MP3 MUSIC > Sparks "(Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country?"

MARATHONPACKS.COM: The title of this track, off the forthcoming release Hello Young Lovers from the never-ceasing glorious train of musical sarcasm that is Sparks, speaks for itself. For those not in the know, Ron and Russell Mael have been practicing the overblown opera/suite/snarky cultural comment thing since 1971, but really came into their own with 1974's Propaganda, which, in this writer's opinion, out-Queened Queen. The new record, complete with smirky album photography (click to enlarge) and brilliant song "(Baby Baby) Can I Invade Your Country?" (download mp3) is definitely not for the non-adventurous, but is definitely worth a listen. I'd really like to hear what people think of this one. Hello Young Lovers is set for UK release on February 6. Here it is for pre-order at HMV.

With typical understatement, here's part of the press release:
"On their incomparable new album, Sparks protest predictability,obliterate the ordinary and demand utmost respect.With moments of sheer beauty, frenzy, dissonance, harmony, pure genius…it rocks!!It is cinematic and bold, lyrically liberal.It may not win a Grammy…rather an Academy Award.It's music for smart people."

MP3 PLAYERS > Jens of Sweden MP-500 gives you the movie and the soundtrack

JENSOFSWEDEN.COM: Jens of Sweden’s new multimedia player lets you watch your favorite movie as well as sing along to the soundtrack. Under one of the markets thinnest shells (13 mm) you'll find a remarkable width of functions. With MP3 and MP4 player, radio, stereo speakers and a crisp display you will be able to say good bye to all those lonely moments.Add lyric files and sing karaoke, or let your friends hear the original artist through the built-in speakers. The MP-500 is scratchproof and available with a 1GB or 2GB memory in black or gold.

=> Visit the Official Product Site here.

MP3 JUKEBOX > Play it again anywhere, Sam: MP3tunes Oboe

MADPENGUIN.ORG: Taking music along with you can be a hassle, even in the iPod age. You have to bring along either CDs or your MP3 player with you everywhere you go; and then you have to spend time sorting your music manually at each location, which I find to be a huge time waster. Even though the iPod Nanos and other similar MP3 players are very small, it still is a bit of a bother to have yet one more device in my brief case. The Oboe service from MP3tunes.com has helped me address these issues. Oboe is a cross-platform music and playlist syncing service offered by MP3tunes, and it is worth checking out. Think of it as iTunes for Linux. And Windows. And the Mac. For about $40.00 US per year, you can rent unlimited space on MP3tunes' server to store and sync your music with a few mouse clicks. You also have the option of streaming it to yourself via MP3tunes' AJAX-enabled GUI. No more advance planning needed. Your music is always in the cloud, and always in an open format. As long as you have Internet access, you need only log onto the Oboe service with Firefox and click on your playlists to listen to them or sync them. Oboe is not yet fully feature-mature as an audio player, but it performs its primary mission of streaming and automated syncing quite well, and those two functions are not offered for Linux anywhere else. Oboe also does not have the same limitations of some other services, such as DRM. It also has the potential to bring more traffic to Indy music labels, which is a feel-good feature of Oboe's service. All things considered, I would say that unless you are someone who really does not like to listen to music, or who does not like to listen to digital music, you will probably find that Oboe is worth the $3.33 US per month average fee.

=> Read the complete coverage here.
=> Visit MP3tunes.com here.

MP3 PLAYERS > Franz Ferdinand Limited Edition Sony NW-A1000

ASIA.CNET.COM: As part of its promotional efforts, Sony will be releasing the limited-edition Walkman-Franz Ferdinand box set. Each set will contain either the NW-A3000 or the NW-A1000, a Franz Ferdinand CD and DVD, a Walkman-Franz Ferdinand premium and an invitation to the Franz Ferdinand post-concert party. The price of the box set will be S$509 for the NW-A3000 and S$409 for the NW-A1000.

=> Read the full coverage on CNet Asia here.

MP3 PLAYERS > Philips GoGear HDD6330

PCMAG.COM: Apple's dominance of MP3 players is forcing others to concentrate on design, and that's producing some sleek, elegant competitors, like the 30GB Philips GoGear HDD6330. It may not be perfect—the interface often responds slowly and battery life won't wow you—but the combination of good sound, ultra-stylish looks, and a broad feature set makes this a solid alternative to the iPod, especially for those who prefer Windows Media Player 10 to iTunes. At 5.3 ounces, the HDD6330 has a fairly solid feel. It's slightly bigger—4.1 by 2.5 by 0.7 inches (HWD)—in each direction than a fourth-generation, 20GB iPod and much thicker than Apple's current 30GB version. Powered off, the HDD6330 looks like a miniature version of the blank black monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Power the player up, though, and the controls suddenly appear, backlit by blue LEDs in the shiny black polycarbonate front. (Of course, that flashy face collects fingerprints like a crime scene investigator and isn't scratchproof, although it does resist marks from very light contact). The back—silver-colored brushed aluminum—is rounded on the top and bottom.

=> Read the full article in PC magazine here.

I Want My iPod TV

DLO.COM: This is what you've been waiting for. The DLO HomeDock Deluxe is the world's first iPod dock that lets you view and select your iPod's music on your TV screen. View current song information and navigate playlists, artists and albums from the sofa. Never has it been more fun and easy to enjoy your iPod at home than with the HomeDock Deluxe. HomeDock Deluxe contains everything you need to get started right out of the box. Simply attach the included power supply and AV cables to your stereo and TV, dock your iPod or iPod nano (HomeDock fits any dockable iPod) and the turn your HomeDock on with the included 20 function remote control. That's when the fun really begins.

=> Visit the DLO HomeDock Deluxe web site here.

ACCESSORIES > Logitech's Design Buddy

REDHERRING.COM: The goal is to make MP3 accessories that stand out. That's why the company's close alliance with design outfit Ziba is critical. This will be a big year for Logitech. Not only does 2006 mark its 25th anniversary but it hopes to make major advances toward becoming the No. 1 maker of digital audio accessories. That's no small goal. Apple Computer, Belkin, DLO, Altec Lansing, and hundreds of smaller players are also going after the $500 million-and-growing MP3 accessories pie.

=> Read the full article in Red Herring here.

Pioneer unveils Inno XM2go portable XM radio/MP3 player

Pioneer has just taken the wraps off its Inno XM2go player, and it sure does look like a big improvement over the first generation of XM2go devices. For starters, it's a lot smaller and lighter at 3.7" x 2.2" x 0.6"n and just 4.5 ounces. It'll also give you both live XM satellite radio content and the ability to store up to 50 hours of XM content, or you can fill it up with your own MP3s or WMAs. The Inno also has a built-in FM transmitter that'll let you shoot that satellite signal to any radio. The unit also has a full color 180x180 TFT that you can use to get stock quotes, sport scores and, of couse, song info. The one thing they haven't given deets on is battery life, which could make the deal a little less sweet. Look for it sometime this quarter at a MSRP of $399.

Read more on Orbitcast here.

Samsung takes aim at the iPod Nano with the YP-Z5

From the looks of Samsung's YP-Z5, an ultrathin, 4GB flash MP3 player, it seems that taking down the Apple iPod Nano could be the name of the game at CES 2006. The YP-Z5 measures 3.5 by 1.6 by 0.4 inches (the Nano, by comparison, measures 3.5 by 1.6 by 0.27 inches) and features a 1.8-inch LCD capable of displaying photos and album art. Below the screen is a square touch pad--an interface that's quickly becoming not so unique--surrounded by a square, clickable ring that features a menu button, fast-forward and rewind controls, and a play/pause key. I'm not exactly fond of the champagnelike coloring the YP-Z5 appears to have in this photo--luckily, the player actually comes in attractive silver and black. And the casing is made out of aluminum that's supposed to prevent scratching and smudging--a good thing, for sure. In addition to MP3, WMA, and JPEG files, this MP3 player supports OGG audio files and is Janus compatible, so it'll work with on-the-go subscription services such as Napster To Go. The rechargeable battery is rated for 24 hours, which is good but not jaw-dropping. Features such as an FM tuner and a voice recorder are absent.