Rhapsody

Artists, Music, Audiences Change Labels Find it Tough

"Hey, Riley, we're all plugged in and checked up... yeah, we're ready." – Buddy Holly, The Buddy Holly Story, ECA Productions (1978)

Music is dying if you believe the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).

Music is a growing business if you believe Apple, Google, Spotify, Yahoo Music, Artist Direct, My Space Music, Pandora and hundreds of other options.

They're right … all of them.

The "good ol days" are gone.

Everything lives in phases … music is no different:

• 8-tracks had their peak in '78 of $3.1 B according to the RIAA
• LPs had their peak in '78 of $8.1B
• Cassettes had their peak in '88 of $6.1B
• CDs peaked in '99 with $16.4B
• Albums began their rise with downloads of $1B in '10
• Singles jumped out with downloads of $1.6B in '10
• Mobile "sales" is going to be huge but….

July 1, 2009--Raising the bar on high power A/V Receiver performance, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveils four A/V Receivers designed to bring enhanced clarity, detail and dynamic "quick response" from uncompressed Dolby True-HD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks used in Blu-ray Disc entertainment. The new Pioneer Elite SC-25 and SC-27 A/V Receivers incorporate a Direct Energy HD Class D amplifier featuring ICEPower technology to ensure unprecedented reproduction of high resolution multi-channel, stereo as well as compressed audio and provide premium home entertainment that rivals the movie theater experience. Pioneer pushes the limits of A/V Receiver innovation with the Elite SC-27, which leverages the full advantages of this emerging amplification technology to become the industry’s first Class D amp design to achieve THX Ultra2 Plus as well as AIR Studio monitor certifications. Together, these achievements undoubtedly affirm the company’s position as the preeminent home entertainment manufacturer for the most critical home entertainment enthusiast. Read more

Most people these days have houses full of digital gadgets and machines. From computers and laptops to mp3 players, televisions and gaming systems, Americans have a penchant for staying on the front edge of personal technology.

However, technology continues to move at a dizzying pace making products faster, smaller, more integrated and more efficient. To stay ahead of the curve, take a look at these product ideas given to us from Personal Tech Experts at BluePhone:

Mini Laptop - With enough processing power for most any kind of everyday use, and a small enough form factor to fit in many purses, mini laptops with screens from about seven to ten inches are a great option for people on the go, or looking for an ultra-sleek laptop computer. ASUS has been making the EEE-PC for a few years now, but has been making improvements that make them more and more viable as a true computer. Dell makes the Inspiron Mini 9, which has about the same form-factor as the EEE-PC, but comes backed by the well known Dell name. Neither one will hit the wallet very hard – both are about $300.Read more