SanDisk Sansa slotMusic Player: The new Discman?

Following the announcement that SanDisk will attempt a renaissance of physical music media in the form of slotMusic microSD cards, the company is set to release an ultracheap Sansa MP3 player made specifically for the new album format. Dubbed the SanDisk Sansa slotMusic Player (creative, eh?), the device will sell for US$19.99 and is possibly the simplest MP3 player I've laid hands on.

There are virtually no features, no screen, and no internal memory. Simply pop a slotMusic card into the microSD slot on the left edge of the unit, plug the included headphones into the standard jack on the right edge, and hit play. Songs play in album order; you can pause playback and skip through tracks using buttons on the bottom of the device, and, of course, there are volume controls (by the headphone jack), but that about sums up the player's capabilities.
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MP3 players with removable batteries and cheap speakers--Ask the Editors

What ever happened to removable batteries? I'm not just talking about the alkaline variety, but the user-replaceable kind that were also rechargeable. It appears as if they have gone out of fashion, and many a frequent-flier is bummed. All is not lost, though, as you still can find AAA-friendly MP3 players if you look hard enough...or if you just keep reading this page. You can even find decent portable speakers for less than 50 bucks, which is just about the max I'd want to spend on such an item in the current economic state.

Q: What MP3 players might still run on one or more AA or AAA (user replaceable) batteries? Or what MP3 players might have a long audio playtime? Also, what set of small portable battery powered speakers do you like for, say, less than US$50?--Doug, via e-mail
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Philips LUXE player connects to your music and calls

Now there's no excuse to miss a call. Dutch giant Philips today unveiled a nifty compromise that lets you tune in to your music and pick up calls wirelessly at the same time. Of course, one can already do that on one's mobile phone. So what's the beef here?

Well, for one, the GoGear LUXE is priced to please. At S$139 (US$100.11) for a flash-based 2GB player, this packs Bluetooth 2.1 and dual mikes, so you can pair this wirelessly with your Bluetooth-enabled mobile and answer calls on your player. The music will stop for that. A one-line LCD also lets you view the caller's number at a glimpse. The LUXE additionally packs an FM tuner, Philips' proprietary FullSound for CD-quality enhancement of digitally compressed tracks, and a decent 10 hours of playback time with 100 hours on standby.
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Installation art uses live fish to remix MP3s

Brazilian artist Vivian Caccuri has put together a really neat piece of installation art that remixes music from an MP3 player based on the movements of live fish. The setup uses a proximity sensor to monitor what the fish are doing and changes the processing levels, adding and removing distortion and speaker fade as they go about their fishy business.

The video, which I've embedded below, was shot by Alex Tyson, who recorded straight off the installation's sound board. To appreciate it properly you should watch it with a good pair of headphones, as the music has been mixed down from four channels to two. If you want to go see it yourself you'll have to visit Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Related: Electroplankton for the Nintendo DS.

Note: To see this video in HD, head over to its page on Vimeo.
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Hands-on with the Zacoustic Exophone

You don't mess with the Zohan, or in this case, the Zacoustic. Sounding like something right out of the Wrestlemania roster, alongside the Undertaker and Ric Flair, this snazzily named gizmo is Sparcstone Sciences' answer to non-invasive acoustic listening.

Keeping a ear to the ground that conventional headphones may be contributing to eardrum damage, the company developed an open ear concept that employs wave harmonics to conduct audio, not unlike bone conduction. The music is blasted not into your ear canals, but via the exo or outer ear. Hence, the Exophone (EXO-100).

As CNET Asia is a largely male team, it didn't surprise when the guys stumbled over clipping this on earring-style to their virgin ear lobes. Making it awkward was the fact that the stud has to sit behind, with the silicon cap wrapped around to the front.

As it happened, we later discovered we were wearing it all wrong (see picture for how it's actually worn). Rectifying that little mistake immediately raised the audibility of the music being piped through, which was a relief.
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