Children downloading mp3’s – the era of the digital content natives.

According to the NPD Group kids as young as 2 are downloading digital media into their mobile phones and other mobile digital devices. Roughly 15% of 2-5 year olds use mobiles and 62% of 11 to 14 year olds also use digital devices.

The report named Kids and Digital Content proves that children are becoming more tech savvy and comfortable with the digital medium.
"Without a doubt, kids are digital content natives, seamlessly navigating between........

Kids downloading MP3's - entire article

Apple Employee Spills the Beans on Working With Steve Jobs.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work at Apple? All those innovative products like the iPod, iPhone, Apple TV and the rest.

Here is a very interesting account of working within the Apple companies structure by David Sobetta.

Read the entire article here

Wireless headphones are on the way

According to this article, it seems that wirelss headphones will soon be an everyday part of the digital revolution!

Giving people the ability to listen to their mp3 player with wireless headphones AND getting CD Quality sound is something that many many people including myself have been waiting for with baited breath.

Kleer's patented Kleer Audio LP(tm) technology has been picked up by RCA and seems to offer more in quailty than other offering like bluetooth.

• Lossless transmission of 16-bit, 44.1KHz-sampled stereo audio to deliver full CD-quality audio.
• Lossless transmission also enables the 'beaming' of music or other data files from one player to another.- 10 times the battery life of a comparable Bluetooth solution. This enables OEMs to integrate wireless technology into portable audio players without suffering a large penalty in battery life. And OEMs can introduce new small form factor products such as wireless earphones knowing that small batteries will still give them acceptable battery life.
• Best-in-class ISM band co-existence by dynamically selecting one out of 16 narrowband channels, each of which can fit in the gaps between wireless LAN channels, and ensuring that only unoccupied channels are selected.
• Kleer's Listen InTM technology that enables users to share the listening experience by having multiple wireless earphones, headphones or speakers listening simultaneously to the same audio source.

iLoad - load songs directely into your iPod

Now here is a nifty little device for people with an Apple iPod, but don't have a computer, MacBook or laptop.

iLoad is a device that loads your cd's right into your iPod without the need for a computer. iLoad will load your songs straight to your iPod in roughly about 8 mins thanks to it's bit rate of 128k. iLoad will also store and transfer all your songs ID3 information. These details are stored in an inbuilt database that also has the details of about 1.8 million other songs (although you will need to connect it to the net for periodic updates)

This product is designed for people with large music collections that don't want to manage their music collection with iTunes. Retailing for around the $300 mark, this device will come in very handy for the right user.

Listen to Your iPod in the Shower

JC Penny a large scale retailer today listed listed a handy little shower device for your ipod or MP3 Player. Essentially the idea is that once you don this splashproof conainer in your shower you can add an ipod or any other type of MP3 player to it and you can rock out in the shower to your favourite tunes. (you may even want to stick on some Barry White and invite your girlfriend in!)

This systems comes with an AM/FM radio, a rope to hang from your shower fixture and a clock that runs on four AA batteries.

If you're like me and like to keep an eye on the time when having a shower (either to save water or make sure you're not late for work) this handy little item will be a proud addition to your bathroom.

The story of Apple

If you have ever wondered how Apple started and how they have come to create such wonderful pieces of electronic equipment like the Macintosh and the Apple iPod, then check out this article

Giving a complete rundown from the point Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started the company back in 1976 up to their 40million iPod sales since the MP3 Players inception in 2001.

Apple is a remarkable story and if you have a spare 10mins this article is well worth the read.

iPod’s in Space.

If you look very very closely at this picture, you can see a 5th generation iPod docked in a charger.


It’s not enough to have world-wide domination of the MP3 Player market, they need to get their product into outerspace aswell.

Right on Apple. Give Microsoft a run for their money!!

BenQ dog tag MP3 player goes a little too far with World Trade Centre imagery on its advertising.

BenQ will recently be bringing out a new ‘dog-tag’ style MP3 player called the MusiQ. A great looking little player that comes in 512MB and 1GB file size, coming with a built in microSD card.

Two different types are available for boys and girls and some reports say that for a limited time BenQ are giving away limited edition gift set with carry cases and arm braclets with the players that are due for release on Dec 15th.

One very interesting point that seems to be making it’s way around the blogsphere is that BenQ are using images of the crumbled World Trade Centre to push it’s products. In my opinion, this is incredibly tacky and in very very poor taste. Surely the marketing department at BenQ could have come up with something better than that?

Ipod phone or iphone on the horizon?

From all accounts it looks as though Apple is bringing out an iphone. There has been a lot of buzz around the net of late about Apple’s foray into the mobile phone / mp# player combination, however a new patent application filed by Apple very strongly suggests that an iphone is on the way.

The patent describes “a portable computing device capable of wireless communications, comprising: an enclosure that surrounds and protects the internal operational components of the portable gadget, the enclosure including a structural wall formed from a ceramic material that permits wireless communication”.

The patent was filed back in Aug but was made public by the US Patent and Trademark Office on Friday.

Technology Magazine Red Herring reported that Apple has contracted a firm located in Taiwan to make over 12 million units of this new device but this has not been confirmed or denied by Apple.

Keep your eyes out early next year as this is the rumored release date of Apple’s latest gadget.

If you liked the Samsung YP-K5, check out the Samsung YP-K3

Scheduled to make a debut at CES in Janurary, Samsung are tempting us with the delivery of a new MP3 player. Slimmer than the Samsung YP-K5, the YP-K3 seems to be a lot slicker and thinner than the last iteration of the model. One interesting rumor is that this new version of the player isn’t going to have the tell tale in-built speaker that made the YP-K5 so different.

All in all it looks like a very cool gadget set to hit the marketplace next year for all you technology heads.

Crayola launches kid friendly MP3 Player

Crayola, the company we know and love responsible for many many kid-friendly edible/non-toxic products has decided to delve into the MP3 player market.

Announcing the Crayola mp3 player. Now you and I both know that most kids aren’t going to be doing online shopping looking for digital cameras, online coupons and MP3 players, so why would Crayola bring out an MP3 Player.

My thought is that my kids love music, and I know loads of other kids that do. The idea of giving my child a MP3 player that they can use and share is of great value to me as a frazzled parent on a long road trip.

The Crayola MP3 Player has large buttons to help little fingers navigate through songs etc, and also has two headphone jacks so they can share with a brother/sister or friend.

With the ever growing popularity of podcasting and audiobooks there is bound to be a plethora of kid related stuff floating around the net these days and it looks like Crayola want to cash in on this.

Podcasting getting bigger and bigger

According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, it seems that the amount of podcasts and people listening to them have increased dramatically in the past few years.

"We are at a crossroads of a major transition in the way media content is delivered," said Mary Madden, a senior research analyst who worked on the Pew survey.

Using Podcast Alley as an example, the number of podcasts now available on their site has grown from fewer than 1000 podcasts in November 2004 to over 25,000 today.

Part of this huge growth is the release of Apple’s iTunes software, which brings podcasts to the masses without the need for a high level of technical skill.

It seems that roughly 12% of the population now listens to some form of podcasting, meaning there is room for growth as this medium starts to eek its way into the mainstream.

iPod in the air – in-flight displayed stream your iPod video content

Apple has teamed up with a range of different airlines to offer in-flight docking systems for iPods on international flights. For any of you who have traveled overseas on long flight, you know who frustrating it is when your MP3 Player runs out of batteries and are forced to watch the crappy in-flight movies.

The iPod docks will be set in the arm rest of seats on airliners of Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United airlines, offering passangers an opportunity to charge their iPods while 10,000 feet above sea level.

Another very handy feature is that video content from your iPod can be streamed onto seat-back displays meaning you can watch all your favourite movies straight from your iPod video.

Virtual reality iPod

How’s this for cool. A pair of glasses that generate a virtual 44’ screen viewed at around 9 feet in front of your face that connects to your iPod Video.

These virtual display glasses also come with built in headphones giving you a surround sound home theatre entertainment experience without thousands of dollars of high tech equipment and pesky cables and wires.


Coming with 16 million colours and 23 degree filed of view, these little beauties let you watch any movie in style from you 30gb video ipod on the train, bus or even in the pool if you so wish.

Go to the official website

Water resistant MP3 player

Have you ever wanted to listen to your favourite tunes while out surfing, on your boogie board or dancing in the rain? Well now you can thanks to the Ultrasound water resistant MP3 player.

Called the Hydra, this player comes in a variety of storage capacity and colours. Ranging from 1GB to 2GB and coming in black, yellow, or orange, the Hydra mp3 player is the perfect gift for those outdoor types who just can’t live without their music.

Playing MP3 and WMA files, this player uses USB 2.0 to transfer files. A handy FM tuner and built in voice recorder means you will never lose that great idea or your mate betting you $20 you can’t listen to your digital audio player in the shower!

Go to ultraproducts website

Samsung YP-K5 MP3 player review

If the idea of lugging round mp3 player speakers doesn’t appeal to you, then this great little MP3 player from Samsung, the Samsung YP-K5, might just be the thing you are looking for. There are many MP3 player accessories on the market today, including speaker systems and other home theatre systems, but what if you want something a little more portable?

Click here to read the entire Samsung YP-K5 MP3 player review

Apple going overboard with legal battles over the word pod

Apple have been sending out cease and desist letters willy nilly to companies using the term pod in the marketing or products. Take Podcastready for example, Apple states that the term ‘mypodder, used by Podcastready causes confusion with their products.

Isn’t it about time big businesses woke up and looked at the bigger picture. This is like the case of lucasfilm trying to get star wars fan sites taken down because they infringe copyright!!

Don’t these companies realise that most of the time these types of sites tend to bolster their products or services and if they try to attack the little guys, this can lead to a PR nightmare for them?

What do you think?

Touch Screen iPod – is it closer than we think?

According to this report, a touch screen iPod may be on the market quicker than we think!

According to an insider from a third party accessory provider Apple may be releasing the touch screen video iPod in time for Christmas. Given the fact that Apple has only just released the new nano and shuffle versions of their player, I tend to think that the touchpod will still be a little while away.

AllofMP3 legal issues – operators deny breaching copyright laws

If any of you have used http://www.allofmp3.com/ to download mp3’s, you may want to get in quick if music giants like EMI Group, PLC, Warner Music Group and Sony BMG have anything to do with it.

AllofMP3 went on a large scale PR campaign earlier in the week to quash accusations of it being branded a pirate website by some music industry big wigs.

The Russian operators of AllofMP3, Mediaservices asserts it is running a legitimate business not a free mp3 downloads facility.

"The company has been unfairly characterized as a pirate Web site. Nothing could be further from the truth," said Vadim Mamotin, the company’s director general.

Stating that 15% of every sale goes to the Russian Multimedia and Internet Society Mamotin said The society has "offered to pay the record companies the royalties they collected but been rebuffed,"

Here is what AllofMP3 released earlier in the year in relation to the pressure being applied by the US government to stop operations.

The US government officials and politicians have been demanding lately that
the Russian authorities shut down allofmp3.com, alleging the site is pirate.
Otherwise, they threaten Russia with sanctions, including blocking its entry to
WTO.

In this regard we would like to make a statement:

1. The site AllOfMP3.com belongs to a Russian company and for 6 years it has
   operated within the country, in full compliance with all Russian laws.
   Throughout this period the various government offices have scrutinized site's
   legality and have not found any breach of the law. So far there has been no
   decision by any Russian court contesting the site's legality.


2. The Russian site AllOfMP3.com is not operating or advertising its business
   on the territory of other countries.


3. The site AllOfMP3.com does regularly transfer substantial amounts of
   royalties to the Russian organizations for collective management of rights such
   as ROMS and FAIR, which have granted the site licenses to legally deliver music
   through the Internet.


4. The site AllofMP3.com reserves the right to take all steps necessary to
   protect its business reputation. We call upon everyone to take a thorough and
   unbiased view of the site's legality.


5. On September 1, 2006 the changes to the Russian copyright legislation
   will come into force. Since January 2006 the site has been making direct
   agreements with rightholders and authors at the same time increasing the price
   of the music compositions and transferring the royalties directly to the artists
   and record companies. The aim of AllofMP3.com is to agree with all rightholders
   on the prices and royalties amounts by September 1, 2006.


6. We believe in the long term and civilized business based on respecting the
   law, considering the customers' demands as well as the interests of both
   national and international rightholders.

The AllofMP3.com Administration June 6, 2006 Moscow

Child Safe MP3 Player – Get a kiddisafe case for your ipod

Have you ever wanted to get your young child listening to music but are concerned that your beloved digital device will take a beating or a dribbling? Well now you can give your toddler your ipod and be safe in the knowledge it will be protected by this Kiddisafe covering called the tadpole from ifrogz.

Made from 100% silicon, the tadpole is designed to repel dust and lint and save your ipod from any unexpected knocks or bumps. Designed with children in mind, the tadpole has two large handles for your little one to grab onto. Your ipod’s screen and click wheel will be protected by the ifrogz screenz™. Coming in orange or purple, the iFrogz Tadpole retails for US$19.99

Visit The iFrogz Website