Hope for fearful dentist patients

(UKPA) – 3 hours ago

Nervous patients who cannot stand the sound of the dentist’s drill could be offered relief by a new device.

Scientists at London universities have developed a gadget which cancels out the sound of the drill, leaving people free to enjoy their own music.

Patients simply unplug their headphones, plug the device into their MP3 player or mobile phone and then plug their headphones into the device.

People can still hear dentists and other staff speak to them – the tool only filters out the sounds of the high pitch of the drill.

The gadget contains a microphone and a chip which analyses the incoming sound wave and then produces an inverted wave to cancel out the unwanted noise. It also uses technology called adaptive filtering to “lock on” to sound waves and remove them, even if the amplitude and frequency change as the drill is being used.

Experts from King’s College London, Brunel University and London South Bank University are hoping to attract funding from an investor to develop the device further.

It was initially the brainchild of Professor Brian Millar at King’s College London.

Prof Millar said: “Many people put off going to the dentist because of anxiety associated with the noise of the dentist’s drill. But this device has the potential to make fear of the drill a thing of the past.

“The beauty of this gadget is that it would be fairly cost-effective for dentists to buy, and any patient with an MP3 player would be able to benefit from it, at no extra cost.

“What we need now is an investor to develop the product further, to enable us to bring this device to as many dental surgeries as possible, and help people whose fear of visiting the dentist stops them from seeking the oral healthcare they need.”

Copyright © 2011 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Device ‘muffles dentist’s drill’

9 January 2011
Last updated at 21:14 ET

By Dominic Hughes
Health correspondent, BBC News

An invention which cancels out the noise of a dentist’s drill could help people overcome their fear of a check-up, researchers have claimed.

For many, the sound of the drill is a big cause of anxiety when it comes to visiting the dentist.

This new device allows patients to listen to music on an MP3 player, while the sound of the drill is blanked out.

Patients are, though, still able to hear the dentist’s voice because not all sounds are filtered out.

The device is similar to noise cancelling headphones, but while they work on analogue technology – using resistors to suppress low frequency sounds – this device is digital.

It works by turning the sounds of the dental consulting room into a digital signal.

A special chip called a digital signal processor analyses the incoming sound from microphones placed close to the dental drill.

It produces an inverted sound wave to cancel out unwanted noise in the headphone signal.

It also uses “adaptive filtering” technology, where electronic filters lock onto sound waves and remove them, even if the wave’s amplitude and frequency change as the drill is being used.

But this also allows other noises like the dentist’s voice to come though.

So a patient could simply plug the device into their MP3 player and then, via their headphones, listen to their own music without being disturbed by the noise of the drill but still be able to hear the dentist.

‘No extra cost’

Developed by experts at King’s College London, Brunel University and London South Bank University, it was originally the idea of Professor Brian Millar of King’s Dental Institute.

Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

It’s such a distinctive sound, the pitch is probably recognised around the globe”

End Quote
Dr Mark Atherton
Brunel University

He was inspired initially by the efforts of car-maker Lotus who were trying to develop a system that removed unpleasant road noise, while still allowing drivers to hear emergency sirens.

After more than 10 years of research and collaboration with engineers, Professor Millar and his team have developed a prototype.

“Many people are put off going to the dentist because of anxiety associated with the noise of the dentist’s drill, but this device has the potential to make fear of the drill a thing of the past.

“The beauty of this gadget is that it would be fairly cost-effective for dentists to buy, and any patient with an MP3 player would be able to benefit from it, at no extra cost.”

Dr Mark Atherton of Brunel University’s School of Engineering and Design said allowing the patient to still hear the dentist was a key theme throughout the project.

“You can’t switch the patient off. They want to have a conversation with the dentist, so they can’t just put a pair of ear-muffs on, they still want to hear a voice.”

But Dr Atherton said the designers found that just reducing the noise of the drill, by putting on ear defenders for example, was not enough.

“The dental drill noise is so distinctive the brain still recognises it and people still hear it, such is the anxiety.

“It’s such a distinctive sound, the pitch is probably recognised around the globe. Most people have heard it and, sadly for some, they dread it.”

The team are now looking for investors to make the device commercially available.

Professor Millar said it has the potential to help people overcome their fear.

“What we need now is an investor to develop the product further, to enable us to bring this device to as many dental surgeries as possible, and help people whose fear of visiting the dentist stops them from seeking the oral healthcare they need.”

Pink Floyd’s New EMI Deal Allows For Release Of MP3 Singles

Entertainment News
 

(RTTNews) - 
Pink Floyd have reached an agreement with their record label EMI to release back catalogue singles. The band’s remaining members – Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason – had fought the release of individual tracks for 10 months before reaching this agreement.

They argued that doing so would go against a clause in their contract which required EMI to “preserve the artistic integrity” of their music. The band won a legal battle to keep the music unreleased last month.

No details of the terms of the agreement or the band’s reasons for changing their opinion on the MP3 issue have yet been released.

EMI label head Roger Faxon issued a statement on the new deal, saying: “Pink Floyd are one of the most important and influential bands of all time. We’re looking forward to continuing to help the band reach new and existing fans through their incredible body of work.”

by RTT Staff Writer

For comments and feedback: contact [email protected]

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Reviewing the Library’s New Free mp3 Download Program

Dust off your library cards! For users like myself who rarely ever use their public library cards, Seattle Public Library is providing some incentive to do so. Earlier this week, the library announced that it now offers free mp3 downloads courtesy of Freegal, an online database of Sony music songs. The digital music files are DRM-free, never expire, and work on all mp3-compatible devices.

All you need to access this treasure cove of free and legal music is a Seattle Public Library card. Sounds too good to be true, so this Seattlest correspondent had to try it out.

After the tedious task of locating my library card, which I’ve had for three years but never used thanks to the convenience of Amazon.com, I logged onto the Freegal website with ease. With an easy-to-use interface, the Freegal Music website holds over 500,000 songs from artists as classic as Bruce Springsteen and as modern as the Glee cast. The site allows you to sample the song, and then download to your desktop at the simple click of a button.

The catch? Users can only download three mp3s per week. Unfortunately Freegal also lacks any indie or local music.

Given the ease of obtaining whole digital albums at a dollar or less per track, or streaming music for free on sites like Blip.fm and Pandora, this restriction makes Freegal sound much less appealing. To fully satiate customers with a service like Freegal, such a silly restriction will have to be lifted.

The purpose of offering music downloads via the web is to both help libraries avoid the costs associated with managing CD collections, and to recognize the way music is listened to today. SPL already offers a solid selection of e-books. It’s an idea that will be interesting to track as we watch libraries attempt to modernize and remain relevant in our constantly evolving digital society.

To try Freegal for yourself, go to www.spl.org and click on “Library Collection,” then “Digital Books & Media” and scroll down the page to find the “Freegal Music Collection.”

Amazon MP3 swallowing heavy loss-leaders in fight for iTunes market share

Amazon’s MP3 download ambitions continue to fall short of Apple’s iTunes behemoth, with even heavy discounts and loss-leading sales failing to claw away significantly at their rival’s market lead. According to the latest stats from NPD Group, Amazon clinched just 13.3-percent of the paid digital download market in Q3 2010, a 2.3-percent rise over the previous year, while iTunes’ share climbed three points to 66.2-percent. However, Amazon has been forced to stomach expensive loss-leaders in order to make that increase: while Apple negotiates wholesale prices to suit its download deals, insiders tell the WSJ, Amazon generally pays around $7-8 wholesale for music it offers at around the $3.99 price point.

Meanwhile, record labels – though anecdotally frustrated by Apple’s control over the market – suggest that Amazon is doing even worse than NPD calculate. Those the WSJ spoke to say Amazon may have only 6- to 10-percent of the market, versus Apple’s 90-percent. Amazon is refusing to release details on how much return business it sees, but the strong tie-in between iTunes and Apple’s iPod, iPhone and iPad ranges look to be keeping the company ahead of the game.

Caught on Tape: Teens Beat Pregnant Teen on Bus

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• Image from security video released by Seattle police shows pregnent teen being attacked by five other teens on a bus Nov. 19, 2010 during evening rush hour  (CBS)

(CBS/ AP)  A pregnant teen says she feared for her baby when she and her boyfriend were attacked by a group of four girls and a woman on a Seattle Metro bus last month.

It was all captured on the bus’ security camera.

Police say Jessica Redmon-Beckstead, 17, was riding on the packed bus in the city’s Belltown neighborhood during the evening rush hour Nov. 19 when a 19-year-old woman, three 16-year-old girls and a 14-year-old girl came on board.

Surveillance video shows that, just 34 seconds after the girls got on, one of them grabbed the MP3 player Jessica and her boyfriend, Jason Decoste, were listening to. When they resisted, they were beaten and kicked by the five suspects, police say.

Redmon-Beckstead says she turned around again and was struck in the eye and began bleeding profusely. It wound up requiring six stitches to close, authorities say.

Jessica mentioned twice that she was pregnant and said she didn’t want to fight them, but says one of them made the comment, “Well, nobody hit her in the stomach.”

Investigators add that, as the attack was occurring, three of the girls stole items from the boyfriend’s pockets.

The attack continued until the bus pulled over. The bus driver called police. The victims were able to escape, police say.

Metro Police say they tracked down three of the alleged attackers about a half-hour after the incident. They say they arrested the other two days later.

Investigators say the 19-year-old, Ayana Sharee Cain, was charged with assault and has since bailed out of jail. The other four girls were charged in juvenile court with second degree robbery. Three remain in custody while the fourth is on electronic home monitoring, police say.

All five suspects have prior arrests, authorities add.

MMX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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by newsterI December 18, 2010 6:35 PM EST

they call that a “VIOLENT” attack?? they were slapping like GIRLS.

Reply to this comment

by jayrh December 18, 2010 4:10 PM EST

by Chooch16
Do your research! There are more whites on Welfare than Blacks!
———————————————————————-
Yes Chooch, welfare has helped destroy white families too… Blacks have been hit disproportionately hard though… One only has to look at figures of how many single parent homes their are among Blacks and the crime rate from these homes…

Obviously though, you think I attack Blacks because of this. No… I would rather see the Blacks of today live up to their potential. I admire people like Jesse Lee Peterson, while I criticize much of the Black leadership today, along with failed liberal socialist ideology…

Reply to this comment

by tommyboyblue December 18, 2010 4:01 PM EST

Those same girls has just got out from the Previous beating-robbery, from beating a white women walking to the store..They have had 8 previous crime of robberry.[.This has been the trend here in Seattle, But if a black girl gets beaten and ganged up like that, Al Sharpton,Jesse Jackson and our local NAACP PRESIDENT JAMES BIBLE would have blown that politically..i am an asian candriver, and this hate filled agenda by the Black youths of Seattle is not an isolated incident…It was not long ago, when a group of black kids beat and killed a street musician, and the liberal judge gave tghem 2 monthsin juvinile and 6 months probation..when 3 of the boys got out, they again rob abd beat another youth, got caught and the judge even blamed Society, after that same judge release those 3 boys from their 3rd robbery in 2 years (that they got caught) THEY TUNRED AROUND AND DID IT AGAIN !!!! SO, THOSE HATE-FILLED YOUTHS OF AMERICA..COME TO SEATTLE, CAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY TOWN, YOU CAN ROB PEOPLE AND WE DONT JUST IGNORE YOUR CRIME, WE PAY YOU WHEN YOU GET OUT…LIBERAL TOWN..SUPER LIBERAL TOWN..

Reply to this comment

by Rodeo_Joe December 18, 2010 1:45 PM EST

The door is open for Civil Suits in this.

The payback could be very expensive, especially for the parents of the underage attackers.

MP3 player $50, bus ticket $2, Survellance video evidence – priceless.

Reply to this comment

by PSolver2 December 18, 2010 1:29 PM EST

This fight and some of your comments shows the sad state of the thinking of the World we’re in. Black, white, all races. It’s not a hate crime, it’s a stupid sadistic barbaric act that a lot of people young and old are doing all over the States. And ignorant comments on here are the same thing as this fight. Everybody should check yourself, is this really what you’re about? Cause tomorrow, you’re either the aggressor or the victim …

Reply to this comment

by barbaram99 December 18, 2010 12:26 PM EST

I live in Seattle..I never ride the bus alone. We take the bus when we have to. I am a legally blind person. It is a gang problem..I bought padlocks to lock my pack when on the bus. The Seattle school system uses the public busses to bus their students to the schools. Yep..CBS did not show the visuals that the local TV station did here.And they are barred from riding the bus for a set period of time . I have to agree with the poster who said something about the in yer face homeless people here. It is that bad. I carry on cash on me. There are rules of behaviour on the bus. I am poor. I don’t own an ipod.
I blame the home..I blame their parents..The grandparents of the the teens for failing to raise the parents of the teens rights.
Their skin colour is meaningless. There is one race the human race.
We have been on the busses when it has students on board and it unbearable at times. Theyneed to be taught the solial graces–manners. We are paying to educate them everyone is both renters and home owners. In lock up they learn to be more harden cons. I don’t blame tech..I blame us as people. Human life means nothing to a lot of people.

Reply to this comment

by formrusmcsgt December 18, 2010 11:37 AM EST

by Riverjump December 18, 2010 11:33 AM EST
Been there done that. Got a herniated disc myself. Sometimes…..
—
I’ve been rear-ended twice while at a dead stop by people doing 60 MPH.

TWICE, mind you.

I’m lucky just to be here…..

Reply to this comment

by Riverjump December 18, 2010 12:13 PM EST

Ouch! I just bounced up an down on a forklift for 25 years. No shocks on them things.

by formrusmcsgt December 18, 2010 11:33 AM EST

by robe59 December 18, 2010 11:14 AM EST
What saddens me is how no one came to the aid of these two-except finally the driver.
—-
If seeing a pregnant woman being attacked doesn’t get you into combat mode, nothing will.

If there were other men on board who just sat and watched this take place they need to get some gonads, obviously.

Reply to this comment

by TobyPogi December 18, 2010 11:33 AM EST

Regardless… weather Black,White,Brown,Yellow the color of skin the actions of those girls was a disgrace,uncivilized,lack of good manners and right conduct. Good educations start at home, evidently the Parents failed to do so.

Reply to this comment

by formrusmcsgt December 18, 2010 11:35 AM EST

Evidenced by the fact that at their young ages, all had previous run-ins with the law.

No perents.

10 to 1 all come from a home with no father.

by formrusmcsgt December 18, 2010 11:36 AM EST

…parents, either.

Sheesh.

More coffee!

by robe59 December 18, 2010 11:14 AM EST

What saddens me is how no one came to the aid of these two-except finally the driver.

Reply to this comment

by formrusmcsgt December 18, 2010 11:18 AM EST

No heroes on board – not even the driver. He didn’t help, according to the articles. He pulled over and called the cops.

Not that I would look forward to it nor am I want to inflict violence on a woman, but I would have pulled them off and dropped them one by one and let the cops come for the pile of knocked-out teens.

by liberty_balance December 18, 2010 1:11 PM EST

That’s sad, but almost understandable. As screwy as some of our laws and their applications are along with some people’s attitudes, anyone helping may have been the ones ending up being arrested — especially if the original attackers were even inadvertently injured. Then there is the overpopulation of attorneys always looking for a suit to file if there are a few dollars in it for them.

Restoring a little societal common sense would go a long ways towards better and safer communities.

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iKit releases AutoCon FM and handsfree touchscreen kit

iKit, an iDevice accessory maker, is offering a new sort of MP3 player-compatible FM transmitter — the AutoCon, a fully touchscreen-controlled unit that also integrates a hands-free iPhone control and a USB-based car charger in one package.

The AutoCon uses rapid auto-scan to find and lock onto “empty” FM frequencies to help play the music with little or no interference, and a wide touch bar so that users can easily play/pause, adjust volume, skip tracks and so on. The display also displays frequency or song information. If connected to an iPhone, users can wirelessly answer incoming calls as well.

The AutoCon FM Transmitter is available now and costs $45.

Hearing loss in US teens shoots up

December 6, 2010 (LOS ANGELES) — Blasting out a few rockin’ tunes on that mp3 player may be blowing out your kids’ hearing.

More than 90 percent of young people listen to personal music players, which is a testament to the relentless drive of technology over the past 10 years.

Sadly, many people listen to those MP3 players with the sound cranked up to full volume for multiple hours each day.

Research shows that 66 percent of personal music player users are listening to music at louder than 85 decibels, which according to the World Health Organization can cause permanent hearing damage.

Several small studies have found that reported use of personal music players is associated with declining hearing function in adolescents and young adults. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study that found hearing loss amongst U.S. teen’s age 12 to 19 had shot up from 14.9 percent to 19.5 percent since about 1990.

LONGER LISTENING, MORE DAMAGE: Hearing loss isn’t only related to the volume of your music, but also the duration at which you listen. Every time you increase a sound level by three decibels, listening for half as long will produce the same amount of hearing loss.

Earphones inserted into the ear canal produce sound waves, which can exceed 120 decibels — a similar level to a jet leaving the runway (and just about as loud as a live rock concert).

Since damage to hearing caused by high volume is determined by its duration, continuous listening to a personal music player, even at a seemingly reasonable level, can damage the delicate hair cells in the inner ear that transmit sound impulses to the brain.

SAFE LISTENING: The Children’s Hearing Institute (CHI) recommends that children not get exposed to loud noise over 80 decibels, while the average iPod is played at 100 to 115 decibels. Hearing experts recommend the 60/60 rule — listening to personal music players for no more than 60 minutes at a time at 60 percent of maximum volume.

FUTURE: Hearing loss, which becomes more common with age, is creeping farther down the age spectrum.

An article in the journal Pediatrics estimated that 12.5 percent of children age 6 to 19, around 5.2 million — have noise — induced hearing loss.

In a worldwide survey conducted by the American Speech — Language — Hearing Association (AHSA), more than half of high school students showed at least one symptom of hearing loss.

For More Information, Contact:

Josef Shargorodsky MD, MPH
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
(516) 974 — 3803
[email protected]

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Russian Hacker Builds 70 Terabyte Home Computer

Photo: English Russia

Ever find yourself deleting some files to make room for your overgrown media collection? Thanks to a new hack from a Russian PC enthusiast you should have plenty of room for your MP3 collection, along with the collections of everybody else you know. The hack consists of an array of 60 hard drives and the whole thing holds a whopping 70 terabytes of data.

That translates to 70,000 DVD-quality movies or, if you’re more musically inclined, somewhere in the neighborhood of 24 million songs. Of course, that kind of storage space doesn’t come easy. Besides the 60 drives themselves the rig requires 40 cooling fans to keep the temperature under control.

The final package may not win any awards for case design but the whole thing has a certain kind of stark utilitarian beauty to it. Presumably the unnamed maker is keeping the case open so he can switch the set up out with even heftier drives as they come along to keep the project from looking like an absurd relic a decade or so from now thanks to the storage equivalent to Moore’s Law.

English Russia via Tom’s Hardware

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Russian Circles, ‘Malko’ — Free MP3 Download

Suicide Squeeze Records

Artist: Russian Circles
Hail From: Chicago
Song: ‘Malko’
Album: ‘Geneva’ iTunes
Sounds Like: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pelican

In Their Words: ‘”Malko” is a stab at compacting disparate musical elements into a concise and succinct format. We dabble across a lot of sonic territory, and ‘Malko’ is a good sampling of the darker side of the spectrum we typically occupy. It’s got a little of the late-night heart-of-the-city sleaze, a little bass-driven prog-punk, a nod to blown-out murky black metal, some deliberately painful bouts of noise, and it all wraps up with a big bottom-heavy riff. This is also our only venture into incorporating vocals — there’s a dog howling in it at the 3:54 mark.’ — Bassist Brian Cook

Lil Wayne sends fans a letter from solitary confinement

Image Credit: Ray Tamarra/Getty ImagesLil Wayne was recently moved to solitary confinement in Rikers Island after being caught with MP3-playing paraphernalia, but that won’t stop him from communicating with fans. The rap superstar just posted his ninth letter to the public at his website WeezyThanxYou.com.

“I admit, I f—ed up and now I must deal with the consequences,” he writes. “As I write this, I only have 25 days left, and it’ll be even less than that when you read this. So honestly, I’m fine.”

Lil Wayne is scheduled to be released on Nov. 4. His latest message reiterates plans to release his new album I Am Not a Human Being in stores when he gets out. Check out the whole letter, then let us know what you think.

(Follow The Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

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Lil’ Wayne’s Latest: A Hit or A Miss? (Hit)

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Rating: *****

Last Monday was Lil’ Wayne’s birthday, but the rap star didn’t celebrate it by licking lollipops or swigging Patrón. Weezy, confined in Rikers Island for weapons charges, nonetheless found a way to celebrate by digitally releasing I Am Not a Human Being, his ninth studio album. Proving that nothing can stop this “American Gangster” from doing what he loves, the album went straight to number one on iTunes and topped the hip-hop/rap and overall best album charts. Though Michael Dwayne Carter, Jr. has not been released, his album has, and it is everything that it promised to be.

The surprisingly well put together I Am Not a Human Being is a much-needed success for Wayne after the rap-rock experiment of Rebirth. “Right Above It,” the first single of the album, debuted in August and instantly hit the Billboard Top 10 singles chart. It’s an exceptionally catchy song with a pop/hip-hop feel and an instant mood lifter, an overall winning formula. The track gives Weezy fans everything they wanted. When the beat kicks in and you hear the flicker of a lighter followed by an inhale, “sssst,” you know that something amazing will soon follow.

As if Wayne isn’t notorious enough for explicit lyrics, the first track of the album is called “Gonorrhea,” and it just so happens to be the current most popular download from the album. Not that I’m surprised—who wouldn’t be curious about this venereal disease-titled song? Safe sex? No. It’s really only a bash track, with Wayne attacking other MCs. Drake provides an unexpected accompaniment on the track and is featured on two other songs on the album: “Right Above It” and “With You,” a surprisingly good love song about “moonlight and candles and sh**.” The rest of the Young Money crew members are involved in the album. Nicki Minaj does a beautiful job on the chorus of “What’s Wrong With Them,” and Lil’ Twist rocks the chorus on “Popular,” the most peppy and addictive song on the album, especially since Lil’ Wayne brings back his famous “Bedrock” lyrics for the hook. The other members of the label chip in on their CEO’s album with “Hold Up” and “Young Money Salute,” one of the three bonus tracks that will be released along with the hard copy of the album Oct. 12.

Unfortunately, as I Am Not a Human Being was recorded prior to his incarceration, we’ll have to wait for the release of Tha Carter IV to hear about jail insights, fights, and Weezy’s prolonged sentence—extended when he was caught with headphones and an mp3 charger. Wayne decided to release I Am Not a Human Being as a prelude to Tha Carter IV, just as The Leak preceded Tha Carter III, his most successful album. In a recent phone interview with MTV, he said that he put this EP together so that he could start recording afresh upon his release, because recording is what he loves to do most “next to breathing.” Luckily there are only about three weeks until our “Rhyming Oasis” is done spending time doing time.

So it’s confirmed. Weezy is not a human being and is definitely out of this world. His voice, his lyrics, his music, and his overall swagger show his love for the game and his excellence at playing it. As he told his fans, “They can lock me up, but my spirit and my love can never be confined to prison walls.” Free Weezy.

Lil Wayne: Solitary Confinement Until Release!

For Lil Wayne, solitary may be where he spends the rest of his time in prison due to possession of contraband. The young rapper was caught in possession of an unauthorized MP3 charger and headphones, and the punishment should last until his Nov. 4 release. Get the full story, with pictures and video below!

Charged and convicted of illegal firearms possession in 2007, the rapper received a one-year sentence which he began serving this year. The sentence was dropped to 8 months for good behavior, aside from this audio incident.

At least Lil Wayne’s solitary confinement will give the young star time to reply to his fan mail. The rapper told MTV that he gets over 100 pieces of mail every day, and he’s having trouble keeping up with the correspondence.

“The fans have been more than unbelievable,” the rapper told MTV. “When I read those letters, that fan mail, and see what they say about what my music does for them, and how it helped them through situations … to read that, that makes me take my words and my whole outlook on what I’m doing a lot more seriously.”

Still, he recently asked his avid followers to go easy on the fan mail, citing the fire-hazard the buildup of letters is making after the months of deliveries.

“I probably get 150 pieces of mail a day, and I probably read a good 30 each day. I get to keep the letters, I send ‘em home. If I keep ‘em in the cell, they say it’s a fire hazard. Honestly, I await the mail every day.” The rapper admitted, “I can no longer write my fans, as difficult as this maybe to say please stop sending me mail, I luv u and will see you soon.”

Luckily for his fans, solo confinement will open up 23 hours a day for reading and writing. The young star will not be allowed time for socialization, and will only be allowed to call his lawyer outside of his one call a day. I can definitely picture the rapper reneging on his previous request. With only 26 days left in the slammer, how do you think the last month will treat Lil Wayne? Solitary is notoriously tough, but it will no doubt be made easier by the thought of the freedom that follows it. Will we hear a rap song by the name? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section! And check out the photos and video below!

Photos: www.wenn.com/JDH, JCP, Johnny Louis

SanDisk Fuze+ MP3 Player comes with TouchPad
SanDisk has announced the new Sansa Fuze+ (Fuze Plus) portable media player sporting a capacitive touchpad with a ‘+’ symbol and a large LCD screen. SanDisk will offer Fuze+ MP3 players in three capacities – 4GB, 8GB and 16GB. The lower capacity models would be available in White, Blue, Red, Black and Purple colors. However, if you are going for 16GB model then it would be available only in Black color.

New sleek industrial design bearing Sansa Fuze+ player has a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD screen that will sport new “Filmstrip” graphic user interface. Left and right finger sweeps on the Plus sign will choose functions while up and down will let you choose categories and files. For adding more storage, users can make the best of expandable microSD and microSDHC memory card slot.

Take a look at the features of new Sansa Fuze+ PMP:

• 2.4-inch bright QVGA screen (320 x 240, 30 FPS) LCD screen
• Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, Secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, AAC, Audible, Podcasts
• Video Formats: MPEG-4, H.264, WMV and Flip Video
• Photo formats: JPEG and BMP; photo formats can be further extended with Sansa Media Converter PC software download, enabling TIFF, GIF, and PNG formats
• Digital FM Tuner with pause and record functions
• Rechargeable battery lasts up to 24 hours for audio playback and 5 hours of video playback
• Hi-speed micro-USB 2.0 port
• Expandable microSD card slot and microSDHC card slot
• Ready for slotRadio & slotMusic memory cards

For avid music listeners, this intuitive interaction interface bearing MP3 player will offer up to 24 hours of music play back and up to five hours of video playback. This new Fuze+ player will cost $79 for 4GB, $89 for 8GB and $119 for 16GB capacities.

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Kanye West Monster MP3 Song Download features Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Nicki Minaj

In the true spirit of giving that leads up to the Christmas holiday, rap star Kanye West is giving fans new music each week.  The rapper announced a week or so ago his plans to release a new song every Friday and give it to the fans.  The latest is Kanye West’s “Monster” which is a guest-star affair complete with Rick Ross, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj lending vocals.  The result is sick, to say the least.

What may be even more music to fans ears is that Kanye is teaming up with Jay-Z for a mini-album.  Kanye tweeted the news of his newest track on Friday, saying:

# ‘MONSTER’ ….. Happy GOOD Friday!!! The second song off of me and Jay album! http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog/ about 10 hours ago from web

# Me and jay bout to drop a 5 song album called “Watch the Throne” about 13 hours ago from web

If the track “Monster” by Kanye West is any indication of how amazing this five-track affair will be, fans are in for a real treat.  Monster also features Bon Iver singing, and some truly “Monster” verses starting with Mr. West taking his lyrics to another level.  If that’s not enough, Jay-Z steps in and displays lyrical prowess that’s unmatched, but Nicki Minaj completely destroys it with her final verse, alternating accents and flipping words like you won’t believe.  It’s a “monstrous” performance to say the least.  Well done by K-West and crew.

Kanye West’s “Monster” download link can be found here at the KanyeUniversityCity.com/blog.  Enjoy!

Tour Dates: Phish Announce Fall Tour

phish.com

Phish has officially announced their fall tour dates.

PHISH FALL TOUR 2010 from Phish on Vimeo.

Phish Fall 2010 Tour Dates

10/08 – Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, TX – SOLD OUT
10/10 – 1STBANK Center, Broomfield, CO
10/11 – 1STBANK Center, Broomfield, CO
10/12 – 1STBANK Center, Broomfield, CO
10/15 – North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC
10/16 – North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC
10/19 – Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
10/20 – Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
10/22 – Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, RI
10/23 – Mullins Center, Amherst, MA
10/24 – Mullins Center, Amherst, MA
10/26 – Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH
10/29 – Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
10/30 – Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
10/31 – Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ

The ticketing window for mail-order tickets has just been opened and we’ll see a lengthy window for people to request tickets until the option closes on September 3rd. Also, the band will be giving away free MP3?s of the shows to ticket-holders after the fact. Very cool.

We’ll have more thoughts on the venue choices later today, but for now we need to start coordinating.

Phish will launch its 2010 Fall Tour on October 10th with the first of three consecutive nights at the new 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, CO. In a first for the band, Phish will be giving ticket buyers free MP3 copies of each gig after it happens via http://LivePhish.com. After the Colorado concerts, Phish will head to the East Coast for a series of dates that will include with the band’s first-ever shows in Atlantic City, NJ. Phish’s Halloween concerts are legendary, and this year’s at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall will coincide with the closing night of the tour.

An online ticket request period is currently underway at http://phish.portals.musictoday.com/ and will end on Friday, September 3rd, at Noon Eastern time. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on September 10th and 11th.

Read more: Phish.com, JamBase, Coventry Music, Spinner.com, Relix.com, Pollstar, Jambands.com, Consequence of Sound

Tagged as: Phish

You can now turn your iPod into an iPhone, only with an adapter

Calling all iPod Touch users: Now, you can make phone calls and send text messages from your music player — and in almost every other way convert it into an iPhone.

A Chinese tech start-up firm has begun marketing a low-cost adapter that makes that technological leap and allows users to convert their jail-broken MP3 player into the nearest thing to an iPhone.The ‘bumper case’, called Apple Peel 520, is a uniquely made-in-China product that caters to a price-sensitive market where intellectual property rights count for little or nothing.

Yosian Technology, a Shenzhen-based start-up, began marketing the Apple Peel for 388 yuan (about Rs2,600) last week, and Chinese tech portals, which subjected it to some rigorous testing, have given it an enthusiastic thumbs up, despite minor bugs. In particular, the fact that users get a bargain basement entry price to a 3G-ready phone with 4.5 hours of talk time and 120 hours of standby has won rave reviews.

The Peel works like an iPod wraparound dock, but additionally has a slot for a SIM card; once Yosian’s calling and texting application is installed, the erstwhile passive music player is transformed into an all-purpose cellphone — with only one downside: you have to use a headset. Somewhat ironically for a product that operates in the grey zone of propriety, it comes with a one-year warranty.

Early embracers of the ‘shanzai’ technology (a Chinese slang expression for knock-offs) say they are well pleased with what the Peel offers — and the price it comes at. Reviewers at the Chinese-language PCOnline tech portal say that after installing the applications, they made their first call — to the “most trusted” China Mobile customer service hotline, and that they “burst into tears of joy” upon realising that their iPod Touch was now a living, breathing communication device!

The call quality, the reviewers report is “very good, without any electromagnetic interference” — and in every way “just like on a regular cellphone”.

Given that it’s a made-for-China product, all the application menus are for now in Chinese. In any case, there aren’t any immediate plans for shipping internationally yet, partly because the legal ground on which the product operates is somewhat shaky.

But if there’s one thing that Chinese enterprise has proven over the years, it’s that if there’s a market for a product anywhere in the world, there will be a Chinese entrepreneur who will take it to the world.

Perhaps that iPod Touch in your hands could soon start talking and texting, thanks to an Apple Peel from China.

Free MP3 + Artist Profile: The Budos Band

Instrumental ten-piece The Budos Band are one of the funkiest propositions going today. Signed to the mighty Brooklyn-based Daptone imprint, The Budos Band’s music is rooted in Afro-beat and spiced with undercurrents of soul, funk and rock. As baritone saxophonist Jared Tankel explains in this EXCLUSIVE interview, the group’s latest full-length, The Budos Band III, was realized at Daptone’s House of Soul Studios in just 48 hours.

The Budos Band – Unbroken Unshaven

The band hails from Staten Island, NY, which is often referred to as New York’s “forgotten borough.” How does living in Shaolin affect the band’s music? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of living in S.I.?

Jared Tankel: By being based out in Staten Island, the hipness factor of Brooklyn and Manhattan isn’t in our face. We’re not so concerned with that stuff; we want to just focus on being true to ourselves and music we want to make. We don’t have to be part of some scene. We can just cram into a smelly studio on a dead-end street in Stapleton and no one bothers us. The only disadvantage would be the drives to and from gigs, but honestly that’s all part of the fun and adventure.

The Budos Band III is a pretty epic album, especially considering how it was recorded in a 48-hour period in January. What led the band to crank this one out in such a short period of time?

We were ready. We came into the studio with laser beam focus and just attacked the process. We wrote this album over the course of two years and had been playing some of the songs for a long time so we were anxious to get it to tape. We are so used to playing together live that when it comes to recording it’s no different. We all knew what we wanted to achieve and we came in and conquered.

How did the overall writing process compare with your previous releases? How difficult is it for ten people to work together and agree on the songs?

At this point, we work together extremely well. It was a more collective process this time around. We aren’t shy with one another and will offer (constructive) criticism openly and willingly. Since we played a lot of these songs live, we were able to iron out the arrangements and figure out what parts did and didn’t work so well. Everyone is involved in this process and we take pride in the cohesion that surrounds this group.

Bosco Mann and TNT produced the album at Daptone’s House of Soul Studios in Brooklyn, NY. What’s it like to record at an old-school studio famous for its attention to sonic detail?

It’s great. And honestly, at this point, we wouldn’t want it to be anything but that. We have no interest in going to a studio with the “latest amazing technology.” Cutting edge technology can leave a wound that destroys good music. We play live and Bosco sits behind the board and evokes the best possible performance out of us and then turns the magic purple knob and everything sounds amazing. I think on the first album we all came in there a bit nervous, but now it’s really comfortable.

“Budos Dirge” is a really wicked track. Any special story behind how that one came about?

Doom metal has reared its head as an influence in the Budos Band. I think this track exemplifies the trend.

“Reppirt Yad” has a wonderful psychedelic edge thanks to the combination of phased guitars, funky horns and eerie keys. How did this bit of psychedelia find its way onto the new album?

We just had to take it there. We put a lot of thought into what the cover song would be on this album. And when we finally decided to take on Lennon and McCartney we knew we had to do something special. Bosco suggested we take the song at half speed and once he made that suggestion it all sort of fell into place. Guitarist Tommy TNT Brenneck got to bust out his fuzz pedal on this one, and we added our first vocals ever to a Budos album. I think we all wanted to do something psychedelic and this gave us the opportunity.

The new album arrives after 150+ live dates in the last two years. What is the live show like these days?

It’s a non-stop intense rock experience. Fuzz guitars, heavy percussion, an assault on the senses.

The band has been touring since June. What does the rest of the year hold for The Budos Band?

We leave in two days for a three-week tour. We’re staging a Budos takeover. We’ll hit Hawaii on Halloween. Alaska, watch out. We’ll probably get back to writing in the fall and prepare for Budos IV.

Best pizzeria in S.I.: Denino’s or Joe & Pat’s?

That’s a tough one. It’s hard to find a bad slice on S.I. Joe & Pat’s on Friday. Denino’s on Saturday.

MP3: Corin Tucker, “Riley” (playing the Paradise Oct. 25)

We here at the Phoenix have been tracking the progress of Corin Tucker’s first post-Sleater-Kinney solo album very closely. Now we have our first actual taste of 1,000 Years, her forthcoming Kill Rock Stars release. It’s called “Riley” “Doubt,”  and while it’s definitely not the return of Sleater-Kinney, it still succeeds on its own merits. We’re just glad to have her back. The Corin Tucker Band plays the Paradise on October 25; 1,000 Years officially comes out on October 5. 

DOWNLOAD: Corin Tucker, “Doubt” (mp3 via p4k)

Free MP3 and Tour Dates from Fuzztastic Black Angels!

If you like all things sixties, particularly the bands that employed fuzz pedals and heavy use of hallucinogens, then you’ll like the dead-eyed dronerock of the Black Angels. No really. This isn’t being written in a sarcastic tone. The good news is that they’re giving away a track from their new LP!

The Black Angels third album is called ‘Phosphene Dream’ and will be coming out in September.

The Austin-based fuzz-cadets still pushing their take on ’60s psychedelia (in a much better and more authentic way than other supposed psych-revivalists around at the moment) and will be hitting the road later in the year.

The first single from Phosphene Dream is the garage groover, ‘Telephone’. You can hear it and download it HERE. If you need to suck it and see, here’s the sort of thing you can expect… (fans of 13th Floor Elevators, Spaceman 3 apply here).

If you’re in North America, you lucky devils can catch the band…

10-28 Chicago, IL – Metro
10-30 Buffalo, NY – Tralf Music Hall
10-31 Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix Concert Theatre
11-01 Montreal, Quebec – La Tulipe
11-02 Boston, MA – Paradise
11-03 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
11-06 Philadelphia, NY – Theatre of Living Arts
11-07 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
11-09 Louisville, KY – Headliners
11-10 Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
11-11 Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
11-12 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
11-13 Orlando, FL – The Social
11-15 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree
11-16 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
11-17 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
11-19 Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa
11-20 Dallas, TX – Kessler Theater
11-24 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
11-26 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
11-28 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
11-29 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
11-30 Vancouver, British Columbia – The Commodore Ballroom

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