Browse recent news and commentary related to MP3 player developments, using the links below.
MP3 News & Headlines
MP3 Player Commentary
Browse the Archives
MP3 Player News & Headlines
MSN in music talks with MySpace: AllThingsD
(AFP)
AFP - Microsoft's MSN is in talks with MySpace about using the social network?s MySpace Music to help power music offerings on the software giant's online portal, technology blog AllThingsD said Tuesday.
SpeckTone Retro Stereo Speaker System for iPod
The SpeckTone Retro is one of the few iPod accessories that has caught our eyes recently. The fifties look of the all-wood speaker cabinet is finished with a high-gloss lacquered piano finish, and is a surprisingly nice complement to the modern look of iPods.
Apple Intros New Mac minis; More Expensive, More Powerful
Apple today unveiled two new Mac mini computers with the Intel Core Duo processor. The new models are more powerful, and at $599 and $799, more expensive than ever.
Apple Tries To Bury Stock Options Controversy
Based on an analysis of the findings of the independent investigation, Apple has recognized additional non-cash stock-based compensation expenses of $84 million.
Digital Gear: Webcam, Handheld Video Camera Go HD
(PC World)
PC World - Store shelves will host cool gadgets that could be good buys as the holiday season rolls in. Some new cameras, including the Flip MinoHD from Cisco Systems and LifeCam Cinema from Microsoft, are lightweight devices that can shoot high-definition video. Another portable device, TwitterPeek, is a unique mobile messaging device exclusively for Twitter fans. For Apple's iPhone, Shure has released new earphones that can control video and music.
RealNetworks back in the black, eyes Google tie-up
(Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. digital media company RealNetworks Inc swung back into the black in the third quarter as cost-cutting offset sliding revenue from music and games.
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.
MP3 Tech Commentary
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 :
The free music download, No Light Escapes Here, is a track from the electronic band, The Prairie Cartel. There's also the No Light Escapes Here music video that you can stream or download. Incidentally, their music has also been featured in the video game, Grand Theft Auto IV. The Prairie Cartel's new album, Where Did All My People Go is now available via their MySpace page; the digital release is slated for release on Oct. 27.
- Toxic is Dead (5:11)
- God Damn Best (2:48)
Related Articles:
- How can I record streaming music from the Internet?
- How to store and stream your own music from the Internet
- How to create a music library using Windows Media Player 11
Free Music Downloads This Week originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 09:00:29.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
The eBook File Compatibility Chart With a wide range of eBook file formats out there, figuring out which device plays what file can be a major hassle. Here's a list of some of the more popular eBooks out there and which files they are compatible with. This list will be updated regularly to account for product upgrades and additional devices. NOTE: The acronyms on the left refer to file extensions. A file called "War and Peace.txt" indicates, for example, that you have an electronic copy of the book War and Peace in "TXT" or "Plain text" format. Also, a "Y" in a box means that a device is compatible with the corresponding file format. Photo © Amazon The eBook File Compatibility Chart originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at 17:07:20.
Kindle
Kindle 2
Kindle DX
Sony Readers
Hanlin V3
Hanlin V5
IREX Iliads
IREX 1000
ARG
AZW
BMP
CHM
DJVU
DNL
DOC
EPUB
FB2
GIF
HTML
JPG
LBR
LIT
LRF
MOBI
OPF
PDB
PDF
PKG
PNG
PPT
PRC
PS
RTF
TIF
TR2
TR3
TXT
WOLF
XML
Having Trouble Trying to Play Your Songs in Order? If your MP3 player or car stereo system refuses to play songs in order, then there's a few simple techniques that you can try to get your device to behave. These are:
If your digital music device is flash card based and still has problems (even after trying the above methods), then it could be the way the music is stored on the flash card. Believe it or not, some MP3 players read the tracks on flash storage cards in the order that they were saved - they don't sort in alphabetical order. In this case, a software program like MP3dirsorter could be the answer. This is a free program for Windows that can sort folders and files in alphabetical order - it's even good for alphabetically sorting other media too.
For more information on using MP3dirsorter, be sure to follow our tutorial on How to Make Your Songs Play in Order which uses this free piece of software.
Related Articles:
Having Trouble Trying to Play Your Songs in Order? originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 09:06:09.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
7digital Music Service Launches in the U.S. The UK-based digital music service, 7digital, has announced that it has finally completed its U.S. roll out. 7digital which operates in several different countries (mostly in Europe) will now offer its 6 million+ MP3 music library to consumers in the United States. Prices for albums will be $7.77 while songs will cost 77 cents each. The pricing for both albums and songs is competitive when compared to major pay-per-click digital music services such as AmazonMP3 and iTunes, so it will be interesting to see over time how 7digital perform in the U.S. and how much market share they eventually control. For more information, be sure to read our 7digital Music Service Review. Related Articles:
7digital Music Service Launches in the U.S. originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 11:39:35.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
WikiReader Brings You Wikipedia Sans Internet Connection As much grief as Wikipedia gets due to questionable &mdash and at times, incredibly hilarious &mdash edits by pranksters, the site can be a treasure trove of information on all sorts of subjects. But let's say you're out and about in the wilderness with no Web access and you suddenly notice a coral snake slithering around your campsite. That's when you might say to yourself, "Self. If only I could access Wikipedia right now, I could find out if this is the type of coral snake that can actually kill me." Which brings us to the announcement from company Openmoko about its new WikiReader portable encyclopedia. The WikiReader contains more than 3 million English-language Wikipedia articles, which users can access without an Internet connection. The device is now available on Amazon.com and the device's official site for $99. "We created the WikiReader to be fun, easy, informative and entertaining for all ages," said Openmoko CEO, Sean Moss-Pultz, in a statement. "WikiReader is a whimsical look at the joy of learning in the digital age." Since updating is a key part of Wikipedia, owners of of the WikiReader can get free quarterly downloads to keep their device current. You'll definitely need an Internet connection for that part, though. More on the device after I get my hands on one to review. Photo © Openmoko WikiReader Brings You Wikipedia Sans Internet Connection originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 20:18:35.
Free Music Downloads This Week Here is another weekly helping of free music downloads designed to help you discover new bands and artists. These full promotional tracks can either be streamed or downloaded and will hopefully give you a good idea on the style of music that the artist/band produces before splashing that cash. The free music promo tracks this week are:
The free promo track, Wonder Stranger, is a good example of Via Tania's unique sound that blends Björk-style vocals with dreamy melodies. This free music download is taken from Via Tania's new forthcoming album, Moon Sweet Moon, (The:Hours) which is due to be released digitally on Oct. 13, and physically on Oct. 20.
- Greenmoney's exclusive live mix (33:01)
- Young Blood (3:06)
Related Articles:
Free Music Downloads This Week originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 09:49:10.
Permalink | Comment | Email this
Now That's 'Call Time' Back when I was still an innocent and &mdash if I say so myself &mdash incredibly adorable gradeschooler, I had a digital watch that transformed into a robot. Needless to say, it made me quite popular with my buddies. Since then, I've worn a lot more sophisticated watches. But the "Robot Watch" was undoubtedly the coolest timepiece I've ever owned. Like Voltron pajamas, though, there comes a time when a man must face the fact that he can no longer indulge in his boyhood pursuits. Then I ran across the "W." Now before you start picturing a guy clearing brush at some ranch in Texas, I'm actually talking about Kempler & Strauss' W Watchphone. As its name implies, it's a watch that doubles as a phone. And a personal planner. And an MP3 player. And a camera. And a camcorder. (Talk about throwing in everything but the kitchen sink!) Admittedly, there's something tacky about a watch that purports to do all these things. But the James Bond gadget lover in me can't help but think that the device sounds kind of cool. Besides being unlocked, it's also a GSM triband phone to boot &mdash quite useful when you're chasing Dr. No types across the globe. Now I haven't tried out the device myself so I'm not sure how well it works. But if they just add robot transformation into the mix, then I might just be unable to resist. Photo © Kempler & Strauss Now That's 'Call Time' originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 17:32:25.
Past News Headlines:
October 23 - October 24 - October 25 - October 26 - October 27 - October 28 - October 29