The abject weirdness of AI ads“I’m trying to find holiday gifts for my sisters. I open a bunch of tabs, I want my wife’s advice.” That’s CEO of the Browser Company, Josh Miller, in his company’s latest ad for its new AI browser, Dia. Consulting your spouse to find gifts for your siblings is a pure – and dare I […]
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Grayscale files with SEC for spot Solana ETFGrayscale joins rivals 21Shares, Canary Capital, VanEck and Bitwise in filing for a Solana ETF in the US.

Car Radio Chip Goes Into DIY Build[Sjef Verhoeven] still loves radio and enjoys the challenge of listening to radio signals from far away. He wanted to build his own radio and turned to the TEF6686 chip, a device often found in car radios. It is known to be very sensitive and seemed perfect for pulling in weak signals. So [Sjef] built this DIY radio and shares the details in this recent Spectrum post.
Unlike older radio-on-chip devices, the TEF6686 is a DSP, which, according to the post, is part of the reason it is ultrasensitive. Even though it is made for car radios, the device is versatile and can pick up shortwave as well as the usual broadcast bands, with the right configuration.

Initially, [Sjef] wanted to design his own tuner but rapidly found inexpensive modules. These had shielding and through-hole pins, making it much easier to deploy a radio using the chip. The modules run around $25 or less.
The rest of the project centers around an ESP32 and an OLED display, along with switches and encoders. The device requires a host to upload its firmware, so a device with a lot of flash memory was a must. The host must also store fonts for the OLED, and [Sjef] even included a database of ham radio callsigns so that when receiving a North American station, you can instantly see which state or province the station is probably in.
If you want to build a duplicate of this radio, all the details are on GitHub. You can also find kit versions.
If you want to build your own shortwave radio, you could spend more. Or, break out a breadboard, if you prefer.

Join Your Industry Peers with the End-of-Year Gift ChallengeGiving Tuesday is today, and The NAMM Foundation is excited to announce their End-of-Year Gift Challenge!  Thanks to the generosity of the 2024 donors so far this year, they have raised $237,000 which has helped them expand their programs to reach more schools, educators, children and adults around the world. But there is still so much more they can achieve together, so they would like to DOUBLE these efforts! On behalf of those who have supported us already in 2024, they are issuing this End-of-Year Gift Challenge to raise another $237,000 from additional donors by the end of the year. They invite you to help them meet their end-of year giving challenge of $237,000 by December 31. A Special End-of-Year Gift Challenge:100% of your contribution toward this challenge, whether large or small, will directly support The NAMM Foundation’s programs.

Starting at the $500 giving level, you will be recognized by our donor recognition program at The NAMM Show in January.

This is an opportunity to maximize your charitable impact by joining your industry peers in supporting your industry's foundation. Here’s how you can help:Donate by December 31 online or by check, payable to The NAMM Foundation, 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008. 

Support a wide range of charitable causes with a single gift to our Global Grantmaking, or designate your gift to a specific program, scholarship, or designated fund. JOIN THE CHALLENGEThe post Join Your Industry Peers with the End-of-Year Gift Challenge first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Live Nation just majority-acquired a Hollywood influencer management company. Here’s why that matters.Company currently represents 25 clients, who, together, have nearly 200 million combined social media followers
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Chess What: One More Pi-Powered BoardChess is timeless, but automating it? That’s where the real magic begins. Enter [Tamerlan Goglichidze]’s Pi Board, an automated chess system that blends modern tech with age-old strategy. Inspired by Harry Potter’s moving chessboard and the commercial Square Off board, [Tamerlan] re-imagines the concept using a Raspberry Pi, stepper motors, and some clever engineering. It’s not just about moving pieces — it’s about doing so with precision and flair.
At its core, the Pi Board employs an XY stepper motor grid coupled with magnets to glide chess pieces across the board. While electromagnets seemed like a promising start, [Tamerlan] found them impractical due to overheating and polarity-switching issues. Enter servo linear actuators: efficient, precise, and perfect for the job.
But the innovation doesn’t stop there. A custom algorithm maps the 8×8 chess grid, allowing motors to track positions dynamically—no tedious resets required. Knight movements and castling? Handled with creative coding that keeps gameplay seamless. [Tamerlan] explains it all in his sleekly designed build log.
Though it hasn’t been long since we featured a Pi-powered LED chess board, we feel that [Tamerlan]’s build stands out for its ingenuity and optimization. For those still curious, we have a treasure trove of over fifty chess-themed articles from the last decade. So snuggle up during these cold winter months and read up on these evergreens!

Katie Kerkhover to lead A&R Frontline Recordings across North America for BMGBMG has promoted Katie Kerkhover to Senior Vice President, A&R, Frontline Recordings, North America
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Disruptive Change is Coming to Music: Exploring the Fourth Phase [Keith Jopling]In a new white paper "Music's 3 Futures," industry analyst Keith Jopling argues that disruptive change is coming to music. And no, these disruptions are not about AI music creation.
The post Disruptive Change is Coming to Music: Exploring the Fourth Phase [Keith Jopling] appeared first on Hypebot.

Breaking down Nashville country music with Kate Malone and Devin Malone
Kate Malone (Sam Hunt, Emma White) and Devin Malone (Jelly Roll, Keith Urban) discuss the ever-evolving sound of Nashville country music.

More Hard Truths For Musicians11 Hard Truths For Musicians caused quite a stir from the moment it began circulating online.
The post More Hard Truths For Musicians appeared first on Hypebot.

Feedback on Your Music: A Guide to Growth and ImprovementStuck in a creative rut? With this guide to getting feedback on your music, learn how to grow by using constructive feedback from the people who matter most. 
The post Feedback on Your Music: A Guide to Growth and Improvement appeared first on Hypebot.

ALM/Busy Circuits launch the MCO MkII The MCO MkII comes equipped with seven voice modes capable of producing a wealth of 90s and 2000s-inspired sounds, offers an extensive amount of customisation and occupies just 6HP of space.

“I did not get a penny back for any of this”: Producer’s studio robbed of $40,000 worth of gear through Peerspace bookingA producer was robbed of $40,000 worth of music gear after renting out his studio for use on Peerspace.
The producer – whose real name is Jordan Atkins Loria and also shares content as Mr Maingo – has been making music since the age of 13, and has worked a number of jobs in the music industry over his career. These days, he offers producing, mixing and mastering services, and had built the studio space two years ago after dreaming of one for sometime.

READ MORE: Telepathic Instruments’ Orchid: All the details about Tame Impala’s new synth revealed

The studio is situated in his own backyard, and as he also has another studio inside his home, he wanted to make some extra income on the side. Though he met lots of friends and new clients through this, things took a turn when a man got in touch asking to check out the space before he went ahead and booked in for a proper session.
In a YouTube video recounting the experience, Jordan says he would normally only rent out the space for a minimum of four hours, so was a little suspicious when the man asked if he could have it for an hour only to trial it. He alleges the man turned up two hours late, and within six minutes he ran away from the studio and escaped in a car, taking a bunch of gear with him. Jordan reported the incident to the police.
He explains that the police are “continuing the investigation but at this point I doubt they are going to find him”. “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to write down serial numbers for all my equipment as this could really help in these situations,” he says.
Among the gear stolen was a Sony C-800G, a Neumann U87, a Tube-Tech CL1B, and much more. “A lot of this is on me, but my insurance did not cover any of the stuff back here because I was not listing it as a business,” he states. “If you are renting out your space, make sure you have business insurance.”
Jordan also contacted Peerspace, though they only cover items that have been damaged, not stolen (as outlined via its Property Damage Guarantee). However, since the incident, Atkins says it made him realise what is important to him in the studio, and what gear he uses more than others. He even realised that he loved his analogue gear because it made him feel successful, but much of it wasn’t really used in practice.
When MusicTech reached out to Jordan Atkins Loria for comment, he alleged that Peerspace “offered no support or resources” to help recover his stolen gear. “The best they could do is ‘help shut down my account,’” he said. “The detective also let me know that they had not been cooperating and were ignoring her emails…”
MusicTech also reached out to a representative for Peerspace, who said that the company had, in fact, not heard from law enforcement on the matter. The representative also reiterated that Peerspace offers its Property Damage guarantee for hosts, which covers guests’ liability for damages up to $25,000 per booking for damages. “While it does cover damage to host-owned equipment, such as cameras or lighting, it does not cover criminal activity, such as theft.” they added.
“We were extremely disappointed to learn of Jordan’s experience on our platform, and remain ready to assist with a criminal investigation if needed,” Peerspace says. “We have been encouraged to see Jordan’s studio listed again on the site; hosts like Jordan who make their space available to fellow creatives embody Peerspace’s mission of allowing guests to bring their visions to life. We will offer any support we can for Jordan as a host going forward.”
You can watch his full video below:

The post “I did not get a penny back for any of this”: Producer’s studio robbed of $40,000 worth of gear through Peerspace booking appeared first on MusicTech.

Judge confirms decision to sink Elon Musk’s $56B pay package despite Tesla shareholder voteDelaware Chancery court judge Kathaleen McCormick has denied Tesla’s request to revise her decision to strike down CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package — despite shareholders voting at the company’s annual meeting this year to “re-ratify” the deal. Her decision, laid out in a 103-page opinion published on Monday, explains that the attempt by […]
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Digital euro preparation continues as holding limit, privacy debatedPreparation for the launch of the digital euro CBDC continues with an eye toward a potential October 2025 launch decision.