SanDisk showcased a rather usual mp3 player at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. It is called the Sansa slotRadio, priced at around $100 and doesn’t have its own internal memory to store the music. Instead it relies on a partner in crime, the slotRadio music card that was specifically designed for the casual music connoisseur. The slotRadio cards hold all the music for the player, and to wet your appetites SanDisk gives you a card preloaded with

In the world of music making, software synths have dominated in recent years, with all manner of old and new synths being emulated on PCs and Macs. Now, though, a new platform might jsut be about to emerge that could potentially change the entire field of music.

That platform is the Nintendo DS, which is the unlikely gadget for the new Korg DS-10 Synth emulator. The DS-10 is software that you install onto your DS and control via your DS’s stylus, letting you play all sorts of synthesized sounds.

What type of sounds? Those of a Korg MS10, no less, a vintage old analogue synth that was cutting edge back in 1978, and which had leads and pipes and even steam controlled oscillators (OK, I made that last bit up!)

Now, vintage analogue synth emulators have been around for years, so why do I say the Korg DS-10 could transform music making? Simple: accessibility. Existing emulators are designed for PCs and Macs, usually as plugins to horrendously complicated music applications.

In contrast, the Korg DS-10 sits on the Nintedo DS and just lets you play music, using the stylus as your instrument. You can create new sounds, compose tunes, play the whole thing back again, and – the best bit – hook up several DS’s together via the DS’s built-in WiFi link and play sweet music from all the connected devices.

The features the DS-10 offers you include:

• Two patchable dual-oscillator analog synth simulators
• Four-part drum machine that uses sounds created with the analog synth simulator
• Six-track (analog synth x 2, drum machine x 4) /16-step sequencer
• Delay, chorus, and flanger sound effects available from the mixing board
• Three note-entry modes: touch-control screen, keyboard screen, matrix screen
• Real-time sound control mode via touch-control screen
• Exchange sounds and songs and play multiple units simultaneously through a wireless communications link

AQI have a demo of the Korg DS-10 in action, so you can hear what it sounds like yourself. Or just watch the video and be amazed at the power of this thing! All for just

I have always wondered what it would be like to have a sound track to my life, like they do in movies. When I am happy and it is sunny I can stroll down the street to something cheerful where as when I am in a mood I would hear something equally glum. Musinaunt, a French company may well make it a reality, they want to make the music you listen to change according to your mood.

Musinaunt intend to achieve this with their new player which is capable of reading your brain waves, interpreting them, and then giggling the music around to match your state of mind. Seems good on paper and looks good in the video below but there is a down side and it

iYo YOYO

We saw the iYo YOYO (pictured above) and memories of our childhood came rushing back, yoyos are versatile toys; you can walk the dog, go around the world and now you can even charge you iPod or iPhone with one. The Swedish designer Peter Thuvander has taken your average yoyo added a little Apple style (i.e. made it white and simple) and placed a small lithium-ion battery inside. Through the act of playing with the iYo the internal lithium-ion battery is charged which in turn charges your device.

Simple concept but is a fun twist on green energy, if you have a child give it to them and voila, free energy. The iYo YOYO is still in concept but when it hits the market we look forward to getting our hands on one, it certainly beats charging your iPod with an Orange.

Polygon: Charging on the go

The Polygon bike lets you plug your iPod in and charge it as you cycle. It looks very futuristic but unlike the buttons on the Enterprise, the Polygon is more than just for looks. There are handy buttons on the handle bars so once you stick your iPod in the bike-dock you have full control over the iPod without having to move your hands away from the all important steering mechanism. Some other neat features are the integrated locking system so your iPod won’t fall out and the location of the headphone jack means the wires won’t get in the way.

What is it?

Regular iPhone speakers are for wimps! What you need is the Alesis Transactive Mobile (although calling it “mobile” is a bit of a stretch!), a huge industrial strength amp and speaker designed for outdoor events that belts out tunes to over 150 feet.

Obviously not your average iPod speaker, it’ll make your mates’ jaws drop, both from the sound, and the slightly weird sight of seeing an iPod on top of this beast of an amp.

Why is it mental?

Just look at the thing!

And no, it doesn’t go all the way up to 11 (tried really hard to resist saying that, but just couldn’t stop myself!)

4). Numark iDJ iPod DJ system

What is it?

Heard about vinyl and how it’s used by superstar DJs but not entirely sure what vinyl actually is?! Then you need the Numark iDJ iPod DJ system, which lets you plug in an iPod and play two songs from it at once.

Of course, you don’t want the tunes blaring out over each other – you want them to mix seamlessly, blending from one to the other, even scratching if the mood takes you.

Not for nothing is the Numark called the iDJ, because that’s exactly what it lets you do – become a complete turntablist, just with an iPod rather than a record deck. You can also plug in other inputs from CD players or record decks, and even record your tunes via USB to any USB-equipped external source.

Is there no end to the iPod’s flexibility?!

Why is it mental?

Geeky and cool in one button-strewn box – perfect for the techno DJ.

3). Tonium Pacemaker HandHeld DJ system

What is it?

Like the idea of the Numark iDJ, but don’t have an iPod? Get the Tonium Pacemaker, then, which features its own 120GB hard drive, and which lets you seamlessly DJ in the palm of your hand.

Designed for professional DJs, the Packemaker will let you do everything you can do on turntables and other professional mixing gear, but comes with a unique hand-held user interface. You can select tracks, mix, pitch-bend, crossfade, apply effects, loop, and loads more – all in the palm of your hand.

It’ll detect beats for you, let you change the pitch of a tune, and offers full cueing and cue search. It’s fully capable of delivering a perfectly mixed DJ set from the palm of your hand.

It’ll even save all the mixes you make onto its own hard disk, or let you transfer them to your PC via its USB 2.0 port.

If you’re into DJing, or just want to see what else you can do with your huge library of tunes, give the Tonium Pacemaker a go. Your tunes will never seem the same again.

Why is it mental?

It’s a complete set of decks, a 120GB MP3 player, effects unit and professional DJ device that fits in the palm of your hand. ‘Nuff said!

2). iBlaze iPod Bag, for putting an iPod in a bag

What is it?

What list of audio gadgets would be complete without an iPod, er, bag?! The iBlaze iPod bag doesn’t just let you carry your iPod around, though; no, that would be far too straightforward! The iBlaze goes one better and actually integrates itself into your iPod, letting you control your trusty little MP3 player with the bag’s external controls.

Why is it mental?

Used by geek posers, who’d like to think that pushing buttons on a bag to control their tunes makes them alpha-geek. The only problem, of course, is that no-one else knows what they’re doing, as they’re the only one who can hear what’s going on!

There must be some way of integrating the iBlaze bag with the Alesis Transactive Mobile, surely?!

1). Radio Shark 2

What is it?

Finally, the Radio Shark 2 is billed as being like Sky+ for radio. You plug it into your PC via USB, and it’ll scan the airwaves for AM/FM radio stations as well as the Internet for Internet radio stations. As well as being able to search for different radio stations from either the airwaves or the Internet, you can also record programs, including entire series, just like you can with a Sky+ box. You can pause and rewind live radio, and automatically store any recordings you want directly to iTunes.

Why is it mental?

Rumour has it this started life as a product for Radio Shack, but something got lost in translation, and so ended up as a Radio Shark instead.

The End

Here ends the first of a regular series of weird and wonderful Mental Media gadgets. Video’s next, so stay tuned for that, or better still, subscribe to our feed for instant updates.

And if you know of any audio gadgets we’ve missed, feel free to add them in the comments.

<< Back to part 1

In the first of a regular series of Mental Media gadgets, here’s a run down of the ten best audio gadgets you’ve never thought of.

Stay tuned for more lists in the Mental Media series coming soon.

10). DIY iPod BoomBox

What is it?

Having an iPod is great for listening to your tunes, but have you seen the price of external iPod speakers? The DIY iPod Boombox solves that problem and adds a bit of nostalgic street-cred too. Looking like an old 80s boombox, you simply slot your iPod into it and voila – now everyone can hear your tunes (which may or may not be a good thing depending on your music collection!)

Why it’s mental

It’s made from cardboard.

No, seriously, it’s made from cardboard – you have to assemble it yourself, just like you used to with those old X-Wing fighter models you cut out from the back of cornflake packets when you were a nipper (ask your Dad if this sounds like Olde English to you!)

9). Wireless floating speakers

What is it?

“Wireless floating speakers”…now what could they be?

Well, firstly, they’re speakers, and they’ll play music from any MP3 player. Secondly, they’re wireless. They come with a transmitter, which you plug into your MP3 payer or stereo, and have a range of about 150 feet. And thirdly…

Why they’re mental

…they float! Whether you’re in the pool, the bath or even drowning in the park lake, the Wireless floating speakers will always be with you, belting out Stairway to Heaven as you slowly disappear beneath the surface of your chosen body of water.

8). Oono Transmitta

What is it?

Wireless HiFis are becoming more and more popular, but they’re expensive, particularly if you want to stream your tunes to more than one room in the house.

Fortunately Oono have a solution in the form of the appallingly-named Oono Transmitta VII. The Transmitta VII features a transmitter (hence the name), which you plug into any device’s 3.5mm headphone jack or USB port, and a receiver, which you attach to a speaker or amp of your choice via an auxiliary socket. Once complete, you can then transmit your tunes anywhere in the house (well, within a 50 foot range anyway). You can even pipe your TV’s output through to your hi-fi.

Better still, it’s a cheap solution at just