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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.
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.
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.
TechBits package
(AP)
AP - Hoping to boost revenue, MySpace Music has begun experimenting with audio advertisements that users must hear if they want to listen to music for free online.
Mac Laptop Explodes Flames
Apple laptops are known for their tendency to run hot; apparently, they run hot enough that they sometimes burst into flames....
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.
Correction: Blues Hall of Fame story
(AP)
AP - In a Feb. 16 story about inductees to the Blues Hall of Fame, The Associated Press provided an incorrect Internet link to the hall's Web site. The correct link is: http://tinyurl.com/ygh3rpc
MP3 Tech Commentary
Free Kindle Readers? Plus LG Joins eReader Fray People love free stuff. Which makes it no surprise that a report from TechCrunch about free Kindle eReaders is starting to gain some traction on the Intertubes. As part of its efforts to soften the potential blow of Apple's iPad, TechCrunch cites a "reliable source" who says that Amazon is mulling giving free Kindle Readers to members of its "Prime" service. That would be customers who pay $79 a year to get free two-day shipping for their orders. Amazon, meanwhile, declined to comment on the rumor. In other news, another major Korean electronics manufacturer is slated to release a new eReader this year. Samsung has already thrown its hat into the eReader arena, featuring several products at the recent Consumer Electronics Show. Now LG is also entering the fray with its own eReader in April, according to Electronista. Given LG's dabbling with e-paper displays, I guess it was only a matter of time. Photo © Amazon Free Kindle Readers? Plus LG Joins eReader Fray originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 05:13:22.
Soundcheck Offers Free Corinne Bailey Rae MP3 Download Walmart's Soundcheck service, which showcases select artists by providing exclusive content, is offering up a free Corinne Bailey Rae MP3 download. The free track, I'd Do It All Again, is taken from the British Singer/songwriter's new album, The Sea, which is due for release 26. Jan, 2010. To get your free track, simply go to Soundcheck's Corrine Bailey Rae page and click on the highlighted free download button. You'll have to be quick though -- there's only a limited number of downloads available. Related Articles:
Soundcheck Offers Free Corinne Bailey Rae MP3 Download originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 15:59:06.
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HP Slate Tablet Sets Sights on iPad One of the more curious things that occurred at this year's Consumer Electronics Show was the fact that Hewlett-Packard seemed to pull its punches with its Slate tablet. Outside of what was essentially a forgettable demonstration by Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, HP was surprisingly muted about what should be a much hyped product from its end. Well, turns out HP was playing possum and simply waiting to see Apple's cards. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), HP will be holding meetings in the U.S. and Taiwan to "tweak features and prices" for its Slate tablet. Apparently, HP is setting its sights specifically at the $629 version of the iPad, which comes with 16GB of storage and both Wi-Fi and 3G. In HP's case, it looks like it wants to offer a similarly featured device but at a lower price. Of course, for any rope-a-dope strategy to succeed, you better be Muhammad Ali. I guess we'll soon find out if HP's Slate has what it takes to rumble in the tablet jungle. Photo © HP HP Slate Tablet Sets Sights on iPad originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 00:01:04.
OpenTablet 7: New iPad Competitor Throws in Flash, Extra Features Much has been made about the Apple iPad's lack of support for Flash. OpenPeak Inc. has apparently taken note, making sure to highlight Flash capability in its press release for the new OpenTablet 7 slate. As its name implies, the OpenTablet 7 features a 7-inch multi-touch, LED backlit touchscreen that's nearly three inches smaller than the iPad. Like the iPad, it offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and "cellular connectivity." Unlike the iPad, however, the OpenTablet 7 features an HDMI output, two cameras for capturing high-definition video and photos, USB connectivity and a MicroSD slot. The OpenTablet 7 also has phone capabilities, allowing users to give iPad lovers a dose of their own superiority complex by placing a phone call right next to them and telling the person on the other line all the things their device can do that the iPad can't. Naturally, the OpenTablet 7 features all sorts of applications including YouTube, Facebook and Flickr. Serving as the brains of the device is Intel's Moorestown platform, which is designed for handhelds and tablets. Unfortunately, the release doesn't say anything about pricing, which would be the million-dollar question. Some say keeping the price down was likely a key reason why Apple passed on some of the missing features in the first-generation iPad. Unless OpenPeak goes for a smaller profit margin than Apple (who apparently will make quite a nice profit with the iPad according to folks who have looked at the device's components), all those added features must come at a price. Still, competition is always good. Photo © OpenPeak OpenTablet 7: New iPad Competitor Throws in Flash, Extra Features originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 02:26:12.
Bear Hands Celebrate New Single With Free Music Downloads Brooklyn-based indie band, Bear Hands, are celebrating the imminent release of their new single, What a Drag, by giving it away as a free download on their Website. Until it's officially released (16 Feb. 2010 / Cantora Records), you can download it and another 2 free songs (Can't Stick Em, What a Drag (Cale Parks Mix)) simply by providing your email address and following the link sent to your inbox. As well as the new song, Bear Hands have also got a limited edition 7" vinyl that is being released at the same time. For more information, visit their Website. Related Articles:
Bear Hands Celebrate New Single With Free Music Downloads originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 07:25:33.
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Omniphone to Use Dolby Laboratories' Cloud Music Format Omniphone, which provides cloud-based music services for major consumer electronics vendors, has annouced that it has struck a deal with Dolby Laboratories to use its new Dolby Pulse audio format. Boasting up to 4 times more bandwidth and data rate efficiency compared to other file formats, Dolby Pulse is a multi-platform file format especially suited for music delivery from the 'cloud'. If you're not familiar with this buzzword, then it's simply just another term to describe Internet-based solutions. In the case of Dolby Pulse, this file format is particularly suited for delivering streaming music to mobile devices, and other consumer electronics that use streaming audio -- home computers, in-home or in-car devices that use digital music services are examples.
Omniphone intend to use the software that Dolby Laboratories supply (Dolby Media Generator) to encode their entire music catalog that currently contains over 6.5 million tracks. Looking at the inner-workings of Dolby Pulse, the file format is basically the same as the HE-AAC (High Efficiency AAC) format, but differs by the integration of Dolby metadata -- this ensures the quality and consistency of the broadcast is maintained. Kevin Yeaman, who is the president and CEO of Dolby Laboratories said, "As digital content services and networked devices become part of our day-to-day lives, the ability to deliver digital content in the most efficient file format becomes increasingly important." So far this is the second article this year concerning new music formats --will this year see the largest change in how digital music services deliver audio? Related Articles:
Omniphone to Use Dolby Laboratories' Cloud Music Format originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 07:36:14.
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