On Gear Live: Apple looks to change education with iBooks Textbooks

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Bleeding Edge TV 424: Monster Inspiration headphones - over-ear, noise canceling

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2012, Features, Music, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos

We give you a look at Monster's Inspiration Headphones in our chat with Noel Lee. This is Monster's first noise-canceling over-ear headphone. The Inspiration headphones are fashionable, and will be available in black, white, and a limited edition silver color. The headbands are interchangeable if you don't like any of those colors. Expect to pay $279 for a pair of Inspiration over-ears when they begin shipping this spring. This was recorded at CES 2012.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


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Amazon planning to open a brick and mortar store in Seattle

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Handhelds, Rumors

Here at Gear Live, we have a love affiar with Amazon. They've got our credit card numbers, our accounts are Prime, and the Kindles flow like wine. However, unless you choose overnight shipping, you still have to wait for the items you purchased. It's a small price ot pay for the convenience, but for some, instant gratifiction is what's missing. That may even be changing with Amazon, as the company will be venturing into the brick and mortar store business.

Those lucky enough to live in the Seattle area (that's us!) may soon be seeing an Amazon store popping up at a local mall. Amazon is exploring the idea, kind of a trial and error run, to see if they have a profitable market in physical stores. Amazon wants to provide an Apple-like store experience for consumers who want to buy a Kindle, for example. This is a brilliant move on Amazon’s part, as the Kindle currently is not under its full control in retail, being left to the whims of a retail associate at Target or Best Buy who likely don't know much about it.


Bleeding Edge TV 421: Xzibit on Monster Game T1 headphones

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2012, Features, Music, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

We chat with hip-hop superstar Xzibit about Monster's upcoming line of gaming headphones. The Monster Gaming T1 headphones feature 7.1 virtual surround sound, 40mm drivers, Monster's most advanced noise isolation earcups, an LED Light Drive System, and even a built-in ControlTalk for use with the iPhone and other smartphones so you can take phone calls. The T1 gaming headphones will be available in February 2012. This was recorded at CES 2012.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


How to create free iPhone ringtones with iTunes

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Software

iTunes iPhone ringtones

With recent updates to iTunes, Apple removed the native funtion that  allowed you to create ringtones from the songs you've purchased. You can still purchase ringtones directly from iTunes for about a buck, but seriously, who would wanna pay a $1 for a 30 second clip of music that will get old in three weeks? That's where we step in and bring you our tutorial on how to use iTunes to create iPhone ringtones using any track you've got in your library, completely for free. Yep - you aren't limited just to tracks purchased from iTunes, and you don't have to give up any money that would be better spent on something at the dollar menu at the nearest drive-thru. Read on for our full walkthrough!

Click to continue reading How to create free iPhone ringtones with iTunes


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

Hyperspeed HDMI Fan Cave Sweepstakes

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:

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!


Absinthe A5 iPhone 4S and iPad 2 jailbreak tool now available

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks, Software

Absinthe A5 jailbreak

Many iPad 2 owners have waited almost a full year for this moment, and it has finally come. Both the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S now have their own bona fide jailbreak tool in Absinthe A5. To be clear, Absinthe A5 is an untethered jailbreak method - this is the one you want, otherwise you have to have your iOS device connected to your Mac or PC with a cable whenever it boots up. This has no such requirement.

iOS hacker p0sixninja says that the jailbreak software works for A5 devices that are running iOS 5.0 and iOS 5.0.1. If you've updated to the iOS 5.1 beta, then you're out of luck if you wanna jailbreak. Your best bet might be to downgrade. To get started, you'll need to download the latest version of greenpois0n, and it currently only works on a Mac (Windows is "coming soon".) The specific builds that are supported are iPhone 4S with iOS 5.0 build 9A334 and iOS 5.0.1 builds 9A405 and 9A406, as well as iPad 2 running iOS 5.0.1 build 9A405.


Bleeding Edge TV 412: Monster Diamond Tears - Edge over-ear headphones

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2012, Features, Music, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos

In this episode we give you a look at the Monster Diamond Tears - Edge over-ear headphones, which they made in collaboration with J.Y. Park and JYP Entertainment. The design of these over-ear headphones is based on J.Y. Parks musical talent, including Rain, Wonder Girls, and more. They say these headphones are "edgy like diamonds, but smooth like tears." If that strikes your fancy, then you can look forward to picking them up in the first quarter of the year for $279, with an in-ear model to follow in the second half of the year. We give you a look at both the light and dark diamond models in this video.

Big thank you to MozyPro and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! MozyPro provides simple, automatic, and secure data backup. As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like on the site.


iBooks Author allows you to create and publish books for the iPad

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Software, Videos

Alongside the release of iBooks Textbooks this morning, Apple has also released an app called iBooks Author. Available for free on the Mac App Store, iBooks Author is a tool that allows anyone to create a textbook, storybook, or any other kind of book with relative ease. These books aren't just text either--you can add videos, 3D objects, photo galleries, web widgets, and more. Once you're satisfied with your book, you can then export it for personal use, or publish it to the iBookstore for sale or as a free download. Check out the video above for a full rundown of how it all works.


Apple looks to change education with iBooks Textbooks

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Handhelds

Today Apple took the stage in New York City to unveil its education initiative, and at the heart of it all is the release of iBooks Textbooks. Textbooks require an iPad running iBooks 2, and Apple hopes this will open up a whole new world of learning to the masses. Bringing with them dynamic, interactive, and updateable content, textbooks on the iPad become instantly relevant and engaging. Apple also made sure to point out that an iPad is much lighter than a backpack full of heavy books. The video above demonstrates Apple's vision for the future of the textbook. iBooks 2 is available now, as are a handful of textbooks from publishers like DK, Pearson, McGraw Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, focusing on the K-12 market for now. Textbooks are $14.99 or less, which is another breakthrough (although you won't be able to sell these back when you're done with them like you can an actual book.)

Apple also released iBooks Author, a free Mac app that lets anyone create an interactive book for the iPad. It's available now on the Mac App Store.


Halo Helljumper: The live-action Halo film series

Posted by John Ball Categories: First Person Shooters, Microsoft, Trailers

Halo Helljumper

It is probably safe to say that any modern gamer, and some non-gamers, know of the Halo Universe. With several books, an anime series, and seven video game titles (with an eighth on the way,) it is hard for most not to know of the Halo franchise. Many have felt for a long time that the Halo Universe still needed more. Some have even demanded that they see a live action Halo movie. Well, that time has come with Halo Helljumper, a live action series of short films.

Halo Helljumper takes place in the year 2552, right at the end of the Covenant Human war. The series is going to be highly based on the book “Dirt” by Tobias S. Buckell, and the talented team at “Filmpocalypse” has been brought together to make this monster. Directed by Dan Wang, and produced by Helena Hilario and Dan Wang, Halo Helljumper is going to be an Independent series of short films. There is not much else that we know about the series right now except that it is due to be released later this month.

Wanna see the trailer? Check it out after the jump!

Read More | Halo Helljumper

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