Gear Live: Enter The High Tech Lifestyle: December 2004 Archives

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December 27, 2004

New Year Gear: Roly Barware Glasses

Roly Barware Glass
I was just about to chuck out the latest Crate and Barrel catalogue I got in the mail, when I spotted this interesting shot glass. It features a unique design that allows the base to roll in a circular motion, without spilling the drink held inside. For $4.95 each, both you and your drink can “get tipsy” while ringing in the New Year.

Posted by Hector at 08:18 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Speed Up Firefox

If speed has been the only thing holding you back from switching over to Mozilla's Firefox browser, worry no more. With just a few simple steps, you can configure your Firefox browser to increase page load speed. To do it, type "about:config" in the address bar. This brings you to the Firefox configuration settings. You then enable pipelining and increase the number of requests the browser will make to a page you have requested. Click here for detailed instructions on making the changes.

Posted by Andru at 08:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 24, 2004

Notebook Makers Moving to Slimmer Designs

Seems like consumers are starting to wake up and realize that a powerful notebook also needs to be a slimmer and lighter one. According to an article at Cnet, a year ago, two-thirds of the notebooks on the market had desktop processors but also were heavier than 7.5 pounds. Notebook chipmakers are starting to shift to the new trend, with Intel planning to use "Sonoma"--the next version of its Centrino bundle--to help the market move toward slimmer notebook models beginning in 2005. Some of the bigger contributors to current heavies are screen size, and processors requiring huge heatsinks and more fans.

December 23, 2004

Gear Live Holiday Music Guide 2004

A few days ago we presented our 2004 Holiday Gift Guide. 2004 has also been a great year in music, and we at Gear Live have put together this Christmas shopping list for the music fan in your life. From CD’s to DVD’s to books, every aspect of the music world is covered. So go out, and get your hands on this stuff, for a family member, friend, or even yourself.

CDs

Good News For People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse
This disc represents the best that indie music had to offer in 2004. Modest Mouse had been toiling away in the indie rock world for the last eight years, before busting onto the radio waves with this, their seventh album. Definite tracks to look out for include the radio hit “Float On”, as well as “Ocean Breathes Salty” and “Blame It On The Tetons”.

Final Straw - Snow Patrol
Final Straw Snow Patrol “Final Straw” is the third release from Snow Patrol, who seem poised to follow in the footsteps of Coldplay. The voice of Gary Lightbody, combined with incredible instrumentation for such a young band, create a sound that can’t miss. With radio hits “Spitting Games” and “Run”, this cd is a definite must have.

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Such an amazing album, it is tough to believe this is a debut disc. With the sound of a Strokes and Beatles mash-up, Franz Ferdinand tears through the songs on this disc. A big hit, “Take Me Out” approaches a love song with the image of two snipers trying to shoot the other down, a ripe comparison if I’ve ever seen one. A great debut, and certainly a great disc overall.

Madvillainy – Madvillain
Probably the most underground of the discs on this list, Madvillain is an under appreciated rap artist who can just simply spit better than 99.9% of MC’s out there. Although this disc does get a bit maddening at times with skits, if you can look past that, you will find a jewel of a rapper who deserves a lot more attention.

Trouble - Ray Lamontagne
Ray Lamontagne has been called the hillbilly Van Morrison, he’s also been called one of the most exciting new artists to come along in the past few years. With incredible songwriting talent and an unmistakable voice, Lamontagne is poised for a very long career. Take a listen to the tracks “Burn”, “Trouble” or “Jolene” and you can feel the pain and angst that are conveyed so beautifully by Lamontagne, definitely a 2004 must have.

Hot Fuss - The Killers
When you hear the synthesizer beginning to “On Top”, you might think you were back in 1984, or at least playing a game of GTA: Vice City. But The Killer’s debut “Hot Fuss” is one of the best discs of 2004 because of their combination of vocals, great instrumentation, and that incredible synth work. Everyone has heard the radio hit “Somebody Told Me” by now, but this disc is full of incredible tracks, like “Mr. Brightside” and “Andy, You’re A Star”.

A Grand Don't Come For Free - The Streets
When I first heard The Streets was releasing a “concept album” this year, I was a bit worried. After loving “Original Pirate Material”, the debut disc from The Streets, I was worried the critical acclaim had gone to sole group member Mike Skinner’s head. But after listening to a few tracks, I couldn’t stop listening, I was engrossed in the story. Not to say that each track can’t be enjoyed separately, but as a concept disc, this album is amazing. If this disc fit into one music category, it would easily be the best album of the year in that category, but it is tough to pin this one down into rap, or spoken word, but who cares, it is just damn good.

Hopes & Fears - Keane
On the softer side of 2004, we have Keane, a trio made up of piano, drums and vocals, that’s right, a rock band without guitars. But when you listen to “Hopes & Fears”, you won’t find it lacking, with incredibly instrumentation and a lead singer who draws comparisons to Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Chris Martin of Coldplay. With 2004 radio hit “Somewhere Only We Know”, Keane established their place on the softer side of rock music, but they definitely served notice that they will be a presence in popular music for years to come.

DVDs

Live Aid
The first official DVD release of the historic 1985 concert, this four DVD set would be a great gift for fans of David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Sting, The Who, U2, Neil Young or any of the plethora of bands that performed. Live Aid was one of the biggest concerts in history, and as a bonus, your purchase benefits the Band Aid Trust, which helps provide hunger relief to African nations. A piece of history, some great music and charity too, the perfect gift?

Crossroads Guitar Festival
Shot in June 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, “The Crossroads Guitar Festival” is Eric Clapton’s gift to guitar loving music fans everywhere. With an eclectic mix of musicians including Clapton himself, James Taylor, Steve Vai, Joe Walsh, John Mayer, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Santana, as well as many, many others. If your favorite part of a song is the long guitar solo, or you are a fan of any of the musicians who performed, this dvd is a rare collection of the world’s best guitar players.

Books

Chronicles, Vol. 1 - Bob Dylan
For Dylan fans out there, how does it get any better than an autobiography, Dylan’s life in Dylan’s words? But be warned, the man with the meandering lyrical style does not differ when penning a book. Dylan cares not for telling a story in chronological order, or any other order for that matter. There are some stunning revelations, like Dylan’s fondness for Ice-T (who saw that coming)? But if you call yourself a Dylan fan, this is a fascinating read, and a definite must have.

De Capo Best Music Writing 2004 - Edited By Mickey Hart
Each year De Capo compiles that year’s best music writings, be they articles from Rolling Stone, newspaper reviews, or blurbs from books. And each year this compilation has a guest editor who picks the pieces and writes an intro. This year that honor fell on Mickey Hart of the Monkees, who picks some solid pieces of music writing. Although not quite as strong as last years volume edited by Matt Groening, or 2002’s edition edited by Nick Hornby, De Capo’s is still the place to go when you want to find the year’s best music writing.

There you have it. Any of these items can be purchased right now at your local music or book store, and they aren't high demand which means they should be easily accessible. There is definately something for any music lover on this list.

- Greg Norton

Posted by Andru at 11:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 22, 2004

Are Cell Phones Harmful?

Text A new European study seems to suggest that they are... at least in a lab setting. A recent European study didn't prove that cell phones are a risk to one's health. However, they did find that after being exposed to electromagnetic fields typical of mobile phones, cells showed a significant increase in single and double-strand DNA breaks. Either way, the team also concluded that more research is needed to see if the same effects can also be found outside a lab. Of course, the companies representing the $100 billion-a-year industry were not immediately available for comment. Makes you think about using an earpiece. We'd love to hear what you all think.

December 21, 2004

Gear Live Giveaway: Three DVD's of Your Choice

Gear Live DVD Giveaway First of all, congratulations to Gear Live Reader confus3d789 for winning last week's contest. A brand new Nintendo GameCube is on it's way to your front door, courtesy of PrizeCube.

This week, we are giving our winner their pick of three DVD's of their choice. This is your chance to make up for what was missing under the Christmas tree this holiday season. After all, that is what it's all about, isn't it? Either way, here is what we expect of you:

The person that comes up with the most creative way to advertise Gear Live will win the three DVD's of their choice. Whether that means you go into a quiet movie theater and yell "EVERYONE VISIT GEAR LIVE DOT COM WHEN YOU GET HOME!!!", post Gear Live flyers all over your college campus, or get "Gear Live R0x0rz" tattooed on your forehead - you do what you think is best, and send us proof. Don't try photoshopping anything. If it looks photoshopped, it's disqualified.

So go ahead and use your noodle to come up with the most bizarre, eye-catching advertising campaign for the site, and send your proof to submit@gearlive.com. You have until 7:00 PM PST on Sunday, December 26th. Thanks go out to PrizeCube for sponsoring our weekly contests.

Posted by Andru at 12:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 20, 2004

Gamer Buys Virtual Island for $26,500

Deathifier Project Entropia Just when you thought you had heard it all, someone goes and does something like this. Someone known only by his uber cool gaming name, Deathifier, decided to buy an island within the online RPG Project Entropia. Now, when I say buy, I mean with real cash. The island had an abandoned castle and "beautiful beaches which were ripe for developing beachfront property." Now get this - Deathifier sees it as an investment. He is now able to tax other gamers who wish to visit his island to go hunting, or mining for gold. Smart guy. It has been said that massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs) have a gross economic impact equivalent to the GDP of the African nation of Namibia. As for me, I would be pissed if I couldn't move into that abandoned castle after spending $26,500 on a game.

December 19, 2004

Gear Live 2004 Holiday Gift Guide

Gear Live Holiday Gift Guide 2004 It's time to wrap up that last minute shopping and finalize all your 2004 holiday purchases. We know, it's tough trying to decide what to get for the various special (and not so special) one's in your life. Luckily, Gear Live is here to make the decision process a little easier, as we bring you the Gear Live 2004 Holiday Gift Guide. Within you will find gift ideas broken up by recipient category. Enjoy!

CHILDREN

RoboSapien: If you haven't heard of or seen the RoboSapien by now, then I would like to know why you have stayed indoors over the past few months with no form of electronic communication. The fact is, the RoboSapien is probably this years big "must have" toy as far as the kids are concerned, and with good reason. What kid (or adult) doesn't want to own their own personal robot? The RoboSapien has 67 pre-programmed functions including pick-up, throw, kick, dance, kung-fu, belch, and obviously many more. The RoboSapien is a product of Wow Wee. Click here to compare prices.

Juice Box: The Mattel Juice Box may not be the highest resolution portable video player on the market, but if it was then it would be too expensive to be targeted to the kiddies. That being the case, the Mattel Juice Box is the perfect gift for those wannabe-techie kids. The device plays video which are purchased separately on proprietary video cartridges, at a speed of 15 to 18 frames per second. Each one can hold 60-75 minutes of video. You can also put pictures and MP3's onto the Juice Box, making it a sub-$100 multimedia player. Nice. Click here to compare prices.

TEENS

Nintendo DS: If you have a teen in the house, you can't go wrong with the Nintendo DS. The latest handheld console from Nintendo features dual-screen game play, with the bottom screen being touch sensitive. It adds a unique dynamic to the mechanic. It also plays all Game Boy Advance games, giving it a huge game library from the start. Of course, the DS games are what show off the system. If you can find one of these during this holiday season, snatch it up quick. The Nintendo DS is currently flying off the shelves. Click here to compare prices.

T-Mobile Sidekick II: If you know teens, you know they love to chat it up with their friends - both on the phone, and online. The Sidekick II from T-Mobile gives them the best of both worlds. This cell phone will also allow them to send unlimited emails (it has a full QWERTY keyboard), chat on AOL Instant Messenger, and has a built-in camera to boot. You can go online and check stocks as well, for all the nerdy types out there. This one is definitely a hit, even cool teens like Lindsay Lohan own one, iced out no less! Click here to compare prices.

COLLEGE STUDENTS

Toshiba Qosmio G15: This is what I believe to be one of the best notebook computers out there. Check out the features: Pentium M 735, 512 MB RAM, 100 GB hard drive, Centrino Technology, DVD burner, 17" widescreen display. This laptop also has a TV tuner, and a DVR built right in. Oh, and it also can help students as far as schoolwork goes, and that is what would be most important to them. Right? Click here to compare prices.

iTunes Gift Card: What student isn't into music? And even if they aren't, they may be the audiobook type. Either way, iTunes gift cards are an excellent option. Put $25 on one, and they can get about 23 songs (damn taxes!), or two full albums with some cash left over. It will go nice with the free iPod they have probably been spending more time than necessary trying to score. Click here to compare prices.

PROFESSIONALS

SCOTTeVEST Hidden Cargo Pants: Gear Live did a review of these pants a couple of months ago, and we came away thoroughly impressed. If you need to look sharp for work, or any special occasion, these are the pants for you if you want to remain teched out. With hidden compartments, the patented Personal Area Network, and teflon-coating (to avoid stains from spills), there are no better pants. We put a cell phone, keys, wallet, PDA, and some change in the pants. You could barely feel that they were in the pockets.

RIM Blackberry 7100t: What the T-Mobile Sidekick II is to teens, I believe the Blackberry 7100t is to the white collar professional. Yes, even more so than the Treo. The keypad has an advanced text recognition software (as well as 2 letters per key rather than 3) which will make sending email directly from the phone a lot less mundane. The Blackberry's always-on "push" technology sends e-mails from up to ten of your existing Internet or corporate accounts directly to your phone. The phone also has integrated BlueTooth. Can't go wrong with this one.

TECHIES

iRiver H320 MP3 Player: It seems those that proclaim to be techies at heart are turning away from the iPod, Apple's MP3 player kingpin. Instead, they are going for the iRiver H320 MP3 player which just about everyone swears has much better sound quality. Whether that is true or not is for you to decide, however, you can't deny that the H320 has more features than the iPod. What types of features? Try an FM radio tuner, radio recorder, voice recorder, color screen, .JPG and .BMP image support, MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV and OGG music support, line-in recording, and more. Take that Apple. The iRiver H320 is sure to be a hit with any geek. Click here to compare prices.

Humax TiVo Digital Video Recorder w/ DVD Burner: TiVo DVR's are starting to finally become mainstream. Regardless of how you feel about some of the companies recent decisions, the product is still very cool. Recently, Humax released an 80-hour DVD Player/Recorder with built-in TiVo functionality. By default, it comes with TiVo basic, which is simply a very stripped down version of the TiVo service. It is free, and it will allow you to record shows to the hard drive. You can upgrade to a monthly or lifetime membership which will give you full TiVo functionality. What's great about this player is that the DVD recorder allows you to burn your recorded shows to DVD for archiving. Click here to compare prices.

FATHER'S

Garmin iQue 3600 GPS: Men hate stopping to ask for directions. That's the stigma, right? Oh well, now the male species can save face by not ever having to ask another human being for directions again. GPS navigation systems are definitely coming into their own, with some being just off by a few feet. Enter the Garmin iQue 3600 GPS. With its calendar, contact list, to-do list, memo pad, and GPS functions, you can be reminded of an appointment, see it on an electronic map, and get turn-by-turn voice directions right to the front door. While you're on the way, use the iQue to listen to MP3 music or dictate messages into its voice recorder. Score. Click here to compare prices.

Braun 8585 Activator Self Cleaning Shaver: More electric shavers are sold during the holidays than any other time during the year, so sticking with that popular theme, we bring you the Braun 8585 Shaver. It has a unique 4 way moving head which captures more hairs in fewer strokes. The automatic self-cleaning Clean & Charge system leaves your shaver thoroughly and hygienically clean for a better shaving performance every day. To ensure ultimate shaver performance whenever you need it Smart Logic is activated every time the shaver is charged, maintaining battery power at its peak. Now when Dad kisses you at Christmas, his 5 o'clock shadow won't give you a friction burn. Click here to compare prices.

MOTHER'S

Roomba 4210 Robotic Vacuum: The Roomba 4210 Discovery Robotic Vacuum will save the mothers in your life a bunch of time, and energy. Just charge it, set it on the floor, and turn it on. The Roomba will automatically scour the floor picking up the dirt and dust as it goes. With more advancements and improvements, Roomba Discovery features dirt detect, a self-charging Home Base and an Advanced Power System. It really is great, but I am waiting for the Kitchoomba. A device that will automatically make me a sandwich would be killer. Click here to compare prices.

Palm Zire 72: What mother couldn't use a simple, streamlined PDA to better manage their day? The Palm Zire 72 may not have all the fancy bells and whistles of a Pocket PC or high end Clie, but it has just the right features that any mother will find useful. First and foremost, it has the obvious calendar/tasks/notes features that are standard on any Palm. The Zire 72 also has a built-in camera, so she can snap photos and view them. MP3's can also be loaded on to the device, and it even has a voice recorder for those times where you just can't input something with the stylus. Definitely a great buy. Click here to compare prices.

Gear Live thanks all of the readers who sent in gift ideas.

- Andru Edwards

Posted by Andru at 02:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 17, 2004

SCOTTeVEST Solar Finetex Jacket Review

Solar SeV FineTex System There comes a time in a man’s life when you have so much gear, that a regular book bag would prove either too constraining, or too limited. There are also times when we find ourselves separated from a power source, and unable to charge said gear. ScottEVest provides a solution for all you gearheads on the go, and today Gear Live puts it through our field test. Come find out how the Solar SeV Finetex System fares in terms of storage, comfort, and charging functionality in our latest review, by clicking the link below.

INTRODUCTION

Most of you can relate to this experience. You have your MP3 player, which fits nicely in your regular jacket chest pocket. Plus you have your GBA, which fits snugly in your front jean pockets. Oh yeah, you also have your digital camera, which you can pop into the back pocket of your bag. But you want to read some magazines while you’re on a trip too. Hmm, I guess it can fit in the bag too, next to your glasses case, and your water bottle. Woops, almost forgot about the battery chargers…oh yeah, and of course your PDA. Heh, how could I forget that? Dang, the cell phone too. Man, where are my earbuds going to fit without being damaged? The list goes on and on. Usually, I put everything in my book bag, and just lug it around all over New York City. Sometimes you want to keep you arms free though, or maybe the bag doesn’t look so great on you when it’s crammed with stuff.

If you’re familiar with ScottEVest, you know they offer pretty good solutions for people in this situation. The Solar SeV Finetex System on the other hand, is designed to enhance your gear experience even further. It includes of a flexible solar panel that connects to your jacket, and provides some juice to a black USB box, and to your USB gear. As crazy as this sounds, it really does charge your gear with just the power of the sun. You won’t need to worry about losing all the juice on your iPod, not at least for a while. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself though, mainly because as great as the system sounds on paper, there are a few shortcomings to the product when in actual use. Let’s first look at what it does well.

STORAGE, STORAGE, STORAGE!

To start, this jacket has more pockets than you’ll know what to do with. Seriously, every time you look a little closer, you’ll discover something new. There are two pockets at both sides of the chest, both on the inside and out. Looking within the jacket, you will find numerous compartments, some of them with zippers, others with velcro linings, either to make them expandable or to keep them sealed.

There are pouches made for pens, glasses, music players, cell phones, chargers, PDAs, wallets, magazines, and even water bottles. There are even zippered pockets on both of the sleeves. In fact there are so many pockets that at first you’ll be wondering where everything goes. ScottEVest obviously understood this. Included within most of the pockets are little informational cards that describe items that you might find appropriate for that specific area. I really appreciated these ideas.

Most likely you won’t even need every single pocket, as it’s up to you to figure out where you feel things will be most comfortable. The beauty of the thing is flexibility and choice. One of the info cards recommended that I place my cell in one of the outer chest pockets, and a PDA on the opposite side. I found this to be pretty appropriate because I could answer my calls (and feel the vibration a little easier) and have quick access to my Palm at the same time, without having to open my jacket in colder weather.

COOL FEATURES

One of the chest pockets has an additional plastic pouch within it, which fit my Rio Carbon very nicely, and gave it a little more protection against the elements. Another interior pocket includes a cord with a clip on the end, which holds a cleaning cloth for your glasses. Handy! Both of the hand pockets include similar cords allowing you to clip your keys. Most pockets consisted of a strong black mesh that allowed you to see the items inside. They were large enough so that it didn’t look like I was carrying all my gear with me, yet the jacket remained warm enough for me in the crisp weather I used it in.

There are a few more useful touches you may not notice at first. The collar of the jacket opens up to reveal an attached hood. The jacket also has some minimal reflective white lines, so that you and your gear are better protected against night traffic. The sleeves of the jacket can be zippered off during warmer weather, effectively turning it into a vest. There are elastic bands found within one of the larger front pockets to hold a water bottle within. Finally, there are small holes in several interior pockets to allow you to thread cords within, so that they can reach your head easier without tangles. All in all, this thing is just packed full of surprises.

NOT ALL ROSES

All this is well and good, but…you knew the gripes were coming. Let’s look at where we found some issues. I’ll lay out the issues before you, and also explain how it affects the user, and what could have been doe differently. I’ll be constructive in what I share, because I truly believe ScottEVest is a good company, and its products generally provide us with functionality that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s easy to tear something down, and a lot harder to build it up.

The first issue I had was with the exterior material used for the jacket. It actually scratches your skin a bit as you try to put it on, especially the arm-ends, which can come widen out easily with its velcro closure function. Once it’s on, it’s not so much of a bother, but my own personal jackets are a much softer and gentler material and it’s never been a conscious issue for me. Perhaps this is the case because the jacket is water resistant. Still, I would think few people would run out with hundreds of dollars of electronics without an umbrella for protection. If this were softer, and a little easier to the touch, it would add comfort to the functionality.

There’s more. The hand pockets are completely awkward. I don’t know about you, but I like to walk with my hand in my pockets, especially in cooler weather. The design of these pockets is such that they are large, and will hold just about anything (remember, even water bottles) but hand insertion goes in at a weird, almost vertical angle, and I felt I was better off keeping my hands out of the jacket completely. If they were closer to the base of the jacket, and maybe smaller in the openings, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

SOLAR PANEL

The solar panel is another area that I think needs some more work. First of all, the panel is pretty obvious when you wear it, as it’s a deep purplish color, and lined with reflective material. This makes me feel uncomfortable walking down the street with it. Granted it can be removed, and used on its own, but that’s not what people are primarily looking for. It would’ve been better to have the solar panel a black color so as to not stand out.

Additionally, it might have looked a bit more fashionable if it were embedded into the jacket, as opposed to something that the user has to strap on and have dangle from the backs of their shoulders. The bottom of the panel connects to the jacket via more velcro, but it would’ve been nicer and even more convenient to have the panels sit flush with the jacket exterior itself.

Speaking of the solar panel, it works, even though you are limited in the types of electronics you can use with it. The charger box that connects to the panel shows a little yellow light as it charges, and surprisingly I was even able to see it come on when I placed the panel directly under an interior light bulb. Connecting my USB compatible Rio Carbon to the box, I experienced no problems. There didn’t seem to be a difference in charge time, from a regular charging using my wall-outlet USB adaptor. However, not all of our gear is USB chargeable. The jacket would’ve been much more versatile if it allowed standard AC wall plugs to be used. That way I could’ve not only charged just my Carbon, but also my cell, my digital camera batteries, and my PDA.

BE CAREFUL WITH IT

The next problem is a curious subtlety that comes out of the jacket’s storage functionality. When I talked about this item with some friends, the only thing they could think about was what a huge theft target this jacket would be. This is a delicate issue, because ScottEVest has no control of how well you protect your own belongings, or the behaviors of other ne’er-do-wells. Still, you have to think about keeping a close eye on this thing.

It’s not like a pair of pants, where you’ll have a hard time losing it, along with the gear inside. This is something that is removable, and can hold thousands of dollars of equipment. I was actually worried about where I took this jacket off because if I wasn’t careful, I would lose every expensive gadget I have amassed in the past couple years. This is just something to think about. Again, it is not SeV’s fault, but the jacket requires an extra sense of vigilance when you take it off indoors, and that can be a big enough concern to detract people with substantial costly items stored inside.

FINAL VERDICT

My last concern is about pricing. $425 is a lot to pay for a marginally good product, even if it does store everything you will ever have. We take into consideration the overall value something offers to users, and this is a case where the prohibitive price sheds further negative light on the product. You do need to pay a premium for such innovative new concepts, but that becomes a problem when the concept stumbles in a few areas. The ScottEVest Solar Finetex jacket offers an unusual amount of storage space, but you also sacrifice some comfort, some looks (at least from the rear), and some versatility. Hopefully the problems discussed here are remedied in the jacket’s next iteration. But for now, it leaves a little wanting.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Product Name: Solar SeV Finetex System

Company: ScottEVest

Price: $425 (without fleece liner)

- Hector Martinez

Posted by Hector at 02:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Pod Shield Contest Results

TrandyGeek Pod Shield Giveaway Remember that Pod Shield Contest we announced a week ago? Well, it's now a wrap. Don't let that stop you from leaving your comments though, as always love to hear from the readers. Nonetheless, we have six winners that we chose at random. If your username is one of the following, expect to hear from us shortly so that we may send a Pod Shield your way:

Scilynt
Roberto
Dee Popat
A-rob
Solomon
Kymus

Congratulations to the winners! Gear Live thanks TrendyGeek for sponsoring this contest. If you didn't get one, don't fret. You still have until midnight to win a free video game console or $160 Amazon.com gift certificate from Gear Live.

Posted by Andru at 09:51 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 16, 2004

iRiver H10 Surfaces

So, iRiver has finally gotten into the mini hard drive MP3 player game. The iRiver H10 has all of what we now like to refer to as the "standard goodies". It has a 5 GB hard drive, 1.5" color screen (for viewing photos), FM radio, voice recording, and of course plays music. Take that iPod mini. The H10 is available in deep red, midnight blue, neo silver and slate grey. Where can you find one? Right now, only in Korea for now starting December 22.

Posted by Andru at 11:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 15, 2004

Nokia to Introduce Hologram Labels for Cell Phone Batteries

Nokia Label, Sratch and Sniff!
It turns out that Nokia is blaming counterfeit battery manufacturers for a series of incidents where their cell phones have either heated up or exploded. To help minimize this, customers can now look for a hologram label on their new Nokia batteries. It will hide a 20-digit authentication code that appears when a portion of the label is scratched. In addition, users can verify the code either online or via SMS. This reminds me of some old Transformers toys, which would hide their allegiance (Autobot / Decepticon) until you rubbed their darkened insignias. Don’t think any of those ever exploded, though.

Sprint and Nextel Announce $36B Merger

Nextel Sprint
It takes a lot to be able to hang with the big boys. After the ATT-Cingular merger, Sprint and Nextel weren't just going to sit around. While some analysts believe that the cultures of these two companies won't mesh well together, execs are talking consumer-market dual-mode phones that will likely come out of the deal. Time will tell what effect this may have on Verizon's current lead.

December 14, 2004

BeoCom 2 Cordless Phone

It's time to look at a phone that doesn't have to be used in conjunction with a cellular service carrier. Yes, this is just a cordless home phone - but it's not your standard cordless. You are looking at the BeoCom 2, and it retails for over $1,000 USD. Why? This is the Hummer of all wireless phones. In fact, the method used to mold the pure aluminum chassis is the same process used to form the exterior of the Hummer H2. The phone pocks up voice data streams twice in order to make sure there is absolutely no interference or static. The curves are designed in a way to match the natural curves of the human face to reduce strain on the neck (sorry Fido!). If that weren't enough, check out this quote:

How often do you reach out for the remote control when the telephone rings? With BeoCom 2, you can turn down the sound of your television or music directly from the telephone's keypad.

Insane.

Read More

| BeoWorld

Posted by Andru at 11:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

MusicGremlin Plans On The Go Music Downloads

MusicGremlin Wireless Music Downloads We know many, many people have been waiting for this. After all, connecting your MP3 player to your computer to sync your music is starting to get old. In these days with all the wireless-this and WiFi-that talk, why are we still using cables to load music onto our devices? MusicGremlin has been asking the same question, and they are prepared to do something about it. In fact, they not only plan to offer on demand music downloads directly to your device, they also plan on offering a subscription service which will let you listen to anything you want as long as you are a paying subscriber. What's more, you would also be able to share playlists with other users and receive alerts when other users are in close enough proximity to share info. Unfortunately, a launch date has yet to be announced. However, you can view a teaser graphic at their website.

Posted by Andru at 11:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

EA Reaches Exclusive NFL Licensing Agreement

Competition is usually healthy for the videogame industry, but this is more like annihilation. In a shocker of an agreement, EA has gained exclusive rights for all NFL teams, stadiums, and players. The biggest casualty, at least in my eyes, is Sega, as this means no more ESPN, at least for the next five years. The deal covers consoles, PC, and handheld systems, as well as console online features. You can blame the NFL, since they were the ones that decided to have a bid for their exclusivity. The deal does not affect other games available on the Internet or on wireless devices including cell phones. I’m guessing this came about because of the way Midway wanted to use the license to portray their Blitz game series in a more controversial light.

Blockbuster Revamps Late Fee Policy

Blockbuster Drops Late Fees Unless you have some sort of unlimited DVD rental service, it's inevitable that you will eventually have to pay a late fee. If you're like me, it's rare when you don't. Well, Blockbuster has decided to change their policy on late return in an attempt to "help" out their customers. Starting January 1, 2005, all movies and games rented from Blockbuster will still have a normal due date. If you fail to return the item by the due date, you get a one week grace period where you can still return the movie with no fee assessed. Now the fun part. If you fail to get the item in by the end of that grace period, then Blockbuster simply charges the full amount of that movie to your account. Yup, the movie or game is then yours. If you are unhappy about the situation, you have a month to contest the decision. They will take it back, but will also charge a restocking fee. Looks like I am gonna be buying a lot of DVD's from Blockbuster come 2005.

Posted by Andru at 08:25 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Gear Live QuickTrade! Promotion

We launched Gear Live: QuickTrade! a few weeks ago because we knew how frustrated our users were with trying to find referals for their free stuff promotions. Since then, over 300 people have joined and started trading. QuickTrade! is definately a success, and that is why we are offering new memberships for $5.00 over the next few days. To sign up, visit http://quicktrade.gearlive.com and you will be on your way to scoring some free gear. Click below for some screen captures of the QuickTrade! site.

Gear Live QuickTrade!

Posted by Andru at 12:37 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 13, 2004

1 Terabyte of Free Email Storage

1 Terabyte Email Move over Google, because the Hellacious Riders free email service has made Gmail appear a lot smaller. Believe it or not, you get 1 TB (that is equal to 1,000 Gmail accounts) of storage completely free. In addition, the maximum file size of attachments is 500 MB, fifty times larger than what Gmail allows. Oh, and no ads. Of course, you probably haven't even come close to filling your Gmail account, so the only real draw here is that you can store large files remotely.

Yahoo! To Launch Desktop Search

Yahoo! X1 Desktop Search Yahoo! is once again following Google's lead as they foray into the desktop search arena. This time, though, it seems that Yahoo! might come out with the better overall product. The Yahoo! desktop search tool will be based on the awesome X1 Desktop Search technology. It may also be able to incorporate your Yahoo! information (Yahoo! Photos, Email, etc.) into your desktop searches.

December 12, 2004

Gear Live to Give Away Game Consoles Via PrizeCube

Free PrizeCube Consoles

'Tis the season to be jolly...and Gear Live is here to make the holidays just a little sweeter for our readers. We have partnered with PrizeCube, and as a result, we will be giving away one free video game console each week to a lucky Gear Live reader. Each week we will think up a unique way to determine a winner, and that person will then be able to choose to receive an XBOX, GameCube, or PlayStation 2 for their troubles. If you have all three consoles (or would rather get a Nintendo DS), then just tell us that you would prefer to receive a $160 Amazon.com gift certificate instead.

This weeks winner will be chosen on Friday, December 17. To enter, simply read this post on our message board and provide an appropriate response. We will choose a winner out of all the responses randomly, and that person will get the first of many free consoles. Get cracking!

Posted by Andru at 03:48 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Konfabulator Available for Windows and Mac

Konfabulator Widgets

Konfabulator was once a superb Mac program that offered a truly unique computing experience. Those days are no more, because Konfabulator is now available on the Windows OS as well (we know, it's been out for a month). I just got around to downloading it, and it doesn't seem that there is any loss of functionality between the Mac and Windows versions. For those who don't know what it is, Konfabulator runs widgets, which you can download for free. Widgets are tiny programs that run on your desktop. For an example, check out the screenshot above. I have widgets telling me the weather, my WiFi signal, the time, etc. It really is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Let us know what some of your favorite widgets are in the comments section.

Napster to Enter the Ringtone Game

Napster Ringtones You can either see this as a case of how the mighty have fallen, or how a startup was able to turn itself around and be legit. Either way, Napster announced that they have reached an agreement with Dwango Wireless to enter the ringtone market. Dwango is a publisher of mobile content, and has all the tools to deliver what Napster needs to be successful. The service will be called "Napster Mobile", and the plan is to use "integrated technology extending from the PC to mobile devices". Ringtone downloads will also earn you credit towards Napster's online music store. We can expect the service to arrive on just about all of the major US and Canada service providers in 2005.

December 11, 2004

PSP Goes Live in Japan

PSP Glamour Shot The lines have been forming outside the Japan stores for some time now. Eager gamers are finally starting to get their hands on the system with all kinds of impressions starting to emerge on the internet. This clip from a Japanase show gives us a good glimpse at what the system looks like in broad daylight, if you can put up with the silliness. Gamestop has also begun taking pre-orders for the US launch, expected to be in March 2005. I've actually plunked down my own $50 this past week, though there are reports that EB is taking pre-orders for less than that. In case you've missed it, there is an entire PSP thread with additional media for both games and hardware at our Video Games board.

Posted by Hector at 11:35 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

December 09, 2004

TrendyGeek Pod Shields For All

TrandyGeek Pod Shield Giveaway Okay guys, we know that a vast majority of our readers are iPod fanatics. It's a fact that we just can't get away from, so instead, we embrace it. We also realize that iPod owners don't like the fact that if the wind hits your MP3 player the wrong way, all of a sudden the iPod is scratched to hell. Well, the folks over at TrendyGeek didn't like it too much either. So they developed the Pod Shield. Unlike just about every other iPod case you have seen or owned, the Pod Shield is paper thin and almost invisible, while at the same time protecting your precious Apple device from scratches and scuffs. I just applied my Pod Shield to one of the Gear Live in-house iPods and am currently letting it settle. Don't let that scare you, it clings to the iPod via high static - no adhesives necessary.

TrendyGeek has sent us a bunch of Pod Shield kits to give away to our loyal readers. We have decided to give away one per day for the next few days. To win, just simply leave a comment on any one of our articles. You can leave comments on as many articles as you wish per day. Each day we will count the article comments for that day, and pick a random number within that range. The person who posted that comment on that days wins a new Pod Shield, no questions asked. Oh, and you must live in the USA to be eligible.

Posted by Andru at 11:49 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack

December 08, 2004

Gmail Goes POP

GMail Enables POP Email

So it appeared, and disappeared, and now is back. Google has finally added POP email support into Gmail. So why is this a big deal? Basically, you can now use your Gmail account through any POP email client, including Microsoft Outlook and the newly released Thunderbird 1.0. To access the feature, login to your Gmail account and click on Settings. From there, go to the Forwarding and POP tab. It's definitely nice to have another Gmail feature to test, but Google - when is it going to go public?

(Thanks Haxxxxes!)

Posted by Andru at 10:42 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Coming Soon: City-Wide WiFi

WiFi I wish I lived near Philadelphia again, and I don't mean just for the cheesesteak. It seems that city officials are gearing up some $10 million to install a city-wide WiFi network that will be either free or "very low cost." Other cities have already launched similar, but more limited offerings. As with any good development, this CNN article makes sure the "naysayer" voices his objections. Derek Kerton, founder of a wireless consulting firm, argues that a city-wide WiFi would interfere with other local WiFi spots and frequencies from items like microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones. I guess time will tell, but I have more faith that things can iron themselves out over time.

Posted by Hector at 04:47 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Yahoo! Games Lists Must Have Holiday Titles

Yahoo! Games released the results of its recent holiday poll, asking site visitors to vote for the games they anticipate playing the most throughout the holidays. Here are the Top 10:

1. Halo 2 (Microsoft) - XBox
2. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar) - PS2
3. Half-Life 2 (VU Games) - PC
4. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (LucasArts) - XBox
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Konami) - PS2
6. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Nintendo) - GameCube
7. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Ubisoft) - GameCube, PS2, XBox
8. The Sims 2 (EA Games) - PC
9. World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment) - PC
10. Need for Speed Underground 2 (Electronic Arts) - GameCube, PS2, XBox

I don't think it's a surprise that Halo 2 came out on top, as the game is almost worth the price of admission for its multiplayer mode alone. As for Nintendo, good to see them on the list, but for their main holiday season game, Metroid should have been higher up. I guess that's what you get when you don't advertise your titles.

December 07, 2004

Thunderbird 1.0 Now Available From Mozilla

With the recent flux of Internet users moving over to Firefox, I am sure many of you have come to like what Mozilla has done with the browser. If you are, you may want to take a gander at their latest Thunderbird release. Thunderbird is an email client, similar to Outlook and Outlook Express. It downloads and displays your messages, and that is really where the similarities end. Believe it or not, this free email client does so much more that you can logically consider dumping the paid version of Microsoft Outlook and make the switch. Thunderbird is fast, and very robust. Thunderbird gives you IMAP/POP support, a built-in RSS reader, superb search and import tools, and the ability to manage multiple e-mail and newsgroup accounts. In addition, you can download Thunderbird extensions on the fly for added functionality. Give it a try by downloading it here.

Posted by Andru at 11:57 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

IBM Sells Their PC Business

IBM Sells PC Division to Lenovo Believe it or not, IBM has sold their PC business to Lenovo, a Chinese computer manufacturer. Lenovo acquired the property for $650 million plus $600 million in their company stock. This gives IBM 18.9% ownership of Lenovo, while Lenovo ends up with all "Think" associated assets (ThinkPad, ThinkCenter, etc.). This is big news, as IBM was synonymous with the term "personal computer" at one time. I remember a time when all PC's that weren't made by Apple were given the moniker "IBM Compatible". Lenovo plans to hire about 10,000 of the current IBM PC Division employees.

Lego Star Wars Screenshots

Lego Star Wars

Today some new screenshots of Eidos' next Star Wars game for the PC were released. In an unexpected twist, the Star Wars game design will be presented with Lego geometry, down to various space vessels, droids, and Jedis. An especially cool feature involves using the Force to separate structures and arrange the Lego blocks into a different item to get past certain areas. Gameplay appears to be a pretty straight-foward hack and jump affair. Still, it's great to see this idea come to fruition.

December 06, 2004

Cart Gaming: Wal-Mart's Latest Trend

Video Game Cart Wal-Mart

You gotta love it a kid that just doesn't care what anyone else thinks. Apparently, he decided to try out a game while waiting for Mommy to finish shopping. I guess she took a little longer than he expected, so he pulled up a chair...er...shopping cart and figured he would just play to his hearts content. I implore each and every one of you to go to your nearest Wal-Mart, Target, or any other major chain that has shopping carts. Regardless of your size, hop in and start playing a game. Hell, if you snap a picture and send it to us you may even score some free gear. God Bless America.

(Thanks illwon!)

Posted by Andru at 11:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

AutoTech4Free Pimps Your Ride AT No Cost

With so many sites offering similar gifts, it was refreshing to see OfferCentric thinking outside the box as they offered TiVo's, and even the elusive Nintendo DS. Recently, another group of sites has come to our attention as they offer a nice array of specialized items - all for free. Check it out:

Tech4Free offers a 20 GB iPod, $300 Cash, Canon SD10 Digital Camera, Philips LX3750W Home Theater System, and a Canon ZR80 MiniDV camcorder.

PCTech4Free hooks you up with excellent PC gear including Corsair XMX 1GB DDR PC-3200 RAM, $300 Cash, a video card/hard drive/RAM bundle, the ATI Radeon X800 PRO, or a Compaq Presario laptop.

Their newest site, AutoTech4Free, focuses on car electronics. They offer a Sony CDX-F7705X CD/MP3 radio, $300 Cash, the Alpine CDA-9826 w/ iPod interface, the Valentine1 Radar Detector, and a Garmin iQue GPS.

Posted by Andru at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

DefendAir Shielding Paint

WiFi is hackable, plain and simple. At the very least, someone near your network can steal the bandwidth and use it for all types of illegal internet activity. One partial solution is DefendAir interior paint from ForceField Wireless. When you apply this on a wall, it can dampen the amount of WiFi, WiMax, or Bluetooth frequencies escaping into outside rooms, homes, or pesky spies parked outside in a black van. It works, though you're going to need at least a couple coats for it to be really effective. Problem is, it's a little expensive, even at the current sale price of $69 a gallon.

Posted by Hector at 04:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 05, 2004

The Future of Digital Music

PlaysForSure Digital Audio With the information age in full swing, digital music has become another part of American pop culture. The compact disc ushered in the beginning of digital music mass appeal, and recently the infamous MP3 has been at the forefront of the movement, as well as the controversy. There are also SACDs (Super Audio Compact Discs) and DVD-Audio discs to deal with now, as they offer surround sound along with a higher fidelity. Great for the audiophiles out there.

For many, digital music has no "fixed" format. It is just various files ranging between 3-5 MB in an MP3, AAC, or WMA format filling their hard drives and populating various peer to peer networks on the internet. No matter what format you use, these fairly new compression methods make it easy to carry along your entire music collection with you wherever you go, surpassing anything we could have done a decade ago. So where are we headed? The Gear Live editors take a look at the future of digital music after the jump.

Andru: Obviously, Apple has done a tremendous job in the digital music arena. When one thinks of a digital music player, more often than not they think of the iPod. When you think of downloading music legally, iTunes is at the forefront. Introduced back on November 10, 2001, the iPod has become a part of what you may call a suite of ideas which are all integrated together. With the recently released iPod photo, you have the music which you sync in from iTunes, photos which sync through iTunes from iPhoto or a similar product on the PC, media portablility, and the ability to play slideshows directly from the device on a television screen - but this article is about the future, not the present.

Hector: I’m almost afraid to comment on what we’ll see in the future because some of these ideas aren’t copyrighted, and may show up on the next batch of digital players.

Andru: Of course, Apple will continue updating the iPod line. That's a given. What you may not know, though, is that back in July, Apple and Motorola announced their partnership which will bring iTunes to your Motorola cell phones. What is big about this is that this is the first portable hardware that will sync with iTunes allowing you to listen to music purchased through Apple's pnline music store on the go. Currently, the only way to listen to iTunes music is strictly on the iPod and its various iterations. I am not expecting huge storage on these phones either, otherwise they become indirect competition to the iPod. Instead, I think we will see the phones able to port about 50 tracks.

iTunes Motorola
The iTunes/Motorola connection brings exciting possibilities for the future or portable audio convergence.

Greg: I saw some staggering numbers today about how subscription services (such as Rhapsody and Napster’s subscription service) are outpacing pay per song services. I definitely think there is some future to a system that opens you up to new music (as broadcast radio USED to do), while still allowing you to choose from songs you like. I think the industry has many years of murkiness ahead with the RIAA still not understanding what the market wants, and to some extent, the market not really knowing what the market wants. I certainly didn’t know five years ago that I wanted a hard drive based MP3 player, but with technology comes desires to push that technology even further.

Hector: With the players of the future, we will be able to schedule personal recordings of incoming broadcast music on a given hour, and play it back when we have the free time. It’s a very similar concept to what’s being done with DVR’s, such as TiVo. Imagine listening to a certain program or DJ that played a couple nights ago, but at your own leisure. Even better, we would be able to save the recordings into a file for endless playback later. Right now you can record off of an incoming FM signal, but you have to be listening in at the time, and even then you’re not sure if they’re going to play the song that you want. I want to substantially fill out my music collection.

Greg: I definitely think Hector is correct here; TIVO for radio has already begun to emerge a little bit. A program was released about a year ago that recorded at your specified time, any Tunecast radio stream, some even stream at 128kbps and higher, CD quality. The program then cut the stream into separate mp3s and used the information from the radio server to fill in the ID3 tags. But with internet radio and podcasting continually gaining momentum as people sicken of the monotony of the same playlists on every broadcast radio station, the ability of every person interested to start their own radio station is intriguing.

Andru: What about the future of the iPod itself? Gear Live readers recently told us what they thought might be in store for the device, but if we think like Apple, what can we expect? Well, the company is all about being chic. I wouldn't be surprised to see an iPod with Bluetooth or WiFi integrated which would then allow you to broadcast music from the iPod straight to your home entertainment system. You may also be able to wirelessly sync to iTunes, or better yet, make a purchase straight through the iPod itself. Throw in a set of Bluetooth earbuds, and you have the first completely wireless iPod.

Obviously, Apple isn't the only one with a successful MP3 player brand. Other companies like iRiver, Creative, Rio Audio, JetAudio, and Sony also have successful digital audio players. Creative recently waged war on Apple, as they are looking to lead the pack.

Future iPod Generation
Many speculate on what the future iPod will end up looking like, adding more than just visual upgrades.

Greg: I think Apple is obviously going to face some competitors in the MP3 player space, they already have some, but so far they have seemed to lack the asthetic beauty of the iPod, as well as the usability. I have heard some really great things about the new Zen, with a lot of reviews calling it more intuitive than the iPod. Rio has been there since the beginning of MP3 players, and has a great offering in the Karma, which boasts an Ethernet port, a great addition if that is something that interests you. But as with desktop computers, I think Apple will always have a certain market share just simply by being better in terms of product engineering, albeit with a higher price point. As hard drives get smaller, cheaper and larger in terms of capacity, obviously the race becomes getting the most features, into the smallest package with the cheapest price tag. I think Apple definitely will have some competition there, but can ultimately survive by coming up with the coolest devices that keep blowing people away, no small task.

Hector: I’m tired of having to burn CD’s if I want to play my files on my car stereo. Future systems will include wireless file transfer, so that you can seamlessly access songs from your player while in your car. Yes, the Griffin iTrip accessory sends the songs over an FM frequency to your car, but it has trouble in certain urban environments, and you have to fish for an available frequency. What I mean is something akin to a wireless LAN. Your digital music player, your PC, and your car stereo will all access and play your songs in a shared network. Better yet, we should be able to share songs from one person’s player to another. How cool is that? You see someone with the infamous white headphone cords, you know that he or she can beam you a song from their collection with a couple clicks. IR port beaming has been around for ages. Why hasn’t someone thought of this yet?

Andru: One thing I do expect in the future, is to see flash MP3 players slowly diminish from the market. While it is more shock absorbent, I just don't see the cost of the medium as being feasible going forward, especially with hard drive prices plummetting.

The other thing we have to consider is storage capacity. It boggles my mind when companies release 128 MB or 256 MB MP3 players nowadays. It won't be long before 1 GB is the lowest anyone will want to go. With convergence coming into play, people are wanting to start putting pictures and video on their portable devices as well. I say bring it on. It's not far off that we will be able to buy 100 GB portable video players. Heck, the iPod is already up to 60 GB while still being palm-sized. Of course, video would benefit from a larger screen. Just look at the DVX-POD to see why.

DVX-Pod Digital Media Consolidation
The DVX-POD brings all of your media together into one device with a high resolution screen to boot.

Hector: Today there are already headphones that can pick up the poor quality MP3’s encoded at 128 kbps. We’re limited in terms of bitrate for now, but wouldn’t it be nice to have hundreds of SACD-quality music files in the palm of our hand? How about even beyond that? Imagine when players improve by leaps and bounds to provide pristine highs and thunderous bass, in a positional audio format? From one set of phones you’ll be able to hear lightning crackle above you and winds enveloping you in a soundtrack score. We want to lose ourselves in the music during those long commutes, and digital players will eventually take us there.

Much of that relies on better sound cancellation technology. I have a brutal, clashing subway ride to work every morning, and current earbuds still aren’t good enough to completely shut it all out. You can try turning up the volume, but you wonder what kind of damage that’s going to do on your ears. Future technology will give us complete silence when we need it, no matter how loud the environment.

All players need to have embedded lyrics-display technology. Karaoke jukeboxes have had this for years. There’s no excuse for not making the most of our digital medium. There are already fields of information connected to each of our files. How difficult is it to include a field for the lyrics. iRiver has this function now in at least one of it’s current models, but it’s tedious, requiring the user to indicate the time measures so that the words on display coincide to where you are in the music. If I had just a screen with a controllable jog wheel to scroll down the lyrics for myself, that would at least be a start.

Convergence is going to play a bigger and bigger role for audio players as we look to the future. It’s not enough just to be a music player anymore. These days you need to also be portable storage, a PDA, a cellphone, a watch, and a video player on top of that. Considering how much the world loves music, it’s not too surprising that audio players are as ubiquitous as they are. I know I listen to music when I do my chores. Won’t be long before they embed one into my mop.

iRiver iFP
iRiver takes a multi-tiered approach, having both hard drive and flash based music players in varying sizes.

Andru: The thing that I see as being the biggest issue going forward is DRM (digital rights management). iTunes has their DRM for their AAC files, while Microsoft has another for WMA. Of course, they are trying to make it easy with their PlaysForSure initiative. Sony has yet another for it's ATRAC files, and MP3 has none. Therefore, an iPod cannot play any WMA files, and nothing but an iPod can play Apple AAC files. Music purchased from Sony Connect can only be played on Sony digital audio players. Why all the confusion? Fine, we understand that the RIAA wants to protect its property, but do they have to do it at the expense of causing mass confusion amongst casual music buyers? Even better, why can't these protected files just work across platforms? If you look at DVD's, there is one protection standard. We should have the same thing for our digital music. If there was an effective DRM solution out there, it would seem that the music stores would have no choice but to support it as it would ease the minds of the purchasers, thus bringing in more cash.

Hector: The best news of all is that players are becoming cheaper and cheaper. Apple isn’t alone in this market anymore; actually it never was. And with increased competition, things are always getting cheaper, while at the same time becoming smaller, and faster.

Greg: I think the amazing thing about digital audio is the ability of it to free our music. Just think about it, to not be tethered to your home stereo and your cd collection, just grab your mp3 player and go. It’s an amazing thing to have portability across listening mediums. For example, docking an iPod on your home stereo, then grabbing the iPod for your walk down the street. Climb in your car and plug in the iPod, and drive for days and still not run out of music, all out of one device. The freedom of a garage band, to record their tracks on a laptop, mix the audio and produce their album. Upload the tracks to a download service and sell their music, send out demos, all without costly studio time. Or someone who is sick of the same pop tracks on the radio, putting together a playlist and starting and internet radio station, to share his music with lovers of the same music. Digital audio is doing for music what the printing press did for books, it makes the medium available for all, not just those with the means to enjoy it, or create it. Digital audio has led to an era of freedom for our music.

Posted by Andru at 03:46 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

December 03, 2004

EA Speaks Out On Next Gen Gaming

Madden 2006 2007 Next Gen Graphics

Electronic Arts recently spoke out on the topic of next generation gaming. The picture above is what EA says is a possibility with the next Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo consoles - football players that show emotions as individuals with stunning graphics. EA also expects that each console will have some sort of integrated wireless technology, stating "in every living room, we'll have a wireless hub". Interesting quote, as most know that EA is the biggest videogame publisher out there. They are probably privy to more inside info than most, which leads me to believe that all three major console developers do have plans to integrate wireless chips into their next-gen machines.

Free ElfBowl Game

It's Clobberin' Time! Ahhh, it's that time of year once again. Time to scour your hard drive to see where you stored that crazy Elf Bowl game you played last Christmas. What's that...oh, you can't find it? Not to fear. The folks at FreeChristmasScreenSavers got you covered. I also found the direct link to the zipped file here. Hmm, it looks like they even have a new 3D version out now. Enjoy, and happy holidays from all of us at Gear Live.

Posted by Hector at 08:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 02, 2004

iTunes Canada Store Launches

Canada iTunes Music Store Oh, Canada...you finally have access to the most popular online music store on the planet. Finally, Apple has released the iTunes Music Store for all of you northern North Americans out there. Why it took so long to get iTunes into Canada (when it has been available in Europse for quite some time) is beyond me, but look at the bright side - songs are just $.99 CDN. That is just $.84 USD, more than 10% less than the price of a song in the US version of iTunes.

Socket GPS Nav Kit

So check it out - everyone know that GPS systems are all the rage nowadays. It's nice to be able to have a robotic voice guide you to your destination, and you feel like the most powerful person in the world because you had to spend almost a cool G to get it. For those of us without the cash to do that, Socket Communications has given us another option. Enter the GPS Nav Kit with Bluetooth technology. Basically, its a GPS that connects to your PocketPC via Bluetooth, which allows the PocketPC to display the GPS map information. It gives you the standard audible "turn by turn" navigation, and runs for about 9 hours per charge. The price isn't too bad either, at just $339.00 USD.

Some "Pleasant" World of Warcraft Impressions

Warcraft Player Model
Wired reports that the recently released World of Warcraft is turning out to be one of the more pleasant experiences in MMORPG combat. There's plenty of easy adventuring to be had right from the onset, the environments and your character models are a joy to look at, and the servers even help you level-up your character when you're not playing, so that you can easily catch up with other hardcore players. The game was released last week, and has already shattered records with over 240,000 units sold on its first day. Personally I'm still staying away, since I already have enough time-consuming but enjoyable things on my list.

December 01, 2004

SleevesClothing Tattoo Shirts

SleevesClothing Tattoo Shirts Have you ever wanted to sport some major ink, but just don't have what it takes to endure hours upon hours of needling? Fret not, because SleevesClothing has come up with an easy (albeit expensive) alternative. They sell T-Shirts that have flesh-toned full-length sleeves that give the appearance of some major artwork for both men and women. You can opt for the always popular tribal style, or go with a more artsy Japanese look. They also offer a "nude" look exclusively for the ladies. Sexy? Nah.

Sharp Zaurus SL-C3000

Zaurus SL-C3000 4 GB Linux PDA If you are looking for a cool PDA, we all know that the US just can't beat the Land of the Rising Sun. Luckily sites like Dynamism give us all the opportunity to import things like the latest Zaurus PDA from Sharp. What makes the Zaurus SL-C3000 stand out among the pack is it's internal 4 GB hard drive. No more worrying about the small amount of flash memory available on most other PDA's. You can check out full impressions of the product over at I4U.

Sony Introduces New MP3-Compatible Walkman

It holds 20 gigs, it comes in different colors, and they dubbed it the new Sony Walkman for added measure. Sounds like a plan to me. The battery on Sony's latest model, the NW-HD3, is also said to last 2.5 times longer than the iPod's 12-hour capacity, though prices are a little higher, at least in Britain where it will be available before Christmas. It's still compatible with the less popular Atrac music format as well.