Looking for a Linux-based media center, but don’t want to deal with setting up your own?

Well, enter Fiire and their Fiire Engine media center and it’s satellites, the Fiire Stations. The Fiire Engine is set up to be the hub of your digital lifestyle and is based around an AMD Athlon64 X2 processor, nVidia graphics, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and RAID support for up to six eSATA hard disks (that’s up to 6TB of storage for people with the scratch to buy six Toshiba 1TB disks). The system doesn’t have HDMI out, but it’s got every other input including composite (yuck), SVideo (ugh) and component (yay). The Fiire Engine will retail for around $799, bring your own eSATA disks for media storage.

The Fiire Stations are set-top boxes based around low-voltage processors that tie into the Fiire Engine to get their media. They’re set to retail between $499 and $899 depending on specs.

Finally, the Fiire Chief is a roving remote control that will tie the whole thing together for $149.

Definitely an interesting package, though we’re holding out judgment until the interface can be seen in more detail, because the interface of a media center can make or break it.

Monster today unveiled a trio of new, overpriced iPod accessories. The Shuffle charger looks cool, but only if it works to sync as well.

The other stuff is just overpriced versions of stuff you can get a lot cheaper elsewhere. Which is to say typical Monster. Seriously, does anyone even still buy Monster Cables? If you do, please comment so I can ridicule you (just kidding).

In any case, if you want to pay $80 for a car charger… head out to Best Buy and snag yours today.

The Nike Amp+ is a watch and remote control for the Nike+iPod combo and it’s just gotten approval from the FCC and should appear on store shelves soon.

The Amp+ will control your tunes as well as your workout and even features a dedicated “PowerSong” button that’ll immediately play your favorite Pet Shop Boys Metallica song to help you pound out that last two miles of your run.

The watch itself is plastic and it has a nice-looking stainless steel clasp that resembles those used on higher end metal watches.

No price yet, but it’s Nike, so it’ll probably be overpriced. Still, it’s a slick idea.

I spend a lot of time writing.  Writing this, writing that… It’s sort of what I do.  Yeah, the freelancing gigs and their tendency to be socially isolating can be a little mundane from time to time, but there are some huge perks – one of them being that I get to listen to excellent music all day long at the volume level of my choosing.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like to rock as much as the next guy, but when it comes to music that helps me write, being choosy matters.  My basic unwritten (until now) rules go something like this:

1. The music must be positively upbeat to keep my mind moving and my hands humming.
2. Most lyrics in English are distractions to writing.
3. The songs must synergize my connection to my work.
4. The new Foo Fighters song is going to have to wait until tonight.
5. Same goes for the Pearl Jam set from last weekend’s Lollapalooza that I just downloaded.

I find the old lore about classical music helping a person study better to be absolutely true.  And indeed, the same can be said about its enlightening effect on the author’s mind.  I’m personally not a huge fan of heavy baroque classical as I find it a bit too deep for staying on mentally on track.  That said, the right classical music reigns supreme for writing.

My favorite Classical Radio streams can be found in iTunes Radio under the “Classical” genre heading.  Listed in no particular order, I stream these more than anything when I want someone else to think for me and just let me write:

• Orsradio.com Classical – Quirky and uniquely, but somehow always upbeat and inspiring.
• Classical Guitar on Sky.fm – What can I say?  By definition, this station almost always has a Latin flavor which is often too much stimulation, but other times just the medicine I need.
• RadioioClassical – A mostly modern take on traditional orchestral classical music.  A trustworthy standby.

Alright, don’t get on my case and call me cheesy or anything, but I also find smooth jazz to be helpful to the mood when writing.  Yes, this is the same thing you heard in the elevator earlier and should typically be reserved for setting the mood of a soulful Sunday brunch.

Before you make fun, try it!  Again in iTunes Radio, you’ll find several stations under “Jazz” that fit the bill.  My favorite of the bunch is 181.fm “The Breeze” for its airy and peppy variety.  Also heavy in my rotation, the west coast piano jazz of Vince Guaraldi always keeps my keyboard clicking.

And now, I must make a startling admission.  As I’ve penned this whole post, I’ve been listening to Ben Harper and Donavon Frankenreiter.  I’m not really a hypocrite, but whatever suits the mood… right?

Are you still using the freebie bud style earphones that came prepackaged with your iPod or brand x mp3 player?

Well, let’s face it… If you are still using the freebies, you might be one of the rare few.  It’s really too bad that the big sellers of portable digital music geniusry (yep, I made that word up) don’t choose to put much research and development effort towards equal matching headphones.  I mean most of the earbud headphones that come included are only worth about their weight in plastic.

But the question still persists…

Even after you’ve made the choice to upgrade to something – anything – better than the included earbuds, how much are you willing to spend?

After all, the digitally compressed music file that your device is pumping to the headphones is not exactly audiophile quality stuff.  The same holds true for the audio circuitry of your music player – it sounds good enough on the fly, but the right amount of money and expectations can certainly purchase better quality.

If money were no object to me, I’d defiantly be sporting a pair of custom audiologist fit and personally tuned Ultimate Ears earphones.  These are the buds that most professional touring musicians use on stage, recently replacing the bulky and all too murky floor monitors.  Maybe I could settle for the $900.00 ue 10 pro model – arguable the best of the best of consumer earbuds.  But unfortunately I just can’t justify that price for spinning my flattened mp3s.

Could I settle for Shure’s new sound isolating three driver SE530 earbuds?  You bet I could.  My ears are practically salivating right now just at the thought of pure, crisp, and transparent sonic beauty.  But again, for the nearly $500 price tag, I’m going to have to pass for now.  Maybe someday.

Right now, I’m rocking my $40 V-Moda phones.  I know these are kind of obscure and arguably pretty darn ugly too, but man they sound good to me.  Granted, I’m one of those bass freaks and these deliver plenty of the low end I want to hear and feel like I feel.  Many would consider the bass to be too much and highly inaccurate.  To each their own.

So there you have it, I give myself around a $50 allowance for good earbuds to suit my on the go musical experiences.  Any more than that and I’d be way too upset when I manage to lose them or shred the poor cord.

Again, it would take a bit of persuasion to convince me to step out of my earbud comfort zone.  How about you?

Get started with this perfect hour long set, especially tailored for a summer patio party.  Songs meant to enjoy.

If you’re not already a Rhapsody subscriber, don’t worry… Rhapsody lets you play 25 songs a month for free.

Sangria Wine – Austin, TX singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker is oft-overlooked for his influence on outlaw country.  While this summer patio party song isn’t of the outlaw variety, it is festive – In the same way the “I like pina colodas” song was until you found out it wasn’t about the good life, but instead about getting dumped.

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers’ classic song of duration.  This song just goes down even better with a cold beer or tasty boat drink or five.

No Rain – Remember the dancing bee girl video for this song?  This song is testament to a summer’s weekend freedom.  As long as there’s no rain.

Feel Us Shaking – This tune from The Samples is like the last hoorah of the 80’s in a so very late 90’s kind of way.  Either way, it’s just a darn good summer song and it always leaves me shaking.

The General – Dispatch tries to tell us to enjoy our weekend by singing about a general.  Actually, I’m not sure what this song is really supposed to be about, but I think everybody likes it.  Enjoy.

Maggie May – My whole life, until about last year, I totally despised Rod Stewart.  I think it was probably because of all the TV commercials selling his songs on compilation CD after compilation CD.  And then it hit me.  I no longer have to be embarrassed.  I like this stuff.  I mean, it’s classic after all!

Pirate Looks At 40 – Jack Johnson’s stripped down and astoundingly clear take at this Jimmy Buffett acoustic classic is a perfect summer chill song.  I’m convinced I might just be an under 40 victim of fate.

It Don’t Matter – Jack Johnson’s beach bum buddy Donavon Frankenreiter with a serenade to “hey, anything goes.”  Let’s all be happy and enjoy!

What Would You Say – I’ve always been a huge Dave Matthews fan, since way before it was popular to be a huge DMB fan.  While this may be the original mainstream hit, it never gets old.  A modern day timeless classic?

High And Dry – Let’s mellow things out a bit more with Jamie Cullum’s cover of Radiohead’s song that is apparently telling the story of either a motocross racer or Evil Kaneivel.  I never did comprehend, but I love the song regardless.

Brown – What ever happened to the jam band?  Well here’s C. Brown jammy goodness from perennial favorite Widespread Panic.

Little Wing – No playlist can ever be complete without a proper acoustic or for this matter, bluegrass song.  Here’s a classic made over by South Austin Jug Band, guaranteed to get you grooving in your seat and knockin’ on the patio table.  Bet you can’t help yourself.

Tuesday’s Gone – This Lynyrd Skynyrd classic is only too perfect for one of those all weekend long forays.  You know, the kind that start Friday and end not on Sunday night, but on Wednesday morning.  What ever happened to Tuesday?  Play this one last.

LinuxDevices has a good writeup on building a Linux-based home music server system using an Infrant ReadyNAS as the backend for a MiniITX frontend.

The writeup is pretty complete, if a bit technical in spots (hey, we’re all geeks here, right?). It’s a good intro to the hardware and software involved in building a Linux-based music device that won’t have disks spinning in your living room.

Now, we just need our pal Josh to do a writeup on the home media system he’s got based on a Mac Mini and the venerable Infrant NAS device.

Alright, I admit it.  I like playing Guitar Hero as much as the next guy and his big sister do.  But really, what’s the intrigue about being a fictional guitar virtuoso rock star?  I mean pushing buttons on a twenty some inch piece of plastic just doesn’t exactly have quite the same appeal of strumming and bending medium gauge nickel strings tied to a solid wood body classic Stratocaster.

So if you’re ready to turn off the flat screen and plug into some real tube power, now’s the perfect time to go all the way.  Get a real guitar and a real amp.  Chances are, before long you’ll be big-time famous.  After all, the emo bands did it, so can you.  Here’s how…

Grab Your Axe.

It’s essential to have real functional gear if you want to be a real functional guitar hero.  You don’t have to start with the very best, but don’t waste your time or money on bargain basement junk.  Try a Fender Standard Stratocaster electric guitar to start.  You can buy one brand new for about $400 and you’ll be able to grow with it and be proud of the axe forever.

Gotta be the big star showoff?  If money’s no object, pick up a vintage beauty such a 1950’s classic Gibson Les Paul.  Starting price?  Around $10,000.  Your spouse won’t understand, but your buddies will get it.

Crank It To 11.

Ever seen the rock fantasy, Spinal Tap?  If so, you know exactly what I mean when I say “Crank it up to 11!”

But seriously, you’ve got your dream guitar, now you’ll just need an amplifier to make it rock.  My suggestion?  Start with a Fender G-DEC 30 Guitar Digital Entertainment Center.  A purist’s worst nightmare, this beauty has all the digital goodies built right in and ready to go.  When you’re starting off, you’ll probably want all the effects you can muster in order to sound presentable whatsoever.

Want to show off some more?  Pick up a replica Marshall 1959SLPX Head and Full stack package.  100 watts of Class A all tube power muscle and warmth plus eight 12” Celestion Vintage speakers that will make your ears burn when you crank it to 11.  Your cost?  Only about $4,000.

Learn To Fly.

Now that you’ve got a spare bedroom studio full of goodies, you just need to learn how to use the darn things.  Good News – Starting to strum has never been easier than it is nowadays.  Just roll over to YouTube and type in “guitar lessons.”  If you can watch and copy, you’ll be jamming your favorite riffs in no time at all.  And for goodness sakes, it’s not really any harder than Guitar Hero.  You can do it.  Just keep trying till your fingertips can literally take no more.

Seriously speed up the process by taking lessons from an expert 14 year old guitar geek at your local guitar center.  Once you can hack out a few notes on your own, sign up for a week long guitar fantasy camp with your rock star heroes in person.  There’s nothing like learning from the guy that wrote the song.  Roadworthy tip – when your fingers start to bleed, heal them with super glue.

Don’t put off your dreams of stardom any longer.  Get your gear and start wailing right now.  Be a real guitar hero!

Since last Monday, internet radio stations are officially subjected to the new and exponentially prohibitive royalty rates that have been furiously debated for quite some time now. The new rates are still being hotly contested, but reality says we’re probably just going to have to deal with them – even if it means we’ll forced to see more advertising or pay extra fees. Regardless, net radio will win in the end and here’s why:

Internet Radio Is Customizable. When you want influence just what ends up at your ears, internet radio does the trick. Listening to genre specific stations couldn’t be easier. And of course, setting up a station to play songs that compliment a specific query of your choosing is just about one of the best ways to discover favorite new tunes.

Net Radio Just Sounds Good. Yeah, I know a 128k stream isn’t exactly audiophile quality or anything, but the truth of the matter is it generally beats anything found on staticy and over-compressed analog radio. Also most ears will hear more definition in decent quality net streams versus stale and flat satellite radio signals.

We Just Want Someone To Think For Us. Let’s face it… There’s plenty of time when we’re either too busy or too lazy to pick, setup, or even listen to our own collection of songs. And there’s the nostalgic factor of radio. Internet radio is a great way to make someone else figure out what we hear next.

Ear Ad Freedom. Most of my favorite net radio stations or sites support their streaming by pumping plenty of ads at my eyes, but at least I can minimize. The best internet radio is audio ad free. Only the stuff you want to hear gets past your speakers or headphones.

Internet Radio Can Scale To Mobile. Yeah, you can take your iPod anywhere and listen to the music you’ve already stored, but what about when you want something different? An internet radio stream is compressible to the point where it’s remarkably efficient to receive wirelessly on mobile devices, yet it still sounds like candy to our ears on the go via free WiFi networks or data plans that we already subscribe to.

Net Radio Is Social. Internet radio practically invented social music. As we scrobble all of our listening, net radio is the best way to appreciate the benefits of scrobbling.

Did I Mention It’s Free? Or at least effectively free if you are able to tune out the ads. No need to pay a buck for each downloaded song or $10+ a month to subscribe to a service. Just can’t beat getting something for nothing without stealing.

Harman/Kardon has announced (shipping in June… way to miss that buckos) the follow-up to their successful iPod-meets-car interface, the drive+play 2.  The new drive+play features nifties like a color screen, a revamped wireless control knob that more closely mimics the way the iPod clickwheel works, and integration with Sirius and Bluetooth carphone modules.

It appears they did a good job addressing the shortcomings of the original drive+play (which I own and really like, save a niggling annoyance or two).  The problem is the price.  At $400, the drive+play is double the cost of the original at launch and five times as expensive as the original drive+play’s current street price of $80.  It’s also at least $50 more than the iPod you’re hooking to it.

The drive+play 2 seems like a great way to get your iPod into your car in an integrated and attractive manner, but the price is going to turn a lot of people off.

iLounge Review