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!
Andru Edwards on GeekWire Radio: iPhone 6, Surface Watch, Fire Phone, and more
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft,
I made another appearance on this weeks episode of GeekWire Radio here in Seattle, Washington, keeping my streak alive as the person with the most guest appearances in GeekWire Radio history! In this episode, which also features Eyewitness News reporter Essex Porter (pictured with me above, and a huge Windows Phone advocate), we talk about a couple of recent Gear Live stories, including:
- iPhone 6 4.7-inch design preview
- iPhone 6 5.5-inch design preview
- Exclusive: I used the Microsoft Surface watch
I brought in the two iPhone 6 mockups in both 4.7- and 5.5-inch varieties, which made for some good conversation. We also chat about the news of the week, which included the release of the Amazon Fire Phone, and we also had a discussion about what Microsoft needs to do to make Windows Phone more accepted by the general consumer. You can listen to the show now by grabbing the MP3 below, or hitting play in the widget.
Read More 
| GeekWire Radio (MP3)
Advertisement
A look at the next-generation 2016 Chevy Volt
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Rumors, Transportation,
GM is set to debut the next-generation Chevy Volt at the North American International Auto Show, which is just over five months away, taking place in Detroit in January 2015. The 2016 Chevy Volt will be the first redesign for the game-changing electric car, and details are obviously scarce since the company is going for the element of surprise. However, this morning they gave us a peek at the next design. Above you see what appears to be the rear liftgate, lit up by a sunset. My wish list? As a Chevy Volt owner, I'd like to see the 2016 model pick up a 50-mile electric range, 50 miles-per-gallon in range-extending mode, and a redesigned battery pack that will allow for three seats in the rear. We'll know more in a few months!
Read More | Chevy Volt Twitter
Giveaway: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey on Blu-ray!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Home Entertainment, Movies, Science,
If you happened to catch the 13-part adventure that was Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, then you are already aware that it's a visual masterpiece worthy of being in your collection, and we're giving away a copy of the Blu-ray set. Aside from the 13 episodes in crisp 1080p, the $40 set includes over two hours of bonus content:
- The Cosmic Calendar: An Interactive Look at the History of the Universe (Blu-ray Exclusive)
- COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey – The Voyage Continues
- Celebrating Carl Sagan: A Selection From The Library of Congress Dedication
- COSMOS at Comic-Con 2013
- Audio Commentary on Episode One: “Standing Up in the Milky Way”
Cool, right? Ready to enter? Simply use the widget below to keep track of your entries! If you're a Gear Live Patreon backer at any level, you get an extra 25 entries in this giveaway! We've got a lot of ways for you to enter even if you aren't, but don't check off any that you don't actually perform. If you do, you'll be eliminated:
Latest Gear Live Videos
Giveaway: $1000 Google Play store credit
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Features, Hot Deals, Software,
Today in the Gear Live Deals Shop you can enter our $1000 Google Play giveaway! You can't get better than free money, right? That makes this our Deal of the Day.
Here's how this is gonna go down: The grand prize winner will talk away with $150 in Google Play store credit. Second place gets $100. 15 other winners will each get $50 in credit. Ready to enter? Go get it:
Enter our $1000 Google Play credit giveaway
Don’t forget, if you’re looking for other deals, be sure to check out our Newegg Promo Code thread. Oh, and if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @TechPromos for the latest deals.
Here’s a look at the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship Belt
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Wearables, Design, Video Games,
We're given you a look at the upcoming WWE 2K15 video game, as well as a look at the limited edition WWE 2K15 Hulkamania Edition. Now, here's your first look at the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt. The company will be updating its logo to that of the one it uses for the WWE Network after SummerSlam in about two weeks, and updated the World Heavyweight Championship with the new logo. Belt collectors are already looking into getting their hands on replicas, and the WWE has discounted the replicas of the current World Championship belts.
Apple set to introduce the iPhone 6 on September 9th
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds,
As we have previously speculated, Re/Code is reporting that Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 6 on September 9th at a special event. The next iPhone design has already leaked, and we've already given you a look at both the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 design and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 design as well. Of course, they lack the fit-and-finish that Apple will undoubtedly put on them (we hope those thick antenna breaks will be eliminated and streamlined!) September 9th is also a few days after Samsung is rumored to introduce the Galaxy Note 4 during IFA. A perfect time for Apple to jump into the phablet game with a 5.5-inch smartphone.
We also guessed that Apple will release iOS 8 on September 16th, and release the iPhone 6 itself on September 19th based on previous timetables. We'll see how our guesses hold up come September 9th.
WWE 2K15 Hulkamania Edition features exclusive Hulk Hogan characters, slice of ring canvas
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Fighting, PlayStation 4, Special Editions, Sports, Xbox One,
Yesterday we gave you a look at the first WWE 2K15 screenshot as posted by John Cena on Twitter, and today we have news on the WWE 2K15 Hulkamania Edition. This one will be exclusive to next-gen consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,) and will feature a bunch of extra limited edition content when it goes on sale on October 28th here in North America. Aside from a copy of the WWE 2K15 game, the package also includes:
- Exclusive premium packaging
- Collectible art card autographed by Hulk Hogan
- A Funko Hollywood Hulk Hogan vinyle figure
- A piece of authentic canvas taken from the ring where Hulk Hogan returned to Monday Night Raw on March 10, 2014
- Two pre-order launch exlusive Hulk Hogan characters (Hulkamania & Hollywood)
- Two pre-order launch exclusive playable Sting characters (Surfer & Crow)
2K Games will only be making 25,000 of these, so if you definitely want to get in on the $99 Hulkamania Edition, you should probably go ahead and pre-order it now.
Bleeding Edge TV 517: Summer Gadget Bundle Giveaway
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Music, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,
We are giving away a bunch of cool gadgets that are geared to amp up your summer, thanks to AT&T! As always, if you're a Gear Live Patron, you get 25 bonus entries. Here's a look at what we are giving away in this contest:
Jawbone mini Jambox: Okay, for real, who doesn't wanna have music with them when by the pool or at the beach? A lot of us have a seemingly unlimited amount of music accessible by our smartphones and tablets, and the mini Jambox allows you to stream it over Bluetooth. At the next family BBQ, you'll be the star of the show.
Jawbone UP24: Fitness wearables are all the rage these days, and if you like tracking your stats or are looking for a motivational tool, then it's easy to see why. With the UP24, you can monitor your fitness throughout the day, and even track your calories and water intake. At night, it'll even keep track of how well you are sleeping, which is probably not well if you're out camping in a tent. The device connects to your smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth LE, so the battery lasts a full week, and there's no plugging anything in to sync.
Bodyguardz Screenguardz Pure: I always thought it was kind of silly for people to protect their smartphone screens with a thin plastic film. The Screenguardz Pure is a super-thin piece of tempered glass that can actually take a real beating, and exceeds the hardness of steel. That's protection.
Enter our Summer Gadget Bundle giveaway now!
Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!
[Download] - iPod-formatted H.264
[Download] - 720p HD
[Download] - 1080p MP4
Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 517: Summer Gadget Bundle Giveaway
Ask Andru: Which Macs can run OS X Yosemite?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Editorial, Features, PC / Laptop, Software,
OS X 10.10, better known as Yosemite, represents the next-generation in Apple's desktop operating system. Yosemite brings a new look to the desktop experience, and also ties OS X and iOS together through a feature called Continuity that I bet will make work a lot easier for Apple users. With any big change, customers will wonder if their older hardware will be supported. We recently received this question from a reader named Steve:
Q: I'm excited to check out OS X Yosemite once it launches, the redesigned interface looks great! My MacBook Air is from 2010, and I was curious if you knew if it would run Yosemite without any issues, or if I have to upgrade my computer?
A: I agree--I think the look and feel of OS X Yosemite is a breath of fresh air. I've been using the Developer Preview since it was made available at WWDC 2014, and when I use a Mac that is running Mavericks or earlier, it already feels like a big step backwards from a design perspective. Now, on to system requirements! The nice thing about Yosemite is that Apple hasn't changed any of the system requirements from what was required to run Mavericks. In other words, all Macintosh products capable of running OS X Mavericks will be supported by Yosemite; as with Mavericks, 2 GB of RAM, 8 GB of available storage, and OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or later are required to upgrade. To make it easier to figure out if you're specific Mac is compatible, here is a listing of all the Apple hardware that is Yosemite-capable:
- iMac Mid-2007 or newer
- MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later), (17-inch, Late 2007 or later)
- MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
- Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
- Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
- Xserve (Early 2009)
As you can see, anyone who has bought a Mac within the past five years is covered and will be able to run OS X Yosemite. Mac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook aluminum buyers as far back as 2008 are also good. In fact, some MacBook Pro and iMac buyers from back in 2007 can even get in on the Yosemite action, and those computers are now 7 years old! This is a pretty large blanket of Mac users that will be able to enjoy the next generation of OS X, and I comment Apple for including as many Macs as it did.
OS X 10.10 Yosemite is set to launch later this fall, and will be available exclusively on the Mac App Store. At WWDC, Apple announced that it will be made available completely free to its users. Can't beat that!
How Cortana made the leap from Halo to Windows Phone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Features, Microsoft,
Curious about how Cortana made her way from assisting Master Chief in Halo over to helping you out on Windows Phone? During a sit-down with Microsoft's Marcus Ash, he spoke to us about what it took to get Cortana just right on Windows Phone and to be seen as a legitimate competitor to Apple's Siri.
First, the Cortana logo was the first thing Microsoft has to get right. Originally, they didn't want a physical representation. The thought was that people could think it was creepy if it is "too human." They also didn't want it to be like Clippy, the infamous character from Microsoft Office that was hated by many. It was also decided that Cortana couldn't be just a voice, since it wouldn't feel the same.
Initially, Microsoft tried to use the Xbox Live avatar idea, but that was odd due to everyone having the female Cortana voice. Then they started playing around with the circle. A circle can stretch, bounce, and transform. They also tried triangles, diamonds, hearts, and the ability of letter the user choose any of these. At the end of the day, the circle next to Metro on the start screen looked good, so that was what Microsoft decided on. The next issue was that a simple circle isn't iconic, and is hard to brand. That's when the Windows Phone team met with the Halo team at 343 Industries.
Click to continue reading How Cortana made the leap from Halo to Windows Phone
Advertisement
© Gear Live Inc. {year} – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.