Skip to main content

Monster Cable outgrows its name, cuts ‘cable’

The company popularly known as Monster Cable is making a name change. According to a statement made at the CES 2012 press preview in New York by Noel Lee, CEO and “The Head Monster” at Monster Cable, the “cable” portion of the company’s name is being dropped.

The news could be spun a number of different ways, since the company has been reported to send its lawyers after just about anything with Monster in its name, citing brand protection as its motivation. But the move actually makes sense. While Monster Cable started out as a premium wire and connective cable company, it has long since moved on to other consumer electronics products, including power management, powered speakers and, of course, headphones.

While the company’s name and product packaging will change, its website URL will not. The popular job search engine, Monster.com, will keep its URL of the same name. So, for the time being, MonsterCable.com will continue to the be go-to Web address for the consumer electronics juggernaut.

During that same press conference, Lee also announced that rock band Chicago will be handling the celebrity musical entertainment at Monster’s annual Dealer Awards shin-dig. The concert is scheduled for January 11th at the 85,000-square-foot Paris Ballroom in the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
New $129 Moto Buds+ tap Bose for boom and Dolby for head tracking
The Moto Buds in Forest Gray.

Three new phones under the Edge 50 branding weren't enough for Motorola this week. The venerable manufacturer also dropped a pair of earbuds to go along with the new Android fare.

The main contenders for North America will be the Moto Buds+, which are available now for $129 in the U.S., and $179 in Canada. They look as you'd expect wireless earbuds to look; that's worth mentioning because Moto had some wood-clad phones in its drop this week. They're sleek and stylish and apparently available here only in Forest Gray, though press images show other colors, too. (More's the pity -- those other colors look slick.)

Read more
Walmart is having a clearance sale on Vizio TVs — From $148
People watching sports on the 50-inch Vizio V-Series 4K TV.

Walmart is frequently the home of some of the best TV deals around with the retailer being particularly great right now. It’s currently hosting a clearance sale on Vizio TVs with many models on sale ranging from HDTVs up to feature-rich 4K TVs. If you’re looking to buy a new TV, you need to check out this sale. Hit the button below to check it out for yourself or keep reading while we take you through some of our favorite highlights.

What to shop for in the Walmart Vizio TV sale
Vizio is one of the best TV brands for variety and this sale shows how varied it is. One TV that we instantly gravitate towards is the It usually costs $628 but it’s currently $100 off so it costs just $528. The instant highlight is the large screen but it’s packed with features too. It has Dolby Vision Bright Mode for more lifelike accuracy, color saturation, black detail, and brightness. There’s a full array backlight to ensure LEDs are evenly distributed across the backlight, while active pixel tuning provides intelligent pixel-level adjustments that tune the contrast levels frame by frame in over 2,000 zones. An IQ Active Processor ensures excellent 4K upscaling while the V-Gaming Engine ensures you get the optimal gaming experience automatically with sub 10ms input lag, variable refresh rates, and a finely tuned picture mode. It’s sure to be the best TV for many people.

Read more
Anker’s Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds are next-level sleep aids to block out noise
Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 earbuds worn while sleeping on side

If you had asked me years ago what kind of earbuds I'd be wearing while I sleep, I would have called you crazy. To sleep, I need silence, and anytime someone has a TV or tablet on or makes any noise, it makes me restless. With two kids and a wife who are all loud sleepers, it's safe to say I often have trouble sleeping. Believe it or not, there are earbuds for that. Anker's Soundcore Sleep A20 TWS earbuds, for example, are the second generation of its sleep-aid product. They're specifically designed to be worn while you sleep, thanks to a sleek form factor that doesn't protrude out of your ears or create discomfort while resting your pretty little head -- they're meant for side sleepers.

They also purportedly offer much more substantial snoring reduction than the previous generation via soft ear tips and ear wings that help block out ambient noise. If you like a little background audio, they pair with a mobile device that’s using the Soundcore app and allow you to play sound effects to serenade your slumber. A 4-point noise masking system uses not just the twin-seal ear tips and wings but also masking sounds and smart volume controls to drown out distracting noises. If you snore or your partner snores, it won't wake you up anymore as long as you're wearing these.

Read more