it’s EASY to build a better ipod

On December 2, 2006 By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

Controversial Jason Calacanis knows it:

For me the key features are:

1. Open source software.
2. Wifi
3. No DRM
4. Removeable media (i.e. Compact Flash)
5. Preloaded with three shows from the top 200 podcasts

… any hint of DRM and the project is over.

We don’t need any VC money to do this Dave. We just produce the best player and make 1,000 of them–all presold. The money comes to us first and we don’t have to put up *ANY* money.

After we get 1,000 made we do version 2 six months later and produce 10,000 of them.

If that sells out we do 100,000. We are not doing this for the money anyway… if it becomes a 10,000 device a year company and we break even I’m fine with that–I just want a better player!

We’re not creating a better iPod–we’re just *talking* about making a better iPod – The Jason Calacanis Weblog

music video – Canadian Idiot

On November 25, 2006 By Rick McIn humour, musicLeave a comment

I love the Weird Al Yankovic take on the song American Idiot by Green Day.

As usual, Weird Al is right on the money with this parody.

Some kids made their own video to the song. Click PLAY or watch the clip on YouTube.

But who do we have to thank for this homemade video? It is credited to Phil McCracken.

music – Panic! at the Disco

On November 22, 2006 By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

For some reason I find myself listening to Panic! at the Disco.

It’s another internet success story. The boys from Summerlin in Las Vegas contacted Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz through LiveJournal.

After seeing them play in their garage, Wentz asked if they would sign with his label Decaydance.

The circus / vaudeville looks of Panic! works for me. And the lyrics are interesting.

To see their MTV Video of the Year (2006) for “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” click PLAY, or watch the clip on YouTube.

I Write Sins Not Tragedies

Beatles LOVE – free preview of entire album

On November 20, 2006 By Rick McIn Cirque du Soleil, music, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Old is new. The familiar reinvented.

A Beatles album — LOVE — is here just in time for Christmas.

I think it will be one of the biggest selling recordings of all time. You can listen to the entire album on-line free as part of the kickoff promotion. (I’m listening to it right now.)

Love (CD + Audio DVD)

This is part of the astonishing Beatles collaboration with Cirque du Soleil.

A far more eloquent review than I could write:

I’ve been listening to the Beatles’ soundtrack to their Cirque du Soleil project, called “Love,” all weekend and loving it.

… the CD should really be called “George Martin Presents the Beatles in ‘Love.’” because Martin — who produced just about everything the Beatles ever recorded — is the mastermind here with his son, Giles. They’ve taken every bit of existing recorded Beatles material and twisted it — I believe “mashed up” is the new term — into a completely new presentation that every fan will need to have in their collections.

Some of the songs remain in their intact state, and some are merely tweaked. The majestic “Hey Jude,” for example, is shortened to good effect and made into a bit more of a rave up. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” however, is totally reborn from an unreleased demo and newly recorded strings which Martin brilliantly added. Ringo’s “Octopus’s Garden” and “Good Night” are laid on top of each other like a collage, with “Garden” getting a dramatic staging.

Martin is also clever adding in little bits of trivia. Since the Beatles were the first group to get fans playing records backwards for messages, he reverses “Sun King” from “Abbey Road” and calls it “Gnik Nus” as a transition into “Something.” And the “She Loves You” outro from “All You Need Is Love,” which was always an understated extra, now gets major emphasis.

Did I mention the sound? Most of the Beatles CDs were made by Martin in 1987 and never touched again. The “White Album” was re-equalized at one point, and “Yellow Submarine” was remastered for its DVD re-release, but most of it has remained the same … until now.

On “Love,” the sound is gorgeous and warm, clearly remastered. And the deluxe package comes with a DVD-Audio disc for home theater enthusiasts. A lot of fans may wind up switching their DVD players into their stereo systems just to hear this version. It’s that good.

FOXNews.com – Arts And Entertainment

Zune not selling

On November 19, 2006 By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

… (as) consumers line up for the Playstation 3 it looks like Zune has become an afterthought. Despite months of hype, opening Zune sales are only so-so. While Zune did reach the top 10 on Amazon’s Top 25 list for electronic product sales on its first day, it quickly fell below the top 15 and continues to drop. Six separate iPod models now outsell it as well as SanDisk’s e250 player. In-store sales are not much better.

Slashdot | Opening Zune Sales Flaccid

lyrics – Eagles – Desperado

On November 18, 2006 By Rick McIn hiking, musicLeave a comment

One of the downsides of being a Winehiker, or hiking with a winehiker, is the irresistible urge to sing around the campfire with lyrics forgotten. Gotta memorize this classic.

“Desperado”

Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses?
You been out ridin’ fences for so long now
Oh, you’re a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These things that are pleasin’ you
Can hurt you somehow

Don’t you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She’ll beat you if she’s able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet

Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can’t get

Desperado, oh, you ain’t gettin’ no younger
Your pain and your hunger, they’re drivin’ you home
And freedom, oh freedom well, that’s just some people talkin’
Your prison is walking through this world all alone

Don’t your feet get cold in the winter time?
The sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine
It’s hard to tell the night time from the day
You’re losin’ all your highs and lows
Ain’t it funny how the feeling goes away?

EAGLES LYRICS – Desperado

Desperado

latest iPhone rumour

On November 15, 2006 By Rick McIn Apple, musicLeave a comment

According to this Forbes article, Hon Hai has “secured contracts from Apple Computer for 12 mln mobile handsets that also function as music players, the Commercial Times quoted industry sources as saying.” Yes, that’s 12 million. Also, that “Apple will launch the mobile handsets in the first half of next year.”

Taiwan manufacturer gets order for Apple “iPhone” handset – The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Prince in Vegas

On November 13, 2006 By Rick McIn music, travelLeave a comment

In Vegas I heard the rumours that Prince would be a opening a club in Las Vegas. I’m an off-and-on fan who once grooved at his club in Minneapolis, Glam Slam.

The official announcement was made in late October 2006 and opened on November 10, 2006 with Prince performing. It’s on 4 days a week (Wedensday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).

I’m sure you will click through to buy your tickets online – $125 / person

mixed reviews on the Zune

On November 10, 2006 By Rick McIn music, product complaints, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Pogue and Mossberg both agree that the screen on the Zune is great, and that the UI is comparable, or better than, the iPod in most cases. It also sounds just as good as the iPod, but that is where the praise ends. Pogue wonders why you can’t use Windows Media Player to sync with your Zune (you must use a new software program called, oddly enough, Zune). Mossberg was disappointed in the battery life, and he thought the entire product felt more like a prototype than a final effort.

They both pan the wireless sharing, which is supposed to be one of the Zune’s major selling points. You can share, via WiFi, songs from your Zune to another person’s Zune. They can only play them 3 times in the next 3 days before they go poof (leaving behind a note of what the track was in case you want to buy it at the Zune Store). Though here’s the rub, even if you only listen to 10 seconds of the song that counts as one ‘play.’

Overall it seems like the Zune is a typical Microsoft effort, acceptable with some odd omissions and oversights. I’d expect the Zune to give the iPod a run for its money when it is on its third version (but we may very well have a direct neural interface with our iPods by then).

Mossberg and Pogue on the Zune – The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)