Music

It's one of the perennial problems of the digital-music era. You buy a couple of songs from an album at 99 cents each and, after listening to them a few times, you think you might want the album.

Trouble is, you've either got to buy the other nine tracks individually or pay the full $9.99 for the album. Either way, you don't get any credit for the songs you've bought.

A source tells us that Apple Computer and the record labels are onto this. Supposedly, iTunes customers may soon be able to buy the album … Read more

So we're on this anti-small kick. Yeah, that's right. Small is not always better in our book, especially where our increasingly feeble eyesight is concerned.

Last week, for example, we kvetched about the 3- by 2-inch Cube Mini media player, which we're sure we would lose in a week. But at least it made good use of its cramped space, with a 2.4-inch screen that occupied most of its surface area. Then today, we spotted this TA 454 player that is truly Lilliputian in stature, which The Raw Feed describes as smaller than a car key remote. … Read more

Swimmers aren't the only ones who need head-mounted MP3 players. Terrestrial adventurers who also could use some audio inspiration can now turn to Shred Ready's Freestyle Audio helmet player with earflap speakers, which Red Ferret says would be ideal for "submerging, crashing, bashing and all things energetic." But for $200, we thought they could do a little better with the headgear's design, which looks like a cross between a London bobby helmet and standard issue for World War II paratroopers. Then again, that may be the appropriate fashion for playing tank paintball.

Having more than just a few gray hairs, we're still more comfortable with knobs and dials on our toys.

But if you're into all this new-fangled wireless stuff these days, you might want to check out the "Motion Speaker" from Question Mark Entertainment (even if it does look like an alien). You can work the controls with a wave of the hand that signals sensors to adjust the volume or change radio channel, according to Electronista. It also has a built-in ambient lighting system to set the mood that's appropriate for your music. Alcoholic beverages … Read more

I'm one of those wannabe Luddites who doesn't even own an iPod. I nearly scoff whenever I spy those telltale white strings dangling from ADHD-afflicted ears around town. Nor do I use any other MP3 player in public; the ambient sounds of belching engines and Super Mario Bros ring tones are street music to these ears. But if I did have an iPod Nano 1.0, I'd probably get one of these $15 recycled plastic Jimi cases. The U.S.-made, polypropylene and polycarbonate Jimis come in red, blue, clear, and orange flavors. You can keep … Read more

We've lost track of how many expensive pens and lighters we've misplaced over the years, which is why it probably wouldn't be wise for us to get this MP3 player.

At 3 inches long and 1 inch thick, the appropriately named P.Pod probably wouldn't last a day in our unreliable possession. The 256MB player's specs aren't the most impressive, but with its dimunitive stature we'd be surprised if it did half the things its manufacturer says it does. And for $27, it might be disposable enough for us to take a chance--if … Read more

Practically every other day we see a new article of clothing that can support the iPod. So why not actually make clothes out of the iPod itself? Apparently someone has finally made a reality out of that logical extreme.

Shiny Shiny happily reports that a company called PodDress is offering several types of iPod Nano patches that it claims are the "first and only embroidered cases" for the ubiquitous music player. The line ranges from "Classic" (black and white) to various neon colors and--of course--the "Swarovski Special Editon." Is there anything that Swarovski won'… Read more

Accessories producer ezGear has announced details of its initial lineup of accessories for the Zune. The Zune booty includes: the $40 ezView ZUNE Leather Case that features a built-in stand, credit card slots, a magnetic closure, and colors to match any of the Zunes; the $45 ezTrip ZUNE FM Transmitter; the $400 (!) ezVision Video iWear, a pair of A/V goggles that simulate a 50-inch screen; the $30 powerStick ZUNE, an add-on battery pack that increases overall Zune battery life 3-4 times; the $30 ezPower ZUNE wall charger (the Zune doesn't ship with one); and various gold-plated cables. This … Read more

Yes, it's almost that time of year again: No, not the holidays--we're talking CES. The biggest consumer electronics confab of the year is only two months away, and we're giving you an early look at what to expect in Las Vegas. Among the sneak peeks are a super-thin wearable virtual display, a new podcast microphone, speakers that disguise themselves as antiques and 3 Doors Down on the future of music.