Major labels show eagerness to fail with new CMX digital audio format

Let’s think about this, shall we? How did Sony’s ATRAC format do? How did all those DRM-laced formats fare? Call us zany, but we’ve got a feeling an all new format developed by the astoundingly brilliant (ahem) minds at the world’s largest record labels is apt to follow the aforementioned formats right on down to Irrelevant Boulevard. According to Times Online, Sony, Warner, Universal and EMI are currently looking to go head-to-head with Apple’s own “Cocktail” by introducing a CMX format (codenamed) that will “give music fans a computerized version of the sleeve notes that come as standard with a CD, including lyrics and artwork, and videos.” Reportedly, the format is expected to launch in November in an effort to boost whole album downloads (as opposed to singles), and while the labels approached Apple in order to gain its support, the Cupertino-based company purportedly decided to concoct its own mixture. Oh, and you can pretty much consider this extra DOA should iTunes not support it; fair or not, that’s just the way it is.

[Via Guardian]

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Major labels show eagerness to fail with new CMX digital audio format originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turtle Beach keeps tweens boasting with Ear Force X41 Xbox 360 headset

Just over a year after Turtle Beach gave whining teenyboppers a decent Xbox 360 headset to annoy mature gamers with, the outfit is hitting back with the third-generation. We should caution you that these are far from a major upgrade, but those just now looking to take the plunge into cord-free bragging should find plenty to appreciate. The Ear Force X41 cans claim to handle Dolby 7.1 channel surround sound, but given that there are precisely two ear cups here, we’re somewhat (read: tremendously) skeptical of said claims. At any rate, the RF-based headphones now sport a dedicated Digital Signal Processor along with a feature that will likely entice young brats and frighten those with actual jobs: Chat Boost. As you can imagine, this enables users to automatically jack the volume of the Xbox Live chat as the game gets louder, which — in our experience — is probably not a good thing. Those with the patience of Job can buy in anyway for a nickle under $200.

[Via TG Daily]

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Turtle Beach keeps tweens boasting with Ear Force X41 Xbox 360 headset originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bone-anchored hearing aids filter out noise, finally ready for human implantation

Think those noise-canceling earbuds are hot stuff? Imagine if said technology was applied to an advanced type of implantable hearing aid, and you’ll have an idea of exactly what Earthlings with severe hearing loss now have to look forward to. For years now, we’ve watched as cochlear implants became more effective in lab tests, and up until recently, we’ve had strict medical testing procedures to thank for the inability to actually get one. Now, one Colin Hughes will soon be amongst the first Australians to enjoy a “new bone-anchored hearing aid designed to adjust to noisy environments, quiet conversations and the varying rhythms and pitch of music.” Due to a birth defect that left him with atypically narrow eustachian tubes, Colin was never able to take advantage of traditional hearing aids for any length of time, but now these $12,000 (per pair) devices are promising a new life for the 70-year old bloke. Our favorite feature? MP3 players can be directly (and discretely) attached, enabling old geezers to tune out old hags without them ever noticing.

[Thanks, Mike]

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Bone-anchored hearing aids filter out noise, finally ready for human implantation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USB retro wooden speaker escapes the crap pile by the slimmest margin

Try if you wish, but you’ll never convince us that the masterpiece you’re peering at above should be lumped in with every other crapgadget out there. Sorry, it just ain’t happening. The wondrous USB Retro Wooden Speaker / MP3 Player Cube does mostly what it says: you insert a flash card or USB drive, and it plays back MP3 files through the pair of 3-watt stereo speakers. Those vintage buttons can skip tracks and pause things for a brief moment of silence, while the bundled remote keeps your nates planted after a hard day’s night. There’s even a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input in case you’re short on flash, and the built-in rechargeable battery ensures that this bad boy will be showcased at your forthcoming tailgate parties. There’s a whole lot of awesome here for $29, wouldn’t you concur?

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USB retro wooden speaker escapes the crap pile by the slimmest margin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coconut headphone mod makes us long for Kokomo

You knew somebody would do it, and now you’re just downtrodden that said somebody isn’t you. Yes friends, the gadget you see above really is a pair of working headphones with coconut halves for earcups. We already got word that Dave Chappelle’s crack-infused twin fully approves, but we’re still waiting for Dr. Dre to give us the all-clear before we deem them “street credible.”

[Via MAKE]

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Coconut headphone mod makes us long for Kokomo originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Neuhaus T-2 vacuum tube amplifier turns heretic, offers USB input

We’re more used to seeing vacuum tubes on iPod speaker docks, but the Neuhaus T-2 brings some of that analog action to your computer by serving as a USB amplifier. Those among us who think MP3 compression is just a-okay will find this new device boils down to a handsome-looking external sound card, with perhaps a bit of extra oomph. For the audiophiles, already cringing in distress at the preceding sentence, we have specs: the T-2 pumps out 20W each to two channels, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 85dB and a frequency response between 10Hz and 30KHz. If you find any of that attractive, hold your racing heart in check, as the asking price is $795. We suppose it’s more affordable than the Magma, but then again so is a new car.

[Via Switched]

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Neuhaus T-2 vacuum tube amplifier turns heretic, offers USB input originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sonos CR200 review

It’s here Sonos fans, finally. The new touch-screen CR200 controller is announced and ready for purchase. After making an appearance at the FCC on its way to being leaked in full, the new CR200 controller for Sonos’ multi-room wireless music system is everything we heard including a 3.5-inch, 640 x 480 pixel (VGA) capacitive touchscreen with on-screen keyboard, beefier processor, and relatively tiny 2.9 x 4.5 x 0.7-inch / 6 ounce footprint with scaled-down charger to match. Those changes make the new CR200 pocketable, faster, and far more useful than the CR100 ever was. Not that the CR100 was a bad device, it wasn’t, but the $399 controller (plus $40 for the charging cradle) was definitely beginning to show its age as the only dedicated handheld controller available since Sonos launched back in January 2005. What really made the CR100 archaic though, was the 2008 release of the free iTunes App Store controller for the iPod touch and iPhone. It was faster, more graphically rich, and offered an on-screen keyboard unlike the CR100.

Fortunately, the price of the CR200 has dropped a bit to $349 / €349 list, a price that now includes the charging cradle. Still, we know what you’re wondering: is it worth it when an iPod touch can be purchased new for $229, or closer to $170 refurbished? Having used the CR200 for a week now, we found that the answer’s not as obvious as you’d think. Click through to find out why.

Continue reading Sonos CR200 review

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Sonos CR200 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iLuv’s iEA15 adapter lets any headphones work with VoiceOver, iPhone

The suits in Cupertino already confirmed the existence of a proprietary chip in the new iPod shuffle headphones, but if you’re squarely in the tin foil hat crowd, we’ve got one more shred of evidence to win you over. iLuv’s newest adapter, the iEA15, outrightly asserts that it is “equipped with a remote control chip provided by Apple, Inc.,” but it’s the functionality of said adapter that has our interest piqued. Rather than settling for a set of VoiceOver-capable earbuds that you aren’t really fond of, this here go-between enables any headphones with a 3.5 millimeter jack to connect with (and control) Apple’s newest shuffle. Moreover, it’ll play nice with the iPhone family as well, and the built in microphone enables you to handle a call without ever removing your ‘buds. The frightening part is that no price and release date have been set, which probably means iLuv’s lobbying to get that Made for iPod tax down in order to not charge $50 for this thing.

[Via CNET]

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iLuv’s iEA15 adapter lets any headphones work with VoiceOver, iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olive blesses Opus No. 4 music server with 2TB of space, charges $1,799 for it

We haven’t heard from Olive in a white hot minute, but hey, given the price of its wares, maybe it just decided to take the whole recession off. At any rate, the boutique outfit is sashaying back onto the scene with the Opus No. 4, the newest member of its long-standing Opus Hi-Fi Digital Stereo family. As with the models that have come before, this ultra high-end music server packs loads of internal storage (2TB if you’re counting), giving you enough room for around 6,000 CDs stored in the lossless FLAC format. There’s also a handy, full-color display on the front that probably won’t get much use, and ’round back, you’ll find a WiFi adapter (for wireless music streaming, you dig?), optical / coaxial digital audio outputs, a left / right analog output, a USB socket and an Ethernet port (for more of that streaming stuff). Look good? You bet. Does it look $1,799 good? That’s debatable.

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Olive blesses Opus No. 4 music server with 2TB of space, charges $1,799 for it originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zoom brings stereo audio to Q3 pocket camcorder

While those into good sound likely warmed to Zoom’s H4n Handy Recorder back at CES, the Samson Technologies-owned company has just switched the game up on us with its newfangled Q3 Handy Video Recorder. As the product name implies, it’s the first pocket camcorder to hit the market with such a serious focus on good sound, packing a directional, dual condenser microphone setup that enables shooters to capture clips at 24-bit/48 kHz while even focusing the mics on the sound source. The camcorder itself can log clips at an uninspiring 640 x 480 (30fps), while a pair of AA batteries gives you around two hours of life. There’s also a 2.4-inch LCD, a bundled 32GB SD card (holds 16 hours of footage), a built-in speaker for previews, TV output, a tripod mount and USB 2.0 connectivity. If this bad boy did 720p, we’d be handing over our $249 with a heart full of thanks. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Zoom brings stereo audio to Q3 pocket camcorder

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Zoom brings stereo audio to Q3 pocket camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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