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MP3 Player News & Headlines
Google gets its groove on with music search
(AFP)
AFP - Google stepped onto the Internet music stage, unveiling a service for finding, listening to or buying songs online.
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.
France approves broadside to digital pirates
(AFP)
AFP - France will send out the first warnings to digital pirates early next year after passing tough legislation allowing for Internet access to be cut for those who illegally download movies and music, a minister said.
Blinkx adds music video search tool
(AFP)
AFP - Online video search engine blinkx launched a new tool Tuesday to find and watch music videos on the Internet.
Otafuku Rex; Mix Them, Mash Them Up
The new band Otafuku Rex has debuted their music video, Do Me, I'm the Best, and is inviting fans to get in on the action and create their own remixes by mashing up the groups video and music, adding in their own music and video, and sending the results to friends.
Apple's iTunes Update Again Blocks Palm Pre Syncing
(NewsFactor)
NewsFactor - Apple and Palm continue to play a cat-and-mouse game, and this time it was Apple's turn to do the chasing. Apple on Thursday released an iTunes software update that once again blocks the Palm Pre smartphone from syncing DRM-free music, photos and videos from the iTunes Store.
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.
The Strangest iPod Accessory Ever?
Thanko has introduced a bizarre iPod box speaker that may be the strangest iPoc accessory ever.
MP3 Tech Commentary
Barnes & Noble Nook Nears Home Stretch Barnes & Noble is really laying on the heat on rival Amazon's Kindle these days as it steps up its marketing push via a launch party for its own Nook eBook Reader. Right smack within B&N's cross hairs, apparently, is Amazon's Kindle 2. How do I know? Well, besides the eerily similar price of $259, B&N also has this not-so-subtle side-by-side comparison on its Web site pitting the Nook against a certain Amazon device. Let's just say B&N's comparison doesn't exactly have the Kindle 2 trumping the competition. In addition to sporting the same electronic paper display and 6-inch diagonal screen size as the Kindle 2, B&N says its reader also throws in extra features such as a color touch screen, expandable memory and a wider range of supported formats. Nook owners get free Wi-Fi at all B&N stores as well. While the device lets you browse books online, I didn't see anything in the features list about a dedicated Web browser, though. The official Nook blog says the device will be out on the market starting Nov. 30, with pre-ordering available online or at any B&N store. With Sony also throwing in a new line of readers into the mix, the race to grab eBook market share from Amazon is really starting to heat up. Will Amazon continue to keep its crown as the market matures (a la Apple's iPod) or will the increased competition bring more parity to the eBook sector? I can't wait for the next volume in this series. Photo © Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Nook Nears Home Stretch originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 19:30:54.
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
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.
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.
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Finders Keepers Finders Keepers originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 12:40:00.
Sometimes, I feel like my relatives must be the most forgetful people in the planet. I've seen them forget where they put their keys, their cell phones, their game systems, their wits, the list goes on and on. They'd probably forget where their legs were if they weren't attached to their bodies.
True story: There was a big commotion once because one of my relatives wanted her knife back and the person who borrowed it couldn't remember where she put it. The knife would surface a few days later after another relative almost sat on the knife while getting into the backseat of the borrowing relative's car. I guess when you've got to peel an apple, ya' just got to peel it no matter where you (or your car) may be.
Needless to say, my relatives were the first people to come to mind after I found out about the EZ-Find tracking unit. The product comes with a "finder" unit and a set of tags that you can attach to stuff you don't want to forget. Knowing my relatives, though, they'd probably misplace the finder unit, which then makes the whole point moot. More "normal" folks, however, can find out more about the device by checking our EZ-Find review.
Spotify Brings Music Downloads to Its Users The music service, Spotify, which streams music has revealed in its blog that users will now be able to download tracks. The new service will only be available to Spotify premium subscribers, who will be able to use a special 'offline mode' to store up to 3,333 tracks on their computer's hard drive. Spotify explain in their blog that a user's online playlist is synchronized for offline usage by downloading the necessary tracks - even if you have no Internet connection the music will still be accessible. The big question still to be officially answered is, "Does the music come with any DRM copy protection?" In Spotify's FAQ section, offline mode is restricted to three device and tracks can only be stored offline while you continue to pay a subscription. The other restriction mentioned on their website is that you need to login to your account at least every 30 days to ensure you are still subscribed. These set of restrictions could indicate DRM copy protection, but there's no official word on this at present. Currently Spotify is available in Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Spain, and the UK. According to a BBC News article, the service is due to roll out in the United States by the end of the year. Related Articles:
Spotify Brings Music Downloads to Its Users originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 at 15:12:23.
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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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