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Browser and jukebox freeware mashup Songbird brings onstage four new features to help manage songs, communicate better with iTunes, customize volume, and expose more information from Last.fm.

Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Songbird 1.2's biggest new feature is the ability to automatically organize files across multiple folders according to each track's metadata. This can be especially useful both if your music is scattered across disparate folders, as well as forcing naming conventions on inconsistent files.

There's also the ability to introduce iTunes library tracks and playlists into Songbird, and export tracks from Songbird to … Read more

What's not to love about the online radio site Pandora? There's simply no better way to hear great music with a minimum of fuss; just type in a song or artist that fits your mood, and Pandora creates a stream of music just for you.

Unfortunately, Pandora's emphasis on simplicity can be a turn-off for those who crave more sophisticated features. But just like the mythical box from which it's named, there's more to Pandora than meets the eye. By digging deeper into menus and settings, Pandora power users can finesse some pretty cool tricks … Read more

The jukebox in the sky is a reality. When I started this blog two years ago, it was all but impossible to open a Web browser, type a song name, and have that song start playing immediately. Now, it's commonplace.

I still like the simple approach of Grooveshark--the other night, my brother and I set up a running DJ battle on it to reminisce and introduce each other to new tunes--but Meuzer is an interesting alternative. Search on a song or artist name, and Meuzer pulls results from YouTube--very similar to the Muziic app I looked at earlier … Read more

We all like to share songs with friends, and we all have songs that share meaning with loved ones. Perhaps that's why there are so many music social networks out there. These sites combine both, and make music exploration and enjoyment something that you're not doing on your own.

From the well-known to the obscure, I've been exploring a variety of music social networks that you'll definitely want to check out:

Buzznet is a great way to connect with other music lovers. You can write status updates and view an activity feed that shows what your friends are listening to. You can also tell all your friends what your "song of the moment" is and post it to a profile that can be completely redesigned and themed using built-in tools.

Buzznet has some songs from major artists, but I would have liked to see more tracks. That said, the site makes up for it with music videos from YouTube. That adds a bit more value, as long as the recording quality is good..

Flotones isn't the best looking site in this roundup, but it does a nice job of connecting indie artists with fans. You can choose to sign up as either a fan or an artist. If you're an artist, you can upload music, post to a blog, give out your contact information to schedule gigs, and more. As a fan, you can find artists, follow their updates, and review their music. You can also send them private messages. Not all musicians put their music on the site, but quite a few do.… Read more

While Sony didn't necessarily dazzle us with unannounced exclusive titles, the company definitely cemented the console's beefy lineup with a handful of live demos. Kicking it right off was gameplay footage of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, expected this holiday season. What some call the "male Tomb Raider," Uncharted 2 was quite possibly the best-looking game of the conference.

Next up was MAG, a game teased at last year's E3 promising 256 online players at once. We were treated to a live demo that accomplished the feat featuring players from all over the world. MAG is expect this fall.

Sony Computer Entertainment of America President and CEO Jack Tretton then briefly mentioned Rockstar Games' Agent, claiming the title could only be possible on a PlayStation 3. Unfortunately no footage or release date was given. Two developers from Ubisoft then showed off Assassin's Creed 2, though the game will not be a PS3 exclusive. It will be available this holiday season.

While we all knew Final Fantasy XIII was coming to both Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles in 2010, we had no idea that Final Fantasy XIV was in development, let alone an exclusive PS3 title. A trailer for the game noted the next chapter in the story would take players online as well.

Sticking with the theme of "play, create, share," Modnation Racers will allow users to customize racetracks, cars, and racers very much in the vein of LittleBigPlanet. Gamers can also design their very own tracks to share and play with other PS3 owners--a demo that made us immediately think of Sim City.… Read more

Microsoft may change the name of the Kumo to Bing, which makes us wonder what the past tense of Bing would be. Bong. Also Last.FM is under attack from TechCrunch, and Eucalyptus is welcomed back into the App Store with open arms...and open searches.

EPISODE 982 Nokia Ovi launch http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1317441 http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE54P1A320090526?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10249116-94.html http://blog.ovi.com/2009/05/26/update-on-ovi-store-opening/… Read more

After trudging past endless rows of RVs, and waiting in a series of long lines, the Last.fm team got into the Stagecoach country festival relatively unscathed. And despite the 50,000 fans (most of whom claim beer as their drug of choice), it was a pretty respectable scene, actually. The highlights of yesterday where The Infamous Stringdusters, Reverend Horton Heat, Earl Scruggs and Darius Rucker.

You may know the latter for his work with (or as) Hootie and the Blowfish, however these days he's all about country music. He rocked the "Mane Stage" with festival-friendly songs … Read more

Ron Richards from iFanboy joins us as we finish today's show with a discussion of "geek" vs. "nerd" and decide "dork" is the next wave. We also talk about a cow that poops money, also known as Jonathan Coulton's business model. And we get mad at AT&T.

AT&T working with RIAA http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10203799-93.html

How it works for a real musician http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2009/03/24/payday/

John Mellencamp: Back In The Good Old Days… … Read more