Belly belt with built-in speakers for mums-to-be

I do not have kids. At this point it's looking unlikely that I ever will. And that might be a good thing for everyone involved, because I'm a horrible person. At least I do horrible things.

Take the Lullabelly, the Buzz Report's Gadget of the Week. It's a prenatal music belt with a built-in speaker that will play music to your baby in the womb. An expectant mother puts an iPod, smartphone, CD player, etc., into the belt's compartment and plugs it in to play soothing music for her baby. The idea is that nine months of this makes the baby smarter. I buy the theory, but I'm not the type to do things the right way.

If I had the Lullabelly I would not load it up with Mozart. I would not bombard my unborn baby with Bach or Beethoven. If I had a Lullabelly it would offer a brand new use for my 2GB of Slayer MP3s. My baby would be the toughest baby on the block.

But that's me. I'm sure responsible parents would actually use this as intended in hopes that they bear pitch-perfect offspring. There's actual science behind the idea, after all. So I'm not discounting the product, I'm just saying it's maybe not for everybody. Like me.

The Lullabelly comes in several polka dot patterns and sells in standard and deluxe packages (US$49 and US$55, respectively). The former includes a speaker for the baby only and the latter tosses in a dual earphone adapter and earphones with volume control for Mom.

Originally posted on CNET Crave

Philips' budget iPod/iPhone speaker

If you're looking for a small, tasteful, portable iPod speaker for less than US$100, you could do a lot worse than the unfortunately named Philips SBD7500. Its sound quality is middle-of-the-road, yet still sounds pleasant, and its operation is about as simple as it gets--with a power switch, volume control, and a bass boost switch.

There's nothing fancy about the specs or features--no radio, no Bluetooth, no clock, and no remote. It is iPhone-compatible, though, and there's something to be said for keeping things simple. That said, if you have an extra US$50 to throw at a portable speaker, the recently released Altec Lansing inMotion Classic is a better choice in every imaginable way.

Via CNET Crave

Should you get an E-P2 over the E-P1?

When Olympus announced the E-P2 Micro Four Thirds camera yesterday, I could almost hear E-P1 owners scream injustice in unison. It's not surprising if you consider that only five months have passed since the company's first shooter to employ such an imaging standard was launched.

Given the short duration between the announcements for these two snappers, I am guessing that when the E-P1 was launched, Olympus already had the specifications for the E-P2 confirmed. So why release an "incomplete" camera first? In some ways, we believe the E-P2 is what the E-P1 should have been in the first place.
Read more »

Spring Design's Alex e-reader pictures appear

Spring Design announced its Alex e-book reader just a day before Barnes & Noble introduced its Nook device, but until now, the Google Android-based device hasn't been seen in public.

That's no longer the case.

The folks at Maximum PC have taken photos of the dual-screen, 6-inch electronic paper display gadget in the flesh, and it’s just as strangely proportioned as the original mockup promised.

Read more of Spring Design's Alex e-reader pictures appear from ZDNet.

Flickr deepen photo-licensing relationship with Getty

Yahoo's Flickr site has deepened its relationship with photo-licensing power Getty Images so photographers can nominate their own photos for inclusion in Getty's Flickr Collection.

Previously, Getty decided which images it believed were commercially viable, and since the program launched in July 2008, it has put together a collection of more than 60,000 commercial images. Now photographers, instead of just being able to indicate that they're willing to be contacted by Getty, can actively submit a portfolio of images.

"A submission should include exactly 10 images that represent what you consider to be the best of your work. The Getty Images creative team will evaluate submissions based on style, subject matter, and technical skill," Andy Saunders, Getty's vice president of creative imagery, said in a statement. "If some or all of the photos--or other images from your photostream--are selected for the Flickr Collection on Getty Images, you will receive an invitation via FlickrMail. This invitation will clearly show Getty Images' initial selection of images and introduce the enrollment process."
Read more »

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