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On Gear Live: 10 gadget sightings in Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance music video

Bleeding Edge TV 319: Apple TV 3.0 walkthrough

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Apple, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies, Music, Podcasts, Software, Videocasts, Videos

Yesterday, released 3.0, the first “major” release for the device in about two years. The company has often referred to the Apple TV as a hobby, as opposed to a real business. That said, there are a few nice additions that can be found in the Apple TV 3.0 update, so we give you a full walkthrough of the device, giving you a sampling of some of the new hotness.

Some of the standout features are the obviously redesigned home screen. Instead of the centered grid, you get a full screen menu that makes it easier to navigate right to the content that you want. I mean, it’s nice, but it seems to be the biggest visual upgrade to the device, which we think is in need of a hardware refresh. You also score Genius DJ playlist abilities, nice for parties and such, but I rock a system, so it doesn’t really appeal to me personally. Same goes for Internet radio, but it is there as a feature, and it’s nice. The one we like is the addition of iTunes Extras and iTunes LP content. We are fans of the iTunes LP, so being able to see it on an HDTV, which is where we think it shines, is also “nice.”

If you are picking up on a trend, you win. This whole 3.0 business is, in a word, “nice.” It isn’t anything more than that. It brings the Apple TV in line with other Apple products, allowing it to do things that other devices can do, and it gets a UI refresh, and the Helvetica font. All well and good, but let’s hope that next time around we get some decent new hardware. In any event, hit the play button for the full tour.


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Bleeding Edge TV 308: Win our 52-inch LG Scarlet Series HDTV!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos


So, remember that LG Scarlet Series HDTV that we gave you a look at the other day? Well, now we are giving it away to one of you, in conjunction with ExpoTV! That’s right, you have a shot at walking away with this 52-inch beauty. Want in? Here’s how it works:

  1. Head on over to the contest page on ExpoTV
  2. Hit the sign up button at the bottom of that page
  3. Submit a video review of any electronic device you have access to. For each review, you get one entry into the contest. For every LG product that you review, you get five entries. There is no limit to the number of devices you can review. Heck, if you want to, submit 10 a day.
  4. Anytime someone on ExpoTV marks your review as “Helpful”, you earn an extra entry.

The giveaway starts now, and ends on May 8 at 11:59 PM EDT. We will announce a winner, drawn at random, by May 15th. As always, there are a couple of things we can’t get around, mostly due to the law. As such, this giveaway is open to legal US residents only, age 18 or over.

With all that out of the way, it’s time for you guys to start getting your entries in. Go ahead and review anything you can get your hands on. Seriously, fire up your webcam or digital camera and record a review of your cell phone, your game console(s), television, computer, etc. The more you participate and submit, the greater chance you have
of walking away with these 52 inches of LG goodness.

We will be highlighting entries that stand out to us over on the Gear Live Twitter account, so be sure to follow us there for all the updates. Good luck!


Bleeding Edge TV 251: Jensen Ported iPod Speakers and Docking Digital HD Radio

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, Apple, CES, CES 2008, Features, Home Entertainment, Music, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts


Everyone loves speakers.  At least that’s what I’m thinking, after taking a look at the market.  Jensen’s newest offerings, the JiSS 550 and JiSS 330, retailing for $129 and $99 respectively.  Both docks include side flow bass ports for crisper sound and remote controls, and both are available now.

Another, newer offering from Jensen is an HD radio enabled iPod speaker.  Along with all of the rest of the cool tricks that HD radio receivers have (FM multicasting, digital sound and station information services, among others), Jensen’s newest HD offering features an tagging function - when you hear a song on the radio that you know you’re going to want to hear again, repeatedly and whenever you want, with the touch of a button you can send the song information to your iPod.  On your next sync, you’ll get a prompt from iTunes reminding you that you wanted to buy the song.

Available in April, MSRP on the HD radio iPod speaker will be coming in at an estimated $179, but rumor has it that if you head over to Target when the speaker is released, you could save yourself enough to buy a couple of albums worth of songs you tagged on the unit.


Bleeding Edge TV 243: Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin iPod/iPhone dock

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, Apple, Cell Phones, CES, CES 2008, Design, Features, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Music, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts


Bowers and Wilkins has long been known for their stunning audiophile loudspeaker and home theater equipment so it’s no surprise that their foray into the / speaker dock territory is an impressive one. The new Zeppelin dock features a subwoofer and two midrange/tweeters all in a single compact unit. The odd football shape does indeed bring to mind it’s airship namesake with a look that is sure to draw a second look for passers by. The downside - it’s $600; or $200 more than you spent on the iPhone that goes in it.

In the video we show off the product, and even demonstrate how it handles an iPhone taking a call while in use. Amazingly, there is no GSM interference to be found. Definitely a plus.


CES 2008 Video: Logitech Harmony ONE Remote, diNovo Bluetooth keyboard

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Accessories, CES, CES 2008, Features, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Household, Podcasts, Videocasts, Wireless / WiFi


At , showed us some cool gadgets to enhance your home entertainment system. First was the diNovo Mini Palm-Size Keyboard, a little larger than an eyeglass case, which controls either your media-center PC or a computer hooked-up to a TV, depending on your setup. For example, you can use the diNovo to scan through the photos on your laptop—and display them on your TV. Plus, it’s Bluetooth-enabled ...in case you’d like to type and send a text to your bud’s phone without reaching for your cell.

We also loved Logitech’s newest Harmony One remote control with touch screen. Just hook it up to your computer via USB, and the accompanying software helps you program all your devices (and more) to the remote. This one will be available at the end of January for $250 USD.


CES 2008 Video: The new Sharp AQUOS LCD HDTV line

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Broadband, CES, CES 2008, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Podcasts, Science, Videocasts


We visited at and checked out their TV specifically for gamers. It’s the GP3 Series of 1080p LCD TVs, with a 6 millisecond response time, which reduces lag time between your beloved console and the TV. It’s even available in 3 cool colors: Red, White or Black. Available for $1500. We also checked out their D64 Series of LCDs, 20% lighter and thinner than the previous D62 Series. Sizes range from 32” - 65” and are available now.

We loved AquosNet, an internet service in which up-to-the-minute, customizable information (weather, stocks, sports, traffic, Hollywood news and more) appears on the side of the TV screen at the push of a button. AquosNet is free with the SC94 and D74 Series.


Bleeding Edge TV 196: My DVR Expander TiVo Storage Booster

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Accessories, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Storage, Videocasts


We know that everyone could use a bit more storage capacity in thier Series3 or TiVo HD units. Luckily, Western Digital has released My DVR Expander - a 500GB eSATA disk that is perfect for bumping up your TiVo’s storage capacity. We show you how it works in this episode.

As for the My DVR Expander unit itself, here is an overview from Western Digital:

Instantly add up to 60 hours of high-definition TV or up to 300 hours of standard-definition TV to your eSATA-enabled DVR. You’ll have plenty of room to save your programs longer and never miss your favorite shows.

Key Features
Easy to set up, easy to use - Just plug it in to the external SATA (eSATA) port on your DVR and start recording even more TV shows, sporting events and movies. eSATA port must be active.

Compatible - My DVR Expander has been tested for compatibility with Scientific Atlanta 8300 Series, and has been TiVo verified compatible with TiVo® Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs. Check with your cable service provider to confirm compatibility with their system.

Quiet and Cool - A unique no-fan passive cooling system and special hard drive design makes it quiet for the living room or bedroom.

Low-intensity LED - Designed with a soft amber LED indicator, ideal for the living room or bedrooms.

As we note in the video, once you hook up and activate the My DVR Expander, if you ever choose to disconnect it from your DVR, you will lose all the content that is stored on it.


Bleeding Edge TV 194: SanDisk Sansa TakeTV Demonstration

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Features, Home Entertainment, Movies, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts


When it comes to the Sansa device, we’ve done an unboxing video and even show you how to set up the TakeTV in your home. In our latest video, we show you how the darn thing works. We have it hooked up already, so now it’s time to put some content on it and fire it up. Do note, the Sansa TakeTV does ship with a couple of sample video clips already on it in case you just want to test your setup.

Once we put some video files on it, we were able to watch some of them on the device - we forgot that the TakeTV doesn’t support high definition video, so those clips failed to play. Other than that, this is really a no brainer. There isn’t even a complicated menu system. You plug the device in to your TV, and you get a list of videos to play. Easy. Check it out, and let us know if there are any other questions we can answer for you guys.


Bleeding Edge TV 192: SanDisk Sansa TakeTV Setup

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Features, Home Entertainment, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts


So, a few days ago, we hit you with our TakeTV unboxing video, where we showed you everything that was inside the Sansa TakeTV package. Today we wanted to follow it up and show you how you go about setting the thing up, just to prove that it really is as simple as it looks. We hook up the TakeTV device to our Samsing LCD in under a minute.

Stay tuned - we will have another video up in a couple of days that shows the actual usage of the device - putting videos on it, playing them through the dock, etc.


Bleeding Edge TV 165: AMD LIVE! Digital Home Cinema

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Movies, Music, PC / Laptop, Videocasts


We were able to get a first-hand look at the new AMD LIVE! Digital Home Cinema concept while hanging out with the AMD crew. For those who may have missed it at CES, the AMD LIVE! Home Cinema is pretty much a specialized HTPC that aims to replace just about everything in your entertainment center, save for game consoles. It can run Linux or Windows Media Center, and is even a digital cable tuner that is CableCARD compatible. Powered by an AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor, it aims to provide an immersive theater-quality media experience with high-definition video, integrated 100 watt per channel surround sound audio and Internet capability, all in a device fit for your entertainment center. Check the video for a full walk-through.


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