iTunes or Spiral Frog - you decide ?

Could this be a new rival to iTunes? Well, I doubt it as we know very little about what Spiral Frog will have to offer by way of artists, compatibility and terms of services, but it certainly looks interesting.

The idea behind the site, which is due to launch in December 2006, is that tracks will be free, with everything funded by advertising.

From their website: "New York, August 29, 2006; SpiralFrog, the new music download destination, has signed an agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, to make UMG's extensive catalog available for legal downloading in the US and Canada via SpiralFrog's advertising-supported service.SpiralFrog will offer users of its no-cost web-based service the ability to legally download music by many of the world's most popular and award-winning artists."

All sounds very interesting, to keep up-to-date on developments head over the Spiral Frog's website.

New fresh look for Geekanoids

After a busy night getting things all in place and looking sweet, we have moved away from the old green and orange look to the fresh new look that you see now. I hope you like it and continue to visit Geekanoids for all the latest tech, gadget and Mac related news.

FileMaker Pro 8.5 at Mac Expo 2006

Head on down to the London Mac Expo between 26th - 28th October. As well as a plethora of Macinotsh goodness, The FileMaker Business Solutions Village returns to MacExpo and will be of particular interest to small businesses looking for solutions to track everything from digital images to product deliveries. Come and see the NEW! FileMaker 8.5. Learn how to add the Web Viewer to your solutions and add 'live' information to your database records.
In addition to getting a guided tour of FileMaker 8.5, visitors to the Business Solutions Village will have the opportunity to meet a number of FileMaker Developers, software professionals and publishers who will demonstrate their business solutions and industry specific packages. FileMaker Developers are also able to build effective and bespoke solutions for small businesses whatever business sector they operate in.

Battery woes for so many !

I suspect that many of you have already seen on the news about Dell recalling over 4 million of their laptop batteries. It seems that these came out of the same Sony manufacturing plant that supplies the likes of Lenovo, HP and Apple. Links to specific pages at the end of this article.

Apple have now recalled 1.8 million batteries from certain 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops. The procedure is simple, fill in a form and Apple will send you a replacement battery in about 4-6 weeks, you then use the same packaging and prepaid label to ship your old battery back.

Dell and HP offer similar replacement procedures, though I could not test the exact procedure as I did not have the relevant details to enter on their website. I could not find anything on the Lenovo website about this.

Link to Apple Battery Recall.
Link to HP Battery Recall.
Link to Dell Battery Recall.

5.1 Surround Sound Anyone?

When I first saw details of the Griffin Firewave I almost wet my pants, I would have paid a lot more (don't tell anyone) for such a device. It took a long time materialising, but it is finally here.

Griffin Technology Inc., announced today that they have begun shipping FireWave, their affordable 5.1 Surround Sound solution for Macintosh. Price is US $99.99 which will probably equate to £80 or so.

FireWave extends to Mac users the ability to affordably and effectively upgrade their sound systems by way of their FireWire ports — with spectacular results.

FireWave's small size makes it easy to incorporate into any computer setup, and makes it portable enough for use with laptops. FireWave gets its power through the FireWire connection, so there are no separate cables, batteries, or power supplies to tote. FireWave's extra FireWire port lets you daisy-chain other FireWire devices, so it won't hog your FireWire port.

FireWave lets you enjoy Dolby Digital encoded DVDs in 5.1 surround, or use Dolby Prol Logic II to make any audio source alive, whether from iTunes, QuickTime, or streaming audio. In addition, FireWave’s support of multi-channel playback from cross-platform OpenAL games like World of Warcraft and Unreal Tournament make it a must-have for gamers.

Technical Specifications:
Complies with IEEE1394 specification
Sample Rates supported:
32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz and 96kHz playback in MBLA mode (non-Dolby)
32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz in Dolby Pro Logic II
48kHz Encoded Digital in Dolby Digital
Outputs: 6-Channel, 24-bit
Frequency Response: (-3dBr, 24-bit 48kHz input) = < 20Hz – 20kHz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 100dB
Powered by the Oxford Semiconductor FW970

Link to product.

Could this be a Nano killer?

So, you all know by now that I am an Apple fanboy, but credit where credit is due to Sandisk, for one-upping on the Nano by introducing an 8Gb capacity Sansa e280 MP3 player.

The pricing is pretty good too, with it coming in the same as a 4Gb Nano. I have heard good vibes about this player and although it is not iTunes friendly, the Mac should be able to see it as a removable device, so drag and drop of files would be possible. Plus you get a superb screen, movie and photo support, FM tuner with recording, voice recording, pouch, lanyard, need I go on...

No promises, but I hope to be able to get a unit and report back on its' click wheel, build, usability and other qualities soon.

From the Sandisk website: "The Sansa e200 Series MP3 players are the flagship products of SanDisks audio line. Created by the leaders in flash memory, this flash-based player provides everything you need for music, photo, and video clip playback".

World’s first 8GB Flash MP3 player, the largest capacity in the market
Sleek, thin design with large 1.8” TFT color screen for easy viewing
Strong alloy metal back casing provides excellent durability and scratch resistance
Simple to use, backlit controls for fast device interface navigation
User replaceable and rechargeable Lithium Ion battery for up to 20 hours of battery life
Includes the Sansa Media Converter to support all picture and video formats
Features microSD™ expansion slot for additional memory capacity
Supports SanDisk TrustedFlash and Gruvi content cards
Digital FM tuner, on-the-fly FM recording, and voice recording
Supports Subscription Music Stores

Link to product.

Griffin's Hi-Way to carry the Hi-Fi

Griffin Technology Inc., creator of all things iPod, today announced Hi-Way, a versatile, custom fit, roadworthy carrying case for Apple’s iPod Hi-Fi compact stereo.

Link to product.

Rock your house and shock the streets in style with the new Hi-Way. Griffin now gives you the ability to transport the big, rich sound of your compact iPod Hi-Fi sound system with ease.

Hi-Way is a unique combination of convenience and innovative features, designed to fit your Hi-Fi like a glove. Hi-Way’s outer shell is made of durable ballistic Nylon material to deflect real-world bumps and dings, while its soft inner lining keeps your Hi-Fi safe from scuffs and scratches.

Hi-Way includes lots of pockets and compartments for storing and organizing all your iPod cables and accessories, so you can keep everything your iPod needs all in one place. The padded adjustable shoulder strap makes toting Hi-Way a breeze, and the tough rubberized base and raised non-skid feet keep out grit and moisture.

Features
Soft inner lining to keep Hi-Fi safe from scuffs and scratches
Comfortable padded shoulder strap for easy toting
Lots of pockets for iPod accessories
Power cord pass-through lets you use Hi-Fi while it stays protected inside the case

Pricing & Availability
Protect your Hi-Fi investment with a Griffin Hi-Way case, priced at only $49.99 USD, available from www.griffintechnology.com and wherever quality iPod accessories are sold.
No UK pricing yet, so give it a few weeks and I am sure the info will filter through.

Jigsaw with some good Mac deals

For those of you wanting some good Mac deals, but can't find what you are looking for on the Apple Refurb Store. Check out Jigsaw Systems, I have used them for years, they offer great service and some excellent prices. Of note, for those of you wanting a G4 iBook (instead of the new MacBook) is a 12inch 1.33GHz at £499+VAT... no a bad deal !

Maplin bargain hard drive !

Looking for extra storage? Well, Maplin Electronics have this superb Seagate 300Gb External USB2 Hard Drive reduced from £169.99 to £99.99. I have seen one of these drives in action and they are a pretty neat (and stackable) solution.

Main features:
• High speed USB 2.0
• Sleek elegant structure actually dissipates heat so they run much cooler than any other external drives
• Hot-swappable so you can connect and disconnect without turning off your computer
• 7200 RPM spin speed
• Masive 16MB cache on this 400GB model
• 350Gs non operating shock resistance
• Whisper quiet acoustics
• Push button backup

New downloadable reviews

It gives me great pleasure to let you all know of a new service that will be appearing during September on Geekanoids.

We will be publishing our first full reviews of some products from Netgear (confirmed) and Griffin Technology (TBC). As well as the online review, we will also link to a full review which will be downloadable in PDF format. With 'fair use' you may download this review, print it, share it with as many people as you want, but most of all enjoy it! This will enable you to build up a valuable resource of reviews and product data courtesy of Geekanoids.

We will also be including links to the manufacturers product page and where possible links to datasheets containing the product(s) full specification.

Note: The only thing you cannot do is resell our reviews, or print them as part of your own publication without prior written permission.

FM Transmitters to become legal

For a long time now it has been illegal in the UK to use the small low power FM transmitters, you know, the type used by many iPod owners to get their sounds into their cars.
Well, it looks like this old law is about to be updated, which will allow these devices to be used legally.

Griffin Technology produce many flavours of this type of device, but my main interest lies with the iTrip Auto which not only sends the signal to your car stereo, it also charges your iPod too.

I hope to be getting one of these little wonders, so check back frequently to see the full review.

Griffin Technology also manufacture a wide range of products, many iPod related, but some other gems too. Check out the PowerBlock and Tempo, they sure do look the business.

Are wall plugged ethernet adaptors any good?

I often get asked if there is anything that can be done to improve the speed of an internet connection whilst using a laptop. Well I for one normaly sit comfortably, using my MacBook on a wireless connection. It is fine for blogging, email and general surfing, but sometimes if I want to grab a file or move something over to my desktop machine, things crawl a little.

The have been wall plug type ethernet devices for quite a while now, but the Netgear HDXB101 PowerLine HD Wall-plugged Starter kit claims that it offers up to 200Mbps. The website claims it "turns electrical (AC) outlets into Ethernet connections, capable of up to 200 Mbps. The HDXB101 contains 2 HDX101 adapters (also sold separately), which are simple to set-up; plug one HDX101 into an AC electrical outlet near your router and plug another HDX101 near the device you wish to network".

This sounds ideal, if only it lives up to expectations... I have contacted Netgear and hope that they will be able to supply a kit to enable me to post a full review on the website in the near future.

Link to product.