beats
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Could 'beats.' change the way you play PSP?
The ESRB has created a listing for a Sony Computer Entertainment Europe product called beats. for the PSP that, if one unconfirmed report holds true, could mean a quantum leap forward for the device's feature set. Though the ratings board doesn't offer info other that the "E" rating of beats. one NeoGAF poster claimed over a month ago that he gathered details about the title with a little trademark investigation (the source of which is not revealed in the post). The feature set he turned up seems to be almost unfathomably ambitious, including "providing access to gaming, digital music and/or video web sites; providing wireless transmission of music, video and games, via the Internet and via communications networks; uploading and downloading of music, video and games, via the Internet."It's difficult to cut through the jargon, but this sounds like it could be an extension of Game 3.0 to the PSP platform, allowing users to share different media or even games through the handheld. It could also be one of the company's efforts to help bring in the teen market. But with such a maddeningly vague description (and even less helpful title) this seems like more of a cause for speculation than celebration.[Via PSP Fanboy]
ESRB reveals revolutionary "beats" project for PSP
One of our readers, Y.M., has unearthed an incredible discovery. The ESRB lists a mysterious new product for PSP, simply titled beats. According to our reader, Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe trademarked the title back in January, with a truly ambitious description. We're still looking for the original source, but we've seen this description on NeoGAF as well:"Providing access to gaming, digital music and/or video web sites; providing wireless transmission of music, video and games, via the Internet and via communications networks; uploading and downloading of music, video and games, via the Internet and via communications networks; providing on-line bulletin boards for the transmission of messages among computer users concerning games, music and videos; distribution of computer software relating to music, video and games over local or global communications networks; communication services in the form of matching users for the transfer of music and video recordings via communication networks; information, advisory and consultancy services relating to all the aforesaid."Y.M. has intelligently put two and two together: Sony said they were looking into expanding the capabilties of PSP to target the teen market. Certainly, a wireless music and video sharing service would out-do everything Zune tried to. The evidence is pointing to a truly revolutionary service for PSP--beats can become the PSP equivalent of PS3's Home.
Wii Loop Machine utilizes Wiimote to manipulate beats
It takes a certain level of determination and creativity to shun the smorgasbord of other music-related Wii mods already out there, and to be quite honest, the Wii Loop Machine does a fair job of putting the other alternatives to shame. Taking full advantage of the Wiimote's ability to be used at will with a Bluetooth receiver and the right coding, the music manipulation software allows beat lovers to scroll through loops, twist up the jams, drop the bass, toss in a delay, and pretty much hack up the tunes at will with a combination of button mashes and Wiimote slinging. Currently, the software is only compatible with OS X, but the creator is definitely interested in your contact information if you can port this stuff over on the Windows side of life. So if you've already got a home-based studio set up, and your Mac just isn't getting enough love, be sure to hit the read link and check out the deets, or click on through if you're yearning for lesson in geekified mixing.[Via Joystiq, thanks Andy]
BlueBox intros miJam iPod toys
If it wasn't yet clear to you that the age of the DIY mashup is upon us, a new set of toys from a company called BlueBox -- which let even iPod-toting tweens "enhance" their tunes by dropping beats and sound effects -- should remove any lingering doubts. The three members of the new miJam series, which all attach to standard headpone jacks - a guitar, mixing board, and electronic drumsticks -- bear little resemblance to their non-toy counterparts, as all of the effects are triggered by buttons instead of real drumming or thrashing. Even the mixer sounds like it would be a letdown for budding DJ's, delivering canned scratches that will in no way prepare them for the beat-matching they'll being doing in a few years on their Numarks. Still, kids are pretty easily entertained, so the flashing lights and loud noises should probably hold their interest for a few minutes longer than your average gimmicky accessory. Like so many other pre-release products we bring you, we have no idea when these are coming out nor how much they'll sell for.
