Oct 03
You know how your mom or grandma or whoever is always complaining about how "kids these days" listen to louder music than when she was young? Turns out, she was scientifically correct.
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Oct 03
The Google Music app and ecosystem has been available on iPhone and iPad devices for some time now, but only here in October of 2013 will the company finally bring a native app to Apple’s mobile devices. Having had the app for Android devices for well over a year now – since November of 2011, […]
Oct 03
Bob Dylan Complete Collection Volume 1 to be available on a USB drive Stuffed inside of a Harmonica
Posted in: Today's ChiliI readily admit I’m not a huge music buff. I like to listen to some tunes when driving in the car, but other than that I’m pretty much music-free at all other times. My problem is that I can’t concentrate with any sound going on around me. On the other hand, if you’re a big fan of music and you happen to like Bob Dylan, you might want to get your credit card ready.
On November 15, a new collection called Bob Dylan The Complete Collection Vol 1 will launch. This particular box set will launch on CD, but music fans will appreciate that it’s also coming in a true lossless digital format. The entire collection will be available to purchase on a tiny USB flash drive. The music is on the drive in MP3 and FLAC formats.
That flash drive will come packaged inside of a case that looks like a harmonica. The album collection will also feature digitally-remastered versions of tons of Dylan’s best and most popular tunes. The little flash drive is packed with 35 different studio albums, six live albums, and a bunch of singles. This digital music collection won’t be cheap at a price of $364(USD), but if you’re a Dylan aficionado, it’s well worth checking out.
[via Everything USB]
Oct 02
In an interview this month, Apple’s Senior Vice President for Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said that iTunes Radio will be used to stream and help promote pre-release albums from various artists. The service, which just recently went live, will build on top of the preview streaming offered in the iTunes Store, and aims […]
Oct 02
Split Lives Up To Its Name, Creates Cheap Earbud Headphones With Absolutely No Cords
Posted in: Today's Chili
Even wireless earbuds have wires, let’s be honest – they have to, in order to link one earbud to the other. It’s been an impossible barrier to cross in headphone design, with some exceptions that generally cost a whole lot of cash. Enter the Split, a new Kickstarter project that wants to untether one earbud from the other forever.
The Split isn’t bulky like previous designs, and it doesn’t require any fancy transmitters. Each unit is a contained piece of gadgetry, with its own battery built-in, and they’re only just slightly larger than standard earbuds, with bits that stick out slightly from either ear. They each have their own memory chip and processor, too, and they sync playback between one ear and the other (something founder Marco Scandurra says isn’t likely to fall out of sync, barring physical damage to the devices).
The biggest problem with these earphones is that they work independent of any devices, however. That means they only play locally stored music, uploaded to the Split buds themselves –which currently tops out at a max of 256MB – and can’t connect to your iPhone or Android device via Bluetooth or any other protocol.
While there’s not currently any workaround in sight to bring Bluetooth connectivity to the Split, there is a plan to make it usable with mobile devices in the early stages of development.
“There are plans for next year to make an app that is compatible with iOS and Android phones,” Scandurra explained. “With that app you will be able to manage and upload songs onto Split, and we are also planning on developing an adapter that can support Lighting connectors on iPhone and iPad devices, while the regular USB port will just need to be converted to mini USB to work with Android devices.”
Memory on the device is limited, and a means of loading it with songs which requires frequent shuttling of content back and forth isn’t going to work for most people. Scandurra says they’re working with their supplier to double space on the device to half a gig by next year, so that’s something at least. And if you’re an athlete looking for a completely tangle-free solution, you’re probably going to be decently happy with enough content to run a simple playlist or two.
Now of course, if you’re like me you’re terrified at this point about what the Split is doing in terms of radiating your brain. But the headset uses around 1,000 times less radiation than a Bluetooth headset, according to Split. And how do you control a music player that’s only an inch deep and resides inside your ears? With bites, of course. Each one has an accelerometer within to detect jaw motion for play/pause, volume control and track skipping.
Honestly, this is an extremely niche product that’s at least a little crazy looking. But Scandurra has a PhD in high-energy physics from the University of Leipzig in Germany, and held a post-doc position at MIT in the Physic Department so if he’s crazy, he’s also at least got the creds to make these real. The team behind Split is looking at December as a ship date, and backers can pre-order for only $29, which means you don’t have to be soft in the head to get on board. This is definitely an early version of experimental tech, but it could also be the ground floor for something big.
Oct 01
Insert Coin: Split, a diminutive, bite-controlled music player in earbud form
Posted in: Today's ChiliIn Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you’d like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with “Insert Coin” as the subject line.
With Split, developer Greenwing Audio is Kickstarting Moore’s Law to your ears. What you see in the image above are more than just wireless earbuds, they’re everything you need to listen to music wherever you are — no additional devices needed. Right about now you’re probably wondering how standard stuff like playback and volume controls work. Well, those tasks are handled by biting. No, you didn’t misread that. One bite skips a track and a double bite adjusts how loud your music is. According to the pitch video, gentle chomps are sufficient and you don’t even need to open your lips.
What makes Split different from many other wireless audio device is it isn’t beaming Bluetooth radiation into your skull, so maybe you’ll be able to retire that tinfoil hat. If the project reaches its $435,000 Kickstarter goal, your $155 pledge won’t be a promise, it’ll mean you don’t have to spend hours of your life untangling headphones for listening to music on the go.
Via: Greenwing Audio
Source: Kickstarter
Oct 01
Not that any of us needed proof that the times are a-changin’, but grown-up hippies looking to grab this impressive omnipedia of Bob Dylan’s music might be dismayed to discover that instead of vinyl, it comes packaged on CDs as—well as this adorable USB flash drive housed in a faux harmonica.
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Oct 01
In May of 2000 three legends of hip-hop formed a supergroup and created something nobody saw coming: A futuristic, sci-fi rap album. Over the years, Deltron 3030 has developed an almost fanatical cult following. The long awaited sequel—officially released today—is likely to do the same.
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Oct 01
Native Instruments just released version 2.0 of its beat production software Maschine, and alongside it, Maschine Studio, a hot new hardware controller. As its name implies, this is some serious music machinery.
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Oct 01
Native Instruments’ new Maschine Studio controller keeps your eyes on the music
Posted in: Today's Chili
When you’re focused on music editing, you don’t want to switch back and forth between a computer screen and a hardware controller. With Native Instruments’ newly unveiled Maschine Studio, you won’t have to. The peripheral expands on the original Maschine with dual color displays that let musicians edit patterns and samples without having to glimpse at the host PC. The upgrade also adds new editing controls, and a revised Maschine 2.0 software suite simplifies plug-ins. Maschine Studio will ship on November 1st for $999, although you won’t have to buy one to get the new software. NI promises that anyone who buys a Maschine or Maschine Mikro from now on will get a free update to 2.0; existing owners can also pay $99 for an upgrade.
Filed under: Peripherals, Software
Source: Native Instruments
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