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MP3 Player News & Headlines
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.
Man Destroys iPod In A Blender
Blendtec, a company that makes heavy duty blenders, is destroying iPods to help sell $400 blenders.
Mobile phone inventor wants devices to go back to basics
(AFP)
AFP - The inventor of the mobile phone said Wednesday the devices have become too complex, with a range of features from cameras to music, since he made the first-ever wireless call over three decades ago.
The Eight Thousand Dollar Piano-Shaped ipod Table
The Concerto Table, a piano-shaped table designed by Nicholas Lovegrove & Demian Repucci, has to be one of the most expensive and exclusive iPod accessories yet.
Griffin Intros Hi-Way Case for iPod Hi-Fi
Griffin Technology today announced Hi-Way, a versatile, custom fit, roadworthy carrying case for the iPod Hi-Fi compact stereo.
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.
Music Piracy Wars May Finally Take a Break
(PC World)
PC World - Stormy relationships between pirates and the music industry could start to settle down some, now that BitTorrent is developing new software aimed at eliminating any reason for ISPs to throttle peer-to-peer (P2P) network traffic. Meanwhile, a new survey suggests that instead of posing a menace to record companies, pirates are actually helping the music industry to survive, anyway.
Chinese site to steer users to legit music source
(AP)
AP - A music service that plans to offer free song downloads said Monday that China's largest search engine will send users to the service in a deal that could cut online music piracy.
MP3 Tech Commentary
Kingston, Paramount Provide Movies in a Flash The announcement by Paramount and Kingston about releasing movies via flash memory got me thinking: Wouldn't it be cool if you could eventually rent movies the same way? First, a quick background on the Kingston-Paramount deal. According to Kingston, the deal with Paramount allows full-length movies to be sold to consumers via USB drives and SD cards, providing another option for viewers besides DVD and Blu-Ray discs. According to Kingston, the move specifically targets people who watch movies via their computer or portable devices. Which brings me to the rental concept. If you've ever tried to download video from Netflix, say, via an Xbox 360 or tried downloading a compressed HD movie from the Internet with the typical "high-speed" connection available in the U.S., then you know that it can take forever. Add bandwidth caps by certain providers that can lead to extra fees and Internet downloading suddenly isn't all that it's cut out to be for large movie files. But if you can start downloading movies via USB or memory card using a system similar to the Redbox kiosks that are popping up everywhere, well, that actually sounds pretty nifty. I'm even OK with &mdash gasp &mdash a copy protection mechanism that makes movies no longer viewable after a certain "rental period" or set number of viewings. Of course, flash memory-based movies won't be for everyone. But it certainly helps to have more options. I also think it would be sweet if file compatibility was implemented with devices such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 so you can view the movies on your TV. Otherwise, I guess you can just hook a laptop with an HDMI port to a high-def TV, which I often do to view movie files saved in my computer. As someone who watches movies on my portable media player, my computer and my TV, flash memory downloads are something I wouldn't mind seeing. What about you? Photo © Paramount Kingston, Paramount Provide Movies in a Flash originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 20:13:14.
TwitterPeek Provides Twitter On The Go &mdash At A Price Would you pay $199 for a gadget used only for tweeting? That's what the makers of the TwitterPeek are banking on with the release of the Twitter-only portable device. For the grand, old price of nearly two Benjamins, you can get the TwitterPeek with unlimited tweeting via the device's own mobile network. "But wait, Jason," you say. "How can such a tiny little thing cost that much when a more complicated device such as an Xbox 360 starts at the same price? And please answer my question in 140 characters or less." Great question. But I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night so I unfortunately can't answer it. Now if $199 is too steep a price for you just to tweet on the go, Peek is also offering the device for $99. The catch is that you only get six months of free service, after which you have to pay $7.95 a month to use the portable Twitter device. Either way, I could only see Twitter fanatics with no other access to portable tweeting going for this gadget. If that description fits you to a T, then you can check out the device at the official TwitterPeek site. Photo © Peek TwitterPeek Provides Twitter On The Go &mdash At A Price originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 07:12:40.
This Mighty Mouse is Washable Throwing your grimy computer mouse in a tray of warm soapy water is usually akin to having the Pied Piper lead a rodent through the town of Hamlin. Either way, you have a mouse that's quite soaked and also quite dead. Unotron's M11 mouse, however, is a special little creature. Dunk it in water or antibacterial solution and voila &mdash it comes back all squeaky clean and still usable. Now my work mouse looks so disgustingly dirty in comparison. Anywho, the washable mouse is part of a line of washable products from Unotron, which also include a washable keyboard. The devices are rated for medical use as well, which means they have an extra antibacterial kick that you won't see from your typical washable devices. For an idea about how this mighty mouse performs, check out my Unotron washable mouse review. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dirty work mouse that I need to clean the old-fashioned way. This Mighty Mouse is Washable originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 18:57:58.
Free Music Downloads This Week In our music discovery spotlight this week, we showcase another selection of free promotional tracks that cover a wide range of genres designed to broaden your musical horizons :
- Blinking Pigs (3:39)
Related Articles:
- Top 5 streaming music sites
- Top 5 MP3 Tag Tools
- How to use iTunes to listen to thousands of free radio stations
Free Music Downloads This Week originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 09:00:14.
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iTunes U: Free Educational Audio and Video Downloads If you're searching the Internet for free educational downloads, then how about using iTunes U? This is a free service that is built into the iTunes Store and provides over 10, 000 free audio and video lessons on a wide range of subjects. Whether you're looking for video lectures or audiobooks on a particular subject, iTunes U has a good selection of categories that you can choose from; science, mathematics, language, and fine arts are just some of the subjects on offer. The material that iTunes U hosts is of a high quality and has been created mostly by universities, colleges, and other educational organizations. There's a 'Top Downloads' section too which is useful to see what the most popular downloads are and it can give you an idea on what you'd like to study next. One of the best things about using iTunes U for your studies is that all the files you download can then be viewed at your leisure - either on your computer or transferred to an iPod/iPhone for learning on the go! For more information on using iTunes U as a free educational tool, read our iTunes U Guide on how to get started. Related Articles:
iTunes U: Free Educational Audio and Video Downloads originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 08:17:29.
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Bridgestone Treading on Electronic Paper Displays An electronic paper device isn't exactly what comes to mind when one hears the name of tire maker Bridgestone. But e-paper is exactly what the company had on display at the FPD International 2009 convention in Yokohama, Japan. Bridgestone's "Quick Response - Liquid Powder Display" or QR-LPD features an electronic paperlike screen that can display color and is also flexible to boot. The device gets its name from the fact that it is has the characteristics of both liquid and powder, according to the company. Of particular interest for portable gadget lovers is the fact that the device consumes very little power and was designed specifically for displaying static images. It also doesn't require a backlight and can be viewed under direct sunlight, Bridgestone says. I don't know about you but those sound like the ideal characteristics for a device like an eBook reader. In fact, eBook reading is one of the applications for the device that Bridgestone lists on its QR-LPD site, along with displays for office presentations and at train stations, airports and supermarkets. Mankind has certainly gone a long way since the Egyptians first used papyrus. I can only imagine what kind of stuff we'll be seeing in 10 years. Photo © Bridgestone Bridgestone Treading on Electronic Paper Displays originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 14:45:40.
Barnes & Noble Sued Over Nook eBook Reader It didn't seem long ago when Barnes & Noble was generating much hoopla following its launch party for the Nook eBook reader. But a recent lawsuit from another eBook maker could scuttle the debut of Barnes & Noble's fledgling Kindle rival. Spring Design, the maker of the "Alex" eReader, alleges that Barnes & Noble "misappropriated trade secrets" and" violated the parties' non-disclosure agreement" by copying features of the Alex eBook into the Nook. The recent announcement of the Nook's features apparently caught Spring Design by surprise according to a statement that was e-mailed by the company. In the statement, Spring Design states that the company has been meeting regularly with B&N executives since the beginning of 2009 to discuss the features, functionality and capabilities of the Android-powered Alex reader. Spring Design claims that B&N praised the Alex's features as "innovative" but never mentioned that they were using the very same features in the Nook. The dual-screen Alex has been in development since 2006. "Spring Design unfortunately had to take the appropriate action to protect its intellectual property rights," said Eric Kmiec, Spring Design Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We showed the Alex e-book design to Barnes & Noble in good faith with the intention of working together to provide a superior dual screen e-book to the market." Spring Design also indicated that it hopes to resolve the issue soon and move forward from the ordeal. The company has been aiming to work closely with book store partners as a way to market its device &mdash one reason it approached B&N in the first place. Photo © Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Sued Over Nook eBook Reader originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 05:22:10.
Free Music Downloads This Week Our music discovery slot this week features another set of free music tracks that you can either stream or download. These full-length tracks cover a wide range of genres and will hopefully help you to discover bands and artists that you might not otherwise have found. The free music downloads this week are :
This 'mixtape' from the record label, THE:HOURS, contains 10 full tracks from top artists such as David Bowie, Björk, Fever Ray, and others; the full track list can be viewed on THE:HOURS' blog. Their Podcast Vol. 2 compilation is in celebration of the release of Via Tania's new album, Moon Sweet Moon, that we covered recently in our weekly free Music Downloads blog.
- 2 tracks (6:08 total playing time)
- Yes Giantess Mixtape (59:51)
- Tuff N Stuff (Pirate Stereo Remix)(4:08)
- Stuck On Repeat (Fake Blood Remix) - Little Boots (6:28)
- Don't Bring Flowers (Yes Giantess Remix) - Erik Hassle (6:54)
Related Articles:
- Top 5 streaming music sites
- Free music download services
- How to use iTunes to listen to thousands of free radio stations
Free Music Downloads This Week originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 09:00:08.
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