Music

Microsoft's chief on Zune vs. iPod

For all its hype, Microsoft's Zune obviously faces a daunting challenge against the wildfire popularity of the iPod. So what magic arrow does Microsoft have in its quiver? The closest thing might lie in the wireless realm, as indicated by CEO Steve Ballmer in a video interview with CNET News.com. Ballmer suggested that a wireless network connecting all Microsoft media properties to Zune--such as its Xbox and Media Center, as well as phones and other products--could go a long way toward helping the device catch up.

When remotes rule the world

Maybe we're crazy for asking this this, but does anyone really need a remote for a portable music device? That seems about as necessary as a separate handset for a mobile phone.

Apparently somebody thinks it's a good idea, such as the people at Advanced Technetix who are marketing their "Visual Remote" with a backlit screen that controls your iPod "without removing it from your bag or pocket," according to Krunker.com. We're going to wait for the remote for this remote.

(Photo: Krunker.com)

V-Moda tarts up your ears

V-Moda gets it. Not only does the company produce high-quality earphones, but it also makes them look good. We must digress: We're surprised at the uninspired designs of most earphones on the market--after all, unlike most tech products, they're worn on the head.

V-Moda had already introduced some impressive styles, but Popgadget points out that a new line has just come out with even more head-turning colors: metallic pink, blue, silver and polished alloy silver. As soon as we find the right one to match our comb-over, we'll be hitting the clubs.

(Photo: V-Moda)

Egg-shaped speakers, part deux

Is round the new square? That seems to be the case where digital speakers are concerned. Just a few hours ago, we posted an item on an egg-shaped speaker. Now we find this speaker product on Aving.net, which looks like an iEgg cracked open. Samsin Innoctec apparently debuted this pair of wireless speakers at the Korean Electronics Show this week. The battery-powered Bluetooth speakers can run for eight hours.

Cowon: iPod? What's an iPod?

We love Korea-based Cowon and its multitude of feature-packed and great-sounding MP3 players. We also admire its "who cares about the iPod anyway" attitude. Probably the biggest complaint about Cowon digital audio players today--outside of tricky interfaces, mostly due to all those features--is that most of their flash-based players currently max out at 2GB.

Well, we've just heard from the dudes over at Cowon America, and they'll be bringing 4GB versions of the iAudio F2, the iAudio U3, and the iAudio T2 in November. Eight gigs would be nice, but four gigs seems to be today'… Read more

iEgg breaks out of its shell

We love the look of this digital speaker, but its makers seemed to have gotten their marketing calendars mixed up. It would have made a lot more sense for Axxen to roll this out (literally) right before Easter, not Halloween.

The i-Egg, which can be hooked up to an MP3 player or a computer with its USB port and SD slot, actually houses two speakers that can also be detached. We tried getting more information from Axxen's Web site, but its JavaScript-crazed applications almost gave us an epileptic fit.

Still, as food-shaped music devices go, it makes a lot … Read more

MP3 player does the backstroke

Call us old-fashioned, but we still cringe at the idea of taking anything electric into the water. But then again, we won't swim until an hour after eating either.

So we might be willing to take a chance on the Hydra, a water-resistant MP3 player scheduled to go on sale next month (pictured at top). The USB player, which includes a multicolored LCD display and FM radio tuner, is designed to work with both Windows and Mac operating systems and comes in 1GB and 2GB sizes for $40 and $60. No matter what your opinion on the necessity or … Read more

Please silence your messenger bags

Yes, we know. We're tired of iPod accessories too. But this one cries out for attention--literally.

A new G-Tech messenger bag has a built-in speaker for external sound, as well as the requisite sewn-in controls sported by so many other iPod couture items, according to Gizmag. Depending on where you stand on the ubiquitous music device, this is either good or bad. We're agnostic toward the iPod itself, but we're certainly not wild about the bag's noise potential. (It also comes in a generic MP3 version, which we assume would be just as irritating.) Sound Guy, … Read more

Archos 504: 160 raw gigs in your pocket

On Wednesday, Archos makes official the availability of its 504 series of PVPs, which actually have been available for days.

The 504, which sports the same gorgeous 4.3-inch wide-screen display as the sleek 604, blends excellent video playback performance with gigantic drive capacities--including the monster 160GB version (enough for, say, about 50 Amazon Unbox movies and room for a few thousand songs).

The 504's 2.5-inch laptop drive explains the unit's thickness (the similarly designed 604 is waifish in comparison but maxes out at 30GB); like the 604 it has a removable battery but lacks a built-in … Read more