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Jello Biafra likes short songs, but there's an undeniable pleasure in long songs. "Hey Jude" (7:11) was groundbreaking at the time, especially for a 45rpm single, but it's really a typical three-minute Beatles song with a four-minute outro. To me, the first true rock epic was Pink Floyd's 1971 opus "Echoes" (23:25). Unlike their 1970 record-breaker, "Atom Heart Mother" (23:44), which was four instrumental sections stitched together into a single track, "Echoes" was a real unified song with a traditional verse-chorus-verse structure--along with a really long … Read more

If retro is indeed the future, at least where design is concerned, then this item may be destined for immortality. The "Phonofone II" amplifier--excuse us, "sculptural audio console"--is a ceramic rendition of the gramophone done in iPod white, GeekSugar says. That's no coincidence, as it's been designed specifically for use with said media player (though we suspect it'll work with other MP3 devices as well).

What's even more unusual, however, is that it works by way of "passive amplification" through the player's earphones and therefore requires no external … Read more

If ever there was a sign that geekdom had gone mainsteam, it would be the marketing of portable hard drives as fashion and designer items. And until now our personal favorite, for obvious reasons, was one that resembles a pocket flask.

But there's a new contender coming from Prestigio, whose motto is "The Art of Hi-Tech." Not only is the "Data Safe II" bound in leather, as others have been, but it also resembles a retro-styled cigarette case. Uber-Review notes that its specs are far from the fastest for this device, which comes in 80GB … Read more

According to a post on Gizmodo last week, which came to them via a posting to DPReview's forums, which apparently may have originated at PhotographyBay, and has nothing to do with the fact that Ferris Bueller was seen passed out at 31 Flavors last night, Canon may be announcing a follow-up to the EOS 5D in April. I always find these rumors to be very silly, since it's really easy to come up with a wish list of what you want to see in the camera and then hide behind an anonymous source while your heart fills with … Read more

If this boombox-backpack concept ever makes it to production, the designer deserves to be shot. And if people actually wear them while cranked up full-blast, they probably will be.

Speakers built into messenger bags,, backpacks, and even bowling bags are nothing new, but usually they're designed with at least a modicum of human decency in mind. But the "Reppo II" backpack pulls out all the stops, with a pair of full-range speakers and an amplifier just to make sure everyone hears you whether they want to or not. Maybe those stun phones we mentioned earlier aren't … Read more

The mass-market audio business is scared to death of iPods. Sales of $500 speakers are shaky, A/V receivers aren't exactly flying off the shelves, and nobody's getting rich selling $59 DVD players. Prices of flat screen TVs are still falling, and so are the profits. Meanwhile overhead and other costs go up every year.

The mainstream business model is faltering, but the two channel, high-end market is holding its own, thank you very much. THE hot speaker at the moment is Magico's Mini II ($29,600 per pair including floorstands). I was more than a little … Read more

We won't venture to guess why spy bots are so popular on the consumer market, but there's just one question that continues to nag us: Is anybody really fooled by their appearance? It's one thing if they're pawned off as some sort of RC robot or toy, but the design of this latest entry pretty much broadcasts its intent.

The "Spy Snooper Robot Vehicle" from iiRobotics has what looks like a mini-satellite dish and antenna mounted atop a six-wheeled tank, ready to capture every word from the subject under surveillance. It does have a … Read more

The newest edition of the Samsung BlackJack officially will become available on that uber-shopping day, the day after Thanksgiving. Announced last month at CTIA, the Samsung BlackJack II for AT&T sports a revamped design that comes in two color schemes: black or burgundy. Improvements include a larger display and more shortcut buttons while a front jog wheel replaces the side-mounted scroll wheel. On the feature front, the BlackJack II offers everything we saw on its predecessor but adds integrated GPS and support for AT&T Video Share. Only the black version will go on sale this Friday, … Read more

Well, well, guess who decided to show its pretty little face at Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's keynote address this morning--mmm hmm, the Samsung BlackJack II. Today, Samsung and AT&T officially introduced the successor to the BlackJack, but it won't be available till "later this year"--you guys are such a tease! A majority of the changes are on the hardware side. You now get a slightly larger 2.4-inch QVGA display (previously 2.25 inches), the scroll wheel on the right side has also been removed in favor of a front jog wheel, and … Read more