There’s bad news for Microsoft in America right now. As their attempt to offer cash to get people to use their Live Search kicks off and the Nintendo Wii catches up with the sales of the Xbox, retailer GameStop have pulled Microsoft’s Zune MP3 player from shelves and their website.

GameStop say they’ll sell the stock they have remaining through their website and then discontinue the MP3 player altogether. The reason for this has been quoted as insufficient demand for the player from customers.

Although GameStop are not one of the major retailers of the Microsoft product, their move to stop selling the MP3 player will make other retailers sit up and take note. A spokesperson for GameStop was quoted as saying that GameStop:

decided to exit the Zune category because it just did not have the appeal we had anticipated.

Just a week ago Microsoft revealed they had sold 2 million of their MP3 players since the launch in 2006, which represents slowed sales as they had managed 1 million sales within the first six months.

Microsoft have failed in comparison with the company who dominates the MP3 player market, Apple, who sold 10.6 million iPods in the first 3 months of 2008, and a phenomenal 22.1 million iPods during the Christmas period.

The problem of teens damaging their hearing with MP3 players and other loud music has become even more apparent.

A recent spate of surveys in the United States and Canada has revealed that MP3 player users are further damaging their hearing by listening to their players too loudly, despite recent campaigns and coverage to highlight the dangers.

A recent OMSI exhibit found that one in eight teens were unable to hear a 20-decibel sound in one ear, which is effectively the same volume as a person whispering in your ear.

It’s not just Americans and Canadians that are suffering either. Sweden has a similar problem as 1 in 11 Swedish teens have complained about a permanent ringing in their ears. 1 in 6 Swedish teens complained of lasting noise sensitivity. Teenagers in Holland stated that they have the volume on their MP3 players set at maximum, believing that they wouldn’t be affected by the sound, even though they admitted being aware of the dangers.

This data has been very alarming as many school age teens don’t actually bother getting themselves tested for hearing loss.

The strong message coming out from this is to turn the music down on your MP3 player and iPod.

Nintendo’s groundbreaking Wii console is set to catch Xbox’s technically impressive 360 in sales within the United States in the next two months. Microsoft have managed to reach the ten million sales mark, making the Xbox 360 the first of the next generation consoles to hit that total.

The Wii managed to sell 714,000 units in the United States in April, meaning it’s odds on to eclipse the total set by Microsoft and the Xbox 360 by around July this year. The Nintendo Wii has currently had sales in the region of 9.5 million units in the United States thus far.

Microsoft was very vocal about the fact that their console was the first of the next gen units to reach the ten million sales total.

Nintendo is expected to silence Microsoft’s cries however as the Wii is currently outselling both the 360 and fellow rival Sony’s PlayStation 3 through the United States.

Released in November 2006 the Nintendo Wii has appealed to consumers cross market as it has benefited from cheaper titles and revolutionary gameplay. With the Wii Fit just released worldwide, the appeal of the Nintendo Wii is expected to soar even higher and reach audiences previously disinterested in the world of video games.

Japan has always been the pioneer when it comes to the video games industry. They have the largest market, the most innovative games developers and the most passionate games players. A new console launch in Japan is a major event, one that causes delight and hysteria in equal measure.

The Japanese take their video games very seriously.

It’s for this reason that news of the slump in the Japanese arcade industry should come as a real surprise. The industry is worth a staggering $6.9 billion per year, in line with the country’s obsession with gaming. However it’s taken a massive hit recently, all down the technological advancements in the home entertainment market, and largely due to the Nintebdo Wii.

Nintendo has always had the most passionate fanboys of any of the games console manufacturers, and the Wii is no exception.

During the 1990s the rise of the PlayStation caused serious damage the arcade industries throughout the world, except for Japan. Their love affair with the arcades remained untainted by the advent of Sony’s groundbreaking home console.

However the lure of the Nintendo Wii is proving too tempting for Japan’s otherwise loyal arcade market.

Gene Sato, a 15-year-old games player stated.

Arcades are expensive, noisy and filled with cigarette smoke. Besides, I can stay home and play NBA Live on PlayStation 3.

The Wii has recreated the ‘active’ scene usually kept for the arcade, as players are able to leap around while they play the games.

For years parents have been discouraged from letting their children play on video games for long periods of time in fear of turning them into couch potatoes. The new Wii fit could change all that though. A revolutionary video game, which demands the active participation of the player, is enjoying success across the globe.

The Wii fit is a small white board, which connects to the computer. The player stands on the board and can take part in over 40 different exercise programmes, from football to dance to Yoga. There really is something to suit all tastes.

The concept of Wii fit works off the idea of balance, and your body’s equilibrium on the board. This is why it is particularly useful for sports such as Yoga and Pilates. In addition the device can help to train your balance in sports such as skiing.

The Wii board also has the ability to measure your BMI and tell you how fit you are according to your body fat percentage. And all this without leaving the comfort of your own home!

With such choice and health benefits on offer, it won’t only be the kids who will want to work out with Wii fit!

With the use if iPods and iPhones increasing throughout the world, as they become the standard for MP3 player technology, it makes sense that industries and companies adapt to allow their customers to utilise their iPods. BMW for example marketed their 1 series as having an iPod connector, even though it’s a very simple thing to install.

Now Singapore Airlines are offering flights as having the facility to connect your iPod and iPhones. Singapore Airlines is offering this via their KrisWorld entertainment system.

Currently the feature is only available on business class flights that travel between Singapore and Newark in New Jersey, USA. However they will soon be rolling out the service to flights to Los Angeles this August.

The senior vice president for Singapore Airlines’ products and services, Yap Kim Wah stated:

Customers on our all-business class Airbus A340-500 flights now have an incredible way to enjoy their own iPod and iPhone music and video on the KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system.

This is yet another example of our philosophy of creating customer satisfaction by providing an enhanced sense of choice and control.

This new service launched on May 15th as planes were fitted with 100 of the business class seats carrying the iPod and iPhone connectivity.

It is a widely know fact that listening to music whilst running can boost your performance.

Listening to your MP3 player will put a spring in your step and give you that necessary motivation. If you choose the correct song for your BPM, music can also help your breathing patterns and prevent you from getting a stitch.

In addition, music helps your muscles to relax, so that your running will become easier and the chance of aches and pains the next day is significantly reduced! But most of all music and sport are two things which make us feel good by releasing endorphins in the brain, so combining the two makes for a very happy person!

So what kind of songs should we be listening to if we want the music to aid our running? Well it all depends on the speed and the BPM you want to achieve. The key is to choose the music carefully, and not just to play your favourite songs. Running to an inappropriate beat could seriously affect your performance. Your foot needs to land on the ground with each beat, so that you can keep up the pace. It is a good idea to try out different genres in order to find the best one to suit you.

The best running music comes from the following genres; Electro Pop/Funk, Acoustic Guitar, Drum & Bass, Industrial, Fusion, Deep Funk, Electro Fusion, Inspirational, Techno Rock and Live Rock.

So get out there and run to your own rhythm!

The reason that you can carry thousands of songs around with on your MP3 player is because the music files are compressed. In order to compress the music, the number of bytes per song are drastically reduced. However, this does reduce the quality of the music slightly, but is described as ‘near-CD’ quality, and it is the compromise we make for the practicability and convenience of the MP3 player.

For example, the average song is about four minutes long. On a CD, that song uses about 40 megabytes (MB), but uses only 4 MB if compressed through the MP3 format. The advantages are clear to see. Imagine carrying all of your MP3 music around with you in CD format!

The technology behind MP3 players is fascinating. All previous music players, such as; cassettes, CD’S and minidisks required moving parts, but MP3 players do not, as they use solid state memory.

The MP3 player is best described as a data storage device which allows information to be transferred from the computer to the device. Perhaps the most interesting point to be made about the technological advancement of MP3 players is that none of the components are revolutionary. Components such as; a data port, a microprocessor and playback controls were already in use with other music players. But what makes the MP3 player revolutionary is the combination of all these components so as to produce a truly innovative device.

The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, has been tackling the problems of teenagers having their MP3 players and mobile phones being stolen from them by thieves. Jacqui Smith and some of the leading technology companies have been looking at ways to combat this trend.

The Home Secretary stated:

We know that young people remain more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators.

I am delighted that so many of our best designers have contributed their time and expertise to today’s event and I look forward to seeing genuinely new and commercially viable products flow from it.

The role that good design can play in cutting crime is well established but success depends on effective partnerships between Government, the police and the design industry.

We have made a clear commitment in last year’s Crime Strategy to bring design into the centre of our fight against crime and to receive such strong support from our partners is extremely encouraging.

I want to ensure that young people are offered as much protection from crime as possible, and receive support if they do become victims, whilst also tackling offending vigorously.

Extending the British Crime Survey will help us to understand better how crime affects young people and do even more to prevent it. This summer we will publish a Youth Crime Action Plan to further coordinate this effort across Government.

This was prompted after a recent survey commissioned for the Home Office about crime relating to teenagers, which showed the following:

• 12% of 11-16 year olds have been the victim of theft relating to mobile technology and MP3 players within the last three years
• 97% of 11-16 year olds have some form of technology with them, such as an MP3 player, mobile or games console
• A third of the people who were victims of crime were using their technology at the time
• 85% of 11-16 year olds regularly have their mobile phones with them when they are out
• 35% of 11-16 year olds regularly have their MP3 player or iPod with them when they are out
• Almost 50% of 11-16 year olds stated that the value of their technology devices was between £100 and £500

Because of the availability and cheapness of technology such as MP3 players, more and more teenagers are carrying them around; making them targets for criminals looking to make an easy haul.

MP3 players are easy to sell second hand; they’re small and light and make ideal items for thieves to go after.

Research published by the Design Council for the Home Office shows that most teenagers between the age of eleven and sixteen have some for of gadget with them when they are out, whether that is a mobile phone, MP3 player or hand held games console.

Their research also states that 12% of the teenagers were victims of theft of one of their technology devices in the last 3 years. That’s one in eight teenagers having their MP3 player or mobile phone stolen in the last few years.

It doesn’t help either that the teenagers tend to be obvious about their technology when they are out. 31% of those teenagers were using their equipment at the time of the theft, either listening to music, playing on their consoles or texting on their phone.

The Home Secretary stated:

We know that young people remain more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators.

Young people need to be careful when they are out and ensure that they do not show of their MP3 players as they are targets for crime.