| MP3 Insider |
MP3 Insider is a blog and weekly podcast created by CNET's MP3 technology experts, Donald Bell and Jasmine France. Each week, Jasmine and Donald discuss the latest digital music (and video) news, hardware, software, and media services, and address reader calls and e-mail. Send us e-mail at mp3insider@cnet.com or call us at 1-800-720-CNET (2638).
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- Ludacris gets down with Monster (and me) at CES 2009Yesterday
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(Credit: CBS Interactive/Sarah Tew)Excuse me a moment while I brush the stars out of my eyes. I just spent the better part of my lunch hour chilling with a bunch of Monster executives and rapper Ludacris, who creates some of my favorite workout-friendly and anger-releasing tracks. OK, so maybe I only spent 5 minutes one-on-one with the guy, but it was enough to ascertain that he's not only a talented artist, but also an exceedingly nice and polite guy. He also has no idea what an MP3 player is. Well, now he does. But when I asked him what MP3 player he used, he replied with something along the lines of "a what, now?" I proceeded to explain that it was a portable device, something that you might take with you to the gym to listen to music. He held up the iPod in his hand and said, "like this?" Exactly. He also has an iPhone.
With this information in hand, I was pretty sure I already knew the answer to my next question, but I pressed on to ask him what headphones he used, the just-announced Monster Turbine In-Ear Speakers hanging from his ears as I spoke. He wasn't sure, exactly, but he could say that the Turbines were much better, due to the "suction thing" on the tips. So you have it from Ludacris himself--sound isolati
- Photos: Audio gems from Macworld 2009January 6
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Blue Microphone's Mikey iPod accessory was a surprise find at Macworld 2009.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)The Macworld show floor can induce deja vu for habitual attendees. From a hardware perspective, often it's the same vendors offering the same products, with slight variations from year to year. Despite the gloomy economic outlook, however, I found a surprising amount of new products on the show floor (or, at least new to me). Here are the highlights.
- Pacemaker 2.0 brings beats to the massesJanuary 6
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The folks behind the Tonium Pacemaker, a DJ-focused MP3 player that made its debut in the middle of 2008, are gearing up to release a new version of the device in 2009.
The second-generation Pacemaker DJ MP3 player will help tempo-challenged DJs keep the beat.
(Credit: CBS Interactive/Corinne Schulze)The new version of the Pacemaker announced today doesn't replace last year's model, but instead offers amateur DJs a light version of the full-blown product, loaded with a smaller hard drive (60GB instead of 120GB), a simpler user interface, and automatic tempo matching.
Physically, the new, consumer-focused version looks exactly the same as the $800 professional model. You get the same 1.75-inch color LCD, multigesture trackpad control, playback control buttons, and a touch strip crossfader. The rest of the specs, however, are a mystery (we'll try to pry more out of these Swedes at CES).
Tonium claims that the real difference between the professional Pacemaker and the new entry-level version will be apparent in the overhauled and simplified graphic user interface. Users will also feel the difference in their wallets, with the new version of the Pacemaker pri
- Gifting digital downloads--Ask the EditorsDecember 22 2008
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CNET is about to close its doors for the rest of 2008, but I couldn't take off on my extra-long, well-deserved holiday break without leaving you with one last tidbit of wisdom for the season of giving. Namely, what's a procrastinator to do when he or she wants to give the gift of digital downloads at the last minute? A couple of options for you below.
(Credit: Amazon)Q: I, as most people, am trying to find the last gifts on my list before Christmas. Instead of sending people CDs or movies in the mail, however, I wanted to send them digital CDs or movies to make sure they get there on time and save shipping. Do you guys know of any good places that would allow me to do this?--Jereme, via e-mail
A: This is a great idea for last-minute gifting; in fact, I may have to steal it from you. Doing a little research, I found that two online stores stood out in making the purchase of digital gift certificates a simple task: Amazon.com and iTunes (warning: link launches the iTunes app). Both services offer a wide selection of both audio and video content, though you may want to note that Amazon's
- Accessorize the SanDisk Sansa familyDecember 22 2008
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'Tis the season to give, but with the current economic crunch affecting all of our pocketbooks, you may find yourself too cash-strapped to go all out on electronic gadgetry. But that doesn't mean you have to shy away from tech gifting. MP3 player accessories make great gifts and the majority of them aren't going to cost you an arm and a leg. In fact, you can find some cases on Amazon for less than two bucks!
If you have a SanDisk Sansa owner in your family, you've come to the right place. We've rounded up a slew of accouterments that are perfect for stuffing stockings and loading up under trees.