Portable Linux rave machine

If your old iPod is gathering dust, why not use pdPod to turn it into a drum machine or a synthesizer? pdPod is an iPod version of a free, open-source application called Pure Data, used by experimental musicians with a mind for math and too much time on their hands. Installing it on an iPod isn't easy, but it sounds like a worthwhile weekend project if you're a musician with an extra iPod laying around.

To get the pdPod software up and running, you first need to load the Linux-based Podzilla iPod operating system as a foundation. Once that's done, follow the instructions on the pdPod wiki and cross your fingers. A video of the results are shown below.

Via Create Digital Music, Crave

Philips turns heads again with new media player

Our infatuation with all things Philips has spanned a broad range from land-line phones and iPod speakers to dirt-free mice and giraffe-necked laptops, with an occasional remote thrown in for good measure (It should be noted that this crush is based on looks alone, as any good infatuation should be).

So it comes as little surprise that this affinity now extends to its new "Streamium" SA9345 media player, which upholds the company's standards for European aesthetics with a sleek and thin design destined first for the UK market. Where its technicals are concerned, the video and audio player has a 1.8-inch touch-sensitive LCD and comes with either 2GB or 4GB of storage.

But as phones and media players continuing to evolve toward one another, we'd just as soon wait for such features to be built into something like the Philips 598 music phone--the true object of our affection.

PSP Slim and Lite debuts at S$280

The wait is finally over. Gamers in Singapore who have resisted buying the parallel import models of the PSP Slim and Lite can now finally get their hands on the official local release version of the handheld gaming console from October 10. It is expected to retail for S$280 (GST included) and be available in three colors--Piano Black, Ceramic White and Ice Silver. We are still waiting for confirmation from Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong (SCEH) on the new PSP's availability in other parts of Asia.

According to the press release, the PSP Slim and Lite has an almost identical footprint as the original version, but as the name suggests, it is also slimmer and lighter. In fact, Sony claims that the new PSP is 33 percent lighter (189g) and 19 percent slimmer (18.6mm), making it more comfortable to hold. The reduced form factor is partly due to the thinner battery and possibly the manual UMD cover. The earlier PSP has a catch that pops the UMD cover.

On the performance front, the PSP Slim and Lite promises better battery efficiency as well as loading times. The key feature, however, is the video-out function which allows users to play games as well as view pictures and videos on TV. One of our bloggers who managed to get his hands on the TV-out cable has the full details on this function. You can read more about it here.

Introducing the Nike Hatphone

Nike is adding headgear to its ever-growing list of gadgetry. You can keep your ears warm and filled with music with the Nike Performance Hatphones. Yes, you guessed it--a cozy skullcap with a pocket for your iPod nano. The controls and built-in headphones easily adjust to fit your ears, just in time for those cold winter runs. For US$60, I think I would rather buy some new music and wear my old woolly hat and headphones, but I am sure someone will buy one.

Via CNET Crave

First free Wiimote sleeves, now free DS stylii

Last week, you might have read about Nintendo giving away free Wiimote sleeves. Well, that's not the only swag you can get from the Big N in exchange for a serial number. Proud owners of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass can order their own free, feather-shaped stylus. Just register your game at Nintendo.com, fill out a short survey, and you'll get a shiny new stylus in four to six weeks. It's neither the most useful stylus (it probably won't fit in the DS Lite's stylus slot), nor is it the most Zelda-centric (is a tiny plastic Master Sword too much to ask?), but it's a neat little free toy you can get for 2 minutes' worth of clicking and typing.

Offering a free stylus with a completely stylus-controlled game like Phantom Hourglass is a good move, but Nintendo has missed a rather important detail: You need Phantom Hourglass so you can enter its serial number and register it. After that, it takes four to six weeks to get the stylus. Unless you have the patience of a saint, you're just not going to go that long without playing the Zelda game you just purchased. Your game will probably have been long-beaten by the time you finally get the stylus. Still, it's a free stylus!

The feather isn't Nintendo's only registration promotion. If you register Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day, you can get a DS Lite gift box of seven colored stylii. They're standard DS Lite stylii, though; no fancy shapes or engravings or whatnot. Still, it's seven free stylii!

Now, the bad news for those in Asia. Maxsoft, the distributor of Nintendo products in Southeast Asia, has informed CNET Asia that the stylus promotion is for US customers and not available in this region.

Via CNET Crave

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