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Buzz Out Loud 726: Dueling banjos at dawn (VIDEO)
guitar
Buzz Out Loud 726: Dueling banjos at dawn
Note: We are making a change to our podcast feed system on Monday, May 19. However, you do not need to subscribe to a new feed. One important thing to know: If you have your … Read more
Fender 'Amp Wallet' falls flat
With guitar mania still going full bore and showing no sign of abatement, it may be only a matter of time before this kind of fashion item comes into vogue.
This Fender "Stacked Amp Wallet" is a miniature replica of the soundstage equipment, right down to an "amp cord" that connects to a belt loop (or wherever), as Gearfuse observes. This might actually be something to consider if it had a built-in MP3 player, but unfortunately it's just a billfold with a little attitude.
Don't despair, however, because there are still plenty of other … Read more
Another air guitar gadget gets unplugged
Maybe it has something to do with the change in weather around this time of year, but the air guitar winds are blowing again in force.
Just yesterday the Guitar Hero "Air Guitar Rocker" went on sale, and now we learn of yet another virtual slashing device: The acoustic version of the "Air Guitar Pro," the truncated neck that resembles some form of ritual mutilation of stringed instruments. It's the cousin of the electric version we saw nearly a year ago by Japan's Takaratomy and works pretty much the same way, using infrared sensors … Read more
Guitar Hero's 'Air Guitar Rocker' hits the shelves
We have only one request of those who are wondering whether to get a Guitar Hero "Air Guitar Rocker": If you're a middle-aged man, don't.
It's one thing if you're Crave-meister Brian Tong, who sampled it at CES earlier this year, but it's not the same with an old guy trying desperately to relive his youth with air guitar. Jada Toys' device is finally on sale at Target, Wal-Mart, and other big retailers, offering a mini-amplifier, sensor-packed belt buckle, and an "Air Cartridge" with "ten signature guitar riffs" of … Read more
Reports of 'GTA IV' freezing-up problems
Uh-oh.
For all the champagne toasts that are no doubt going on over at Take-Two Interactive and its subsidiary Rockstar Games over the grand launch day of Grand Theft Auto IV, there's a bit of a dark cloud brewing.
According to a post on CNET News.com sister site GameSpot, there's a brouhaha afoot in GTA IV forums all over the Internet because of some players' complaints that the game is freezing up on them.
As GameSpot's Brendan Sinclair points out, it was only a month ago that another one of Rockstar's games, Bully had freezing-up … Read more
A guitar for mutants or very large insects
This guitar mania has gone far enough. Not only is it creating practically every accessory imaginable for Guitar Hero and Rock Band, but it's apparently encouraging all manner of offshoots as well, real or virtual.
This "Quadruple-Neck Guitar" may not owe its origins to the current craze, but the trend probably didn't hurt the demand for it on eBay. We just have one question: What human play this thing? Dvice says it requires "proficiency in the intricacies of playing a bluegrass band full of real instruments," not to mention extraordinary manual dexterity to negotiate … Read more
Your cell phone: More than a jukebox
Got a few minutes to kill? Sure, you could flip through your tunes, but when the same songs get old, and when you tire of your headphones winding from your ears like some extraterrestrial umbilical cord, check out the worlds of communication, learning, and game-playing applications to discover beyond the beats. Or, dare we say, while listening to them. Check out your burgeoning options for cell phone entertainment in the slide show.
Gibson's Robot Guitar--exposed!
SAN JOSE, Calif.--For the gathering of curious onlookers eager to see what a Sony OLED TV looks like on the inside, officials at the Embedded Systems Conference had some bad news: The airline (no, they didn't say which one) lost their stuff. Unfortunately, their stuff included that TV.
Instead, as a last-minute replacement, we got Gibson's Robot guitar, which was scheduled for the teardown treatment later this week. (See our earlier coverage of the Robot guitar here and video of it in action.)
David Carey, president of Protelligent, a company that specializes in taking apart electronics piece … Read more
Gibson's second robo-guitar gets pimped out
The idea of a robotic guitar that tunes itself seemed like an interesting concept when it came out last year but, much to our surprise, it generated more than a bit of controversy. That's not necessarily a bad thing for Gibson, which will probably reap the benefits of more publicity for the release of its second model.
In addition to the automated functions of the original, the SG version of the Gibson Robot Guitar is distinguishable by one blindingly obvious feature: It's purple. Not just any purple, but metallic.
Engadget says the SG will be more widely available … Read more
