Do you ever find yourself getting frustrated over little inconveniences like figuring out a way to connect your iPhone, iPod or other MP3 player to your home stereo or home entertainment so you can listen to music that you keep on your mobile phone, iPod, MP3 or other portable media players? To alleviate this inconvenience the Kanex AirBlue Portable Bluetooth Music Receiver makes it possible for users to listen, play and control their music media from their favorite audio sources wirelessly.

The Kanex AirBlue Portable Bluetooth Music Receiver connects to your home stereo or entertainment system through the standard audio cables provided. Then you’re able to stream your favorite music, podcasts and other media from your iPhone, mobile phone, iPod, MP3 player or any other portable media player over a standard wireless Bluetooth connection and play the audio straight through to your home stereo or home entertainment system.

The Kanex AirBlue Portable Bluetooth Receiver is a convenient, small footprint portable device that measures 1.875 inches across and about 0.25 inches thick. This is roughly the size of a the lens cap for an SLR camera lens. And the Kanex device is attractively styled with a smart, soft-touch matte black finish.

You can wirelessly control your favorite playlist or podcasts anytime, anywhere through your vehicle, speakers or home stereo as long as you are within the Bluetooth transmission range of 33 feet. You simply connect the Kanex Airblue Portable Bluetooth Music Receiver to the audio system using the 3.5mm audio cables (or mini USB connector) and then pair your media source (iPhone, iPod, MP3 player, mobile phone, etc.) with the Kanex AirBlue Bluetooth receiver. Then, you’re able to receive streamed audio with the same audio output via the analog audio connection.

And the fidelity is quite good. The Kanex AirBlue Portable Bluetooth Receiver employs a Bluetooth v2.1 receiver with EDR which enables the highest music fidelity and premium sound over a Bluetooth connection. The device is also easy on the battery and is able to deliver an average of 10 working hours on a full charge. The internal rechargeable battery is easily recharged using a simple USB connection and cable and you can also use the device while it is charging.

The Kanex AirBlue Portable Bluetooth Music Receiver is a handy portable, reliable, and convenient wireless solution to stream your favorite media for use at home and when you’re on the go.

Available: Amazon

Price: $49.99

Here at Mint Gadgets, we like to present the full range of great gadgets that you can find out there. Now bear in mind, many of the finest gadget innovations are not necessarily the most expensive items to buy. In fact, most of the gadgets we talk about fall within the more affordable price range of the spectrum.

However, some gadgets that we feature actually do come in as some of the most expensive innovations that you can find. And most assuredly, these audio speakers from Wilkins & Bowers are definitely an example of the latter. In the spirit of the “best of the best”, the Wilkins & Bowers Nautilus Speakers come in at the “top of the top”, the absolute most sophisticated audio speakers money can buy.

And yes, I did say these speakers are expensive! But it’s fun to look, right?

Bowers & Wilkins is a world class innovative audio research, engineering and manufacturing company located in England. Innovation is a premier hallmark at Bowers & Wilkins, and the research and development project that led to the Nautilus speaker product took over 5 years to accomplish. The engineers at Bowers & Wilkins explore every avenue in the relentless pursuit of true and accurate sound, borrowing many lessons directly from nature to achieve the pinnacle of audio loudspeaker design.

The result is an audio loudspeaker technology that continues to shape the direction of the audio industry today!

Place these loudspeakers from Bowers & Wilkins in your listening room and you’ll be in good company with some of the world’s top-end recording studios including Abbey Road Studios that have used the products since the late 1980′s.

The Nautilus Speakers enable the unparalleled experience to hear music exactly as it was recorded. Every nuance and detail of the music shimmers with vibrant realism. The Nautilus Audio Speaker technology results in the full power and impact of the sound to propagate unencumbered by speaker distortion or cabinet diffraction. For these reasons, the Nautilus is recognized as the first speaker in the world to truly achieve near zero cabinet coloration.

The four-way speaker design provides the clearest three-dimensional sound stage performance available. The Nautilus Audio Speakers accomplish this optimal sound quality by eliminating cabinet coloration which is the unwanted sound that radiates from the back of a speaker driver. Another key innovation is the mathematically precise, tapering wave-guiding tubes that house each speaker unit’s one inch and two inch tweeters as well as the 4 inch mid-range driver.

Rear-traveling sound waves are channeled, absorbed, and dampened, which results in the purest sound emanating from the front while virtually eliminating the distracting and distorting sound radiation from the rear of the speakers. And talk about fancy audio technology, the pattern of sound vibration is engineered to a precision tolerance that falls within 1/3000th of a millimeter using laser-doppler velocimetry.

Now, don”t ask me what “laser-doppler velocimetry” means … perhaps something to do with determining the sound velocity by using lasers to measure the doppler shift?  Who knows, but sounds impressive, don’t you think?

Each speaker enclosure has a powerful 12″ bass driver housed in a curved, spiral-shaped tube that permits the sound waves to travel the length of the tube without reflection. The speakers’ active crossover network enables each driver to operate purely in its own frequency band (unlike typical passive crossover designs) for sound that is crisper, cleaner, and more vibrant.

You should note that this architecture does require four separate amplifiers per speaker which are not included. But at these prices, if you can afford the Nautilus speakers, I’m sure the added expense of a few more audio amplifiers is of little consequence.

And don’t forget the aesthetic quality as well. The Nautilus enclosures are each handmade from a combination of fiberglass and reinforced ABS for durability. And the final product is finished with the same paint and lacquer system used for German luxury automobiles, your choice of three colors off the shelf; black, midnight blue or silver. The brochure does indicate that you can order custom colors if you’re willing to wait a bit longer for delivery.

If you would like to review details about these remarkable Nautilus speakers, you can download the Nautilus brochure here.

Available: Hammacher

Price: $60,000 (ouch, I told you these speakers are expensive!)

Have you ever played Guitar Hero and happen to love the game? Is jamming buttons and moving your fingers up and down as if strumming invisible guitar threads something you enjoy? Well, if you do enjoy it, why not take a look at the Strumdrumano?

The Strumdrumano is a truly wicked instrument. At the first glance, most of you might mistake it for a regular Guitar Hero’s guitar and dismiss it from your thoughts. However, if you take a closer look at the device, you’ll notice some very interesting features.

For instance, by extending the folding neck, the device transforms into a guitar consisting of five buttons arranged side to side on a fret board. Whereas, on the body of the Strumdrumano, a strum bar detects movement of the hand and is capable of playing five distinctive and different styles of notes such as electric rock and so on. A whammy bar, on the other hand, modulates the sustained sounds or embellishes in a riff mode, producing impressive trills and arpeggios.

When the neck is folded away, there are four percussive sound effect pads that allow you to put your drumming skills to test, and if you’re not into that, there’s always a choice of flipping over the back to reveal a hidden piano and immerse yourself in various piano tunes. For a price of $69.95, the Strumdrumano offers a choice of three instruments and the ability of playing along with your choice of tunes by connecting it to a MP3 player.

Available: Hammacher

Price: $69.95

I’ve never heard of turntables taking up much space in a house, but here’s a unique turntable that’s designed to be fixed to your wall, playing your vinyl records vertically! The Vertical Turntable defies the laws of gravity, mounting to a wall and securing records with a special locking mechanism with the platter to ensure your records don’t crash onto the floor halfway through a song.

This Vertical Turntable can play your record with a 33 RPM platter speed, or 45 RPM with the adapter included with it, using a two-speed belt drive. It features two built-in 5-watt speakers with volume control and a ruby-tipped stylus to play any record up to 12” in size smoothly with no interruption.

The turntable will automatically stop once a record is finished, and there are literally no wires attached as it runs on 4 AA batteries, so fear not any ugly wires climbing up your wall. Alternatively, you can use an AC adapter to power it if you’re not into changing or charging batteries all the time.

The unique design of the turntable will definitely catch the eye and turn the heads of anyone who sees it, and it appears to be the only wall-mounted, vertical turntable available in the market. It is available at a price of $69.95, and is ideal for small, cramp apartments if you don’t have any space to spare. I don’t think scratching this particular turntable is a good idea though.

Available: Hammacher

Price: $69.94

Here comes a portable digital audio player designed in Japan and is available on a Korean online store. The Singbox MP3 Player packs a punch as a travelling boombox which enables you to share music with others while on the road. It is ideal if you don’t fancy the idea of carrying around a stereo on your shoulder.

This Digital Audio Player/Speaker combo is not as compact as the iPod Shuffle, which is understandable because it has a 2W mono speaker on one end and a user-friendly interface on the other. If you are not in the mood of blasting your music out loud in public, there is a headphone jack-in just in case you wish to enjoy some quiet time with your music alone.

The Singbox MP3 Player supports MP3, WMA and APE format files and also has a FM tuner. It also has a microSD card slot so you can cram up to 32GB worth of music files to last you through your journey. Its built-in battery is charged through a USB connection and each charge will last you up to about 13 hours.

This portable boombox-cum-audio player has an aluminum body which is available in eight colors and comes with a caring case. It weighs 138 grams, making it convenient to carry around and perfect for lightweight packing. Although its design has been likened to a lipstick holder, adding a touch of femininity to it, its stylishness does not discriminate between gender and you will enjoy rocking out to music coming from this portable boombox regardless of your gender.

[Source: Novelview]

Glee Karaoke app is more than any apps that is downloadable on iTunes store as you can feel and sound like the biggest star with the help of this app. In fact, you not only get the chance to shine and sound like your favorite Glee artists but can also have lots of fun with this app.

The Glee Karaoke app is one of the most popular music apps in iTunes store. Come to think of it! The app is ranked #1 in at least 21 countries and the top 10 app in the list of 74 countries, as of last count and based on the number of times the app downloaded to an iPhone, iPod or iPad. This means to say, Glee’s popularity has not sunk even for a bit and the percentage of people that uses the app is evidence of this fact.

The best thing about this iPhone app and the reason why it is so popular is because it allows user to sing, share and compete against other people karaoke Glee singers. You see, even if you have a bad voice there is no reason not to sing especially with the help of Glee karaoke app.

The app can make anyone sound better with the help of a pitch correction function, so definitely no reason to shun singing completely even with a bad voice with the help of Glee Karaoke app. Take note, the colorful guides does not only help improve your vocal prowess so you can sound better than before but could be use to make your day enjoyable.

Keep in mind that there is a lot to like with the Glee karaoke app apart from the wonderful features discussed earlier but also with the encouragement of other Glee’s fanatics. So, if you want to get the app to download to your iPad or iPhone just simply pay first before you can have the app for only $0.99.

Glee Karaoke App

The Musical Ruler is not any ordinary ruler, and it is bound to surprise you with the special function it has! Yes, it can produce music. Not the twanging sound when you snap the ruler from the side of a table, but real musical notes.

This innovative stationary gadget comes in the form of a standard twelve inch plastic ruler, complete with the normal ruler centimeter measurements on one edge. However, the other edge has lines corresponding to musical notes, instead of inch measurements. So, you can make music by positioning the musical ruler with the line corresponding to the note you want to produce parallel to the table edge, and then apply pressure on the marked finger positions.

Still not clear? Not to worry, as there is a printed step-by-step guide on how to fashion songs using this quirky little ruler. Now even without any musical talent, you can produce music in no time using this musical ruler. Striking rulers against table edges to kill boredom is now a thing of the past, as now there is more to it. You can make real music.

Apart from drawing lines and shapes and measuring things, you can now be an accomplished ruler player with the Musical Ruler created by Dan Wieden. It doesn’t matter whether you love music, or you just want to have some fun, this ruler will definitely add some fun to the stationery on your desk. The Musical Ruler, together with the thoughtfully written guide, sells for $13.99.

[Source: Gadgets]

These new headphones by V-MODA will hit the stores this summer. The True Blood V-MODA has a distinctive design that is only made for the True Blood headphone series. The True Blood is rather a unique and quality headphone that V-MODA has ever produced. It was tailored to the sensibilities and taste of many individuals who is into True Blood’s alluring and sexy style.

The headphones’ interior has Kevlar reinforced cables, metal plates and also a luxurious fabric for the exterior. The headphones can last for years without any risk of deterioration whatsoever. It was made to be like a vampire; everlasting and never dying. The True Blood headphones were tested and masterfully tuned alongside famous DJ’s, legendary musicians and producers so it will be perfect for your ears and produce sounds like those you have never heard before.

The retail price for the True Blood headphones is still to be notified and it is not cheap for all we know since V-MODA itself is already an expensive brand. Like many people say, you pay quantity for quality. The True Blood headphone is going to blow your mind with its supernatural audio and sexy vampire style.

It is very hard to find a vinyl player that does not take up much of your surface space and since all the old products are so huge, the chances of you finding a small vinyl are very low. But now, ION has come out with a new vinyl player. It is something that is quite modern but still has that old classy look and feature towards it. Plus, it is very small in size.

Other than that, instead of putting it on a side table, you can also opt to hang it on the wall to save more space. YES! This thing defies the law of gravity and it plays good music from your vinyl as well. All you have to do is mount it up on a wall, insert a record in it and press Play, it’s that simple.

The Vertical Vinyl Player plays record that is 33 or 45 RPM and it has a built in speaker with volume control as well. You do not need cords to power it because it uses two pair of AA alkaline batteries that is included or if you do not want to waste money buying batteries every month or recharging it when it runs out, you can purchase an additional AC adaptor.  This item is ideal for saving space if you are the type of person who does not want a cluttered house.

The retail price for the vertical vinyl player is $130.95 and there is no record vinyl included. Still, this may be the best record vinyl player there is.

Available: Firebox

Price: $125

Playing the piano is a difficult task and you can hire a tutor to teach you but hiring tutors can be very expensive and it may take a couple of years for you to master it. So why not get an electronic teacher instead and learn it at your own pace. The Piano Maestro can help you with the piano and you do not have to rush for it. It teaches you the way you want it to teach you and there is no stress since there are no exams to take. It also takes a shorter period of time to learn to play the piano with the Piano Maestro.

Many companies like Casio has made electrical keyboards with ‘follow along’ LED lights but, it is impossible to master a song and follow the moving light when it never stops so this is where the Piano Maestro takes over. The Piano Maestro is basically a row of LED light that is placed above your piano keys and they will guide you on what key needs to be pressed. The music gadget is hooked to your computer and it will install software that will turn the song you want to play into a MIDI file which allows you to control the speed, bass or treble note to be played and many more.

When songs are turned into MIDI files, it immediately sets out a score sheet for you. The device cost about $169. Now you can learn to play the piano with the help of the Piano Maestro device and its software.

[Source: Piano Maestro]