MP3 Players & Digital Audio

iTunes streaming to mobile phone using Slingbox and Apple TV

April 10, 2007

Apple TV has become the ultimate hacker magnet allowing users to use the Apple TV in ways Apple hadn't intended. As discussed recently, Apple TV was hacked to allow Asterisk, the open-source IP-PBX to run on it. Check out the Apple TV Asterisk tut. Now it appears that just a few weeks after launch, CNet is talking about an intriguing new feature for that will allow you to stream music from iTunes on your home computer to your cell phone leveraging Apple TV and Slingbox.

Apple TV

It's a bit of a kludge since the iTunes music has to sync from your PC to the Slingbox and then to your mobile phone.

Posted in Gadgets, Home Entertainment, MP3 Players & Digital Audio, Mobile Phones, PDAs & Handhelds, Wireless

100 million iPods sold

April 9, 2007

Wow, 100 million iPods sold. That's 100 million hard drives. That's more hard drives sold for the iPod than some countries have PC hard drives. Apple is a rare tech company that has successfully diversified itself between two totally separate product lines - the Apple computer and the iPod music MP3 player. Some may argue Microsoft has also done so expanding from software into hardware - mice, gamepads, and the successful XBox 360. Still, nothing has captured the mass audience's love and admiration more the Apple iPod. Well done Apple, well done. Congrats on the 100 million. What's next in your bag of diversification tricks? Or are you just a two-trick pony?

Posted in Gadgets, MP3 Players & Digital Audio, Microsoft

Apple iPhone has launch date

March 30, 2007

According to CNet, the much-anticipated Apple iPhone release is sooner than you think. The CNet article states, "Cingular is confirming that the release date will be June 11. A customer service manager at Cingular (we called 800-947-5096 and were transferred to sales) gave us that date late Thursday, but, alas, said he didn't have any additional information beyond that. That date is no coincidence. It's the first day of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference."

Well then, let's hope riots, murders, and out of control eBay auctions don't hit the Apple iPhone launch like it did for the Sony Playstation 3.

Posted in Gadgets, MP3 Players & Digital Audio, Mobile Phones, Wireless

Sandisk 8GB SDHC Flash Card

March 19, 2007

SanDisk introduced an 8-gigabyte SD High Capacity (SDHC) card—the highest capacity now available in the SD format. The new 8GB SDHC card holds more than 4,000 high-resolution pictures, as many as 2,000 digital songs or up to 15 hours of MPEG 4 video. The 8GB SDHC card will come bundled with a SanDisk MicroMate USB 2.0 reader free of charge. SDHC cards require an SDHC-compatible reader, so providing the USB-based SDHC reader with the card ensures that users will be able to connect the 8GB card to their computers.

Posted in Accessories, Digital Cameras, Gadgets, MP3 Players & Digital Audio, Mobile Phones, PDAs & Handhelds

But I Wanted My iPod Games on Apple TV

March 6, 2007

Now it doesn't look like any iPod games are going to make it to Apple TV (at least according to this report) -- even with a mid-March availability for the 'tube product.

But don't you think it would be nice if all of these games, programs, shows, music files, etc., all flowed smoothly from one device to another?

Dream on?

We can dream, can't we?

Posted in MP3 Players & Digital Audio

Exercise to earn free ring tones, videos, MP3 music files

March 5, 2007

Are you a music, ringtone, or Internet video addict, but can't stand going to the gym to exercise? Well, why not use your music & video addiction to your advantage ? Sony Ericsson has a patent on a "rewards / punishment" system that will give you a free ringtone, mp3, or video file if you meet your exercise goals - say 10,000 steps per week, but it will also delete one of your precious files (ringtone, mp3 file, etc.) if you miss your goal. Ouch!

here's an excerpt of the patent:

A wireless communications device includes a motion-detecting device, such as a pedometer, that generates a signal upon detecting the user's motion.

Posted in MP3 Players & Digital Audio, Mobile Phones, Wireless

Not Quite the Download Generation Yet ...

February 22, 2007

While we get very excited about downloading music, the discussion over DRM and which MP3 player is best, only one in four online consumers have acquired music via digital downloads, according to CEA Market Research in a study called "Uncovering Trends in Digital Lifestyles."

I would have certainly guessed a larger number, particularly since the aisles of stores where CDs are sold are rarely crowded -- and yes, you can get these CDs over the Internet instead.

Perhaps we are now spending more money and time buying DVDs rather than music?

Posted in MP3 Players & Digital Audio

(Extreme) FreeStyle Audio: I Like It

February 21, 2007

Now there are MP3 players and there are MP3 players. Been playing around with Freestyle Audio's DMP for a little while, and I like it. Here's my review - Built especially for extreme sports use, it's a great unit that can take the abuse that those sports -- and teens and pre-teens -- throw at it.

(That's the real life, out of the lab test.)

Posted in MP3 Players & Digital Audio, Reviews

Don't Like DRM, But It's Not Going Away Soon

February 15, 2007

Love reports like this about how must recording industry executives don't like DRM, think it gets in the way of what consumers want to do with music and if it was eliminated more people would buy more tracks.

The kicker? These same execs don't think that DRM is going to go away anytime soon.

So what's a consumer to do?

"Concerted government or consumer action" will be necessary to bring this change for the good of us all.

(Power to the people!)

Check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation here to see what one organization is doing to "defend freedom in the digital world."

Seems the record labels can keep prices high, but can't do much else in unison ...

Posted in MP3 Players & Digital Audio

You Like Ringtones? How About Horntones?

February 14, 2007

Hey, why not!

You can personalize the ring of your mobile phone, so why not personalize the honk of your car's horn?

(That would be cool. )

(And why not call them "horntones" with a respectful nod to "ringtones.")

Put this one in the "why didn't I think of that" category and check out the details here.

Reminds me of the days when my friend's older brother had a megaphone system in his car so he could tell other drivers to move over (or worse) as he motored down various highways and byways -- yes, the Hart family ...

And while we're at it, check out the Car Horn Organ here.

(That would be cool, too.)

Posted in MP3 Players & Digital Audio

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