Yamaha's digital lounge act
Updated player piano streams tunes from the Net.
No wonder all that talk about an Internet toaster never went anywhere--it should have been a piano instead.
While rival Steinway may be going for the whole sound system, Yamaha is sticking to the instrument itself as the centerpiece of its latest digital music endeavor. An updated version of the player piano, the "Disklavier" can stream music live so you can pretend you're Herbie Hancock playing Carnegie Hall, much to the chagrin of guests and family at holiday gatherings. And if you can't find the right accompaniment on the DisklavierRadio system--or don't want to pay the $19.95 monthly subscription--you can always buy the right tune at its sister store online, according to Technabob.
But if you still insist on playing your music on a toaster, there are ways to do that too. Either alternative is better than falling into the Dark Side.