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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.
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Weekend Reading: Watchmen, Shazam!, Archie and Image
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Movies, Reviews, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics
Watchmen! Shazam! Archie! Oh my goodness! Could a weirder week get any weirder? Oh, it can. It’s only February.
Here’s a few things to read until the Super Bowl fever hits you and, oh, wait. No one reading this cares about sports!
Well, of course DC was going to do Watchmen prequels and create more Watchmen-related graphic novels. The series will never be considered out-of-print (and now with online availability, you can get it digitally 24/7/365 so it will truly be “in print” in perpetuity). Since it’s a thing that can’t be stopped, I wish the creators well and I wish the original creators well as well (and hope they’re being compensated for the reuse of their creations). Forbes, the journal of the 1% weighs in with the “It can’t be wrong if everyone’s doing it” argument. Although Before Watchmen has to be one of the least grabby titles in modern comics history.
Michael Cavna at Comic Riffs, the Washington Post blog, collects various opinions on the coming new era of Watchmen prequels.
Here’s the Daily Beast on the behind-the-scenes soap opera at Archie. Once you realize that this is all about controlling the privately-held company, it starts to fall into place.
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Marvel Comics
So I’m watching the trailer for the new Ghost Rider movie, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance with Nic (”I’ll do anything!”) Cage and it dawns on me.
Nowhere in the trailer is there a mention of Marvel Comics. No attempt to tie it into the Marvel Universe.
No mention that it’s from the company that brought you Captain America, Iron Man and Fantastic Four. There’s a Marvel Knights logo that flashes oh-so-briefly onscreen at the beginning but that’s hardly the same.
Even the homepage for the Sony release doesn’t play up the Marvel connection.
It’s just a movie about a biker with a flaming head. Trying to help a woman and her little boy.
The same plot as Jean-Claude Van Damme's Nowhere To Run and dozens of other movies.
Terry Beatty on The Phantom
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials
Do you know who's now drawing The Phantom on Sundays?
Terry Beatty (you might know him from Ms. Tree, or Batman Adventures or Return To Perdition or any number of cool things).
His first Sunday debuted on January 29th, written by Tony DePaul and colored beautifully by an old pal of mine, Tom Smith.
It's not yet a permanent gig, but Terry posted on his blog that King Features Syndicate "is quite pleased with my first five Sunday strips."
Good for Terry, good for The Phantom, and good for the fans. That first strip of his is killer.
[And, of course, if your newspaper doesn't carry The Phantom, please contact them and request that they sign up.]
[Artwork: The Phantom by Terry Beatty, © King Features Syndicate]
How to create free iPhone ringtones with iTunes
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Software
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
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!
Weekend Reading: Jack Kirby, Arnold Drake, James Bond and Star Wars
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Interviews, Video Games, DC Comics, Independent, Marvel Comics
Last weekend in January, last weekend before the Super Bowl, which means there’s really nothing on TV this weekend. Fortunately, the internets provide:
Neal Adams is gunning for Marvel on behalf of Jack Kirby.
The Comic Book Insider is the new podcast from comic book writer and former DC Comics editor Brian Augustyn.
James Bond vs. Batman: Now there’s a team-up I’d really like to see. The HMSS blog looks at how both heroes have had to adapt to changing times.
One of my favorite movie blogs, Flick Attack, looks at an old film written by veteran DC writer Arnold Drake (Deadman; The Doom Patrol): The Flesh Eaters.
Angouleme International Comics Festival
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions
I've never been to the Angouleme International Comics Festival, aka Festival International de la Bande Dessinée.
But I've always wanted to go. It's been going on every year since 1974 and it's the largest comics festival in Europe, taking place in Angouleme, France.
The latest one is going on right now, through the 29th and it's an all-out event that involves the whole town. The Forbidden Planet blog has more.
Here's a history of the festival which makes it sound even more appealing, and includes a quote that the show draws 200,000 people each year. That's a sweet number and makes it bigger than the San Diego's Comic Con International.
If you're in Angouleme, have a great time!
[Artwork: Angouleme International Comics Festival mascot]
Microsoft Xbox Live House Party to Launch February 15, incudes Alan Wake, Warp, and more
Posted by John Ball Categories: Downloadable Content, Hot Deals, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live house party is looking to start this year off with a bang. Four Xbox Live Arcade titles are set to be released in the weeks between February 15 and March 13, and we've got the list here for you to take a gander at. Warp, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, Nexuiz, and I Am Alive, in that respective order, with Warp kicking things off on February 15. Warp and Nexuiz will be 800 MS Points ($10) right out of the gate, however Alan Wake and I am Alive will be 1200 MS Points ($15.)
All of the information about the order of which the games would be released as well as the pricing was only recently unveiled by the ever popular Xbox Live celebrity, Major Nelson. Larry also goes on to tell us that if you purchase all 4 games within the allotted 1 month time period, you'll receive 800 Microsoft Points back as a bonus. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
Bleeding Edge TV 414: Nest Learning Thermostat
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, CES, CES 2012, Features, Household, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos
We chat with Matt Rogers of Nest at CES 2012 in this episode. Nest is a learning thermostat that is created by the guys who created 13 generations of iPod and a few generations of the iPhone, and is an ingenious way to re-imagine saving energy in your home. The thermostat is a round metal dial with a circular color LCD screen that works a lot like an iPod classic click wheel. You can turn the temperature up or down by twisting the dial, or you can go through its menus by pressing it in like a button. It can be set to automatically change the temperature based on the time and whether you're present. We also demo the Nest thermostat to show you exactly how it all works.
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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