According to this article in the Wall Street Journal, Apple is considering offering its (currently $99/yr) MobileMe service for free. A complete revamp of the MobileMe service is expected to launch this summer, along with possible online music and social networking components. The new free service could act as a cloud-based server for each user’s email, calendar, documents, photos, movies and music, allowing seamless access from any web-connected Apple device. This seems like a logical move for Apple, and it’s possible that the launch is even behind schedule, as the company may have originally intended to launch the free service with its streaming-only Apple TV, which hit the market in September.

If Google CEO Eric Schmidt hadn’t already resigned from Apple’s board, I imagine his days would be numbered — a free MobileMe offering would position the company to compete even more directly with Google, which currently offers free cloud-based email, calendar, and document services.

JetBlue, along with virtually every other major airline, has turned to Twitter to reach out to the world’s social media community. It’s a powerful marketing tool, considering that many of the same users who use Twitter to complain about an airline issue are typically active on blogs and message boards as well, but turn to Twitter first to broadcast their travel headaches in real time. If airline representatives reach these users before they escalate their complaint to a forum with broader-readership, they avoid potential negative publicity, while building relationships with key users. JetBlue has taken this interactivity one step further, by launching @JetBlueCheeps, a Twitter account used to advertise $10 airfares each Tuesday, known as “#TravelTuesday” in the Twitter community. Last week I took advantage of a $10 airfare to Syracuse, and this week’s deals can bring you even further, far more quickly and for less than a bus ticket, assuming you’re able to fly on Saturday and return on Monday or Tuesday.

Visit JetBlueCheeps to take advantage of this week’s $10 airfares, including JFK to RDU, FLL to NAS, and LGB to PDX, among several others. And follow @JetBlueCheeps on Twitter for new travel deals every Tuesday. If your schedule is flexible (and you live near a JetBlue hub), you could even travel cheaply every weekend!

I’m about to board a flight to Beijing, where I’ll be working until Saturday. Because of China’s tight restrictions on Internet access — unless the situation has improved since my last visit, in June — it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to access social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and this blog until after I return. I may try to post by email, so we’ll see if that works. If not, have a great week, and I’ll be back on Sunday!

By now, everyone has seen their airport kiosks, Western Union store counters, or infomercials, but with the release of Rosetta Stone TOTALe, the full-immersion language tool has finally hit the Web. I’ve been using TOTALe to learn Mandarin over the last month, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve learned. I’m months away from being able to have a conversation with a native speaker lasting longer than 20 (er shi) seconds, but my vocabulary has expanded far beyond 1 (yi), 2 (er), 3 (san), and water (shui). Beyond basic greetings and a few key objects, I’m now able to complain about odor and personal hygiene, which just may come in handy during my next visit to Beijing in October. I can even recognize several dozen characters, and pronounce 5+ variations of “xie” (it’s used for far more than just thank you, in which case it’s pronounced “shey”).

Rosetta Stone TOTALe takes full advantage of the Web, supplementing the traditional three-part Rosetta Course with Rosetta Studio, where you can speak directly with a native-speaking “coach,” and Rosetta World, which enables language learners to interact with others learning the same language by playing games and communicating in chat rooms. I also like being able to learn Mandarin using any computer, but the current version of TOTALe does not allow you to store the program locally on your computer, so you’ll need an Internet connection whenever you want to learn (the next version — coming soon — will include CD components so the software can be installed on your computer, and accessed without an Internet connection).

The price — a one-year TOTALe subscription is currently on sale for $999 — may cause some sticker shock for potential language learners, but compared to a university or language institute course, TOTALe is a bargain. There’s no free trial, unfortunately, but Rosetta Stone offers a 30-day money back guarantee on TOTALe, so if you don’t mind paying $999 up front, I definitely recommend taking advantage of the 30-day trial (Rosetta Stone provided me with a 3-month media demo account). I will continue using TOTALe for the remainder of my trial period, and will post next month about my progress, along with more details about the service and interface.

I’m leaving to pursue a career in real estate. Yeah, you heard me correctly – real estate. I’ve grown to love the ins and outs of Manhattan’s real estate market after making some recent investments – to the extent that I come home every night to check the latest listings, and even get text alerts on my phone when the closing price of a property in my neighborhood becomes public. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity, even if it meant walking away from a job I worked so hard to get. I’d be happy to explain exactly what I’ll be doing when I see you in person – the position couldn’t be a better fit.

I’ll still be the geek who refreshes the live stream frantically during Apple keynotes, and the guy you ask which entry-level DSLR to get your dad for Father’s Day. I plan to continue writing for PC Magazine and other publications on a freelance basis as time allows. You might even see me at parties and media events, as a “plus 1” of one of my very good industry friends, or perhaps representing my soon-to-be-frequently updated Tech, Travel & Tuna blog (look up – this is it).

The good news: not being tied to a magazine frees me up to post here more, to be more blunt in my Twitter posts, and gives me time to really play with some of the gadgets I never had a chance to before. The bad news: I’m leaving a corps of incredible journalists and some very hard-working vendors, who made my job a constant adventure.

As always, you can reach me at zshonig [at] gmail [dot] com.

Zach

P.S. Below you will find the job description for my soon-to-be-vacant position at PCMag.com. Please let me know if you have any questions about the required qualifications or job responsibilities.

Staff Editor – Consumer Electronics

Job Responsibilities:
–Produce, line edit, and write product reviews
–Write news stories, blog posts, and weekly newsletters
–Write and edit product roundups and buying guide
–Maintain a product reviews database and provide general support for analysts
–Help to maintain and update 15 landing pages on PCMag.com
–Prepare product photos for landing pages
–Meet with vendors for product briefings
–Represent PCMag at industry events

Applicant Requirements:
–At least 4 years of editing and online production experience, preferably in the tech arena. Knowledge and experience with the aforementioned product categories is a plus.
–Solid writing and editing skills and a keen eye for detail. Copy editing experience is a plus.
–Experience working with a content management system. Image editing experience is a plus.
–Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, competitive, deadline-driven environment
–Self-starter and proactive problem solver with a positive attitude
–Interest in and experience with social media is a plus
–Bachelors Degree (Journalism, Communications, or English preferred)

Visit the raffle site for more information.

Well I don’t blame the site for trying to make a buck, but this is a little shady–it’s incredibly easy to mistake this sponsored post for a legitimate Digg homepage-worthy news story. Other recent ads from this afternoon include a link sponsored by Intel, and another for EA Games. I’m still going to use Digg just as often, but I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for posts that just don’t seem to fit: “McDonalds Extra Value Meal Burger is Incredible Buy”

The popular URL shortening service Tr.im announced yesterday that they would no longer be accepting new URLs, and would be discontnuing existing URL redirects at the end of this year. URL shortening services, such as Tr.im, are especially popular among Twitter users, in an effort to cut back on the length of their posts. I’ve been using Tr.im for the past two weeks, but have recently switched to Bit.ly. Services like Tr.im are extremely difficult to monitize, so it’s likely that we’ll see more services fold in the future. Choosing to provide shortened links to Twitter followers is risky, as the links will be live only as long as their service provider is able to afford to stay active. In the meantime, I suggest using Bit.ly if you need to use a URL shortening  service with Twitter.