Category Archives: Music

General, Music, Video

WATCH: Christina Aguilera Brilliantly Impersonates Britney Spears, Shakira and Cher

[youtube id=”uD2nOjV3AaI”]

So this just happened at Jimmy Fallon’s latest and greatest show, when Grammy award-winning singer Christina Aguilera performed in a game called the “Wheel of Musical Impressions.” Turns out the singer was pretty good at it and she just made a point that she is definitely the tops when impersonating  Britney Spears, as well as certain others like Shakira and Cher.

Watch the video and let me know what you think about her performance

[interaction id=”54ec8fd49cf6a70335b1bf09″]

 

[Via Youtube]

Media Players, Music

Sony Launches New Line of Walkman Products

Today, when tablets have become very popular, and mp3 players are considered “meh” it is rare to see a company at such high-profile as Sony announce plans to launch a new range of small media devices, that people barely notice anymore. But that will not deter a company like Sony in pursuing business opportunities, right? Well, as a matter of fact, it has just rolled out a few different types of new music players; among them you’ll find the Walkman F800 and the E470/570 series. And while the F group is more of an upscale, high-end look, the E series is an entry-level set at the top of the line.

So what do really get and for how much? The Walkman F800, Sony’s new flagship player, is said to run Google’s Android 4.0 platform out of the box, along with a 3.5-inch display, WiFi / Bluetooth connectivity, fairly reasonable 4.5 hours of video playback, and storage capacities of 8GB/16GB/32GB at your choice, with a European launch expected in the next coming months, and prices vary, starting at about £210 ($280).

The E series, on the other hand, is expected to be a lot cheaper than the F. The noise-cancelling feature in the Walkman E570 lineup is one of the most noticeable things you’ll find in this upcoming iteration , and it’s expected to pack a 2-inch LCD screen, as well. Another model in that series, the Walkman E470, is likely to sell for around £80 (or $80), in a wide variety of colors and a battery life of up to 36 hours for music playback . The new versions will also have an optional dock that can charge ’em up and increase their volume level.

Lastly, there’s the Walkman S770BT model, for those who like to stream music over their bluetooth wireless speakers.

Full PR after the break.

 

Latest Walkman® MP3 players from Sony with Android™, Bluetooth® and digital noise cancelling

Walkman® F800 Series: Web-enabled with Android™, 8.9cm/3.5″ multi-touch LCD and S-Master MX Digital Amplifier
Walkman® S770BT Series: Wireless listening with bundled Bluetooth® headphones
Walkman® E570 Series: Brilliantly clear sound with digital noise cancelling
Walkman® E470 Series: Vibrant colours and 36 hours battery life1

Walkman NWZ-E470

Experience your perfect summer soundtrack, with the new range of Walkman® MP3 audio and video players from Sony.

Whatever your tastes, you’ll be satisfied by legendary Walkman® sound quality. Clear Audio technologies by Sony assure richly-detailed sound, with deep, powerful bass, crystalline highs and reduced leakage between stereo channels. Walkman® even restores those subtle high frequency details that get lost when you’re listening to heavily-compressed digital music files.

This summer’s line-up of MP3 audio and video players by Sony includes the sleekest, slimmest Walkman® models ever. Just 7mm thin, the new S770BT and E570/470 Series take up little space when they’re slipped into a pocket or bag. With up to 36 hours play time1 from a single charge, there’s plenty of stamina to keep you entertained on long journeys. And if you’re looking for a supreme listening experience, Walkman® F800 Series brings you an exciting world of ultra-detailed hi-fi sound, Wi-Fi connectivity and apps.

All new Walkman® models are compatible with Music Unlimited from Sony Entertainment Network, allowing easy access to the millions of music tracks on offer2. As part of a simple monthly subscription, Music Unlimited lets you transfer your favourite personalised playlists and ad-free radio channels to Walkman®, so you can enjoy a world of music discovery even when offline.

It’s easy to load up your existing media collection, too. Walkman® supports drag-and-drop transfer of music, photos, videos, podcasts and playlists from iTunes (non-DRM content only) or Windows® Explorer.

Walkman® F800 Series
Walkman F series
Treat yourself to an extreme on-the-go entertainment experience. Powered by AndroidTM 4.0 (“Ice Cream Sandwich”), the web-enabled Walkman® F800 Series lets you enjoy a generous range of pre-installed apps, from email to maps and media gallery. Connect wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® and download more from an ever-growing choice on Google PlayTM. Interacting with your media collection, apps and games is a pleasure, thanks to the large, highly-responsive 8.9cm/3.5″ multi-touch screen, plus plenty of processing power for smooth, speedy responses.

You’ll enjoy crisp highs and full, thumping bass powered by S-Master MX Digital Amplifier and five Clear Audio technologies. You can even share your sounds out loud via the built-in xLOUD® speaker system that cuts distortion and unpleasant clipping for clearer listening.

Walkman® S770BT Series
S 770
Supplied with colour-matched in-ear Bluetooth® headphones, Walkman® S770BT Series lets you enjoy your favourite sounds without a tangle of wires. Even when your Walkman® is in a pocket or bag, it’s easy to make fumble-free volume adjustments or skip tracks with handy controls on the headphone cord – while Walkman® stays safely hidden.

At home or on the move, Walkman® S770BT Series can also stream high-quality sound to other Bluetooth® compatible devices3, like speaker docks, home audio systems or your car audio system.

Walkman® E570 Series
Walkman NWZ-E570
Immerse yourself in a world of pure, uninterrupted music when you’re commuting into college or just relaxing at home. Walkman® E570 Series can reduce background sound levels by 98%4, thanks to its unique combination of built-in digital noise cancelling technology, and the high-quality noise cancelling headphones that come supplied.

Walkman® E470 Series

Walkman NWZ-E470

Enjoy a perfect introduction to the world of crisp Walkman® sound and powerful bass with slim, colourful Walkman® E470 Series. It’s packed with fun features like Karaoke mode and synchronised lyrics display to help you get the party started. New to Walkman®, there’s even a choice of entertaining games to enjoy on the bright, detailed 5.1cm/2″ LCD screen while you listen.

Also available, Walkman® E473K includes a portable speaker dock with eye-grabbing new styling that’s great for sharing your sounds out loud, whether you’re indoors or relaxing in the garden with friends. Powered by the MP3 player’s internal battery, the dock delivers punchy sound with rich bass while being small and light enough to carry with you anywhere.

Walkman NWZ-E473K

The new Walkman® range of MP3 audio and video players from Sony is available in Europe from 18th July 2012.

Media Players, Music

Samsung Galaxy Player 70 Plus Announced, Packs Dual-Core Processor Under The Hood

Samsung will be updating its Galaxy players lineup with a new upgraded Galaxy Player 70 Plus, a spec bumped version of the previous generation, commonly known as the Galaxy player. While the South Korean mobile giant doesn’t give any further details on availability, the 5-inch Android PMP device is likely to have a 1GHz dual-core processor on board, along with a reasonable 5-megapixel camera, a range of dedicated apps like Kakao Talk messenger and such,  a 2,500mAh rechargeable battery, and a DMB TV tuner for those in Korea. As for the price, the lowest capacity of 16GB is going to be retailed around 399,000 won (about $355), while the 32GB variant will be available for purchase at 469,000 won ($417). Hit the jump below for the full PR.

[Samsung]

 

Equipped with dual-core ‘plus 70 Galaxy players’ release

◇ 5.0 inch large screen, 1GHz dual-core processors operating environment provides a comfortable applying
◇ education in the area Wi-Fi, messaging, games, etc. using various functions

Samsung Electronics launched in March last year, ‘Galaxy player 70’ smart player that improves the performance of the new ‘Galaxy Player 70 Plus “will be released on the 5th.

‘Galaxy player 70 plus “with a 1GHz dual-core performance, upgrade the AP mount, and you can use two kinds of frequency bands supporting a dual-band Wi-Fi wireless internet access more convenient can.

In addition, students applying 5.0-inch large screen when viewing Internet lectures to clearly see the words on the blackboard, and Megastudy, Gangnam-gu · EBS lectures are also supported a variety of educational services. Gibontapjaedoen ‘diohdik dictionary’ and Samsung apps available for download at off the ‘Smart Edu’ there is an advantage.

Wi-Fi in the region ‘chaeton’, ‘kakaohtok’, etc. You can enjoy messaging services, including the gyro sensor tapjaedwae racing game you can enjoy more fine-grained operation.

In addition to the large 2500mAh battery, 5.0 megapixel camera, terrestrial DMB, external memory slot and the various support functions, 16GB/32B product’s selling price 399,000 won, respectively, is 469,000 won.

Samsung Electronics official said, “enhanced” 70 Plus Galaxy players’ emphasis on learning and messaging services to consumers that 10 is expected to gain popularity, “he said.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Player 70 Plus Backpack giveaway to celebrate the launch, product marketing, will conduct a variety of cheheomdan is a popular idol group Infinite Spiral TV commercials as a model will be unveiled later this month.

IFA, Media Players, Music

Sony Android Walkman Makes Official Debut at IFA 2011 (Update: Now Official as Sony Walkman Z)

What we’ve got here is a new Sony Walkman Mobile Entertainment device running Android Gingerbread platform on board. Say that again? A new Sony Walkman? Sounds like a post from mid 2009, but apparently it’s truth. The Japanese corp has just announced at IFA 2011 a new 4.3-inch LCD toucscreen device, carrying the good old Walkman brand, and sporting an HDMI output, along with a bluetooth connectivity, a micro USB hub and Sony’s exclusive S-Master MX software suite which is supposed to improved your very favorite music when traveling on-the-go. Regretfully, there’s still no word about price or availability, but you can be sure you’ll hear more about it, in the coming future or so.

Update: Turns out this all new Android Walkman series from Sony is more fascinating than we had expected. According to the company’s official PR announcement, the  4.3-inch WVGA player (dubbed Sony Walkman Z) which runs an Android Gingerbread platform under the hood, is also said to sport a 1GHz Tegra 2 chipset, paired with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity, an HDMI output, 16, 32 or 64GB of storage capacities, red/black or black/blue flavors, and battery that delivers up to 20 hours of audio playback and 5 hours of video. And while price details are still vague at the moment, the Japanese are saying that the new Z PMP will probably go live in Japan on December 10th and not one day before. Wow!

 

[via techcrunch]

Continue reading Sony Android Walkman Makes Official Debut at IFA 2011 (Update: Now Official as Sony Walkman Z) →

Media Players, Music

Cowon To Release a 4.8-inch 3D PMP Device In South Korea

Do you think that wearing 3D Glasses to watch TV is silly? Well, how about ditching the discomfort of wearing over-sized plastic 3D shades but watching the third dimension over a 4.8-inch media player, eh? No, we’re not kidding. Want more proof? make sure to check out Cowon’s latest 3D PMP revelation – the world’s first official device ever to support non-glasses 3D visualizer in portable players. 3D on-the-go, can you believe it? Of course you gonna get an HDMI output with it, and up to 64GB to store your high-def videos, but most importantly (at least for some of you), it has WiFi within, and its battery can deliver up to 10 hours of continuous video playback. Sweet!  Interested? You may want to start saving the pennies for this high-end number; we’re adamant it won’t be cheap. In fact, it’s gonna cost you (when it gets out in south Korea on December 10th) KRW499,000 (around $430) for the 32GB flavor or KRW589,000 (around $510) for the 64GB version.

[Cowon]

Media Players, Music

Samsung’s Android Galaxy Player 50 Unveiled

Everywhere I turn it seems I hear about Samsung’s portable media devices, these days. And now that the South Korean electronic giant has officially launched its most hyped 7-inch Android Galaxy Tab at the IFA show in Berlin, there are numerous other cool products in Samsung’s Galaxy lineup one could definitely see them coming. One such example is the new Android-powered Galaxy Player 50 that Sammy has just announced – which looks pretty much like a mobile smartphone at first glance – But it’s not. As a matter of fact, this small whitish bad boy is actually a 3.2-inch WQVGA LCD player, which boasts an Android 2.1 OS, 8GB or 16GB of storage, a microSD slot expansion (up to 32GB), a 2 megapixel camera, 802.11n WiFi connectivity, and the ice on the cake – multitouch screen support. Regretfully, at this point there are no pricing or availability details to share with the world, but the full PR is just around the corner, so hit the break and read the note.

[via Android Center]

Continue reading Samsung’s Android Galaxy Player 50 Unveiled →

Media Players, Music

New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display

One of the most interesting products that Apple has just rolled out at the Music event yesterday morning is the new iPod nano device which the company has completely revamped and transformed it into a nice squarish touchscreen player. Yes, the 6th generation iPod nano is actually equipped with a neat multi-touch user interface, while the body itself is now 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter than previous models. In addition to that, the Cupertino guys have also added couple of hard volume buttons on top and a tiny clip on the back (no more armbands needed). And despite the fact that Apple has officially ditched cool features like the integrated camera or video playback support, It would be still reasonable to shell out $149 for 8 gigs or $179  for double the storage in order to get yourself one, especially now when the new nanos boast a 24 hours battery pack, along with a pedometer, FM radio tuner and even Nike+ support. Full PR and a quick hands-on video (courtesy of Engadget) after the break.

Continue reading New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display →

Audio, Media Players, Music

New iPod Touch Players Get iPhone 4 Features Without The Phone

Apple has just updated its iPod Touch PMPs lineup with a new slick model which apparently includes iPhone 4 stunning Retina Display screen, together with a 3-axis gyroscope and that strong Apple A4 chip that will easily support all those brand new features inside such as the great Game Center and the Face-time capabilities which can now be used on iPod Touch players thanks to the latest rear and front-facing camera additions. Cupertino will start taking your pre-orders today as prices start at $229 for 8GB and climbs to $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB. Full PR after the break.

Update1: We’ve just added a quick hands on video, courtesy of Engadget, so check it out after the jump.

Update2: And looks like the iFixit team has done it again and managed to nab one of Apple’s latest and greatest 2010 Apple iPod Touch player in order to tear it apart and eventually expose its inner parts to the world. First results indicate that the new 640 x 960 LCD touchscreen is actually fused to the external glass, while the area between the front end and the battery is protected by an 11-gram EMI shield. Other than that, you’ll find a 3.44Whr Li-Pol cell, firmly soldered to the board, but the headphone jack isn’t. There’s plenty more info at the iFixit website and one image that says it all right after the break.

Continue reading New iPod Touch Players Get iPhone 4 Features Without The Phone →

Media Players, Music, Video

Cowon’s New V5W PMP Gets a WiFi Connectivity Upgrade

Korean audio giant Cowon has just relaunched its good ‘ol V5 media player, this time in the form of a V5W PMP. And while most specs remain the same – a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, running Windows CE 6.0 with one HDMI output, one USB 2.0 slot and 16/32/64GB storage capacities at your choice –  that little “W” letter tabbed to the name, apparently represents the new WiFi connection capabilities the company has added to its frame. Regretfully, both price and availability are yet to be determined at this stage, but just to give you a sense of direction, you guys should be ready to spend somewhere around 250 bucks if you want the V5W so bad.

[Cowon]

Audio, Media Players, Music, Operating Systems, Video

Viliv’s Prime P3 Media Player To Run Google’s Android 2.1 Inside

With the growing prosperity of netbook devices from one side, and rapid increase in tablet consuming from the other, one should be questioning himself/herself  if there’s enough room for any type of media player to fit today’s market. Korean company Viliv, still thinks positively regarding this matter, and rolls out its latest Prime P3 PMP, which packs a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen on top, and dual booting platform, running both Android 2.1 and Windows CE 6.0 for the OS. The new player also packs up to 32GB of internal storage, while CPU wise you get the 800 MHz ARM Cortex flavor, capable handling your entire 720p content, stutter free. Other than that, for a non-disclosure price or availability, you get a built-in accelerometer, paired with WiFi connectivity, TV out and microSD slot expansion – all offered in variant of colors to choose from. a quick video demo is right after the break.

[Viliv via I4U News]

Continue reading Viliv’s Prime P3 Media Player To Run Google’s Android 2.1 Inside →

Applications, Audio, Computers, Music

11 Most Awesome iPad Apps That Will Make You Feel Like a DJ

1 Comment

Since its launch two months ago, Apple’s iPad sales has already reached over one million units (in the US alone), with users downloading over 12 million apps from the App Store and over 1.5 million ebooks from the new iBookstore. As of today, there are almost 200,000 apps available on iTunes for all Apple devices, while more than 10,000 apps of them were written or redesigned for the iPad platform itself. Steve Jobs says “Demand continues to exceed supply and we’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers…” – and he does, as Apple already announced its next stage of global roll out, which is allegedly slated to start on May 28. In this post, we have rounded up 11 great (free/cheap) iPad music apps that will let you feel like a pro DJ when using. You can scratch, create loops, remix your audio files, insert samples, play, produce and record your very own audio stuff on-the-go.  Check out each app, download it and you’ll be off and running with some great DJ tools in no time. Considering some of this apps can cost dozens, if not hundreds of dollars in desktop/laptops markets, paying a few bucks is a sound investment, in our humble opinion.

Continue reading 11 Most Awesome iPad Apps That Will Make You Feel Like a DJ →

Music

MyRacer's Run Of The Mill Lisse H10 Makes It Out In South Korea

We’re not so sure you had that new MyRacer PMP included in this year’s holidays list, but just in case you’re still in a hunt for last moment gifts, Korean’s Lisse H10 officially gone live, with a crisp 5-inch 1,280 x 720 display and a set of ordinary specs, amongst you can find 16GB of storage, FM tuner, an HDMI output, microSD slot expansion, built-in mic and wide range of formats support, like MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, and FLAC audio files, or AVI (Xvid / DivX), WMV,ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MPG, MP4, VOB, SMI video files, or JPEG, BMP, and GIF images. Regretfully,both price and release date are still missing, so you might consider buying it for the next holidays season.

myracer-lisse-h10

[via Move Player]

MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, FLAC, APE, AVI (Xvid / DivX), WMV,
ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MPG, MP4, VOB, SMI, JPEG, BMP, GIF, TXT 등의 파일이 재생되고 HDMI 출력, microSD 인식, FM트랜스미터, 음성녹음 등의 기능을 지원합니다. ASF, RM, RMVB, DAT, MPG, MP4, VOB, SMI, JPEG, BMP, GIF, TXT
Audio, Media Players, Music

Creative Zii Egg Prototype Spotted In The Wild, Excitement Was Noticed Around

Turns out a staff member named DaHarder, at DAP Review website, was lucky enough to get his hands on one of the few Creative Zii EGG multimedia prototypes available in the market, and kindly shared his recent experience on two short preview videos, that can be found after the break. From his impressions, one can learn the Zii EGG machine (that Creative was just beginning to ship), boasts a 3.5-inch screen display which “compares very favorably” to Sony’s S series OLED, with “shockingly” bright and vibrant colors, while sound quality is described as “the best sounding Creative player” ever heard “and that’s without any EQ/Z-F”. Pretty exciting, isn’t it? Hit the jump to take a look.

Update1: And, in case you were looking for one more evidence that will make you believe Creative’s new prototype machine is rockin’, the good guys at AnythingButiPod have managed to put their hands, as well, on one of those Zii EGG developer editions available at the market, and posted their impressions on a clear and bright video that can be watched after the break, still with Plazma OS only rather than Android.

Update2: It’s not out yet, but Creative has just released a firmware update for the Zii EGG machine, version 92.02, which apparently adds media playback support for SD cards, along with some other cool features, including a neat 3D “clothesline”  add-on for landscape view, and a one of a kind stretching feature for browsing lists, that may influence the way we flip long screens. Hit the break to see the news.

creative-zii-egg_2

[Via DAP Review]

Continue reading Creative Zii Egg Prototype Spotted In The Wild, Excitement Was Noticed Around →

Audio, Media Players, Music

X-mini Happy PMP Crams Speaker And Player From Outer Space

With its alien capsule design, the new X-mini Happy PMP from XM-I can definitely win our “most bizarre look” of the year, as the grayish player reminds sort of a medical device rather than a multimedia package. And we say “package”, we refer to both player and speaker integrated inside the tower, which also houses a built-in SD card reader that seats next to a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB 2.0 port, to transfer your files. Battery wise, the Happy delivers up to 6 hours of playback, or 11 hours of speaker use, although you won’t be enjoying them, probably until Q3, when the new PMP is scheduled to be released.

[via Cnet]

Accessories, Applications, Audio, Events, Games, Hardware, Media Players, Mobile, Music, News, Operating Systems, Phones, Video

Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 To Have MMS Messaging, Copy And Paste, P2P Connectivity And a Lot More (Now: Jailbreak)

Apple’s OS 3.0 preview event in Cupertino, California was just ended with some interesting announcements concerning hardware accessories, firmware tweaks, App Store business model improvements and some new games/software developments – answering most of our long lasting expectations. Although it was more of a conference, targeting third party developers, some of the news are all about iPhone’s consumers usability. That includes:

  • Copy & Paste capabilities.
  • MMS messaging support.
  • Forward and delete for multiple messages.
  • Peer-to-peer connectivity over Bluetooth for gaming and info exchange.
  • A2DP stereo Bluetooth add-on
  • Voice Memos.
  • A new home screen page with Spotlight feature, allowing universal search on the phone (like Palm’s Pre).
  • Shake To Shuffle function.
  • Landscape keyboard, available in Mail, Notes and SMS.

First event without Steve Jobs around, and everyone in Apple talks about a complete return to CEO position somewhere around June 2009. But illness matters aside, we’ve learned that the company craves for extra revenues, specially from third-party applications. That is why developers will be able to include subscription fee inside paid apps, together with optional paid content that can be purchased directly from the app itself (like T-shirts and other stuff). Developers will also be able to build apps combined with Google Maps or connect with hardware accessories, such as computer speakers, keyboard and even a blood pressure monitor, through their applications. The new package will include 1,000 new APIs, allowing push notifications (at last), in-game voice use and built-in tethering functionality, that will hopefully work in the future. Other than that, users will get auto WiFi login around hotspots, full parental controls over TV shows/App Store apps and even Bluetooth functionality, in case you’re a 2G iPod touch owners.

OS 3.0 Beta version for developers is now available in here. The other 3.0 firmware update for consumers will be launched in the summer, free of charge. Those who hold iPod Touch devices in their hands will have to pay the usual annoying fee (which stands at $9.95), to get the new version.

Update1: checkout the video after the break.

Update2: iPhone OS 3.0 beta 2 was just released (for developers) and looks like we’re about to get the opportunity to use up to 11 home screens instead of the 9 screens limit on the current one. Additionally, Apple will finally add the push notifications feature in the upcoming version, so here’s a good reason to look forward for something.

Update3: You’ve guessed it right, the guys at QuickPwn have just kicked in with their latest release, which jailbreaks Apple’s OS 3.0 for free use. As always – at your risk – just to the following link, as download is available in here.

Update4: Looks like you’ll also get Voice Control (which stands for voice dialing), together with some other goodies like video recording, auto-focus camera, a compass and a digital battery indicator.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 To Have MMS Messaging, Copy And Paste, P2P Connectivity And a Lot More (Now: Jailbreak) →

Audio, Media Players, Music, News

Apple Rolls Out a New 4GB iPod Shuffle With VoiceOver Technology

It’s here, the new iPod shuffle has just made his first appearance on Apple’s website, featuring a 4GB player instead of the previous 1/ 2GB capacities. Other than that, Apple has removed the control wheel from the device itself and the only remaining button was shifted to the attached earphones. Sized at 45.2 x 17.5 x 7.8mm, the new shuffle can easily get into the category of “the world’s smallest music player”, and without having an LCD screen, Apple has implemented the VoiceOver feature, which will read out the names of the playing song, artist/performer and even your playlists, at a touch of a button. Battery wise, you’ll be able to play up to 10hrs of continuous playback, either you choose buying the silver or black flavors, both priced at $79. Mind you, the VoiceOver supports English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. Checkout the official announcement, together with some other images after the break.

Update1: The guys at iFixit already managed to dissect this little creature.  Check out the images after the break or visit their website for a full coverage.

Update2: This is bad, really bad. According to iLounge the new iPod Shuffle can only be controlled by special earbuds with a special authenticating chip from Apple. The meaning is that third party manufacturers who want to sell Shuffle headphones, will have to pay Apple a special fee, just for making them available – and you guessed it right – you’re the ones to pay the price. This all thing makes us wonder why in heaven Apple would like to lock down its own customers by limiting the number of accessories. First reason we can think about is the recession. If Apple will be the sole provider of Shuffle headphones then more money will make its way to Cupertino, but then again, who’d like to buy a player with proprietary headphoes. Second reason, relates to Apple’s policy and the endless story of frustrated fanboys who play mouse-and-cat chasing game, trying to unlock the iphone back and forth. Clearly, there’s nothing new in this latest decision and Apple has already locked down its users before – policy, remember? Bottom line, Apple might have long sleeves, hiding strong PR and marketing tricks, but consumers ain’t dumb anymore – you got that El Jobso?

Update3: Apple confirms there’s a proprietary chip inside the new Shuffle’s headphones, but the chip isn’t encrypted and third party manufacturers might be able to clone it.

Update4: Now, with the assistant of “Compuer Choppers” you can get yourself a customized Shuffle, plated with colorful designs, instead of those dull silver/black ones from Apple. To do so, just hit the link and choose your favorite hue for a starting price of $20.

Update5: If Apple’s new shuffle has been removed from your birthday “wish list” just because the VoiceOver feature could not pronounce your favorite band accurately, mind you that Cupertino has just released the VoiceOver Kit 1.0.1, which is already available via Mac OS X software update (17MB) and suppose to fix the pronunciation problem for most of the names, but not all of them. Clearly, Apple hasn’t said a word about which names were fixed but you can try them yourself to feagure out.

Continue reading Apple Rolls Out a New 4GB iPod Shuffle With VoiceOver Technology →

Media Players, Music

Elton John Launches Swarovski Dotted iPod Nano For Charity

The Elton John AIDS Foundation has recently announced a new iPod nano lineup, for charity purposes (at least 12.5% of the purchase price), coming up in green, orange, pink, purple, red, silver, yellow or black flavors, coated with sparkling Swarovski crystals. Each of the colors will be offered in limited numbers (about 100) and is expected to be available at Goldgenie and Selfridges, while the 8GB version is going for £399.99 ($566) and the 16GB model for £449.99 ($638). Additionally, potential buyers will receive “Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits CD” as a bonus, in case the lavish nano isn’t enough. anyways, hurry up before it’s over.

CES, Internet, Mobile, Music, Video

Routon Introduces The P760 MID

CES 2009 is full of ultra-portable gadgets, offering new technologies to carry out our internet and multimedia libraries across the globe. One of those devices is the new P760 MID from Routon, which packs a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, together with a strong ARM11 processor and mobile capabilities (CDMA 1X/GSM/EDGE optional). It comes with either 4GB or 8GB capacities 128MB of RAM, an FM tuner, DVB-T digital TV, 2MP camera and Linux onboard. Additionally, you get WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR connectivity and GPS navigation system, all squeezed into 166 x 88 x 16mm, 250g. Still no word on price or availability, but clearly we will get more of this very soon.

[Via slashgear]

Audio, Communication, Internet, Mobile, Music, Phones

iTunes DRM-Free Songs Available In May For $1.29

Good news from Cupertino, as apple announces that EMI Music’s digital catalog (and some other major labels like Virgin, Sony BMG, American Recording) will be available for purchase DRM-free from the iTunes Store in May. The tracks will be offered at higher quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for just $1.29 per song with an option for second tier songs for only $0.69. The meaning is that you will be able to transfer your non-protected songs to other computers freely, as we are talking about 8 million DRM-Free songs to be available for a purchase from now on. Additionaly, iTunes users, will be able to upgrade their entire previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free versions for just 30 cents ($0.30) a song. The rest of the songs will be offered in the same versions as today, 128 kbps AAC encoding with DRM at the same price of 99 cents ($0.99) per song. If that’s not enough, Apple has also announced that music store downloads are available over 3G connectivity (without the need for a WiFi around)with the same price and sound quality, which means your new iPhone is capable of downloading iTunes tracks directly – Kudos !

[Apple]

Audio, Media Players, Music, News, Video

iRiver Launches The T5 & T6 Media Players

 

Moments before the CES show, iRiver has introduced two new media players, already available for purchase in Korea (although no one actually knows about it), featuring basic specs and updated design to cover your ordinary needs wherever you are. Truth to tell, both the T6 and T5 players have some decent alternatives out there in the market but hey, you’re buying reputation, don’t you?

iRiver T6 might have a misterious resemblance to the e50 PMP, with the same rectangular shape and similar brushed metal style, but the Koreans have also added some LED lighted touch-based controls upfront, in order to make it comfortable to navigate while hanging anywhere in the dark. The 1.8-inch 128 x 160 display looks pretty simple, and without the ability to play high-res videos, you can get your 2GB/4GB player mainly used for audio playback of formats like MP3, WMA, OGG, or WAV. Yes, there is a microphone, together with the traditional FM tuner inside, but nothing else to knock us down in this crowded market. Having said that, a 50$ price tag for a Black/White 2 gigs version can easily place the T6 in one of your modest holidays list.

[via pocketables]

Continue reading iRiver Launches The T5 & T6 Media Players →

Audio, Communication, Media Players, Mobile, Music, News, Phones, Video

Nokia Introduces The New N97 Flagship Smartphone

4 Comments

Nokia unveils the N97 3G Quad-Band HSDPA phone, that is considered to be the next flagship device, coming from the Finn giant. The new N97 packs, a 3.5-inch, 640 x 360 touchscreen (16:9 ratio), a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a microSD slot and 32GB of memory inside. This top-notch handheld, which carries the title “world’s most advanced mobile computer”, has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivities, along with 3.5-mm headjack, A-GPS, and a strong battery that can provide up to 1.5 days of continuous playback or 4.5-hours of high-quality video. Naturally, there’s a 5MP built-in camera with Carl Zeiss glass and Symbian S60 5th Edition OS, to handle all those advanced features. It is scheduled to go live somewhere in the first half of 2009, for €550 ($693), excluding taxes. Meanwhile, checkout the videos after the break.

[Nokia]

Continue reading Nokia Introduces The New N97 Flagship Smartphone →

Audio, Media Players, Music

Sandisk To Introduce Sansa slotMusic Player

Honestly, I have no idea why Sandisk has any desire to release the Sansa slotMusic player, specially when the initiative to distribute music and movies on microSD cards, wasn’t a big hit. So, I understand the new player is a sort of “accessory” that might help the consumers to play their microSD $15 pre-loaded DRM-free music, from diverse artists, but as a matter of fact, the same thing can be done with other players, the kind that HAVE a built-in display, and not just a card sleeve that plays tracks. Anyways, it can be used for different commercial promotions, so i guess you won’t mind getting this $20 device in one of those big fairs. In any case, it is a basic MP3 player, that comes with a microSD slot, houses a 1 single AAA battery that can last 15 hours, and sized at 72.1 x 36.8 x 15.2 mm 48g. In addition, it supports MP3, OGG, FLAC, WMA file formats and is supposedly available now, across North America, while followed by Europe and other destinations in 2009.

[Sandisk]

Audio, Media Players, Music

Pioneer XM XMp3 PMP Pops Up In The Wild, Can Play Sattelite Radio And Audio Music

This new XM XMP3 Sattelite radio PMP from Pioneer, showed up on Best Buy’s website for couple of seconds and immediately vanished for some reason. Naturally, it has a built-in XM sattelite radio with up to 170 channels that you can access for a flat monthly fee of $12.95. In addition, you can play any MP3 / WMA files, stored on any microSD card with 8GB capacity at most. You can also record 100 hours of XM Radio on five different channels simultaneously, and schedule them as you want. The package contains a home dock, home antenna, a remote control and cables that will be available in about 2 weeks, for $279.99.

Update: checkout the video after the break, featuring the XM’s interface.

[via orbitcast]

Continue reading Pioneer XM XMp3 PMP Pops Up In The Wild, Can Play Sattelite Radio And Audio Music →

General, Internet, Music, News

Best Buy Acquires Online Music Service Napster For $121M

Online digital music market is getting warmed up, as US retail giant, Best Buy, announces it will acquire Napser for an astonishing $121 million price tag. The transaction is set to be accomplished in Q4 of this year and we have no doubt it was carried out in order to try snatching a substantial share from iTunes’ market dominance. Napster allows its 708,000 subscribers to access an unlimited library of music or using the “Napster Mobile” platform, on their mobile phones, for a small monthly fee of $15. Having said that, the company has never turned a profit, during its long years of existence.

Best Buy president Brian Dunn confirms the company’s desire to expand Napster services and to use “Napster’s capabilities and digital subscriber base to reach new customers with an enhanced experience for exploring and selecting music and other digital entertainment products over an increasing array of devices.” Be sure it’s just the beginning and we expect more developments to take place in the near future. We do hope this move will increase the competition and at the end of the day, will be profitable for the consumers.

[via ZDNet]

Applications, Audio, Events, Music, News

iTunes 8 Goes Live With HD Shows, Genius Playlists And The Great Magnetosphere Visualizer

1 Comment

iTunes 8 officially goes live at Apple’s “Let Us Rock” event, introducing HD shows from ABC, NBC and Showtime, to run for $2.99 per episode (the rest priced at $1.99). In addition, the 8 version comes with the new “Genius” sidebar feature, which lets you automatically create playlists from songs in your music library that go great together. Meaning, iTunes has a smart music reccomendation tool that helps users to rediscover favorite songs in their existing music library and suggests related music on the iTunes Store they might want to add to their music collection (sort of Pandora like). Furthermore, you can visualy browse your iTunes’ music / video libraries, using your album or video cover art and enjoy some new stunning Magnetosphere visualizations, once you turn your favorite music on. Tunes 8 is now available for download via Apple’s website.

[Apple]

Audio, IFA, Media Players, Music, Video

IFA 2008: Sony Officially Introduces S, E And B Walkman Series

2 Comments

Following Sony’s recent Walkman lineup revelation, the company has decided to go official, introducing “S”, “E”, and “B” Walkman players, to be released in the coming September with prices ranged from $45 up to $180.

The S series

Includes the 4GB NWZ-S736F and 8GB NWZ-S738F Walkmans, coming up with a light 7.5mm thick design, a 2-inch QVGA LCD display, an FM tuner, noise-cancelling technology, drag-and-drop file management and wide formats support, like MP3, WMA, AAC, Linear PCM, JPEG, and MPEG-4. Battery life is very impressive and can deliver up to 40 hours of audio playback or 10 hours of video.

[via cellphonehits]

Continue reading IFA 2008: Sony Officially Introduces S, E And B Walkman Series →

Audio, Media Players, Music

Trekstor To Boost Up New Players, Including Vibez, i.Beat Organix & Nova

It’s been a while since we last heard from Trekstor. This time, it announces the release of some new players, including the company’s flagship PMP, the Vibez, coming up with a new 32GB flash memory version, coated with the same shape and features. The other players include the i.Beat Organix, available in 4GB/8GB versions, 55 hours of battery life, a small OLED display and four colors to choose from, while the i.Beat Nova, which is considered to be the smaller in the group, comes with a tiny OLED screen, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB flash capacities and a USB stick design. Prices start from €29 ($43) for the Nova models and climb up to €129 ($191) for the high-end Vibez, when they will be launched across Europe around September.

[Via DAPreview]

Continue reading Trekstor To Boost Up New Players, Including Vibez, i.Beat Organix & Nova →

Audio, Events, IFA, Media Players, Music

Cowon To Introduce The S9 Stylish Curved PMP

2 Comments

Cowon announces some new products to be officially released next week, during IFA 2008 show at Berlin. One of the most interesting devices within the new lineup is the S9, a nice curved PMP with a 3.3-inch 16M colors capacitive AMOLED  touchscreen (480 x 272) and a strong 500MHz DualCore processor. It packs a T-DMB television tuner for Korean market, an FM tuner, a bluetooth connectivity, TV output and even a G-Sensor accelerometer. Still, no info about storage capacities or codecs support, but you can trust Cowon to be generous as usual. Battery life, on the other hand, was confirmed and will deliver up to 40 hours of continuous music. Stay tuned for more to come later this week.

Update: The S9 will be available next month with 8GB or 16GB storage capacities, while a 32GB version will hit later on. As mentioned, it will support many codecs, including MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV audio formats and MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, H.264 BP video formats.

[Cowon]

Audio, Media Players, Music

YAMAHA To Release BODiBEAT, First Music Player That Matches Songs to Workout Pace

1 Comment

YAMAHA starts shipping the new BODiBEAT PMP, which is considered to be the world’s first music player that selects songs to match the pace of the user’s workout and automatically syncs music selections with the steps of the user’s walk or run, making exercises more fun than ever before. In addition, you get a BODiBEAT Station, software that automatically categorizes each downloaded song by beats per minute (bpm), and a small heart rate monitor that clips onto the user’s ear, allowing BODiBEAT to track the metrics of your workouts, including distance, time, pace and heart rate. To make it more comfortable, YAMAHA added an armband, designed for ease-of-use during active pursuits. The player itself packs only 512MB of internal flash memory and a 12 hours battery life when fully charged. There are four main operating modes, like Free, Fitness, Training and Music.

Free mode: BODiBEAT automatically matches the music to the exercise pace.

Fitness mode: you get Walk Fitness and Jog Fitness, each of which works in conjunction with the heart rate monitor to select the most appropriate music for optimal aerobic exercise at the user’s fitness level.

Training mode: tells users when to speed up and slow down for ideal results, and it does so while playing their favorite music.

Music mode: BODiBEAT functions as a standard portable audio player.

As for prices, the suggested retail price of $299 seems expropriated, considering the poor 512MB internal memory, but somehow, we get the impression it will be around $199 (just a hunch).

[YAMAHA]

Continue reading YAMAHA To Release BODiBEAT, First Music Player That Matches Songs to Workout Pace →

Audio, Internet, Media Players, Mobile, Music, News, Video

Archos To Introduce "Internet Media Tablets" Lineup, Including 5, 7 & 5G PMP Models

1 Comment

Archos has officially unveiled their 6th generation PMPs lineup, known as “Internet Media Tablets”, including Archos 5, Archos 7 and Archos 5G models, to make a debut across the world from September 2008. The 6th Gen comes with new clean sleeky design, as Archos decides to dump the side tactile buttons from the 5th Gen and focus on bigger touchscreen and slim look.

Archos 5 & Archos 7

are equipped with a strong bullet ARM Cortex processor, storage capacities, starting from 60GB up to 320GB, three on top buttons, including power and Volum +/-, high-resolution 800 x 480 touchscreen, as the Archos 5 comes with a 4.8-inch display and the Archos 7 packs a 7-inch screen. In addition, both models feature Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g connection, 3.5mm mini jack for headphones, free Opera web browser, built-in speaker, HD video support and DVR station dock/DVR snap-on accessory (optional) to record your favorite TV shows or play 5.1 audio via your stereo Hi-Fi. Mind you, the new DVR station houses an HDMI output to display high-definition 720P video content.

Archos 5G

One of the most interesting devices from the new series, packs 30GB storage capacity, together with 3.5 HSPDA 3G cellular modem that lets you surf the internet wherever you want, without the need to be around a Wi-Fi hotspot. It comes with the same 4.8-inch high-resolution touchscreen (800 x 480) and same video/audio capabilities, supporting MP3, WMA, WMA Pro 5.1, WAV (PCM / ADPCM) for audio, MPEG-4 (ASP @ L5 AVI), WMV, M-JPEG (Motion JPEG video) QVGA resolution, for video and JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, PDF, SRT for the rest.

Estimated shipping dates & prices

Archos 5 – September: 60GB – $350, 120GB – $400, 250GB – $450
Archos 7 – October: 160GB – $450, 320GB – $550
Archos 5G – December: 30GB – $550

The Archos 5g, could be subsidized by carriers.

Checkout the initial video and full specs after the break.

Update: early than expected, the Archos 5 & 7 “internet media tablets” go live on Amazon with a wide range of accessories, including DVR Station ($99), a DVR Snap-On ($80), a Mini Dock ($30), a Battery Dock ($50), a Helmet Camcorder ($130), and more.

[via Archos]

Continue reading Archos To Introduce "Internet Media Tablets" Lineup, Including 5, 7 & 5G PMP Models →

Communication, Internet, Media Players, Mobile, Music, News

Lenovo IdeaPad U8 MID Goes Live at The Olympics

The new Lenovo IdeaPad U8 MID makes a debut right on time, as the Beijing Olympic games take place these days and new world records are getting smashed. Official specs include a 4.8-inch touchscreen, Intel Atom Z500 800MHz processor, GPS navigation system, front/rear cameras, 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G and even Wimax support (wow!). In addition it has 1GB of RAM, 6GB flash storage and a place for a dongle, to receive China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting signals, in order to watch the Olympics for free, if you happened to be in China, all for the size of 21 x 173 x 84mm and 350 grams. No word on price, but you should expect a smartphone costing, so start saving.

Update: Price is set to be around $730 (4,999 yuan) which is not that cheap, considering you can get a laptop, but sometimes you have to pay for light portability.

[Via Pocketables]

Accessories, General, Media Players, Music

Logitech To Get Into The Earbuds Market, Buying Ultimate Ears

Although earphones are no stranger to Logitech, the company has announced it’s aquiring US-based company Ultimate Ears, a market leader in custom in-ear monitors for on-stage musicians and iPod or iPhone consumers. The $34 million price tag is fairly reasonable, as it gives Logitech the abillity to strongly penetrate the mp3 players niche with quality in-ear earbuds, and to expand its portfolio of digital audio products. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in August.

[via Ultimate Ears]

Media Players, Music

Creative To Introduce The New Zen Krystal Mp3 Player

Creative has released a new mp3 player for the Chinese market, named Zen Krystal. It looks very similar to the Stone Plus players, featuring 4GB storage capacity, small 0.7 ” monochrome OLED display (64 x 64), an FM tuner, a microphone, a pedometer, a stopwatch and basic compatibility with MP3, WMA, WMA file formats. Battery offers 10 hours of continuous play and the price stands on $87, so if you happen to visit Asia in the following weeks and need a small reliable player, it might be a good solution.

[via anythingbutipod]

Applications, Media Players, Music, Phones, Video

iTunes 7.7 Goes Live With Apple App Store And Remote Control Support

itunes-7-7So, it is finally here. iTunes version 7.7 goes live with the promised App store assimilated inside, and Remote control functionality as a bonus. The official release says:

“Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home – a free download from the App Store.”

The new Remote application for the iPhone and iPod touch devices controls your Apple TV and iTunes via the Wi-Fi connection. You can literally use it to play, stop, pause, skip or shuffle your songs and videos, you can even search the entire libraries through your handheld device.

apple-remote-control-app

Games, General, Music

John McCain Snatches a Piece Of Music, Made By an Obama Supporter, For His Campaign Ad

Originally written on June 22nd:

John McCain is a war hero, no doubt, but if you have seen his latest campaign ad, you might have had a deja-vu feeling. The reason for that is the commercial’s background music, originally created for EA’s Medal Of Honor:European Assault by Christopher Lennertz, an Obama supporter, who wasn’t pleased to see his videogame composition, used in McCain’s campaign, without any granted authorization. Still, Lennertz made it very clear that there was just a mix-up over rights, and nothing illegal took place. To read Lennertz official statement on the McCain ad, hit the jump.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/J1OUxBvlLr0" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

[via kotaku]

Continue reading John McCain Snatches a Piece Of Music, Made By an Obama Supporter, For His Campaign Ad →

Audio, Music

Wireless Floating Speakers Will Entertain You In The Pool

Waterproof speakers are not a rare product and you can find them in many wet places, including showers, pools or even in sinks. The only problem is that you have to take your precious mp3 player with you into the water in order to play your favorite music, and as you know, it can be very risky. To solve the problem, we have a chance to introduce a pair of wireless speakers with floating capabilities, that can play your music up to 150ft away, which means you won’t need to gamble on your player’s life. Just get inside, let the speakers float and hit the tunes as they are wirelessly transferred from a safety dry land. Equipped with a small transmitter, the speakers will hook up to any 3.5mm audio output, like media players, computers and even a TV set, so if you look for your next melodies companion, while enjoying a sunny day in the pool, it will cost you around $80.

wireless-waterproof-speakers

[via shinyshiny]

Audio, Media Players, Music

Samsung YP-S2 MP3 Player Hits Amazon

Originally written on June 19th:

The new YP-S2 DAP from Samsung has finally reached Amazon, introducing nice black flavor with glowing green at the bottom, 1GB internal memory and rechargeable battery. It boasts a pebble shaped design, 10 hours of continuous playback and MP3 / WMA audio support, all coming with a reasonable $39.99 price tag. Now it’s your call to decide either you like it or not.

Samsung-YP-S2

[via engadget]

Applications, Internet, Media Players, Music, Phones

iSlsk Lets You Download Your Favorite Music To Your iPhone Or iPod Touch Devices

1 Comment

iphone-islsk iSlsk is a Soulseek P2P client that enables jailbroken iPhone or iPod Touch owners to download MP3 songs directly from their own devices. To do so, just connect to the Soulseek network with the iSlsk application and start importing your favorite music via your wifi connection. The application lets you manage your downloads and allows more than one song to be downloaded  at the same time. Mind you, there’s one glitch that hopefully will be fixed, if you sync your device with the iTunes library, your iSlsk songs will be erased, but it’s still worth a try. To install the application, just goto the Installer.App and find the iSlsk in the BigBoss repo at the Community Sources package. Checkout the video after the break.

[via lifehacker]

Continue reading iSlsk Lets You Download Your Favorite Music To Your iPhone Or iPod Touch Devices →

Audio, Media Players, Music

Mytunes Amp Plays Your Music Right From The iPod

There are many speakers that offer a direct connection to your mp3 player, but Mytunes looks like a great on-the-go choice, if you want to hook up your ipod and listen to your favorite music loudly. This mini amp connects to your player or your PC and provides clear tunes, powered by the USB connection or 3 AAA batteries. It is set to be released around mid-June but already available for pre-order, so you can buy yours for $40 in here.

mytunes-amp

[via slashgear]

Audio, Music

Creative Unveils The First USB 2.0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1

Creative announces the release of the new Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 sound card, designed for PC or notebooks. This USB 2.0 audio solution can easily enhance your audio experience and turn your music into your own personal concert or your downloaded videos into a full cinematic surround sound, thanks to the X-Fi technology that provides playback up to 24-Bit/96kHz 5.1 and CMSS-3D Surround, for maximum enjoyment. It is equipped with all needed outputs, including headphone out, RCA outputs, optical SPDIF output, microphone in and stereo line in. In addition, it supports both USB1.1 and USB2.0 interface, so if you want to upgrade your  music, games or videos by a simple USB connection, the new X-Fi Surround 5.1 can be yours for only $59.99.

Creative-X-Fi-Surround

[via newlaunches]

Internet, Media Players, Music, News, Video

Zune 2.5 Update Goes Live With a New Video Store, TV Shows And Social Playlist Sharing

Zune 2.5 spring update goes live with some cool modish features, including a video store that houses 4,800 music videos and a wide vriety of TV shows (no movies yet), available to download for $2 each or 160 MS Points (from the libraries of NBC, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Cartoon Network). In addition, Microsoft has integrated the Zune Card sharing, which allows you to build a social network, present your dynamic friends’ list and automatically grab their recent playlist, albums and favorite artists, as long as you subscribe to Zune Pass (similar to last.fm). Furthermore, the new update integrates Windows Live Messenger “now playing” function, album review fields, to let you express your personal opinion on different albums and publish it to the world, Auto Playlists, meta data editing, easy syncing controls and finally, Gapless playback support. Needless to say, the new 2.5 Spring Update is free of charge and ready for your downloads. Check the video after the break.

zune-video-marketplace

[via engadget]

Continue reading Zune 2.5 Update Goes Live With a New Video Store, TV Shows And Social Playlist Sharing →

Audio, General, Music

The CD-T300 Pro Has a Sci-Fi Design And a Soaring Price

I really like the new CD-T300 Pro, it has a unique illuminated “out of space” design and aluminum alloy body that turns it into a 2 ton heavy thing, well to be more accurate it weights “only” 24lbs, but you got the message – very heavy. The CD player is equipped with two remote controls, gold plated tube legs, and four amplification valves, but the most juicy piece of info is the $12,000 price tag, which makes the T300 unaffordable for most of us, so I guess I’d stay with the ipod after all.

CD-T300-Pro

[via slashgear]

Audio, General, Music

Hercules Wireless Mobile DJ MP3 Controller Goes Live

If you’re a DJ or someone who wants to mix, scratch, pitch shift, beat match, crossfade, and even add special effects, all wirelessly, you can do it with the new Hercules Mobile DJ MP3 Controller that enables mixing and organizing stored computer tracks via wireless networks. This up-to-date DJ device is equipped with 2 jog wheels (emulating 2 CD/vinyl decks), 2 deck controller, 1 cross fader, 2 volume & pitch sliders, 25 control buttons and 2 backlit LCD screens that display artist, track name, BPM, elapsed time, or track length. In addition, it has “AutoMix” function that can automatically create the mix, as you seat on the couch, controlling the action with the on-board wireless USB. The Mobile DJ Controller supports MP3 and WMA formats, to seamlessly synchronize with your PC or laptop, so you can draw a nice party to your friends wherever you are. To get this cool DJ equipment, you can visit J&R stores and snack one for merely $99.

Hercules-DJ-Mobile-MP3

[Hercules via engadget]

Music

SanDisk To Distribute Music On microSD Cards

sansa-sessionsSanDisk plans to launch Sansa Sessions, a new initiative to distribute music and movies on microSD cards. Their first steps will probably take place with the purchase of a new 8GB Sansa Fuze player, as SanDisk intend to give the buyers a free microSD card, loaded with 55 DRM-free tracks from more than 50 new artists, including All Time Low, Ladytron, Magnet, Nada Surf, Of Montreal and The Coup. The cause is twofold, first reason is to attract music junkies to buy the new Fuze and second, is for promotional sake. In any case, we get 512MB microSD card, free of charge, and novice artists earn free exposure.

[ via engadget]

Media Players, Music

Transcend Introduces A New T.Sonic Mp3 Players Lineup

Transcend announces a new series of T.Sonic mp3 players with colorful flavors and a skinny design. The first line of players is the T.Sonic 320, with 2GB and 4GB storage size, and the second line is the upgraded version of the T.Sonic 650, offering 8GB storage size. Check out the specs:

T.Sonic 320

  • Display: a small OLED screen.
  • Storage size: 2GB or 4GB.
  • Audio: MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, WAV.
  • Features: FM tuner, microphone, 7 EQ.
  • Battery Life: 15 hours.
  • Dimensions: 85.5 x 25.5 x 13 mm, 29gm.
  • Price: $63 and $86 respectively.

transcend-tsonic-320

[via Aving]

More about the T.Sonic 650 after the break.

Continue reading Transcend Introduces A New T.Sonic Mp3 Players Lineup →

Audio, Music

Sony Introduces The E-Series Mp3 Players With Changeable Covers

Sony reveals a new colorful mp3 players lineup, with stylish replaceable shells. The NW-E-Series features 3 USB stick models with different storage sizes: 1GB -> NW-E023F,
2GB -> NW-E025F, and 4GB -> NW-E026F. The USB Walkmans have a small OLED display, FM Tuner, USB 2.0 plug and tons of customizable jackets, to fit your daily clothes. All players support ATRAC, MP3, WMA and AAC audio formats, dimension stands on 83.7 × 22.3 × 16.2mm, 28gm and the price will go between $100 – $150, respectively. Available for young Japanese girls from March 8th.

 sony-E-series

[via akihabaranews]

Audio, Mobile, Music, Phones

Establish Your Own Band With iPhone And Nintendo DS

I guess it was just a matter of time for iPhone bands to start showing up, playing their own repertoire with their handset, now that the Cupertino phone received virtual piano and guitar applications. One of those bands is the iBand, presenting very impressive abilities, combined from 2 iPhone devices and 1 Nintendo DS. Check out the video:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/Mh0VX74alwk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

[via gizmodo]

Media Players, Music, Video

Coby Introduces The MP-835 PMP

Coby aims the touch market, as the company unveils the new MP-835 PMP with a slick design and a 3-inch touchscreen. The new player already received FCC certifications, so you might find it on US retailers very soon. With a smooth look and the right features, it might be a cheaper alternative to other touchscreen players available on the market. Check out the specs:

specifications:

  • Display: 3? TFT LCD (480 × 272).
  • Storage Size: 2GB or 4GB.
  • Audio: MP3, WMA, OGG.
  • Video: WMV, AVI.
  • Pictures: JJPG, BMP, GIF and TXT.
  • Features: microSD slot, FM radio tuner, USB 2.0, multi-lingual interface.
  • Size: 52 × 97 x 10mm.
  • Price: Not Available

Coby-MP835

[via gmp3]