music

Microsoft Zune HD – coming this Fall

Zune HD

While style is usually an Apple trait and is typically last on Microsoft’s mind, they seem to have got it right on this one – the Zune HD. This is the latest in the line of Zune players and is beautifully angular to fit in with the modern world. This new 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen Zune can browse the internet via WiFi, play movies and snag digital radio feeds – hang about, this is starting to sound like an iPod Touch (bar the design). The player is available in silver (pictured) and black.

When hooked up to the TV, playback can be produced at 720p for a superior high definition image and a hookup between the XBox Live Marketplace TV/video service has been confirmed. The limited announcement from Redmond has left many users wondering whether or not this is some sort of PSP rival and will support XBox games and is it going to develop into some sort of Zune phone? Let’s just wait for the release in the fall!

More info at Zune.net.

Easy iPod Media Sharer – transfer content to other iPods directly

Everyone knows the feeling of seeing your friends have thousands of songs on their iPod, while you only have a measly collection in comparison. The Easy iPod Media Sharer allows two iPods to transfer songs, videos, and files between two iPods.

Of course, any songs transferred with digital rights management (DRM), mainly songs bought through iTunes, require proper authorization. The neat thing about this gizmo is the speedy way it transfers the data. It claims transferring some songs in seconds, approximately 600KB/sec.

The Easy iPod Media Sharer is actually pocket size measuring about three inches long and 2 inches wide. Great to throw in your laptop bag, purse, or even a pocket to share songs on the go. This handy gadget is perfect for anyone who enjoys gathering a collection of songs, or who has multiple iPods and wants to keep them all up to date in a quick and easy way.

Buy now!

Price: $99.95
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Google and Universal to partner on music video website

The Universal Music Group and Google are getting together to start a music video website, called Vevo.

Reports are that they’ll share ad revenues, which implies that they will be monetizing the service via advertising and not charging viewers to watch the videos. However, it’s not clear yet. Chances are that’s how it will roll out, b/c by now, most of these companies understand that there are few things that Web surfers are willing to pong up for.

Universal is the largest of the top 4 record companies and of course, Google owns YouTube and Vevo is but another spin-off of YouTube.

Illuminated Fret Guitar

The Learn To Play Illuminated Fret Guitar

The ‘Learn to Play’ Illuminated Fret Guitar has 132 LEDs in the fretboard that can show you how to play over 3,000 different chords! This device really takes learning how to play guitar to the next level, but has that ‘next level’ price tag of $400.

With this sort of technology, the guitar can help you learn how to play chords and simple songs within minutes, rather than having to teach yourself and really think about what you’re doing. Furthermore, being a standard shape, it allows you to progress onto real guitars without much hassle. To make this work, the guitar simply plugs into your computer to run the necessary programs for illuminating the LEDs. Although not featured at the moment, I think I’d like to see other developers offering songs for download to this piece of software.

Buy now!

Price: $399.95
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Memorex MKS-SS1 SingStand Home Karaoke System

The Memorex SingStand revolutionizes the way you can interact with your music allowing you to become a star! The SingStand microphone speaker system allows you to sing along with music from iPod or any MP3 device with a headphone jack (although the iPod Touch’s look pretty darn cool sitting in the SingStand). Impress your friends and family with voice control and echo effects, giving them a stellar vocal performance, then connect your own musical instruments for a truly amazing show. The full-range speakers, built into the base, offer quality sound, and if you feel like sharing the spotlight, SingStand comes equipped with dual microphone inputs for duet performances.

Buy Now!

Price: $69.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is
correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

#CES09: Tonium rolling out Pacemaker 60GB Portable DJ System

While this is probably not for the masses, it is for the DJ on the go. The Pacemaker DJ system from Tonium is a portable DJ mixer and player that works in effects such as pitch changes, looping, roll, echo and more things that the DJ-newb such as myself know nothing of!

We saw a 60GB Pacemaker that is truly handheld. It has jacks for headphone monitors as well as a crossfader, multiple channels and a USB connection. The cool part of the interface is the touchpad that lets you control many of the functions with your fingertips.

Best Buy snaps up Napster

Interesting. Best Buy is getting way deeper into the subscription/user services business, by buying Napster and its 700k paying members. Purchase price: $127M. At a minimum of $13/mo/user, they stand to make that money back in less than 2 years. Of course, being Best Buy, they’ll be able to promote Napster to a huge audience as well as bundle it with other hardware they sell in store.

Review: CellPoint’s Flamingo Sport Headphones with EarClick

You probably just read the title and started wondering what “EarClick” is. I’ll get to that shortly. I had a chance to review the Flamingo Headphones from CellPoint recently and put it through its paces.

The Flamingo is a unique pair of audio headphones that employs a mechanism that CellPoint calls EarClick, which they also use in some of their other products, like their Bluetooth headsets. …

Rock Band’s first album, Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance

Harmonix announced that the 1st album will be Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance. Sweet. This is the 1st in hopefully what will be many albums that they release. If you’re into NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), then you’ll love the choice. IMHO (my opinion only, so no need to argue), this is one of the best Priest albums. Next up, Def Lep’s Pyromania, or Iron Maiden’s The Number of the Beast?

I feel that if Rock Band is to have some sort of lasting future, that this is exactly what they need to continue doing, but of course they also need to release lots and lots of singles, especially current and new ones to add to the variety and excitement.

I’m so excited, I pulled up some Priest to listen to on Rhapsody!

via Kotaku.

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