Google breaks ground with pan-European music deal, shows that streaming knows no borders
Posted in: Today's Chili 
We now know how Google could offer its European music services to multiple countries so quickly. The search firm took advantage of a new hub approach to licensing at Armonia, an alliance between publishers in France, Italy and Spain, to get rights to about 5.5 million works from 35 countries inside and outside of Europe. The pact should have financial terms similar to those for Amazon and Apple, but it’s more notable as a rare (if not pioneering) European digital music agreement that reaches much of the continent in one shot — those competitors’ earlier deals required slower, country-by-country negotiations that ultimately sparked regulatory problems. While we’re not bracing ourselves for full catalog access in the Czech Republic in the near future, the Armonia license could be a watershed moment for not just Google Music, but any digital music shop that wants to get a fresh start in the Old World.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Internet, Google
Via: TechCrunch
Source: FT (sign-in required)
Opera is probably a name that many have come to associate with browsers, not just for the desktop, but for the mobile as well. Now it seems that Opera wants to venture outside of its core competency and has since launched a music service of its own called Unlimited Music. The soft launch of their music service was done in Russia and much like other music services, Unlimited Music is expected to be subscription-based where users can download and stream their favorite songs. However according to an Opera spokesperson, Opera is not the owner of the content, but rather the enabling layer which basically means that Opera is working with another provider.
If you’re in the market for a set of speakers that will play nice with Apple’s AirPlay standard, the folks at iHome are now shipping the iW3 set of wireless speakers. It comes with an accompanying app and the speakers themselves will feature SRS WOW HD audio, which is said to deliver a dynamic 3D entertainment experience with rich bass and high frequency clarity, although we guess these claims are definitely subjective depending on the listener. According to iHome the iW3 pair of speakers is relatively easy to setup with the app offering on-screen instructions to guide users through the setup process. The speakers also come with a USB port that supports charging, an IR remote that allows playback control and will be available in black, red or silver. It will set you back $200 and will be available via 
It goes without saying that motorcyclists tend to be in a higher risk category compared to traveling using cars, especially in crowded cities or on highways, where sometimes motorists seem to not give two hoots about motorcyclists, and this is more often seen on the roads of third word countries. Well, motorbikes do come with their own horn, but these horns are not the loudest horns on the block, which is why biker and electrical engineer Peter Olt decided to literally take things into his own hands with the creation of the ear-splitting Screaming Banshee supplementary motorcycle horn which has been modified to come in a smaller, easier-to-install model that he has dubbed the Plug & Play Screamer.
If you have ever been to Las Vegas, surely you would have fallen in love with the opulence as well as excess in Sin City. One of the more notable hotels along the Strip would be the Bellagio, with its famed musical fountains which offer quite the performance during the evenings. Well, you might not have the kind of cash to head over to the Bellagio anytime soon, but this does not mean you cannot get some water fountain action right in front of you, right?
Gadget mavens Brookstone has come up with yet another addition to your living room, in the form of the Big Blue Media Tower. This is an all-in-one music and TV sound system, where the Big Blue Media Tower will be the third member of the growing family of Big Blue Audio Bluetooth enabled speakers which were specially designed and developed by the Brookstone Design Center. The Big Blue Media Tower comes across as a 38-inch high, sleek vertical sound-bar which is easily positioned just about anywhere you want within the room, where it will deliver a full, three-dimensional concert hall sound. All audio can be streamed wirelessly from just about any Bluetooth enabled smartphone, tablet or computer.