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WowWee Paper Jamz - easy play guitars and drums for budding rockstars
By Jeff Salton
17:42 February 7, 2010 PST
Most times when budding rockstars pick up a guitar and start to play for the first time, it sounds like they’re stepping on a cat – well, to everyone else in the room, anyway. If you are the parent of one of these musicians you might want to introduce them to Paper Jamz, an affordable and innovative play instrument that provides an instant rock star experience and open-ended play, say its makers, WowWee Toys. The one-inch thick stringless guitars (slightly thicker drums) are touch-sensitive, which means you only have to the strum or tap the special circuit-embedded paper on the surface to get a professional sound. Rock on! Read More
Nuvo's Ritmo is an advanced sound system for the next iPod generation
By Jude Garvey
14:02 January 30, 2010 PST
The Ritmo is a unique pregnancy belt that allows you and your baby to listen to music at the same time. While experts may disagree on when a fetus first hears sounds, they tend to agree that listening to music is beneficial for both mother and child. Music is not only soothing, some experts believe that it is facilitates development of some early behaviors and could play a part in future musical ability and intellectual development. Read More
Eigenharp: the 21st Century one-man-band
By Jude Garvey
16:05 January 26, 2010 PST
The bizarre looking Eigenharp is what you get when you roll a guitar, saxophone, keyboard and a drum kit into one, and it's capable of delivering an almost limitless supply of musical sounds. The unique design of the keys, breath pipe and pedal inputs allows a musician to easily change scale or key, alter tempo, switch and layer multiple sounds and play and record loops – all during a live performance. Will this instrument revolutionize the electronic music scene? Read More
The age of the Misa Digital Guitar has dawned
By Paul Ridden
12:29 January 22, 2010 PST
A software engineer based in Sydney, Australia has created a digital guitar controlled by open source software which he hopes will see musicians play electronic music in a live environment. Players control the pitch, speed and volume of notes produced by the Misa Digital Guitar via a 24 'fret' neck and touchscreen interface. Read More
Harmonix launch Rock Band Network beta, allowing indie bands to publish paid downloadable content
By Tim Hanlon
17:36 January 20, 2010 PST
Harmonix has opened beta registrations for the Rock Band Network, a service that allows independent labels and bands to publish songs as paid downloadable content for Rock Band and Rock Band 2. For now, it's Xbox 360 only, with plans to launch on PS3 eventually. Bands can "suggest" a price point of either US$1, $2 or $3, and take home a 30% revenue share. Read More
Total guitar tuning with PolyTune
By Paul Ridden
17:48 January 19, 2010 PST
Denmark's audio manufacturer TC Electronic launched a new tuning pedal at this year's National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) trade show in California. Guitarists needing to do a quick tuning tweak will be now able to strum all six strings at once and the Polytune will advise if any are in need of some attention. Read More
Ultimate Ears six driver per ear monitors
By Paul Ridden
02:19 January 19, 2010 PST
Logitech's in-ear monitor maker, Ultimate Ears, has announced the forthcoming release of a new member of its professional audio family - the UE 18 Pro six high fidelity speakers per bud, noise canceling monitors. Aimed at professional musicians or dedicated quality-at-any-cost music lovers, the earphones on steroids are claimed to give the user crystal clear sounds across the whole frequency range. Read More
Dexim iPod Nano 5G Power Case
By Paul Ridden
14:23 January 16, 2010 PST
China's consumer electronics manufacturer Dexim has announced the release of a multi-functional power case to complement the new iPod Nano 5G. Coming with a powerful flashlight to help shoot video in low light conditions, a built-in speaker for desktop listening and an antenna for improved FM radio reception, the DVA004 will also gives extended play courtesy of its lithium battery pack. Read More
Kia teams with Microsoft to develop the UVO voice controlled in-car infotainment system
By Mick Webb
21:55 January 13, 2010 PST
In addition to its recent 7-year / 150,000km warranty announcement, Kia has created further interest with the showing of its UVO in-car voice and touch activated communication and entertainment system. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft, the system offers users an easy to use interactive hands-free alternative that uses speech recognition for making and taking calls, sending text messages and managing in-car music. Featuring a 4.3” full color touchscreen display and built-in 1GB storage with the ability to rip CD’s and MP3’s onto the system’s “Jukebox”, the open platform UVO system also doubles as a rear view camera when the vehicle is in reverse. Read More
Orbitsound T12 soundbar and T3 personal speaker hit the sweet spot
By Mick Webb
12:53 January 12, 2010 PST
UK company Orbitsound chose CES 2010 to showcase several of its speaker units that make use of its airSOUND technology, the T12 soundbar and T3 personal mobile speaker. The T12 dock features six front speakers, two side speakers and a subwoofer that create a permanent “sweet spot” no matter where the listener is in the room, while the T3 can be hung around the listener’s neck, also creating quality spatial stereo sound. Read More
EverTune bridge keeps your guitar in tune
By Gizmag Team
23:08 January 7, 2010 PST
Want your guitar to stay in tune, but can't afford a Gibson Robot Les Paul? EverTune has a product in the works that will help. It won't help you switch tunings, or tune the guitar for you like Gibson's effort, but once you've tuned a guitar with an EverTune bridge, it apparently stays tuned forever. Read More
The Gibson Dusk Tiger: Robot guitar technology moves to v2.0
By Loz Blain
21:11 January 4, 2010 PST
Gibson is pushing forward in its quest to build the most technologically advanced guitars on the planet, undeterred by many guitarists' disdain for its Robot Guitar technology and recent design choices. The New Dusk Tiger is an evolution of the Dark Fire, and it maintains and expands upon the Dark Fire's ability to tune itself in seconds and produce a huge range of tones. While it's a fully analogue instrument, the Dusk Tiger can be plugged into a PC to change tone, EQ and tuning settings to provide a range of customisation and gig setup options that simply dwarf the capabilities of any guitar that's come before it. Pity, then, that behind that glowing Master Control Knob it's packing a face only a mother could love! Read More
Ubiquitous Drum Pants puts a drum kit in your jeans
By Darren Quick
21:12 December 15, 2009 PST
Everyone at one time or another has cranked out a beat by slapping their hands on their thighs. One person who obviously feels the rhythm deep in his soul is software designer Boris Smus, who has taken thigh slapping high-tech with his Ubiquitous Drum Pant DIY project that turns an ordinary pair of jeans into a drum kit. Read More
scoreLight musical instrument turns drawings into sound
17:37 December 9, 2009 PST
Scientists at the University of Tokyo have found a curious way to translate drawings and three-dimensional shapes into music. The prototype laser-based musical instrument known as scoreLight uses 3D tracking technology to generate real-time sounds based on the shapes and colors it encounters along the way, transforming doodling into a truly synthesized experience. Read More
Mintpass Cube concept brings analog back to digital music
By Paul Ridden
15:57 December 9, 2009 PST
For the last 18 months or so, the collection of design concepts featured on the website of Korean portable media player maker Mintpass has been steadily growing in number. The company says it will continue to push the idea envelope until a "concept is developed into a hot product that sweeps the market." With its retro styling, analog displays and tactile control interface - will the Mintcube concept be the next big thing? Read More
Soap MP3 player makes cycling good, clean fun
By Jeff Salton
21:11 December 1, 2009 PST
For cycling enthusiasts, this MP3 player from Korean manufacturers, Soap, is one of the most versatile we’ve seen. It weighs just 30g, has 2GB of memory, clips into a Soap beanie (with built-in headphones) for personal listening or via ear-buds under a helmet. It even attaches to a Soap bike headlight/speaker box for sharing your tunes (even though it’s directed at the rider). At only 1cm wide and 5cm in diameter, it doesn’t take up much space either. Read More
Sound, light, water all merge in Spica loudspeaker
By Paul Ridden
15:29 December 1, 2009 PST
Spica is the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo and also the inspiration for this visual loudspeaker lamp system where sound vibrations force illuminated liquid within a transparent tube to dance to the music and makes the spectrum analyzer on my hi-fi appear somewhat dull by comparison. Read More
Olive delivers high-def hi-fi with the O4HD
By Jeff Salton
20:23 November 26, 2009 PST
Olive, renowned maker of audiophile products including the Opus 4, has served up another addition to its impressive line of music servers with the Olive 4 HD, which the company says can play back your music at 250 times the resolution of CDs! Read More
Dancepants - keep running or the music stops
By Jude Garvey
22:58 November 23, 2009 PST
When did running get so complicated? Remember the good old days when going for a run was as easy as changing shoes and heading out the front door? Now, there’s a plethora of running gear and gadgets - ranging from heart rate monitors to state-of-the-art running shoes. It seems that not many runners leave home without their MP3 players either, but would they be prepared to work hard for their music? The Dancepants kinetic music player is a new design concept that would see runners harnessing their kinetic energy to power their music player. Yep, you’ve got to keep moving to keep grooving. Read More
Bowers & Wilkins deliciously gorgeous MM-1 computer speakers
By Paul Ridden
13:27 November 19, 2009 PST
The makers of the award-winning Zeppelin ipod dock will shortly release some true hi-fi quality computer speakers which break away from reliance on the output capabilities of a system soundcard and connect via high speed USB instead. Boasting a frequency range of -6dB at 57Hz and 22kHz, outputting audio at 4 times 18W and incorporating music studio technology, the fully active MM-1 system could be just what audiophile deskbound digital music junkies have been waiting for. Read More
The Vega touchscreen tablet from ICD
By Paul Ridden
14:21 November 17, 2009 PST
Innovative Converged Devices (ICD) has unveiled its new Vega 15 inch touchscreen tablet, an Android-powered communication and media device that features wireless 802.11b/g, Bluetooth and 3G connectivity, a Tegra combined application and graphics processor from NVIDIA, an ambient light sensor and accelerometer. Read More
Rihanna kitchen scales with in-built iPod dock
By Paul Ridden
14:45 November 16, 2009 PST
Kitchen scales are essential for making sure your culinary delights turn out as expected. ADE-Germany has included another ingredient in the soon-to-be-released Rihanna model which is squarely aimed at those who like to listen to music while they rattle about in the kitchen. Currently in the prototype phase, the Rihanna kitchen scale is claimed to be the world's first to feature an iPod docking station. A recipe for success or iPod overkill? Read More
Learn to play harmonica in a Flash
By Paul Ridden
15:00 November 6, 2009 PST
A music teacher from Riverside Illinois has come up with a Flash drive design that's more novel than novelty. Possibly one of the most portable instrument around - the harmonica - and the most portable digital storage solution have been merged into one to produce the FlashHarp. Read More
Google rolls out new music search
By Paul Ridden
16:12 November 3, 2009 PST
Google latest innovation has taken the power of its search engine and our insatiable lust for music and combined the two. Those lucky enough to live Stateside can now enter an artist, song title or lyric into Google's normal search window and the first results offered will link to audio previews, information and details of how to buy. Read More
DJ Hero review
By Tim Hanlon
01:38 October 29, 2009 PDT
It's safe to say that Activision has never been an innovator in the music game genre. It bought its way in by purchasing Red Octane, and the rights to the Guitar Hero franchise along with it. Harmonix, the original developer of Guitar Hero, went on to create Rock Band, which Activision subsequently cloned with Guitar Hero World Tour. So just how successful could DJ Hero be with nothing to base it off? According to a surprised Tim Hanlon, very. Read More
dariusvons
- February 10, 2010 @ 00:56 UTC
