Music

If nothing else, this musical instrument is worth mentioning because it's not one of those infernal USB guitars that are encouraging middle-aged men everywhere to make fools of themselves. Ion's "USB Electronic Wind Instrument" looks like a futuristic clarinet but does a lot more, offering "a range of woodwind, brass, string, synthesizer, percussion and other instruments straight from your computer."

Chip Chick notes that the instrument also comes with its own software and touch-sensitive buttons that can vary pitches and blends for truly original arrangements. That could be a good or a bad thing, … Read more

Gadgets that light up to musical rhythms are everywhere, but they're generally stationary. That's where the "Robotic Laser Ball" has them beat. This disco bot actually hits the dance floor on its own and "gyrates violently and flashes lights in time to your music," according to Red Ferret, for 50 seconds at a time. But keep an eye on it--the ball measures only about 4 inches in diameter, so it could get stepped on.

We're not terribly fond of gadgets that change colors just for the sake of doing so--some Cravers are downright indignant, in fact--but this one may be an exception. If nothing else, Aigo's "Omnisphere" deserves at least some credit for its sheer number of colors: 4,096 of them in "high-illumination LED," according to Gadget Candy.

Like so much raver chic gear we've seen, this one has a brightness control that can be set to the beat and volume of the music. Not only that, but it will play the songs from an iPod … Read more

Crave appreciates fine sportscars as much as anybody, but even we thought it a bit odd that Ferrari was making an audio system that some people planned to keep in their garages. (To lull their Enzos to sleep, we assume.)

The company has decided, thankfully, to make something for the living room too by partnering with Meridian to create its F80 entertainment system. Its features don't exactly blow the doors off competing products--the F80 can play DVDs, CDs, MP3 files and AM/FM radio with 80 watts of power--but Shiny Shiny says it does have a "sleek high-lacquer … Read more

How quickly things change. Barely a couple of months ago we were whining about the dearth of wireless audio systems on the market; now it seems as if our cup runneth over.

The latest to join the fray is a new home theater system from Acoustic Research, a subset of Audiovox, which promises "CD performance" in its sound. The wireless setup includes five "voice-matched" satellite speakers that the company says uses a special channel so it won't conflict with the frequencies of phones, computers, microwaves and other household devices, according to Electronic House.

All this … Read more

Is it some kind of sign that we're seeing portable gadgets for our portable gadgets? Probably, but we doubt it'll stop companies from finding ways to make and market them.

In this case, we actually think there's a justifiable use (sort of) for the Philips DCP850. It's a DVD player with a twist: It can also play video and audio directly from an iPod on its 8.5-inch screen, according to Technabob. What makes this idea even more appealing to us is its design, which includes a place where the media player can actually be popped … Read more

Makita is a name most associated with such things as power tools and table saws, not usually portable gadgets. But just to show that it's not all blue-collar, the Japanese company has developed a radio specifically designed for construction sites.

Think of it as kind of the Toughbook of radios. The MR100 has a lithium battery and weather-resistant casing to survive harsh conditions, from extreme cold to hot and humid climates, Akihabara News says.

If you want one of these just for personal use for some strange reason, be aware that this isn't meant to be carried around … Read more

ATRACLife revealed photos of Sony's NW-A800 series MP3 player not so long ago, but inquiries to my Sony reps garnered no official comments. However, I can now say with certainty that the NW-A800, a video-capable Walkman with an ample screen and Sony's typical sleek stylings, is indeed a reality. The player is now available for pre-order on the company's European Web site, which is listing four colors of the device: black, white, pink, and "violet" (looks blue to me). At first glance, it appeared that Sony was behind the times where flash memory is concerned: … Read more

A perfectionist company like Bose doesn't often admit to making mistakes, so it took me by surprise when I got an invitation to a Bose press conference in New York next week, where it appears that Bose will indeed do just that--or sort of anyway.

The product in question is Bose's Triport In-Ear headphones, which we didn't exactly give high marks here at CNET. The company trotted out its first in-ear headphones last year with ads boasting that it had solved the three problems (sound quality, comfort, and stability in the ear) that prevented it from making … Read more