Wadia and Qsonix Join Forces – High-end digital audio component maker Wadia Digital Inc. and leading digital music server developer Qsonix have announced their alliance. Wadia’s reputation is for the creation of digital audio components to satisfy the most demanding audiophile, while Qsonixs has developed a music management system for collectors and discerning audio buffs in the modern era of digital hard drive accuracy and enjoyment. Going forward, Wadia audio technologies will be built into all new Qsonix generations of music management systems, and exciting digital audio solutions from both companies are on the horizon. Some of these will concern Apple’s iPod, where Wadia’s technological expertise fulfills improved audio output. Wadia will handle sales, orders and support for Qsonix worldwide, and the Qsonix team will work closely with Wadia implementing new sales, marketing and training programs. Qsonixs will continue manufacturing, shipping and tech support from their Newbury Park, CA offices. Wadia is located in Saline, MI.
FLAC Encoding Takes Off – In the world of downloaded music bit rates have increased and digital rights management is fading away. While there is an explosion of sites offering superior-to-standard-CD data rates, plenty of users are just happy to get away from 128kbps music files to actual (and not claimed) stereo CD quality. FLAC encoding has been the usual solution to providing 44.1K/16bit files without taking up huge amounts of space for WAV or AIFF files online. But FLAC tiles – offered by most of the sites selling lossless format files, is not supported by Apple/s iTunes, which only supports AIFF, WAV, ACC and Apple Lossless (ALAC). You have to use a simple converter such as free X Lossless Decoder (aka XLD) = www.macworld.com/5953 to convert FLAC to ALAC. iTunes can then burn standard CDs losslessly. However, if you prefer to store your music as good old AIFF or WAV uncompressed files, you will need another free converter, such as Max.
PlayStation 3 Purchasers Targeting Blu-ray Capability Rather than Games – Since Sony lowered the price of their popular PS3 last August to about $300, the console has made a comeback in monthly sales – primarily from those wanting a good Blu-ray player rather than a particular game title or any game title. A Nielsen survey also showed a 56% index of purchases in order to connect with friends who already own a PS3.
Sonos Upgrade – Sonos has been a popular though expensive product in some homes to easily stream music from one’s computer to every room. Using a single remote (which now includes any iPhone with a special app for it) the entire system can be controlled, sending the same or different music to each room. Sonos’ entry-level ZonePlayer S5 model is $400 for a one-room setup. The latest v3.2 of their operating system adds support for Clear Channel’s Internet music service, iHeartradio, offering 750 free music channels and stations. Songs can be set to crossfade with one another if you wish. And those with the S5 model can now place two units in one room to create separated left and right stereo channels.
Nostalgic Sounds of Pac-Man in Worldwide Offices – Google is offering a playable Pac-Man game at its home page to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man. Is work time being frittered away everywhere at office computers, when all people wanted to do was a quick Google search? It’s violating corporate policy to play Pac-Man on company time, but how many administrators are playing it instead of banning the Google home page? Now will someone show me how to play it? I never learned.
