Einstein Photon Ball with iPod Dock

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Music, Portable Audio / Video, Science

Gear up for Independence Day with your own mini fireworks display. The Einstein Sound Master Photon Ball iPod Dock combines both sight and sounds. The colors move to the beat and your iPode gets to recharge on the handy dock. Available for most iPods, the device also has an AM/FM tuner, an LCD alarm clock so you can wake to your play list, and can be synced to a PC. The price of the photon dock is $34.99 with free shipping.

(Have a good one, all.)

Read More | Buy.com

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iPod User Tries Out First Sony Walkman

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Music, Portable Audio / Video

It’s hard to believe that it has been 30 years since the very first Walkman came out. In honor of the occasion (or perhaps in spite of it) Scott Campbell gave up his iPod for a week and was asked to try it out. Some of his comments were worth repeating:

• “When I wore it walking down the street or going into shops, I got strange looks, a mixture of surprise and curiosity, that made me a little embarrassed.”
• “It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape.”
• “When playing, it is clearly evident that the music sounds significantly different than when played on an MP3 player, mainly because of the hissy backtrack and odd warbly noises on the Walkman.”
• “I managed to create an impromptu shuffle feature simply by holding down ‘rewind’ and releasing it randomly.”

His dad’s comment when he told him about his idea, “Walkmen eat tapes.” P.S. We liked that hissy backtrack.

Read More | BBC

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Sonos CR200 controller to have touch-screen

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Design, Home Entertainment, Music

After a month suspicion, the first image of the new Sonos CR200 controller has finally popped up. Sonos will be releasing a new portrait controller, which is said to include a touchscreen, which would include a QWERTY keyboard for searching for artists, albums, or song titles. As we’ve seen with the iPhone Sonos Controller app, the Sonos system and touch-screens go very nicely together. Let’s just hope the CR200 doesn’t cost $400 like the current Sonos Controller.

Read More | Automated Home

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Marshall Mini Guitar Amp

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Music, Portable Audio / Video

Marshall fans will dig this Mini Guitar Amp. Powered by a 9V battery (not included,) the claim is that it sounds like a full size amp. While that may not be true, it does look like the original and features overdrive, tone and volume control. It comes with a belt clip for those who wander while they jam, and a headphone jack for times of solitude. The 5.75-inch tall mini amplifier is available for $44.99.

Read More | ThinkGeek

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Free Michael Jackson Tribute Station on Slacker

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Home Entertainment, Music

The free Michael Jackson Tribute station is just another reason to love Slacker.  Here’s the description, and why you should load this up immediately if you’re a fan of the deceased King of Pop:

Since the passing of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009, the world has mourned the loss of a great artist. Join Slacker Radio in celebrating the incredible music legacy of one of the biggest and most influential Pop stars of our time. Hear songs from Michael Jackson’s most popular albums as well as his early music years with the Jackson 5. You’ll also hear covers of Jackson’s music and hits from artists that were directly influenced by the King of Pop including Justin Timberlake, Usher, Ne-Yo, Alicia Keys, Ciara and more.

We’ve had it playing all day, and it’s full of fantastic. And it’s free. Thank you, Slacker.

Read More | Slacker Michael Jackson Tribute via Albumista

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Video: Michael Jackson Dies, A Look at His Lean Illusion

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Misc. Tech, Music

Michael Jackson died today, and since I grew up with the man who many would argue is one of the greatest entertainers of all time, I thought we’d do a tribute to one of the cooler pieces of tech that played into his dance moves. If you remember the Smooth Criminal Michael Jackson video, he did an amazing lean. We know the video used special effects to make that look as good as it did, but he also incorporated that lean into his live show.

In the video above, you see that Michael and his dancers have special shoes that seem to hook into the stage, allowing them to lean. Notice how one of his backup dancers gets his foot stuck and has to shake it loose afterwards.

We’ll miss you, Michael.

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Crosley Attic Radio Speaker

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech, Music, Portable Audio / Video

For those who like to mix the old with the new, the Crosley Attic Radio Speaker will be a welcome gift. The working AM/FM tuner with analog display and large knobs promises clear tones through its AroundSound technology that eliminates “hot” spots no matter where it is placed. Even better, the 7.5 x 5.25 x 5.75-inch wooden radio doubles as a speaker for MP3 players or other audio components. You can get one for $98.00, but this is an online only price.

Read More | Urban Outfitters

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5-in-1 Universal Microphone Set

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Music, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360

Can’t get enough of those karaoke sing-alongs on your game system? This Universal Microphone Set is compatible with Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox360 and PC. Attach by USB on systems Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista/7/Server 2008, Linux kernel 2.4.0 or above or MaxOS 9.2 or above. The mics come packed with a 3.5 meter cable and adapters for whatever system you have. Become a rock star at a price of $23.87.

Read More | Deal Extreme

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Songbird 1.2 Release

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Internet, Music, Portable Audio / Video

Songbird has released its latest version 1.2. Available for Mac, Windows and Linux, the open source music player now includes 2-way synchronization with iTunes, although still not to an iPhone or iPod. Built on the Mozilla platform, Songbird can automatically organize and store your music files. With the use of Last.fm, improvements include new Radio Directory support for browsing and quick links for playing stations previously accessed. Check out their site if you would like to try the free download.

Read More | Songbird

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Woman Charged Heavily for Downloads

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Internet, Music

Back in October of 2007, Jammie Thomas-Rasset was charged with copyright infringement of 24 songs and decided to fight the Recording Industry Association of America and Capitol Records instead of settling. But now a jury has decided that she is guilty and must pay 1.92 million dollars, which comes out to about $80,000 per tune. While it is possible that the RIAA may still settle for less, Ms. Thomas-Rasset is only the first of 20,000 that may be brought to court and is certainly being used to tell us all that her action was a no-no bigtime.

Read More | Mashable

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