| Yamaha's singing keyboard makes X Factor even more redundant (video) Mar 21st 2012, 19:14 Tired of singers over pro-ho-ho-ho-nouncing every vowel? Perhaps the solution is to just remove their ilk from the equation altogether. That's the idea behind Yamaha's new Vocaloid Keyboard, which transforms the Vocaloid software into a ready-to-play device. 16 keys represent consonants, vowels and the types of voicing marks used in Japanese, while at the same time selecting a tone on the keyboard. An LED display prints out each letter as its plays, ensuring that you aren't making any playing errors (or should that be "typing errors?"). Experienced musicians who have used the device found that they were able to produce nursery rhymes after three hours of practice, but sadly the company isn't planning to press it into production. Instead, as the chip inside is "removable," it might contemplate licensing it t another interested party, Simon Cowell, perhaps. Continue reading Yamaha's singing keyboard makes X Factor even more redundant (video) Yamaha's singing keyboard makes X Factor even more redundant (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Diginfo | Email this | Comments | | FCC weighs Dish 4G network and 700MHz interoperability Mar 21st 2012, 18:40 Let's temper our excitement -- the FCC is merely considering these proposals at the moment but, if either are adopted, it could permanently change the mobile broadband landscape. First up, the commission is considering reassigning the 2GHz band from MSS (Mobile Satellite Service) to AWS (Advances Wireless Service). If adopted, the new rules would clear the way for Dish to launch its LTE network and enter the 4G market. It will also irk AT&T, which has been trying to tie up the spectrum following the collapse of the T-Mobile merger, most likely because the carrier hoped to use the 2GHz band itself. Secondly, and perhaps even more important, is a proposal that would place new interoperability rules on the 700MHz spectrum used by both Verizon and AT&T for their LTE service. Until now concerns over interference have kept most 700MHz devices from being able to hop between the different blocks of spectrum. This is a particularly big issue for small and rural carriers which own some chunks of real estate in the band, but lack the buying power to convince big OEMs to make handsets for their networks. Obviously, there's still some haranguing to do before either of these proposals become law and you can bet AT&T will do its best to derail both efforts. Still, it's a good sign to see the FCC even taking up the issues. You can watch the entire debate at the source link. [ Tower photo via Shutterstock] FCC weighs Dish 4G network and 700MHz interoperability originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  The Verge | FCC | Email this | Comments | | Verizon halts dubious third-party billing on landlines, years after landlines were 'in' Mar 21st 2012, 18:27  Okay, okay -- landlines are still useful. But rapidly growing, they are not. That said, Verizon is caving to congressional pressure in a relatively minor way, announcing that it'll be banning certain third-party charges on landline bills. In political circles, the process is known as "cramming," where customers (oftentimes unknowingly) submit their number to certain third-party add-ons that have generated some $10 billion in revenue over the past five years. Sen. Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia is applauding the move, and also encouraging Congress to make this commonplace across all carriers. Curiously, there's no mention of mobile blocking, where consumers are regularly duped into subscribing to recurring fees via text-based competitions and contests. Perhaps when we've all moved on to telepathy, the feds can get right on that. Verizon halts dubious third-party billing on landlines, years after landlines were 'in' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink The Next Web | The Hill | Email this | Comments | | SMS Audio SYNC by 50 wireless headphones review Mar 21st 2012, 18:00 Ah, celebrity-endorsed headphones -- whether it's Beats by Dre or Soul by Ludacris, you've always gotta wonder whether their actual sound-reproduction chops will match up with the steep price tags and fashion-focused designs. Oftentimes, shocker of shockers, the answer is a resounding "no." One of the newest entrants into this game is SYNC by 50, stemming from a long collaboration between Sleek Audio SMS Audio and none other than Curtis James Jackson III -- 50 Cent, of course. Unlike the partners' $250 Street offering, these headphones have the unique selling point of offering both wireless and wired operation, a convenience for which you'll pay a staggering $400. Although they don't offer active noise-cancellation like competing models, these headphones are banking on Kleer's tried-and-true wireless audio technology, which touts 16-bit CD-quality resolution. We spent several weeks testing these spendy sound-blasters, so continue on to our full review to learn whether they live up to the hype or could us to a second trip back to the studio for remastering. Continue reading SMS Audio SYNC by 50 wireless headphones review SMS Audio SYNC by 50 wireless headphones review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
