Music

If you've got teenagers in your house, you've got loud music. Lots of it. But be aware, it could be worse: They could have a bed that plays music too.

The "Tune-In Bed" from PBteen essentially turns an entire headboard into a sound system with two 4-inch stereo speakers and a control panel for connections to an iPod or MP3 player. (Maybe there's a way for parents to hack the volume levels.)

This "biggest iPod dock in the world," as Red Ferret calls it, doesn't come cheap--it's $700. But that's … Read more

Sony unveiled new Muteki do-it-yourself DJ systems that will be available from SonyStyle.com and Sony retail stores.

Sony said in its press release that the Muteki is "perfect for getting any party started," but then particularly adds that it has created the Muteki with the "Latin culture" in mind. The Muteki systems also include a "festive companion for Hispanic fiestas like quinceaneras and Cinco de Mayo."

Why does Sony particularly point out that the Muteki is good for the "Latin culture?" What about all the sweet sixteen parties, block parties, barn … Read more

Years into the MP3 and podcasting revolution, it's interesting to note that some of the more interesting audio technologies of late involve radio.

Olympus Japan is the latest to play Marconi with its VJ-10 digital radio, which Newlaunches says has a computer-sized 37GB hard drive. The capacity is so large, in fact, that Olympus is marketing the device in Japan as a radio server that it says can record up to 2,500 hours of programming.

There's no satellite reception, though, which seems to make the $335 price a bit high for a AM-FM tuner. But at least … Read more

Fans of Sony products are often disappointed at the January Consumer Electronics Show to discover that the company doesn't have very much to say. Sure, there's a big Sony booth and a handful of token product announcements and press releases, but it's always small potatoes compared to the dozens of new items on display from competitors such as Samsung, Philips, and Panasonic. But that's entirely by design: rather than get lost in the CES maelstrom, Sony opts to launch its new line of products at its own Sony-only line show. We've got complete coverage of … Read more

Remember Bono's (RED) campaign, the charity project that launched the red iPod? (And eventually a torrent of other crimson gadgets.)

Given all the publicity, we assumed that the initiative would have brought in truckloads of money for its stated purpose of helping fight AIDS in Africa. But according to marketing firm PSFK, the charity reported raising only $11.3 million as of the end of December, "a tiny fraction of the $6.6 billion funds the Global Fund has committed to 460 programs in 136 countries."

The campaign is still less than five months old, so it'… Read more

The race for the ultimate all-in-once device is a marathon, and there's no guarantee that anyone will ever win. But in the latest leg--the incorporation of GPS technologies--is as hotly contested as it gets, especially between the smart phone and the media player.

The latter seems to have made a decent stride with the P360 from Prober, which combines GPS navigation with audio and video formats controlled on a 3.5-inch touchscreen. The handheld device has a remote that lets you zoom in on the screen and, just for kicks, it throws in an e-book reader as well.… Read more

As MP3 players continue to shrink into nanodom, it only makes sense that they should be designed as wearable objects or even fine jewelry. Repackaging is a longstanding marketing practice anyway, especially when technologies begin to enter the commodity phase of their life cycle.

The latest MP3 player from Siren won't be mistaken for anything at Tiffany's, but it is easily wearable at just under 1 ounce--a tad heavier than the newest Shuffle (if you can call any of these tiny things "heavy"). And as Ministry of Tech notes, the DAP100 does have twice the storage capacity … Read more

Just because a cable lights up, that doesn't necessarily mean it's smart. To wit, Evergreen Japan has developed one that "dances to the rhythm of the music you are listening to," Gearfuse says, but doesn't do much of anything else except maybe keep you from getting run over by a car at night. They also require a clunky battery box to provide power, diluting whatever cool factor they manage to muster--which probably isn't a huge loss.

The idea of a "smart cable" has always seemed weird to us. (Where do they keep their brains?) But that's essentially what SoundTech is promising with its "LightSnake" line, which lights up in glowing green when in use.

The company is touting these USB cables as simple tools for garage guitarists and other amateur musicians who don't want to mess around with complicated recording equipment. (Even its name sounds like a rock band.) Dubbed a "sound card in a cable," the LightSnake requires no drivers and will work with a variety of … Read more