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Today is a big day for music downloaders, because iTunes is finally offering DRM-free music for your listening pleasure. To sweeten the deal, each also has a lighter AAC compression applied to it, 256kbps instead of iTunes’ customary 128kbps.
Called iTunes Plus, it’s available now, and all it asks is an extra 30 cents per song ($1.29 for each instead of $.99 for iTunes songs). Is there a big difference in sound quality between those 128kbps iTunes files and these 256kbps iTunes Plus songs? Let’s dig into iTunes Plus, grab a few files and compare them to the old-style locked-up tunes.
For being “America’s favorite pastime,” the MLB is apparently populated by a bunch of whiners. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Esq., the league’s legal vultures have begun circling around Slingbox because of its ability to placeshift games.
Yeah, that’s right. When you’re on the road and just want to catch your home team’s game via Sling, in the MLB’s eyes you (and Sling Media) are acting illegally because of broadcast contracts written around geographical boundaries.
You’ve seen the phone charms that look like a miniature version of your actual phone before, but Strap-ya’s just released a new batch of phones for your miniaturization needs.
Most of these phones are Japanese, but we do see a couple RAZRs and possibly some Sony Ericssons in there too. All of them actually slide and flip—just like the real thing. No real point here; they just look cool. – Jason Chen
Product Page [Strapya]
I bumped into Steve Jobs in the hall a little while ago, on the way to lunch at All Things D.
He’s taller than I thought he would be, and pretty tanned. Hawaii. I go to introduce myself and then think that he’s probably busy and doesn’t want to be mobbed. I go get some salad, think that its my job to be at least a little aggressive with these things, so I put down my plate, and I finally squeeze by the crowd to introduce myself. No banter, just wanted to say hi, I’m Brian from Gizmodo. And you made the iPod, right? (I didn’t say that second part.)
Then Steve got really excited and Happy.
The only time we’ve been camping is, well, never, so this solar powered LED tent isn’t quite for us. But those of you who like to get some outdoors time with your family yet still want to keep enough light to play some Go Fish at night should look into this LED tent.
It’s $230, and has an eight-hour battery to power the LEDs inside. All you need to do is keep the solar panels set up during the day when you’re out doing whatever it is people do when they’re camping. Poop in the woods and look for leaves to wipe with, presumably. – Jason Chen
Product Page [Eurekatent via Travelizmo via Uber Gizmo]
We’re not sure this these sushi robots are for “home use,” but who wouldn’t want their own mechanical man making sushi for them? The various rice-ball-forming machines make anywhere from 850 balls an hour up to 1200 balls an hour, and the various parts of the sushi robot lineup make 2000 to 3000 pieces an hour.
Sounds pretty industrial/restaurant to us, but great if you like to have sushi every day of the week. Or really like robots. – Jason Chen
Product Page [Sushi Expert via Sushi Robots - Thanks Keebs!]
Giz readers (or their families) have probably had more than a few dealings with Best Buy’s Geek Squad, so that’s why we’re pointing you to this consumerist post on how to get stuff resolved. The Geek Squad CEO dropped them a line on how to get your service-issue complaint directly to him and other execs and bypass the low-level phone techs who can’t get anything done.
Hop on over to see how. – Jason Chen
UPDATE: Geek Squad CEO Promises To Resolve Any Consumerist Reader Complaint He Receives, And Then Does So [Consumerist]
If you are a racing sim junkie, like this guy, this mod is sure to make your ears perk. Actual, real in-car gauges were removed from a vehicle and somehow, someway modded to connect to a PC via USB and actually function with a racing wheel and pedals. From the discussion over at YouTube it even seems that the creator is possibly going to market this as an actual product. –Travis Hudson
[Via EverythingUSB]
The only type of person who would use the iLoad by Wingspan is the person who either hates computers or doesn’t know how to use them. The device takes in your iPod, then rips CDs into digital form and loads them onto your iPod. No PC required.
Crunchgear took one for a spin, and thought it worked as advertised but was super noisy doing it. Once your music is transferred from the CD into your iPod, you can also delete tracks by title or category—again, straight from the iLoad without a PC.
Is it worth the $299 price tag? Only if you’re an anti-computer guy who still wants access to an iPod. – Jason Chen
Product Page [iLoad via Crunchgear]
OK, so the rumors weren’t rumors, just little wispy truths that have been confirmed by one big announcement: Palm has indeed built some kind of crazy laptop-like friend for the Treo, called Foleo. Suffice it to say, the initial reaction has not been overwhelmingly positive.
We handed you the press release and specs and even a gallery, we’ve given you the best seat in the house for the unveiling, but still something is nagging at you. What, exactly, is this baby meant to do? Is it really a supplement to your smartphone, or is Palm trying to go into the laptop business? And is $499 (after rebate) cheap as hell or way overpriced?
