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Nokia Lumia 800 and Monster Purity Headphones giveaway!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cell Phones, Features, Music
If you've been checking out the Gear Live Twitter and Facebook pages, then you've likely been looking forward to our next giveaway, featuring the Nokia Lumia 800 and Monster Purity Headphones. Well, the time is now!
The Nokia Lumia 800 is a super-sexy Windows Phone device for AT&T that features a 3.7-inch 800x480 ClearBlack AMOLED display, 1.4 GHz processor, Carl Zeiss 8 megapixel wide angle lens with dual LED flash, and a seamless, curved glass one-piece body design.
The Purity HD stereo headphones from Monster feature Windows Phone playback controls, as well as ControlTalk Universal. This means you can control both your media and phone calls hands-free. It's also got a tangle-resistant cable, and comes with a hard shell carrying case. The best part? The headphone color matches the color of your Lumia 800!
Microsoft only sells the Lumia 800 as part of an $899 bundle here in the US, but we're giving you the opportunity to win the smartphone and Purity HD headphones right here, for free! Here's how to enter:
- Follow the Gear Live Twitter account and post this exact tweet: “Hey @gearlive hook me up with that @Nokia Lumia 800! #PuritybyMonster http://gear.lv/e-lumia800” (Click here to tweet this now)
- Use the hashtag #PuritybyMonster in your tweets over the next week
Do that, and you're in! Now here is the fun part - you can enter as many times as you'd like by including the hashtag #PuritybyMonster in your tweets next seven days. At the end, we will pick a winner randomly from all valid entries. If you use Twitter regularly, just throw #PuritybyMonster into your tweets over the next week, and you could walk away with this awesome prize. The winner must be over 18, and must have a mailing address within the US to be eligible. Contest ends at 12:00am on April 12th!
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Are cloud music services like Rdio and Spotify the same song and dance?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Internet, Music
We sat in on a panel where Pandora's Jackson Gates, Daren Tsui of mSpot, and Kevin Wortis were interviewed by Gartner's Mike McGuire about the future of cloud music services at SXSW. It was an interesting discussion, focusing on what the benefit of the cloud brings to music, and the problems associated with expecting users to pay for something that they've been used to getting for free for at least a generation. It's an interesting time, and obviously the models differ substantially for companies like Pandora and Spotify, for example. Click on through for the highlights of the discussion!
Click to continue reading Are cloud music services like Rdio and Spotify the same song and dance?
Apple releases iTunes 10.6.1 with bug fixes galore
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software
Apple has released iTunes 10.6.1, a bug-fixing update that improves usability in a bunch of areas:
- Fixes several issues that may cause iTunes to unexpectedly quit while playing videos, changing artwork size in Grid view, and syncing photos to devices.
- Addresses an issue where some iTunes interface elements are incorrectly described by VoiceOver and WindowEyes.
- Fixes a problem where iTunes may become unresponsive while syncing iPod nano or iPod shuffle.
- Resolves an ordering problem while browsing TV episodes in your iTunes library on Apple TV.
You can grab the update now through Software Update, or at http://apple.com/itunes.
Hands-on with New Rdio redesign: More social, much faster
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Internet, Music, Product Reviews, Software
Last week at a press event in Austin at SXSW, Rdio gave us a look at its brand new, completely overhauled music experience. We got a look at the new Rdio, and we walked away impressed by the beauty of what the streaming music company is attempting to pull off. There are a lot of changes, and we think that most people will think they're all good.
New Rdio isn't just a visual makeover though. Wilson Miner, head of design for Rdio said, "We want back to ground zero and rethought the whole user experience from the groud up to put the focus 100% on music and people." That people part is a big deal, because social integration is a big part of the new Rdio. When you log in, you've got a constant bar on the right-hand side that shows your online contacts and what they're listening to. There's also another tab that gives recommendations of who to follow (oh, and you should definitely follow the Gear Live Rdio profile!) Wanna share a track or album with a contact? The old way still works, but now you can just drag and drop content onto contacts as well. Very fluid.
Click to continue reading Hands-on with New Rdio redesign: More social, much faster
Napster founders Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning talk digital music at SXSW
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, Music, Software
The revolutionary promise of digital music became reality with the rise of Napster. The file sharing network pioneered a functional and comprehensive catalog of music with its enthusiastic users. Developed by then-teenaged Shawn Fanning in 1998, Napster became a worldwide phenomenon in less than a year. Co-founder Sean Parker helped develop Napster into a company. Mass acceptance came quickly, but legal challenges ultimately doomed the original service. Despite the controversy and lawsuits, Napster changed the music business and paved the way for iTunes, Rhapsody, Spotify, and other music services. The divide between the cultural establishment and technology innovators was defined by the disputes raised by Napster. After more than a decade of declining sales of recorded music and imperfect attempts to present a licensed alternative, the influence of Napster continues to be felt.
At SXSW, I listened in on a discussion with Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning where they discussed these issues in an effort to promote their film Downloaded. The panel opened with a montage of clips from the VH1 rockDocs Downloaded film. The trailer touched on the start of Napster, the revelation of how easy it was to get music based on a search term, how quick the results were in the age of dial-up, and the growth of Napster as a company. There are a couple of gems there as well, such as when Fanning said back in 1999 that he believed the future was instant music access from multiple devices, including stereos and smartphones (well, he said "cell phones," but still.) this is a movie about kids revolutionizing an industry they knew nothing about.
Click to continue reading Napster founders Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning talk digital music at SXSW
Spotify Apps are a success, change the way we enjoy music
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Music, Software
When Spotify launched in Europe, social music sharing officially arrived, and many services soon folllowed. However, the company soon realized that releasing an API that allowed third-parties to tap into the spotify catalog would mean new features and new ways for its users to interact and enjoy music, and with that came the release of Spotify Apps.
Spotify has shared info on the success of four of these apps. Truth be told, some of them are a runaway success. Each app is unique in its own way in changing the way we do music.
Soundrop, “let’s you discover, listen to, and share music with friends in ‘rooms’ created by genre or theme,” Spotify says. According to the company, Soundrop users in Feburary listened to 15 million songs or the equivalent of 100 years’ of music.
The second app, Tunewiki, lets you sing along to the lyrics of the song you’re listening too. Though we can’t guarantee this will make you a better singer, it's certainly cool to be able to see the lyrics in real-time while playing a track.
Moodagent, plays music according to how you're feeling, which is fantastic time saver. No longer are you a slave to searching your library for the music you wanna listen too when you're 'Angry' or 'Happy', as you can now have Moodagent handle that for you.
The final app, SpotOn Radio, which was built into the mobile version of the app, hit number six on the Swedish iPhone app store.
The success of Spotify and the widespread use and development of its apps should continue to result in new, refreshing ways to both listen to and share music, with Spotify living on the back end. All Spotify apps are free to use, but require a Spotify account (also free!)
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Why Turntable.fm matters, and how it enhances music discovery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Editorial, Features, Internet, Music
Right now I'm at SXSW, sitting in on the Turntable.fm DJ Battle that's taking place over the next two hours. There are a few DJs on stage playing their best tracks in an attempt to rock the crowd, and as things are unfolding, I can see some real potential for Turntable.fm to bring something to the table that the Spotifys, Rdios, and Rhapsodys of the world just aren't able to deliver at the moment, especially now that Turntable has secured licensing rights from all four of the major record labels here in the U.S.
Click to continue reading Why Turntable.fm matters, and how it enhances music discovery
Apple just updated GarageBand to version 6.0.5, bringing with it compatibility with the updated iOS version of the software, as well as squashing a few bugs. You can download the update now through Software Update or the Mac App Store!
Huge Giveaway: Enter to win the HyperSpeed HDMI Fan Cave and Big Game Bundle!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Announcements, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Music, Portable Audio / Video
As we've been teasing on the Gear Live Twitter, Facebook, 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:
- Follow the Gear Live Twitter account and post this tweet exactly as written: “Hey @GearLive hook me up with that @MonsterProducts Big Game Bundle! http://gear.lv/e-big-game” (Click here to tweet this now)
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!
Monster teams up with Livestrong on latest iSport headphones
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Music, Portable Audio / Video
It seems that most of Monster's headphone lineup for CES 2012 is based on multiple partnerships - we've already seen the Gratitude headphones (a collaboration with Earth, Wind & Fire), Diamond Tears - Edge (a collabo with J.Y. Parks), and the VEKTR headphones that are the result of a partnership with Diesel. Up next, the iSport Livestrong Edition headphones, aimed at athletes and sports enthusiasts. They obviously feature Livestrong's recognizable bright yellow color on both the cable and earbuds, and a portion of all sales will be donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. You can find them at RadioShack next month for $179.95, and in other retailers later this year.
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