Latest Gear Live Videos
Jawbone Jambox Software Update 2.0 includes LiveAudio
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Handhelds, Music, Software,
Jawbone has released the Software Update 2.0 for its Jambox stereo Bluetooth speaker, which adds the company's new LiveAudio technology to the device.
According to Jawbone, LiveAudio "enables a spatial listening experience previously only available through headphones for binaural recordings." It's a processing feature that applies crosstalk cancellation features to produce better and deeper imaging, letting artists better create emotional connections with their audience, the company says.
In reality, LiveAudio is a processing feature that seems to boost the high end of the Jambox. Since higher frequencies are easier to locate directionally than lower frequencies (bass), this boost can give the impression of better spatial imaging, especially when used with close walls on either side to reflect the noise. LiveAudio won't necessarily improve your listening experience, but depending on the music you play and the dimensions of the room where you listen to it, it could offer a chance you might find preferable.
The update is available on Jawbone's Web site, and is free to any user with a Jambox. You can pick one up from Amazon for 20% off.
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Taylor Swift on Next True Blood Episode
Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Drama, Music, Prime Time, Sci-Fi/Horror, HBO, Announcements, Gossip, News, Rumors, Spoilers,
Just when you thought that True Blood couldn't get any better... they hire Taylor Swift! Well, her vocal talents, anyway.
The country pop singer's track "Haunted," has been confirmed by the show's music supervisor Gary Calamar that it will appear on tomorrow's episode of the hit vampire show, "Run."
Calamar wouldn't divulge the juicy details as to which scene the Speak Now track will play to, but he did reveal that it's "a racy, sexy scene." Given the star's squeaky clean image, Swift's team initially prohibited the song from the episode's soundtrack; however, Taylor stepped in herself and said otherwise.
As for the last episode -- titled "And When I Die" -- Calamar offered some insight as to whom the title may or may not refer to: "Vampires don't really die, so I'll say it's not a vampire. They won't face the true death. But some of our main characters do run into a little bad luck in the final episode."
Read More 
| Rolling Stone
Gwyneth Paltrow: Chris Martin is Like Picasso
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Movies, Music, Television,
Gwyneth Paltrow has compared her husband Chris Martin to Pablo Picasso. The Glee actress says her Coldplay frontman husband - whom she married in 2003 - is a "musical genius" and asking him for tips on singing would be like approaching the legendary Spanish artist for painting advice.
"[He's] a musical genius. It's like living with Picasso and being like, 'Should I make a little something-something?'"
While Chris is a notoriously private person and often refuses to be photographed with his spouse, Gwyneth - who has two kids Apple, seven and five-year-old Moses with him - says she can understand why he doesn't want to be known as part of a celebrity couple.
"He makes music for his fans, and he doesn't want people to conjure a lame famous couple when they're getting into his music. I get it."
Unboxing Live 071: Sonos PLAY:3 wireless Hi-Fi speaker system
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Videocasts,
In this episode we open up the Sonos PLAY:3, the latest wireless Hi-Fi speaker system from Sonos. The PLAY:3 is the smallest wireless speaker system that Sonos offers, allowing you to plug it in and set it up just about anywhere, but still getting big sound. You can pair two of them together for a wide stereo sound stage, and you can also turn it vertical and it will automatically go into mono sound mode. We open up the PLAY:3 and show you how it looks - be on the lookout for our PLAY:3 review over on Bleeding Edge TV!
You can get the Sonos PLAY:3 now for $299.
Big thanks to our sponsor - GoToMeeting makes it easy to collaborate with anyone, anywhere - and they have just released their new HD faces feature that lets you see the webcams of up to 6 users as a time. Also, be sure and grab a free $5 credit from JackThreads now!
We’re giving away 50 Spotify invites - win one here!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Internet, Music,
Spotify launched in the US last week to much fanfare, but the problem is that it's currently an invite-only service if you wanna use the free music streaming part of it. If you've been crestfallen while watching your friends get their jam on while you've been left out, there's hope! We've got fifty (that's 5-0) Spotify invites to hand out, and we're hooking our Twitter followers up. Do you wanna win one? Of course! Here's how:
- Follow the Gear Live Twitter account
- On Twitter, post this tweet, supporting what we do in a contest: “Hey @DListMagazine I vote for @AndruEdwards of @GearLive and Seattle @MindCamp as Trailblazer for #dlistyoungnorthwest!” (Click here to tweet this now)
We'll DM the first 50 people who get that tweet out there with a Spotify invite code, so watch your inboxes!
Wanna become a top DJ on Turntable.fm? Here’s how
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Internet, Music,
Anyone who's been around the Web might be familiar with a little site called turntable.fm. Many are unfamiliar with how the site works, and others want to become top DJ's. While you wait for your Spotify invite, here's a guide to becoming a top DJ in the latest Web craze.
The site's currently in a semi-private beta. If one of your Facebook friends is in, you can get in, too. Once you're in, you start with 0 points, 0 fans, a long list of rooms to enter, and the option to create your own room. Here's our introduction to turntable.fm.
In my time on turntable, I've found that there have been a number of approaches to getting on the deck. The deck is the panel of five DJ slots. Some rooms don't have any regulations for getting a spot. Once there's an open slot, it becomes a massive click-fest. Other rooms, like the Chillout Tent, have a queue to which users can add their names. Some rooms have a queue with a song limit per DJ.
One of the best ways to earn points is to play to the room. If you're in an Alternative Rock room, do not play Justin Bieber. You probably shouldn't play Bieber in any room, even a Bieber room. If you're in the Chillout Tent, do not play Bob Dylan. It's happened before.
Don't be silent. The chat window is there for a reason. Engage your fellow DJs and listeners in conversation. Topics can range from the band playing to politics to the insanity of DJ Wooooo's room. If you're silent while spinning some tracks, others will assume you're away from the keyboard. AFK DJ-ing is not favored in any room. Step down from the deck if you're going to be gone for a while.
Click to continue reading Wanna become a top DJ on Turntable.fm? Here’s how
Spotify launching on July 14 in the US, invitation-only
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Music,
We know a lot of you were expecting OS X Lion tomorrow, and while we aren't saying it's o ut of the question, we do know one long-awaited product that'll definitely be launching tomorrow, and that's Spotify. It took them a hell of a long time to get everything signed, sealed, and ready to deliver, but the Spotify folks are ready to roll:
We were really adamant about bringing the service to the US, which means a really great, free experience. We wanted to be really careful about the way we did this, and the rights holders felt the same way. It took some time, but we're absolutely thrilled that all four major labels and a ton of indies are behind us, and we'll be bringing that Spotify experience to the US tomorrow.
The free service will be invite-only at first, so you'll wanna head over to the signup page now to get your email address in the hat. From there, there will also be two paid tiers--a $4.99 per month service that does away with the ads, and a $9.99 per month service that allows you to use Spotify on a mobile device like the iPhone or an Android smartphone, with the ability to cache tracks for offline access. The European version of Spotify boasts 15 million tracks, but there's no word as of yet on how many tracks they'll be launching with in the US. We'll know tomorrow!
Read More | Spotify US signup
Amazon Cloud Player now gives unlimited music storage for $20 per month
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Internet, Music, Storage,
Amazon said late Wednesday that it will allow customers to store an unlimited amount of music on its Cloud Drive and Cloud Player, provided customers purchase a storage plan.
Amazon also announced a Cloud Player web app for the Apple iPad.
Amazon launched its Cloud Player in March, a companion to the Amazon Cloud Drive. At the time, the service came with up to 5GB of free, online music storage, expandable to 20 GB with the purchase of an MP3 album at the Amazon Music Store.
Additional storage plans start at $20 per year for 20 Gbytes of storage.
To encourage users to subscribe to those premium plans, Amazon is effectively eliminating MP3 files against that tally, allowing users to store 20 Gbytes of photos (or documents, or other content), rather than divvy it up. Amazon also said that users can store all of their MP3 or AAC files that they purchased through Amazon for free, and they won't count against the quota, either. Those files cover new files that a user might purchase as well as older files that a user bought before the new promotion.
Click to continue reading Amazon Cloud Player now gives unlimited music storage for $20 per month
Spotify is finally, officially, coming to the US
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Music,
Looks like Spotify has finally gotten those US record labels in check, as it has put up a page on its site inviting US users to submit their email addresses in order to gain early access! Spotify is the super-popular music streaming service that has taken Europe by storm, offering free access to millions of tracks on-demand from your computer or smartphone. The company has been trying to launch in the US for quite some time, but has seen numerous hurdles and delays. It looks like that's all been turned around now though, and you'll soon be able to ditch your Rhapsody, MOG, and Rdio subscriptions for another service that pretty much does the same thing.
Read More | Spotify US
Lady Gaga Heartbeats 2.0 earbuds show you were born this way
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Wearables, Music,
Looks like the Monster Cable / Lady Gaga / Dr. Dre triumverate (with Jimmy Iovine playing coach) is teaming up again to bring the Lady Gaga Heartbeats into 2011. The Heartbeats 2.0 get a redesign, bringing the updated look of the earbuds more in line with how Gaga herself has been styling herself as of late. That means weird pyramid-shaped studs coming off the side of the earbud, and a spikey looking earpiece as well. You see, these match the ridiculous pyramid bumps that Gaga has been wearing on her face while promoting her new Born This Way album...but stay with us here. Monster is promising awesome clarity and deep base that can be turned up to deafening levels without distortion, and since it has a microphone on the flat, tangle-proof wire, you can even use them to take phone calls. See? It's not just all talk, we already know that Lady Gaga loves fine gadgets. You can pre-order the Heartbeats 2.0 now on Amazon.
Read More | Lady Gaga Heartbeats 2.0
