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Rhapsody ditches (some) DRM, selling MP3s with Verizon and Yahoo
Filed under: Portable Audio

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]
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Synchrotech adds slightly better MicroU2E-MV USB ExpressCard adapter
Filed under: Laptops, Peripherals

Not exactly a huge upgrade, but that MicroU2E from last year has been revved to support 1.5v ExpressCards -- and with more volts comes more supported devices. It's still about fifty bones, should you need one for your MacBook (Air) or whatever other ExpressCardless machine you've got kicking around.

[Via Macsimum News]
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Mitsubishi's new iSP 149 series LCDs have it all in one place
Filed under: Displays, HDTV, Home Entertainment

If you're a lazy ass consumer (the very best kind), bent on pulling a device out of the box, plugging it into a wall, and never messing with another bit of "setup" again, you're certainly not alone. In fact, most folks never lift a finger to calibrate their displays, plug better speakers in, or place those speakers in actually advantageous spots. To that end, Mitsubishi is debuting its new LT-46149 and LT-52149 LCDs with integrated 16-speaker sound projectors. Similar to the sound bars offered up by many home audio manufacturers, the "Integrated Sound Projector" (iSP) is designed to bounce sound off walls and around the room to give the illusion of surround sound. The perk of TV integration is an easy to use room configuration on-screen tool to specify your room's dimensions, couch placement and preferred sweet spot size. At the end of the day, your sound is all coming from one spot, so directionality isn't going to quite match a for-realsie surround sound setup, and the system we listened to was a little sharp in the high end, but it's certainly a unique and appealing offering from Mitsu to the everyman TV watcher. The TV itself is CableCard ready, can support sound over HDMI and PCM inputs, and offers Mitsu's 120Hz film dejuddering -- that rather awkwardly makes your favorite films look like they were shot by a TV news crew. The 46-inch and 52-inch LCDs will sell for $3,299 and $3,699, respectively.
Gallery: Mitsubishi's new iSP 149 series LCDs have it all in one place
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GLaDOS GPS voice pack just wants to help you find your way. To the morgue.
Filed under: Gaming, GPS

An enterprising nerd by the name of Ryan VanMiddlesworth is clearly a bigger Portal fan than you, since he's cobbled together a GLaDOS-simulating voice pack for Garmin Nüvis. Just don't try to prevent "GLaGPS" from constantly trying to divert you to cake-related points of interest, else you may find yourself tossing your Garmin into an incinerator. Video after the break.
Continue reading GLaDOS GPS voice pack just wants to help you find your way. To the morgue.
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Local public school students get assigned Zunes
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
The latest edu-gimmick to hit small-town America: Liberty, Missouri's handing out a hundred and change media players -- Zunes, to be specific -- to local high school and middle school students for listening to lesson-supporting podcasts in the hopes of saving them "lost class time." Surely this will raise test scores, right? Or at least improve the Zune's cachet? Who knows -- even the district superintendent said, "Is it the next great thing? I don't know. Maybe. But it is another tool." Maybe the Kindle might make a better tool, but either way, Microsoft apparently intends to release data on the case study later this year.
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MetroPCS MetroFlash welcomes Verizon, Sprint customers -- and their devices
Filed under: Cellphones
MetroPCS may not have the largest wireless footprint in the States, but they did take a jab at the larger two CDMA carriers by announcing their intention to take on any Verizon and Sprint customers ready to jump ship -- as well as any "compatible" devices they may want to bring along with them. Sprint already supposedly does this (although we've still yet to hear of it actually really happening), but the specifics of MetroPCS's MetroFlash seem equally unclear. It doesn't sound like they'll reprogram just any CDMA device that walks through their doors, though, just the ones they've had a chance to test on their network. Definitely kills the buzz (and the number of devices that can be ported), but a little open is still kind of better than totally closed, right?

[Via Seattle P-I and Mobility Site]
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Guitar Hero: Aerosmith gets unboxed, rag-covered mic stand not found
Filed under: Gaming

Well, what do you know? That Guitar Hero axe that was spotted a few months back on How I Met Your Mother was actually a sneak peek of the six string that comes bundled with the new Activision title. The unwavering rockers over at FW Labs were able to secure a copy of the game in Chile before most everyone else on the planet, and rather than enjoying their fortune without telling a soul, they decided to snap a host of photos and even upload a few videos of the experience. The new toys in the attic are right there in the read link.

[Thanks, David]
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Sony Vaio FW and SR series show up on Circuit City
Filed under: Laptops

We'd already heard the Vaio FW and SR series were due in short order, but they've since apparently shown up on Circuit City's site. The pages are down now, but the shots of the 16-inch FW (which looks pretty reminiscent of the old school Vaio Z-series) and 13.3-inch SR are still live, indicating model designations VGN-FW140EH and VGN-SR140EB. We'll keep you in the know.

[Via Notebook Review]

Gallery: Sony Vaio FW and SR series show up on Circuit City
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Been itching to overclock your Mac Pro? No problem.
Filed under: Desktops

Well what do you know, ZDNet's German bureau has apparently released a functioning overlocking tool (ZDNet Clock) for Mac Pros and Xserves. Vater Steve doesn't look kindly upon such things, but with a little luck (and a lot of cooling) you might be able to eke out a few hundred extra MHz from your aluminum clad box without tipping off any Geniuses the next time you bring it in for repair. Unfortunately, for the time being it only appears to work on newer Pros and Xserves -- not laptops or iMacs -- running the latest release of Leopard.

[Via Computerworld]
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Three WD VelociRaptors get setup in RAID 5 array, testing ensues
Filed under: Storage

Western Digital's hasty VelociRaptor already got reviewed by its lonesome, but for those thinking of getting a RAID system into their rig, HotHardware has taken a trio of 'em, setup a RAID 5 array and put the drives through their collaborative paces. The configuration was made possible thanks to an Areca PCIe X8 hardware RAID card, and the results were rather impressive -- to no one's surprise, might we add. Across the entire volume, performance was generally linear save for a few small valleys along the way, burst speed was 598MB/sec and average read speed was 209.4MB/sec, which pretty much blew the doors off of everything that came before it. Number lovers, there's more where this came from in the read link below.
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Cizmo's CX1730M gaming laptop packs a wallop
Filed under: Laptops

Okay, so maybe Cizmo's CX1730M is based heavily on Clevo's M570TU, but it's still one beast of a machine. This 17-inch monster packs a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 160GB SATA hard drive, WSXGA+ panel, a 2-megapixel webcam, dual-layer DVD burner (or optional Blu-ray drive), NVIDIA's 512MB GeForce 8800M GTX and a plethora of ports. Amazingly, this one tips the scales at "just" 8.7-pounds, which actually isn't half bad for a unit this potent. Additionally, it looks as if you can order this puppy in a variety of hues -- including the above pictured camouflage -- right now starting at €1,427 ($2,249).

[Via NotebookItalia]
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Hello? McFly 2015 Nikes to be resurrected as Nike Hyperdunks
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Remember those cool Nike high-tops that Marty McFly wore in Back to the Future? The ones that laced themselves and you wished you had a pair just like them? If so, listen up: Nike is releasing the Marty McFly 2015's as the Nike Hyperdunks. They won't lace themselves, unfortunately, but will be made of Nike's super light-weight materials. They'll be shilled by Kobe Bryant in black, and we'll be surprised if the Back to the Future roots of these shoes will be shown the light in order to keep the cool young'ns interested, but we all know the truth behind these bitchin' kicks. Hoverboard sold separately.
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Subaru features STELLA electric car at G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit
Filed under: Transportation

With just about every other automaker on the planet champing at the bit to showcase its newest electric prototypes, Subaru's doing its best to hang on to the briskly moving bandwagon. Said company has just recently announced that its plug-in STELLA concept will be showcased at the upcoming G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, and four of the five on hand will actually be used to "transport government officials and other participants" while the other offers itself up for test drives. The four-seat vehicle in question utilizes the same EV (electric vehicle) system employed in the R1e, suggesting that it can cruise around 80-kilometers (50 miles) on a full charge and hit a top speed of 100km/h (or just over 62mph).

[Via AutoblogGreen]
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Creative's ZEN X-Fi player with WiFi gets a lot more real
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wireless

The Creative kids over at epiZENter have what looks to be a genuine scoop of an unannounced ZEN X-Fi. Not only did they receive this supposedly leaked photo, they also managed to dig out a "ZEN X-Fi Starter Pack" (software and user guide) from the bowels of Creative's own site. Accordingly, we're looking at a new DAP with SD expansion and built-in WiFi, speaker, FM tuner, voice recorder, and the ability to stream media from Creative's "Public Media Server." Additionally, users can chat with Yahoo! Messenger and Microsoft Live! users thanks to the 9-button, cellphone-like keypad. More details and genuflecting lie just beyond the read link.

[Thanks Tony and everyone who sent this in]

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Dell's new E-Series gets first official mention
Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

At this point, there's very little you don't know about Dell's upcoming Latitude E-series of laptops thanks to our Week O' Dell Scoops. Only the official pricing and launch dates for these DisplayPort, eSATA, and Centrino 2 D-series laptop replacements (and new XT2 Convertible) have eluded us. While we expected the Mainstream and Essential Es to hit this month, we suspect Intel had a little something to do with that delay. However, by making a somewhat official appearance on Dell's website, we're guessing that we'll see an annoucement before mid-July or the first week of August at the latest.

[Thanks, Matthew M.]
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The Bill Day giveaway (part 4) - Windows Vista Ultimate
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops

Hey, if Bill can give away tens of billions of dollars, the least we can do to celebrate his last day is to give away some Microsoft-powered stuff, right? Next up: a full, non-upgrade copy of Windows Vista Ultimate.
- Leave a comment below. Tell us about your favorite Microsoft-powered product. Or your favorite Apple product, too, since Bill totally bailed those guys out back in '97.
- You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
- If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
- Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winner will be chosen randomly. That winner will get a brand new full, non-upgrade copy of Windows Vista Ultimate. Approximate value is $200.
- Entries can be submitted until Sunday, June 29th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
- Full rules can be found here.
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