We’ve hit you with a bunch of Black Friday 2009 sales and leaks, but we’ve been waiting to see what Newegg had up their sleeve. We can now report that we’ve got details on the Newegg Black Friday 2009 sale, and there are some nice tidbits. How about a 6-foot HDMI cable for $1.99, or a 46-inch 1080p 120Hz HDTV for $699? Yeah, and that’s not all:

Pre-Black Friday (Starts Midnight PST on Monday 11/23)

• Canon DC410 DVD Camcorder $199.99 (list: $279.99)
• Antec 300 PC Case $49.95 (list $69.95)
• Seagate 2TB External Hard Drive $149.99 (list: $179.99)
• Monster 16ft High Speed HDMI Cable $29.99 (list: $54.99)
• Viewsonic 8” Digital Photo Frame $49.99 (list: $69.99)
• Logitech RX1500 3-Button Laser Mouse $12.99 (list $27.99)
• Creative GigaWorks T40 Series II Speakers $69.99 ($149.99)
• Logitech G11 Gaming Keyboard $43.99 (list $63.99)
• Sparkle GeForce 8400GS PCI-E Low-Profile Video Card $19.99 (list $34.99)

Black Friday (starts 11/25 at 3PM PST)

• Cash Back starts at 3PM PST on all products on NewEgg.com
• Digital Photo Frame $29.99
• HDMI Cable - 6 FEET $1.99 after MIR
• 1080P 120Hz LCD TV $699.99
• 430W ATX 12V Power Supply $16.99

As always, you can find all sorts of Newegg promo codes and deals on our forums.

Tags: 2tb, black friday, black friday 2009, hdtv, lcd, newegg, newegg black friday, newegg black friday 2009, newegg coupon code, newegg coupons, newegg deals, newegg discounts, newegg promo code, shopping,

Google has finally taken the wraps off of Chrome OS, its new Linux-based operating system that is all Internet-centric, running the Google Chrome browser as its main application. Yeah, the whole point of the Google Chrome OS is that it is web-based, and you interact pretty much exclusively in a browser window. The way Google sees it, you spend 95% of the time you are on a computer living in your web browser anyway, so Chrome OS is built to optimize that experience. Nothing is actually stored on the computer itself, as everything is stored, instead, in the cloud. Hit up the video above for Google’s introduction to Chrome OS, and we’ve got another video after the break taking a look at the UI concept.

Tags: chrome, chrome os, chrome os video, google, google chrome, google chrome os, operating systerms, sidefeatured, videos,

We knew that Walmart would be bringing the heat for Black Friday 2009, but we didn’t know they’d be going all-out with the Blu-ray goodness. Seriously, if you are looking for the most inexpensive Blu-ray player on Black Friday 2009, it looks like the Magnavox NB500 will be your best bet, because it’ll cost just $78 at Walmart. Oh, and if you need an HDTV to go with that deal, they’ve got you covered there as well. Check out the entire contents of the Walmart Black Friday 2009 sale after the break.

Tags: adslice, black friday, black friday 2009, sidefeatured, walmart, walmart black friday, walmart black friday 2009,

Did you think the Xbox 360 would be the only console to integrate Facebook functionality? If so, Sony has another thing coming for you, as they are launching firmware 3.10 for the PlayStation 3 today, and, you guessed it, Facebook integration is included. Check out the video above to check out how it works, but in a nutshell, you’ll be able to have the PS3 post different events to your Facebook feed, like purchases, trophies, and in-game happenings. Other changes in PS3 firmware 3.10:

• You can choose a color for your PSN ID badge
• Photos are now displayed in a grid rather than a single column
• The friends list has been modified, based on feedback from the community

The update will be out today.

Tags: cross media bar, facebook, firmware 3.10, playstation 3, playstation 3 facebook, ps3, ps3 facebook, ps3 firmware, ps3 firmware 3.10, psn, psn friends list, xmb,

Here at Gear Live we’re big fans of MacMall. Why? Because they consistently beat Apple in terms of pricing, by way of rebates - and their rebates don’t take forever to process.  MacMall will be having a fairly nice Black Friday 2009 sale on a bunch of Apple gear, as well as a few surprises, like a GPS navigation system, video game consoles, Blu-ray players, and more. Hey, when you can pick up a new 13.3-inch MacBook Pro for $1099, you know something special is happening.

We’ve got the full list of the MacMall Black Friday deals for you, after the jump.

Tags: apple, black friday, black friday 2009, black friday ads, black friday sale, ipod, mac, macbook, macbook air, macbook pro, macmall, macmall black friday,

In this episode, we give you a look at the HP Envy 13 and HP Envy 15 notebooks. These are the flagship, top-of-the-line HP notebooks, incorporating great displays with a clickable trackpad (although, it doesn’t support multitouch gestures.) The Envy 13 also has a ridiculous 16-hour battery life. For those of you audiophiles out there that need something with a bit more punch, you’ve got the HP Envy 15 Beats Limited Edition, which comes with the Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones, DJ tools software, and a few custom settings as well. Want one? You can find all three models on Amazon:

• HP Envy 13
• HP Envy 15
• HP Envy 15 BEATS Limited Edition

Hit the video above for the full scoop on the HP Envy notebook line.

Tags: beats, beats by dr. dre, beats by dre, beats studio, computers, electronics, gadgets, hp, hp envy, hp envy 13, hp envy 15, hp envy 15 beats, laptops, notebooks,

Okay, with the economy what it is, you may be looking to spruce up your desktop or notebook computer setup, rather than replacing the thing. For that, you’ll need some great accessories, and when it comes to a nice upgrade for a microphone and webcam, we’ve gotta go with Blue Microphones Eyeball 2.0. It’s sleek and stylish, so you’re iChat and Skype called will feel just a bit more dignified. You get a high-fidelity microphone and 2-megapixel video camera all in one device. You can sit it on your desk, and anchor it to your monitor or notebook with ease. You can even turn the camera off if you need to hide your face for whatever reason. The Eyeball 2.0 retails for $119, but Amazon has it for $79, a full 33% off!

Tags: 2009 holiday gift guide, blue, blue microphones, eyeball, eyeball 2.0, holiday gadget guide, holiday gift guide, microphones, usb, webcams,

Since Gear Live HQ is located smack-dab in the middle of the enhanced coverage area, we’ll be giving things a try, and we will let you know if the use of 850 MHz spectrum truly helps the dire situation that is AT&T coverage. Seattle iPhone 3GS and 3G users, give it your best!

Tags: 3g, 3g 850 mhz, 3g coverage, 850 mhz, att, att 850 mhz, auburn, everett, iphone, king county, renton, seattle, seattle 850 mhz, tacoma,

If you’re one who wants to get some good Black Friday 2009 deals, but would rather do your shopping at home, from the comforts of your PJs and the Internet, you’ll want to check out the Dell Black Friday 2009 sale. We’ve listed everything that Dell has on sale come the day after Thanksgiving from their Black Friday 2009 ad, so give it a look, and see if there’s anything work your time.

Tags: black friday, black friday 2009, black friday ads, black friday sale, blu-ray, dell, dell black friday, inspiron, sony bdp-s360, studio xps, xps, zune,

We’ve gotta say, Toys R Us gets big props from us for how they are handling their Black Friday 2009 sale. Rather than making you wait out in the cold until four or five in the morning, they are opening up at midnight, and they’ve got a bunch of doorbusters to make you head straight on over after your Thanksgiving get-together. We are talking about tremendous deals on video games, toys, and even a few gadgets and Blu-ray titles. We’ve got the list for you after the jump.

Tags: ads, black friday, black friday 2009, black friday ads, blu-ray, digital cameras, hdtv, leaks, movies, sales, toys r us, toys r us black friday 2009, video games, vtech,

Looks like our friends over at MacMall have got themselves a killer pre-Black Friday sale going on right now, where you can get pretty much every Mac at a discount, as well as a free copy of Parallels Desktop 5.0 (the best Windows virtualization tool for the Mac) and a free HP All-in-One printer. Not bad, right? Here are a few examples of what you can find:

• Unibody MacBook: $934.99 ($64 off)
• 13” MacBook Pro: $1,099 ($99 off)
• MacBook Air: $1,349 ($449 off)
• 21.5” iMac: $1,119 ($80 off)
• 2.66GHz Mac Pro Tower: $2,298 ($200 off)

That’s just a sampling, and remember, those all come with a free copy of Parallels 5.0 and that HP All-in-One printer - we aren’t sure you’ll find a better deal anywhere else this holiday season, even on the official Black Friday 2009. Seriously, a MacBook Air for 25% off?

Tags: apple, black friday, black friday 2009, mac, mac sales, macmall, macmall black friday, parallels, parallels 5.0, parallels desktop, sales, shopping,

Continuing on with our coverage of Black Friday 2009 sales leaks, we’ve got the details on what Target is going to be doing to get you out of bed early for their 5:00am doorbusters. Wondering if they’ll have any great deals on gadgets and tech? How does a 1TB hard drive for under $60 sound? Check out the full list after the jump.

Tags: black friday, black friday 2009, blu-ray, deals, hdtv, ipod nano, ipod touch, movies, shopping, target, target black friday ad, video games,

After reporting on the existence of the Sonos S5, we were immediately excited to get our hands on a unit to see how it stacked up against the rest of the lineup. If you’ve followed us for any length of time, you know that we at Gear Live are huge Sonos fans, so it makes sense that our unit arrived as soon as they were available, and we had it set up within minutes. Literally.

The S5 is the easiest way to get up and running with Sonos. We had it unboxed, plugged in, and playing music in under five minutes, controlling it with an iPhone. The price is right too, something we’ve previously criticized Sonos about. The entry level into Sonos used to be $999, but with the S5 that drops down to $399. Put this one on your Christmas list, folks. We’ve snapped a bunch of images of the S5, which you can find in our Sonos S5 unboxing gallery.

Gallery: Sonos S5 unboxing gallery

Tags: galleries, home entertainment, music, photo gallery, sonos, sonos s5, sonos zoneplayer s5, unboxing, zoneplayer,

Tags: amazon, amazon blu-ray sale, black friday, black friday 2009, blu-ray, blu-ray sale, hdtv, movies, shopping,

Best Buy’s Black Friday 2009 ad has leaked, and it is chock-full of goodness, in our humble opinion. If you are a gamer, you’ll definitely want to take a look at some of the deals they’ve got on a bunch of titles, as well as console bundles. HDTVs are also drastically reduced in price, and they’ve even got a Blu-ray player for $99. Good times all around.

Tags: best buy, black friday, black friday 2009, black friday leaks, blu-ray, deals, hdtv, leaks, sales, video games,

Alright, we are scrounging together all of the Black Friday 2009 ads and deals that we can find, and bringing them to you one-by-one in order to help you make your shopping decisions, and we are starting with Office Depot, which actually has a few surprising items that are fairly attractive, if you ask us. Go ahead and check out the list after the break. Also check out our Newegg posts, for items you can buy from the warmth of your chair, as opposed to lining up outside in the cold. Hey, to each their own.

Tags: ad scans, ads, black friday, black friday 2009, office depot, office depot black friday, sales,

We’ve got one of those fancy Limited Edition Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 console bundles, and we are giving it away to one of you readers. In this video, we give you a look at the console, which is designed to look like something straight out of Modern Warfare 2, and also features the exclusive 250GB Xbox 360 hard drive. It also includes two wireless controllers, along with the rest of the standard Xbox 360 fare. Interested in winning? Check out the video, then head on over to the official Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 giveaway page to enter by showing us your pwned face!

Tags: adslice, contests, gaming, giveaways, limited edition, microsoft, modern warfare 2, reviews, shoot it, sidefeatured, xbox 360,

Newegg has got a pre-Black Friday 2009 sale that we just caught wind of. They are selling the Toshiba 32-inch 32AV502R LCD HDTV for the super-low price of just $329. The set is a 720p high definition display, 16x9 aspect ratio, with an 8ms response time. The offer is valid from now through December 19, while supplies last - and we are assuming that these are going to go quick at that price, as these make an excellent gift, or secondary/bedroom television. If you’re interested, head on over to Newegg and check out the Toshiba 32AV502R.

As always, you can find all sorts of Newegg promo codes and deals on our forums.

Tags: 32av502r, 720p, black friday, black friday 2009, hdtv, lcd, newegg, newegg black friday, newegg coupon code, newegg coupons, newegg deals, newegg discounts, newegg promo code, shopping, toshiba, toshiba 32av502r,

It’s definitely a great value for such a small device that packs a nice punch. The Kodak Zi8 typically sells for $179, but you can find it on Amazon for a little less than that.

Honorable Mention:
Flip Mino: It isn’t HD, but it’s about $60 cheaper than the Kodak Zi8.

Tags: 1080p, 2009 holiday gift guide, camcorders, cameras, flip, flip mino, gift guide, hdtv, holiday gadget guide, holiday gift guide, kodak, kodak zi8, pocket camcorders, pocket cameras, video camers,

For those of you who weren’t able to get into the Preview Program, you can now rest assured that the latest Xbox 360 features, including Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Zune Marketplace with instant on 1080p streaming, will be arriving on all Xbox 360 consoles on November 17th. Yup, that’s just five days away, which isn’t that bad at all. To celebrate the launch of the new dashboard, all Xbox Live Gold features will be available to Xbox Live Silver members from November 20-23, allowing Silver members to sample Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and online multiplayer. Oh, what’s that? You didn’t know that only Xbox Live Gold members were able to use the new social networking aspects of the dashboard? Yeah, major fail, we agree.

We previewed the dashboard in a recent episode of Bleeding Edge TV, which you can check out at the top.

Tags: 1080p, dashboard update, facebook, fall 2009 dashboard update, instant on 1080p, last.fm, microsoft, twitter, xbox 360, zune, zune marketplace,

After some hefty research (read: lots of Googling and failed MMS messages,) we finally stumbled upon a post over on Howard Forums from a user who seemed to identify this issue.  We have tested it successfully, both purposefully breaking and then fixing our ability to send MMS.

The culprit: parentheses around your contact’s area code.  If your contacts have parentheses around them when they are synced to the phone, the Droid faithfully preserves that.  However, when the address is used for an MMS transmission (and ONLY MMS, for some reason), it glitches out and fails. [Ed. note: What an absolutely ridiculous bug!]

Here’s how to fix the DROID MMS issue, if you are experiencing it:

1. Delete any open threads containing the user you want to MMS, including any text message threads.  Otherwise, it will pull the address form the thread instead of using the new one.
2. Edit the contact, removing the phone number and retyping it in.  Notice the Droid will type the hyphens in itself, but will not place parentheses.  Make sure to do this on EACH form of data this may synchronize from (e.g. Corporate AND Google contacts, if this person is in both.  Haven’t figured out if parentheses coming from Facebook can cause a problem.)
3. Soft reset the phone.
4. Attempt the MMS.

This worked for us.  Drop us a comment and let us know if it worked for you.  There have been some reports of the problems reoccurring, and so we’d like to know your circumstances.

Personal note: Make sure you edit the information that syncs to your phone so it has no parentheses.  I know I exported my contacts from Outlook, and imported them into Google, and Outlook puts parentheses by default, so that is why none of my contacts worked in the first place, but we COULD send to the guy at Verizon Wireless (because we typed in his number directly.)  I’m wondering if somehow the parentheses data is somehow being synced back to the phone.

We’ve reported the situation to Verizon’s Wireless Data Technical Support team, who thanked us for the information. (Direct quote: “Awesome.”)

Tags: bugs, cell phones, cellphones, droid, droid bugs, droid mms, droid mms bug, how to, mms, motorola, motorola droid, smartphones, verizon, verizon wireless,

It’s no secret that Scene It? is one of the most popular game series around, and this holiday we are recommending Scene It? The Simpsons Deluxe Edition. It’s been getting rave reviews as one of the best Scene It? titles to be released, and hey, it’s The Simpsons. The show has been around for 20 years, which means parents can play this with kids and have a good time. The game features material from the show’s first 19 seasons on the air, has hundreds of questions, and has four collectable tokens. You can pick up Scene It? The Simpsons Deluxe Edition for $29.99. Best. Scene It. Ever.

Honorable Mentions:
Scene It? Twilight Edition: Yeah, we know a lot of the ladies out there are on a vampire kick thanks to Twilight. Guys, you may want to consider this one.
Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!: Would you rather play scene it on the Xbox 360 rather than using a DVD player? This is the one you’ll want.

Tags: 2009 holiday gift guide, games, holiday gadget guide, holiday gift guide, playstation 3, ps3, scene it, scene it bright lights big screen, scene it the simpsons deluxe, scene it twilight, the simpsons, twilight, video games, wii, xbox 360,

We’ve been fans of the Verizon FiOS Internet service for about two-and-a-half years now, and as soon as FiOS TV was available for Gear Live HQ, we were first in our area to subscribe to that service as well. Aside from the uncompressed signal that they send through, the service has some features that make it truly unique, like the integration of Facebook and Twitter right on the DVR. I had some of my friends over to show off FiOS TV, and we had the cameras going to capture it all. Hit play for a look at what went down. If you’re curious about Verizon FiOS, be sure to hit up the Facts on FiOS site for details.

A big thank you to Verizon for helping make the party happen!

Tags: cable, comcast, facebook, facts on fios, fios, fios tv, ftth, fttp, twitter, verizon, verizon fios,

Following up on the promise of more free games for the Zune HD, Microsoft has released six new titles that are now available for your downloading pleasure. We’ve got a blurb on each game here, but we’ve gotta just say, after playing with PGR Ferrari Edition, we are thankful for that Tegra processor that the Zune HD is packing. Sure, it’s no App Store equivalent, but hey, it’s free content that is actually more fun than a flashlight or tip calculator:

• Audiosurf Tilt: Audiosurf creates a rollercoaster ride from any song. Choose any song from your music collection and watch Audiosurf turn it into a unique roller coaster track for you to ride. The song you choose determines the shape, the speed, and the mood of each track. Tilt your Zune like a steering wheel to collect colored blocks and avoid speedbumps. Unlock more than 30 designs, each with its own special theme and color palette.
• Checkers: Enjoy the classic game of Checkers in a beautiful outdoor park setting.  Play against the computer or against a friend.
• Lucky Lanes Bowling: Bowl in different game modes: exhibition, blackjack, golf. Play in five different bowling alleys with unique themes, all with the swipe of a finger. Choose from twenty different bowlers and twenty two different ball styles. You can play against the computer or play with up to four friends.
• Piano: Play your own tune, or play along with your favorite music on this electronic piano.
• Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition: Tear through the streets of London, Tokyo, and New York in the Ferrari of your choice using multi touch controls and the built in accelerometer.
• Vans Sk8: Pool Service: From the Admiral to the old abandoned rec center pool, Bucky Lasek and Omar Hassan know a good bowl to skate.  Hit the pools and put these Vans skaters to the test with all the tricks in their bag and achieve hero status once you unlock their pro model skateboards.

According to Microsoft, the Facebook and Twitter apps are still being worked on, but are still on track for Zune HD as well.

Tags: apps, checkers, chess, facebook, free apps, goo splat, nvidia, nvidia tegra, pgr ferrari edition, sidefeatured, space battle 2, sudoku, tegra, twitter, zune, zune 4.3, zune 4.3 firmware, zune hd, zune hd apps, zune hd games,

Lady Gaga‘s music video have typically always featured some sort of high tech gadget, more often than not she has someone from the Beats by Dr. Dre line, among other things, prominently displayed. Earlier today, her Bad Romance music video was released, and we thought we’d take a moment to highlight ten sightings of tech and gadgetry that we spotted while watching.

Apple iPod classic

Hey, if you are gonna feature gadgets in a music video, you might as well bring in the iconic digital audio player that made everyone into a geek, right? The Apple iPod classic is the first gadget featured in Bad Romance. Deservedly so, we say. You can pick up the 160GB iPod classic from Apple for $249.

Tags: adslice, apple, bad romance, bad romance video, beats by dr. dre, beats by dre, beats headphones, heartbeats, heartbeats by lady gaga, hp, hp envy, hp envy 15, hp envy 15 beats edition, ipod, ipod classic, lady gaga, limited edition, nintendo, nunchuk, parrot, parrot zikmu, phillippe starck, sidefeatured, wii, wii nunchuk,

The Xbox 360 Wireless N adapter is finally available here in the US, after what seems like months of rumors proclaiming its existence. You can actually order one right now over on Newegg - just search for Xbox 360 Wireless N, and you should be good. It’ll cost you a cool $100 for the privilege, but the extra speed should be worth it, right?

Tags: 802.11n, accessories, microsoft, networking, newegg, newegg deals, newegg promo code, wi-fi, wifi, wireless n, xbox 360, xbox 360 accessories, xbox 360 wireless n adapter,

Ever since the HP DreamScreen arrived on the scene, generic digital photo frames have seemed so passe. I mean, the DreamScreen is a digital photo frame on crack, essentially. It’s available in 10- and 13-inch sizes, and aside from simply displaying your digital photos, it can stream Pandora (or up to 10,000 Internet radio stations,) set alarms, display your calendar, show you a five-day weather forecast, and even give you a look at your Facebook account so you can see what’s up with your peeps. Plus, it incorporates touch into the bezel, and we like touch.

The HP DreamScreen typicalls sells for $250, but Amazon currently has it for $205, a full 18% off.

Tags: 2009 holiday gift guide, digital photo frames, gift guide, holiday gadget guide, holiday gift guide, hp, hp dreamscreen, hp dreamscreen 100, photo frames,

In this episode we open up the DJ Hero Renegade edition set. DJ Hero is the new turntable-based rhythm game featuring hip-hop, electronic, and rock music, and the Renegade Edition has a bunch of premium touches, and is also available just for a limited time. We show it all in this edition of Unboxing Live.

By the way, if you like music and haven’t played DJ Hero, you owe it to yourself to check it out. In our opinion, this is better than any Guitar Hero or Rock Band game that has come before it, in the way that you interact with the music, and the totally unique pairings that they throw at you. We are definitely DJ Hero believers! You can pick up DJ Hero on Amazon.

Tags: dj, dj hero, eminem, games, hip-hop, jay-z, music, opening, turntables, unboxing, video games,

It seems to be few and far between at this point, but stemming from an unfortunate first-hand series of events, we’ve investigated and found a few unhappy Verizon Wireless Motorola Droid customers out there who are experiencing an annoying problem:  MMS’ are being sent and being rejected with the error message: “You have entered an invalid address.”

The problem seems to be intermittent and with no discernable pattern.  Reports show customers who are inflicted with the problem are unable to send to certain numbers but are able to send to others.  Our first-hand experience involved attempting to send pictures to a quarter of the address book before giving up and calling tech support.  Oddly enough, the first successful picture message sent on this particular Droid went to the guy from Verizon’s Wireless Data Technical Support team who was helping us to fix the problem.  We were able to receive MMS from the numbers we tried, but failed receiving from another of Verizon’s Customer Support reps.

Posts on Android’s and Motorola’s support forums found that there was no workaround yet, but some of those who swapped out for a new Droid had no problems with the new phone.

Is anyone else having this problem?  Verizon, Motorola, and Google definitely have not spoken up yet, so we don’t know how many people are calling about the problem, but there are a few out there.  For all we know, it could be a small glitch.  Drop a comment and let us know.

Tags: bugs, cell phones, cellphones, droid, mms, motorola droid, motorola droid mms, smartphones, verizon wireless,

Apple just released the second big update to Snow Leopard with Mac OS X 10.6.2. You can fire up Software Update right now to grab the good, which on my system looks to be about 500 MB in size. Here is a look at some of the fixes

• an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly
• a graphics distortion in Safari Top Sites
• Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts
• a problem that prevented authenticating as an administrative user
• issues when using NTFS and WebDAV file servers
• the reliability of menu extras
• an issue with the 4-finger swipe gesture
• an issue that causes Mail to quit unexpectedly when setting up an Exchange server
• Address Book becoming unresponsive when editing
• a problem adding images to contacts in Address Book
• an issue that prevented opening files downloaded from the Internet
• Safari plug-in reliability
• general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk
• an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account

There’s a lot there, and that’s without mention of the rumored killing of Intel Atom support in 10.6.2 as well. If you are running OS X on a Hackintosh, you may want to wait and see how this plays out. As for the rest of you, get to downloading!

Tags: 10.6.2, atom, hackintosh, intel atom, mac, mac os x 10.6.2, os x, snow leopard, software, software update,

Oh man, you’ve got to love how Verizon Wireless has gotten so bold now that they’ve finally got a killer device in the Motorola DROID to brag about. You’ve also got to love how Apple is getting a taste of their own medicine, after running the “I’m a Mac” ads for years now. Verizon is aiming to highlight their phone offerings, as well as their huge 3G network, in their holiday commercials that dump on the iPhone and AT&T. There are three so far, and we must admit, they’re pretty clever. You can watch all three commercials, one of which sees the iPhone banished to the Land of Misfit Toys, after the break.

Tags: 3g, 3g coverage, ads, att, attack ads, attacks, commercials, droid, iphone, misfit toys, motorola droid, theres a map for that, verizon, video, video, youtube,

Yes, we realize we are in the midst of our awesome Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 limited edition console giveaway, but hey, it’s the season for giving and we are taking part in yet another fantastic contest that we need to tell you about. Here’s the deal:

We, along with 24 other sites, have partnered with MAGHOUND and People StyleWatch to bring you the MAGnificent Makeover sweepstakes. Up for grabs is a grand prize that includes:

• Roundtrip Airfare for two (that would be you and a guest!) to New York City, NY on a Thursday through Saturday
• Airport Transportation to and from the NYC airport to the hotel
• Hotel Accommodations for a Three-Day/Two-Night stay at a NYC hotel of the Sponsor’s choice
• An afternoon of pampering at a People StyleWatch Recommended Salon, which will take place on the Friday of the trip. Guy or girl, be ready for a salon consultation and treatment that’ll have you walking out feeling like a new person.
• A $1,500 Shopping Spree with a People StyleWatch Editor (on that Friday) who will advise on trendy outfits and wardrobe suggestions at a retail store of the Editor’s choice

Oh, did you think that was all? We’ve also got three first prizes as well. That’s right, three people will be chosen to receive a $100 gift card to either Macy’s or Sephora, your choice.

Here’s the kicker - the contest ends on December 15th, and you can enter once per day! Seriously, go back daily and you increase your odds of walking away with this amazing prize package. Head on over to the entry page to enter and get full details, and be sure to select “Gear Live” in the “How did you hear about this?” pulldown menu.

Tags: adslice, contests, giveaways, maghound, makeover, new york city, nyc, people, people stylewatch, sidefeatured, trips,

The nook e-reader, Barnes and Noble’s supposed Kindle killer, just hit it’s first speed bump with the delay of the ship date. Originally, the nook was set to ship to customers on November 30th. However, B&N says that because sales were higher than expected, they are pushing the ship date to December 11th—a full 11 days later. Luckily, if you got your pre-order in early, yours should still ship on November 30th. However, if you are placing a pre-order at this point, don’t expect to see your device until mid-December. If you were thinking about picking up a nook for someone for the holidays, your best bet might be to buy one sight unseen.

Tags: barnes and noble, delays, e-readers, ebook readers, ebooks, kindle, nook, pre-orders, sidefeatured,

If you’re a Playstation 3 owner who ordered one of the Netflix Instant Streaming discs, you’ll be happy to know that they’ve started shipping to customer as of today. In fact, our disc is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, alongside copious amounts of junk mail, we’re sure. The disc is the only way you’ll be able to enjoy the Netflix Watch Instantly service on your PS3 for the time being, so if you want to get in on that action and haven’t already done so, go ahead and order your disc. You do need to have an active Netflix membership as well, of course.

Tags: netflix, netflix instant streaming disc, netflix ps3, netflix watch instantly, playstation 3, ps3,

Yes, we definitely hit you with our full Motorola DROID review, but many wanted to see a bit more video of the device. That being the case, we recorded this episode of Bleeding Edge TV to show off the different features of the Motorola DROID smartphone. We give you a look at the hardware, some of the Android 2.0 features, Google Maps Navigation, and more. All in all, it’s a twelve-minute walkthrough of the DROID, the smartphone that has grabbed the attention of the industry, giving Google, Motorola, and Verizon Wireless a lot of attention.

If you are at all curious, be sure to hit the video above.

Tags: adslice, android, android 2.0, cell phones, cellphones, motorola, motorola droid, reviews, smartphones, verizon, verizon wireless,

Google announced Monday that its Chrome browser’s 4th version has gone Beta.  Most important feature in my eyes: Bookmark syncing.

Back when I was an Firefox fanboy, Delicious’ method of syncing bookmarks was magic to me, and was the epitome of the internet experience.  When Chrome was released, its speed sang to me, and I willingly sacrificed my bookmark sync to Chrome’s seductive quickload times.  Now, Google makes everything magical again as Google announced Monday that its Chrome browser’s 4th version has gone Beta, including with it Bookmark Sync.

According to the announcement, XMPP is used to keep your browser in touch with your Google Account, which will keep track and sync down your bookmarks.

In a side note: Google also claims to have increased performance by a brain-spanking 30%!

Tags: bookmark sync, bookmarks, chrome, delicious, firefox, google, google chrome, software,

We are kicking off our 2009 Holiday Gift Guide with the Roku HD-XR player. Why? Well, we think that it’s the perfect time to introduce someone to the new hotness that is TV, delivered over the web, and right into the living room. Sure, Netflix has come to the Xbox 360, but if you want streaming access to the Netflix service and don’t own a game console, this is your cheapest barrier to entry. The HD-XR model also gives you access to the Amazon Unbox catalogue, as well as the entire MLB game service as well, if you are subscribed.

Definitely a great gift for movie buffs, the Roku HD-XR player is able to stream over 12,000 movies and television shows from the Netflix Watch Instantly catalogue, and over 45,000 from Amazon Video on Demand. It connects to your home network through an ethernet port, or over Wi-Fi, connecting at up to 802.11n if you have it. There’s also a USB port on back, which Roku says is for future use. Our guess is that they’ll be allowing the device to read from an external USB drive, which would be stellar.

The actual device is tiny, so it takes up barely any space, and setup takes just a couple of minutes - very simple. Of course, a Netflix subscription is required, but once you have that, everything else is a piece of cake.

Honorable Mention: If you want all the features of the Roku HD-XR, but don’t need the USB port or 802.11n wireless speeds, you can grab the Roku HD Player for $99!

Tags: amazon unbox, hdtv, home entertainment, home theater, movies, netflix, netflix streaming, netflix watch instantly, roku, roku hd-xr,

The Motorola DROID is a symbol of change, for a bunch of different reasons. The fact is, the DROID is a Motorola phone, exclusive to Verizon Wireless, and runs Android 2.0. There is major significance for each of those three bullet points, and that’s not even getting into the actual device. In many ways, the DROID is something new for all three companies involved, which is likely why the three worked to closely together on getting the device just right. So the question is, did they succeed? We’ve had the device for about a week now, and we’ve been playing with it non-stop for the most part. We know what you’re probably wondering—how does the DROID stand up to the iPhone? Is Android 2.0 actually better than what we’ve seen from the platform on other devices? Does the Verizon network really make a difference?

We’ve got all the answers for you in our Motorola DROID review, so sit back, and read on for our take.

Tags: adslice, android, android 2.0, android os, cell phones, cellphones, droid, features, google, google maps navigation, gps, motorola, motorola droid, reviews, sidefeatured, smartphones, verizon, verizon wireless,

Just a heads up to any of you who want to add the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 to your current Sonos setup, or those of you who want to jump into Sonos for the first time for the lowest cost possible - the S5 is now shipping, and can be had for $399. We have one set to arrive later today, so we will hit you with a review after we play with it a bit.

Tags: iphone, last.fm, music, napster, rhapsody, sirius, sonos, sonos s5, sonos zoneplayer s5, zoneplayer,

Yesterday, Apple released Apple TV 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 Sonos 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.

Tags: apple, apple tv, apple tv 3.0, electronics, gadgets, hdtv, home entertainment, home theater, itunes extras, itunes lp, mac, walkthroughs,

When I first saw the Snow’s Revenge MacBook Pro image that you see above, I thought it was a clever and unique etching. When I realized that it was simply just a $15 vinyl applique, I bought on immediately. I mean, seriously, how cool is it to see a seemingly dark-sidish Snow White holding on to a glowing Apple? Just saying.

Oh, and speaking of Ms. White, be sure to peep our Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-ray review over in our movie section, FilmCrunch.

Tags: apple, design, etsy, evil snow white, macbook, macbook pro, snows revenge, stickers,

We were able to get our hands on the Motorola DROID a few days early, and we’ve got to say, this thing is a beauty. Android 2.0 is responsive and crisp, especially on the fantastic DROID display. We are going to be diving into the DROID a bit more in-depth in our full review, and we’ll have a few videos up as well, but in the meantime, please enjoy our Motorola DROID unboxing gallery. We’ve got a bunch of pictures up that’ll give you a nice look at the device.

Gallery: We open up Verizon’s Motorola DROID

Tags: android, android 2.0, cell phones, cellphones, droid, galleries, google, google maps navigation, motorola, motorola droid, photo gallery, sidefeatured, smartphones, verizon, verizon wireless,

As always, you can find all sorts of Newegg promo codes and deals on our forums.

Tags: digital photo frames, dvr, logitech, logitech mx air, my dvr expander, newegg, newegg coupon code, newegg coupons, newegg deals, newegg discounts, newegg promo code, shopping, sony, western digital,

One of the nicest features in Android 2.0 is Google Maps Navigation. In a nutshell, it’s Google Maps with turn-by-turn GPS navigation, and voice guidance. Google has put together a video that introduces Google Maps Navigation, which we’ve embedded above, but there are some of the features that stand out to us:

• Live traffic: Since Google Maps can show you traffic info, it’s obviously built-in to Google Maps Navigation, at no extra cost.
• Routes always current: When you search for directions, Google Maps Navigation searches the cloud, and gives you the best current route based on the most recent data
• Layers: You can overlay different types on data over your maps, like restaurants, gas stations, and more.
• Live street view: This is just awesome. You can use the Google Street View feature to get a fantastic visual of your surroundings while driving
• FREE!: Google Maps Navigation is free. That includes the GPS, the live traffic data, and the always updated maps. That is a big deal.

The first handset to ship with Android 2.0, and thusly Google Maps Navigation, will be the Motorola Droid.

Tags: adslice, android, android 2.0, android apps, apps, google, google maps, google maps navigation, iphone, maps, sidefeatured,

Google has released a video that shows off all the new Android 2.0 features. Of course, Android 2.0 is what powers the Motorola Droid. A few of the highlights:

• Android 2.0 can pull in contacts from multiple sources, and supports two-way syncing. There is a new feature called Quick Contact, that shows you just about every way you can possibly contact someone when you tap their user icon.
• Apps will now be able to turn on Bluetooth to set up connections with other devices
• Android 2.0 supports multiple screen resolutions. In the video, we see an application running at 800x480 and 854x480, as an example

Definitely some good stuff here. Color us excited.

Tags: adslice, android, android 2.0, cell phones, cellphones, droid, google, smartphones, software, verizon,

The wait for the Motorola Droid to go official is finally over, as Verizon has announced all the details on the drool-worthy handset, highlighted by the fact that the Droid launches exclusively on Verizon Wireless on November 6th (yes, just over a week from now,) and will sell for $200 after mail-in rebate with two-year contract.

We know what many of you are thinking - $200 will get you an iPhone 3GS, so this thing better bring the pain. Well, my friends, it certainly does. The Droid is a top-notch phone, boasting a 3.7-inch 480x854 display, Cortex A8 processor, Bluetooth, GPS, 5-megapixel camera (with dual-LED flash,) slide-out QWERTY keyboard with d-pad. 3G, Wi-Fi, over-the-air Amazon MP3 downloads, and voice-activated search are also present. Included in the box is a 16GB SD card, as well as a dock for the phone. That’s just the hardware. Equally important is the software running on the device, and the Droid is the first handset to feature Android 2.0. That’s a big deal, as no other phone on the horizon seems to be shipping with 2.0. This also means that Droid picks up the new Google Maps Navigation feature, which essentially turns the phone into a fully-functional GPS, using Google Maps, at no extra cost.

We’ll obviously be bringing you more details as we get them, but expect to hear a lot, a lot about this phone over the coming weeks.

Gallery: Motorola Droid: Available November 6th for $200, Verizon exclusive

Tags: adslice, android, android 2.0, droid, google, google maps, google maps navigation, motorola, motorola droid, navigation, sidefeatured, smartphones, verizon, verizon wireless,

Apple has finally removed the curtain scaffolding that was in place to hide the construction of their new Upper West Side Manhattan Apple Store location. Of course, in typical Apple fashion, the unveiling leaves even more mystery to unravel, as the entire face of the new store is covered in a vinyl curtain, along with an “Opening soon” message. Luckily, we shouldn’t have to wait much longer to get a look at the newest store, which many are saying will be the most impressive in the entire Apple Store chain. The Upper West Side Apple Store is located on the northwest corner of Broadway and 67th street, right near Lincoln Center.

We’ve got one more shot of the store, a mockup, of what the store should look like after the curtain is removed.

Tags: apple, apple rumors, apple store, apple store upper west side, mac rumors, retail, rumors, upper west side,

Today, Google “announced” a feature that technically already existed before now, but giving it a name makes it more real, right?

Google says that by taking advantage of the conditional call forwarding feature your carrier provides, you can forward calls that you do not answer on your phone to your Google Voice phone number, thereby replacing your company’s voicemail with Google’s.  This functionality has actually always existed: Google Help forums reveal countless people already were setting up their functionality long before Google made this announcement. 

It boils down to setting up your call forwarding feature (*71 or the like) to forward to your Google Voice number (or your “Access Number” if you sign up “Without a Google Number”).  Then, when your call is forwarded to the Google Voice number, the voice mail is logged and transcribed and stored online, with delivery options such as email or text message to your cell phone.  You don’t get all the features you get if you use an actual Google Voice number for people to call, but it is still a nifty service.

A bit more information about Google Voice after the jump.

Tags: editorials, google, google voice, google voice portability, how to, sidefeatured, tutorials, voicemail,

Anyone gonna pick this one up?

Tags: cell phones, cellphones, palm, palm pixi, palm webos, pixi, sidefeatured, smartphones, sprint, webos,

Toshiba is putting out a lot of new laptops, and one of many fine specimens is the Qosmio G60/97J a “high-end computer, digital TV, and Blu-ray player all in one”.  It features a 18.4 inch full HD LCD screns, and two TV tuners (one for recording, one for watching).  It also has a Core 2 Duo P8700 processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB HDD, GeForce GT230M, IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi, Ethernet, HDMI port, and Windows 7.  It should hit Japan at the end of November for $3,200 with a trimmed down version with weaker resolution and memory for $800 less.   

Tags: blu-ray, blu-ray laptops, g60, laptops, notebooks, qosmio, qosmio g60, toshiba, toshiba japan, toshiba qosmio g6097j,