[Caustic Saint]

What, no 8-track?

I used to think Sony's MD-equipped computers were a little odd, since the format never really caught on in the US. This strikes me as more than a little silly, though. One of those "because we can" products.

[Taro Toporific]

Plusdeck

I used to rip the Real(tm)audio off NPR and BBC web-radio with a system sound capture tool called WireTap and convert to MP3 for my iPod.

I'm now have changed to directly ripping the Shoutcast MP3 of NPR and BBC web-radio news (it's a little hard to find good Shoutcast news stations). I do this every morning before I hit the train listening to my iPod. HOWEVER, it's a cludgy operation and I could see real value in dedicated piece of hardware like this "plusdeck" tape deck--it would be much faster and the tapes would work in my car. I lose a full six minutes every morning fiddling with ripping the program stream, copying the MP3, etc.

[gomichild]

You little information junkie Taro

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Plusdeck

This really is the coolest thing I have seen. If you were afraid of taking hard core porn into japan and didnt want customs to find out you could copy it to a Elvis tape and nobody would suspect a thing....

[Taro Toporific]

You little information junkie Taro

What I really what is to be plug-compatable with the Aether.

[Big Booger]

Nice. Though I doubt this will be popular.. it is nice to know that something like this exists.

Do they have an LP version? Imagine writing to a record.. even the ability to add your own custom scratching directly into the album. Great for DJs. They can practice up, get the sound perfected and then take it to the club, load the record and kick back and partee'.

[Caustic Saint]

Nice. Though I doubt this will be popular.. it is nice to know that something like this exists.

Do they have an LP version? Imagine writing to a record.. even the ability to add your own custom scratching directly into the album. Great for DJs. They can practice up, get the sound perfected and then take it to the club, load the record and kick back and partee'.

Not that I know of, but how about the reverse? Want to digitize your old LPs and not have to fuss around with a turntable and audio equipment? Why not just use your scanner? Check out The Digital Needle.

Remember those flat round things you may have found lying around the house. Those that never really worked well as flying saucers? Well, the other day I happenned to have a good look at one through a magnifying glass. I was able to discern something waveform'esqe in the shape of the grooves. I thought, "groovy, there must be a way to extract something sensible off of that" (actual thought quoted). At which point I came up with some great excuses ^H^H^H^H reasons to have a go:

A) These round objects could have some archeological value.
B) I could waste some time.

Happily convinced by these, I tried to recall an old legend I once heard concerning these objects. This legend being of technological nature, entaled a diamond needle that would vibrate when placed atop the revolving flat things, these vibrations, when amplified would produce music.

[Taro Toporific]

[Taro Toporific]

What, no 8-track?

Hey here's something mo' betta, a fake 45rpm record player!
Via the "Gadget Watch" newsletter ...

Bandai "8" Portable Record Player
29,800 yen

... the "8" Portable Record Player from Bandai plays, rather
unsurprisingly, retro Bandai tunes from classic cartoon shows off
special 8cm records. The little discs have up to four minutes of
recordings on them -- like an olde worlde 45 single. Except that the
player spins them at 33rpm.

More info: http://www.bandai.co.jp/releases/J2003090101.html