Looking for an adorable and easily stealable way to consolidate the entire Beatles catalog? Have no fear, EMI has your back. The record conglomerate may still be at odds with iTunes when it comes a digital release for the fab four, but that doesn't mean there aren't, um, more creative distribution methods. Take this new Apple-shaped USB key from the company, which features 14 Beatles albums, 13 mini-documentaries, and all of the requisite art work.

The USB Apple is being released worldwide in a limited edition of 30,000 on December 7th (December 8th in North America). The 16GB Apple offers songs in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24 bit and MP3 320 Kbps. This key will set you back $279.99. You can pre-order it now from the official Beatles store.

iLuv, that is one serious-looking alarm clock you've got there. Is it just me or is there something menacing about it? Maybe it's the devil horns, or the scary tornado warning in the press picture. It means well, though: The iLuv iMM183 has two iPod/iPhone docks, not, presumably, for waking up to two songs at once, but for charging two devices. It also displays National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) emergency weather alerts and includes a weather band radio.

Besides being a weather alert, the iMM183 looks to be a pretty strong small room stereo, as well. It includes an FM radio with six presets, treble and bass control, and a remote. Sure, the $149 price tag is high, and you might need a bigger bedside table to hold this thing, but it's interesting to see the clock radio evolve into a home information center. Just sleep with one eye open, in case it comes after you.

 

HP's reworked MediaSmart home servers now get along better with Macs, function better as photo-video servers within your home on across the Internet, and use faster processors. They will, for instance, automatically convert and rip to the server any DVD video on your PC. Any unprotected DVD, that is. The two models are the MediaSmart EX490, $550 with one 1 TB hard drive and Intel Celeron processor, and the MediaSmart EX495, $700 with a 1.5TB drive and an Intel Pentium Dual Core processor. Earlier versions, including the HP MediaSmart EX487, have won PCMag.com's Editors' Choice award for home servers.

One of the most useful new features is the Media Collector, which searches for and copies over media files across Macs and PCs. But if you've got, say, 12 copies of the same song, it only copies them over twice, once for the studio version that runs 3:51 and once for the live version that runs 4:08, along with pointers to all the locations.

No, you haven't seen the last of the iPod Nano 5G cases. iSkin has just introduced two lines as versatile as they are attractive. First up is the iSkin Duo ($29.99, above), silicone cases that come in two styles: frost and ninja. Frost adds a frosty tint that still lets your iPod's color come through. Ninja covers any Nano in sleek black. Both come with a face shield to protect the screen, a removable rotary belt clip, and a charging port cover.

Next up is the iSkin Vibes ($24.99), and it's worth clicking over to see the line. Vibes are clear thin cases in four patterns, letting you see your Nano's natural color with a little pattern added in. They come with a wrist strap and a screen shield. You can pick up an armband ($14.99) at the same time, making the Vibes case perfect for working out.

Are you a mom who wears headphones on your belly to help pass the time for your unborn child? Well, I have good news: "There's an app for that!" It's called iTunes, and you can pair it with the new Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt, available now for $49 or $55 (with packaged headphones for mom, too). I haven't tried one out yet (know any unborn babies looking for freelance work?), but the device seems straightforward enough--and I doubt your kid will start kicking if the speakers lack rich-sounding bass.

The Prenantal Music Belt from Lullabelly ships in three colors--Pink, Green, or Blue with polka dots--and is available as a Standard Package (speakers only) for $49, or as a Deluxe Package (with a dual earphone adapter and earphones so you can listen along) for $55 from Lullabelly.com.

Shure's SE115  recently joined the realm of iPod and iPhone-friendly earphones. The SE115m+ incorporates Apple iPod and iPhone remote controls and a microphone into its cable. Fully compatible with the iPhone 3GS and the latest generations of iPods, the SE115m+ features three buttons for adjusting volume, audio and video playback, and menu navigation. The mic can be used for phone calls and recording voice memos, as well. Available later this month, the SE115m+ goes for $119.99--$20 more than the non-Apple version of the SE115.

There are a ton of iPhone/iPod speaker docks on the market, but can they match the features on the Yamaha PDX-60? This system comes with a wireless dock that turns your music player into a remote, letting you control what comes out of the speakers as you lean back and enjoy. Even better, it streams uncompressed audio to the speakers, so you'll get the fullest sound possible.

When your iPhone or iPod needs charging, there's a dock on top of the speaker that lets you play music while powering up. A smaller card remote is included for when your iPhone or iPod is docked on top of the speakers. The system includes two 3 ¼-inch speakers with dynamic bass response, and it comes in four colors: black, gray, blue, and pink. Yeah, it costs more than most speaker docks ($299.95), but the convenience just might be worth it.

Bose's Wave Music System, which has a built-in CD player and AM/FM radio, can now stream music from your computer, as well. The upgraded design is called Wave Music System - Soundlink and will be available for $599.90 from the Bose's Web site starting tomorrow. The streaming system utilizes the familiar USB dongle solution, which bypasses the need for WiFi by transmitting an RF-based signal from the dongle to the speaker system. In other words, there's no set-up or software necessary, and it can stream anything your computer plays--it is simply streaming the PC's output.

Bose never confirms behind-the-scenes tech specs, but Creative and Altec Lansing have utilized similar RF-based wireless transmission in the past. Current owners of Wave Music Systems will be able to purchase the Soundlink upgrade kit for $149.95.

Give Mercedes-Benz credit for putting a PC Card slot in the dash of many models. That lets you copy MP3 or WMA music from your PC to a cheap SD or Compact Flash (CF) card, plug it into a cheap PC Card adapter, then plug it into the dash of your not-so-cheap Benz. The adapter (also called a PCMCIA adatper) and a 2GB SD card each cost about $10, although you can pay more. But check out the prices if you order one of each from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer: $102 for the PCMCIA multi-card reader, $48 for a 2GB Mercedes-Benz logo'd SD Card.

Sonos, manufacturer of the excellent-but-expensive wireless home audio system of the same name, today announced a $400 wireless speaker system. While not cheap, the ZonePlayer S5 is unlike any of the company's other products, which sell in bundles starting at $999. What makes it unique? It's an all-in-one system. Well, sort of. If you own an iPhone or iPod touch, then it is.

They're arty, cleverly designed, and eco-friendly--oh, and they're really cheap, too. These OrigAudio Fold 'N Plays ($16 direct) arrive as two flattened boxes of cardboard with embedded speakers and an attached cable. You fold each into a 3-inch cube and plug the cable into any music player with a headphone jack. Voila, your new audio system is complete.

Over the past several years, the LEGO brand has grown into something approaching a cult, with fans creating some amazing projects (LEGOs in space, the Woniak/Jobs playset) and other companies incorporating the design-friendly bricks into sometimes surprising  products (iPod speaker docks). PCMag even once commissioned a LEGO artist to build a PC.

Now CE-for-kids maker Digital Blue is coming out with some of the most appealing LEGO-inspired products I've seen, including a camera, videocam, MP3 player, and more. Yep, they're for kids--but I can think of more than a few grownup who'll crave one or another of these cool products. And yes--they're stackable!

The LEGO Digital Camera, above, sells for $49.99 list. It has 3 megapixels and a 1.5-inch LCD on the back; 128MB of built-in memory holds around 80  photos.

More LEGOtastic photos after the jump.

The Associated Press is reporting that in what amounts to the world's sneakiest price increase, Sirius XM subscribers are now being billed an extra $2 each month to cover new performance royalty fees.

Before, Sirius had absorbed the cost of the fees itself, but that's changing post-XM acquisition. The fee covers performance royalties paid to musicians, singers, and recording companies.

The report said that when the FCC approved the merger, it barred Sirius XM from raising prices for three years. That meant the only way Sirius XM could levy the charge is if they called it a separate surcharge--similar to all the baloney surcharges on your monthly cell phone bill.

It turns out Sirius began charging customers the extra $2 in August, and had begun issuing customer notifications for this by e-mail and post office mail in June. Is this why they haven't gone bankrupt yet, despite warnings back in February?

In NYC today, Monster announced its latest celebrity-endorsed earphones in front of a gaggle of photographers and a smattering of journalists crammed into a room at the New York Palace Hotel. The celebrity in question is one Lady Gaga, and her line of Monster earphones--consistent with Dr. Dre's "Beats"--is called "Heartbeats." Aw.

The earphones feature a triangular piece of glittery almost-jewelry that's fixed to the earpieces. What does the triangle stand for? I'll let Ms. Gaga explain: "In the deepest hour of the night, I confess to myself three things; I would die if I was forbidden to write, forbidden to love, or forbidden to fashion. heartbeats embody the trinity of my human being." Oh, okay.

When asked if these "female headphones" would ever come out in a male version, the lady replied: "For MY male fans, these are perfect".