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Latest Gear Live Videos
iTunes 10.2 now available, prepares you for iOS 4.3 goodness
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software,
Apple just released iTunes 10.2, hot on the heels of their iPad 2 announcement. Here are the details:
- Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.
- Improved Home Sharing. Browse and play from your iTunes libraries with Home Sharing on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.
Not much has changed, but as you can see, the iOS 4.3 functionality is there, and Home Sharing is gonna be awesome with AirPlay.
Gallery: iTunes 10.2 now available, prepares you for iOS 4.3 goodness
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Sonos Controller for Android brings voice search to Sonos
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Home Entertainment, Music,
Sonos' stable of wireless music offerings allow listeners to have a stereo system that encompasses every room in their home, and to control the whole system simply and wirelessly. Sonos makes a hardware remote control for the system and apps for iOS devices, and today the company announced that Sonos owners can now also use their Android devices to control their music.
The Sonos Controller for Android is a free app that can access and play all the music available through the Sonos universe, which includes everything from computer-based media libraries to services like Spotify, Rhapsody, Rdio, Pandora, and Napster.
Click to continue reading Sonos Controller for Android brings voice search to Sonos
Gallery: Sonos Controller for Android brings voice search to Sonos
Huge Slacker Radio Plus giveaway!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Features, Internet, Music,
Here at Gear Live, we love us some Slacker. If you don’t know, Slacker is a fantastic radio’s streaming music service. It has millions of songs in its catalogue, and real DJs actually control their channels, which means you get a great mix of songs that go well together. While Slacker is free, they also have a service called Slacker Radio Plus, which adds the following perks:
- Unlimited Skips
- Unlimited Song Requests
- No Audio or Banner Ads
- Complete Lyrics
- Over 2 Million Songs
- Cache stations to smartphones for offline listening
- ABC News and headline news updates for any station
- "Peek Ahead" artist and album previews
We said this would be big, so here’s what we're gonna do - we are going to give away:
- FIVE one-year subscriptions to Slacker Radio Plus
- FIVE three-month subscriptions to Slacker Radio Plus
- FIVE one-month subscriptions to Slacker Radio Plus
We are going to make it ridiculously easy to enter as well. All you need to do is become a fan of Gear Live on Facebook, and leave a comment on our wall - feel free to enter as many times as you'd like. That’s it! On Friday we will select fifteen random entrants and hit them with the goods.
Gallery: Huge Slacker Radio Plus giveaway!
iTunes 10.1.2 drops, adds support for CDMA iPhone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Music, Software,
If you've got the Verizon iPhone on your mind, you're gonna wanna be sure to grab iTunes 10.1.2, available now from Apple. Aside from bug fixes and performance updates, this version of iTunes carries CDMA iPhone support with it. Fire up Software Update now to nab it.
Gallery: iTunes 10.1.2 drops, adds support for CDMA iPhone
Aliph Jawbone Era review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Wearables, Features, Music,
The Aliph Jawbone Era is the start of something new. It's the first Bluetooth headset with an accelerometer and a dedicated applications processor, which could turn it into anything from a game controller to a pedometer, or a navigation unit. Beyond that, though, it's just a top-notch Bluetooth headset, and fully worthy of our Editors' Choice.
Design and Call Performance
Like all Aliph products, the Jawbone Era is a sharp-looking headset. It's slimmer and slightly longer than the most-recent Jawbone Icon ($69), with a three-paneled, textured front; it actually looks more like the previous-gen Jawbone Prime. The Era comes in four colors, but they're all low-key: black, white, red and black-and-red. It comes with five different sets of ear tips (three that sit in your ear, and two that sit on your ear with a hook), an AC charger with a very short micro-USB cable, and a case. There's a single button on the butt end of the headset, and a power switch and pairing light on the inside face. Once you find the right ear tip, it's a secure fit; I wore the test unit comfortably for a three-hour conference call.
Click to continue reading Aliph Jawbone Era review
Gallery: Aliph Jawbone Era review
Pioneer brings Twitter, Facebook, Pandora integration to your car
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: CES, CES 2011, Internet, Music, Transportation,
As part of their CES presentation, Pioneer, a company used to making audio and electronic equipment for cars, announced their plans to integrate Twitter, Facebook and Pandora deeper into their devices. This will lead to your dashboard being connected directly to your social feeds. Pioneer says that it believes smartphones don't do the job because of their small screens, plus the fact that they require a driver's full attention. The new devices from Pioneer will read tweets and status updates directly to the user. The company will bring 9 different models in 2011 starting at $150.
Read More 
| Mashable
Gallery: Pioneer brings Twitter, Facebook, Pandora integration to your car
Samsung to showcase Android-based Galaxy Player PMP at CES
Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Handhelds, Music,
Samsung has apparently confirmed that they will be showcasing the very first handheld Android media device (read: not a phone) at CES in a couple of weeks. Complementing its popular Galaxy Tab tablet, the familiar looking device (likely called the Galaxy Player) will feature a front facing camera, come in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32G models, with a WVGA screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 3.2 MP camera. It will run Android 2.2 and will have a long lasting 1200mAh removable battery. The Samsung fan blog Samsung Hub has apparently confirmed the device, along with pictures that look quite similar to an iPod touch. It's clear that Android has been good for the company lately with devices like the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S. This will bring yet another form factor to the market. There's no word yet when this new PMP will be available for sale, but those details are right around the corner.
Read More | Samsung Hub
Gallery: Samsung to showcase Android-based Galaxy Player PMP at CES
If you're an iTunes user, it's time to upgrade once more, as Apple just released iTunes 10.1.1 into the wild. The update seems mostly aimed at fixing a few bugs, so don't expect anything fancy to show up, okay?
Gallery: iTunes 10.1.1 released, squashes bugs
Is 30 seconds enough time to get a feel for a song? If you said no, Apple agrees with you — today the company is rolling out 90-second previews for some songs on iTunes.
Prior to today, song previews were limited to half a minute, and for many songs they still will be. The 90-second previews are limited to songs that are more than 2 minutes and 30 seconds in length. Songs shorter than that retain their 30-second samples.
For example, looking at iTunes' most recent high-profile addition, the Beatles catalog, "Let It Be" (4:03) and "Hey Jude" (7:11) both get the 90-second treatment while "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (2:26) and "Love Me Do" (2:21) give listeners just 30 seconds to decide if they want to make a purchase.
The extension has been expected for over a month. Reports in early November said that Apple had sent a letter to the music labels informing them of the move, and that it was incumbent on them to opt-out if they didn't support the move. A cursory sampling of music from artists on all four of the major labels indicates none opted out.
For now the 90-second previews appear limited to the U.S. iTunes store. In the letter to the labels, Apple said it was believed that longer previews for some songs would lead to more sales, an assertion supported by research from Robert Morris University.
Gallery: iTunes extends song previews to 90 seconds
2010 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Zune HD
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Handhelds, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Techies, Teens, Under $250, Under $500,
The Zune HD may have made its debut last year, but it's still a damn good PMP that doesn't get all the love that it deserves--seriously, just check out our Zune HD review. With the recent launch of Windows Phone 7, and Zune on Xbox 360, the brand has gotten a lot of play recently, and we think the Zune HD is more than worthy of a spot on our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. Microsoft came through with a superb device with a fantastic service behind it to match. In fact, we’ve said it many time that, in our opinion, for someone that truly loves music, Zune is the best deal around. Coupled with the $15 per month Zune Pass (which isn’t a requirement,) you get a top-notch portable media player with an OLED screen, HD Radio, and web browser with the advantage of being able to listen to pretty much any song you can think of at a moments notice. There's also an app marketplace that lets you download games, Twitter and Facebook integration, and more.
The Zune HD retails for $349 for the 64GB, $269 for the 32GB, and $199 for the 16GB model - however, Amazon’s got a great sale on the Zune HD that’ll put the 32GB model into your hands for $203 ($63 off,) the 16GB model will run you $149 ($50 off,) and the 64GB model for $314 ($30 off.)
Oh, and did we mention something about giving it away? Heck yeah! We will be running the 32GB Zune HD giveaway for a week. The winner will receive a 32GB Zune HD and a 1-month Zune Pass!
Here’s how to enter:
- Follow the Gear Live Twitter account
- On Twitter, post this tweet about our contest: “Hey @gearlive hook me up with that @Zune HD! http://gear.lv/zunehd-holiday” (Click here to tweet this now)
That’s it! Remember, you’ve gotta have a Twitter account (they're free), and you’ve gotta be following the Gear Live Twitter account so that we can send you a DM if you’re the winner. This one is only open to residents of the US. We will be announcing a winner on December 10, so you’ve got a week to qualify.
Read More | Zune on Amazon
Gallery: 2010 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway: Zune HD
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