Subj : Inspired by Apples original iPod, this open-source music player i
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri Dec 22 2023 12:00:05

Inspired by Apples original iPod, this open-source music player is the 
nostalgia bomb I needed

Date:
Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:50:26 +0000

Description:
This little iPod look-a-like is crowdfunding now and includes a DIY option if 
you want to make your own MP3 player.

FULL STORY
======================================================================

Everybody loves the iPod, which perhaps explains why one of this week's top 
tech stories was the launch of some iPhone wallpapers that make your iPhone 
look like an iPod Classic. But if you're more interested in listening to 
iPods than looking at them, a new crowdfunder could be just the thing. 

With an estimated price of $249, the Tangara music player is similar in price 
to the refurbished iPods recently sold by Urban Outfitters. But this is a 
brand new product, not an old one made good again. 

Unlike any iPod, the people behind it are also quite happy for you to 
customize it, take it apart, repair it, change its software or completely 
transform its inside and outside, which is not something the best MP3 players 
let you do. (Image credit: Crowd Supply) What does the Tangara music player 
deliver? 

Beneath what looks like a highly sue-able exterior design somewhere between 
the original iPod and the iPod Photo, the Tangara can play MP3, FLAC, Opus 
and Ogg Vorbis and supports slightly better than CD quality although not over 
Bluetooth, as that only has the very basic SBC audio codec. 

You're going to want a pair of the best wired headphones to get the best out 
of the music here. The 1.8-inch display is as low resolution as the 
Bluetooth, delivering just 160 x 128 pixels. Music is stored on a 2TB microSD 
card. While the Tangara looks like an iPod, it lacks the iPod's compatibility 
with AAC files  so if you have iTunes songs you want to listen to, you'll 
need to convert them first. 

One of the big draws here is that the hardware and software is open, so you 
can customize it or upgrade it as you see fit: there's a build-your-own 
option as well as the fully assembled version. As Crowd Supply, the firm 
behind the player, puts it, you can "tear it apart and put it back together 
again... experiment with alternative user-interface patterns, new types of 
content, tracker-based music production [and] much more". 

The crowdfunding campaign is about to launch in early 2024. Y ou can register 
your interest here but in the meantime, you can download the open-source 
software and hardware details to start making your own. You might also like 
Why I'm keeping my iPod Classic even though Apple's killed the iPod for good 
Restored iPod models are selling out at retailers after being discontinued 15 
Years of iPod: (Almost) every iPod ranked from best to worst



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/audio/portable-media-players/inspired-by-apples-orig
inal-ipod-this-open-source-music-player-is-the-nostalgia-bomb-i-needed


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64)
 * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)

.