On Gear Live: Circuit Breaker: The Tech Newsletter that Elevates Your Gadget Game

  • STICKY POST

Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!

If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It’s free!

Latest Gear Live Videos

Gear Live PodcastAs techies who yearn for the newest, hottest, next big thing, we love to speculate about what’s to come. In this week’s podcast, we mostly focused on technology that is on the horizon:

Windows Vista

XBOX 360 QWERTY Controller
Miyamoto Revolution Controller
iPod video
Pretec 4MB SD
Russian Spammer Killed

Click here to download the MP3, or you can just subscribe to the Gear Live Podcast feed. You can also subscribe to us directly through iTunes as well.

Voices: Edwin Soto, Sparky
Length: 32:52, 30.1 MB

Don’t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley! Also, be sure to check out the Gear Live Odeo Channel, and subscribe there are well. You can even tag each episode with keywords.

Listen | Gear Live Podcast

Gallery: Gear Live Podcast: Windows Vista, iPod video, Xbox 360 QWERTY, and More


Advertisement

Consumer Product ReviewsThe Wall Street Journal Online has published an interesting article today on the customer review posting practices of several big-name online retailers like NewEgg.  The article points toward the growing trend of websites that solicit or otherwise encourage users to submit reviews of their site, products, and business practices for posting.  While some tout a very open policy of posting almost any review, the majority have filtering processes to decide which reviews will be made public.  The filtering process can be as simple as software that weeds out reviews which include foul language or as complicated as a multi-member staff that read all the reviews. Read on for our thoughts on how these places should handle customer reviews.

Click to continue reading Why Do Shopping Sites Turn Down Negative Consumer Reviews?

Gallery: Why Do Shopping Sites Turn Down Negative Consumer Reviews?


Mighty Mouse Review Apple

So, Apple announced the availability of their first two-button-esque mouse yesterday. While two button mice have been supported by the Mac OS for years, Apple itself has never released anything but the one button mouse they are notoriously known for. With the release of the Mighty Mouse, Apple has taken a step forward in computing in my opinion. The mouse has some great features, and is highly customizable - but it’s not without its shortcomings. We take a detailed look at the mouse that shocked the tech world in our review.

Click to continue reading Apple Mighty Mouse Review

Gallery: Apple Mighty Mouse Review


A number of sites have picked up the story that Intel Developer kits from Apple include TCPA/TPM DRM in the Kernel. TCPA/TPM DRM is a technical term for a Trustworthy Computing solution that limits what fair use consumers can use with the media they own. Basically it lets an application control what other applications or pieces of hardware can access it’s files. For instance a file created in Quicktime could be signed with a quicktime flag meaning no 3rd party applications or other users could view that file. There has been no word on how Apple is going to implement TCPA/TPM DRM yet, but conceivably they could use it to say that no non-DRM’ed pieces of media could be played on a machine making the assumption that if a file does not include DRM then it must be pirated. TCPA/TPM DRM also features the ability to create a secure encrypted channel between a graphics card and a monitor that supports TCPA - this unfortunately not only would help “prevent” piracy by capturing the live stream from the computer to the monitor (something not really done in practice anyway) but would force you to buy a TCPA compliant monitor.


Of course Windows Vista will have TCPA/TPM DRM built in as well - it’s one of Microsoft’s big selling points. I’m not sure how they are spinning it as a benefit to consumers as this does nothing but hurt innocent users wishing to exercise fair use of their content - pirates will always find a method to getting around DRM solutions.  TCPA is a technology that only hinders consumers, and benefits no-one but the MPAA, RIAA, and other large greedy organizations that don’t trust their paying customers. With both Apple and Microsoft playing into the media organizations wishes for TCPA to be widely adopted then the consumer loses choice, freedom, and the ability to exercise fair use of the media they both own and enjoy. Check out a possible solution and more information about TCPA after the jump.

Click to continue reading Why Trustworthy Computing Is A Bad Idea

Gallery: Why Trustworthy Computing Is A Bad Idea


SCOTTeVEST TEC Cargo Shorts Review

The folks over at SCOTTeVEST have come up with yet another piece of clothing aimed at making the tech life just a little bit easier to live. The TEC Hidden Cargo Shorts are perfect for the summer, but how well do they carry your gadgets? Find out in our review, after the jump.

Click to continue reading SCOTTeVEST Hidden Cargo Shorts Review

Gallery: SCOTTeVEST Hidden Cargo Shorts Review


Gear Live PodcastYeah, last week we were not able to get a Gear Live Podcast - but that is because of the readers, not us! You guys took us down for a few days, causing us to have to migrate the site to stronger servers. I go it solo in this Podcast, giving you an idea of exactly what happened when Gear Live went down.

Click here to download the MP3, or you can just subscribe to the Gear Live Podcast feed. Conversely, you can now subscribe to us directly from iTunes.

Voices: Andru Edwards
Length: 10:17, 9.45 MB

Don’t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley! Also, be sure to check out the Gear Live Odeo Channel, and subscribe there as well. You can even tag each episode with keywords.

Listen | Gear Live Podcast

Gallery: Gear Live Podcast: Gear Live Gets Taken Down!


Stealth This week, The Final Cut takes a closer look at a romantic comedy about finding a date online, and an action film with “high flying” graphics.  Also out this weekend is Sky High, a Disney movie starring Michael Angarano, Kurt Russell, and Kelly Preston; and The Aristocrats, a limited release movie that has one hundred comedians telling the same joke in their own way.  As always, if you’ve seen any of this weeks releases, feel free to post your feelings of love or hate in the comments section.

Click to continue reading The Final Cut:  A Closer Look At Stealth, Must Love Dogs

Gallery: The Final Cut:  A Closer Look At Stealth, Must Love Dogs


This week The Final Cut takes a look at 2 of Friday’s most anticipated releases, The Island, with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, and Bad News Bears starring Billy Bob Thornton and Greg Kinnear.  Also hitting theaters this Friday are The Devil’s Rejects, a sequel of sorts to House of 1,000 Corpses directed by Rob Zombie; and Hustle & Flow, a film that was the talk of Sundance, even winning an Audience Award.  Check out The Final Cut’s recommendations after the jump, and feel free to leave your take on any of this weekends releases in the comments section.

Click to continue reading The Final Cut: A Closer Look At The Island, Bad News Bears

Gallery: The Final Cut: A Closer Look At The Island, Bad News Bears


Google Maps In January of this year, I was pulled over by a traffic officer for “disobeying a steady red”, a.k.a. running a red light.  I pleaded “Not Guilty” to the charge, and today - nearly six months later – I went to court to find out the fate of my ticket violation. Check out how Google Maps saved me some serious cash - and points on my license!

Click to continue reading How Google Maps Got Me Out Of A Traffic Ticket

Gallery: How Google Maps Got Me Out Of A Traffic Ticket


Gear Live PodcastThe Gear Live Editors are back to share the hottest stories of the past week on Gear Live. This week we cover:

Click here to download the MP3, or you can just subscribe to the Gear Live Podcast feed. Conversely, you can now subscribe to us directly from iTunes.

Voices: Andru Edwards, Edwin Soto, Sparky, Oscar Cantu
Length: 41:57, 19.3 MB

Don’t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley! Also, be sure to check out the Gear Live Odeo Channel, and subscribe there as well. You can even tag each episode with keywords.

Listen | Gear Live Podcast

Gallery: Gear Live Podcast: Optimus OLED Keyboard, Xbox 360 Launch, MP3, And More


Advertisement