Monster seems to be cornering the market on rap moguls. The company just announced Diddybeats, which will add Sean "Diddy" Combs to the Monster family.
The new in-ear headphone line will be produced under the Monster and Beats by Dre umbrella, which is the company's joint effort with another music mega-mogul, Dr. Dre.
Adorned with the db moniker, the set promises high-end audio with Monster's own hands-free ControlTalk technology.
Best Buy will have the exclusive on Diddybeats -- at least to start. The retailer has already started taking pre-orders, with plans to deliver Diddybeats to stores on March 28.
Nothing satisfies us more than "big dope" stories. This week's edition comes courtesy of Swann Security.
The company says that during this month's Consumer Electronic Show, some dummy tried to make off with the company's sign-in book. Well, he don't know them very well, do he?
Being that the company does, you know... security... they had a lot of cameras set up around the booth. A lot of times, you can watch yourself walking by, checking out products, or just having a bad hair day. Apparently, you can also get caught stealing company client names.
The story almost seems too good to be true, but it was covered by the Las Vegas Now news team. Check out the story below.
Two years after the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, PS3 users are getting a bit of closure.
Sony and Rockstar Games have announced that Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City will soon be coming to frothing PlayStation 3 gamers everywhere. The last two chapters will come on one disc, or you can download them individually from the PlayStation Network. Those episodes are titled, "The Lost And Damned" and "The Ballad of Gay Tony." Expect plenty of cars, weapons and music included in each.
Expect Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City to be screeching into stores on March 30, 2010. It will retail for $39.99. The downloads will be available the same day in the PlayStation Store for $19.99 a pop.
VIZIO made the announcement that they've inked a deal with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Not sure what the bigger news is here: The endorsement, the fact that VIZIO has that kind of cash, or that Beyoncé goes by Jay-Z's real last name.
Either way, we can expect to see three years of Beyoncé shaking her groove thing in print, web and other ads, as well as on the actual packaging. The singer will also get to don an engineer's cap, contributing her two cents to design and performance characteristics of new products.
"What I love about VIZIO is how committed they have been to customers and their focus on delivering tremendous performance at a great value," said the actress and singer. "As a performer, I can relate to that, because my fans spend their hard-earned money to see me perform, and I give everything I can to make sure I exceed their expectations. I'm excited to be associated with such a successful company."
Best Buy is showing off laptops from Toshiba, Dell, and Sony. Why? Not just because they carry them in stores, but because they are now part of the company's Blue Label 2.0 line.
What makes the Blue Label red-hot is that users can stream video and photos from the laptop to a flat-panel TV. Each model boasts Intel Wireless Display technology, as well as the new Intel i5 processor, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. New users will also get 30 days of Geek Squad support to help start the streaming process.
Toshiba will have a 14-inch model, Dell has 15.6 inches, and Sony will launch a 13-inch laptop -- all exclusive to Best Buy. The models will start selling in stores and online on January 17. Pricing will start at $899.99.
Well, you may have to wait a bit, but you don't have to wonder. Disney just announced its first 3D Blu-ray release. Despite the studio's many 3D theatrical releases, Engadget says they are launching the good stuff with A Christmas Carol -- the Jim Carrey version.
Whether or not you're excited, you still have to wait; it won't come until towards the end of 2010.
VIZIO is keeping the CE industry on its toes, launching even more products for the budget-conscious consumer. The company will soon start selling two universal remote controls, the XRT100 and the VUR9M.
If you're looking for a nice digital touchscreen, the XRT100 is designed to work with VIA-enabled TVs, as well as any legacy A/V component. It looks like the company is taking a page out of the Harmony playbook, offering one-touch access to multiple devices on its 3.5-inch LCD.
The VUR9M isn't as touchable, but it does have backlit volume and number keys so you don't fumble in the dark. It also comes pre-loaded with tons of IR codes for different devices.
The XRT100 has no release date, but the VUR9M should be available in March. VIZIO hasn't said a peep about pricing.
We can't wait to see what this will go for on eBay. Kingston Digital just announced plans to distribute Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT on a USB Flash drive.
Like all things related to MJ (post-demise, that is), this will be a limited-edition product. It will be timed with the Blu-ray and DVD release, but will come on a special Kingston DataTraveler USB Flash drive.
The product will be compatible with Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Once you've got it, you can back the film up to three PCs.
Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT will be released on January 26, 2010.
Years ago, we purchased noise-cancelling headphones from a very well known manufacturer. They were (and still are) a few hundred bucks. Now, we really can't put a price on blocking out plane chatter. However, Audio-Technica sure can -- and we like the price they're quoting us.
The company just announced the new ATH-ANC25 QuietPoint noise-cancelling on-ear headphones. The company says it should block 80 percent of crying babies, as well as the sounds of planes, trains and automobiles. Each earpiece has tiny microphones to sense the sounds -- and then block 'em.
While we love the whole Fantastic Voyage thing for our headset, what we truly can't resist is the $99.95 price tag. Expect the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC25 headphones to start selling next month.
Hey Genius, need to add RF capabilities to your remote? You could try to pull it apart and tweak until you singe off a fingerprint -- or you can get the NextGen Remote Extender Genius.
The unit takes any ordinary remote and adds in RF features. Just replace one of your remote's AA or AAA batteries with the NextGen battery transmitter and you can run around the house turning components on and off like a mental patient. It works up to 100 feet away, all without the need for line of sight. Also, it can control more than one remote with additional battery transmitters.
NextGen's Remote Extender Genius is shipping now for $69.95.
Nothing says technologically advanced like a smudgy laptop. HP wants you to get up close and personal with some of its newly announced portable hardware.
The new HP TouchSmart tm2 is a nifty touch-enabled notebook. As an update to the tx2, this model has a sleek look and can morph into whatever you find most comfortable. Unfortunately, it does not have a "La-Z-Boy" mode, but it does do a sketchpad with digital pen and offers one-touch access to Netflix. Other features include a 12.1-inch screen, the latest low-voltage Intel Core 2 Duo processors ATI Mobility Radeon graphics, and 9 hours of battery life.
Wipe your sweaty fingers; the HP TouchSmart tm2 won't be available until January 17. It should come in a plethora of colors, with a price starting at $949.
If you want to make the touchable PC experience mini, the company will also unleash the HP Mini 5102 sometime this month. Weighing in at just 2.6 pounds, you can choose between standard and touchable units (duh!) as well as black, red or blue brushed finishes.
Other features include a 10.1-inch display (in WSVGA or HD resolutions), an Intel Atom N450 processor, and up to 10 hours of battery time. When it does come, it will pack a much a lower starting price of $399.
Is it a clock or a dock? That might be the age-old question -- if it was an important one. According to i4U, iLuv is releasing a customizable iPhone/iPod dock, known as the App Station. The customizable part comes in the form of an app, which you'll need to download to turn your portable into your favorite clock face. It sounds like a lot of effort to do something that's probably already on your nightstand, your wall and/or your wrist.
Still, it sure is pretty. Not sure we'd want to wake up in the middle of the night and see our lack of sacktime staring us in the face this big. However, it would be nice to read the time from down the hall.
Oh -- when you get tired of looking at the time, the dock can do the flippity-flop for movies or music. Now that's something we'd be willing to blow $130 on. Expect to see it start popping up in February.
Next time an athlete high-fives, you don't want to leave them hanging -- well, if you have ESPN 3D. The sports empire just announced plans for a network, which will showcase at least 85 live events each year.
The network plans to kick off on June 11, with the 2010 FIFA World Cup match, featuring South Africa versus Mexico.
I was thinking about switching to FiOS, but here's some news that makes me think otherwise: DirecTV is planning an all-HD 3D channel. Wow wee.
Gary Merson, the HD Guru, says that the channel will include movies, sports and other programming, all in HD. Expect to wear those goofy 3D glasses. We'd also recommend a cold compress in case your cornea tries to explode.
DirecTV will show off some of the content at CES next month. DirecTV's current HDTV subscribers will get a firmware update to get the channel, which is expected to launch early 2010. The content will also be compatible with new 3D HDTVs from Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, LG, as well as Mitsubishi's current DLP models.
After all of that holiday shopping, I wouldn't mind a few freebies. TigerDirect wants to oblige. They are kicking off a New Year's sweepstakes, with over $11,000 in prizes.
Of course, you'll need to enter through the company's Facebook page, so you might want to check out the rules. Assuming you don't mind the fine print, you could walk away with a PC gaming package, a laptop package, a home entertainment package, or one of the many other prizes the retailer is offering.
No purchases are necessary. The contest ends on February 9, 2010, with winners being announced a day later. Good luck!
Think the iPhone could make better pictures? It could soon -- if the web rumors are true.
Electronista and others are reporting that the next iPhone could be getting a 5-megapixel camera. The current model has 3.2 megapixels. Who could get by on that?
Naturally, Apple isn't confirming anything. However, OmniVision, who currently supplies the iPhone's camera goods, supposedly has orders.
If everything is correct, a new, better iPhone could be making you look out of date by the end of 2010.
You're in town for CES... wanna date? Well, Intelius is offering up one that you won't have to pay for.
The company says it will host a Dating Game-styled contest right on the showfloor. The melee will be a promotion to pump up the company's Date Check, a mobile application that allows users to instantly scan for skeevy critters posing as a potential mate.
For the Dream Date contest, Intelius is looking for nine bachelors to vie for one of three dates with a lucky bachelorette (aka a hired booth babe). You'll get a background check via Date Check and get to participate in the contest live on stage. Winners get lunch with the babe, as well as a pair of Vegas show tickets. It's just what your boss sent you there for!
If you're at the show in January, look for the contest in the Living in Digital Times exhibitor area located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Paul McCartney is ready to rock your living room. Of course, don't start making Bundt cake; the former Beatle isn't out making personal appearances. Still, this news is the closest you'll get to your own concert. Harmonix and MTV Games just announced that three tracks from McCartney's latest live album will be coming to Rock Band.
The tracks can be downloaded from the Rock Band Music Store and LEGO Rock Band Music Store. They will be available for the Xbox 360, PS3 and the Wii. The three songs are live versions of "Band on the Run," "Jet" and "Sing the Changes."
Each of the songs are being lifted from McCartney's Good Evening New York City. The release is available in two formats: a three-disc standard edition (two CDs and one DVD) and a four-disc deluxe version (two CDs and two DVDs).
Xbox and Wii Rock Band users can download the New York City Pack 01 starting January 5. Single tracks are $1.99 for the Xbox and $2 for the Wii. Xbox users can get all three for $5.49.
There's no word on any prices for PS3 users, who have to keep frothing until the songs are available on January 7.
After the whole HD DVD/Blu-ray fiasco, Toshiba was adamant about not adopting the winning technology. Millions of dollars into a failed investment will do that to someone. Over a year later, the wounds have apparently healed -- enough for Toshiba to start cashing in on the high-def format.
PC World says that the company has announced plans to finally produce a Blu-ray player. However, just because they are producing, does that mean anyone's buying?
We'll soon see. If all goes well, Toshiba should have something ready for shoppers by the end of the year. -- Rachel Cericola
Not content with just streaming Netflix, Samsung is tapping into Blockbuster for additional digital content.
Twice says that the two have just sealed a deal that will see the rental chain providing downloads to select HDTVs, home-theater systems and Blu-ray players. Users will be able to search for movie titles on-screen as well as check out ratings, trailers and other info.
Also expect to see some of the compatible Blu-ray players on sale at your local Blockbuster, as well as on the Blockbuster.com.
Blockbuster should be coming to Samsung devices near you starting this fall. -- Rachel Cericola
[Photo courtesy of Flickr user oooh.oooh. Used via Creative Commons.]