Once Monster dipped its toes into the headphone market, there was no stopping the cable manufacturer from releasing a bevy of earphones on the unsuspecting masses. From in-ear to on-ear to over-the-ear, you shouldn't have trouble finding a pair of undeniably stylish Monster headphones to suit your needs.
The latest offering is the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo, an on-ear model that features ControlTalk, which is essentially fancy terminology for an inline mic and integrated controls for the iPod. This $200 set offers all the bass we expected from the first two Dr. Dre headphones in a slick, compact package. Unfortunately, while the low end is satisfyingly ear-shaking, it also tends to muddy up the overall sound space.
This week, Donald will just not_shut_up already, so Jasmine tries to impose a word cap on his ramblings (it fails). Items that are babbled upon include the overly bass-heavy Dr. Dre Beats Solo headphones, a potential Zii war between Nintendo and Creative, an itty-bitty $9 MP3 player, and a potential HD video player from Cowon. Also, Donald shoots Jasmine with lasers, and we drool over an ultraquiet vacuum with a built in iPod speaker.
Listen now:
Download today's podcast
Subscribe in iTunes audio | Subscribe in iTunes video | Subscribe in RSS audio | Subscribe in RSS video
... Read more
Where's the "All of the Above" option?
(Credit: AT&T)Before we get into the stories on today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast, let's spend a moment on the magic of Lady Gaga. In this morning's pre-show, Jeff admits he's finally fallen for the incendiary pop star, and it's all because of her newest video, "Bad Romance." We all agree that the diva is definitely the most talented pop star, but the nerds inside of us have to ask: does she have to constantly pimp her Monster Heartbeat headphones in every single music video?
Wilson also shows us a "no duh" iPhone app from AT&T called "Mark the Spot." The app gives AT&T customers a chance to vocalize and report their poor service complaints. It even lets you note your current location and the frequently of the issue. Anyone else think it's ironic that you have to use AT&T's servers to access this complaint software? How are we supposed to use it if the network is struggling?
We've been patiently waiting for Space Beer to come out ever since the debut of Space Beer Guy back on Episode 109, and it's finally here! The beer made with barley grown in space is finally available for the low price of $113, which actually isn't that much when you consider the shipping fee. Unfortunately, there are only 250 boxes of the stuff available, so you might have to fight us to get your hands on a bottle.
Finally, we've received so many new theme song submissions that we've decided to play a new one every day for the rest of this week! Today's entries include two 8-bit versions from Callum and Adam and a synth-y remix from Mad Dogg. Keep listening to the rest of this week's episodes for more submissions, and thanks to all the talented folks who are taking the time to help out this podcast. We owe you all a Coke!
EPISODE 482
Listen now: Download today's podcastSubscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video
... Read more
In recent years, Monster Cables started to expand its business to include a handful of headphones, the first models coming from a collaboration with hip-hop producer Dr. Dre. The company's offerings now comprise a couple of in-ear sets, including the top-of-the-line Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers, a $299 number that features the same heavy, metal earpieces as found on the first Turbine earphones. While we wish Monster had incorporated an integrated mic and iPod controls at this price point, it's hard to overlook the Turbine Pro's high-end look and feel and top-notch sound.
(Credit:
Monster)
I bet companies like Monster are breathing a sigh of relief now that rumors of an integrated iPhone 3GS FM transmitter have been proven false. Otherwise, there's simply no way monster could have justified its newly announced $99 iCarPlay Wireless 1000 in-car FM transmitter and iPod/iPhone charger.
Truth is, I still don't know how you justify a $99 FM transmitter, or even a $79 FM transmitter like the also-announced Monster iCarPlay Wireless 800 (pictured). FCC regulations have pretty much capped the power of these things for the past few years, making it hard to argue that the devices are any more effective than last year's models. To Monster's credit, the refreshed gear looks twice as slick as last year's line-up, and this time around they're officially iPhone 3G certified.
Still, to anyone willing to drop $100 on an FM transmitter: do yourself a favor and please just upgrade your car's stereo. Also, remember, all you iPhone and iPod Touch users can use stereo Bluetooth now (hint-hint).
All ranting aside, Monster unveiled a few other in-car audio accessories today, including the iCarCharger 1000 iPod/iPhone power adapter ($49), the $19 iCarPlay Cassette 800 (yes, they still make these), along with a grab bag of $15-$30 aux cables (iSplitters, iCables--you get the idea).
The original Turbine. The new Pro looks similar, but with more gold.
(Credit: Monster)On Thursday night in Manhattan, Mr. Monster himself, Noel Lee, introduced a handful of journalists to his new top-on-the-line in-ear headphones, the Turbine Pro.
I'm a huge fan of Monster's original Turbine at $150. It's easily my pick for the best bang-for-the-buck in-ear. But the new Turbine Pro at $250, due out next month, is better. The Turbine remains in the line.
I was listening to a hand-built prototype Turbine Pro (the builder must have really tiny hands) and I have to say, the new baby has even greater clarity, more accurate bass, and sweeter treble. It's a more refined sound. Not that the standard Turbine is a slouch in those departments, but the Pro is just better in every area.
Lee also demonstrated his newly designed ear tips, which were extremely comfortable and provided improved isolation from external noise.
The headphone's technical details weren't disclosed. So for now I can't really say why the new ones are better. More to come on that.
(Credit:
Monster.com)
Is a job listing for an "experienced engineer to lead the gaming platforms team" final proof that Netflix's Watch Now streaming video service is coming to the PS3 and Wii? That's the question Crunchgear is asking after it recently got a tip from a reader who saw that Netflix had posted the job to Monster.com.
In case you're having trouble reading the job description above, here's the important part:
We are looking for a hands-on leader and innovator. We seek deep experience developing and testing media rich applications on current generation gaming consoles. Candidates will be technical, strong leaders, and execution focused. Expect to help build a small technology team to rapidly prototype and iterate on a variety of platforms.
The key phrase is "a variety of platforms," which one would assume means both home and mobile gaming consoles. You could also throw the iPhone into the mix, though you'd have to stream via Wi-Fi, not a cellular connection, because AT&T has bandwidth restrictions on streaming video.
As far as rumor mongering goes, the job listing, which went up on April 6, dovetails nicely with a recent Netflix survey asking subscribers whether they'd be willing to shell out a one-time fee of $10 to stream video to their PS3s.
Of course, if Netflix is just advertising the position now, it's unclear how far along it is with development for other gaming platforms beyond the XBox 360.
Thoughts?
- WiiWare
- Niki - Rock 'n' Ball (Bplus, 500 Wii points): Niki - Rock 'n' Ball is a platforming game that approaches a classic game mechanic in a brand new way. Liberate villages by eliminating the enemies that have appeared.
- Virtual Console
- Wonder Boy in Monster Land (1988, Sega Master System, 500 Wii points): Weird box art aside, you'll take on the role of Wonder Boy as you battle fire-breathing dragons and other strange enemies. Use magic spells and weapons to make your quest a little more tolerable.
What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off here!
At the risk of beating a dead horse, we dropped by our local Circuit City store this weekend to see if the oft-derided liquidation sales had picked up any steam. Hopefully, a couple of weeks into the CC death spiral, the discounts would ratchet up and we'd finally see some good deals.
While others have been prevented by store managers from getting actual in-store shots of the liquidation sales, we ninja'd our way through with the help of the iPhone's built-in camera, much as we did when sneaking pics of Wal-Mart's iPhone kiosks.
Many items were still listed at 10-percent off -- and that's 10-percent off the MSRP, not Circuit City's normally discounted prices, a distinction that has been noted repeatedly by reporters and bloggers. A few categories went up to 30-percent off (time to stock up on video game-hint books!), and even the 10-percent is worth checking out for items that normally don't get any kind of list price discount.
Check out the gallery below for a quick survey of what's on sale. We've even tossed in a few direct price comparisons for laptops and video-game gear to test just how liquid this liquidation sale really is.
The Monster Turbine headphones are so good, we're actually not allowed to call them headphones.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)Donald talks about his review of the Cowon S9 touch-screen MP3 player and Jasmine brings us up to speed on in-ear speakers (aka headphones). Then, we round-up six iPod alternatives that are compatible with DRM-free iTunes Plus downloads.
Listen now:
Download today's podcast
... Read more
