer user's positioning and connects to the user's computer to deliver visual and/or audio feedback via special software. … Read more

Shoppers perusing Wal-Mart for a cell phone will soon have double the options--that is, a choice of purchasing a prepaid phone on two carriers instead of just one.

Wal-Mart's Straight Talk wireless service, which has previously run only on Verizon's networks, is expanding to AT&T. StraightTalk is a brand made by TracFone, and is sold exclusively in Wal-Mart stores.

AT&T confirmed to The Wall Street Journal on Monday that StraightTalk phones will work on the network. Wal-Mart would not comment on the impetus behind building out the service to include AT&T.

The … Read more

The unlimited monthly plan wars continue to get hotter following a new service from TracFone. The Mobile Virtual Network Operator recently debuted StraightTalk, a prepaid, no-contract wireless brand that offers 30MB of data plus unlimited calling and messaging for $45 per month. Alternatively, you can get 1,000 anytime minutes and 1,000 text or multimedia messages for $30 per month.

Boost Mobile has offered a $50 per month plan that includes unlimited data since January, but StraightTalk now ties with MetroPCS for a calling and texting option. Yet, it is worth noting that Boost Mobile pays taxes while other … Read more

When I described how to replace Microsoft Word's smart quotes with straight quotes to keep the HTML versions of documents from breaking, several people objected, claiming that straight quotes make the docs more difficult to read. I agree completely, which is why I decided to tell you about the quickest way I know to convert from one quote style to the other. In just a few seconds you can optimize a document for the Web, or for readability in print or onscreen.

Suppose you want to put a Word document that's full of smart quotes--both the double quotation-mark … Read more

The only question we have about this item is why it's carried on sites with names like Stupidiotic and Fashionfunky--both of which imply something pejorative or embarrassing.

We, by contrast, freely admit that we love the idea of these "Laser Scissors," which Gearfuse says ensures a straight cut every time. The scissors project a laser from Point A to Point B, obviating the need for rulers and faint pencil lines.

Lest there be any doubt about the value of such an invention, just ask any parent who has volunteered to help out in their kids' preschool … Read more