2015 Holiday Gift Guide: TiVo Bolt

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Family, Men, Techies, Under $500,

TiVo has been around for a long time, and in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience, it’s released the TiVo Bolt - going from just DVR to Unified Entertainment System--and it's good enough to be included in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. The standout feature is SkipMode, which allows you to skip commercials when watching your favorite shows with the press of a single button. QuickMode is also cool, playing shows at 1.3x speed with pitch correction, so you can get through those binge-watching sessions even quicker. It’s 4K-compatible, and supports a bunch of streaming video services (although Amazon Prime Instant Video seems to be absent for some odd reason.) TiVo still sports the best DVR interface in the business, and the Bolt includes one year of TiVo service with purchase.

You can pick up the 500GB TiVo Bolt now (or if you need more space, grab the 1TB TiVo Bolt!)

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2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Exploding Kittens

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Family, Women, Men, Teens, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $50, Under $500,

Here’s an inexpensive gift you can give to just about anyone while having it be a success, which is why we are including it in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. Exploding Kittens describes itself as a "game for people who are into kittens and explosions and laser beams and sometimes goats.” It’s a family-friendly party game for 2-5 players (or you can combine it with another deck for up to 9 players - and it has a NSFW edition as well!) If you’re still unsure of how well it might go over, just know that it is the most-backed project in Kickstarter history, and only costs $20.

You can pick up Exploding Kittens now (and don't forget Exploding Kittens NSFW version if that's more your thing!)

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2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Fallout 4

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Video Games, Men, Teens, Under $100, Under $250, Under $500,

Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, have released Fallout 4 – their most ambitious game ever, and the next generation of open-world gaming, and it's completely worthy of being featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. As the only survivor of Vault 111, you re-enter a world that’s been destroyed by nuclear war in an attempt to locate and get back your kidnapped son as you make your way through the nuclear wasteland.

You can pick up Fallout 4 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

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2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Microsoft Surface 3 with AT&T LTE

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Women, Men, Techies, Teens, Under $500,

Microsoft’s Surface 3 with AT&T LTE is a 10.8-inch Windows 10 tablet that can be converted into a laptop. For the road warriors out there, it packs in an LTE modem, which allows you to connect to AT&T wireless cell signals when on the go. Paired with the 10-hours of battery life, you have a capable Windows machine that’s easy to carry. It includes 1-year of Office 365 Personal with purchase.

Want the best deal on the Surface 3 with LTE? Grab it direct from AT&T. You’ll get a $100 discount with a 2-year commitment, or if you bundle it with a smartphone on an AT&T Next plan, you get a $200 discount, bringing the price down to $399.99!

You can pick up the Surface 3 with AT&T LTE now!

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2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Apple TV

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Family, Men, Techies, Under $100, Under $25, Under $250, Under $500,

iOS devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch will be big holiday gifts this year, make no mistake about it. The Apple TV is actually a fantastic complement to Apple's handhelds, worthy of being featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. Having recently been completely revamped for the release of the fourth generation model, the new Apple TV is a nice little device in its own right. At the center of it all is the App Store, which now lets you download TV-optimized apps and games, all playable using the new Siri Remote, as well as favorites like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, sports networks, and plenty of other entertainment options. The best part, though, is AirPlay. You can beam audio and video content right to the Apple TV with ease from your iOS device, or your Mac. You can also mirror the display of these devices as well, all wireless over your home network.

You can pick up the Apple TV for $149 for the 32GB model, or $199 for the 64GB version.

Honorable Mention: Amazon Fire TV

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2015 Holiday Gift Guide: Sonos PLAY:1 Bundle

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Home Entertainment, Music, Men, Techies, Under $250, Under $500,

We're music fans here at Gear Live, so we wanna make sure to include great music gadgets in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. This year, we're kicking it off with the Sonos PLAY:1 Bundle - not only do you get a rare disocunt on Sonos gear, but you get a pair of Play:1 units for the price. They sell for $199 each, but the bundle gives you two for $349. If you're unfamiliar with Sonos, it's basically the best way to get music from just about any location (your computer, your iPhone, the web, the cloud, etc.) to play in any room in your house. It's super intuitive, and even years after using Sonos, the technology still blows us away. The Sonos PLAY:1 is a wireless all-in-one music system that lets you jump right into the Sonos experience. If you have an iOS or Android device, you can download the Sonos remote control app, and you can also control the system with a computer using the Sonos Desktop Controller. Here are some other Sonos products that go nicely with the Sonos PLAY:1, which itself you can get for $199 from Sonos:

• Sonos Play:3
• Sonos Play:5
• Sonos Playbar
• Sonos SUB

You can use a pair of Play:1, Play:3, or Play:5 units to create wide stereo sound as well!

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Bleeding Edge TV 548: Apple CarPlay review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Podcasts, Transportation, Videocasts, Videos,

Apple hopes to fix the issue of distracted driving with CarPlay, Apple CarPlay is a smarter, safer way to use the features of your smartphone while you're in the car, giving you access to things like Apple Music, phone calls, text messages and iMessages, podcasts, Maps, audiobooks, and more. Once you plug your iPhone into a CarPlay equipped vehicle, you see the interface appear right on the dashboard. In this case, I am using the 2016 CHevy Colorado Z71 pickup truck, which ships with Apple CarPlay.

CarPlay features Siri voice control and is specially designed for driving scenarios. It also works with your car’s controls — knobs, buttons, or touchscreen. And the apps you want to use in the car have been reimagined, so you can use them while your eyes and hands stay where they belong.

You can get the Apple iPad mini 4 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!

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Bleeding Edge TV 524: Toyota Entune App Suite review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Podcasts, Transportation, Videocasts, Videos,

The Toyota Entune App Suite allows you to access your favorite smartphone apps right in your vehicle, hands-free. Compatible apps include Pandora, iHeartRadio, Bing, Facebook Places, Yelp, OpenTable, MovieTickets.com, and more. Andru Edwards brings you a demo of the Entune App Suite from a 2014 Toyota Highlander in this episode!

In case you missed it, be sure to also check out the rest of our Toyota series:

• Toyota Entune Multimedia overview & demo
• Toyota Entune Premium Audio review

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!

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Bleeding Edge TV 523: Toyota Entune Premium Audio review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Podcasts, Transportation, Videocasts, Videos,

In this episode, Andru Edwards brings you a look at Toyota Entune Premium Audio, and the features that it offers to make your driving experience safer and more convenient. Coming to you from Toyota Headquarters in Torrance, California, here's a rundown of what's covered in this Entune Premium Audio & Entune App Suite demo, using a 2014 Toyota Highlander:

Entune Premium Audio includes:

• 6.1" - 8" Touchscreen
• AM/FM/CD
• iPod/USB2.0/AUX
• Bluetooth Streaming
• Phonebook
• Advanced Voice Recognition
• Sirius XM Radio
• HD Radio
• HD Traffic
• Weather
• AM/FM Radio Cache
• Navigation
• Entune App Suite

In case you missed it, be sure to also check out our Toyota Entune Multimedia overview & demo!

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!

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 523: Toyota Entune Premium Audio review

Bleeding Edge TV 522: Toyota Entune Multimedia Overview & Demo

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Podcasts, Transportation, Videocasts, Videos,

We visit Toyota Headquarters to bring you a look at Entune, Toyota's in-car multimedia system. Andru Edwards brings you a look and demo of Entune in a few different vehicles. Check out what you get with the different trim levels of Entune:

• Entune Audio: 6.1" - 8" Touchscreen, AM/FM/CD, iPod/USB2.0/AUX, Bluetooth Streaming, Phonebook, Advanced Voice Recognition
• Entune Audio Plus adds: SXM Radio, HD Radio, HD Traffic, Weather
• Entune Premium Audio adds: AM/FM Radio Cache, Navigation, Entune App Suite
• Entune Premium JBL Audio adds JBL speakers and amp for high-quality sound

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!

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 522: Toyota Entune Multimedia Overview & Demo