The two giants of satellite radio have announced a love match: XM and Sirius will combine in a deal worth around $13 million. Neither company is buying the other; rather it's "a merger of equals" where the final breakdown of stockholders will be roughly half from each company. XM chairman Gary Parsons will retain that post for the new company while Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin will take the chief executive position.
But are consumers the real winners here? The deal still faces regulatory hurdles, including a FCC that has previously stated its opposition to such a consolidation. Given, however, that satellite radio is positioned against media such as conventional radio, HD radio, Internet radio, and of course, MP3 players and CDs, and that both companies have had significant trouble posting profits, the FCC may change its tune.
My father is an XM subscriber, and while I can't say that he'll be chomping at the bit to get access to Howard Stern, the broadened lineup of sports programming will certainly appeal to him. No closing date for the merger has been announced yet.
It's been a while since I went swimming with my iPod. Man, they say "Don't steal music" but they don't tell you can't use it while floating in the pool. Sheesh. Actually, I might have been all right if only I'd swapped out my usual headphones with Aquapac's 100% waterproof model.
These in-ear style 'phones are submersible to 10 meters (roughly 33 feet), though you may want to heed this warning:
Important: Not for use in water below depths of 3m/10ft, where some medical research has suggested that increased pressures, combined with strong sound waves can cause hearing damage with prolonged use.So, in other words, if you drop your Aquapacs all the way to the bottom of the lake, they'll be okay. Just don't be listening to them while your SCUBA diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
You will, of course, also need a waterproof case for your audio gear too. But don't worry, Aquapac will naturally sell you one, since you asked so nicely. The headphones will run you just $40; the headphones supposed have "great sound," but I'm pretty sure anything sounds great under 10 feet of water.
[via Oh Gizmo!]
I'm not really a musician, despite five years of piano lessons, but there's something about a bag full of wires and adapters that gets my heart racing. I think I might be able to assemble something like this Musician's Emergency Adapter Kit out of stuff I have lying around, so I'm not sure it's worth $65, but if you are a professional music-maker, perhaps the peace of mind alone will justify the cost.
The kit contains adapters for just about any connectors you might run across, from your standard RCA plugs to minijacks to XLR. There's also a three plug power adapter, an LED light, and a snazzy red drawstring bag. Just think what MacGyver could do with this thing—and I'm talking the bag alone, not even with the crazy connectors. He could probably build a jetski.
If it's not too much to ask, I'd like one of these suckers for tech support or AV connectors. How about it?
[via Red Ferret Journal]
Looking for a Wi-Fi-enabled MP3 player that actually makes use of its wireless functionality? I'll give you a hint: it doesn't rhyme with Daniel Boone. But it might just be this wee G14, by the Spanish firm Blu:sens.
The G14 features 1GB or 2GB of storage for $232 and $258, which may seem like it's on the pricey side, but it's the Wi-Fi functionality that'll turn heads. Unlike the Microsoft Loon, the G14 can sync wirelessly with your computer, and transfer songs and playlists to other users.
It'll play your MP3s, your WMA files, JPEG photos, and MP4 video on its 2" color screen, features Bluetooth A2DP functionality (two wireless technologies in one device? Awesome), and claims 20 hour battery time, though I wonder how the wireless use cuts into that. Unfortunately, no news yet on if this will ever drop in the US; methinks the RIAA might have something to say whine about that.
[via SCI FI Tech]
Before Christmas, a friend of mine asked for some advice on software and hardware for ripping old LPs to MP3s; something that she could give her dad as a present. I recommended a mainly software solution, but a couple of companies have gone a more comprehensive route by providing turntables that connect directly to your computer. The New York Times has a comparison of Ion's iTTUSB (pictured; $199) and Audio-Technica’s LP2Da ($179-$199).
There are good and bad in both. The Ion, for example, is PC and Mac-compatible, though that seems to largely be because it currently relies on open source program Audacity for its recording. It also uses USB versus the LP2Da's analog line-input method. I don't see any reason why you couldn't use the LP2Da with a Mac, as it's just passing sound through a minijack; it's just the included software that's PC-specific (and Parallels or Boot Camp users are likely to be able to take advantage of even that). Both turntables also require a degree of assembly, and you'll need to clean your LPs of dust either way.
How about the results? The author and a friend couldn't tell the difference between .WAV files burned on CD and the original LP played through the same stereo system, but true audiophiles will probably pooh-pooh the idea that they sound anything alike.
Light and sound: who doesn't love light and sound? Without them we'd be living in a dark, silent world, not unlike those old movies from the '20s (back when the world was in black and white). Bringing the two of them together is the province of Mitek's Soundolier product line.
The Soundolier consists of a transmitter and a speaker that's designed to look like a lamp. The reasoning behind it is both aesthetic and practical. They started out trying to figure out a good way of doing the rear speakers in a surround sound situation without having to string pesky wires, or have unsightly speakers sitting out in the open. Soundolier was the answer. The Duo model looks like a tall floor lamp; you can't even tell it's a speaker unless you get up close and peruse the controls on the side. They've designed the lamp to be tall enough so that even lanky fellows (like yours truly) won't be blinded by the lights.
Each lamp has controls for volume, specifying a wireless channel (with four possibilities), whether the speaker should provide the right or left channel (or a mix of both), as well as having both input and output jacks.
The most surreal portion of my demo of the Soundolier was when the guy showing me segued seamlessly from showing off the 360° audio capabilities to demonstrating the new foot dimmer they added. The Duo is available on its own for $279, or with a transmitter for $379. They've also added a subwoofer that's flat so it can fit between your sofa and the wall, or underneath the sofa; it also runs $279. The products will start shipping at the beginning of Q2.
If the Zune proved one thing, it's that people want Wi-Fi in their music players more then I want Bill Gates to parachute out of the sky and give me a million dollars. Among its line of new Sansa music players, SanDisk unveiled the Sansa Connect Wireless Internet MP3 Player (hey, that's catchy). The Sansa also appears to finally fill in some of the gaps that the Zune had in its use of wireless.
The Sansa Connect allows you to view your photos and listen to your music from anywhere you can get on a Wi-Fi hotspot—provided that you have a subscription service. In addition, when you get online, you can purchase content from "select service sites"; it claims to have "an open (non-proprietary) digital rights management system that will allow users to purchase songs or access subscription download services from specific premium internet sites," though there is also mention of PlaysForSure. The Sansa also stresses "community" by allowing you to recommend music and photos to others (a footnote mentions that it may require "subscription to access content"), but it doesn't sound as though it actually allows you to swap song or photo files as the Zune (sort of) does.
The 4GB Sansa, which also accepts microSD cards for expansion, will run for $249. The subscription service may require you to provide your soul. Maybe.
My friend's parents just expanded the deck at their place in Vermont, and while we were up there for the holidays, we started talking about whether or not they ought to wire the outside for sound. We eventually concurred that at least running wires might be a good idea, just in case they wanted to put sound in their eventually.
They aren't alone in this difficulty: wiring after the fact can be a pain in the neck, whether it's for power, sound, or networking, which explains the move to wireless. While wireless networking has truly become pervasive, wireless sound hasn't yet caught on.
Avega Systems hopes to change that with their Aios wireless audio platform. Avega's an OEM company—they make the technology for other companies to license and brand. What makes Aios different from other players in the space (Sonos, for example) is that Avega is leveraging the existing 802.11 technology used in wireless networks to transmit their sound. It's actually similar to Apple's AirPort Express, though, as one of the guys explained, hopefully without all the problems. Of course, the iTV device may throw a wrench in those plans, but I'm interested to see what they come up with: the lads from Avega were charming and enthusiastic, and their collection of skills is an impressive read.
