Study paves way for 500,000-song MP3 player

Researchers for the computer giant IBM say they have invented a new type of computer memory which could boost storage capacity by a hundred times.

Called racetrack memory, the new storage medium could allow personal music players to store up to 500,000 songs, according to a study published in Science magazine.

The racetrack memory stores data in the boundaries, known as domain walls, between magnetic regions in nanowires.

The medium gets its name because the data races around the wire, or track, as it is read or written.

The technology could take up to four years to produce and a further three or four to refine for commercial use.

Amazon MP3 Easy to Use, Easy on Wallet

It had to happen. Apple's iTunes Store recently edged past Wal-Mart to become the top music retailer in the United States, according to the NPD Group's MusicWatch survey.
Well, big deal. I'd rather tune in to the download deals at Amazon MP3 (amazonmp3.com), which simply rocks when it comes to selling music online.
So what if Amazon MP3 doesn't offer more than 6 million songs like the iTunes, let alone sport that airy Apple aesthetic.
What Amazon MP3 lacks in style it more than makes up for in substance -- namely more than 4.5 million DRM-free tunes encoded at 256 kbps (kilobits per second).
DRM-free means you don't fuss with digital rights management, so you can play Amazon music downloads on your iPod or any other MP3 device or program, as well as burn them to a CD. The iTunes Store also has DRM-free tracks (only more than 2 million), but Amazon MP3 prices make its tunes sound so much sweeter.
Using Amazon MP3 is a cinch, especially thanks to its 1-Click ordering.
You'll need to download the free Amazon MP3 Downloader to buy MP3 albums. (You don't need it for individual song purchases.) The downloader conveniently adds your music downloads to iTunes or Windows Media Player.
As for prices, most Amazon MP3 tracks weigh in between 89 cents and 99 cents, with MP3 albums typically $5.99 to $9.99. I've found bargains at the site, such as Vampire Weekend's self-titled album for $7.99 and Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple for $8.99, compared to $9.99 each at iTunes.
And every Amazon MP3 album I've bought has been tax-free -- another spot of savings I never got at the iTunes Store.
Did I say "got," as in past tense? You bet, because Amazon MP3 is pretty much the only download service in my music-buying future.
And who knows? Maybe one day it'll even trump the iTunes Store as the top music seller in the States. It's already tops in my iPod.

MP3 Rocket Launches '100 Most Popular Artists' - Faster Way to Download Free Music Downloads, Music Videos, TV Shows ...

MP3 Rocket the world's most innovative free music and movie downloads, today announced that it has launched the '100 Most Popular Artists'. MP3 Rocket users vote on their favorite performers and the software automatically displays in the 'most popular' artists by week and month allowing for easy downloading of favorite songs. You can download a free copy of the MP3Rocket software at: http://www.mp3rocket.com .

Things To Consider When Buying An Mp3 Player

April 10, 2008 - There are so many MP3 players on the market these days that buying one can easily be confusing. Before you buy, think how you want to use it. Do you want to take it jogging, or will it primarily be used in the home or when travelling. Will it be on for a long time or only short bursts? If jogging you will want one that is small and light enough to fit in your pocket. A flash-based player can be as small as a pack of gum.
If you want it for using at home, you might like a bigger model, or one that holds lots of music. While a small capacity can be overcome by storing music on removable flashcards, they are easy to lose and you do have to carry them around if you want to use them.
MP3 players that are hard-drive based go through batteries quickly. 14 hours is about the limit, but playing videos drains them faster than that. Also, if you intend to view videos you need to have one with a really fast interface. Another consideration is the size of the LCD screen. A larger one makes it a great deal easier to find and organize your stored music. And listening to the MP3 in the store before you buy is a really good idea.

More ways for phone users to download and play music

SEVERAL online music services will be available here in the coming months, offering fans more ways to download and play songs on their computers, MP3 players and cellphones.

Leading the charge are phone makers Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola, all eager to seize on the booming popularity of multimedia phones which double up as MP3 players.

Nokia will open an online store here in the next three months, while Sony Ericsson plans to do so by the end of the year.

Motorola, which bought homegrown music store Soundbuzz in January, will release a phone next month that will let a user browse its entire music collection. He can then choose which songs to download to his phone.

Until now, music lovers here have only had Soundbuzz and SingTel's MusicVibes service, which catered only to its subscribers.

Ripstyles.com and Ripfactory Introduce Ripserver to North America

Ripstyles.com, a global media conversion company that specializes in converting CDs into mp3 or other digital files, is proud to be named the exclusive North American agent of Ripfactory's innovative new consumer device, Ripserver. Building on the foundation of Ripfactory's expert knowledge of CD ripping and media servers, Ripserver brings a first to the consumer market -- a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device with a fully integrated CD ripping engine. (CD ripping is another way of describing the conversion of a CD into mp3 or digital files.) This agreement extends the existing relationship between the two companies and further solidifies Ripstyles.com as a world-class media conversion company.

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Microsoft launch Zune

Usually, we do not report on .mp3 players. However, sometimes we cannot go around them. Today is one of those times: Microsoft has launched its supposed iPod killer, the Zune. "Not a lot of surprises in the specs department, but they've confirmed the basics we've known for a while, like WiFi, 30GB of HDD, built-in FM, a 3-inch screen and the basic music, pictures and video playback. They also finally let slip the screen res - an unsurprising QVGA - and some better news on the codec front: the Zune supports h.264, MP3, AAC and WMA." .