My love for anything that MF DOOM (all caps necessary) is well known. So when Stones Throw Records came out with a 2CD limited edition lunch box of the original release of MF DOOM’s “Operation Doomsday”… I pre-ordered.

Doom’s label Metalface Record is releasing the first complete version of Doom’s debut album OPERATION: DOOMSDAY. The complete version contains the original album, alternate versions, b-sides and instrumentals – 42 tracks total, all remastered.

The bad news? You might have a bit of a problem finding these now. Good news? I have it. Well that and you might want to get in line for the MF DOOM DIME BOX.

[ Links: Stones Throw, DIME BOX ]

At the Apple Keynote today, Steve Jobs pulled out the oft-rumored $99 Apple TV (finally) and the long awaited update to the Apple iPod Touch that brings the best parts of the Apple iPhone 4 to the music player. Think about all of the good parts of prior Apple iPhone 4 announcements:

• Facetime – forward facing camera
• Retina Display – 960 x 480 high-density pixel display
• 720p HD Video Recording via improved, 5mp back camera
• Apple A4 SoC chipset for improved performance and battery life
• 40 hours audio playback, 7 hours video playback
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
• Bluetooth

And the inability to also make phone calls! har har

Showing up at 8, 32 and 64GB sizes, at $229, $299 and $399 respectively, the Apple iPod Touch just upped the ante for the mp3 players with extended abilities. Not bad at all Apple. More on the Apple TV later.

[ Links: Apple, Apple iPod Touch ]

Just got word that Foreign Exchange, comprised of Phonte Coleman of Little Brother and Dutch producer Nicolay are coming up with a follow-up to their Grammy nominated “Leave It All Behind”. “Authenticity” promises to be expand on the soulful sounds that got them nominated for their last album.

Lead single “Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me” is a playful, synth-driven hip-hop groove featuring a rapped verse from Phonte that evokes the band’s “Connected” era, while the epic opener “The Last Fall” finds Phonte singing some of his most cynical lyrics to date (“Love is at worst an excuse/at best it’s a truce…”) over a frenzied Nicolay production jammed with layers of strings, guitars, and dense choral harmonies.

Head over to the Foreign Exchange website to view the track listing and for other news about this upcoming release, here.

I cannot wait for this to drop.

[ Links: Foreign Exchange Authenticity ]

Let’s face it… the whole R&B scene plain sucks right now. There are no real standouts – no, R. Kelly does not count – and the music has all somehow blended together for one boring, monotonous sound that have very little substance outside of finding the most crass way to tell another person that you want to lick, stick or do something nasty to the person or it reminds you of another song (or ten) before it.

So receiving a heads up about YahZarah’s “The Ballad of Purple Saint James”, a singer that comes from around the DC area originally and has sung backup for Erykah Badu and done work with North Carolina’s Little Brother and the grammy nominated Foreign Exchange… this was the needed “grown folks” music that I needed to hear from an artist. Showing the range from soulful, to insightful, Yahzarah’s newly released “The Ballad of Purple Saint James” is a killer addition to any R&B lover’s collection. To me, the stand out track was “All My Days”, almost didn’t make it past that song.

Got Apple iTunes? You owe it to yourself to sample it.

[ Links: Yahzarah "The Ballad of Purple Saint James" ]

TuneUp Media, one of my personal favorite software apps out there has only a few, music-centric uses. It cleans up the titles, finds the cover art for you – which helps my typical OCD nature where everything has to be alike, but it also locates local happenings like concerts and now, via their Tuniver.se website, helps you discover new music as well as inform you of other happenings. It’s not a well-known app, but it’s definitely a well-used app with over 1 million users and over 850 million songs “automagically” cleaned through their process. For a company that only recently have had their application added to the brick and mortar Apple Stores, that’s quite an achievement.

Well that, and I stand by my earlier assessment that their software plain rocks.

GOGII has released some numbers for their free text messaging app textPlus that has been released for the wildly popular Apple iPhone, Apple iPad and the Android series of phones by Google. Mobile phones, as widespread as they are also means that you’re fighting for a lot of elbow room alongside a lot of similar function apps. But somehow textPlus has amassed 18 million users and growing.

The textPlus app is free to download for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android phones. The textPlus 60611 short code allows users to text for free in the U.S. and Canada, and its app-to-app texting functionality is free to use worldwide. Over two billion messages have been sent to date within the textPlus network, with volume averaging 16 million messages daily and half a billion each month. Users spend over an hour a day using the app.

Not bad for an app that’s never been advertised outside of the iTunes App Store and a few places online. Again, it’s just a good app that’s done well.

Vonage, perhaps one of the biggest VoIP providers in the US, but nowhere near the size of the of the Ma’ Bell (AT&T) that I grew up with offers a cool feature via their Vonage World Plan called Vonage Visual Voicemail that transcribes your incoming voicemails and sends them to you via e-mail. Such a small feature that’s getting used 4 million times per month and rising.

As a long time Vonage user, I sometimes forget to take my Vonage V-Portal router with me, and that’s when the visual voicemail service comes in handy. Apparently 4 million other users like that convenience too. And again, this is a feature that has only been (by me) advertised on the Internet.

And if you have Vonage – I suggest that you do, the ability to call 50+ countries for free is just plain great – set up your own visual voicemail. Amazingly enough, the transcripts aren’t even bad. It was able to decipher my normally ultra-fast talking mother even!

With all of that said… it goes to show you that software and esoteric features can still be used by millions of users. You don’t have to be a Microsoft, Apple or IBM to get a lot of attention; just be like the aforementioned companies and use the Internet properly and wisely. And honestly… I’m loving that.

[ Links: TuneUp Media, GOGII textPlus, Vonage ]

There may be people that get their cubicle party on, but I am guessing that pocket-sized mixing decks will mostly be destined for the classrooms of overindulged teenagers – and for lonely adults seeking to entertain themselves. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t approve.

From Think Geek:

• Everything you need to mix back and forth between two MP3 players.
• Pocket sized for instant DJ action.
• Preview the next song with a separate, volume-controlled headphone jack.
• Easily fade between MP3 players with the smooth slider.
• Includes: Mixing deck, 2 short audio cables (for connecting to MP3 players), 1 long audio cable (to connect to speakers – not included), and earbuds.
• Batteries: 4 AAA (not included)
• Dimensions:
  • Mixing Deck: approx. 4.5″ x 2.5″ x 1.25″
  • Long Cable: 40″
  • Short Cable: 17″

Price: $24.99

Link to the original article…

Broadbandreports.com recently noted how ISPs are seriously considering bundling subscription music services like Spotify (or creating their own) for a small additional, optional fee. Spotify, which offers users streaming access to music free with ads or for a monthly fee, is one way the recording industry can shake off the impacts of piracy without resorting to suing children and grandmothers. But Warner Music apparently is having none of it, and according to the BBC, no longer wants to offer its music catalog up for use by free streaming services:

Warner chief executive Edgar Bronfman Jr said: “Free streaming services are clearly not net positive for the industry and as far as Warner Music is concerned will not be licensed. “The ‘get all your music you want for free, and then maybe with a few bells and whistles we can move you to a premium price’ strategy is not the kind of approach to business that we will be supporting in the future.”

One, Bronfman is pretending that he actually has a choice in the matter, when the labels can either adapt to what their audience wants, or go out of business. Two, Bronfman has ingeniously decided to kill off one of the major user alternatives to music piracy – simply because the avenue doesn’t allow Warner to charge the kind of high music prices they’ve grown to love. Mike Masnick over at Techdirt puts it this way:

You don’t compete with “free” by taking your ball and going home. You don’t compete with “free” by pretending that old artificial scarcities are coming back after the wall has been broken down. You don’t compete with “free” by suing customers. You don’t compete with “free” by shunning those who have business models that work. You compete with free by offering a better product and a better business model. WMG is choosing to go in the other direction. Best of luck to them…

Bingo. Couldn’t have been said better. Warner, RIAA… they all need a wakeup call and see that the “old way” doesn’t work well in these new times.

Link to the original article…

Final Product // ATTIGO TT from Scott Hobbs on Vimeo.

Scott Hobbs Innovative Product Design produced ATTIGO TT touchscreen turntable system brings to the table one of the most useful, intuitive and coolest uses of a touchscreen ever:

The ATTIGO TT is a Touch-screen interface designed for DJing with mp3 tracks. The TT allows DJs to see, hear and touch music in a completely new dimension with a visualization of the music traveling vertically upwards.

The waveform of the music can be manipulated similar to a vinyl record on a turntable, with the abilty to “scratch” and along with all the other functions to control the music, this is the most simple and exciting way to mix mp3 songs.

Not sure how I missed these – the videos are from two years ago – but yes… DO WANT. No word on pricing or availability yet.

[ Links: Scott Hobbs, ATTIGO TT ]

Just last week, I was so deep in the woods that screaming for the whereabouts of my traveling companions would have probably gotten the attention of some animals that I’d rather avoid – read: bears. Cardo Systems have announced a rather unique solution to two-way communication, and oddly enough music sharing, between multiple sets of bluetooth enabled headsets if you’re on a motorcycle, snowmobile or ATV:

The Q2 MultiSet was created with the safety, convenience and enjoyment of riders in mind. The headsets come pre-paired so that riders can instantly begin communicating with each other. For added entertainment, an MP3 jack is included in both headsets which allow each rider to connect their personal MP3 player to the unit so they can each enjoy their own music. Incoming intercom messages and mobile phone calls automatically override the MP3 music so hands never have to leave the handlebars. An extra large, wind-resistant 195 mm microphone has also been included to greatly enhance sound quality.

“With the SCALA RIDER® Q2™ MultiSet we continue to empower riders with the best communication technology available, without compromising safety. To offer a smooth out-of-the-box experience the two headsets come factory paired, so that users can instantly start enjoying the product. As the fifth addition to our SCALA RIDER® line of products, we keep pushing the envelope for our customers by offering optimal solutions for every need”, said Abraham Glezerman, CEO of Cardo Systems, Inc.

Although I love my friends, I don’t exactly trust their choices in music. But Cardo does provide a cool way to communicate and share music between headsets and facilitate instant communication between users. The SCALA Rider Q2 MultiSet is available through select distributors, retail outlets, specialty shops, and directly from the Cardo Systems website with a suggested retail price of $395.95

[ Links: Cardo Systems, Scala Rider Q2 MultiSet ]

JVC is on a roll at the CES. They’ve introduced three AV Multimedia Receivers for home audio, six new CD Readers via JVC Mobile, five new Arsenal CD and Multimedia Receivers with matching Arsenal Series speakers among a slew of other offerings… but what caught my eye was the Double-DIN Multimedia Car audio JVC has announced at the CES, the KW-AVX830 Mobile Multimedia Solution.

JVC is introducing the KW-AVX830 double-DIN Bluetooth® Wireless Technology multimedia receiver, featuring built-in 7-inch widescreen touch panel monitor, Proximity Sensor, and a detachable face panel. The unit plays audio and video from iPod®/iPhone™ as well as USB devices. Other features include GUI and song information in 10 languages, advanced EQ settings, and various GUI selections. HD Radio® and SAT Radio are also available with optional tuners.

The built-in 7-inch widescreen monitor offers dynamic AV entertainment, while also functioning as a user-friendly touch panel. You can select from 4 GUI (Graphical User Interface) patterns in 12-color variations. GUI and song information are available in 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, and Russian.

In addition to iPod®/iPhone™, the unit plays MP3/WMA/WAV audio files and JPEG/MPEG1/2 video files from USB flash memory or a digital audio player by USB connection.

It seems to have all of the bells and whistles, Apple iPod and iPhone connectivity, coverflow animations and the ability to play video even via USB. Due out March with an price of $659.95.

[ Links: JVC Mobile ]

It seems like 2010 will be the year of the set top box that gathers all of your media that you’ve collected over the years – be it music, video or web based media – and places it in high-definition on your television for all to see. LaCie has introduced their LaCinema Mini HD Media Center, about the size of a standard DVD – it fits in your palm, easily:

LaCie today unveiled LaCinema Mini HD, the all-in-one Wi-Fi High Definition media center. Its amazingly small and stylish design packs a big punch, bringing your HD movies, photos and music collections to your widescreen TV in full 1080p resolution.

LaCinema Mini HD bridges the gap between the computer and entertainment worlds in full HD quality. Featuring built-in high-speed 802.11n Wi-Fi, LaCinema Mini HD brings a DLNA® media player and server to your home without wires.

Transferring content to the LaCinema Mini HD is easy through the bus-powered USB connection for maximum transfer speeds, or by connecting the drive to a home network. Users can conveniently load files wirelessly from their computer or via the Ethernet connection.

Currently available in Europe for $299 with worldwide availability coming soon.

[ Links: LaCie LaCinema Mini HD Media Center ]

Macally has introduced its portable stereo speaker IP-A111 designed for iPod products and other mini-audio players. This thumb-sized speaker supports up to 8 hours of battery life with an AA battery.

Link to the original article…