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StubHub is launching a mobile ticket option today for San Francisco Giants fans that allows them to get tickets sent directly to their phones, eliminating the need for printouts.

Because the feature, which is being added to the current StubHub app for the iPhone or Android phones, eliminates the need for a paper ticket, buyers will literally be able to find and buy tickets as they stand outside the gate. Ushers using special scanners, not the bar code scanners currently in use at most sporting and concert venues, simply scan the image of the ticket displayed on the screen.

The app does not completely eliminate the need for paper: ushers will hand customers a printed receipt that they need for reentry to their section after leaving for the bathroom or food.

Mats Nilsson, director of product at StubHub, said that for now there are six of the new scanners at the Giants ballpark. The company plans to expand the mobile ticketing service to other venues over the next few months. … Read more

Owners of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet will receive an update starting tomorrow that will deliver the TouchWiz UX interface and a host of other enhancements.

Sent OTA (over the air), the update package will include Samsung's revamped Media Hub service, Samsung Kies 2.0 support for PCs and Macs, and mobile features for the enterprise crowd.

The most notable feature of the update, the customizable TouchWiz interface, runs on top of Android 3.1 Honeycomb. Among its many options is a Live Panel, which offers home screen widgets that show you the latest news, weather, e-mail, … Read more

Your iMac is running out of peripheral ports, and you still want to add an external hard drive and a few other devices to it? Iomega has something for you.

The company introduced today its first external hard drive, called Iomega Mac Companion Hard Drive, that also comes with two USB ports that you can plug your iOS-based devices into to charge and sync with the Mac. The ports can also be used with other USB devices, such as printers or other external storage devices.

Basically, the Iomega Mac Companion Hard Drive is an external desktop hard drive that also … Read more

EnergyHub is making smart thermostats smarter by hitching them to a large database.

The residential energy company today announced a software system that works with connected thermostats in people's homes to optimize settings for energy savings. Called Mercury, the software is aimed at broadband providers, utilities, and thermostat manufacturers, which will offer the service to consumers.

Programmable thermostats are one of the most effective ways to lower energy consumption, but many consumers don't own them or don't take the trouble to program them. With EnergyHub's software, people will be able to program HVAC systems through a … Read more

EnergyHub is going to see if it can pique consumer interest in the smart grid without utilities.

The Brooklyn-based company plans to start selling a relatively high-end home energy management system next month from its Web site, its first effort to bypass utility or cable company channels. For the residential energy business as a whole, the program could help signal the level of interest for energy efficiency and control technology.

EnergyHub's initial consumer product package is focused on a smartphone-size touch-screen console, or Home Base, which shows power usage of the whole house when connected to a meter. People … Read more

You know the old saying: you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many USB ports. Actually, those first two are questionable, but if you own a laptop (or even a desktop that sits on the floor and largely out of reach), you've probably wished for more (or at least more accessible) ports.

While supplies last, Ben's Outlet has a Titan HB703 powered 7-port USB hub for $9.99 shipped. They even throw in a free pair of earbuds for some reason.

Update: Looks like the site is either sold out or having technical problems. … Read more

Although CNET hasn't reviewed the Samsung BD-D5700, we have reviewed the step up Samsung BD-D6700.

The BD-D5700 lacks a few features compared with the BD-D6700, most notably 3D Blu-ray compatibility, dual-HDMI outputs, and onboard storage. Also note that the BD-D5700 does not have onboard decoding for DTS-HD Master Audio or DTS-HD High Resolution, although you can still take advantage of those soundtrack formats if you have a receiver with the proper decoders.

Without performing a hands-on review, we don't know how the BD-D5700 will perform in terms of disc-loading speeds and image quality, although we'd note that … Read more

Owners of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1-inch tablet are in line to receive a host of updates, including the company's TouchWiz interface.

Promising that the updates are "coming soon," Samsung touted a list of the new features and enhancements on its Web site late last week.

One of the most significant updates will be the TouchWiz UX user interface for tablets. Initially designed for the company's mobile phones, TouchWiz offers a Live Panel, which gives people quick and customizable access to virtually any feature, including news, weather, and e-mail. A mini apps tray also provides … Read more

I am not the type who's well-prepared (my fridge is almost always empty), nor do I want to scare people into getting things that they don't really need.

However, I ran across the American Red Cross Axis from Eton the other day and thought it was a really handy device to have around the house, or in your car.

It's hard to classify the Eton Axis as one specific type of device because it's many things in one. It's a radio (AM/FM/NOAA Weather), a flashlight, and a cell phone charger. Best of all, … Read more