Latest Gear Live Videos
iTunes extends song previews to 90 seconds
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music,
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.
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Glee: Christmas Episode Filled with Gifts for Fans
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Music, Prime Time, FOX, Video,
William McKinley High was decked out in its holiday best for “A Very Glee Christmas,” but Mr. Schue (Matthew Morrison) didn’t have a lot to feel cheerful about. Emma (Jayma Mays) is married, and even her invitation to the Christmas party she’s having with her new husband felt like an insult. We discovered near the top of the episode that Brittany (Heather Morris) still believes in Santa Claus. Artie (Kevin McHale) became determined at once to preserve her childlike illusion … at all costs.
This all led into a fantastic scene featuring “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year,” in which all the Glee kids decorated a festive tree … though the ornaments, fake gifts and even the tree were either stolen or found. Will Schuester couldn’t allow them to keep their pilfered holiday items, of course.
New Directions wasn’t feeling a lot of holiday cheer, either … mainly, because the football team learned how to turn slushies green using food coloring. Mr. Schue came up with the abysmally bad idea to take the club around to carol from class to class. It was a debacle, of course, though there was nothing wrong with Mercedes (Amber Riley) and her beautiful rendition of “We Need a Little Christmas.”
But green slushies and stolen Christmas ornaments are nothing compared to the pain that Rachel (Lea Michele) is feeling. Despite her very best efforts, ex-boyfriend Finn (Cory Monteith) continues to shun her … yes, even after hearing her perform “Last Christmas.” When she mournfully performed “Merry Christmas, Darling,” Puckleberry fanatics all over the country became Finchel converts.
Click to continue reading Glee: Christmas Episode Filled with Gifts for Fans
VIDEO: Check Out American Idol’s Hollywood Contestants
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Music, Prime Time, Reality, FOX, American Idol, Spoilers, Video,
The good folks at Vote for the Worst are already working toward spoiling the upcoming season of American Idol, which saves us the trouble of watching it without Simon Cowell.
The video above shows one contestant who has advanced to the Hollywood round of the show.
Visit the VFTW site for more videos, and start judging before the audition rounds air.
(Make sure to check out our other American Idol 10 posts.)
Read More 
| Vote For the Worst
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
Glee: Splits and Sectionals
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Music, Prime Time, FOX, Gossip, Video,
Glee’s “Special Education” episode kicked off right away -- no time for a recap in this drama-packed installment. Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) presented Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) with tickets to the upcoming Sectionals event … but she wasn’t really feeling it. She advised Will not to ignore all the rich talent he has in his New Directions club. This prompted Will to change all his Sectionals plans … and Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) didn’t take it very well.
Will’s decision to feature Brittany (Heather Morris) and Mike (Harry Shum, Jr.) in a dance number, and Quinn (Dianna Agron) and Sam (Chord Overstreet) in a solo didn’t upset Rachel alone. Finn Hudson (Cory Montieth) quickly incurred the wrath of Santana (Naya Rivera), who let the beans spill that she and Finn had a liaison last year … which Finn subsequently lied about to Rachel.
Uh-oh.
Click to continue reading Glee: Splits and Sectionals
ABC Working on Two New Musical Shows
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Comedy, Music, Prime Time, ABC, Video,
ABC is taking a page out of FOX’s programming book by bringing viewers two new musically-themed shows next fall.
The first focuses on a mother-daughter duo, and will star Idina Menzel. The Broadway actress made a huge splash on Glee last year, and ABC is hoping she’ll do the same for them. Watch her performing "Defying Gravity" in the video above.
The second series is a female-driven sitcom, and there’s no word on casting just yet.
Read More | Perez Hilton
Tupac Shakur Book and Movies Coming Soon
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Artist News, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap,
Tupac Shakur continues to remain a strong, mysterious musical force, and fans continue to feel the void he left behind ... but perhaps, some of their unanswered questions can still be addressed.
Journalist Kevin Powell has recently inked a deal to bring Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography to book stores, giving fans an inside look at the events that shaped, and ended, the rapper’s life.
His mother, Afeni Shakur, said the book is being written with her “full blessings.”
Tupac’s death will also be the center of a big-screen biopic from director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), which will focus on the events of his last day of life.
A documentary featuring the rapper’s time in jail, titled Uncut: The Lost Prison Tapes is scheduled for release January 26.
Read More | Perez Hilton
2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Jawbone Jambox
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Music, Wireless / WiFi, Techies, Under $250, Under $500,
Pretty much any modern smartphone or tablet device has Bluetooth built into it nowadays, and that means you can pair them to a speaker device to send audio wirelessly through a more powerful, louder unit. The thing is, those have been few and far between, and not very good. Aliph changed that with their newly-released Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker. You can easily pair it with your phone, iPod touch, iPad, or any other device that support Bluetooth audio. It's a small speaker that you can hold in your hand, but manufactured in such a way that it provides fantastic sound, so you can stream audio to it from wherever you are in the room, no wires needed. You can choose from four colors, and the battery is rechargeable. You can get it from Best Buy or Apple for $199.
Oh, and of course, if you or someone you know needs a Bluetooth heads, the Aliph Jawbone is one of the best. These guys know how to make Bluetooth devices.
Kanye West Rants about George W. Bush, Taylor Swift
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Artist News, Gossip, Performances, Videos, Hip-Hop & Rap,
Warning: The video above contains explicit language.
Rapper Kanye West went on a 10-minute rant while closing a New York City show this week … and we’ve got the YouTube video to prove it.
During his tirade, West blasted the media for their representation of former President George W. Bush, and Taylor Swift for not sticking by him, Kanye West. “Taylor [Swift] never came to my defense in any interview,” he complained, saying Swift “rode the wave, and rode it and rode it!”
He also blamed the media for using him to make George W. Bush look stupid. “Look how they exploited him!” he cried. “They said that he said that it was his lowest moment,” when Kanye publicly denounced the President for not doing more in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Click to continue reading Kanye West Rants about George W. Bush, Taylor Swift
Read More | YouTube
2010 Holiday Gift Guide: Beatbox from Beats by Dr. Dre
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Music, Techies, Teens, Under $500,
We're still working on our full review of the Beatbox, the first loudspeaker dock from the Beats by Dr. Dre line of products, but we figured there was no more reason to wait to award it a spot in our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. This thing is solid. The Beatbox is a speaker dock for your iPod touch or iPhone. You dock it the device, and your music comes to life. This is one of those speakers that can fill a large room with sound, bass and all, with no distortion even when cranked up to the max. The Beatbox sports 5.25-inch bass drivers and 2-inch high frequency drivers, and it retails for $399. It's the best iOS speaker dock that you can find right now, and you can get yours from Apple online.
Read More | Beatbox
