beats

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mobile is disruptive, but the most obvious disruptions can be the best opportunities -- at least for online social gaming, according to Zynga founder and CEO Mark Pincus.

During the morning keynote fireside chat at MobileBeat 2012 on Tuesday, Pincus explained his vision of the future of mobile games to GamesBeat lead writer Dean Takahashi.

Essentially, Pincus argued that the industry needs to be more interconnected and there need to be more open channels so that many more games can be discovered -- not just the ones that for whatever reason can get into the Top 10. … Read more

Don't care how, just watch Monday's Update now:

The future PlayStation experience could involve streaming your video games. Sony is buying the cloud-based game provider Gaikai for $380 million in shares. Gaikai lets you stream games like Mass Effect 3 with just an Internet connection. No downloading. No discs. Gaikai began working with Samsung and LG to bring video games to Smart TVs. This acquistion could cause a few ripple effects in the gaming industry, not to mention we could be seeing streaming as an option for a future Playstation device. It could even expand the Playstation footprint … Read more

Beats Electronics, the headphones and audio-software maker, has finally confirmed that it has acquired MOG.

The companies revealed the news to USA Today this morning, confirming CNET's report last week, saying that the firms would be inking a deal quite soon. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and both companies balked when asked how MOG, which provides over 15 million songs for users to stream, might be integrated into Beats.

However, CNET reported last week, citing sources, that Beats didn't have any plans to drastically change MOG in the near term. There has been some talk, however, … Read more

Beats, the maker of the high-end headphones that have become a status symbol, is finally ready to disclose that it is acquiring digital music service MOG, according to sources familiar with the deal.

The deal could be announced any day, the sources said. Financial terms weren't available.

CNET first reported that MOG was for sale in February and AllThingsD reported three weeks later that Beats was amid an acquisition of the service, which had been a back-of-the-pack subscription music service for years.

"There's nothing to confirm at this time," said a Beats spokeswoman. Representatives from MOG … Read more

Though it's listed as out of stock on its own Web site, iLuv tells me that it's begun shipping its Mo'Beats iSP245 portable stereo Bluetooth speaker stand.

Since it uses Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming, you can use the Mo'Beats with any Bluetooth-enabled tablet, smartphone, or laptop, though it's more ideally suited for tablets. It has a built-in rechargeable battery for mobile use and there's an auxiliary input to connect non Bluetooth-enabled devices.

iLuv's highlighting the product's "cradle" design, which allows for either landscape or portrait viewing "while accommodating … 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

In addition to new Envy ultrabooks and fauxtrabooks, HP's mainstream Pavilion laptops have also gotten an update. While these midprice systems are not as exciting as the ultrabooks and high-end Envy models, there are a couple of noteworthy twists, and one promising new system.

All the new Pavilions fall under a new HP design philosophy called HP Mosaic, which is apparently a follow-up (but not a replacement) to the last HP design philosophy we heard about, called Muse (materials, usability, sensory appeal, and experience).

The company says: "The Mosaic design fuses together the multifaceted elements of Muse, including … Read more

Here's another reason not to blow your cash on those Beats by Dr. Dre headphones: the NYPD is reporting that the headphones have become the new top target for thieves based on their $500 resale value. With dozens of Beats heists occurring over the last four months alone, your best bet is to avoid the red "b" altogether and invest in a better pair of cans.… Read more

Figure (99 cents) lets you create a song with three tracks -- drums, bass, and synth lead -- through a series of taps on a beautifully designed touch interface. The easiest way to get started familiarizing yourself with Figure is simply by touching record, then holding drum sounds to lay down your first beat.

Once you're satisfied with your beat, touch the red Bass tab at the top to add a bass track. You'll see three circles at the top with Rhythm on the left (number of bass notes per eight bars) and Range in the middle (this adjusts what part of the scale your notes will come from). On the right side of the interface you'll see a circle divided up into pie pieces illustrating the steps of the scale -- the actual notes you are playing. Figure automatically makes sure you're in tune, only using notes from the same key. Once you've filled out the loop, let go and listen to your drum and bass lines.… Read more