mp3

It wasn't that long ago that mobile devices were pretty easy to distinguish from one another: A phone looked like a phone, a PDA looked like a PDA, etc. Today, everything could be anything, at least at first glance.

When we first saw this MP3 player from Germany-based Maxfield, for example, it could have been any number of gadgets or combinations thereof but--gasp--it just plays music. The "MAX-IVY" does display pictures on its 1.8-inch screen but has no video, camera or phone, according to Tech Digest. So why do we like it? Two reasons: It has … Read more

This whole wireless thing has had a good run, but it's getting old. The really hot networking trend of the future is the human body.

We've already seen how Korean researchers are turning flesh and bones into a "body area network." Now, New Scientist reports that Sony researchers can send audio signals from headphones or media players directly through the body of the listener, essentially using it as a living capacitator.

"A music or video player sends a fluctuating signal to a conductive cloth pad--such as a wrist band--and this slightly charges the wearer's … Read more

So you like your music. You really like your music. In fact, you might even listen to your MP3 player for a solid week, 24/7, without a break.

If you fall under this category--and you have our sympathies if you do--this may be the perfect the media player. Japan's Seagrand has a model that plays non-stop for 168 hours without recharging, according to Fareastgizmos. (That's a full week; you can put away the calculator.)

It also has a built-in microphone, FM radio and 1GB or 2GB of memory in a tiny package well under 1 by 2 … Read more

They say diversity is the spice of life, but a new music app claims you can add flavor to your listening routine by networking with those who have the exact same tastes as you.

A group called Emergent Music today launched Goombah, a community-driven, music discovery site and desktop application. Goombah offers its members "taste-targeted free music" through patent-pending technology that claims to analyze users' iTunes collections and listening behavior and connect them to people and music that "precisely match their taste."

It's not rocket science to conclude that people with similar music collections are … Read more

It's official: Nothing is sacred. Even though everyone and his dog seem to be making an MP3 player these days, we didn't think we'd see one from Crayola.

Its specs didn't exactly bowl over Engadget--"There's nothing all that remarkable about the MP3/WMA player from what we can tell: It's got a tiny screen, an SD card slot and is powered by a single AAA battery."

We'll take it a step further: Other than a blue LCD and some green accents, it barely has any color. Maybe we're … Read more

Looking for a new music player but tired of the same old same old? This one definitely doesn't look like your standard fare.

Soundwave has come up with an MP3 ball less than 2 inches in diameter, complete with a tiny display and 1GB memory (in pink, of course) for about $77. And if it doesn't work as billed, you can always hang it on the Chrismas tree next to your eyeball-shape Webcam.

Contrary to popular belief, tubes are alive and well in high technology--just not on the Internet(s).

A Japanese company called Rockridgessound is using them in a new vacuum tube stereo system, which has a built-in docking station for the iPod and presumably other MP3 players. The VTS-384, as it is affectionately known, uses three high-quality EL84 vacuum tubes for a "warm and clear" sound, according to Fareastgizmos. It also goes for more than $600--proving that retro doesn't necessarily mean cheap.

Bose seems to have a monopoly on noise-cancellation headphones for first- and business-class travelers, but JVC is trying to bring a little sophistication to its new headphones for those of us traveling in coach. The affordably priced ($60 list) HA-NC80 headphones, expected to be available soon, feature something called "dual-mode, noise-canceling circuitry" for environment-specific situations.

According to JVC's press release, a "wide" mode targets a wider frequency range and cancels the type of noise typically found in a commercial jet cabin. Meanwhile, the "low" mode cancels a slightly narrower and lower frequency range, … Read more

If we didn't know better (and we don't), we might think that Ferrari was actually trying to overexpose itself. It may not be long before the company comes out with its own fragrance line.

It's one thing to do a laptop and even a nav device that could be mistaken for an Etch-A-Sketch, but the latest instance of branded mania isn't even something you could use on the road.

"Art.Engine" is a $20,000 audio system that bears the Ferrari nameplate across its base. The device looks like an individual tower speaker but … Read more