music

Crave generally tries to resist as-yet unreleased products from companies that like to tease but don't always deliver, like Switzerland's Zenum. But we're only human: The design of its "Organum" MP3 player is so sleek and clean that we had to give in.

It supposedly has a 1.8-inch screen and can hold 2GB of songs, as well as display photos. Somewhat resembling LG's Chocolate with its familiar glossy black finish, the player is slated to hit the market by year's end. As Engadget notes, however, Zenum is already months late with its … Read more

As though timed to coincide with the much-anticipated release of indie rock powerhouse The Arcade Fire's album release this week (it's a must-listen, by the way), Monday night's monthly NY Tech Meetup at Cooper Union featured a trio of Gotham-based start-ups devoted to spreading the buzz about independent music. One's a marketplace; one's an ongoing competition; and one's a way to discover what the people who are discovering new music are discovering (in other words, an aggregator).

The first of the three is Amie Street, which we have previously written up on Webware. Amie … Read more

Apparently no gadget is safe from mad scientists who want combine all manner of functions into a single device. The latest target of Dr. Frankenstein wannabes is the lowly USB drive.

The prosaically christened "5-In-1 128 Camera Memory Stick" from Aggeggi takes photos, records video, stores music, provides Webcam feeds and holds 128MB of data in its USB flash drive. (It also looks about as exciting as its name.)

As Ministry of Tech says, none of the $195 device's features is very impressive on its own, but it does deserve some credit for combining so many things … Read more

We're not terribly fond of gadgets that change colors just for the sake of doing so--some Cravers are downright indignant, in fact--but this one may be an exception. If nothing else, Aigo's "Omnisphere" deserves at least some credit for its sheer number of colors: 4,096 of them in "high-illumination LED," according to Gadget Candy.

Like so much raver chic gear we've seen, this one has a brightness control that can be set to the beat and volume of the music. Not only that, but it will play the songs from an iPod … Read more

eSnips, the social networking and content-hosting service, is quintupling the storage on users accounts to 5GB. The company is also adding new music-sharing features that let users create embeddable music widgets and playlists for use on eSnips user pages, blogs, Web sites, and social networking sites like MySpace. The service ties into the eSnips marketplace, which lets you buy and sell user-generated content like photos and music.

We covered eSnips last year and noted its similarity to social bookmarking site Del.icio.us mixed with content hosting like you'd find on social networking sites. Since then, eSnips claims to … Read more

Way back before Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies, some people touted electrical power lines as the next big thing for digital transmissions. But even though it was feasible, few companies marketed products that used the technology.

Despite this unknown potential, Pioneer Japan has gone ahead and released its "Music Tap" series of power-line products for the Japanese market, according to Newlaunches. The line doesn't include an actual media player but provides the equipment necessary to turn an iPod into a sound system connected by electrical outlets.

We applaud the effort, but it may be too late … Read more

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

Bridging the gap between podcasting and music discovery is SpotDJ, a Web service and iTunes plug-in (download SpotDJ for Windows or Mac) that lets listeners record audio clips, or "spots," about their favorite songs or musical artists.

The site has the grassroots appeal of letting amateur DJs like Greg expound upon the libertarianism of Oingo Boingo while also providing inside information from artists themselves, from The Donnas to Taylor Hicks. I recently was lucky enough to be given a tour of the service by CEO and co-founder Kevin Barenblat.

Essentially, SpotDJ analyzes your iTunes or iPod playlists and … 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