monsters

Leaked from today's 404 show:

- 'People' defend Chic-fil-A on Facebook.

- Chick-fil-A cashier fired for racist receipts.

- Old records outsell new ones for the first time.

- Circuit City's in-home TV calibration is a total scam.… Read more

As many you already know, Monster had a partnership with Beats to manufacture Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which now come in a variety of styles and sizes. Not too long ago the two companies severed ties, but that hasn't stopped Monster from making new headphones, and its Inspiration models officially arrive today, making their initial appearance at retail in Apple stores.

The Inspiration comes in two flavors -- a $299.99 model with active noise-cancellation and a $249.99 model with "passive" noise-cancellation. It's also available in three colors and it features a swappable headband cover that allows you to customize the look of your headphones (Monster includes an extra headband cover in the box and you can purchase a three-pack for $15). … Read more

Today's episode of The 404 is a valuable resource for anyone obsessed with headphones -- classic audiophiles, young audiophiliacs, musicians, producers, and casual listeners will all benefit from Steve Guttenberg's knowledge, and he brought a friend! Tyll Hertsens is largely credited for creating the first portable headphone amp and currently the editor-in-chief of InnerFidelity.

With Tyll's help, we'll run through the differences between on-ear and in-ear headphones, give credit to two companies responsible for introducing high-quality headphones to the next generation of audiophiles, and we'll even spend a little time dissecting the criteria for what makes a headphone "sound good."… Read more

There are those who believe that Yetis exist, most especially Georgians.

All too often when these claims are investigated, though, they turn up a gorilla costume and a couple of rogues.

However, someone is finally bringing scientific credibility to the search not only for Yetis, but also the Loch Ness Monster and, for all I know, unicorns.

Oxford University's Wolfson College has decided to invite every human being in the world to send in samples of animals that appear to be something of a mystery. … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--As you may already know, I'm a big sucker for Bluetooth gadgets. That's why when I spied the Monter ClarityHD Micro from a far at CTIA 2012 I couldn't resist checking them out. Squarely targeted at the same audience who think the Jawbone Jambox is groovy, this wireless speaker is small, super-portable, yet built to belt out loud tunes. … Read more

Skylanders Cloud Patrol (99 cents) is a target-shooting game unlike any other at the App Store, with just the right mix of cute graphics and addictive gameplay to keep you coming back for more.

The concept is simple: tap to fire your weapon or touch-and-slide across evil little trolls to create combos as you complete short quick levels. The game is based around the superpopular Skylanders franchise -- toys and videogames about a group of little monster heroes who defend the skies from darkness.… Read more

There's so much to talk about with our guest today, Ella Morton. She's a former editor from CNET Australia, so we'll talk to her about her appearances on Planet CNET, a book she co-wrote with the founders of RecordSetter.com, and her visit to Sesame Street with RocketBoom.

Ella is currently working on a guide book to the world's hidden wonders with the team from Atlas Obscura, so she'll also tell us a few of her favorite stories from her research. We'll finish out the show with a chat about Ella's other love: burlesque!

With so much to talk about, we'll definitely have Ella back on the show, but in the meantime be sure to follow her on Twitter and check out her own podcast, Ellipsis.… Read more

Remember when expensive headphones, let's say anything over $100, were never big sellers, and only audiophiles bought them?

That's no longer true--judging by the number of Beats by Dr. Dre headphones I see on the streets and subways in New York--pricey headphones have reached the mainstream. That's radical. Bose did pretty well with its QuietComfort noise-canceling headphones long before Dre jumped into the headphone business, but the Beats stand out in a crowd.

The reasons for Dre's success aren't purely based on sound quality, it's more that the other manufacturers' headphones sorely lacked any sense of street style. … Read more

If you haven't guessed already, I'm a big fan of platform games. Maybe it's my background of playing games from both the Mario and Sonic franchises or the sheer number of solid platformers in the iTunes App Store, but I simply can't get enough of them. There's just something charming to me about exploring a level, making all the right jumps, and trying to collect all the items to go on to next level.

There have been several popular platform games to come through the iTunes App Store, but as time goes on, I've noticed the genre evolving in interesting ways. Particularly with a few of the newer games, I'm seeing unique types of challenges being added that take the genre to places it hasn't been before.

This week's collected iOS apps are all platformers with something extra. The first uses an interesting foreground/background playing dynamic that adds to the action. The second is a continuous climber with added bonuses that keep trying to get higher and higher. The third offers tons of side challenges and secret areas for those who like to explore.… Read more