celestial

The final frontier is yours to explore on your iPad

Wonders of the Universe -- based on the BBC series of the same name from HarperCollins -- is an elegant and visually gorgeous app that lets you explore our known universe on your iPad. The app comes with more than 2.5 hours of HD video, dazzling 3D graphics of everything from subatomic particles to galaxies, and tons of information to read as you explore, and it offers an excellent use of the iPad's touch-screen interface to browse all the content.

We got a sneak peak at the app, but Wonders of the Universe will not be available until tomorrow in the iTunes App Store. HarperCollins says the app will be at the discounted price of $6.99 initially, but will go up to $9.99 sometime after the launch.

The app starts you off by explaining the touch-screen interface and how to navigate through all of the content.… Read more

Your iPhone as a window to the night sky

SkyView lets you use your iPhone camera view to create an augmented-reality view of the sky complete with constellations, planets, and satellites. Simply launch the app and point your iPhone camera skyward to see constellations and other celestial bodies where they are in real time. You also can touch planets, stars, and constellations to get more info and history at the bottom of the screen.

While you can spend plenty of time simply pointing in different directions and viewing celestial bodies, SkyView offers a few more handy features for finding what you want. You can use the search tool to … Read more

Music biz expert Passman: Subscriptions can save us

If you work in the music business, you probably already know the name Donald Passman. For the uninitiated, his book "All You Need to Know About the Music Business," which was first released in 1991 and comes out in a seventh edition today, is the book on how the music industry works. If you ever wanted to know how major and indie label deals are structured, the different types of royalties that musicians can earn and how they're calculated, what a personal manager does for a band, how much money artists make on tour, where your ticket … Read more

Useful astronomy tool

AstroViewer provides users with a map to the skies over their home. This versatile tool provides a better view of celestial bodies through a simple layout that users of all skill levels will appreciate.

We got right down to business, thanks to an interface that provides a large, easy-to-read map of the sky. Its command icons provided all the direction we needed, which was fortunate because there is no Help file. We chose our city from a comprehensive list of choices and entered the time and date to get a recreation of the sky outside our home. The results were … Read more

Meuzer finds free music online

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

Zune's Wi-Fi finally becomes useful!

Update and correction: based on information I received from Microsoft, I mistakenly credited the wrong blog with breaking this news--it was actually first posted by Zunerama. Microsoft has since put out a press release confirming many of the details, including the specific radio metadata formats that are supported by the "Buy from FM" feature.

I'd been briefed on the upcoming Zune update and was supposed to hold my fire until next week, but somebody at Fry's Electronics posted details online, and the bloggers at fan site Zunerama passed them along to the public, although the site … Read more

Gadgettes 92: The Summer Weekend Entertainment Extravaganza Episode

Summer happens but once a year. Enjoy it. Here...we'll get you started on your path to summer fulfillment. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 92

A TV phone that Spongebob would appreciate http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9954140-1.html

Take to the seas, it’s barbecue time! http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9954596-1.html

Baja BBQ http://www.core77.com/blog/events/baja_bbq_9953.asp

Always be ready for battle with a squirt-gun coffee table http://dvice.com/archives/2008/05/always_be_ready.php

Dutch claim world’s first solar speedboat http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9951260-1.html

The Dough-nu-matic: Homer Simpson … Read more

Balkanization would kill major-label subscription services

Sony BMG and Warner are both reported to be considering subscription-based music services.

Earlier this week, the AP quoted Sony BMG CEO Rolf Schmidt-Holtz discussing a subscription-based service that would offer unlimited downloads of all songs in the Sony BMG catalog for 6 to 8 euro. The downloads would be transferrable to all portable devices, including Apple's iPod. DRM would presumably play a part, so that content would be disabled on a device if you stopped paying the subscription.

Warner is taking a different approach, proposing that consumers be charged a monthly fee by their ISP--maybe five bucks--for the … Read more

Hands on with the Ibiza Rhapsody

A few select reviewers got an early hand on the Ibiza Rhapsody player from Haier, but CES was my first chance and I walked away quite impressed, and wondering again why Microsoft hadn't done this much--or more--with the 2nd generation Zune player.

The devices are not exactly objects of art--the 30GB player, available now from Amazon.com for $288, is a simple metallic block, and the forthcoming 4GB and 8GB players look like smaller versions of the same design--but the screen is adequately bright and clear, and the company is offering a wide array of downloadable skins and themes … Read more