Today there is a little bit of nostalgia to be brought for your reading pleasure. In the early days of dot com boom, when the internet was taking off, there was a service called Napster which allowed users to download entire music albums in MP3 format for free. Logically you needed an MP3 player to listen to these songs and there came Winamp - the most popular MP3 player at the time with a lot of features like sound equalizer, bitrate adjustment, and more. The users of this piece of software especially liked it because of the one thing - customization. You could have applied all kinds of skins to it, and users distributed a lot of them online. From anime to TV shows, you could find all kinds of skins for it. So to honor the software, there is now an online museum containing over 65.000 skins that you can view in JPG format and download to apply to your Winamp application. You can check out the museum here.

Microsoft seems to be on the verge of introducing a new file recovery tool in a future Windows 10 update. The news, courtesy of The verge, paints a MS-DOS-based tool that would allow users to recover most of the "basic" files they'd be looking for after accidental deletion: MP3 files, MP4 videos, PDFs, JPEG images, and Office, Word as well as PowerPoint documents. The File Recovery Tool is already available as a download from Microsoft's app store (and requires Windows 10 version 19041.0 or higher).

The lack of a GUI could be a put-off for some users; but again, this is a free tool from the company. As a refresher, a file isn't fully deleted if you only use Windows' "delete" function - even if you delete it from the Recycle Bin afterwards. All that does is tell the OS that that those particular storage addresses are available for being written to again - the bits that the file is made of are still there. This is the reason why successful file recovery depends mostly on whether or not new information has been written to those particular cells again. If it has, chances to recover your data are slim.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced the Creative Outlier ONE Plus. The all-new Bluetooth in-ears are the latest addition to the Outlier Series; which includes the Outlier One-included as one of the 'Best Bluetooth Earbuds of 2018' by tech review site SoundGuys.

The Creative Outlier ONE Plus maintains the superior sound quality, comfort and fit of Outlier ONE, but now is enhanced with Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity and a 4GB built-in MP3 player that allows you to play music directly - without cellular connection or your phone. Certified IPX4 sweat-proof for the toughest workouts with a long-lasting battery life of up to 10 hours, Outlier ONE Plus is the perfect plus for all activities.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced the Sound Blaster Roar, a new concept, 5-driver portable wireless speaker. Designed to rival existing home stereo systems, it is a heavyweight contender in the wireless speaker market that delivers amazingly powerful, precision-tuned, high fidelity sound from a compact and portable booklet size.

The launch follows a highly successful sneak preview at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, with the Sound Blaster Roar receiving very positive comments from members of the press and the general public.

Seagate Technology plc., a world leader in storage solutions, today took the wraps off the new Seagate Ultra Mobile HDD designed exclusively for mobile devices. Integrated with the Seagate Mobile Enablement Kit which includes Seagate's Dynamic Data Driver software technology, the new storage solution delivers up to 7x the storage capacity of a traditional 64GB tablet with the same power, performance and reliability of a flash device.

"Coupling an ultra-thin, high-capacity HDD with software designed to optimize integration into tablets at a value-add price has allowed us to deliver a truly ground-breaking solution, enabling our partners to reimagine the mobile device," said Steve Luczo, president, CEO and chairman of Seagate. "By empowering our OEMs with this revolutionary new technology, we have invited the industry to re-think the mobile market making this offering a true game-changer in the world of storage."

With the Sharkoon X-Tatic S7, Sharkoon has thankfully updated the sound format by providing two additional sound channels for authentic and room-filling 7.1 surround sound. The headset supports the new "Dolby ProLogic" version IIx, which combined with "Dolby Headphone" technology generates authentic and room-filling 7.1 Sound for stereo headsets from analog stereo signals and digital 5.1 Dolby Digital signals.

In addition, Sharkoon has replaced the previous USB2.0 cable for an included USB2.0 Y-cable, providing a stable energy supply to the headset via a second USB port for current or weaker sound sources.

Koss Corporation, the U.S.- based creator of the world's first SP3 Stereophone in 1958, has unveiled STRIVA, a revolutionary new headphone and in-ear monitor system with Wi-Fi technology that receives music directly from the Internet without wires.

"54 years ago my father revolutionized personal listening with the first Koss SP3 stereophone," Michael J. Koss, President and CEO said. "Today, thanks to the Internet, the revolution is in the air. Now all of your favorite music can be streamed directly from the Internet to our new headphones and in-ear monitors without wires using Koss STRIVA technology."

Well, it looks like the freemium model of selling software is working quite well in the industry, as Bram Cohen's very popular BitTorrent application, uTorrent, has just adopted this model. Known for being fast, efficient and light on system resources, it has now gained a few pounds, sorry features in version 3, some of which are available only for a subscription of $24.95 per year. These include things like an antivirus scanner powered by BitDefender, a media player and integrated support for converting popular video file types such as MPEG4, H.264, Theora, and VP8, as well as MP3, AAC and AC-3 audio files. The media player is interesting, in that it allows playback of videos that are still downloading. Note that this feature is also available in the free version.

For those that still want to hang on to the lean and mean free version, it's still available and isn't going away any time soon. Both versions can be compared here. Perhaps it's ironic that this legal application which is often used for software "piracy" can now itself be pirated… Cohen's take on this will be interesting.

Sharkoon presents the newest model to their successful X-Tatic headset series: The Sharkoon X-Tatic SR offers, through Dolby Headphone Technology, realistic Surround Sound on the Xbox, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 gaming consoles, to include PC, Notebook and other audio sources.

The integrated Dolby Headphone Technology transforms "Dolby Digital 5.1" signals and, in conjunction with "Dolby Pro Logic II" Decoders, "Dolby Digital 2.0" signals into 5.1 speaker sound for stereo headphones. Thanks to authentic sounding localization while gaming, the player can approach their virtual opponents from all directions. High-quality 40mm speakers contribute to an intensive sound experience.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) announced PlayStation Vita (PS Vita) (PCH-1000 series) as the official platform name for the next generation portable entertainment system at E3 2011. With an RRP of €249 for the Wireless model and €299 for the Wireless/3G version, PS Vita will launch in the global market starting at the end of 2011.

"Vita", which means "Life" in Latin, was chosen as the most appropriate name for the next generation portable entertainment system as it enables a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context as SCE aims to transform every aspect of a user's daily life into an entertainment experience and an opportunity to play.

Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of SSDs, DOMs and USB drives, today announced the new FLIP pivot USB 2.0 flash drive, an ultra-slim pivot style drive. "The FLIP drive is designed in fire orange and white racing colors, giving it a unique look, and the drive is extremely small and ultra-slim, making it a highly portable storage device", stated Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson.

The pivot style lid protects the drive when not in use - and you'll never have to worry about losing the lid because it conveniently flips open, giving instant access to your data. Pack 4GB or 8GB of data securely onto the FLIP drive. It is designed to fit easily on a keychain or in a pocket or clipped to a backpack. Load up to 2000 MP3 songs or up to 2400 six megapixel photos onto your FLIP drive to take with you anywhere.

Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, today announced the new NF310 netbook, which expands upon Samsung's signature style and premium performance for use at home, in the office, or on-the-go. The new NF310 emphasizes Samsung's continued dedication to innovation in ultra-portable computing, and establishes a new benchmark for premium features with the inclusion of an Intel Atom Dual-Core processor and a stunning HD display.

"Samsung netbooks are a favorite among consumers not only for their innovative design, portability, and the premium features we strive to offer while maintaining affordability," said Todd Bouman, director of product marketing at Samsung Enterprise Business Division. "In addition to the stylized aesthetic consumers have come to expect from Samsung, the NF310 builds upon the success of previous netbooks and offers a more robust experience through the improved Dual-Core processor and HD display."

Creative Technology Ltd. today announced the PCI-E Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD and USB Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD, setting the gold standard for PC audio with the first discrete audio card and USB digital audio system to include THX TruStudio PC audio technology.

"The Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD and Sound Blaster X-Fi HD provide the highest quality audio playback of any sound products we have ever introduced, over a period of time where we have sold more than 400 million Sound Blaster cards," said Steve Erickson, Vice President and General Manager of Audio and Video at Creative. "We are thrilled to announce that our newest additions to the Sound Blaster line include THX TruStudio PC audio technology, bringing together two of the most respected names in sound quality to provide an unparalleled audio experience on the PC."

Lenovo today announced the Lenovo Skylight, the first ARM-based smartbook based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset platform. Skylight harnesses the best of smartphones and netbooks to create a new mobile consumer device. With a stunningly sleek and slim design, all day battery life, robust wireless connectivity and custom interface with live web gadgets, Skylight is designed to transform the mobile Internet experience. The Skylight smartbook connects with AT&T 3G mobile broadband service in the U.S.

"The web has become the window to the world for more and more people, helping them connect with friends and family across town or thousands of miles away," said Peter Gaucher, executive director, Mobile Internet Product Management, Lenovo. "Skylight combines the long battery life and connectivity of a smartphone with the full web browsing and multimedia experience of a netbook to create one of the first devices in this developing smartbook category. Consumers want choices. They can now choose from a full portfolio of Lenovo mobile consumer devices including netbooks, smartbooks and laptops."

The first official public beta of Windows 7 launches today (Build 7000), but already there is a serious bug which can corrupt your mp3 files. Although it will not render them unplayable, it has the potential to cut off the first 2 or 3 seconds of the mp3 recording. According to a poster on the Neowin.net forums:

The problem only happens when you edit metadata on a certain class of MP3 file (a file with a header larger than 16KB). When the new metadata is written, it corrupts the beginning of the file. This can happen either when you edit the metadata from inside WMP or Explorer, or it can happen if you have WMP set to automatically fill in missing metadata using the online service and add the MP3 to your library. This problem is only present in the recently leaked build (7000)

This same problem has been noted on Microsofts MSDN and TechNet websites when you click to download the beta:

To protect your MP3 files
1. Before you install this Beta release, back up all MP3 files that might be accessed by the computer, including those on removable media or network shares.
2. Install the Beta release of Windows 7; download and install the Update to Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) located on this page.

Although there is no official support page for KB961367 yet, Microsoft have the updates ready for download.

You can download the 32-bit (x86) version here and the 64-bit (x64) version here.

That's right, a new 22" widescreen monitor by AOC, the 2230Fm is a PC monitor. It supports DVI-D and D-Sub VGA and HDMI inputs and sports a native resolution of 1680 x 1050 px. Stylish looks aside it adds a nifty feature that makes it a media-center in itself, the feature is called HD3.

Says AOC: "HD3 defines a new category in high definition displays with its built-in media player, allowing consumers, for the first time, to view movies without the use of an external DVD player or PC. With the 2230Fm, simply load a film onto a memory device, plug it into the display and use AOC's proprietary, user-friendly menu and remote control to enjoy a movie PC-free. AOC's first HD3 Display is the 2230Fm, a combination of multi-functional high-definition video capabilities and stylish, 360° design that provides a stunning array of features all developed to cater to the digital needs of today's consumers."

Simply put, the monitor has a 4-in-1 digital media reader and has three USB 2.0 ports. You can connect a USB flash-drive. You do have flash-drives with really high capacities these days capable of carrying Hi-resolution videos, also that in some European countries a new video-download facility has come up where you download movies onto a flash drive in public shacks a-la ATMs. Apart from videos, this device can view images up to 8000 x 8000 px, and play audio files from its integrated stereo speakers. It remains to be seen if the USB 2.0 hub could connect to external hard drives or external optical drives. That would make it a full-on media center. It lacks a TV-tuner though. The embedded media software looks pretty intutive, The 2230Fm supports MPEG-1, 2, and 4 video formats. the supported audio format are too numerous to list, but they include MP3, WMA, WAVE, OGG-Vorbis, FLAC, and M4A. Supported photo formats include JPG, TIFF, PNG, BMP, and GIF images with resolutions up to 8000x8000 pixels.

The monitor has a 2ms response time making it ideal for gaming consoles and gaming PCs, it has a respectable 20,000:1 contrast ratio. It is priced at a US $399 and will be available next month onwards. Talk about convenience.

Napster Inc. begins selling MP3s Tuesday, a move the online music service hopes will lure iPod users and turn around Napster's sliding fortunes. The company is the latest to make the switch to the unrestricted file format, which makes it music tracks compatible with virtually any music player or other device.

Napster Inc. said Sunday it will begin selling music downloads as unprotected MP3 files in the spring, joining other online retailers. The file format change will apply only to single tracks and album purchases, according to a company press release. Tracks downloaded as part of the company's music subscription service will continue to have copyright restrictions. Unlike music files that come with copy protections embedded, MP3 files are compatible with most portable music devices, including Apple Inc.'s market-leading iPod media players, Microsoft Corp.'s Zune and mobile phones that play music. "The ubiquity and cross-platform compatibility of MP3s should create a more level playing field for music services and hardware providers and result in greater ease of use and broader adoption of digital music," Chris Gorog, Napster's chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. The company did not say which record companies had agreed to license music for sale as MP3s via Napster.

Denis Kvasov has just manged to get off with no charges for his wildly known site ALLOFMP3.com. The site has been shut down by Russia, because of the conditions set by the World Trade Organization. For that reason Denis Kvasov had to face Russia's court, and face all sorts of fines and jail time for breaking copyright laws. In the end it seems that he lucked out with weak, and poorly written copyright laws in the country. The charges simply could not be held against him, and he has been let go without any kind of punishment held against him.

You may think twice before listening to you iPod during a thunderstorm after reading this story. A number of cases in the US suggest that listening to an iPod (or presumably any other device that uses headphones) can increase the severity of injuries suffered if you are struck by lightning. Obviously there aren't too many cases of people being struck by lightning in general, so the evidence is a little patchy, but the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine claims that while lightning will normally flash over a victim's skin (admittedly that is harmful enough by itself), the iPod's headphones can act as a conductor and direct a bolt of electricity straight into a listener's ear, potentially rupturing eardrums. One case is of a 37 year old man who was struck by lightning when jogging passed a tree listening to music. "Although the use of a device such as an iPod may not increase the chances of being struck by lightning, in this case, the combination of sweat and metal earphones directed the current to, and through, the patient's head," the doctors wrote - as a result the man lost over 50% of his hearing. So although it is relatively rare, you may want to keep this in mind if you want to get the safest experience whilst being struck by lightning.

Bang & Olufsen has announced the 'Beosound 6', a 4GB flash player which will retail at £400.
This somewhat expensive gadget comes with a £20 worth leather case and pair of £90 worth B&O A8 earphones meaning it will cost you about £400 or almost 700euros.
Make no mistake, if this gadget had something more to offer than just MP3 playback i would give it a go but it doesnt..No Video , No FM...Just MP3 playback.
The Lcd screen is also a rather small 1.8 incher and the controls are circa 2005...For 700euros you could get the PS3 and have money to spare...