Posts tagged as:

MP3

Dell Mini 5 Streak Tablet comes with Amazon Kindle Love

by Jay Garrett on March 10, 2010

Dell’s Mini 5 tablet, or rather the Dell Streak, seems to be squaring up to join Microsoft’s Courier and Apple’s iPad in the ring. With it’s regular tablety form I reckon Apple should be the more concerned.

The Dell Mini 5 leak reveals the ‘Streak’ moniker and as it seems to have been used since October chances are that it’s more than a codename.

So, the Android loving Streak features a 5″ WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen, capacitive buttons on the front as well as a front-facing VGA camera for video chat with a 5MP camera with autofocus on flash round back.

The leaked presentation also reveals that the device will come in an array of colours and offer the opportunity for custom skins through Dell Design Studio.

Now, Apple should be taking note that this Dell Mini 5 Streak presentation also shows that Dell has buddied up with Amazon. That means the Dell Streak will have Kindle ebook reader integration as well as Amazon MP3 and Amazon video. This makes it even with the iPad and with it’s cameras may just nudge the Streak/Mini 5 into the lead.

Are a pair of cameras enough to pull you from Apple’s iPad?

Let me know below :)

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MusicDNA to Replace MP3 and Stop File Sharing – Really?

by Jay Garrett on January 25, 2010

Wow – this is quite a brave move.

A new audio format has been proposed by the co-inventor of the MP3 and a Norwegian company called Bach.

MusicDNA apparently adds a stack of extra rich media content on to the music.

This is another move to make buying legal downloads more attractive – yes, it’ll still cost you cash though.

MusicDNA still uses the same audio compression techniques as MPEG-3 but then it slips extra content in an XML file.

The extras could be the bands Myspace profile, Wiki, artwork, links to get gig tickets, competitions or even Twitter feeds.

From the label-side of the table the attraction is that only legit tracks will receive those auto-updates and the pirated versions will just stay as day 1. So, really no great loss if you didn’t like the band enough to actually spend the few quid in the first place.

Bach CEO Stefan Kohlmeyer says: “We bundle all the audio data and business intelligence in one file. The data can be automatically updated whenever you are online.You could even sell it for double the price of an ordinary MP3. If content creators make an effort to put a lot of exclusive content in to it, you could definitely charge a higher premium”.

The sparkly new format will be going into beta in spring 2010, and then roll out commercially in the summer.

Are you convinced?

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Paradigm Shift Full Colour Touchscreen eReaders for £125 – CES 2010

December 30, 2009 Click to read more →
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It looks like the eReader tag is going to get as confusing as the Netbook is.
My understanding was that an eReader was an e-Ink sporting tablet-esque gadget whos main purpose was to save me carting magazines, newspapers and a load of paperbacks around with me.
Is the gadgety thing still an eReader when it has a [...]

Rad Blaster – The OLED Packing Pocket Boombox

December 15, 2009 Click to read more →
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Looking for a present that’s urban, street and retro cool?
Check out The Rad Blaster
So – it does exactly like most other MP3 players do. It plays those choice cuts, record sounds and store files.
The difference with the Rad Blaster is it does all that and it’s shaped like a ghetto blaster or [...]

Tesco Goes into Virtual DVD Sales

December 7, 2009 Click to read more →
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Tesco – handy for your value baked beans and its competitive MP3 marketplace but it sounds like the supermarket is ready to go into digital video.
We may soon be seeing Tesco Virtual DVD.
The plan is it utilise Microsoft’s Silverlight, the big M’s Flash taunter, and offer the typical features and content that can be found [...]

iTunes Moving to The Cloud – Freeing up Your Hard-Drive

December 6, 2009 Click to read more →
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Apple is looking to acquire audio streaming company Lala – if they get the deal then this could free up all of that prime real-estate on your various hard-drives if, like me, you have 50 days or more’s worth of constant music sat in digital audio form.
The move could also improve your music’s [...]

Mewbox – On the Go Music Downloads on Android

December 4, 2009 Click to read more →
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Mewbox – not a new dry cat food or a mash-up of Robbie Williams’ failed 2006 album and a Danish alternative rock band.
Mewbox is actually a new music download service that originally launched with the Archos 5 Android slate but has now gone live for all Android phones.
This means that whether you’re going to [...]

Microsoft Zune Really Coming to the UK at Long Last

November 17, 2009 Click to read more →
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Zune coming to UK?
Yeah – that’s what I thought when I was told this.
I reckoned that these very shores were going to get a taste of the MP3 player that was designed to take on Apple’s iPod.
Ok, so almost four years later the Zune only owns 2% of the US MP3 market – a [...]

Google Audio – Search, Stream and Buy Music – One Box

October 21, 2009 Click to read more →
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It sounds as though Google will definitely be parading out a new rival to Spotify, Napster and the like.
Word on the web is that Google is in talks to shore up content from major music labels ahead of launch.
Nothing has been confirmed, but one tipster has called the service Google Audio, and it will launch [...]

7digital Takes The Fight to iTunes on American and Canadian Soil

October 7, 2009 Click to read more →
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7digital will be a known name to those who legally download tunes here in the UK.
That will soon be changing – but in a good way.
The Great British MP3 download site has just thrown open its doors to the US of A taking on the might of iTunes.
Not only is 7digital taking on the huge [...]

What is Sony Ericsson Promising The World?

September 15, 2009 Click to read more →
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You and I both know that when one of the many gadget and tech makers claims “world first”, “thinnest”, “lightest” and such that:

It might well be – but not for long
Someone else has already made that claim
It’s all bluster and marketing

Well – the latest claim from Sony Ericsson is that they’re going to change the [...]

Microsoft Stopping Zune HD Coming to the UK, Europe, Anywhere Outside the States

September 11, 2009 Click to read more →
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There had word on the street that Microsoft had no plans bring the Zune HD to France.
That has escalated to the point that the Zune wont even break the US borders!
Ars Technica went direct to Redmond to find out if it’s true:
“For the time being the Zune HD device will remain US only,” a [...]

Blaze 3 in 1 PSP Video Playing Charger Dock – Supersize Your PSP 3000 Vids and Pics

August 21, 2009 Click to read more →
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BLAZE have just released a bit of gadgety niceness that will allow PSP 3000 owners to charge, control and dock their Sony handheld gaming machine whilst watching movies or viewing photo slide shows on their wide screen TV!
The BLAZE 3 in 1 Video Charging Dock safely cradles the PSP 3000 console and hands you all [...]

Leyio Shakes Up Tune Transfer to Your iPod

August 14, 2009 Click to read more →
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Remember that clever little Leyio?
You know: the gadgety way of sharing data and stuff at the shake of your wrist?
Yeah – it hasn’t exactly caught on and I forgive you if you’ve forgotten all about it since the beginning of the year – the main problem is that ideally you need to find someone else [...]

iPod Nano Cassette Cases – Retro Cool

August 6, 2009 Click to read more →
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If you miss carrying mix tapes in your pocket and own a 4th Gen iPod Nano have a look at these.
The 45 Nano Cases are made from reclaimed cassette tapes.
The magnetic media cases are gutted, routered and rebuilt to fit Nano nice and snug and have that total retro coolness.
They’re priced at $49 from CAD

Splitter Bot Wants You to Share Music by Sticking Your Jack in his Eyes

July 30, 2009 Click to read more →
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Could this be the cutest way to share you music?
The adorable little robot works as a headphones splitter.
Logically names the Splitter Bot.
Shove your 3.5mm headphone jacks into his eyes….. ouchy! – but could’ve been worse
The helpful bot comes complete with a keychain fitted to its body meaning that the Splitter Bot will never [...]

Creative Zii EGG to Take on iPod Touch and Zune HD

July 28, 2009 Click to read more →
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Remember that Zii chip that had all that stem cell marketing stuff going on?
When I heard that Creative were going to shove it into an egg I was mightily confused….
Until I discovered that the Creative Zii EGG is actually a PMP that will be packing Android.
Not only that but it’s set to taunt the Touch [...]

New Sony S-Series Walkman Features Facial Speakers

July 23, 2009 Click to read more →
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Sony Insider has been given another tip-off in the form of this pic of a rather mysterious new Walkman.
SI are pretty sure that this may be the successor in the popular S-Series lineup.
The well-connected site have it on good authority that the press shot shows a revision to the Sony S Series – thing [...]

Smirnoff iPod/iPhone Compatible Bottle Jacket

July 22, 2009 Click to read more →
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Now – you all know how I enjoy a splash or 3 of Vodka and I also love music.
Well my boozey friends – those makers of lovely potato-based alcohol, Smirnoff, are targeting music fans this Christmas with an insulating bottle jacket that has the added benefit of being fitted with a speaker and 3.5mm input [...]

pulpTunes Freeware – Access and Share Your Complete iTunes Library From Anywhere

June 4, 2009 Click to read more →
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I’ve just been prodded in the direction of pulpTunes – thanks Sean!
Having an iPod or iPhone is great but, if like me, you have over a years worth of constant music on your hard drive at home there’s no way you can have your iTunes collection with you everywhere – unless you have a potent [...]

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