mike kobrin

The AudioFile: 2.4's a Crowd

With all the wireless technologies out there, the airwaves are getting about as crowded as a New York City street at rush hour. Most of the traffic is on the 2.4-GHz frequency band, including everythi

The AudioFile: Dear iPod Firmware Engineers…

When some companies produce a music player, they continually look to add features based on consumer feedback. Consider Cowon and Archos as two prime examples; they are constantly tweaking the firmware

M-Audio 02 MIDI Keyboard Hands On

Need an ultra-slim MIDI controller keyboard for laying down quick tracks while you’re on the go? Or perhaps you’re looking for a small, inexpensive keyboard to complement your full-size ho

The AudioFile: Bad Things Happen To Good Players

I spend a good amount of time at my officelocal neighborhood pub, Harefield Road, where I’ve gotten a reputation for fixing iPods, among other things. One of the pub’s owners, Peter &#8220

The AudioFile: The Unpatented Zone

If you haven’t already noticed, the number of patent trolls and sneaky me-first companies suing over digital audio-related patents is approaching infinity. What happens when it actually gets the

The AudioFile: Where's That Sound?

What’s a hard-core gamer or action-movie lover to do about having late-night fragging sessions or Matrix screenings without driving their spouse or neighbors nuts? While there are plenty of cons

The AudioFile: Windows Vista In Your Ear

Windows Vista Intimate Edition fits in many orifices. Amid the Windows Vista hooplah this week, I wondered whether it will make a difference to my ears—I mean, besides having to hear Robert Fripp ev

The AudioFile: Where's the Love In Online Music Services?

As a journalist covering digital audio, I can’t help feeling like I’m not really contributing to the welfare of the world at large. Sure, music is important to our physical well-being, and hearing

The AudioFile: Audio Quality Slip-Slides Away

Can someone tell me why virtually nothing is happening with MP3 players in regards to actual audio quality? In fact, audio quality seems to be moving ass-backwards, giving way to non-audio features li

The AudioFile: Wireless Waves

. File this under “will the speculation ever end?”: I think Microsoft will ultimately be the big winner, though not with the Zune as we currently know it.

The AudioFile: Here’s Sibling Rivalry In Your “i”

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The AudioFile: Can't They All Just Get Along?

Face it, DRM is here to stay. Sure there are cracks (thanks DVD Jon!), file-sharing networks, and Bit Torrent, but the fact is many people are still buying digital music online legally. Some pundits s