AMPHIBX Waterproof Armbands: iPhone 3Gs and Nip-Slips Collide

With the Olympics in full-swing, and the watersports getting so intense that both balls and boobs are flying (NSFW link), there was no better time for H2O Audio to unveil their new AMPHIBX watersports armband. According to a recent press release, it provides 100% waterproof protection up to depths of 12 feet for both the original iPhone and the 3G version as well as almost every iPod, MP3 player and cellphone under the sun.

A ClearTouch window allows the user to freely operate the device underwater and it is buoyant enough to float to the surface when a device is inside. The armband is retailing at $70 and $80 for medium and large sizes respectively, and a companion set of headphones dubbed “Surge” is also available for an additional $60. [H2O Audio via Coolest Gadgets]

Popularity: 3% [?]

Rhapsody ditches (some) DRM, selling MP3s with Verizon and Yahoo

Rhapsody, the digital love-child of Real Networks and MTV, is best known for its DRM’d subscription music service. As such, the globe’s population of sheep-white-earbudded, sidewalk zombies have been completely off limits to its charms. Until today. While its DRM’d subscription deals remain in place, Rhapsody is now offering unprotected MP3 downloads via its Rhapsody MP3 store and via partners including Verizon’s VCAST over-the-air service and Yahoo. We’re talking 5 million DRM-free tracks (generally priced at $0.99 per song, $9.99 per album) from Indies and the four majors. Uniquely, all tracks can be previewed in full before downloading. Rhapsody VP, Neil Smith said, “We’re no longer competing with the iPod, we’re embracing it.” Perhaps, but Rhapsody’s planned $50 million marketing assault on iTunes with the help of MTV’s TV networks doesn’t exactly make them best of friends. We’re not DRM-free across the industry yet (in fact, far from it), but things are certainly moving in that direction.

Update: Signup now with the Rhapsody MP3 store and get a $10 credit which can be applied to your first album.

[Via Reuters]

Popularity: 7% [?]

Amazon’s MP3 store nearing global launch?

While Amazon’s quest to take its DRM-free, MP3 store global is public knowledge, the where and the when of that maneuver are closely guarded secrets. The UK’s Telegraph is reporting that execs from Amazon’s MP3 store were in London last week to “thrash out details of the launch with British record company bosses.” Of course this says nothing about timing. On one side of the impending launch is DRM, that hot button of nastiness favored by the music industry and not offered by Amazon MP3. On the other, iTunes, and the music industry’s desire to usurp Apple’s digital dominance while inversely strengthening the bargaining power of its music execs’ over Cupertino. In other words, we may be looking at an imminent launch of a global Amazon MP3 store… and we may not, though we’re leaning towards the former. Read

Popularity: 7% [?]

Copy Music from Your iPhone or iPod to Your Computer for Free

There as many applications and methods for copying music from an iPod to your computer as there are iPod models themselves, which makes finding a sure-fire, free solution a matter of tedious trial and error. To save you the work, today we’re rounding up the best tools and techniques for getting music off any model iPod onto nearly any computer—for free. Whether you’re a Windows user looking to yank tunes from an iPhone, a Mac fan backing up an iPod classic, or a Linux enthusiast trying to get into your new Nano, we’ve got you covered. Follow along for a detailed look at the best ways to transfer songs from your iPod to your computer, no matter what hardware or operating system you’re rocking. Read the rest of this entry

Popularity: 10% [?]

Review: Napster MP3 store

As we noted yesterday, Napster has now rolled out the world’s largest DRM-free MP3 store. In the spirit of the Amazon MP3 review we ran last year, I thought I would take Napster for a spin to see how the service works from a Mac-user’s perspective.

The first thing to note is that this is a download service. While Napster continues to run its subscription-based service (with downloads limited to Windows computers with Microsoft DRM), you do not need a subscription to purchase MP3s from the Napster Store (though you need an account, of course). Once downloaded the files are just straight 256kbps MP3s that should play without problem on any of a variety of devices. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the Napster experience. Read the rest of this entry

Popularity: 9% [?]