This is sad but true - I have purchased Mp3 players that I have not fully utilized because they are hard to load or I haven't found the time to do so. I am a technologically inclined guy so I can imagine how many iPods and other devices sit around not getting utilized because of laziness or not being able to figure out how to load music.

Enter the new release by SanDisk that will solve all those problems. The SanDisk slotRadio ($99.99) comes preloaded with 1,000 songs and have been selected by Billboard. The music comes from all different genres and is kind of like having a satellite radio type device without having to pay a monthly service fee. Like a Apple iPod Shuffle, the one downside is that you will not be able to choose songs to play in order but it is as easy as a touch of a button to skip through a track. While the player comes with 1,000 songs on the initial microSD card you can then purchase additional music in the genres of rock, country, hip-hop, oldies, mix, 80's and 90's, and workout oriented music for $39.99 which each coming preloaded with a 1,000. If your doing the math at home, 1,000 songs would cost you $1,000 from Apple's iTunes so the songs are a bargain and are loaded just by popping in a little card to the player.

Is your father looking for a great touch-screen phone but doesn't want to be saddled with AT&T's spotty service? Lost in the Apple iPhone PR machine was a great new offering from LG called the Verizon enV Touch. The new device is a touch screen but also offers a full QWERTY keyboard. I've been playing with the device the past few days and was impressed by it mostly because of the great keyboard and some of the excellent software that Verizon has from add-ons like their excellent GPS service and music subscription service V Cast Music (with Rhapsody). The enV Touch also has visual voice mail which is a big plus with messages that you can store via a SD card if you have important messages that need to be cataloged (something the iPhone does not boast despite their recent software upgrade).

If there's one thing about Steve Jobs that we should all know by now is that he's always got a trick up his sleeve, and he won't leak info about anything until he's darn well ready to, whether that's in regards to a new Apple product or his health. So really, when we heard the latest rumors - that Jobs secretly got a liver transplant in Tennessee two months ago and is now living in a secluded Memphis mansion - well we really couldn't put it out of the realm of possibility.

Jobs, who was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004, indicated in January that he was suffering from a "hormone imbalance" and would be taking a leave of absence. He brushed his health issues off as not a big deal. His wearabouts during his medical leave of absence are unknown even to Apple execs, and no one will say where he is. He usually lives in Palo Alto, CA, which also happens to be near two world-class cancer treatment centers.

The folks over at Apple were making tech geeks happy today at their Worldwide Developers Conference this afternoon. The company announced a new 15-inch MacBook Pro laptop which has better battery life, lowering the iPhone price to $99 for a base model, and new iPhone 3G S which is the fastest and best iPhone yet released by the company.

"iPhone 3G S is the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet and we think people will love the incredible new features including autofocus camera, video recording and the freedom of voice control," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of WorldWide Product Marketing. "And with a breakthrough price of $99, we are thrilled to get iPhone 3G into the hands of even more users who want them."

Here is some information on the the updated version of the iPhone:

Two of Hollywood's most famous over-sharers on the microblogging website Twitter.com - Ashton Kutcher and his wife Demi Moore - are threatening to boycott the service if the company decides to go ahead with plans for a television show. Kutcher not only tweeted his disapproval, but also convinced his wife Demi and director Robert Luketic to join him in his protest.

Luketic subsequently tweeted: "If this is true my shop is closed", and Demi followed up with: "I hope this isn't true — if it is, our Twitter time may come to a quick and sad end!"

On Wednesday, Blockbuster Inc. announced that in keeping with previously disclosed plans to launch an online video game rental service by summer, that they would launch a pilot program in the Cleveland area beginning June 30. Blockbuster is planning to expand the program nationwide by the end of the year, which would make it the only by-mail service to offer both movie and video game rentals.

Though the Catholic Church is steeped in thousands of years of tradition, it doesn't mean they aren't keeping up with the modern world. The Vatican is now taking new technologically savvy steps to bring its messages to social networking sites and smartphones through new Facebook and iPhone applications available through the new Pope2You web portal.

Launched Thursday, the Facebook app allows web users to send virtual postcards of Pope Benedict XVI to their Facebook friends. The Pope2You portal - located at www.pope2you.net - will even allow you to follow the Pope's travels using an iPhone. The iPhone app also works with iPod Touch, and gives surfers video and audio news on the pope's travels and speeches, as well as Catholic events around tehw orld.

On just its first day of operation, the Pope2You portal acquired 45,000 contacts and 500,000 pageviews, and the new Facebook app was used about 10,000 times.

The introduction of the iPhone and Facebook apps are just the latest efforts in the Vatican's efforts to reach young people and broaden the pope's audience. This past January, the Pope got his own YouTube channel (which is now linked on the Pope2You portal).

Elizabeth Taylor is currently hospitalized for her what publicist has described as a "routine visit". But, the 77-year-old actress hasn't been laying around all day watching soaps on the TV. Instead, she's taken to the internet and has been regularly posting to her Twitter page, which is pretty hip for someone her age.

In response to the kind words that Kathy Ireland tweeted her, Taylor wrote:

"Thanks Darling for the beautiful flowers and all the prayers. Now can you just get my puppy past hospital security."

According to her spokesman, Taylor is expected to be leaving the hospital "soon."

Everybody loves a singing greeting card and Cleveland based American Greetings is taking it one step further. The company has unveiled music and sound envelopes. In the press release announcing the unique addition to their lineup the company says that sounds range from songs "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" from New Kids on the Block, and "Happy Birthday" to people cheering and animal noises

"We know that consumers want to create memorable experiences when celebrating special occasions to show their friends and family just how much they care," said Mary McClain, new product concepts creative director American Greetings. "Music and sound envelopes are a unique way to customize a song or sound clip to an already carefully selected greeting card and it adds such a wonderful surprise when the envelope is opened."
Look for the cards at your local stores and expect to pay $3.49 - and, more importantly, don't be shocked if your next birthday card surprises you with sound when you open it up.