MusicMaker
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Student co-develops head bangin' music maker
Nah, it's not quite a throwback to the 80s, but Zane Van Dusen has co-developed "a computer interface that tracks the movement of a user's head to allow them to produce electronic sounds and compose music on a virtual keyboard in both solo and ensemble settings." The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute senior worked with a team of musicians and programming gurus to create a device that would enable those with extremely limited mobility to still express their creativity through music, and aside the from therapeutic benefits, it also holds promise for expanding into a venue for verbal communication. Essentially, the user can line him or herself up with a camera, and as the head bobs, the software determines the new X and Y coordinates and "uses the information to play a note or trigger a sound." While it might not be quite as totally radical as the Guitar Zeros, it sure sounds more exciting than the Bacterial Orchestra.[Thanks, Amber]
Venzero announces Venzero Mini One MP3 player
Since no self-respecting MP3 player manufacturer can have put out a player without also dropping a mini version of it, Venzero's announced the Venzero Mini One to compliment the previously announced Venzero One. Like its bigger sibling, one of the big selling points of the Mini One is the included MusicMarker music recognition service, which'll let you identify music at the push of a button. Apart from that, the Mini One looks to be a pretty solid player, available in 1GB and 2GB varieties, with a 1.3-inch OLED screen and support for MP3s, WMA (including DRM10), and WAVs, as well as "player-specific video" (software for video conversion is included). As you can tell from the matchstick, the player is also rather minuscule, measuring 2.9 x 1.7 x 0.35-inches, and weighing a mere 0.98 ounces. With the small size, however, comes trade-offs, and the Mini One lacks the built-in USB On-The-Go port and retractable USB connector that made its larger sibling notable. Look for the player towards the end of July, although if you've gotta have it first, Venzero's now accepting pre-orders: $119 US for the 1GB and $169 for the 2GB.[Via Venzero Elite]
