When I heard on SOJO that a middle school student was sueing her classmate for losing her iPod nano, I let out a big, "Whaaaaaaaat!"

Shannon McCarthy trusted her friend, Stephanie Eick, to take good care of her iPod while going to the bathroom at school. Eick allegedly listened to one song, left the nano on McCarthy's desk, and exited the classroom. But for some weird reason, McCarthy never returned to the classroom for her nano.

A lawsuit has been filed by McCarthy, and she believes that Eick should pay for her lost iPod.

Shannon's mom, Melanie McCarthy, says "it is not just about the iPod, but the principle, so she and her daughter are demanding $475 from the Eicks, $350 for the iPod, the music and the case, along with $125 in court costs."

What principle? I don't care who you lent your iPod to. You don't leave it where someone could steal or lose it. I'm not a lawyer or anything, but McCarthy certainly doesn't have a case. You can't sue someone you asked to watch your personal belongings. It's not their responsibility. I know of a freshman who left her Creative Zen on a school bus after a soccer game, but she didn't go and take the bus driver or bus company to court. It's not their fault she forgot about it! I just don't understand why people can't take responsibility for their own actions. Own your mistakes people, otherwise you're going to go through life blaming everyone for being unhappy.

Shannon goes on to say: "I put my trust in her and I thought she'd take care of it. She should have held on to it till third period or waited and given it to me after class." NO...you should have remembered to go back to class to retrieve your nano, not blame your friend for not holding onto it for you.

Why are kids bringing their iPods to school anyway? Leave them at home where they are safe.

After attending court just this past Monday, both responsible parties will reconvene on Saturday, September 21. If nothing is settled, then they will have to go to trial. I really hope it doesn't go that far.

[via ABC.com]

As PCMag.com's executive editor, I am always interested in a great tech product. But what's even more interesting to me is finding a great bargain for that great product. Bargain shopping is in my blood (take it any way you want it). I'll shop something to death, just so I can be sure I'm getting it at the best price. And it doesn't even have to be for me. I get just as much satisfaction finding deals for someone else as I do for myself. So I've been coaxed (OK, I volunteered) into resurrecting the Cheap Geek posts on Gearlog. Just for the record, I think I'd prefer Cheap Geek-ette, unless you have a better idea for a name (be nice!).

So, in the spirit of "it's better to give than receive," I'd like to share my latest shopping obsession: Purchasing an Apple iPod nano, a birthday gift for a friend. I'm going for the 4GB version, which Apple sells for $249. With tax and free shipping, the total would come to $269.85. The company also sells a refurbished model for $169. Refurbished, huh? For some reason this makes me nervous, and I wouldn't feel comfortable giving this as a gift. So, I began my search once again. A company called Eritech lists the black version for $215 with no tax and free shipping, but supplies are limited. Sweet!

Even sweeter: Amazon sells the black version for $224.99 (the white version is $5 more--don't ask me why). There's no tax and you can opt for Super Saver Shipping, which is free. Here's where it gets good: You can sign up for an Amazon VISA card, and they'll deduct $30 from your first purchase. That brings the nano's total to $194.99. There's no annual fee for the credit card, the APR is 0% for the first 6 months, and you can earn reward points towards Amazon gift certificates. Or you can just cut the credit card up once you receive it in the mail. I'm sold!!!

Seen any great deals lately? Post them to the forum or e-mail us at gearlog@ziffdavis.com.

Well, I'm off to search for more bargains. I'll be back soon with more money-saving deals. Till then, you can search for everyday great prices at shop.pcmag.com.

Thanks to PCMag.com executive editor and shopping genius Vicki Jacobson for this post!

Lucky attendees to the TV Guide Emmy party are apparently getting Sony's LocationFree portable IPTV setup in their gift bags.  While they now have to pay taxes on their booty, the gifts are still a pretty sweet deal. 

The LocationFree is a WiFi-equipped flat panel monitor (12-inch LCD) that can connect with a LocationFree base station at home.  You can also use a Windows PC or PSP to view it out of the box.  It's kind of like Slingbox, but by Sony.  IOData makes a Mac client for the LocationFree, but it looks like the stars may have to get their 'people' to procure the software for them if they are toting MacBooks on location. 

If you took most cameras for a swim, you'd effectively have a very expensive, one-time-use camera. Or you'd need to spend some extra bucks on getting a water housing.

But I recently dove into underwater photography with an Olympus Stylus 720 SW, a new 7.1-megapixel ultracompact that is both shock resistant and waterproof to a depth of 10 feet. (It now comes in three different colors, too.) I used my in-laws' pool to institute a suite of new testing procedures that take wter into account. These tests include the cannonball shocktest, the water polo endurance test, and the Nestea Plunge performance test. I'm happy to say the Stylus 720 SW did quite well. Check out my First Looks review of the Olympus Stylus 720 SW at PCMag.com.

Thanks to Terry Sullivan, our camera lead analyst, for this post!

Today Archos, grandaddy of the portable media player category, introduced five new fourth-generation media players.

Coming in early September (and available now for preorder) is the 30GB Archos 604 (right picture), which Mike Kobrin has previewed already. This is Archo's followup to the AV500, which Mike loved. It'll have a 4.3-inch screen, a removable battery, and a kickstand. But some of its predecessor's features are now optional extras, including the ability to record video from analog sources; it's $349.99. Also coming in September is the 30GB Archos 404 (left), just .6 inches thick and only $299.99.

Later this fall we'll see the Archos 504 PMP, which will have a 160GB capacity. The company will also extend the 404 with a camcorder, and the 604 with integrated Wi-fi and touchscreen capabilities. We're promised more details on these products in a few weeks.

I'm not a snorer. Well, at least I don't THINK I am. But, Mom, if you're reading this, sorry but you DO snore!

There have been many scientific approaches to prevent people from snoring. Most of us think of snoring as a pain-in-the-neck, when we have to hit our loved ones with a pillow to get them to stop making such a ruckus. But snoring can actually be warning signs for stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.

One way to help those snoring fits is the SnoreStopper. It's a wrist-worn device that you wear while you sleep, and the device's biosensors will detect the frequency and volume of your snoring. The unit "then issues a gentle electronic wave of light stimulation onto superficial skin. Rather than waking the snorer, this 5-second impulse merely causes a reflex—either a change in body position or an increase in throat muscle tension—much like the nudging of a spouse." Finally, a solution!!

Other benefits to using the SnoreStopper include better breathing during sleep and less sleepiness, headaches and irritability.

Measuring 10.5-inches (L) by 2.0-inches (W), the SnoreStopper ships with a carrying case, self-adhesive electrode pads (3 pairs), moist alcohol wipe, screwdriver, and wrist belt with magic tape and hook. It shuts off automatically after 8 hours and is powered by one 1.5V AAA batteries (included).

Get the SnoreStopper for $79.99 at Target.com.

[via Sci Fi Tech]

Ford's new 2008 F-Series pickup, available for sale in early 2007, will feature the new 6.4-liter Power Stroke Diesel engine: the cleanest, quietest diesel Ford has sold in America. The engine uses an advanced diesel-particulate filter and ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel, which provide particulate emissions levels on par with gas engines, according to Ford.

As of October 2006, U.S. regulations will require ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel to be available across the country. This new fuel will contain 97 percent less sulfur, which harms most diesel engines and is responsible for higher emissions. The new Power Stroke engine further cleans the fuel with a particulate filter that scrubs black smoke from exhaust gases and periodically cleans itself via advanced engine controls. This will also be the first pickup engine in North America to use a high-precision, high-pressure, common-rail fuel injection system. These injectors allow for precise timing of fuel injection for quietness and better emissions.

Pricing, fuel economy, and engine specifications--including power and torque ratings--will be available closer to the vehicle's sale date.

To read about hydrogen-fueled cars, click here.

European automaker Citroen has unveiled the world's first "designer garage" for its new executive model, the C6. This exclusive garage was created by by Neutral, acclaimed architects whose credits include the Allianz Arena football stadium.

The futuristic design is made of three solid strands, which create the "skeleton" of the main building. It stands 3 meters tall (a little under 10 feet) and covers 50 square meters (164 square feet). The garage is constructed out of light-transmitting concrete with transparent sliding doors to the sides, which allow the vehicle to enter from either the front or the rear.

The transparent sliding plates are constructed of reinforced, environmentally friendly polycarbonate sheets with colored LCD layers, so owners can control the garage's opacity: Leave it transparent to show off your ride, or switch to privacy mode and make the garage opaque.

Along with all those high-tech features comes a $212,112 price tag. As Neutral's Christian Grou says, "The C6 is a truly individual statement, and one which deserves more than a run-of-the-mill, brick-and-mortar garage."

Last week, the JCB Dieselmax broke the diesel FIA international land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats with two runs averaging 317 mph. This week the Dieselmax upped the ante by breaking its own land speed record at 328.767 mph, then broke that record with a speed of 350 mph on Wednesday, setting three diesel speed records in six days.

The Dieselmax is powered by two JCB444-LSR engines constructed by Ricardo engineers. The engines use the Ricardo High Speed Diesel Race (HSDR) combustion system, originally developed for competitive racing.

The JCB Dieselmax features many technologies Ricardo is developing to make high-performance, ultra-low emissions diesel vehicles more energy-efficient and less polluting. These include diesel particulate filters, two-stage inter-cooled turbo-charging, high-pressure fuel injection, and a low-compression-ratio low-temperature combustion system.

I tell ya, this continuum of laptop battery recalls has become a national hysteria. Good thing it's not halloween, because instead of flaming poop at your doorstep, kids would be dropping a flaming laptop instead!

Is there really cause for alarm? Should we be freaking out? Do we need to hide our children? Do we need to start gathering in bomb shelters, afraid that laptops will be used as weapons of mass destruction? Will people start burning laptops, burning bras, burning books because they just can't take it anymore? Will Sony start The Up In Smoke Tour around the country, with Eminem and Dr. Dre headlining?

Seriously folks. You can calm down. You can rest assured that everything will be fine. You won't have to make another trip to your therapist this week. You won't need another Vicodin. Why? Because according to Larry O'Connor, president of Newer Technology Inc. (a replacement battery manufacturer for Apple laptops) says that the likelihood of your Apple laptop blowing up in your face is about one in a million. That's right--one in a million. You probably have a better chance at winning the lottery than your Apple notebook exploding from a defective battery.

O'Connor further explains that "It's not like one second it's perfectly cool and the next second you have fire on your lap. If it's a cell that is failing, it will be heating up and will have warning signs." It's not just going to happen out of the blue.

But what does this mean for the notebook industry as a whole? Will people be less adamant about purchasing notebooks due to defective batteries? Most likely not. We'll still buy notebooks people. We'll still go on with technology in our lives. Things like this happen. We live and we learn. Can we really blame Sony? Maybe partially, but just like life, nothing is perfect.