MP3 Insider

Out with the old--Jasmine's Tech Dos & Don'ts

With the new year upon us, there are no doubt plenty of plans in place for changes both big and small. For precisely this reason, January's Tech Dos & Don'ts column will be focused on helping you through the necessary transitions--at least as far as technology is concerned. First up: out with the old, in with the new.

Certainly, both the holidays and the Consumer Electronics Show have inspired a lot of dough-dropping in the gadget space. Many of you probably have a new device or two lying around, which raises the question: what to do with the sad,

Digital disc spinning has skyrocketed in popularity over the past five years and it's no wonder why. Compared with a full vinyl setup with all the hardware and physical media that requires, an MP3-based mixing station is extremely simple and cheap. There's even free software to get you started, and one of the most popular programs available is Virtual DJ.

Read the full Virtual DJ review.

Musician-inspired headphones dominate CES 2011

LAS VEGAS--There's no denying it: the trend for headphones at CES 2011 was to have a musician's name attached to the product. Like it or not, the success of the Beats by Dr. Dre line from Monster has a lot to do with the current undercurrent in this market. Of course, one would hope that any earphones made in conjunction with a musical artist sound spectacular, and for many of those announced during this year's show, that remains to be seen. However, we can take a closer look at the exterior design featured by the models shown

LAS VEGAS--One of my happy surprises of 2010 was a Bluetooth speaker dock called Sound Platform from an upstart company called SoundFreaq. Stylish yet unique, with a premium sound, generous extras, and a down-to-earth price, the Sound Platform came out of nowhere to deliver a product few others can match.

So this year, in spite of being torn in a dozen different directions to cover tablets at CES, I made time to visit SoundFreaq to see what it's cooking.

For the company's sophomore product, SoundFreaq is going smaller, more portable, and more affordable. The SFQ-02 Sound Step is more

Fuse InTune earphones tune in to taste

LAS VEGAS--Anyone who has cycled through a variety of earbuds has probably noticed that the cheaper models tend to sound better for some genres than others, yet this fact is rarely proclaimed on the packaging. Electronics accessories maker Fonegear is changing that with its new InTune earphones, announced today at CES 2011.

The line consists of four models specially tuned for four different listening experiences: Pop/Easy Listening, Jazz/Classical, Rock/Blues/Country, and Rap/Hip Hop. Each set features a different driver that is designed to provide a specific sound. The hip-hop model offers deeper bass and the pop more

MEElectronics to offer a unique twist on earbuds

Of all the unexpected surprises lurking amid the pre-CES fervor flooding my inbox, this little gem from MEElectronics is perhaps the most interesting. The lesser-known earphone manufacturer garnered my attention over the past year with its inexpensive, decent-sounding, and--perhaps most importantly--tiny earbuds. Now, the company has blown my mind a bit with the launch of its SP51 "sound preference" in-ear headphones ($69.99 with inline remote; $59.99 without).

What's so intriguing about the SP51 earphones, which don't look all that exciting from the photo, is the inclusion of adjustable, removable rear plates. MEElectronic asserts that "

Have you ever caught yourself shopping for audio gear and thought, "What would Bob Marley listen to?"

Well, wonder no more.

Marley Ventures, heir to the Bob Marley brand, is set to unveil a line of Bob Marley-inspired products at CES 2011. The three products being teased on the company's The House of Marley site (not to be confused with House of Marley pug clothing) include a pair of in-ear headphones, circumaural headphones, and a swank iPod/iPhone speaker dock.

Putting aside the inherent tackiness of using a dead legend's name to sell audio gear (we've seen worse), more

Facebook: Not so music-friendly, actually

Although I was resistant to Facebook at first, staunchly clinging to MySpace until all but three of my friends ceased to use it (thereby making it all but pointless), there is one thing in particular that has kept Facebook in my favor since I made the switch. The social-networking service provides an excellent medium for sharing content, particularly quick bits of information via links posted to your Wall or that of a friend. The ability to display (or hide) photos is also quite handy.

But if there's one place Facebook has failed to excel, it's in the music

Travel with video--Jasmine's Tech Dos & Don'ts

Now that the holiday season ~~has us in its clutches~~ is well under way, it's the perfect time to bring my well-rested Dos & Don'ts column out of hibernation. And while I count myself among the lucky few who don't have to do much traveling to visit family, I know many of you have some lengthy treks ahead of you.

Whether the mode of transport is plane, train, or automobile, one of the best ways to counter the tedium and annoyances of travel is with some video entertainment. What follows are some tips on the best ways to

Headphones that make air travel bearable

The holiday season is a peak time for traveling, as many people gear up to take advantage of the kids' time off and visit family and friends. If you're traveling by air this year, a high-tech travel bag can help you ward off tedium and the annoyances that come with being contained on an airplane with dozens of strangers.

My main goal when flying is to drown out crying babies, obnoxious passengers, and droning engines, so the first thing that goes in my carry-on is an MP3 player--but it's not much good if I can't hear the more