player

Amazon launches Cloud Player app for iPad, iPad Mini

Amazon today launched its Cloud Player app for the Apple iPad and iPad Mini, expanding the online retail giant's footprint for its music streaming program.

The app allows customers to stream or download music stored in Amazon's cloud, play music already stored on the device, and manage or create playlists.

A quick check by CNET shows iPad users also can purchase songs from Amazon through the Safari Web browser like they can on iPhones and iPod Touches. In the past, iOS users were able to access Amazon's apps but weren't able to purchase items from Amazon. … Read more

Watch movies with Mac Blu-ray Player

If you have a Blu-ray player and don't want to or can't use a native Mac media player app, Mac Blu-ray Player can be used to view Blu-rays in addition to DVDs, but some may find the price tag for the full version too high.

The installation and setup of a free trial version of Mac Blu-ray Player for Mac went smoothly. The initial menus are intuitive and well-designed. The trial version will only function a limited number of times, however, before the user must buy the full version at $59.95. Technical support is available, and the … Read more

Apple's iWatch and the smartwatch trend

Wednesday's CNET Update is watching the wrist:

The buzz is building over the rumored Apple iWatch. Today's tech news roundup looks at the latest report on the team working on Apple's smartwatch and the growth of this new category.

Along with the wrist, Under Armour wants to be the gadget for your chest. Armour 39 is the company's new fitness monitor set to take on the Nike FuelBand, and it is a sensor worn around the chest during a workout. If you want to live-track your progress, you'll need an iPhone app or the special $… Read more

Vroom, vroom: Amazon Cloud Player now available in Ford cars

Amazon's Cloud Player is now available in Ford Sync AppLink-equipped cars, the Internet giant said today, giving drivers another option for accessing music while on the go.

Ford owners can wirelessly connect the Amazon MP3 app on their Android smartphones to the Sync connectivity system to access their entire music library using voice commands or audio controls.

"We want customers to be able enjoy their entire music library wherever they want, from whatever device they choose," said Steve Boom, vice president of digital music at Amazon. "And we know that cars and music go hand-in-hand."… Read more

Get a 2GB iPod Shuffle clone for $11.94 shipped

I've always had a soft spot for the iPod Shuffle. Tiny, simple, elegant, and able to clip just about anywhere on your person, it's arguably the best MP3 player ever for the gym, the treadmill, or the open road.

It's also $49. If you don't mind a knockoff, MidnightBox has an iPod Shuffle-like clip-on MP3 player (2GB) for $7.95, plus $3.99 for shipping. That deal is good today only, and while supplies last.

Details about this no-brand, no-name player are slim, to say the least. It's available in your choice of eight colors, … Read more

Manage your MP3 metadata and library with Zortam Mp3 Media Studio

Zortam Mp3 Media Studio is an all-in-one program for managing your MP3 collection, editing song tags, searching for and adding lyrics and cover art, and much more. It accesses and edits a lot more information about your MP3s, including ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags. It's freeware, but when you install it, you actually get the Pro version, which is shareware. If you don't buy the Pro version, it reverts to the standard program after a three-day trial period. But some of the Pro features we can live without or already have tools for, such as Normalization, CD Ripper, and … Read more

Get an Electrohome turntable-in-a-suitcase for $79.96 shipped

Have you heard? Vinyl is making a comeback. No, really -- a growing number of artists are releasing (or rereleasing) albums on honest-to-goodness LP platters.

So maybe you're into that, or maybe you've got a milk crate full of your old records and want to enjoy them again. Either way, this deal is groovy, man. (Groovy. Get it?!)

For a limited time, Shoptronics.com has the Electrohome Archer Turntable Stereo System for $79.96 shipped. That's after applying coupon code ELEBRIEF at checkout. Regular price: $99.99. (And I've seen it elsewhere for as much as $… Read more

Tweak your media with Zoom Player Free

There's a media player out there for just about everyone, from technophobic grandpas to people who edit various types of media for fun and profit. Zoom Player Free is definitely geared toward the more advanced users, given the depth of its features and its tendency to be a bit less-than-simple to use.

Once installed, Zoom Player Free greeted us with a long list of additional components to download. If you don't know what FFDShow, DirectVobSub, and FFMPEG Core Files are, you're likely going to be frustrated by the fact that you're being asked to make decisions … Read more

Firefox to block Silverlight and Java -- but not Flash

To improve security and cut crashes, Firefox will block plug-ins including Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Reader, Apple's QuickTime and Oracle's Java, Mozilla said.

Only the newest version of Adobe Systems' Flash Player will be run by default, said Michael Coates, Mozilla's director of security assurance, in a blog post yesterday.

Plug-ins extend a browser's ability to run software or handle different media and file formats, but that extra ability opens new avenues for attack. They've been a staple of Web development for years, but browser makers are working hard to reproduce their abilities directly with Web … Read more