Monster

Can expensive surge protectors provide better audio and video quality?--Ask the Editors

CNET reader Chris writes:

My question is are expensive surge protectors even necessary? I see lots of other surge protectors in the $20-30 range that seem like they would be sufficient. Will an expensive surge protector really keep the "dirty power" out of my lines and give me better picture and sound?

That's a great question. If you listen to the companies selling the equipment, there's no doubt about it. Monster promises, "a more natural sound, increased dynamic range, and the most vivid video images possible," and includes a highly suspect comparison to back … Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week you can try your luck at an arcade-racer or destroy cities with the wag of your tail. Virtual Console

King of the Monsters (1991, NeoGeo, 900 Wii points): From SNK comes King of the Monsters, an action/fighting game that allows you to play as skyscraper-tall monsters in a worldwide battle to become the champion.

WiiWare

SPOGS Racing (D2C Games, 1,000 Wii points): SPOGS Racing is an arcade-style racing game that lets you upgrade your vehicle on-the-fly for instant advantages during gameplay.

What games do you think are missing from the Wii Virtual Console? Sound off here!… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 747: Get Firefox (if you can)

It's Firefox Download Day! In bummer news, Mozilla's site was down by at least 10:12 a.m. (about the time we started our show). So, that's a bad start, then. In other news, AT&T customers using phones other than iPhone will, indeed, have to pay full price for a new iPhone. That's just how the cell phone world works. And the blogosphere takes a legitimately outrageous situation and wildly exaggerates the outrageousness by repeating old information over and over. Sigh. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 747

Firefox Download Day To Start … Read more

Tech germaphobia: It's a thing

As technology evolves, so, too, does our tech germaphobia. Hot on the heels of this U.K. study that suggests computer keyboards are the toilet-seat of your office space, Monster (yes, Monster Cable) is touting some new ScreenClean products aimed at your revoltingly filthy mobile devices.

The ScreenClean line isn't anything new; it's been around for televisions for ages. But the repackaging of the mobile solution as a way to fight "disease-causing agents" is an amusing turn toward the paranoia-inducing. From the press release:

"With touch screens growing in popularity, so are the disease-causing agents … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 704: Monster in Blue Jeans

I have never had so much fun reading a legal response than I did the note from the head of Blue Jeans Cables to Monster Cable. See the episode for the full story. We also determine that politicians across the world are nuts, and I'm not good math. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 704

Comcast to spearhead creation of P2P Bill of Rights http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080415-comcast-to-spearhead-creation-of-p2p-bill-of-rights.html

Defiant Psystar back selling Leopard computers http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9919432-37.html

So exactly who or what is Psystar? We dig a little http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/04/15/ so_exactly_who_or_what_is_psystar_we_dig_a_little.html… Read more

HBO hates babies and parents and puppies--beware the DRM boogie monster!

I sat on the phone with Tivo for a combined total of 30 minutes this morning (roughly 22 minutes on various stages of hold) to figure out what happened to my daughter's favorite Goodnight Moon show that we Tivo'd off of HBO.

As it happens, HBO encoded the program with DRM--a dated self-destruct mechanism and when Tivo ran it's nightly update and the clock turned over the program was deleted without any interaction from Tivo.

(Side note: Tivo support is really good and very nice. I can't fault the company or the support team for any … Read more

Flying Spaghetti Monster statue at Tennessee courthouse

If you're a fan of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the gospel of Pastafarianism, then you have to love what's going on in Crossville, Tenn.

There, as I discovered today on Laughing Squid, some members of the local chapter of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster have gotten city approval to erect a statue of "His Noodly Appendage" outside the local courthouse.

I talked briefly by phone Monday with Ariel Safdie, one of the local chapter members involved with building and installing the statue, and she said that for her and her fellow members, the … Read more

Gadgettes 81: The I Love You Episode

Our listeners are so supercool. They do things like create Web sites based on things we talk about on Gadgettes. They make us laugh. And for that reason alone, this episode is for you, you awesome-heads. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 81

Dedicated to Dave from Denver http://jackmythingie.com/

Pandigital debuts kitchen TV with extra perks http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9893490-1.html

A digital culinary recipe for the futuristic cookware http://www.gizmodiva.com/home_improvement/ a_digital_culinary_recipe_for_the_futuristic_cookware.php

Lego-touch for iPhone and iPod Touch http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/ legotouch_for_iphone_and_ipod_touch_9199.asp

Monster felted handbag http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/12/ monster-felted-handb.html… Read more

Monster finally ships its wireless iPod bridge

It's taken awhile, but Monster's "iSoniCast Wireless Audio Bridge" is finally shipping. The device serves as a dock that connects the iPod to a home stereo but also turns the media player into a remote control with a snap-on dongle. It first appeared on Crave after our esteemed colleague John Falcone wrote about it last summer, apparently even before it had been christened as the "iSoniCast" or had any pricing. (It will sell for $99.95, according to the Monster's press release.) Though it looks slightly different from the photos released last year, … Read more