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Hyperspeed HDMI Fan Cave Sweepstakes

As we've been teasing on the Gear Live TwitterFacebook, and Google+ pages (this is why you should be following us on those services!), we are teaming up with Monster and Newegg this week to give away two huge prize packs. In anticipation of the Big Game in Indianapolis, we are co-sponsoring the Newegg Monster HyperSpeed HDMI Fan Cave Sweepstakes this week.  Details on how you can win the Newegg Monster HyperSpeed HDMI Fan Cave (valued at $4,370) and the Monster Big Game Bundle (valued at $1,740) and what's included in each bundle are below. Enter once for a chance to win from January 27th through February 4th.

The HyperSpeed HDMI Fan Cave is a $4,370 value and includes:

  • LG 47" 3D 1080p 240Hz LED HDTV (valued at $1900)
  • 16' Monster M2000 HyperSpeed HDMI cable (valued at $350)
  • Monster Clarity HD Model One speakers (valued at $750)
  • Two Monster iSport In-Ear headphones (valued at $360)
  • Monster HDP 1800 HD Power Center (valued at $350)
  • Monster Flat Screen Articulating Wall Mount (valued at $400)
  • Monster Digital Life PowerNet 300 (valued at $160)
  • Newegg Gift Card (valued at $100)

The Big Game Bundle is a $1,740 value and includes:

  • 8' Monster M2000 HyperSPeed HDMI Cable (valued at $250)
  • Monster Clarity HD Model One speakers (valued at $750)
  • Monster iSport In-Ear headphones (valued at $180)
  • Monster HDP 1800 HD Power Center (valued at $350)
  • Monster Digital Life PowerNet 300 (valued at $160)
  • Newegg Gift Card (valued at $50)

So, how do you enter to win all this good stuff? To enter to win the Newegg Monster HyperSpeed HDMI Fan Cave, head on over to Monster's giveaway page on Newegg. You can enter there once for a change to win. To enter to win the Monster Big Game Bundle, you can enter using our widget below. We've got just one requirement for entry, but we are also offering you guys a bunch of extra ways to score bonus entries. Here's what's required:

Let us know you did that, and grab your bonus entries, using the widget below!

EDIT: We are having trouble with the widget not loading - in the meantime, just head over to this page and enter using the widget at the bottom!


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Apple TV sales

We could be wrong, but today's Apple Q1 2012 earnings call may have been the first time that the company has revealed any tangible sales figures for the Apple TV. According to CEO Tim Cook, Apple sold a record-breaking 1.4 million Apple TV units last quarter, which is exactly half of the 2.8 million units that it sold in the entire prior fiscal year. As expected, Cook wouldn't comment on the rumors of the imminent release of a bona fide Apple TV set. We're sure it's in the pipeline, but don't expect Apple to say anything on the record until it's ready to be shown off to the world.

The 1.4 million Apple TV units added to a record-breaking holiday quarter that also included sales of 37 million iPhones, 15 million iPads, and over 5 million Macs.


Monster GreenPower Plus HDP 1250G+

Aside from a ton of headphones, Monster also announced its HDP 950G+ GreenPower Bar and HDP 1250G+ GreenPower PowerCenter this mornings at CES 2012. These energy-saving accessories allows the user to select outlets that can be automatically shut off when devices are in standby mode, thus reducing wasted energy costs from "vampire" draw. They also keep your components safe with automatic voltage regulation in the event of energy spikes and surges. the HDP 950+ is the entry-level model and will sell for $199, while the HDP 1250G+ offers the maximum benefits for home theater, and will sell for $229.


2011 will come to an end in just a few short hours, and we are just in time with our annual top 10 list of the most-watched Gear Live video episodes. Over the past year, as expected, there was a bunch of gear that made the list, but the HTC Thunderbolt gets two of the top spots, as does the Motorola Xoom.

Oh, and if you wanna be sure to get our new video episodes as they come out in 2010, be sure to subscribe to us in iTunes, on YouTube, or in your RSS reader!

Also, you can check out the top ten videos from 20102009, 2008, and 2007 - and when you're done, be sure to check out the top 10 most popular Gear Live stories of 2011 as well!

Click to continue reading Top 10 Gear Live Videos of 2011


Days after Time Warner Cable announced they'd be getting HBO Go, Cablevision announced yesterday that it too had secured an agreement to offer its customers access to HBO GO streaming content.

The cable provider said customers should have access to TV shows and movies from HBO and its sister network Cinemax in the next few months.

"Given the success and popularity of our own Optimum App, we know our customers want the flexibility to watch the programming they receive as part of their cable television service in new ways, on a variety of devices, so we are very pleased to have reached agreement to offer HBO GO and MAX GO to our digital cable customers," John Trierweiler, executive vice president of product management," said in a statement.

HBO GO is accessible online via HBOGo.com and via the Roku set-top box, but subscribers can also watch on mobile devices, including the iPad, iPhone, and Android devices.

Click to continue reading Cablevision next to get HBO Go


Time Warner Cable on Friday announced that it has signed a deal to provide its customers with access to HBO GO, the streaming service from the popular cable channel.

Cinemax subscribers will also be able to access content via MAX GO.

Time Warner will kick off a beta test of both services shortly, and it will launch to all Time Warner Cable customers who subscribe to HBO and/or Cinemax in the next month.

In a blog post, Time Warner spokesman Jeff Simmermon said the beta was needed to "keep things running smoothly for everyone."

"We are working with HBO and our internal tech teams right now to determine the parameters of that beta trial, and will absolutely announce more specific details as soon as we can," he wrote. "Once started, that beta trial should be overwith very quickly, and our customers will be streaming all of their favorite HBO shows shortly thereafter."

HBO GO is accessible online via HBOGo.com and via the Roku set-top box, but subscribers can also watch on mobile devices, including the iPad, iPhone, and Android devices.

Click to continue reading HBO GO coming to Time Warner Cable


The studio behind the blockbuster Avatar is offering an unprecedented look into digital filmmaking, with downloadable extras that will allow a viewer to watch the motion capture actors or CGI in real time.

Beginning on Dec. 20, customers can now download a total of six hours of extras via Apple's iTunes from Twentieth Century Fox, which include the three different views of the movie, plus a number of other extras that offer a real-time look into how the movie was made.

The Avatar iTunes Extras Special Edition will cost $19.99 for a high-definition version, and $14.99 for the standard version; both include the movie as well as the extras. Apple will begin accepting preorders at 11 AM PT, a Fox spokeswoman said.

Fox's motivation is to encourage consumers to get into "digital collecting" of digital movies, explained Aubrey Freeborn, senior vice president of marketing and product management for PPV, VOD and EST for Twentieth-Century Fox. The extras will be released to the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia on Dec. 20. Avatar is the top-selling Blu-ray disc of all time.

Click to continue reading Fox offers Avatar extras for free to spur digital sales


This is an entry from our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. Check it out for suggestions on what to buy your loved, liked, and hated ones this holiday season!

ceton infinitv 4 usb holiday gift

The Ceton InfiniTV 4 USB is one of the cooler items we're featuing in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. It basically turns your computer into a fully-functional live TV DVR. We know that features like Media Center exist on PCs, but the problem is that, until now, it's been hard to get a good signal into your computer. The InfiniTV 4 USB fixes that. It's a CableCARD adapter that plugs into your machine using USB. So all you need to do is insert a CableCARD from your cable provider, plug in your cable cord, and plug in to your computer. From there, you'll have access to all of the cable channels that you subscribe to, and you can record up to four different channels at once. See? We told you this was cool. Great for rooms where you only have a computer and no television, but also great if you want to incorporate a Mac or PC into your home theater setup, as it eliminates the need for a cable box, meaning you save on that montly rental fee. The Ceton InfiniTV 4 USB sells for $299, but you can get one on Amazon for $269, saving yourself 10%.


Days after comedian Louis C.K. launched his content and distribution experiment, the results are in, and it appears that he may have inadvertently kicked off a new era of celebrity-controlled Internet content.

On Dec. 10, C.K. offered his one-hour "Live at the Beacon Theater" show for streaming or download for $5, free of any digital rights management (DRM). The move received a lot of attention via traditional and social media, but the main question on everyone's mind was: How will a show delivered directly from a niche comedian do when offered without the marketing muscle and distribution controls of a major company like HBO or Comedy Central?

According to data posted on C.K.'s Web site, the experiment pulled in a $200,000 profit.

"I directed this video myself and the production of the video cost around $170,000…The development of the website was around $32,000…The show went on sale at noon on Saturday, December 10th," he wrote. "12 hours later, we had over 50,000 purchases and had earned $250,000, breaking even on the cost of production and website. As of [December 13, 2011], we've sold over 110,000 copies for a total of over $500,000. Minus some money for PayPal charges etc, I have a profit around $200,000…"

Click to continue reading Louis C.K. Live at the Beacon Theater video experiment is a huge hit


Microsoft said Sunday night that it plans to launch its fall 2011 dashboard update for its Xbox 360 game console, complete with voice search via Xbox Kinect, this week.

Microsoft also announced a significant number of related content partnerships, bringing most major services to the Xbox platform this week or by early 2012. On Dec. 6, Starting Dec. 6, a free Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone will let also let users find, learn more about and control content from popular entertainment services on Xbox LIVE.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday night, Microsoft said that the "Bing on Xbox" update would arrive on U.S. consoles beginning "tomorrow," and roll out to U.S. console owners over the coming weeks. Those without a Kinect peripheral will be able to search using Bing text search.

The voice search capability, first revealed in June, will work with both the Xbox Live Marketplace, Zune Video, and selected content partners. On Dec. 6, presumably the date of the update, Microsoft plans to add content from new entertainment partners, including apps, from EPIX, ESPN, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and MSNBC's Today.

Microsoft's vision for the Xbox platform, including voice search via Kinect, probably was more significant six months ago before Apple's Siri began dominating headlines with its ability to naturally search and interact with the user and a variety of apps. Nevertheless, it allows users to interact with a growing sea of content as simply as possible.

Click to continue reading Xbox 360 voice search, TV content deals launch December 6


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