Gramophone’s Favorite Things

Pandora: Created by The Music Genome Project

I like having entertainment “my way.” That’s why I love Pandora. Imagine your favorite collection of music. Now imagine adding new artists who match the type of music you like, all in MP3 format. Imagine this online collection costing you nothing and taking up no hard-drive space. This is Pandora.

Here’s how it works:
For the past six years a team of 30 music analysts have been developing the Pandora database to accurately categorize songs by melody, harmony, instrumentation, rhythm, vocals, lyrics and much more. Just enter the name of a CD or artist that you like and you are connected to a collection of music categorized by close to 400 attributes. Pandora generates a list of music that matches your interests that you can listen to and download.

Enjoy, Brian

Learn more at Pandora.com

Sony: Location-Free Portable Broadband TV

I love it when technology is designed to work with my lifestyle. Which is exactly why I like Sony’s location-free TV. This small, portable television goes with me, even if I want to watch TV outside or just in a room of the house where I don’t have a TV. Use it to access TV programs, DVD recordings, movies, even wireless Internet.

Here’s how it works:
The television’s base station transmits the signal to the portable 12” screen. It can transmit up to 100’ away from the base. You simply plug in your cable, DVD player, Sony PlayStation or other device to the base station to access your content.

Enjoy, Brian

Learn more at Sony.com

Sennheiser: Noise-Canceling Headphones

My briefcase is always filled with gadgets. But my favorite must-have for business travel is my Sennheiser headphones. These compact headphones work like magic for tuning out the roar of the airplane engine or even just the person sitting next to you.

Here’s how it works:
Noise-canceling headphones work by eliminating low-frequency sounds from the audible hearing range. They reduce unwanted noise by up to 70% so you can listen to the music you want and not the noise you don’t.

Enjoy, Brian

Learn more at SennheiserUsa.com

Escient FireBall: Media Manager

Everyone who sees the Escient FireBall music management system has the same reaction I did: this is the coolest way to enjoy your music collection. The FireBall is a smart hard drive dedicated to managing your entire music collection so you never have to touch a disc again.

Here’s how it works:
You simply load your CDs into the FireBall and it stores them on the hard drive. Then, it automatically categorizes and labels them by genre, artist, title, etc. Use the FireBall’s unique onscreen menu to sort, organize and play up to 1,200 CDs. Create custom playlists, groups, and genres. And you can even burn CDs or transfer the collection to your MP3 player.

Enjoy, Brian

Learn more at escient.com