Hasta La Gadget!

Some people never warm up to earbuds because they find them so uncomfortable. If that’s you, consider Phiaton’s PS 210 “half in-ear” earbuds. Their ergonomic design puts them just outside the ear canal, so you won’t feel constricted. They’re made of lightweight aluminum and come with four sizes of silicon ear tips (XS, S, M, and L) for the best fit.

No earbuds are good if they don’t deliver a strong sound, and the PS 210 combines the strong bass of in-ear models with the clear highs of open ear buds. They offer a 10-to-27,000-Hz frequency range and weigh .29 ounces without the cord. Pick them up for $99 from the Phiaton site.

Cignias’ NAO Symphony still doesn’t seem to be widely available following its CES unveiling, but our good pal Dave Zatz looks to have sourced one from the wild, wild abyss. He did the world a favor by hosting up unboxing shots and a few first impressions, noting that this “sophisticated” iPod speaker dock actually interests him far more than most of those me-too offerings cluttering shelves today. Unfortunately, he’s still working on getting the iPhone app to connect to a hidden SSID, but feel free to hit the source link and peruse the image gallery while he gets that ironed out.

Update: This is now available directly from Cignias.

Cignias NAO Symphony wireless iPod boombox gets unboxed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As far as formats go, MP3 has managed to hang around for an impressive amount of time. To date, we’ve yet to see another digital audio file garner a similar amount of support (though ATRAC had a fighting chance!), but it looks as if an alternative from BACH Technology could be gunning for that crown. The new proposal is dubbed MusicDNA, and contrary to what you may expect, Dagfinn Bach — who tinkered with the first MP3 player back in 1993 — is all for it. Much like iTunes LP, the new format would include “lyrics, videos, artwork and blog posts, which [would] continually be updated.” We’re told that pirated files would still play back (as in, DRM shouldn’t be an issue here), but none of the aforesaid updates would arrive. Currently, no major labels are onboard with the idea, but the company has suggested that the initial response has been pretty positive. Too bad it’ll never go anywhere without a recognizable online storefront, but hey, we’re rootin’ for you over here!

Update: The musicDNA used in the currently available musicGPS iPhone app is something completely different. Who knows if this will lead to a scuffle over naming rights.

MusicDNA looks to supplant MP3, bring along updatable extras originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, Physical Computing can be a drain. Particularly when your Summa Cum Laude status is hinging on you acing the final. We’re guessing that one Ryan Raffa managed to pull off a pretty decent grade, as his final project is nothing short of delectable. In a (presumably successful) attempt to wow onlookers and professors alike, Ryan cooked up an audio controller that utilized an ADXL 335 accelerometer (for motion sensing) and an Arduino board that communicates serially with Max MSP. The controller itself boasts inputs for five tracks and the sixth button applies a delay to all of the tracks; he was even kind enough to host up the Max MSP and Arduino code (it’s there in the source link), and if you’re interested in hearing what all the fuss is about, be sure to hop past the break and mash play.

Continue reading Arduino and accelerometer harmoniously come together in DIY music controller

Arduino and accelerometer harmoniously come together in DIY music controller originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yamaha’s YSP-5100 and YSP-4100 soundbars (or Digital Sound Projectors, as the sophisticates would say) emerged early last month over in Japan, but then CES happened. In a stellar effort to jog our memories, the company has just announced that both units will be on sale here in the States prior to January’s end, and while each comes with a laundry list of features, the MSRPs are downright shocking. Both bars offer up 40 beam drivers, two woofers and a dedicated amplifier, while the 5100 adds a pair of tweeters. They’re also equipped with HD Audio decoding (TrueHD DTS-HD Master Audio, etc.), 1080p-compatible HDMI sockets (4 in/ 1 out), internal upscaling, a UniVolume feature to maintain a consistent volume level between different sources and an integrated FM tuner. Sounds nice, but the internal yAired wireless technology must be the icing on the cake, as the $2,199.95 (5100) / $1,899.95 (4100) price tags clearly have some sort of premium baked in.

Yamaha’s cinema-lovin’ YSP-5100 and YSP-4100 soundbars ship this month with breathtaking price tags originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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