Technofile: X-oom.com has launched MP3 Hit Recorder 2, which enables you to record songs off internet radio stations. The software allows you to access 8,000 internet radio stations, record up to 20 radio streams and download up to 90 minutes of music at a time from artists or genres you select.
Then you can transfer the tracks to your MP3 player. X-oom.com seems to think this is legal, but that's their opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. However, this is just one of a number of similar programs out there.
Suddenly multimedia storage viewers are all the rage. Better known for digital cameras, Canon has launched a new range of digital media viewers, which allow you to store and view pictures, music and videos.
Now Epson has joined the bandwagon with the P3000 and P5000 multimedia storage viewers. The P3000 features a four-inch LCD screen and uses a new kind of filter system to produce ultra-sharp images.
Some 40GB of storage equates to about 2,300 files, and it will hold MP3, AAC and WMA audio, along with DiVX, MPEG and WMV video.
Out in October, it should be priced in the region of €525.
n Lexar has launched a USB flash memory drive which handily shows you how much capacity it has left on the side.
The JumpDrive Mercury features a rather clever Electronic Paper Display (EPD), which is very thin, shatter-proof and doesn't need any power. The drive also comes with the PowerToGo feature, which means you can carry around applications and documents, and it has advanced security, just in case you lose the thing. It will come in 1GB and 2GB versions.
n The technology world is old enough now for us to start feeling nostalgic when we see battered old Atari games consoles, or faded floppy-drive PCs. Plenty of manufacturers have realised this and Atari has started licensing some of its old games on key-rings - which goes to show how much memory storage has advanced.
The latest company to cash in is Nintendo, which has produced an alarm clock out of the original design for its Nintendo NES Controller. The alarm features sounds from Super Mario Brothers and it also has a built-in game. You can get it online from Thinkgeek.com for $24.99 (€19.65).
n Sony Ericsson has launched a mobile music download system. M-Buzz will appear on October 2nd, but you won't find the Beatles or Britney on it. Instead, this is a source for new music and undiscovered artists. The first two phones offering the M-Buzz will be the new W850i and W950i Walkman phones.
n The accessories for the ubiquitous iPod keep coming. The XtremeMac MicroMemo iPod voice recorder comes with a removable microphone and plugs into the dock connector to interface with your iPod. You can play recordings through the built-in speaker or earphones.
It has full iPod integration, with an on-screen display and one-touch recording in stereo or mono. It draws its power from the iPod so you won't need to lug around extra batteries. You can pick one up for about €47.
