Hasta La Gadget!

The new Surface Pro 2, with its prodigious computing capabilities, has been built as a computing productivity machine for just about anyone. Spreadsheets, editing video and mixing music are all in the new Pro’s wheelhouse, and that last task is why Microsoft is also revealing the Surface Remix Project and the Music Cover to go along with it. The Music Cover, as you might expect, comes with pressure-sensitive buttons that allow budding DJ’s to craft and fine tune their next remix. It has 16 programmable pads for easy access to instruments and sounds, while there are pause / play and slider controls to adjust the volume and tailor transitions to your liking. And, just like the regular typing cover, it’s backlit, so you’ll be able to mix on the fly at any late-night sonic soiree. There is one downside, however: the Music Cover only works with the Surface 2, Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2, so original RT owners need not apply come October 22 when it goes on sale.

Update: It turns out, the Music Cover will be distributed as a kit (for free!) to select musicians with the launch of its Remix Project on the 22nd, but we don’t know when the rest of us will get a crack at it. Want to know if it’s worth your dollars when the time comes? Check out our hands-on of the new hardware and software right here.

Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft

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Source: Surface #RemixProject

This is not your typical orchestra. The instruments look especially unusual, and that’s because each of them is made using decommissioned weapons.

They were put together by artist Pedro Reyes in an effort to convert weapons into actual, playable instruments. You might remember Pedro from his previous work, where he built a fully-mechanized orchestra.

Disarm is comprised of eight instruments and was made possible through a collaboration with Cocolab, a media studio in Mexico City, and various musicians.

Their first step was to gather pistols, rifles, and shotguns that were previously used by drug cartels. They were then taken apart and put together once more to create musical instruments that are controlled with the use of computers. The instruments can even be pre-programmed to play music.

Several of the Disarm instruments will be on display at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh on October 5, 2013.

[via Colossal]

R. Kelly is back with a new single called "Genius" and he’s singing about his favorite topic: sex, obviously. Hey, the man sticks to what he knows.

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Being a relatively new company means Myth Labs needs to come correct right from the get-go with their premiere pair of headphones: the Eclipse. Here we’ve got what could easily be called the first customizable over-ear headphones* – if you’re talking about the band, that is – with heavy sound and a burn-in app that’ll […]

This surely marks a faint glimmer of hope for all the beaten-down and forgotten formats out there. Granted, the vinyl record has been out of fashion recently but still, a 745 percent increase in Amazon sales marks some pretty impressive growth. So, why the bump? A retro explosion? A new-found appreciation for fidelity in this world of streaming compression? The answer’s likely a little bit of both. Also, don’t underestimate the power of Amazon’s AutoRip feature. See, vinyl’s not only the fastest growing music medium on Amazon, it’s also the most popular format for AutoRip, which entitles buyers to MP3 versions of physical albums they buy. Obviously, though, it’s a bit tougher for most music lovers to rip vinyl than, say, a CD.

So, which records are selling best? As of the weekend, the top vinyl titles include albums by the Death Grips, Amy Winehouse and Arcade Fire. Daft Punk, Nirvana and Paul McCartney managed to make their way into the top ten, as well. Those who prefer their information served up in a handy graphical format should click through to the source link below.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Amazon

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Source: Amazon