If you're wondering, the EE stands for "Extreme Edition." (How totally 90's.) In any case, it's always interesting to see advances in chip technology, especially when you're holding out on buying a new PC until prices drop. Intel's latest chip runs at 3.46GHz and incorporates 2MB of cache. Companies that have employed previous "Extreme Editions" in their rigs include Alienware, Falcon Northwest and Hewlett-Packard. Chip prices are expected to be around $999.

Read More | Cnet

Japan always gets the cool stuff, huh? Well, I guess that's true if you can consider earbuds that have a slight hint of color which match those of the Apple iPod mini line a cool item. Seriously, what is taking for long to someone to release something like this stateside? These babies are available in Japan from Audio Technica.

Read More | Audio Technica

Ever wonder what goes on in the minds of those who run companies that just give free electronics away? How do they do it? Where is the industry going in the future? What free stuff can you get next? Recently, OfferCentric burst on the scene with three websites offering expensive electronic gadgets for free. Unlike Gratis Networks, OfferCentric didn't leave members waiting for their gear for months after they have earned it. We were able to chat with Steven Holmes, Co-Owner of OfferCentric. Steve talks to us about what goes on behind the scenes at OfferCentric, new offers coming up, and a few new ideas they have up their sleeve.

Steven, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. For the readers who are unfamiliar with you, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your position within OfferCentric?

Sure, I'm one of the owners of OfferCentric and handle most of the customer support and less technical aspects of the company. I've played various roles in the affiliate marketing industry for over 4 years and have some experience with basic web development.


When did the company start, and what was the motivation behind it?

We started about 6 months ago, planning, doing research and coming up with our business plan. The actual company formed only a little over a month ago and our sites went live on the 16th of October so we're very new in that respect.

Our motivation was mainly that it's a great business model if done properly. Also we saw plenty of room for innovation and evolution. We've got a lot of ideas for new forms of incentive site and new twists to add. We plan on doing much more than throwing up a hundred cookie cutter sites with different gifts, this is only the beginning.

Click to continue reading Interview with Steven Holmes, OfferCentric Co-Owner

The iPod Photo was announced about a week ago, and already Gratis Internet has put up a site offering them for free. FreePhotoiPods.com was launched earlier today. This time, you will need to complete an offer, and refer 10 friends to do the same. Once you have completed these requirements, your free iPod Photo will be on its way. Click here to sign up for FreePhotoiPods.com, then leave a comment with your referal link and we will host it for you here!

I saw this bad boy at the local toy store, and I immediately knew this was going to be a huge hit this holiday season. Essentially, it's a levitating frisbee with a remote for the fan that resides underneath. The analog fan control allows you to make the disc float in mid-air, or shoot skyward for up to 30 feet. You can also toss it for a mid-air launch. How cool is that? The remote uses a 9-volt battery, although some iterations come with a charging-like docking station. You can find it for about $20.

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Okay Gear Live readers, it's contest time! I know we haven't had one in a while, so this time we will have multiple winners. What's the prize? Well, iSkin, Inc. has decided to partner up with us and offer the selected winners a free iSkin. Sounds great, right? Not so fast...this one will require you to put your thinking cap on.

Recently, Apple announced the iPod Photo. It's nice and all, but I think the Gear Live readers can do even better than the almighty Steve Jobs. It's your chance to prove me right. Send us your ideas on what you think the next iPod should be like. Send in your mockups, renders, and drawings. Send in your detailed descriptions. Whatever you think it will take to be chosen as a winner, email it to us. There will be more than one winner if we get a bunch of great entries. I am gonna have to cap the number of winners to five though.

The contest ends on Monday, November 8 at 12 AM PST, so you have one week to wow us.

So the iPod Photo is the next big thing in the portable digital audio player world, right? At least that is what Apple would have you believe. Our friends at Digit Magazine have gotten their hands on the newest incarnation of Apple's beloved MP3 player line, and report back with their findings. How does it compare to the iPods of yesterday? Is the color screen and photo option worth shelling out the extra cash? Digit seems to think that there are a few things missing from the overall package (such as the iPod Photo taking longer to sync on a Windows PC), but in the end still come away happy.

Read More | Digit Magazine

How often have you been in a situation where you had to dress up? Whether it is a formal event, or just going to work in corporate American, many a Gear Live reader has felt the frustration of having to sacrifice gear for looks. I mean, honestly, how many pieces of gadgetry can you carry around in a sport coat and dress pants? Not much. Well, not much until SCOTTeVEST came around. I tried out their TEC Sport Coat and Hidden Cargo Pants at a wedding, and report back with the results after the jump.

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Click to continue reading SCOTTeVEST TEC Sport Coat and Hidden Cargo Pants Review

Reuters is reporting that Sean Burke has filed suit against Microsoft because his XBOX system stopped reading discs (games, CD's, DVD's, etc.) after less than one year of use. Many XBOX owners can relate, as XBox hard drives are known for crashing. 'The defective XBox's stop working after minimal usage, after unreasonably, unconscionably, unusually and unexpectedly short amounts of time,' the lawsuit said. The suit will probably become class action, and seeks to represent anyone who has purchased an XBOX since the 2001 launch. I don't think this will hold up, as electronics fail all the time. We'll see.

Read More | Reuters

Due out by next week, Innova Cases is ramping up to offer new Treo 650 owners their specialized brand of quality leather protection. I love the sexy angles they have on their site. These cases allow easy access to all commands, along with access to the headphone jack, camera, and sync ports. If you like to keep your gear scratch free, Vaja cases are among the best, but you do pay a hefty premium. These will retail for around $100.

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