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!
Latest Gear Live Videos
HTPC Building Series: Selecting our hardware
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, PC / Laptop, Videos,
Check out out HTPC on a Budget series and join us in building a great HTPC for under $1,000.
In our quest to build a great HTPC on a budget, one thing we need to think about is the hardware and software we are going to use to build and run everything. We are going to be really ambitious here, scouring deal and coupon sites to find great hardware and software at even greater prices. If you come across anything, feel free to leave a comment and let us know.
The first piece of hardware we are focusing on is a motherboard from MSI that integrates the “Maui” platform - the MSI K912GM-FIH. This is one of the biggest leaps forward in HTPC technology, and as such, we are going to build this machine around this board. In case we need to prove our case further, check out this video we did on the motherboard before its release:
Click to continue reading HTPC Building Series: Selecting our hardware
Gallery: HTPC Building Series: Selecting our hardware
Advertisement
Nokia N79 Active With SportsTracker
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Smartphones, GPS, Videos, Wireless / WiFi,
Maybe the only exercise you get these days is on your Wii, so Nokia has upped its N79 smartphone to bring you the Active and get you out of the house. It has a SportsTracker application that utilizes an onboard GPS, accelerometer and data connection to keep track of your exercising. Track your miles run, speed, heart rate and include music. You can also upload to the SportsTracker website. The Active comes with a Polar Bluetooth WearLink heart rate belt and a CP-324 elastic armband case at a price of $492.00.
Read More 
| Mobileburn
Gallery: Nokia N79 Active With SportsTracker
BaR2D2 - Robotic Bartender
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Design, Smart Home, Science, Videos,
Remember the Refrigerator that tosses beer cans? The BaR2D2 makes that look like an infant machine. Creator Jamie Price made the portable bartender in his spare time in his garage. BaR has a motorized beer elevator and ice/mixer drawer, a six-bottle shot dispenser, and sound activated neon lighting and sound effects. Jamie has full instructions available on Instructables if you would like to DIY. While you are there, vote for him so he can win some Craftsman tools to build his next clever creation.
Read More | Instructables
Gallery: BaR2D2 - Robotic Bartender
Video: Microsoft Songsmith first look
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: CES, CES 2009, Microsoft, Music, PC / Laptop, Software, Videos,
Our pal Robert Scoble was able to get an early look at the new Microsoft Songsmith software, and we were impressed enough that we wanted to give you guys a look at the video. Songsmith allows you to make music, that you sing to, by generating musical accompaniment to match a singer’s voice. You sing into your mic, and the software creates the backing music for you to make you sound good. It’s not just for novices either, as you can play instruments into Somgsmith for capturing, and it includes an intelligent scratchpad to allow it to work with new melodies. Kind of hard to explain, so really, check out the video. You can download a free trial at the Songsmith page as well.
Read More | Songsmith
Gallery: Video: Microsoft Songsmith first look
Okay, well, not really, but here on the eve of MacWorld 2009, we thought we might have a little fun. We adore The Onion here at Gear Live, and when we saw this video, we had to share it with you. After all, we know that Mac fanboys will buy anything, that prices on new Apple products can be high, and that sometimes battery life can be horrible. The Onion used that fodder to put together the masterpiece you see above, the first Apple notebook with no keyboard.
Okay, enough of that, we’ll be back with the real MacWorld 2009 news tomorrow morning!
Read More | The Onion
Gallery: Apple introduces the MacBook Wheel
On the eve of MacWorld 2009, Google has finally gone and released a Mac version of Picasa. Picasa 3 for OS X is a beta version of the massively popular Picasa photo management software that Windows users have been enjoying for about five years now. If you are unfamiliar, unlike iPhoto, Picasa doesn’t wrangle all your images into one area - instead, if finds them and leaves them where they are. If you move an image, it will know where it went. You can do simple editing, and since Picasa is a Google product, it ties in to all the other Google offerings in exactly the ways you are thinking. Yup, emailing photos using your Gmail account, uploading videos to YouTube, and sending both photos and videos to the free Picasa Web Albums service, where you can then share them with friends, the world, or keep them private.
Picasa is free, and you can grab it immediately.
Read More | Picasa for OS X
Gallery: Picasa 3 beta released for Mac
Once in a while we just have to let you know about something that adds no value to your life except for that of amusement. The Poking Box, (aka Tuttuki Bako in Japanese,) allows you to stick your finger inside and supposedly gives you the same sensation you would have by touching the onscreen figures. The silly gadget carries a MSRP of $49.99. We expect now someone will come up with something that will duplicate the sensation of pulling one’s finger.
Read More | Gizmine
Gallery: The Poking Box
AirBed and Breakfast Replaces Costly Hotels
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Smart Home, Transportation, Videos,
You finally cleaned out that spare room that housed all the junk and sold it on eBay. What to do with the space now? List it for free on AirBed and Breakfast. Then when some weary traveler needs a room for the night you can make a bit of cash. The site lists over 600 cities in 68 countries. Whoever rents the room pays the site a surcharge so everybody is happy. We only had one problem with the concept. Do they screen renters or rentees? No matter. It is worth taking a peek for their video alone.
Read More | AirBed and Breakfast
Gallery: AirBed and Breakfast Replaces Costly Hotels
What do you get when you combine a bunch of bored creative-types, a large warehouse and 49 microwave ovens? A Christmas song, hello!
Actually, we’re not so sure they were bored - the people over at ideas agency AKQA put an enormous amount of planning into producing this little holiday greeting and here’s some of the attention it deserves. Watch the video above and marvel.
Read More | GIZMODO
Gallery: Video: Microwave Jingle Bells
There’s a new mouse in town. Cyber Sport’s Orbita has a built-in compass to calibrate movements in 3D. The wireless 3-axis mouse does without a scroll wheel. Instead, users rotate it left or right. It also has a series of buttons for clicking. Ergonomically designed, it features a programmable interface with multi-function platform. The Orbita is compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista and Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later. You can pre-order now for £82.10 (~$126.00) and expect a January delivery.
Read More | Cyber Sport
