Beats

BackBeat Titanium 326 earphones reviewed

Altec Lansing is a long-standing competitor in the iPod speaker market, so it makes sense that the company now produces a variety of headphones, as well.

For $40, the Altec Lansing BackBeat Titanium 326 headphones offer an excellent value and make a great replacement for the stock earbuds that came with your MP3 player. They're more comfortable; feature a durable, cloth-covered cable; and offer impressive sound quality. There's not much more we can ask for from a set of earphones.

Read the BackBeat Titanium 326 earphone review.

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week brings us a retro-themed rhythm game on WiiWare and an Olympic-style competition simulator from 1985. WiiWare BIT.TRIP BEAT (Aksys Games, 600 Wii points): Retro-themed rhythm gaming at its finest! Use your Wii remote to control the beat alone or with up to four players total. The 8-bit soundtrack is sure to please gamers of all ages. Virtual Console Summer Games II (1985, Commodore 64, 500 Wii points): 1985's Summer Games II puts you up against thousands of athletes from around the world. Compete in various events including cycling, equestrian, fencing, high jump, javelin, kayaking, rowing, and … Read more

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