beats

VCs to Demo: Funding tough but not impossible

PALM DESERT, Calif.--On the day that the Dow sank below 7,000 for the first time since 1997, a panel of venture capitalists told attendees at Demo 2009 what most people already know. This is an extremely challenging environment for raising money.

But challenging doesn't mean impossible. There are still some opportunities for both entrepreneurs and investors.

The panel, which was moderated by Matt Marshall of VentureBeat consisted of Christine Herron of First Round Capital, David Hornik of August Capital, Bryce T. Roberts of O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, and Eric Tilenius of Tilenius Investments.

Tilenius said that "… Read more

More popular games coming to a browser near you

Several announcements today further cemented the fact that the Web browser is the new game console.

"Quake Live" will enter public beta on February 24, offering players a stripped-down version of the full game. (Side note: interesting use of social-media tools Twitter and Facebook to promote the launch.)

Square Enix announced a deal to offer some of its games on Steam's Valve platform.The first Square Enix game to be available to Steam users will be the Unreal Engine 3-powered role-playing game, "The Last Remnant." It will release on Steam on April 9, days after … Read more

Spin with the Samsung Beat DJ

With so may cell phones on the planet, it's hard to find a model with a design that stands out from the crowd. Yet, Samsung manages to do just that with its new Beat DJ. I caught up with it at the GSMA World Congress in Barcelona.

With rounded edges and a bright blue trim, the Beat DJ offers a striking design that feels comfortable in the hand. As a touch-screen phone, the only physical controls on the front face are Talk and End controls and a back button. Over on the right side you'll find a memory … Read more

Samsung officially launches Ultra Touch, Omnia HD, Beat DJ phones

It turns out the blogosphere was correct. At its GSMA World Congress press conference on Monday, Samsung took the wraps off the Ultra Touch, the Omnia HD, the Beat DJ, and the Beat Disc. The four phones offer touch displays with a big multimedia focus. Check out the slide show for full specs and glamour shots and another peek at the Samsung Touch Blue.

American Idol shows how to extend brand with Habbo virtual world alliance

As reported earlier on Webware, FremantleMedia, co-producer of American Idol, announced it has teamed up with Habbo to create an Idol-branded community within the Habbo virtual world.

Habbo claims 11.5 million unique users on a worldwide basis and more than 121 million characters have been created. VentureBeat reports "about 90 percent of its users are 13 to 18. They spend an average of 45 minutes on the site per visit."American Idol and its show sponsors will post their signs and merchandise throughout the Habbo environment. They will hold events on stages and use spaces that resemble … Read more

Android Netbooks: Fact or fiction?

A couple of freelance writers for the blog VentureBeat say they have ported Google's Android operating system to an Asus Eee PC. But does this constitute a new trend in Netbooks?

Matthäus Krzykowski and Daniel Hartmann said in a post Thursday that they compiled, in four hours, the open-source Android operating system for an Asus Eee PC 1000H Netbook. The two run a start-up called Mobile-facts.

In somewhat breathless prose here's what the authors conclude about Android on Netbooks: "For (a) myriad of (Silicon Valley) software companies, it means a well-backed, open operating system that … Read more

MP3 Insider 128: 2008 gives up the ghost

In the final MP3 Insider of 2008, Donald and Jasmine discuss Dr. Dre's super stylish in-ear headphones, a way-too-pricey iPod dock from DLO, some touch-screen alternatives to the iPod Touch, and a gaggle of gear for the Creative Zen family.

Plus, find out how to follow Jasmine and Donald while they cruise around CES 2009.

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

Make your own beats

iDrum lets you choose from several preset beats or you can make your own using an intuitive interface. While you could dive right in and make your own, it's very useful to play a preset beat and watch how drum sounds show up in the unique interface. Beats are broken down into measures and you can zoom in to insert sounds at your chosen intervals. You can then create several measures and use the touch screen to copy and move them around to your specs. You also have the ability to adjust the volume using sliders for each sound. … Read more

DigiDrummer Lite

DigiDrummer Lite is a free, simple drum simulator that lets you play eight different drums in a reasonably spaced, four-by-two grid using your touch screen. As with most musical instrument-emulator apps, the sound (using actual drum samples) is considerably better while using headphones or external speakers with subtle, fairly high-quality audio--although iPhone headphones are probably up to this free app's most likely use: namely, killing time and/or entertaining kids. More serious musicians should also check out the paid version of DigiDrummer and other similar apps, to get access to different drum sets, the ability to record, and more. … Read more

Beat My Price crowd sources price comparisons

Stateless Systems, the creators of BugMeNot, PDFMeNot, and RetailMeNot have a new site called Beat My Price that helps you find the lowest price for online goods. You simply plug in the link to something you want to buy, and it will compare that to prices it, and other users have found.

All the while, the system takes advantage of companion site RetailMeNot. This lets you see if you can save even more with the use of online coupons. These coupons don't change a product's total price listing, but you can quickly eyeball ones that might save you … Read more