Monster
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Seamlessly compare the 2019 remix of R.E.M.’s ‘Monster’ to the original
It's hard to believe, but it's been 25 years since R.E.M. released Monster. And, like any classic album approaching such a milestone, it's getting a massive reissue complete with a remastered version of the album, demos and outtakes, plus two discs worth of live material. But, perhaps most interesting, there's also a remix of the album done by original producer Scott Litt. Some of the changes are not subtle, and for something that has been in the pop culture consciousness for so long, there's bound to be some brush back. (For instance, ditching the stuttering tremolo guitar in "What's the Frequency, Kenneth" seems pretty brazen.)
Monster's headphones get their own voice assistant (update)
Monster's latest team-up isn't with another star athlete or fellow accessory-maker: it's with music platform Speak Music Inc., which is lending the company its voice assistant named Melody. Monster says the partnership will add voice control to some of its headphones, making them the "world's first voice-powered premium" cans. The premium part may be true, but there are other voice-activated Bluetooth headsets out there. There's also bound to be more, considering manufacturers can now incorporate Amazon's Alexa Voice Service into their products.
Monster's lawsuit against Beats gets thrown out
Many would tell you that Monster's lawsuit against Beats and HTC faced long odds from the get-go... and sure enough, it's falling flat. A Los Angeles court has summarily dismissed the case, which accused Beats of making sketchy deals in order to both end its alliance with Monster (in the wake of HTC's investment in Beats) and stiff Monster founder Noel Lee on share value ahead of Apple's Beats acquisition. The judge doesn't beat around the bush in explaining why. He says that the agreement between Monster and Beats explicitly allowed Beats to sever ties without requiring Monster's permission or ideal conditions.
E3 will hold a public gaming event this year
For years, E3 has largely been limited to game industry tradespeople and the press. That's somewhat necessary (it's difficult to wade through the show as it is), but it also locks out thousands of players dying to get a peek at the future of their favorite hobby. Thankfully, that's about to change: the Entertainment Software Association has announced E3 Live, a free public event that gives you a taste of what you're missing. The ticketed gathering, which runs alongside E3 itself (June 14th through 16th), promises the opportunity to "test-drive" new games, meet developers in person and try new experiences before anyone else.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Monster Roc headphones are now available
You can now buy Cristiano Ronaldo's signature audio gear. The football superstar, who isn't shy to put his tech-shill game on full display, recently teamed up with established manufacturer Monster to create a line of headphones. Known as Roc Live Life Loud, the newly minted set features three products: Roc Sport SuperSlim wireless in-ear ($170), Roc Sport Freedom on-ear wireless Bluetooth ($250) and Roc Sport Black Platinum over-ear ($300), all of which aim to compete against the Beats of the world. They're only available on eBay at the moment, but Monster says the Ronaldo headphones will be hitting its own online store in two weeks.
Cristiano Ronaldo teams with Monster for his own line of headphones
Cristiano Ronaldo is a pretty decent footballer. He also has a knack for pitching products. This time around, he teamed up with Monster through his own company, ROC Live Life Loud, for line of co-branded headphones. "Everything in my life is about performance and quality," said soccer superstar. "We launched ROC Live Life Loud to give my fans around the world direct access to high design and the best sound quality on the market." The collection features the wireless on-ear ROC Sport Freedom ($250), wireless in-ear ROC Sport SuperSlim ($170) and the wired over-ear ROC Sport Black Platinum ($300). All three models carry glossy black and gold aesthetics and plenty of Monster and ROC branding.
Apple nixes Monster's licensing over Beats lawsuit
Monster's lawsuit against Beats Electronics last January has come back to bite it now that Beats is an Apple subsidiary. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has killed Monster's official licensing agreement deader than that reported Beats WiFi speaker. Monster has been producing licensed accessories (lightning cables, headphones and whatnot) since 2005. Plus, it's reportedly paid more than $12 million in licensing fees since 2008 for the honor of selling "Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad" devices, some of which retailed in Apple stores.
'Evolve' simplifies the hunt with free deathmatch arena mode
Evolve isn't a typical multiplayer shooter. The game pits four hunters against a quickly mutating monster, with the first task usually being to find and trap the player-controlled goliath. The experience can be a little bewildering for newcomers, so developer Turtle Rock Studios is throwing in a free Arena Mode that keeps everything simple. In a best-of-three match, the hunters and monster are dropped in a small, pre-determined dome with only one goal; take down your opponent(s). The monster starts at stage two with 50 percent armour, reducing the need to devour local wildlife, and when a hunter dies they're out until the next round. It's a bare-bones take on the Evolve formula, stripping away some of what makes the game unique. Still, if you're interested in shorter rounds where you can easily hone your combat skills, Arena Mode could be a welcome change on planet Shear.
Monster sues Beats and HTC for fraud over their headphone deal
The rivalry between Beats and its former ally Monster just got particularly bitter. Monster is suing Beats, its founders (Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine) and HTC for allegedly tricking it into giving up one of its best-known headphone lineups. According to the lawsuit, Beats committed fraud when it acquired the Dr. Dre audio range through HTC's investment. It supposedly repurchased enough stock after the HTC deal that it could sever its ties with Monster due to an ownership clause, leaving the latter high and dry with no real warning. Monster also believes that its ex-partner was misleading when it claimed in September 2013 that there was no "liquidity event" (that is, a major transaction) coming within one to two years -- Apple's acquisition of Beats clearly involved a lot of money trading hands. If Monster chief Noel Lee had known that the Apple buyout was looming, the lawsuit reads, he wouldn't have reduced his stake in Beats and missed out on the resulting windfall.
The Monster PowerCard Turbo - Great for holiday travel
With all the traveling many of us do over the holidays, we're often in search of power for our iDevices. Monster has come up with a really high quality external battery to keep your iPhone running when you are away from an AC outlet. The PowerCard Turbo (US$49.99) is a very small and thin charger that is easy to travel with or put in a pocket or purse. Specifications Battery Capacity: 3,350 mAh Charge Port: 1 x 1.5 Amp Size: 4.4 x 7.9 x 1.2 inches (similar to a stack of business cards) Features: LED charge status indicator Design This is one good-looking charger. Available in 3 colors (gold, silver and black), It has attractive blue LEDs to tell you it's charging or, when it is away from power, how long the battery will last. There is a standard USB port, and it comes with a cable with USB on one end and a mini-USB on the other. Apple users will have to use their own Lightning or 30-pin Dock connector cable. Functionality The PowerCard Turbo couldn't be easier to use. Plug in your device and it will quickly charge. The 1.5 amp output should be about 50% faster than most chargers. There is one button on the charger, and that's to check the remaining power. Conclusion I used the charger a few times just before Xmas and found it a fast charge for my iPhone 6. The device itself took about two hours to charge from a powered USB hub. Charging from a desktop or laptop USB outlet will take longer, maybe 3 to 3.5 hours. The only negative is the printed instructions are really, really small. My eyesight is pretty good, but I needed an illuminated magnifier to read them. On the other hand, the way the charger works is pretty self-evident. Monster needs a monster font. The Monster PowerCard Turbo is a well-built power solution at a reasonable price with solid performance. It's too late to put it on your gift list, but grab one for yourself. Recommended
A dragon interloper is approaching ArcheAge
ArcheAge is gearing up for its December update, and that means getting ready for a dragon. A long time ago in the in-game lore, the dragon Misagon tried to take the land of Erenor for himself and his kin, which led to the Nuon rising up and killing him because that's just a really rude way to move in. The dragons panicked and left, but one among them started planning for Dragon Invasion II: The Dragoning. That invasion is going down as part of the December update, with the somewhat uncreatively named Red Dragon leading his minions in an assault on Erenor. This is the same dragon who resorted to feeding on other dragons to get stronger, so you know he's... well, not a good guy. Go ahead and check out the lore post for a slightly less irreverent explanation of what flies forth on crimson wings, and get ready to undertake some dragon hunting in the game's next major patch.
A look at new nautical monsters from the Korean ArcheAge
After a wait so long that more or less everyone could be forgiven for thinking it would never happen, ArcheAge has finally entered its early access period here in America. But that doesn't mean you don't have more to look forward to. Over on YouTube, InporylemQQ has taken a peek at a pair of nautical additions coming to the Korean version of the game, major PvE monsters meant to challenge players. The first foe on display is a massive sea beast that's easily larger than the vessel of the player in the video; it gets a few good hits on the ship before it slips beneath the waves. There's also a ghost ship that fires cannon at the player. Both appear to be high-end monsters meant to challenge players with adequate gear, and both were added in patch 1.7 -- which means that they're a fair way off in the game's updates in the West. Think of them as coming attractions. [Thanks to Karl for the tip!]
Qualcomm's universal AllPlay streaming now works with Spotify
Qualcomm's AllPlay is supposed to deliver a world of simple, universal media streaming, and it just came a lot closer to realizing that vision by both landing a raft of new partners and widening its app program. You can now stream to AllPlay devices using several additional music services, including Spotify; if you want to blast that new album on every system in the house, you can. Appropriately, both Fon's Gramofon media hub and Monster's SoundStage speakers will now take your AllPlay tunes.
Black Desert shows off new features for its second beta test
The testing process for Black Desert continues apace in South Korea, and the process of staring at the monitor and speculating continues apace for Black Desert fans who are not actually in South Korea. Luckily, there's a translation available of the game's latest development blog which shows off the new features available in the game's second closed beta test. We've heard about a new region, and now we know about some of the new monsters being introduced as well as a new town. The town is a coastal fishing city known as Eferia, offering players plenty of saltwater fishing opportunities as well as the other services you'd expect from a seaside fishing town. Players will also be facing off against new monsters including what appears to be a dinosaur, a harpy, and... well, that third one isn't exactly clear. Still, it's more new stuff for players to look forward to when the second test goes live. [Thanks to levakd for the tip!]
gdgt's best deals for October 16th: Apple MacBook Air (11-inch), Samsung 46-inch LED Smart TV
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's top deals include gear that could pass for back to school necessities -- if you're convincing. The popular and uber-portable 11-inch MacBook Air (mid-2012) is currently cruising at low-priced altitudes, and budding filmmakers or game coders could make an argument for nabbing Samsung's 46-inch F8000 series LED TV for "research" at its current price point. Want to make the most of your post-ramen bankroll? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list -- every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Man who sold up to $40 million worth of counterfeit headphones gets two years in jail
A man accused of being one of the "most prolific sellers" of counterfeit electronics in the UK has just been sent down for two and a half years. Over 4,000 KiRFs, mainly consisting of knock-off Sennheiser and Monster headphones, were found at Michael Reeder's address, with a value of around £250,000 ($400,000). However, Sennheiser claims this is just 1 percent of $40 million worth of items Reeder has sold online, which is why the German manufacturer has taken a keen interest in his prosecution. Last year, Sennheiser introduced a series of authentication technologies to prevent counterfeiting that was mainly originating in China -- including QR codes on product packaging that customers can verify online. If Sennheiser's estimate of 400,000 fake items is accurate, then it makes the UK's recent Microsoft Windows scandal look almost like small fry. Update: Apologies for the earlier stumble with missing zeroes on this post.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Kaiju Combat
Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, former Godzilla dev Simon Strange is back to bring some mega-monster pain to Kickstarter with Kaiju Combat. What's your game called and what's it about?The game is Kaiju Combat, an online multiplayer game with behemoths fighting in destructible city environments.What inspired you to make Kaiju Combat?Sunstone Games is almost entirely made up of ex-Pipeworks employees, who made the very popular Godzilla fighting games from 2002 - 2007. We get messages every few days asking about a sequel, so making a game like this has always been something we've considered. The rise of Kickstarter funding this year presented a real opportunity to get the game made on our own terms – that's been the missing piece before now.
New RaiderZ video tackles the unbearable agony of being a monster
Be honest with yourself -- have you asked many questions about the monsters in RaiderZ? Probably not. You've gone out and done what you need to do, which in this game is usually kill them until there's nothing left but ash and a new pile of loot in your backpack. But they've got feelings too, feelings that are explored in the latest video covering the unbearable agony of being a boss. Specifically, a giant demon. At first glance, it seems like a good ride. You're huge, you're powerful, and you get to stomp a lot of unprepared players into paste. But then you realize that no matter how awesome you are, sooner or later it's going to come time to experience another round of getting your head chopped off in the hopes that you'll drop a sword. Take a look at the full video to feel at least marginally bad about downing bosses over and over... until you log in again, at least. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Nokia's Purity HD stereo headset by Monster goes Pro, gains Bluetooth, NFC and noise cancellation (update)
If Nokia doesn't show off at least one banana-hued Lumia smartphone come September 5th, we're going to be extremely confused. Say howdy to the Pro-monikered followup to its corded Purity HD stereo headset by Monster, which gains Bluetooth (no word on what version), NFC for pairing and active noise cancellation. Similar to its recently revealed PlayUp speaker, the company's teasing the Purity HD Pro as an audio accessory that'll "perfectly match your Lumia" in a choice of black, white, red and yellow. The Pro is essentially identical to its predecessor, but now the folding earcups also serve as a pseudo-on/off switch for its anc functionality for the unit itself. As you might expect, all that tech and Monster branding will cost ya a spendy €299 (about $376) -- nearly as much as Parrot's Zik by Starck. Further details are currently unavailable, except that the cans will reach store shelves near this year's close. Update: You'll find a video hands-on by way of The Nokia Blog here. According a Nokia rep in that video, the earpads have a head detection sensor for automatically enabling ANC (similar to the Zik), while plugging in an included cable will let the headphones function sans Bluetooth. Furthermore, the company also noted to TNB that the battery should last about 24 hours for music or calls, with a week's worth of life on standby.
Papo & Yo review: Father knows beast
The abuse of a child by a parent is one of the worst betrayals a human being can face. Our families are meant to be the one guaranteed bit of love we have in this often cruel world – people who will support and embrace us even when the rest of creation has turned its back. But the tragedy of an abusive parent (usually driven by alcohol, drugs, or their own traumatic experience) casts a person that's meant to be a child's loving caretaker into the role of an enemy. Parental abuse turns what's meant to be one of the purest relationships of love into one of anger, distrust, and violence.Papo & Yo is a game about that tragedy. It's about a relationship that is by turns loving, gentle, and even playful, but can instantly turn into something ugly and full of violence and pain.As a video game, Papo & Yo can be lacking – the mechanics are simple, and while the technology is capable of creating some beautiful moments, it's just as capable of being frustrating. As an expression of autobiographical emotion for creator Vander Caballero, however, and a rendition of the complicated relationship between a young son and his abusive father, Papo & Yo succeeds in the strongest ways.%Gallery-157413%
