Don't look now, Sony's Walkman is trying to make a comeback

It's been 45 years since the Moon Landing but can you believe its been 35 years since Sony wired us for sound with the original Sony Walkman? Well Sony is bringing back the Walkman brand in a premium US $700 bit of kit called the ZX1. Years after the iPod ate up the MP3 industry (and years after smartphones ate up the iPod), Sony's new player features 128GB of storage and the ability to play High Resolution Audio whose files have way more musica data and information for a true audiophile experience.

Made from a single piece of aluminum and featuring a 4-inch touchscreen plus 32 hours of playback on a single charge, the ZX1 is definitely a niche product, one that competes with Neil Young's Pono Player for a very discerning music audience. Find out more about the new Walkman here. 

iTunes Festival to return to London this September

After taking the show on the road to SXSW in Austin early this year, the iTunes Festival returns to its roots in London's Roundhouse in September. According to Apple this year's month-long festival will feature the likes of Pharrell,  Maroon 5, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Beck, Sam Smith, Blondie, Kylie, 5 Seconds of Summer, Chrissie Hynde and many more.

“The iTunes Festival in London is back with another stunning line-up of world class performers and tremendous new acts,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “These live shows capture the heart and soul of iTunes and we love bringing them to our customers in the Roundhouse, as well as to the millions of people watching all over the world for free.”

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Qplay internet video service to shut down less than 6 months after launch

Qplay may have pedigreed founders (creators of TiVo) but that doesn’t mean it will become successful. That is why the internet video service is shutting down this July 25, which is less than six months since it was launched. Qplay did not specify why they decided to close shop but they say it is not possible for them to keep developing and running the service. One can't help but recall VDIO, which was RDIO's streaming video company that seems to have suffered the same fate as Qplay, closing down while still in its beta phase. 

Source: The Next Web

ZTE plans to minimize customization of Android OS

A lot of manufacturers put on heavy skins over the Android operating system but thankfully some of them are seeing that it is better to present Android in its native form (or as close to it as possible). ZTE has just announced that they plan to use the Google Now launcher as its default home screen for the new smartphones they will be introducing. So, if you’re not a fan of heavy customization of the Android OS but a ZTE fan, then you’ll have something to look forward to soon.

Source: Engadget