Latest Gear Live Videos
Project Natal launching this October
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360,
Okay, so it’s not like the whole Project Natal launch window has been kept that silent. At CES, Microsoft let us know that it would launch this holiday season. A while later, UK television personality Jonathan Ross tweeted that Natal would be launching in October. Well, we can add more fuel to that October launch rumor, as Microsoft Saudi Marketing Manager Syed Milal Tariq said yesterday in an interview that Natal will launch globally “somewhere in October.” He went on to say that the day would be firmed up in time for E3 in June, but that we will definitely see it in October 2010.
Now, that isn’t official (read: PR) or anything, but at this point, we believe that you’ll be flailing wildly across your living room before Halloween.
Read More 
| Gamertag Radio
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Alan Wake review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Microsoft, Reviews, Survival Horror,
“Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear.”
- Stephen King
And so begins the story of Alan Wake. When you begin the game, that line is spoken by the main character, writer and horror novelist Alan Wake, and it sets the tone perfectly for the adventure that you are about to embark upon. Alan Wake is a game where you’ll spend time searching for answers, questioning what is real, and answering questions that the main character never wanted to have asked. The beauty of the title is that the premise is simple and enthralling all at once—a horror novelist’s story has come to life, and he is in the middle of it. Even stranger, he doesn’t recall writing it.
We must say, we’ve been excited about Alan Wake since we first heard about it some five years ago. The narrated gameplay makes it feel like you are playing through a novel, or maybe more closely, a series of Twilight Zone episodes. This is a welcome difference from the all-to-common feeling that developers often try to make it feel like you are “playing” a movie. The game has been in development forever, and saw a couple of delays, which normally signals trouble (just look at Too Human.) However, we are here to tell you that Alan Wake didn’t suffer for it. This is one book that you won’t want to put down until the very last word.
Click to continue reading Alan Wake review
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AT&T iPhone exclusivity extended to 2011 thanks to iPad 3G
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
Those of you hoping for a Verizon iPhone HD this summer, it looks like you are out of luck. Thanks to the extremely flexible and decently-priced iPad 3G data plans that AT&T is offering, Apple decided to throw them a bone and extend the AT&T iPhone exclusive agreement until the start of 2011. Many expected that the iPad would support Verizon, and according to Broadpoint AmTech tech analyst Brian Marshall, AT&T needed to do something drastic to hang on to the iPhone OS devices. Turns out, that drastic step was the iPad 3G data plan pricing structure.
So now, AT&T gets to keep the iPhone until 2011. Let’s hope they can do whatever they need to do over the next 7 months or so to prove they deserve it. We wouldn’t hold our breath.
Read More | Business Insider
Opinion: Apple, iPhone 4, and the Case against Gizmodo
Posted by Alex Lifschitz Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Features, Handhelds, Rumors,
I’m a pretty crappy journalist.
I do it in my free time, and for the most part, I’m an opinions and hands-on writer. I don’t go monstering around the nation’s capital with a fedora and notepad, and I rarely find myself in a position where I have to probe into anything that matters past an arbitrary release date. I don’t always fact check if I’m not making accusations.
But I know a scummy move when I see one. And Gizmodo’s actions in the iPhone HD prototype debacle have been consistently unethical, unprofessional, and, yes, illegal.
It sucks. Gizmodo’s parent company, Gawker Media, is home to a lot of great blogs and great people – people who seem to have some professional standards. But in the face of such reprehensible journalism, Gizmodo has been inexplicably wearing their tarnished reputation from this saga as if it were some kind of badge of pride. I’m sure they have lawyers going over every step of their story, but how someone in their legal or PR departments could have greenlit this is really beyond my comprehension.
Before I get into the ethical issues of yellow journalism, I think it’s important we establish a fact pattern and what I hold to be the optimal course of actions they could have taken through this whole sordid affair. Join me while I use my rudimentary Google-fu to make my case against the actions of nearly all parties involved.
Click to continue reading Opinion: Apple, iPhone 4, and the Case against Gizmodo
Early Halo: Reach multiplayer beta code giveaway!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Microsoft, Video Games,
If you own an Xbox 360, then we’re fairly confident that you’re salivating over getting early access to the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta. Sure, the beta goes public on May 3rd, open to all who have a copy of Halo 3: ODST, but who wants to wait 4 more days to get in on the action if you can have it today? Yep, that’s where we come in. We’ve got a bunch of Halo: Reach beta codes that we are going to be giving away today, and if you get one, you’ll be able to download and play the Halo: Reach beta today! So, how do you enter to win one of these super-exclusive codes? Here’s your answer:
- If you don’t have one already, sign up for a Twitter account
- Follow the Gear Live Twitter account
- On Twitter, post this tweet about our contest: “Hey @gearlive hook me up with a Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta code please! http://bit.ly/haloreachbeta” (Click here to tweet this now)
That’s it! You must be following the Gear Live Twitter account, because we will be sending the codes to the winners on Twitter via DM, and if you aren’t following, we can’t DM you. Simple as that. Again, we’ve got a bunch of these, so you have a good chance of walking away with a code! We will start choosing winners this afternoon.
Verizon HTC Droid Incredible unboxing gallery
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Galleries, Handhelds,
We recently mentioned that Google announced that the Nexus One wouldn’t be hitting Verizon, and the reason behind the decision is that there is a better option in the Droid Incredible from HTC. We recently got our hands on a Droid Incredible, and we’ve been playing with it for a couple of days now, steadily forming our opinion of the device. While the full review isn’t ready yet, we can comfortably say that we like the Incredible quite a bit more than the Nexus One. Look out for our review in a few days, but in the meantime, we’ve got a Droid Incredible gallery for you, giving you a look at the aesthetics of the device.
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Comparison: iPhone HD vs iPhone 3GS
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds,
Okay, we just hit you with the low-down on the iPhone HD being leaked and given a spec breakdown by Gizmodo, but how’s about we give you a look at the new device when compared against the current iPhone 3GS? Of course, this may not be the actual, final look for the iPhone HD - but it is an Apple prototype, and it is mid-April, so we’d have to say this is near-final.
What are your thoughts on the design approach that Apple has taken to the next iPhone?
Read More | Gizmodo
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Next Apple iPhone revealed!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Design, Features, Handhelds,
Over the weekend, rumors that Apple’s next generation iPhone (iPhone HD?) had been uncovered due to someone leaving it in a bar in San Jose had been running rampant. Images made their way to the Internet, claims that it was a Japanese fake were made, only to be taken back later. Nothing was decisive—until this morning when my pal Jason over at Gizmodo published a complete breakdown of the phone. Yeah, it seems Gizmodo paid someone a pretty penny to get the phone into their hands, and as a result, we pretty much know all about the major features in the next iPhone, which should drop in June. Here are the immediate, obvious feature additions:
- Completely new enclosure, with a flat back that is seemingly made of glass or ceramic
- Front-facing camera (finally!)
- Higher-resolution camera on back
- Flash for camera on back
- Higher resolution, albeit slightly smaller, display
- Separate volume buttons (likely also double as dedicated camera buttons when taking photos)
- Noise cancellation mic
- Battery has 16% higher capacity
- 3 grams heavier than iPhone 3GS
- Uses a micro-SIM
It’s obvious that Apple has definitely been listening to the complaints and requests from iPhone customers, and they’ve definitely done a lot to make the next iPhone stand out from the pack. In fact, this really looks and feels like the first true step up in the iPhone line, with previous new models introducing few hardware changes over previous models.
This is a big deal, as it is the first time that we can remember a major piece of Apple hardware falling into the hands of a company outsider, let alone press, in advance of it being officially unveiled and announced - especially in this manner. We think that Apple’s chief designer said it best on Twitter earlier this morning, with a simple “This isn’t good.”
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Slacker Radio Plus giveaway!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Features, Internet, Music,
Here at Gear Live, we love us some Slacker. If you don’t know, Slacker is a fantastic radio’s streaming music service. It has millions of songs in its catalogue, and real DJs actually control their channels, which means you get a great mix of songs that go well together. While Slacker is free, they also have a service called Slacker Radio Plus, which adds the following perks:
- Unlimited Skips
- Unlimited Song Requests
- No Audio or Banner Ads
- Complete Lyrics
- Over 2 Million Songs
So here’s what we are going to do - we are going to give away a two 1-year subscriptions and three 3-month subscriptions to Slacker Radio Plus, and we are going to make it ridiculously easy to enter. All you need to do if become a fan of Gear Live on Facebook, and leave a comment on our wall. That’s it. Next Friday we will select five random entrants and hit them with the goods.
Bleeding Edge TV 344: Apple iPad review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,
So, we’ve already hit you with our in-depth iPad review when the device launched, but many asked for a video review as well, so here you are! In this episode of Bleeding Edge TV, we give you our thoughts on the iPad, we show you some of the new visual touches that you’ll find on the device that aren’t present on the iPhone or iPod touch, and we give you a look at a bunch of the iPad apps that we’ve been enjoying. Even better, we also show you Apple’s official iPad case, and the iPad dock as well. Take a look at the video, and see what you think. Let us know if you have any iPad questions that you’d like us to address in the comments.
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