SemperAptus.com - Sony eMarker (Review)

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Don't Be Shy -
Show 'Em Your DNA!
Put your DNA on a shirt
or sweatshirt - for a fee.

by Michael Gabrillo

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It is a "Well Connected" writer's dream... Hearing a great song on the radio and simply pressing the button on a fashionable Internet-connected key fob to identify it. No need to listen for title and artist at the end of the song, or attempting to sing a few bars to the pink-haired weirdo at the record store hoping he'll recognize the tune. Sony's eMarker is designed to do just that. Mark the name and artist of a song -as you listen to it- in less than one second.

Although the eMarker does not immediately identify the song, once you return home you dock the device to your computer and a desktop browser window is launched to display the list of songs you have marked. Using the browser, you can listen to a sample of the song to confirm eMarker's identification or purchase the music. But the eMarker works best with just one radio station and everything isn't quite as it appears when first using the product.

The out-of-box experience is considerably less than we've come to expect from Sony. The eMarker does not ship with desktop connection software, instead requiring that you connect to the eMarker.com web site and download it yourself. The good news is that the rest of the installation is pain-free. Sony includes the coin battery necessary to power the unit for a reported 6 months of normal use and thankfully, the eMarker is a USB device.

In fact, both the docking station and the eMarker device itself uses USB, so you can leave the docking station at home and simply plug the eMarker directly into your PC when at work or traveling with a laptop. This feature alone makes the eMarker a brilliantly designed product and returns Sony to our good graces.

And let's be honest... The device costs less than $20. At this price, anyone who prides themselves as a gadget junkie or music aficionado can afford to splurge and try it out for a week. If you decide it isn't for you, just give it as a gift to any one of the many people that will say "Wow, what the hell is that?"

	Pros: Extremely low price for a product that has "SONY" printed on it, excellent use of USB technology and interesting combination of music and Internet technology.
	Cons: Works with limited radio stations, works best with the radio station you select as your "primary station" and required a download of the software.

(Note: Before purchasing the eMarker, be sure to check for coverage in your area, and to make sure that the eMarker works with your favorite radio stations. To get the best possible service, make sure that your favorite stations are prefixed with double asterisks, which indicates that the eMarker site downloads music information from the station every 10 minutes).

Update: Sony Pulled the plug on this product and the eMarker service and web site are no longer available.

Ceiva Internet Frame (Internet Appliance)
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