Articles about Music

Fedora is a wonderful Linux distribution, as it is both stable and modern. One of the biggest selling points of the operating system is that is relies on truly free open source software. This means it won't have patented or closed-source non-free packages by default. Of course, in-the-know Fedora users often added these needed packages after the fact by using third-party repositories, such as RPM Fusion.

Over the years, one of the biggest pain points for Fedora was a lack of MP3 playback due to its FOSS focus. For someone switching from Windows or Mac, it could be very surprising and upsetting that they couldn't do something as simple as play a song, or rip/convert a CD to MP3. This will soon become a thing of the past, as both MP3 decoding and encoding are coming to the operating system by default. Unfortunately, this is a case of "too little too late," as the concept of storing music locally is becoming obsolete.

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When it comes to privacy concerns, the mind naturally drifts to the likes of Facebook, Microsoft and Google. But in reality, there is the potential for privacy issues with any connected device -- and that includes Bluetooth headphones from Bose.

Illustrating this is a man from Illinois who has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts-based audio company for "secretly collecting, transmitting, and disclosing its customers' private music selections to third parties, including a data mining company." Kyle Zak alleges that his Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless Bluetooth headphones and the associated Bose Connect app gathered information about him, and sold it on to third parties including Segment.io.

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While camping is all about getting in touch with nature, technology certainly has a place. For instance, you could build a fire by rubbing some sticks together, but matches or a lighter will make things far easier. Navigating by the stars or with a compass are legitimate ways to get around, but GPS can be much better.

For many, music is a necessary part of the camping experience -- playing their favorite tunes while sitting by the fire. Many Bluetooth speakers will meet that need, but today, ECOXGEAR announces an impressive durable model made for the outdoors. Called the "EcoSlate," it also serves as a 200 lumen lantern and USB battery pack. It charges using micro USB and it features a 3.5mm audio jack for devices without Bluetooth.

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At Facebook's F8 conference yesterday, much of the attention was focused on virtual reality, augmented reality -- anything that breaks out of vanilla reality. But there were other things of arguably greater interest, and for music fans there was news of the Spotify bot for Facebook Messenger.

Facebook has been throwing a lot at bots recently, and it's little surprise that big names like Spotify are getting in on the action. For the music streaming service, the bot serves a dual purpose: giving useful functionality to Messenger users, while simultaneously pushing people into taking up a subscription.

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Now that the weather is getting better, many people will start spending more time in their backyard. One of the most rewarding spring or summer activities is having a barbecue with friends and family -- food can really bring people together. One aspect of a successful outdoor party is good music. If you don't have some decent sounding audio equipment, your guests may not have a good time.

Today, Bose announces some new speakers that are well-designed for outdoor parties, relaxing near the pool, or trips to the beach. The SoundLink Revolve and Revolve+ Bluetooth speakers feature 360 degree sound, so you do not have to worry about the position to satisfy all of your guests. The larger plus model even has a really cool built-in carry handle. While they are a bit pricey, the cost is surprisingly reasonable given the Bose branding.

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Bluetooth speakers can be very convenient, as they are often designed to be compact and portable. With that said, the wireless connection can be used in tabletop speakers too. After all, sometimes you just want to connect a phone or tablet while relaxing at home -- a battery is not needed. In fact, home speaker systems can sometimes have better and louder sound, thanks to bigger speakers and the ability to move them apart for better stereo separation.

Today, Logitech announces a new speaker system called "Z537 Powerful Sound With Bluetooth." This 2.1 system features dual satellites and a subwoofer. You can connect devices to it wirelessly, but also via a wire. You can easily switch between the two connection types too. Unfortunately, bass control is located on the rear of the subwoofer -- not the control pod.

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Spring is officially here, and for many people, that signals the start of cleaning their homes. "Spring Cleaning," as it is typically called, sees people throwing out unused items, donating old clothes, and rearranging clutter.

If you aren't in the mood for cleaning, Microsoft is offering a less responsible alternative -- shopping. The company's "Spring Sale" starts tomorrow and offers amazing deals on video games, apps, music, TV shows, movies, and hardware. There is great content to be had for Windows, Xbox One, and even Xbox 360. If you need a Windows PC, Microsoft will be offering 33 percent off select models too.

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For anyone looking to stream music and movies around their home to various devices, Plex is a solid media server solution that won’t hurt your pocket; it's free! But things are about to get even better for Plex Pass subscribers thanks to the arrival of the Plex Pass Perks hub.

Depending on where you are in the world, you might be able to bag yourself a discounted external hard drive or NAS to use with your server, and there is the promise that new deals will be added all the time.

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We are officially in the season of spring, meaning summer is right around the corner. Before you know it, it will be time to barbecue some meat, frolic on the beach, and go swimming in the pool. Quite frankly, summer is probably my favorite of the four seasons thanks to all of the possible activities.

A big part of summer fun is listening to your favorite music. Yeah, you can use your smartphone's integrated speaker, but that is hardly an enjoyable experience -- especially outdoors. For better clarity and volume, a Bluetooth speaker is a wise investment. Ultimate Ears is well known for its amazing portable speakers, and today, it announces a new model. Called "WONDERBOOM," not only is it waterproof (IP67-certified), but it floats on its own too. In other words, you can toss it in the pool without worry.

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Plex has introduced a new feature that makes it possible to store media files in the cloud.

Plex Cloud has been in beta for some time, but it's now available to anyone with a Plex Pass subscription, and it works with Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive.

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As a fan of Hip-Hop music, I spent a lot of my time as a young man digging through crates and collecting vinyl records. Many of my weekends were spent searching for gems in NYC at record stores such as Fat Beats and Beat Street -- it was a lot of fun. Today, I have probably over a thousand records -- many of which cannot be found on digital music services, meaning owning a record player is still a must.

Believe it or not, there are many modern turntables on the market nowadays, as the medium still has a big following. Today, Pyle releases an unusual model that plays the records vertically. While not the first player to do so, it is still out of the ordinary. In addition, it has a USB port for transferring the analog records to digital, plus Bluetooth for playing modern devices using the turntable's integrated speakers.

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Headphone manufacturers must make deliberate audio signature decisions when crafting cans. Some shops, like GradoLabs, adopt a house sound. Relative newcomer Master & Dynamic's design ethic seeks to equally please eyes and ears. As such, its flagship wired headphones (MH40) and wireless (MW60) share similar industrial design. Aluminum, lambskin, leather, and stainless steel combine in rugged style that evokes aviators of a bygone era. The newer MW50 Bluetooth headphones strongly resemble the other two, but they're tuned for younger listeners on the move.

M&D's earlier cans are over-ear—meaning they cover the lobes, while the MW50 rest on them. The headphones are smaller and lighter than either the MH40 or MW60, but with most of the overall benefits of the latter, including excellent wireless reception. On-ear headphones can be uncomfortable to wear and leak in too much ambient noise. The MW50 push past both typical limitations, which, honestly, surprises me. I personally don’t find the design to be as attractive as the over-the-ear cans. It’s about the ear cups, which function matters more, however. The lambskin-covered ear pads are immensely comfortable, and the MW50 arguably are better all-around-wear than their siblings. I would take them outdoors on a walk, for example.

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During Consumer Electronics Show 2017 yesterday, in licensing partnership with MQA, music streamer Tidal announced the new audio-fidelity tier "Masters", which is available for free to existing HiFi subscribers. Early album selection is extremely limited as is access option: macOS or Windows application. Both will expand in time.

But wow! I tested skeptically, wiring up my studio cans—Audio-Technica ATH-R70x—to 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to hear the difference. Hehe, if any. I deliberately started with Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" from album "Rumors", which released 40 years ago on February 4th. Tidal claims that Masters recordings deliver "an audio experience exactly as the artist intended". The band spent nearly a year painstakingly recording and engineering the disc, making any, or all, the songs great test cases. 

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Regardless of whether or not you're a country music fan, you almost certainly know the name Garth Brooks. The famed musician is married to another icon of that genre, Trisha Yearwood. While both still tour and remain popular performers, the latter can also be found cooking on Food Network, sometimes with her husband in the kitchen.

While Brooks retired years ago, it was simply in favor of spending time with his kids, and he's since made a comeback. But getting ahold of his music has proven troublesome.

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The music industry has come through all sorts of changes over the last few decades, but it was the birth of the MP3 that many warned was the death knell for record shops.

In recent years however, vinyl has made a major comeback, and in the UK digital sales have just been overtaken by sales of the groovy black platters. For purists, enthusiasts, and fans of certain musical genres, vinyl has never gone out of fashion, but in the run-up to Christmas it is proving more popular than ever.

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