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MP3 Player News & Headlines
Apple Intros 8GB iPod nano Red
Apple today announced a new 8GB model of the iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition. The new 8GB iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition holds up to 2,000 songs and is available for $249, joining the 4GB model priced at $199.
Universal, Virgin hail 'world first' unlimited music downloads
(AFP)
AFP - British firm Virgin Media and Universal Music Group announced Monday plans for what they said will be the world's first unlimited downloadable online music subscription service.
NAMM Update: Denon DJ Intros DN-S3500 Tabletop CD/MP3 Player
Denon DJ introduced the DN-S3500 tabletop CD/MP3 player, featuring a powerful 12-pole Direct Drive motor, 7 on-board effects and intuitive control.
New Opera technology allows simple content sharing
(AP)
AP - Norway's Opera Software ASA on Tuesday launched a new feature for its Internet browser allowing users to share photos, music and files directly with one another, without needing to go through outside services such as Facebook and Flickr.
Two New iPod Games Announced
Electronic Arts today announced the availability of two new games for the fifth generation iPod – EA Sudoku and Royal Solitaire.
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.
Da'Zoo scores with sponsors
(Reuters)
Reuters - Animated chimps having sex, a smattering of radio airplay and a college tour don't exactly add up to a traditional path to Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart. But Sony Music Latin threw out its rulebook when it came to the new act Da'Zoo.
MP3 Tech Commentary
Forget Portables, Why Not Wear Your Music? If there's something that gets people's attention, it's news that you can now carry music around with you on a T-shirt! Now, before you get too excited, it will come as a big disappointment to learn that the said T-shirt...doesn't actually play any music?!? At this point, you may be wondering if it's all just a gimmick? Not so. When you buy the T-shirt, a hang tag will provide you with a unique code that you can use to download the full album.
The Music Tee which has been created by Invisible DJ and LnA is an innovative merge of fashion and music. The hip hop artist, Mos Def, is the first to launch his new album, The Estatic, in the new 'fabric format' which will go on sale from July 7th. The T-shirt's design will feature the album's artwork on the front and a list of songs on the back. The cost of the Mos Def T-shirt will be $39. If you're a fan and want the new album via a more traditional route, then you can still purchase The Estatic from digital music services, and on physical media (audio CD, vinyl). Related Articles:
Coldplay Celebrates New Tour with Free Album Download To coincide with the start of Coldplay's new North American tour (which started May 15th at West Palm Beach), the band have celebrated the event by making their new live album available for free download. The new album, LRLRL, which is short for LeftRightLeftRightLeft, will also be given to everyone on CD that attends one of their live shows (excluding festivals). The offer which is also a thank you to its fans, is very reminiscent of other bands that have used a free download for promotion in the past. Nine Inch Nails in particular thanked their loyal fans for their continued support by giving them, The Slip last year - which incidentally is still available.
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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.
Forum Question: What is your favorite portables gadget?
What is your favorite portable electronics gadget? An iPod? That shiny new PlayStation Portable? How about the hot selling Amazon Kindle 2 ebook reader? I've opened up a forum discussion on this topic in the Portable Electronics forums and would love to hear your opinions. Feel free to join the conversation!
GenAudio AstoundStereo Expander Version 2 Released When we reviewed version 1 of GenAudio's AstoundStereo Expander software a while ago (review), we were impressed with its sound enhancement capabilities, AstoundStereo Expander version 2 is now available from GenAudio's Website where you can download a 30-day trial, or purchase the full version for a special introductory price of $19.99 until June 1st. For more information, be sure to read our AstoundStereo Expander 2 review. Image © GenAudio, Inc. Related Articles:
but were disappointed that the PC version didn't process system-wide audio like their Mac software - the PC software was simply a Microsoft Media Player plugin. GenAudio have now released version 2 of their sound enhancing software for the Mac and PC with some major improvements for Windows users in particular. The good news for PC users is that AstoundStereo Expander now processes any sound that your computer outputs. That means, regardless of whether you are listening to your music library, streaming music, watching a movie on DVD, or playing a game, AstoundStereo Expander runs in the background and processes audio data in real-time.
Amie Street: What's the Real Value of Music? Most 'paid for' music services on the Internet rigidly set the price of songs they sell. If you're an independent artist looking for a promotional platform to show off your hard work and reap the benefits, then you'll be interested to know that Amie Street offer its artists 70 percent of the profits. As a music fan, it’s a great feeling to know that most of the money spent on a song will be going where it should - to the artist. Music fans also get cash rewards on Amie Street for recommending their favorite songs - this can then be used to download songs that you would otherwise have to pay for. For more information, be sure to read our full Amie Street Review. Image © Amie Street, Inc. Related Articles:
Even though services such as the iTunes Store have recently introduced a variable pricing structure (blog)- it's still some way off from being a totally dynamic system. Amie Street for example is one such service that uses a community-driven pricing system that reacts to how popular songs are. This in effect gives music fans the power to set song prices depending on how many people buy a particular song. Most new songs start off as free downloads, or very cheap, and increase in price as they become popular. The maximum price a song can be is 98 cents which keeps the service competitive; albums too have a maximum of $8.98 - unless you see a new one that you can grab for free.
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
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