Hasta La Gadget!

Let’s hope Sony’s new streaming music service — just launched today for the US, Australia, and New Zealand — isn’t as unwieldy to use as its “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity” moniker suggests. The service features six million tracks from Sony Music Entertainment, Universal, EMI, and Warner and is available on Sony’s own devices including the PS3, Blu-ray disc players, Bravia televisions, and VAIO PCs. It’ll also be available on Android smartphones soon with an iOS app coming later this year, assuming Apple’s new subscription debacle doesn’t derail Sony’s plans. A basic membership provides an interactive radio experience for $3.99 per month while a premium $9.99 per month service gives subscribers on-demand access to the Music Unlimited library with the ability to manage your music through playlists and the like. Sony also provides a useful service that scans your local library and playlists to “jump start” the organization of your Music Unlimited collection. Wonder how it’ll work on the NGP and PlayStation tablet?

Continue reading Sony Music Unlimited now streaming tracks to the US

Sony Music Unlimited now streaming tracks to the US originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink All Things Digital  |  Bloomberg  | Email this | Comments

Ah, funding. So necessary, yet so tedious to get. Aptera — an automotive startup that has warmed our hearts with its eco-friendly, three-wheeled prototypes — has been seeking government funding to take things “next level” ever since 2008. After being laughed out of the building at first, the company reapplied and managed to get its 2e certified as a “car” by the US Department of Energy. Unfortunately, miles (and miles) or red tape have held Aptera back ever since, and even today, they’re still waiting to see if Uncle Sam will be shelling out to further their initiatives. Rather than putting its head down and realizing it’s no GM, the company has pushed out a newsletter explaining the current situation. Essentially, it’s dead-set on holding out for more funding — be it from the DoE’s coffers or elsewhere — in order to maintain quality and keep the per-unit costs down to a reasonable level. According to Aptera: “We would obviously love to accelerate the process, but the government has to make sure they complete their comprehensive evaluation and we have to let the process run its course.” Bummer.

Aptera: no production vehicles until we get funding, from the government or elsewhere originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 04:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Autoblog Green  | Email this | Comments

Remember that hugely ambitious “virtual fence” that the US Homeland Security department was so keen on blowing a few billion dollars on? Well, following a bunch of setbacks and delays in its development, it’s now been determined to be too darn expensive and is being scrapped. That’s not without splashing some cash, however, as it’s estimated that a billion dollars has already been spent on installing sensor towers along a 53-mile stretch of the Arizona border with Mexico. The plan now is to redirect funds to more conventional (and commercially available) surveillance measures, such as thermal imaging and unmanned aerial drones, which is estimated to cost $750 million to cover the remaining 323 miles of Arizona’s border. Whatever happens, keeping illegal immigration and contraband smuggling to a minimum isn’t going to be a cheap task. Almost makes you wonder if this isn’t a problem better solved by non-technological means.

US opts to derez virtual fence along Mexico border, replacing it with more affordable measures originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Slashdot  |  Reuters  | Email this | Comments

We’ve seen plenty of data to show that Android is the hottest-selling smartphone OS among US buyers today, but now we have a stat point to show that it’s doing pretty well in cumulative terms as well. According to ComScore’s latest estimates, Android had 26 percent of all US smartphone subscribers in the quarter ending November 2010, bettering Apple’s iPhone for the first time. The major victim of Android’s ascendancy has actually been RIM’s BlackBerry, whose lead at the top contracted by 4.1 percentage points (nearly 11 percent less than the share it had in the previous quarter). Guess those Verizon iPhones and dual-core BBs had better start arriving pretty soon.

ComScore: Android jumps ahead of iOS in total US smartphone subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 10:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  ComScore  | Email this | Comments

Just kidding. In fact, Schiit Audio won’t be responsible if you do wind it to 11 and blow the ear tips right off of your favorite canalphones. The drop-dead sexy box that you’re peering at above is the Lyr, a hybrid (tube-MOSFET) headphone amplifier that claims to have zero feedback and more power than most headphones will ever have use for. This guy’s pumping out six solid watts into 32 ohms, while loads of rivals are dabbling in milliwatts. It’s relying on JJ ECC88 tubes for the input stage and touts less than 0.1 percent THD, and it’ll be produced in the US of A using components that were also primarily sourced from American suppliers. It’s expected to start shipping in March of 2011, but those already sold on it can commit $449 to a pre-order. And before you ask — yes, the company name is hilarious. Ha. Ha.

Continue reading Schiit Audio reveals gorgeous six-watt Lyr headphone amplifier, dares you to touch 11

Schiit Audio reveals gorgeous six-watt Lyr headphone amplifier, dares you to touch 11 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Schiit Audio (1), (2), (3)  | Email this | Comments