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!
Apple Reaches 1/2 Billion Mark on iTunes
Posted by Alex Grahmann Categories: Corporate News, Music, Portable Audio / Video,
While every visitor to the Apple homepage will be greeted today by a huge banner proclaiming the company’s monumental sales achievement, only one will be receiving the huge iPod-based prize package for downloading the 500 millionth song from iTunes. Amy Greer of Lafayette, Indiana pushed Apple over the mark with “Mississippi Girl” by Faith Hill and will be rewarded with 10 iPods, 10000 free songs, and a trip for four to see a Coldplay concert. While this is an amazing milestone for legal digital music downloads, it’s even more amazing to think that iTunes has sold an average of almost 7 songs to every single living person in the 19 countries it services (feel free to check my math).
Read More 
| iTunes 500 Million
Advertisement
You just have to love the irony. Regulatory Compliance Manager at Microsoft brings home an Xbox 360 test unit for some reason or another, and his step-son grabs hold of it to capture some images of himself playing around with the hardware. Unbeknownst to him, he just broke the NDA of his step-dad, and more than likely cost him his job. At least we got another tidbit of Xbox 360 info out of this: apparently the external power supply is freakin’ huge.
Read More | Playfeed
Now this is just off the hook. This kid’s stepdad is Microsoft’s Regulatory Compliance Manager, and brought home an Xbox 360 test unit for some reason or another. Obviously wanting to prove to his friends that he really was 733t, he invited them over for a game of Halo 2. They took some images and posted them to the internet. I bet that Daddy is now in a world of trouble with his employer. One thing to note, the kid says that the 360 has an external power supply, and that it is a monster.
Read More | 360Hacker
Latest Gear Live Videos
When Verizon first started deploying their Fios internet service a year ago, many lamented that it was only being done in remote locations of the country. It now looks like Fios is ready to hit the big time, as Verizon will be bringing it to New York City. The NYC deployment will begin in Bayside, Queens. Verizon has stated that they do not have the technology to serve the multi-dwelling homes yet. Something tells me that this is more of a business decision than a technical one. Some of those Manhattan apartments are really old. Getting fiber to each unit would be a nightmare.
Read More | NY Daily News
This morning I was treated to a headline I never thought I would see. A women named Amaka Anmajemba has been sentenced by Nigerian courts for taking part in a $242 million spam fraud campaign involving a Brazilian bank. I’m a little surprised - I have great spam prevention measures in place but one or two of the nigerian businessman’s offers for free money makes it into my spam box once in a while. I’m honestly surprised that both the Nigerian government was able to track one of them down and that enough people fell for it for them to make $242 million.
Read More | Reuters
I just stumbled across a great little startup called Alacos in Seattle dedicated to making it easier for users to switch from Microsoft Windows to various Linux distributions. Alacos makes a software package called Desktop Migration Agent that lets a user copy all of their files, settings, email, address books, and settings from their old Windows computer to their new Linux desktop. They even have a network based enterprise edition aimed at corporations migrating from 20 to 20,000 computers. I’m not sure if I like their price scheme but if it helps companies move towards linux then it’s good by my book. From what I can tell its the most comprehensive OS migration tool I’ve seen yet. I would love it if Apple or a 3rd party would make something this in depth for Windows users looking to make the switch to a Mac. I’ll be interested to see how long before a free open source version of this crops up somewhere.
Read More | Alacos
Remember when Hot Coffee was something you drank to wake up? Now it’s the latest controversy sparked from Rockstar’s latest Grand Theft Auto game, San Andreas. Many people are calling for regulation and are crying in outrage for scenes they claim as pornographic – while you can see more action on cable TV. Recently Rockstar has denied that the mini-game is “locked” in the original game – stating that the hackers went to great lengths so as to generate this mini-game. Now that claim has been challenged with the release of the “Hot Coffee” cheat for the PS2 version of the game. This would mean that the mini game code was in fact coded by Rockstar and “locked” – in the form of an easter egg. Tor Thorsen from Gamespot set out to do some investigative reporting to find out if indeed this cheat existed for the PS2 original version of the game. After many long hours doing all the cheat code entering, putting in the manual work of the dating missions, he was finally able to experience the mini game on the PS2. His findings pose some interesting questions: why is Rockstar lying? Who really put in this mini game in GTA: SA? Why are activists having a frenzy about this while public television gets away with much more explicit images for virtually no work at all?
Read More | Gamespot
The audiophile in me is drooling whenever I view these. After the fiasco at the pharmacy yesterday, where i was forced to buy under my taste level, this is exactly what im looking for while never knowing it. Wood is easily one of the best materials to have resonating sound. These puppies are quite nice to look at too. There are only two things to fear: the $1000 price tag and woodpeckers.
Read More | GizMag
Audi Oh: For When You Really Want To Enjoy Your Music
Posted by Sparky Categories: Misc. Tech, Portable Audio / Video,
Grand Opening has launched quite possibly the most unique and personal MP3 player accessory on the market. The Audi Oh is a small vibrator that is designed to be plugged into a music player and will pulse in time to your music. So ladies (or gents if it suits your fancy) strap it where you please, and then plug in and really enjoy your favorite song in a way the original artist probably did not intend.
Read More | Audi Oh via GadgetryBlog
Game Daily has a great article posted stating that Dance Dance Revolution may be used as an effective treatment for children diagnosed with ADHD. As a childhood sufferer of ADHD myself, I can imagine how a game that keeps the body active, yet requires intense concentration could help channel the excess energy. The article also points out some of the health benefits garnered from the game. If only DDR had been around when I was a kid perhaps I could have done some of the amazing things DDR people have done.
Read More | Game Daily
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.