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MP3 Player News & Headlines
iTunes Hits Two Billion Sold Milestone
Apple today announced that more than two billion songs, 50 million television episodes and over 1.3 million feature-length films have been purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store.
New iPod shuffle Available Worldwide This Friday
Nearly half the size of the original, the new iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce and features a minimal aluminum design with a built-in clip, making it the most wearable iPod ever.
Apple Approves IPhone Music App
(PC World)
PC World - Apple has approved a streaming music application from Spotify for use on the iPhone, even though the program will compete with Apple's own iTunes service.
Apple Pumps Down the Volume
Apple today announced a software update for the iPod nano and fifth generation iPod, that lets customers set their own personal maximum volume limit.
NAMM Update: Numark Announces HDX HD/CD/MP3 player
Numark announced the HDX, a tabletop HD/CD/MP3 player with an high torque, motorized 12-inch platter.
Apple: More than 70 Percent of 2007 Cars will have iPod Support
More than 70 percent of 2007-model US automobiles will offer iPod integration.
MySpace scoops up popular Facebook app iLike
(AP)
AP - Social networking hub MySpace said Wednesday it is acquiring iLike, a popular music application on rival Facebook, in the first move by new management to expand after a series of drastic cuts and writedowns.
MySpace buying online music sensation iLike
(AFP)
AFP - MySpace announced it is buying online music discovery hotspot iLike and plans to expand the service to other forms of entertainment such as games and films.
MP3 Tech Commentary
Product Preview: Digital Foci Photo Book - A New Portable Digital Photo Viewer The Digital Foci Photo Book is a portable digital album with an eight-inch, 800 x 600 LCD display set in a soft leather-like case. This case, described as a portable album, doesn't completely address the desires of a more traditional photo album in digital form, but its design is better suited for passing around while sitting in a living room or during a business presentation...read more
Image copyright: Digital Foci
A problem some have with the look and feel of portable digital image viewers is that, as cold metal devices, they don't capture the warmth of the images they are displaying. Some hope instead a digital photo viewer could look a little more like photo albums of old. Digital Foci is trying to capture at least part of that sentiment in a new “digital photo album.”
Free Music Downloads This Week In our music discovery spotlight this week, we showcase another selection of artists with free promotional tracks to download. The full song downloads will hopefully give you a good idea about the style of music that the highlighted artists produce. The free music downloads this week are:
The track, Free Energy, is the debut song from the rock band of the same name (Free Energy). Their self-titled 7" version is available now (DFA Records).
- We All Wanna Be Prince (3:33)
Related Articles:
Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones pop at $1,500 each The Ultrasone Edition 8 is a black and silver closed-back headphone which uses special acoustic technology to provide what Ultrasone feels is a very “spacious tonal perception.” Comfort on the interior ear cups is provided courtesy of Ethopian sheepskin.
Technical features of the Edition 8 headphones include an impedance of 30 Ohm, a frequency range of 6 – 42.000 Hz, 40mm drivers and a SPL of 96 dB. More details on these headphones, available now, can be found at the Ultrasone Web site.
(Note: Product mentions on the Portable Electronics blog do not certify endorsement of the product, but rather provide details on new products which might be of interest to consumers.)
(Photo Credit: Ultrasone)
Ultrasone, a maker of high end headphones, unveiled a couple of days ago some new special edition headphones which, considering the price compared to other Ultrasone models, may not actually be that different. It is called the Edition 8 and it prices for around $1,500.
Product Review: Nextar T30 Portable Media Player Photo credit: Nextar
The Nextar T30 portable media player, despite its inexpensive price tag, is hard to recommend when put up against other devices similar to it. It has a few stand out qualities, but the overall experience it provides is marred by a small host of mostly minor issues. Were there but a handful of these it would be one thing, but it is hard to overlook so many challenges at the same time. Should you choose to purchase this player, it is best suited for those on a budget who want a portable media player which offers a wide range of mostly functional features...read more
Free Digital Music Creation Software If listening to other people's music simply isn't enough, then why not have a try at creating your own masterpiece? There is a surprising amount of software out there tailored to making digital music without the steep learning curve that is often associated with premier audio software such as Steinberg's Cubase etc. If you want to take things to the next level but don't want to commit yourself financially until you've had a go, then free music creation software is your next step. It can be very satisfying producing your first piece of music, and you can even upload it for others to hear on social networking sites like MySpace. For more information, read our Free Music Creation Software guide on the best free audio programs to download. Related Articles:
Free Music Downloads This Week In our music discovery slot this week, we bring you a whole album of free music. There's also a selection of free tracks covering various genres that you can listen to or download. The free MP3s this week are:
The HDTracks music service has compiled a free album consisting of various Jazz and Blues artists. The Jazz & Blues Experience album can be downloaded in various high resolution formats such as AIFF, FLAC, or 320 Kbps MP3.
- Tonight (Day + To-Nite Mix) (4:48)
- Beach House (3:53)
Related Articles:
Buying Guide: Before You Buy a Portable Ebook Reader
The age of the portable ebook reader is upon us. Though nothing will ever replace fully the beloved paperback, the idea of being able to take hundreds of digital paperbacks with you on the road has lots of appeal. A growing number of ebook readers are being released for your purchasing consideration. You should ask yourself first, however, which features are most important to you. Battery life? Screen size? How many books a reader can hold? Read Before You Buy a Portable Ebook Reader for must have ebook reader features.
Product Preview: Philips GoGear Opus - A New Portable Media Player The upcoming Philips GoGear Opus digital audio/video player is certainly no exception to this rule of potential innovation. The company has tossed a number of useful functions into this device...read more
The Philips line up of GoGear portable media players has churned out over the years a steady stream of quality devices known for their sleek looks and easy to use interfaces. These forward thinking products also tend to come with new audio enhancements from Philips, itself a major player in the larger consumer electronics market.
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