Hasta La Gadget!

Just the other day we reported that Apple could be working on revamping its iTunes Music Store, whether or not that will be happening remains to be seen, but thanks to a new rumor via a source who spoke to music blogger, Robert Hutton, it seems that this could indeed be happening and one of the changes Apple could be making is to offer up higher quality music downloads.

According to the report, Apple could start hosting lossless 24-bit audio files as early as June, and that Apple has apparently been asking labels to provide them with music files in 24-bit format for the past few years, with either 96k or 192k sampling rates. Hutton also states that the kick off to the launch will begin with the Led Zeppelin remasters. Apple is also rumored to be charging users $1 extra if users wish to purchase audio files in higher quality.

At the moment Apple’s iTunes Store offers relatively high quality files for listening, although audiophiles would most probably prefer formats like FLAC which is compatible with more media players. For those unfamiliar, such formats are considered to be “lossless” meaning that when music files are converted from audio sources such as CDs, it does not lose the quality versus “lossy” formats like MP3, APE, AAC, and more.

Apple has their own lossless format also known as ALAC although some argue that it is not as efficient as FLAC, although the upside is that if you own an iOS device or listen to music via iTunes, it will be compatible with it. In fact a couple of years ago Apple launched a “Mastered for iTunes” section in which the songs offered would be of a higher quality, higher than AAC.

Of course it should be noted that these high quality audio files might not be very noticeable by the average listener, not to mention if you truly want to get the best sound possible, there are other factors to take into consideration, like your sound system setup where a pair of $30 speakers will definitely not be able to cut it. However for audiophiles who have always felt that the iTunes Store lacked high quality audio, perhaps this will finally appease them.

High Definition Audio Files Coming To iTunes In June [Rumor] , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Audio, Rumors, itunes, music,

A report suggests that Apple is considering a “dramatic overhaul” of the iTunes music store in a bid to plug declining music downloads. Late last year the company launched iTunes Radio, a free ad-supported music streaming service that also gives listeners the ability to purchase tracks. But it doesn’t look like the service helped much in controlling declining sales.

(more…)

Major iTunes Music Store Revamp Possible original content from Ubergizmo.

The launch of the Kinect system by Microsoft that saw one’s body being used as a game controller certainly did bring about new possibilities for one to game, and it might have proved inspirational for other projects down the road. Take the Mi.Mu Glove for Music for instance – this Kickstarter project is a state-of-the-art wearable technology that will allow you to control sounds using your hands alone, which might very well alter the way that music is composed.

With slightly more than three more weeks left to go, the Mi.Mu Glove for Music needs to raise less than 75% more of the £200,000 goal in order for its production lines to get busy. How does the Mi.Mu Glove for Music work? Well, it takes advantage of the dexterity and mobility of the human body in order to work in tandem with a live performance machine. These gloves happen to be a compact, lightweight and self-contained system that will need a laptop in tow to maximize its potential.

Capturing the movements and postures of your hands via the gloves, the accompanying software will enable such information to be mapped to musical control messages that can then be routed to a music software of your choice. The gloves are able to track your hand’s orientation, the “flex” of your fingers, the existing hand posture and its direction, as well as sharp movements to indicate drum hits.

Mi.Mu Glove For Music Kickstarter Project Launched , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Audio, crowdfu,

Sony is at it again, trying to carve out its niche in history with the new Sony MDR-HW700DS digital surround wireless headphones system. Basically, Sony claims that this is the first 9.1-channel digital surround wireless headphones system in the world, where you will be able to enjoy the depth of your listening experience through the different choices of sound effect modes available to you – letting you optimize the listening quality for movies, games, news- and talk shows.

(more…)

Sony MDR-HW700DS Is World’s First 9.1ch Digital Surround Wireless Headphones System original content from Ubergizmo.

If you’re into headphones and earphones, Phiaton might be a company that you have heard of, and if you’re in the market for a new set of headphones, Phiaton might have something for you in the form of the Bridge MS 500 headphones which won a Red Dot award, which we guess says something about them aside from their good looks, right?

As you can see in the image above, the Phiaton Bridge MS 500 headphones look pretty good. They don’t look like your regular pair of headphones which are typically very boring in their design. In fact the Bridge MS 500 sport a pretty sleek look and is made from both aluminum and leather as far as its construction is concerned. (more…)

Phiaton’s Bridge MS 500 Headphones Look Pretty Sleek original content from Ubergizmo.