This little piggy went into your ear

Here at CNET Asia, if there's one advice we dish out regularly, it's to always ditch the stock earbuds that come with your MP3 player and get a better pair. Featuring this product may seem counter to that because there's very little likelihood it will sound much better than the earphones that come with your portable player. But truth be told, the novelty factor of these Buta Earphones from Japanese site Green House is too great to resist.

Available in three colors (pink, black and white), one earbud has the front half of the pig, while the other has the tail end. These are made of soft silicone and come with additional earbuds to match your ear orifice size. It is available online for about US$12.

Via Engadget

INNO's latest MP3 player hangs by a thread

The last time we heard from South Korea-based INNO, it was launching a pink Barbie MP3 player that looked a lot like an old-fashioned makeup compact. The company has apparently gone beyond that phase, thankfully, but it apparently is set on making some kind of fashion statement anyway.

The INNO B0 is meant to be worn as a pendant, acccording to Newlaunches, available in such designer hues as "cacao black". But the pattern sacrifices other basic features in this coin-sized 1GB player, such as a display. That makes it pretty pricey at US$60, even with the Peter Max-style design.

Via CNET Crave

Apple's iTunes hits 5 billion mark

The path to world domination is paved in round numbers, especially big ones like this: 5 billion.

That's the number of songs that have been purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store, Apple said Thursday. (Actually, for the record, the press release says "over 5 billion".)

That shouldn't be surprising, of course. Apple's iTunes store has long overshadowed the rest of the music download scene. Rivals have launched many an assault, but even e-commerce competitors as savvy as Amazon.com still face quite an uphill battle--sales of songs at nine-month-old AmazonMP3, the No. 2 digital music store, are only a tenth the volume of those at iTunes, according to market researcher NPD Group.

Apple is, in fact, the largest music retailer in the US, period, having pushed past Wal-mart Stores earlier this year. And it seems to be making a healthy profit from its iTunes operations. No wonder many a politician is toying with the notion of taxing digital downloads.

The company also said on Tuesday that iTunes customers are toting up purchases and rentals of more than 50,000 movies per day.

Via CNET Crave

Sony releases minor updates for PS3, PSP

PlayStation 3 owners will find an update available for their console's firmware now. According to Sony, version 2.36 will offer increased "system stability when playing select PlayStation format software titles". It's not the most specific description we've ever heard, but we'll take any upgrades we can get.

What we're really looking forward to is the recently confirmed 2.40 upgrade that will allow for in-game utilization of the XMB (cross-media bar)--something Xbox 360 owners have been able to take for granted since the system's launch. Also available in the next major update will be the once-rumored "trophy" system, the PS3 answer to Xbox Achievement points. No word yet on when we can expect the big 2.4 update.

Also getting the new firmware treatment is the Sony PSP. The latest version 4.00 doesn't have too much to brag about besides a Google search option in its XMB and a few new video playback options.

We'll have more on the PS3's big 2.4 update in the coming weeks. What else would you like to see in this update? Let us know by sounding off in the comments section.

Via CNET Crave

Report: YouTube begins experimenting with long-form video

Short clips have always been YouTube's bread and butter, but with the company struggling to generate revenue, the Web's No. 1 video-sharing site is experimenting with long-form videos.

YouTube has for a long time allowed several videographers with a YouTube director's account to post videos longer than the standard 10-minute maximum allowed on the site.

But the company now seems more serious about offering long-form videos more widely. During the Los Angeles Film Festival this week, YouTube began pitching independent directors about showcasing their work on the site, according to a story published Wednesday at the Web site of Fortune magazine.

Examples of clips available on the site that already surpass the 10-minute limit are an entire episode from Showtime Network's The Tudors, a series about Elizabethan England, and a 90-minute comedy called Howard Buttelman, Daredevil Stuntman. YouTube was not immediately available for comment.

The experiments with longer videos come as YouTube struggles to cash in on its huge audience. Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said this several times this year, and lifting the length of videos means that YouTube may get a crack at full-length TV shows and films.

Via CNET News

Crave is...

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (2201)

» Digital Cameras (970)

» Notebooks (1224)

» PC & Peripherals (1300)

» Handhelds (581)

» Printers (80)

» Home AV (1135)

» Music & Play (884)

» Gadgets (1470)

» Future Tech (387)

» Green Tech (170)

» Lifestyle (152)

» Luxury (22)

» Home Appliances (57)

» Cars (98)

» Games and Gear (244)

» Software (92)

» Web (101)

Previously...

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Hot Topics

Subscribe to
Crave

What's Hot

apple apple inc. apple iphone apple ipod asia battery camera game google inc. iphone microsoft corp. microsoft windows mobile phone photograph singapore smart phone software sony corp. video

Today on CNET |  Reviews |  Crave |  Blogs |  CNET TV |  Digital Living |  Downloads