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DRM removed from tracks on Play.com with Playdigital

Play.com have something to smile about, as EMI, Sony BMG, Warner Music and Universal Music have signed an agreement with the online retailer, allowing them to offer tracks without any DRM (Digital Rights Management “protection”). Read more

Review: Is the MiShake MP3 media player good?

Looks like pocket-lint know what they are talking about and we found this very interesting indeed, they are reviewing the MiShake MP3 portable media player where they give their honest opinion in their review.

The MiShake with its Shocktronix-based player may be something that we might like; the whole design of this media player is nothing special really when you look at it closely. Some of the features which we do like are the motion-sensor that will indeed detect movement, yes shake and tilt is what this device is about, this new action on this player allows you to switch between media files, photos, music, and video, if these controls are too cumbersome you can use the 2.4-inch touchscreen display.

Priced at £119.95 we say that is not a lot of money when you think about it, the media player also features a dice shaker, step counter and even a spirit level, why the hell you would want that is beyond me.

Instead of me banging on and on like a stuck record please get yourselves over to pocket-lint for their full review, you will enjoy it.

Cute Teddy Bear MP3 Player the kids will love

We all know that kids love teddy bears and they also love music, so put the two together and you have a right winner on your hands. It actually looks like an ordinary cuddly teddy bear, but no, it is not ordinary. These will be great toys for the children.

This is the Teddy MP3 player with all the little things like play, forward, previous, power, Vol+ and Vol- button controls, these are all located on the teddy bears paws.

The main features include 1GB of flash memory, support for MP3 and WMA audio formats, 1 x USB cable, 1 x Battery cover (battery is not included here), weighs around about 268 grams and is only 230mm x 230mm x 140mm (L x W x D), fur material, Supports Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, Vista (Window 98 needs USB driver), also support OS Mac 10 and Linux 2.4.

Other features include high Speed USB 2.0 Ultra Fast Data Transfer and easy to operate use. The only downside is the USB chord that comes out of the Teddy bears backside. The market price for the Cute Teddy Bear MP3 Player is normally $62.89, but you can buy it for only $27.49 via UXCELL.

When is Google Music Onebox coming to other countries?

Today Alan reported the news about the all new Google Music Onebox service that is free and legal for downloading music in mainland China that are also supported by advertising, but our question is “When is Google Music Onebox coming to other countries?

Now we know this will never come to any other country for the simple fact China has no copyright laws, Music Onebox will route users to Top100.cn which is a website that already has licensing agreements with about 100 music labels and allows Chinese wibblers to download or stream tunes free of charge. Yes you know what are about to say now, all internet users outside China will indeed be blocked from accessing Top100.cn

Google come on, you have the money and the resources to give all other countries what they need and yes you know that you will earn all the money you desire through advertisements.

Read Alan’s full article here.

Better Streaming: Sonos Zone Player Z90, ZP120 and BU150:

Sonos has recently announced their new products; Sonos has not announced hardware for a while now so we are taking note on these new ones. They have just announced the Z90, ZP120 and BU150 bundle.

The Z90 will set you back $350, ZP120 $500 and the BU150 bundle will be $1,000, the bundle will include both devices and the same original controller.

The main difference between them is that they now support SonosNet 2.0, which basically uses MIMO to double the wireless distance between nodes. The ZP120 is the amp-enabled aluminum-clad flagship model and is much lighter in weight which now leaves it a lot smaller than its predecessor; it will still be capable of driving 55W of sound.

Sonos are also giving us the 2.6 version of its desktop software which will index much more music than before giving a whopping 65k tracks total, it will also gibe new and existing users $200 in free music from sites like eMusic and Livedownloads.

Check out more images over on Engadget.

Verizon helps showcase Bollywood movies and music

Aspiring dancers can enter Bollypop, an online dance competition sponsored by Verizon to help showcase the growing amount of Bollywood movies and music videos the company offers its FiOS TV and V CAST customers.

The Bollypop (www.verizon.com/bollypop) contest is open to all U.S. residents and is maintained by Saavn, the largest digital distributor of South Asian movies, music videos, audio tracks and ringtones. Contest entrants can be either individuals or dance troupes (maximum of four performers) and must submit a video of any dance moves to one of 11 Bollywood songs Read more

Parrot DS1120 Bluetooth Speakers

These are the Parrot DS1120 Bluetooth Speakers that will give you wireless music in every room, if you want sound and style in areas that are limited on space then the DS1120 speakers are a good choice.

You can stream music from cell phones, digital music players and other Bluetooth compatible devices. If you do not have a Bluetooth device to stream music to the DS1120, then you can use the line-in jack.

These Parrot speakers feature a 30-watt Class D digital amplifier for a richness of sound with music reproduced down to 100Hz, a 4- inch poly-cone speaker that extends high frequencies to 18kHz.

You store your music on computer, cell phone and digital music device – pretty much everywhere. The Parrot DS1120 Bluetooth active speaker system fits, looks and sounds terrific – everywhere. Send it your playlist wirelessly from any Bluetooth A2DP-enabled source and enjoy your favorite music or audio wherever and whenever you want

If it’s a phone you want to use these speakers with, then you should know that almost every Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) mobile phone would work with the Parrot DS1120 speakers.

View the product page or other Parrot products.

Nintendo brings Wii Music this holiday season

When this holiday season starts the three main games consoles are going to be launching their best products to get your attention, today we hear what Nintendo will be bringing this season.

Nintendo’s Wii Music will feature around 60 instruments that you can play by using the Wii controller to mimic playing movements, giving the user a much more interactive and calorie burning experience.

The new Wii MotionPlus accessory that we mentioned yesterday will be taking advantage of in a new game called Wii Sports Resort, this game will feature extra precision compared to existing Wii controllers.

Families will also love a new game for the Wii called Animal Crossing: City Folk, perfect for all the family, in this version you can create your own character and follow them in a much larger city.

The new Animal Crossing game will feature a new microphone called WiiSpeak, this lets users interact online by chatting with each other while playing.

The Nintendo DS has always been aimed at the younger gamer, but this holiday season will see Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars come to the portable DS gamer.

Hercules DJ Console MK2: Aspiring DJs and music lovers

Hercules, as a pioneer of the first portable dual deck mix controller (DJ Console) they are now bringing the fun of mixing and remixing into the digital age. DJs and music lovers of all ages with love the DJ Console MK2.

Below you will find more information on the DJ Console MK2, a great gadget for those looking to experiment and try their hand at mixing and remixing tunes like a real DJ.

The Hercules DJ Console MK2 is a portable, twin deck DJ mixer with audio customzed to play, mix and create DJ music on a PC or a Mac is great for DJs who want a versatile, cost effective mixing solution.

Key features include a all-in-one DJ Controller with audio for complete computer DJ mixing, high precision wheels and buttons for DJ mixing, 2×3 equalization buttons, Add effects, loops and cue-points, 1 cross fader, 2 decks with jog wheels and volume & pitch control.

Advanced integrated audio features for DJing - 2 line/phono inputs, to mix analogue and digital formats, headphone monitoring to cue up the next track, include mix and split cue and microphone input to with talk over funciton.

Most Digital Formats Supported - MP3, CD-Audio and more (WMA, WAV…in PC/AIFF …in Mac), also play video in window mode (no full screen) (AVI, MPEG).

Included Software - Customized version of Virtual DJ 3 DJ Console Edition PC/Mac and the Hercules DJ Console MK2 is everything you need to host great prarties or record DJing performances.

Retails at around $249.99 at J & R Computer World, Sam Ash, DJ Supply, Guitar Center and Long-McQuade (CA).

Yoto M300 Widescreen PMP: Apple iPod Touch wannabe

These days it seems every single portable media player is also an Apple iPod Touch wannabe and the Yoto M300 Widescreen PMP is much of the same, but it also has one feature that makes it stand more of a chance than many others, that feature is media file support.

The Yoto M300 (aka Yuantong) may look like most other players and nothing special on the outside, but inside you have support for BMP, GIF, JPG, APE, FLAC, WMA, MP3, FLV, RMVB, XVID, RM, MPEG4, DIVX and AVI. Now does your PMP support all them formats?

The M300 is not as good as the iPod Touch, but we like its file support. Other features include a 3-inch screen with WQVGA (400 × 240), support for games, a built-in speaker, and 800 mh built-in lithium batteries, reads e-books and supports 2 GB TF card expansion. Sadly this PMP only supports Windows XP and Windows 2000, so with no Vista or Mac OS X support, this device will NOT appeal to many music lovers.

It’s interesting to see so many portable media players coming to the market and many of them at really cheap prices, but will the consumer want these lesser-known brands or go for a PMP that is both popular and known.

Would you buy a not known brand to save money?

Source: Read

New Datz digital music platform, download store and recommendation service

Datz.com, the new digital music platform, download store and recommendation service which exploded onto the digital landscape last year, announces the launch of their new user-generated, community-orientated portal this week.

Central to the newly rejuvenated user-friendly website is the introduction of an interactive environment, which encourages users to actively get involved in generating content, reviews and ratings, allowing artists and fans to interact directly with one another.

Providing an essential platform to showcase new talent, Datz encourages independent and unsigned artists to upload their own music, enabling them to create their own community and fanbase within Datz. With the click of a mouse, artists can now find their music available alongside the finest in cutting-edge bands, as well as an extensive back catalogue from all the majors where you can re-live the classics.

Fans, on the other hand, can create their own blogging pages whereby they can recommend and discuss the latest Datz music. In addition Datz.com provides e-ticketing, a gig calendar, event reminders and recommended downloads of the week - creating an all-encompassing, interactive musical community which is set to become a vital resource for artists, fans and industry professionals alike.

Evolving into a credible voice in the field of new and exciting music, Datz works closely with music industry trade publication, Music Week, by sponsoring their renowned Music Week Playlist. Having originally launched in 2007, Datz entered the music market place via a voucher redemption system, which provided free downloads for users with the purchase of mobile phones. They ran highly successful and ground-breaking promotions with LG & Orange with Sainsbury’s, and Woolworth’s, one of the largest music and mobile retailers in the UK. In fact, Datz became one of the first digital stores to utilise a traditional marketing tool for a non-traditional product.

Experience Datz, visit www.datz.com

New Hercules DJ Console Rmx: digital audio console for Mobile and advanced DJs

NEW YORK, NY – (April 24, 2008) – Hercules, the computer DJ entertainment specialist, announces the availability of the new Hercules DJ Console Rmx, a digital audio console designed for Mobile and advanced DJs. The audio console, supplied with a carrying bag for total mobility, retails for $349.00 and is available now at Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Musician’s Friend, American Musical Supply, 8th Street Music and PSSL.com. (www.hercules.com)

The DJ Console Rmx is the most comprehensive digital dual mixing deck in its class. The sleek console includes a number of quality features such as a solid metal casing with non-slip pads guaranteeing perfect stability, broad surface, accessible buttons and knobs, precise and comprehensive controls, a built-in audio interface with 4 inputs, 4 outputs.

“The success of our products has helped spread the Hercules brand throughout the international DJ community. We consulted with over 1300 DJs throughout Europe and US and designed the DJ Console Rmx to their exact expectations,” states François Garet, Development Manager of the DJing solutions range for Hercules. “We are proud to offer this professional solution that provides enhanced performance and precision at an incredible value,” adds Garet.

Mobility and Stability:
• Solid metal casing with non-slip pads
• Simply connects to the USB port of a PC or Mac® laptop
• Size allows mixing with unrivalled ease
• Compact portability (35 x 25 cm)
• Flawless ASIO and Core audio drivers

Precise, Swift Mixing:
• Live mixing and seamless integration
• Offers DJs precision and speed
• Features 2 ultra-precise jog wheels for moving within tracks and for scratching
• 12 rotary switches and 46 push-buttons
• 6 faders including pitch faders with a center detent and a convenient general volume fader

Specialized DJing Audio Features:
• 4 mono ¼ in. jack outputs , outputting +4dBu for pro sound
• Audio output levels at -10dBv over 4 RCA outputs
• 2 stereo analog inputs for mixing external sounds with MP3 files
• A phono/line-level selector on each input
• Convenient talk-over microphone and preview feature headset connector accessibility on the console’s upper and front face
• Great for transferring vinyl to digital format

The Hercules DJ Console Rmx, a one-stop shop for mobile DJs, comes with VirtualDJ® 5 DJC Edition Software for PC and Mac®. The software includes features and settings specific to the Hercules DJ Console Rmx and combines the power of the VirtualDJ mixing engine with the ergonomics of the Hercules DJ Console Rmx. The console is a MIDI controller compatible with other MIDI-controlled software applications allowing DJs to mix the music files stored in various formats including MP3, AIFF, WAV, WMA, OGG & CD Audio and iTunes®. For more information on the Hercules DJ Console Rmx visit hercules.com

Coming soon: Nokia 5220 and 5320 XpressMusic: we want the Tube

When it comes to Nokia handsets all people seem to want to know about is the much anticipated Nokia Tube however: we will just have to make do with the release of two new cell phones for now the Nokia 5220 and 5320 XpressMusic. Both handsets will be ready for shipping sometime in the third quarter of 2008.

Both phones are aimed at the people who love handsets that have a big music feature and both the Nokia 5220 and 5320 phones will not disappoint as they are part of the company’s XpressMusic range. Both phones are affordable and have a funky fresh design, great if you are young and you like to listen to music while you are out and about.

Nokia already have some phones in the XpressMusic however; the 5220 and 5320 has upped the ante in both design and music performance, as well as allowing consumers to share their music with their friends as well as a host of communities.

The Nokia 5320 XpressMusic offers a 3G social entertainment capabilities as well as Say and Play feature and also offers expandable memory up to 8GB. The Nokia 5220 XpressMusic does not offer as much as it’s bigger brother, but is still a capable cell phone.

When both handsets are released in Europe expect to pay from 160 to 220 EUR.

Source – Phones Review

Guitar Hero IV Rumor: upgrades include drums and microphone for vocals

The whole Guitar Hero franchise without a doubt is a popular one and we know that when Activision get round to launching Guitar Hero IV there will be a number of new upgrades. Bobby Kotick the CEO of Activision has revealed that some of these upgrades will include drum kit as well as a microphone, so the new version will allow you to play the drums as well as adding your own vocals. Kotick also added that Guitar Hero IV could also have “local content” from “local bands.”

It does seem strange that they will call the game Guitar Hero IV as the game will be focusing on drums as well, should be Rock Band then. Although some people have suggested a few other names including Rockstar Hero or Band Hero. According to sources over at Activision, they feel that their drum kit add-on will be far superior to the one that is used on Rock Band.

One area that we know is wrong with the Guitar Hero franchise is their downloadable content, so I would assume that Activision is working hard to try and improve in this most important area. Activision has some great things coming this year, firstly we have the release of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith coming this June, once this is released Activision has stated that they will be releasing downloadable content at least once a week. There was also the announcement of the merger with Vivendi, this would mean that Activision will have access to a huge amount of record labels content from the Universal Music Group.

It does seem as if the Guitar Hero franchise is here to stay and will just keep getting better.

Source – Joystiq

Rock Band to get Classic Rock Pack 01 this week on Xbox 360

For those of you who love the whole Rock Band experience, then I think that you are going to love this new Classic Rock Pack 01 Harmonix. The pack comes with three songs which we all know and some of us love.

The track list includes Blondie “Call Me”, Lynyrd Skynyrd “Simple Man”
and The Police “Message in a Bottle”. All three or these songs are available for download tomorrow and will cost $1.99 per track or $5.49 for all three.

Source - Slash Gear

EA Announce UK launch date for music game Rock Band

A date has finally been announced for the UK release of the highly publicised music game Rock Band. EA have said that the game is due for release on the 23rd May for Xbox 360 but for the PlayStation 3 and PS2 editions there is still no date for when it will be but it is due for a summer release.

The game features 59 songs and with further downloadable tracks available from the 27th May for around 160 Microsoft points.

Will you be getting this game?
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GDIS Floral titi shuffle-like mini player coming to Europe: The name is very bad

Parents are not going to like this! A little cute shuffle-like mini player called GDIS Floral titi, you can just see it the parent’s young kid shouting out “Mum I am going to play with my titi.

I really do think that is a wrong name and not appropriate for children, the GDIS Floral titi will apparently be heading for Europe, but at a guess if it does go to Europe the name would be changed.

The GDIS Floral titi shuffle-like mini player features USB connection to PC or Mac, comes in nine bright colours, MP3/WMA playback and available in with 1GB/2GB of storage.

You can clip them onto your clothes or bag and will give you eight hours of play time before needing a charge up, Prices in Korea are the equivalent of £20 and £28 respectively.

Source - Product page via Aving

Def Jam blinged up Sony Ericsson W910i handset at Carphone Warehouse

Def Jam Records have teamed up with phone maker Sony Ericsson and store Carphone Warehouse to bring us a limited edition W910i. If you like bling then you will love this blinged up handset; the phone also comes complete with matching MPS 75 speakers.

The Sony Ericsson W910i Def Jam mobile phone comes in black and gold, and is the first phone in the UK to be in a partnership with a major record label. And what cooler label than Def Jam. The phone will come pre-loaded with many Def Jam produced songs and videos.

The installed videos are as follows:

• Chingy - Gimmie Dat f/ Ludacris and Bobby V
• Fabolous f/ Ne-Yo - Make Me Better
• Mariah - “Touch My Body” podcast
• Ne-Yo - Do You
• Rick Ross - The Boss
• Rocko - Umma Do Me

The installed songs are as follows:

• Fabolous - Diamonds
• Janet - Rock With U
• Ludacris - Money Maker
• Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead
• Ne-Yo - Because Of You
• Playaz Circle - Duffle Bag Boys
• Rihanna and Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You

The Def Jam Sony Ericsson W910i handset will be available from The Carphone Warehouse from the 8th April

Source – Pocket Lint

New Kids On The Block want to be mobbed by screaming fans

It has been reported that New Kids On The Block want to be mobbed by their screaming fans again when they return for the tour to mark the 20th anniversary of sophomore LP Hangin’ Tough.

Brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood as we know enjoyed huge success in the late 1980s and early ’90s and sold more than 50 million albums.

Donnie said that “We generally enjoyed the screaming and the screeching and the hysteria that came with performing back in the old days. And I think if the fans are that enthusiastic and willing to scream and go crazy and buy a ticket for our show, we’d be more than grateful for that and receive it with open arms.” Jordan said that “Scream all you want. We love it. Bottom line.”

Are you looking forward to their come back tour and album?

Check out the clip below of the song Hangin’ Tough.
source

Jay-Z signs $150 million Live Nation deal

It has been reported that Jay-Z has agreed a $150 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation.

The ten-year deal means that we should see him tour, release records and launch his own talent and management company Roc Nation. Jay-Z said: “I’ve turned into the Rolling Stones of hip-hop. In a way I want to operate like an indie band. Play the music on tour instead of relying on radio. Hopefully we’ll get some hits out of there and radio will pick it up, but we won’t make it with that in mind.”

Do you think that this was a good move for him?

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