Turn your coins into digital music

April 25, 2006

Most of you have probably heard of Coinstar and seen the machines in your local supermarkets, but we'll start with a brief introduction for those who haven't. Basically, if you don't feel like rolling up all your loose change in paper wrappers and exchanging it down at the bank, you can take your coin jar to a Coinstar machine and just dump it in. Of course, Coinstar takes a cut for its troubles: 8.9 cents per dollar in the States. But a while back, the company introduced a gift-card option (I think Amazon.com was the first) that let you avoid the fee if you opted for the card instead of cash.

A couple of weeks ago, Coinstar introduced yet another incentive: turn your loose change into digital music. Participating music stores are iTunes and Virgin Digital, which is nice because that means you can take advantage of this service whether you have an Apple iPod or one of the many WMA players out there (or if you just prefer to listen to tunes on your computer). Better yet, chances are you have at least a few dollars of spare change floating around, meaning you can pick up some new music without even noticing a dent in your wallet. In fact, you may be able to get lots of new music, since apparently, the average American household has $99 in loose change sitting around. That converts to 99 songs or about 5 hours of music--not too shabby. Here are some other Fun Coin Facts from Coinstar:

• There is approximately $10.5 billion of unused change lying idle in the United States.
• Approximately 80 percent of U.S. households accumulate coins, of which roughly one-quarter do nothing with them.
• 64 percent of Americans still own a piggy bank and use it to collect change.
• The average household accumulates $5.50 in change each week.
• A 16-ounce jar (about the size of a mayonnaise jar), filled with an average mix of coins, contains an estimated value of $28.54. It is estimated that a 32-ounce container has $57.08; a half-gallon container holds $114.17; and a 1-gallon container holds $228.34. This is based on the size and an average coin mix (33 percent silver, 67 percent pennies).

Your iPod could save someone's life

April 21, 2006

We dig this: emergency medical advice accessible on your MP3 player. A UK ambulance service is offering via its website first aid advice in the MP3 format. The idea is that you download these helpful files onto your iPod or other MP3 player, then refer to the clear step by step instructions to administer first aid such as CPR.

Viliv P2 to be released in the States

April 20, 2006

The U.S. representative for the Viliv P1 recently paid a visit to the CNET offices to get an idea of what updates could be made to the P1 to improve upon the device. During his visit, he also briefed us on Yukyung Technologies' upcoming U.S. release: the Viliv P2. Overall, the P2 stands to be an improvement over the P1 for the U.S. market. Here's the breakdown:

• AMD 400MHz (Alchemy) processor
• Runs Windows CE 5
• 30GB/40GB or more of internal storage
• 4.3-inch, touch-sensitive, wide-screen LCD with QVGA resolution
• Supports H.264; DivX; MPEG-1, -2, -4; XviD; WMV 7 and 8 (320x240); and WMV 9 (720x480) video formats
• Set to support DRM-protected video
• Supports MP3, WMA, OGG, AC-3, WAV audio; WMA DRM9 playback expected, and Janus compatibility possible
• Audio-out and CVBS Video-out ports
• Optional GPS receiver
• Acts as a USB host

DMC's Messenger portable media player ships with audio Bible

April 18, 2006

Digital Mind Corporation, the company responsible for the 100GB Xclef, has announced the Messenger portable media player, the first player that we know of that caters to Christians. From the release:

"The DMC Messenger is also available with various versions of audio Bibles for Christian customers," Jim Collier added (Digital Mind's President and CEO). "By listening to the audio Bible on the DMC Messenger for half an hour per day, customers can listen to the entire Bible in less than five months."

Available in white or black, the 4GB Messenger plays MP3s and WMA DRM 10, includes a photo viewer, an FM tuner, and a voice recorder. Additionally, the Messenger is marketed as a podcast receiver, as it ships with Replay Radio software, which automatically updates the player with user-subscribed podcasts.

File under cool: Monome MIDI interface

April 17, 2006

I happen to love and appreciate music hardware (such as the JoMoX XBase09) and software (such as Ableton's Live), so I was immediately attracted to the Monome 40h MIDI control interface. Designed and produced by "a group of people creating versatile hardware interfaces that emphasize user adaptability," the Monome is a simple device with a grid of 8-by-8 buttons (green when activated) that can be programmed to trigger a variety of audio and video functions or scripts. I've seen my share of MIDI controllers, but this beautifully minimal object behaves in many nontraditional ways. Just check out the video. A 16-by-16 version is in the works.

You can check out the Monome and many other cool inventions in person at Maker Faire, which is happening this weekend in San Mateo, California.

iRiver announces E10 microdrive MP3 player

April 13, 2006

According to iRiver fan site MisticRiver, the company is set to release a new microdrive MP3 player, coined the E10. The E10 offers 6GB of storage, measures 3.8 by 1.7 by 0.6 inches, and weighs just 2.7 ounces. With four navigation buttons--and two smaller keys--resting beneath a 1.5-inch-diagonal LCD, the player looks vaguely like a remote with a screen. Perhaps this was on purpose, because apparently, the E10 can act like one, with its IR capability. Other features include photo and video playback, an FM tuner and voice recorder, and Flash game support. U.S. pricing will likely be between $199 and $249.

BenQ releases new Joybee line of MP3 players

April 12, 2006

After many months of relative silence on BenQ's MP3 player front, the company has launched a new line of Joybee players. The six new players--the E520, ET50, EG10, E105, N370, and P610--are all flash based, two will be available this month, and four are to be released in Q3. The E520 and ET50 both have built-in Bluetooth modules, while the N370 features a built-in USB plug and functions as a USB host for direct offloading of photos from digital cameras. The most interesting players appear to be the EG10, which is a PVP and gaming device with a design reminiscent of the first Nintendo controller (but with a color screen right in the middle), and the P610, which is an MP3 player and portable speaker set in one.

DLO releases HomeDock Deluxe for iPod

April 11, 2006

I've been waiting patiently for my HomeDock Deluxe ever since I got a glimpse of one at Macworld earlier this year. Apparently, my unit arrived at the CNET offices sometime today but hasn't quite made it into my hands. In the meantime, the folks over at iLounge have posted a pretty extensive preview of the device with many product images and screenshots. It's definitely worth a look. I will say this, though: Not that I own an iPod, but if I did, I wouldn't bite until the HomeDock Deluxe could at least display album art on the TV, if not offer onscreen video menu navigation as well. That said, the onscreen music menu navigation is a great feature sorely lacking in the competition and DLO's previous model.