monster

Sean "Diddy" Combs may be a bit over-the-top, but I have to give credit where credit is due: the cat's got style. And that's definitely part of the draw with the new earbuds he's putting out with Monster and Dr. Dre, the Diddy Beats.

These in-ear 'phones are clearly designed by a fashionable eye, from the tapered, conical earpieces to the chrome accents and lowercase "db" initials stamped on the outer edge. Add to that Monster's signature flat ribbon cable, and you have a head-turning style that's sure to attract listeners … Read more

Never accuse headphone and cable manufacturer Monster of being subtle, because you'd be proven wrong in a hasty fashion. True to form, the company trotted out both Lady Gaga and Dr. Dre on the show floor at CES this year. The shock popper and rap mogul were there to introduce the latest addition to the Beats by Dr. Dre line, a special edition pair of the Beats Solo HD.

Monster and the musicians have teamed up with RED, a business model designed to help the Global Fund, which is best known for its efforts to fight AIDS in Africa. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--HDMI had a rocky start, but overall it's been a boon for home theater fans, simplifying bundles of AV cables into one easy cable. While HDMI has drastically reduced cable clutter, Monster seeks to take that idea to the extreme with its recently announced SuperThin HDMI cables. With the cable measuring only 3.5mm thick, Monster claims the SuperThin cables are 65 percent thinner than a normal HDMI cable, making them easier to carry with portable gadgets like cameras and camcorders. And while the cables aren't HDMI 1.4 compatible, they do support HDMI 1.4'… Read more

Tune in this week if you want to hear Donald and Jasmine talk about pretty much nothing. Also, Donald huffs bourbon throughout, Jasmine rants about Lady Gaga headphones, and both try to insert a little bit of news before the holiday break. But mostly, it's nothing. Be sure to check out CNET the week of January 4 for all the CES goodness, including a live podcast broadcast at 3PM on Friday, January 8.

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Once Monster dipped its toes into the headphone market, there was no stopping the cable manufacturer from releasing a bevy of earphones on the unsuspecting masses. From in-ear to on-ear to over-the-ear, you shouldn't have trouble finding a pair of undeniably stylish Monster headphones to suit your needs.

The latest offering is the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo, an on-ear model that features ControlTalk, which is essentially fancy terminology for an inline mic and integrated controls for the iPod. This $200 set offers all the bass we expected from the first two Dr. Dre headphones in a slick, compact … Read more

This week, Donald will just not_shut_up already, so Jasmine tries to impose a word cap on his ramblings (it fails). Items that are babbled upon include the overly bass-heavy Dr. Dre Beats Solo headphones, a potential Zii war between Nintendo and Creative, an itty-bitty $9 MP3 player, and a potential HD video player from Cowon. Also, Donald shoots Jasmine with lasers, and we drool over an ultraquiet vacuum with a built in iPod speaker.

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Before we get into the stories on today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast, let's spend a moment on the magic of Lady Gaga. In this morning's pre-show, Jeff admits he's finally fallen for the incendiary pop star, and it's all because of her newest video, "Bad Romance." We all agree that the diva is definitely the most talented pop star, but the nerds inside of us have to ask: does she have to constantly pimp her Monster Heartbeat headphones in every single music video?

Wilson also shows us a "no duh" iPhone app from AT&T called "Mark the Spot." The app gives AT&T customers a chance to vocalize and report their poor service complaints. It even lets you note your current location and the frequently of the issue. Anyone else think it's ironic that you have to use AT&T's servers to access this complaint software? How are we supposed to use it if the network is struggling?

We've been patiently waiting for Space Beer to come out ever since the debut of Space Beer Guy back on Episode 109, and it's finally here! The beer made with barley grown in space is finally available for the low price of $113, which actually isn't that much when you consider the shipping fee. Unfortunately, there are only 250 boxes of the stuff available, so you might have to fight us to get your hands on a bottle.

Finally, we've received so many new theme song submissions that we've decided to play a new one every day for the rest of this week! Today's entries include two 8-bit versions from Callum and Adam and a synth-y remix from Mad Dogg. Keep listening to the rest of this week's episodes for more submissions, and thanks to all the talented folks who are taking the time to help out this podcast. We owe you all a Coke!

The hot topic that's being discussed all over the 'Net and at water coolers all over the world is how Tiger Woods ended up crashing his 2009 Cadillac Escalade into a now-famous tree in Florida after what is being rumored as a fight with his wife over reports that he'd been steppin' out with another woman. I'll leave all the gossip and speculation on the why's and how's of that situation to TMZ or the National Enquirer. But I'm the type of person who tries to find light and humor in all situations, so … Read more

In recent years, Monster Cables started to expand its business to include a handful of headphones, the first models coming from a collaboration with hip-hop producer Dr. Dre. The company's offerings now comprise a couple of in-ear sets, including the top-of-the-line Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers, a $299 number that features the same heavy, metal earpieces as found on the first Turbine earphones. While we wish Monster had incorporated an integrated mic and iPod controls at this price point, it's hard to overlook the Turbine Pro's high-end look and feel and top-notch sound.

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