Category: Music

Everyone knows that China is a hotbed of software and movie piracy, but Canada? Yes, it seems the land that gave us 'Strange Brew,' Pam Anderson and breakfast-friendly ham is also giving copyright violators a safe haven from legal action. That's according to Microsoft, Apple and the other members of the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), who recently submitted to the U.S. ...

Since its inception in 2001, the BitTorrent method of file-sharing's high download speeds and near user anonymity has earned it the ire of record labels, movie studios and just about anyone else that owns any sort of intellectual property. But for the BitTorrent user, the need for a separate client program to connect with downloads (instead of a Web browser) had been in a pain in the ...

Barbie is an aging relic from a bygone era. Even little girls want cell phones and iPods these days. When they do want a doll, they often go for Bratz, those characters with gargantuan heads and trendy (read skimpy) clothing. Mattel is feeling the pressure, and making a major push to revitalize its Barbie brand with Barbie Girls, a mix of virtual and real Barbie-related ...

Yes, the Easter Bunny has long since gone for the year, but that doesn't mean we have to stop appreciating one of nature's most aesthetically-pleasing shapes: the egg. Lichtenstein-based designer Lomme has used the breakfast staple as inspiration for a new sleep station that "crosses boundaries between art and furniture with a focus on sleep enhancement and live improvement." In other words, ...

We knew Hilary Duff was more than just a pop-music (and movie) star -- after all, she has her own perfume-, bag-, and clothing lines – but we had had no idea she was so tech-savvy. Lucky for us, Duff took a few minutes out of her busy schedule performing songs off her latest album, 'Dignity,' to tell us about her favorite gadgets and games. And when you're done reading the questionnaire, ...

Starting today, Yahoo! Music will be the first online music store to legally offer lyrics. After a deal with Gracenote and the five major music labels, Yahoo! Music will sport more than 400,000 songs' lyrics in a completely searchable database. While there are already several lyric sites, Yahoo!'s marks the first legal service of its kind, as the songwriters and labels own copyrights to the ...

Ladies: You've always dreamed of the day that you'd be able to wear your favorite 'Grey's Anatomy' moments on your handbag -- and now that day has finally arrived! Bubble Gear's new, custom-made leather bags are each fitted with a 7-inch LCD, which displays DVD movies, MP3s, and photos from a connected media player hidden within. The bags are made in Italy, cost $400, and take between two and four ...

Two weeks ago we wrote about Sandisk's Sansa Connect, an innovative new portable digital audio player with built-in Wi-Fi. As promised, here's our hands-on review – does it live up to the hype? What it is: Designed for use with the Yahoo! Music Unlimited online subscription service, the Sansa Connect is an iPod-mini-sized portable digital audio player with built-in Wi-Fi, so you can ...

Last November -- when the Zune first arrived on the scene -- Microsoft secretly stashed limited edition hot pink and orange versions of the player into boxes and stirred up a bit of a ruckus. Now the company has decided to revive the revive the pink Zune, with a less hot and more subdued shade. The pink double-shot case carries all the same features you've come to expect/revile in the would-be ...

We knew Hilary Duff was more than just a pop-music (and movie) star -- after all, she has her own perfume-, bag-, and clothing lines – but we had had no idea she was so tech-savvy. Lucky for us, Duff took a few minutes out of her busy schedule performing songs off her latest album, 'Dignity,' to tell us about her favorite gadgets and games. And when you're done reading the interview, be ...

Behringer has taken two of the most popular trends in computer accessories -- adding a USB port to almost anything and an 'i' to the beginning of a product name -- and combined them. The iAxe is a Fender Stratocaster clone with a built-in head phone jack for quiet practice and a USB port for recording. When plugged into a computer via USB, the included software simulates popular guitar amps. ...

Another new home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) -- the term used for all-in-one surround sound A/V and speaker systems -- may seem like no big deal, but the JVC Sophisti DD-3 (above) adds a little more to the usual lineup of features. The new system includes the typical HTIB trappings such as an audio-video receiver, three speakers, and a subwoofer. The receiver, though, is a little smarter than ...

Love the idea of the iPod but don't have one of those newfangled computers around? The new iLoad from Wingspan Partners might just be your ticket to getting your tunes onto the hottest MP3 player in town. In theory, the device lets you rip music straight from a CD to your iPod, complete with album information, all at the touch of a button. In its review, however, iLounge found that the $300 ...

Here's a surprising statistic: According to NPR, sales of new vinyl records are up 10% in the first quarter of 2007. Record stores that sell used vinyl are reporting a spike in sales as well. Which begs the question: What's up with the resurgence? One theory is the advent of USB turntables, which plug right into your computer's USB port and make it easy to turn your vinyl records into MP3s or ...

For the classy iPod listener, Creative is releasing a series of fine-looking docks and speaker sets. It starts with the X-Fi Sound System i600, a beautiful piano-black docking station that wirelessly connects to two satellite speakers and a subwoofer. Next is the Playdock i500, an integrated solution with speakers and a remote, and then the TravelSound i, a similar, though smaller, package for ...