Apple and AT&T are now facing a third lawsuit filed by a customer who is unhappy with the iPhone 3G speeds.

We’ve heard all about the 3G coverage issues from iPhone owners. Dropped calls and intermittent coverage that yo-yos up and down despite the fact that you haven’t moved from your chair are common problems among second generation iPhoners.

Over the last few weeks we’ve already seen two people file suits against Apple for the same problems with the iPhone 3G. Both of these users said they hoped the lawsuit would be granted class action status and today’s iPhone user is no different, Eulardi Tanseco is also hoping more users will jump on his bandwagon to help fight the manufacturer and the service provider.

While each lawsuit differs slightly, they all come down to the same issue, the 3G speeds. One individual is accusing Apple of selling too many iPhones, which in turn is putting too much pressure on AT&T’s networks while another is playing the false advertising card and saying that adverts claiming the iPhone 3G is twice as fast for half the price.

We’re not sure whether or not these people will manage to successfully sue Apple or AT&T but whatever result is achieved is bound to have an impact. If Apple and AT&T come out winners on the other side there’ll be a precedent set against the people complaining that the speeds aren’t as fast as was promised. On the other hand, if Apple and/or AT&T were to lose, there’ll be a long line of customers waiting to file lawsuits of their own, once they hear they might actually win.

The number of American households watching television broadcasts on the Internet has nearly doubled since 2006, according to a new report published by the market research firms The Conference Board and TNS. According to their analysis, nearly one-fifth of American households with Internet access now use it to watch TV—and 72 percent of online households access the Internet for entertainment purposes on a daily basis.

“Most consumers are pressed for time and require flexibility in their daily schedules and TV viewing habits,” said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. “Being able to watch broadcasts on their own time and at their convenience are clearly reasons why we are seeing a greater number turning to the Internet. And it is the reason why we expect to see this trend continue.”

Citing an ongoing “shift from appointment TV to content on demand” and the firms report that 68 percent of the online TV viewers they surveyed were streaming video over the Internet. On the other hand, only 38 percent of respondents claimed to download free video content on a regular basis. The top two online-TV destinations were “official TV channel homepages” (65 percent of respondents watch programs on sites such as NBC.com and ABC.com) and YouTube.com (capturing a staggering 41 percent of viewers). Hmm, maybe Google wasn’t so crazy for spending $1.6 billion to acquire YouTube last year.

Other video sources included Apple’s iTunes.com, Hulu.com, social networking sites (e.g., FaceBook and MySpace), and the peer-to-peer file-sharing client Limewire. BitTorrent, curiously enough, wasn’t mentioned at all. The trend doesn’t look good for online movie-download services such as Vudu, either. The market-research firms report that “few consumers are willing to enroll in pay-per-download and subscription services.”

Last night saw the first airing of Microsoft’s Jerry Seinfeld ad campaign, and frankly, we are very confused.

The decision to hire Jerry Seinfeld to star alongside former CEO of Microsoft in a $300 million marketing campaign for Windows was largely seen as a way to combat Apple’s Mac/PC campaign. Seinfeld was reportedly paid $10 million for his part in the campaign and so far, feedback on the advert has been terrible.

People are confused, they don’t understand what it’s about, why it is what it is or how it’s supposed to change our opinion of Vista. Set in a shopping mall at a shoe shop called ‘Shoe Circus’, it sees Jerry Seinfeld aid Gates in the purchase of a pair of shoes. While we’re all agreed the questions from Jerry are pretty strange (“Have you ever worn clothes in the shower, Bill?”), what was more odd was that there hardly any mention of Microsoft at all.

While not everyone is agreed that Apple’s Mac versus PC ads are entertaining, at least they got the script right, “Apple, Apple, Apple, Apple, Apple”. Not to question the skills of Microsoft’s marketing team, but if you’re spending $300 million on a marketing campaign and not mentioning Vista, not even a recap of the Mojave experiment, then we’d be inclined to think it’s a little wasteful.

At the very end of the commercial (just when you’re thinking you couldn’t feel more awkward or confused), Seinfeld finally mentions Windows. “Are you ever going to come out with something that will make our computers moist and chewy like cake, so that we can just eat them while we’re working?” he asks. “If it’s yes, give me a signal, adjust your shorts.”

Gates does and this is the highlight of the commercial. That’s not to say seeing Bill Gates shaking his behind was enough to make me retract the “I want the last ninety seconds of my life back,” statement, but the comic relief helped. As did his $7 haircut and the notion that he shops at a discount shoe store. There it is people, Vista or shoes.

With fuel prices where they are, it’s no surprise that the next car purchase on many minds of consumers has something to do with hybrid technology.

Both Honda and Toyota showed the auto industry that it could be done with the Insight and Prius. Unlike the Toyota solution, however, which is now the top selling hybrid in the U.S., Honda had to put its Insight from market for a rethinking.

Honda’s current fuel-miserly vehicle is the Civic Hybrid – which while good of fuel – isn’t designed from the ground-up for hybrid cleverness.

Enter the 2010 Insight, Honda’s return to the specialized hybrid segment to do battle with the Prius. A concept version of the upcoming car will be on display at the 2008 Paris Motor Show in October. And in typical Honda fashion, the concept vehicle should be a close representation of the final model.

Unlike the old Insight, which was a two-seater, the next-generation car will be a five-door, five-passenger compact hatchback, with a shape that’s not completely dissimilar to the Toyota Prius. What the new Insight will retain, however, is the gasoline and battery tandem power sources.

According to the press release, new will be a “driving support function that helps drivers make the most of its exceptional fuel economy to achieve more efficient, environmentally responsible driving,” which might be programs to curb lead-footed drivers.

The first of the new Honda Insights should be appearing in spring 2009. Best of all, it’s expected to go for $18,500, making it easy on the wallet and the environment.

Australian company ZipZip is offering USB thumb drives that look like Lego bricks. It has undoubtedly captured the attention of the IFA audience, as the crowd at their booth proved.

Now you can save your documents and childhood memories at the same time! On the other hand, ZipZip can only hope it won’t draw too much attention from a certain Danish company - after all, the shape of its bricks is patented. Nonetheless, the Aussie company seemed unworried when asked about this.

As with all other "designer" pieces, these too have their price. The 2 GB version costs $40 (US), while the 4 GB version comes with a hefty $59 price tag. ZipZip is staying true to the original where the colours are concerned. The memory bricks are available in red, yellow, blue, green, and black. The real question - how come Lego never came up with this idea? ZipZips memory bricks are sure to bring back some fond childhood memories to its users - which is probably also the main selling point for products of this kind. Especially considering the price.