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The real reason Dell might get back into MP3 players

Dell gave up on MP3 players in 2006, after three years of fighting the iPod juggernaut. Initially, Dell's players relied on Musicmatch software for library organization, content syncing, and online music purchases, although they synced with the Windows Media Player as well in case of problems with Musicmatch (which CNET reviewer John Frederick Moore encountered back in 2005 with the flash-based Dell DJ Ditty). The reviews were middling at best, and the players never got much above 3 percent market share.

According to a report in today's Wall Street Journal, Dell is considering re-entering the MP3 player market … Read more

Tonium Pacemaker review and photos

Announced back in May of 2007, we were beginning to wonder if the Tonium Pacemaker pocket DJ system would ever actually roll off the assembly line. Lo and behold, the fickle DJ gods have smiled, and the Tonium Pacemaker arrived on my desk just days ago.

Following their efforts creating the Pacemaker online mix community and their free Mac and PC DJ editing software, the folks at Tonium have done well to lay a solid foundation under their first product. At a cost of about $800, however, the Pacemaker is not for everyone.

To find out if it's right … Read more

Photos: Traktor Scratch with Audio 8 DJ

DJs are a funny bunch, mostly preferring to use clunky old vinyl to work their magic. But technology rarely takes no for an answer and Traktor Scratch is no exception, offering traditional DJs who can't be separated from their Technics decks access to massive digital music libraries.

Put simply, Traktor Scratch is a simplified version of Traktor DJ Studio, which enables you to mix music without any special hardware. What the Scratch system adds is a very high-end sound card that enables multiple audio inputs, via which you can connect either vinyl or CD decks.

What's the point … Read more

ThisIsMyJam offers intelligent mash-up creation

Most of us remember mix tapes as those carefully curated cassettes that collected our favorite music together into one 90-minute playlist. Ask a DJ about mix tapes, however, and you'll hear about a whole other side to the art, involving matched beats, seamless crossfades, and other nuances of literally mixing music together. If you're looking for an alternative to mix tape sites such as Muxtape and Mixwit, ThisIsMyJam offers people a way to create mix tapes that emphasize the science of blending songs together.

Based off of the Musical Brain API, ThisIsMyJam allows you to create interwoven music … Read more

My headphones are better than yours

Koss has a bad reputation for manufacturing terrible audio products, but it struck gold back in 1984 with one set of headphones, the PORTAPROS. They're still being produced with continued success after 23 years and are, in my opinion, the most underrated headphones on the market, and here's why:

Price: $35 with free shipping on Amazon. Maybe less on eBay. Sound quality: Best sound I've heard out of sub-$200 cans. Instead of telling you how awesome these are, I'll let these 249 people do the work for me:

CNET Review (Review on its way, but … Read more

Tonium launches Pacemaker online community

Tonium, makers of the as yet released Pacemakerportable DJ MP3 player, have unveiled their new online community DJ mix portal today, along with a free Mac/PC music editor.

The new site allows anyone to create DJ mixes of their own music collection using the Pacemaker music editor software, and then upload the mix to the Pacemaker online community, where the mix can be streamed by anyone. If the Legal section of the Pacemaker Web site is any indication, Tonium have taken great pains in making sure the music sharing service is airtight. Along with agreements Tonium has struck with … Read more

Cassettes Won't Listen, 'Paper Float': Free MP3 of the Day

Cassettes' indie-tronic sound features deft interplay between pianos, guitars, and synths--which is either more or less impressive when you find out it's all just one dude. Regardless, this is a distinctly modern thing, echoing in the freshness of its approach.

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Muscles, 'Ice Cream': Free MP3 of the Day

Water running down the drain backwards isn't necessarily a satanic omen, you could just be in the land of Muscles--the wacky Southern hemisphere where strange animals abound and gospel meets techno. Melbourne artist Muscles delights in fusing neo-soul-inspired techno with an eccentric taste for dance music.

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