We’ve heard that music can calm the savage beast, but this just seems kind of ridiculous. Pet Acoustics has come up with My Pet Speaker, a speaker system that’s specifically designed for our animal friends.

Now don’t get crazy. We don’t expect Bandit to belt out Black Sabbath or relax to the soothing sounds of Yanni. It’s actually designed for human counterparts. However, while you are cranking out the crap rock, the system tweaks the sound so it will be less sensitive on the ears of dogs, cats and horses — in case you have any of those curled up on your living room couch.

We get it. High and low frequencies that we don’t notice so well can scare pets from the living room. Our dog actually prefers the bed anyway, so what’s the problem?

Those that truly love the animal kingdom can also add the Pet Acoustics Application for the iPhone. It’s $1.99 at the App Store and includes multiple tracks composed for you and your pets. Hmm… suddenly, Yanni doesn’t seem so bad after all.

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Joe Scilley used to be an interior renovator, and then he started making incredibly beautiful custom turntables from recycled and reclaimed wood.

On March 14th, Oakland-based Scilly debuted his Audiowood decks at the city’s FiveTen Studios and put a number of different designs on offer, including pieces made from redwood burl and walnut.

One visit to Scilly’s Audiowood site though and it becomes quickly apparent that these one-of-a-kind turntables are selling out fast. However, he’s also available for custom-order work.

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I feel the need to start off this post by disclosing the fact that I am an audiophile of sorts and I did not get a warm and fuzzy feeling about the idea behind this product right away. That being said, it turns out the people over at InAir Technologies are on to something here. How do I know, you ask? Just the other day I walked out of my downtown office building only to see an unsuspecting guy listening to his iPod while riding a bicycle, cruising up to an intersection where I could clearly see an SUV quickly approaching with the driver on a cellphone. I wanted to yell “look out” but what good would that have done?

The driver of the SUV slammed on the brakes but it was too late, the man on the bike went for a nice ride right up onto the hood but, only for a second, before sliding down onto the ground. I stood there in awe of the fact that they were both completely clueless and I remember thinking how easily this whole thing could have been avoided. It couldn’t have been more perfect timing as I knew the AirDrives were at home ready for the test.

Now that I have bored you with my ”you had to be there” story let me cut to the chase. Unlike traditional ear buds which fit snugly into your ear to block outside sounds, the AirDrives comfortably wrap around the back of your ear while hovering right outside of the ear canal. This means that you still get plenty of volume all while allowing you to stay aware of everything around you. If the guy on the bike would have only known!

The best way I could possibly explain the sensation is that it sounds as if someone is constantly following you around with a great quality boombox. Not only are these earphones perfect for busy urban areas but they also have a children’s version made with your kids health in mind. These earphones do not directly channel the music right into your child’s head (or adults for that matter) thus preserving their young developing sense of hearing.

The comfortable and seemingly durable design has a frequency range of 20-20,000 Hz and sensitivity of 98db at the source with 80db at the inner ear. The four foot cable also has a convenient volume control built right in, making volume adjustment on the fly a lot easier than reaching into your pocket or band to fumble with a digital wheel volume.

The child version retails at around $49 while the adult version is a cool $79. Check out AirDrives.com for more info.

Forget about everything you have ever known about home audio entertainment, the Squeezebox Duet Network Music System is here. If you are a true fan of music you are probably sick of downloading mp3’s at a buck a pop and regular old commercial filled FM radio… especially if you know about all Internet radio has to offer. With quality Internet streams from the the likes of Sirius and Slacker the Logitech Squeezebox is all you will ever need for home audio entertainment.

With it’s sleek interface and stylish looks Logitech’s Squeezebox Duet will allow you to access millions of songs from Internet radio or even your own play lists. All of the music is CD quality, and controlled through the easy to operate handheld device. The best part of it all? With one system, Logitech gives every member of the house the flexibility to listen to their own music.

Configuring this personal DJ could not be more simple. All you have to do is grab one little firmware download, setup your network information, and optionally enter your login information for your favorite user service. It should be noted that Logitech has relationships with the Internets top music providers such as; Radio IO, Radio Time, Live 365, SHOUTcast, Sirius, Pandora, Rhapsody, Slacker, MP3tunes Music Locker, Live Music Archive, and LAST FM.

At $399 this product may seem a bit pricey but, with all of that money you would have otherwise spent on CD’s or .mp3’s this gadget will more than pay for itself.

[ Via SiriusBuzz ]

Heads up, Apple — there’s a new cowboy in town, and its name is Ripserver. Taking an Apple-ish design nod for all things sleek and shiny, this new unit (set to officially release on March 1 but available for pre-order now) lets you store, rip and serve in one tight little package. With an aim to make the process of ripping all of your CDs as simple as possible, Ripserver is a true standalone piece of conversion storage — no monitor, no keyboard, just plug the unit into your network connection and your files are at your fingertips, quickly converted by inserting your CDs into the slot loading drive for a full disc rip in minutes (you can even adjust the MP3 options to set your own bit rate).

The embedded operating platform runs on Linux with an integrated UPnP server and USB access for direct access from computer to peripheral and back again. Ripserver is available in two different storage sizes — both 500GB and 1TB — and is compatible with any media player or device that can network share. Reserve yours now for £599 – £699 directly from the manufacturer’s website.

…or at least for hapless mid-level musicians that can’t manage to fine-tune by ear. In fact, many new musicians abandon their attempt at playing simply because they can’t properly tune their guitar/bass/violin and nothing seems to sound right. When my friend gave me a guitar years ago I quickly learned that the trick was to first get the low E string on pitch and then tune each remaining string relative to that tone — then I found out that my low E was as in-tune as a wailing cat. So what’s a starter to do?

Pick up the eNote Clip-On Digital Chromatic Tuner to take all of the guesswork out of your notes. The eNote works in one of two ways: first is the Mic mode that monitors the sound of your instrument and lets you know if you’re in tune or not. If you’re on point, the display shows the note in bright green display; if you’re off, the display turns red. Simple, right? But if you need even more perfect guidance, the Clip mode — attaching directly to the neck — monitors the vibration of your instrument directly, and features a 360 degree rotating display so you can keep monitoring as you play without constantly stopping to check that you’re in tune. Because the display is backlit the monitor is bright enough to read anywhere, even on the darkest stage. The eNote normally retails for $39.95, but you can pick one up over at Elevation Music for the low low price of $19.75.

Sure, iPod toys are a dime a dozen these days, but sometimes they’re so obviously practical that it just makes sense to ante up and get another accessory. Like the iPAL, a lovely white and chrome complement to your iPod that’s able to expand your audio on the go without any need for a power converter or annoying headphones. The standard aux input connects to your iPod (or any other music device with an earphone jack) and provides ultra-precise 5.1 ratio sound with easy tuning, plus it comes with an AM/FM tuner and internal AM antenna with Automatic Frequency Control to lock on to the center of the station for the best reception. iPAL is also compatible with the iTrip Transmitter if you’re already flush with iPod goodies. The kit includes an environmentally-friendly NIMH battery, AC adapter, and stereo mini-cable and is available from Zinc Details for $199.99.

No surprise, really, that this stylized set of speakers comes straight from the sound gurus over at Harman Kardon, now available from the MoMA Store for $170 (or $136 if you’re a lucky member of the non profit org). The Soundsticks II Speaker System, a three-piece set of two self-powered satellite speakers and a powerful subwoofer with bass control, sports a clear acrylic casing that lets you appreciate just what’s in the sound box. Weighted rings on the satellite speakers allow for sturdy placement, and the volume is easily controlled by tapping plus and minus signs (so easy your 3 year old could figure it out). The 40-watt kit comes ready to play with your mp3 player, computer, suite TV or any device with a mini stereo jack connection.

And the award for cutest little MP3 player goes to the USB Chocolate MP3 Player! Honestly, this is one of those gadgets that you love right out of its custom tin box — tiny-as-can-be at 30 x 43 x 10mm, it’s the size of two Hershey Bar blocks and packs 2 GB of audio storage for tunes on the go. Even the display is something of a toy: the controls are labeled with little icons (men running forward and back for directional controls, a little dog to turn the volume down and what I can only guess is a hybrid of a deer and a rooster works as a volume up button), and 4 flashing LED lights in the blank corner boxes indicate battery status and flash quickly as the unit charges/music plays (so if you’re wearing it outside at night, maybe it doubles as a safety device).

No programs or drivers are needed on your Windows/Mac/Linux computer, simply plug Chocolate into your computer with the provided USB cable and it’ll charge the battery and mount to your computer as a flash drive for easy drag-and-drop song management. Straight out of Hong Kong, the instructions aren’t written in perfect english (though indeed, always “check if USB connection is proper”), but use isn’t exactly rocket science — there’s an on/off switch on the side, a pause/play button, and all of the fun icons on the glossy white panel to skim through your songs. The kit also comes with iPod earbuds and a white lanyard, so you’re ready to take this mini-player with you anywhere — lighter and cheaper than the Nano, it’s a great gift for anyone on your Christmas list (unless they still haven’t figured out how USB ports work, then we suggest sticking with the fruitcake). Available for $39 from Brando.com.

Show of hands — who’s been screwed by a cord attached to your computer or mobile device getting snared in something and having the whole heap come tumbling down to the floor? Much to my annoyance, I bought my PowerBook just weeks before they introduced the Magsafe power adapter, the magnetically attached power cord that casually releases itself from the laptop with any tension on the line, so anytime the-dog-with-the-curled-tail comes tromping by the table there’s a high risk that my computer is going to follow, which after a few dozen falls means my power cord and jack are, well, jacked. But it’s not just the power cords that can bring your laptop to its knees — it’s the headphones or stereo line attached to the same panel that can be just as much of a problem.

Which is exactly where Replug comes in. Er, will come in as soon as it’s released. Using Magsafe-similar design, the Replug can transform any 3.5mm audio jack into a breakaway connection so that when too much force is applied to the line Replug quickly detaches itself and you’re saved a quick dive and scramble to save your expensive wares. It’s genius in its simplicity and design and, until we’re living in a full-on wireless world, may be the best solution to audio cord problems. Designed by William Tan, David Goetz and Luis Chao of LA based Amalgam, be on the lookout for this little wonder soon (much like every other project out there, we expect to see it ride in on the wave of just-in-time holiday gift releases).