The style and sound of older video games is unique enough that they’re still copied in relatively modern games like Undertale, Celeste, or Shovel Knight. There’s also a vibrant chiptune community making music on the older hardware directly. Often this involves hardware modding or otherwise finding chips from older gaming systems to replicate that unique retro gaming sound authentically. But disassembling older systems is not always necessary. Take a look at this Game Boy Advance synthesizer which uses the GBA hardware with no modifications at all.

The key to making this work is the GBA’s multiboot feature, which allowed these systems to send executable code over a link cable to other consoles which didn’t have cartridges. This meant that friends could play multiplayer games without each one needing their own cartridge, but it also means that nowadays people can send their own custom software directly to the console’s RAM without much extra effort. To run the synthesizer software, the GBA is connected to a computer, the software is started, and then when the GBA is powered on the snythesizer is automatically loaded into its RAM. The audio output is played over the headphone jack, and various controls are available on the computer and on the console.

In the video linked below, [Andy] is using the GBA with some other musical hardware and the sounds he’s getting from the unmodified console are impressive. It could certainly be a go-to for anyone interested in getting started in this style of music or who doesn’t want to do something like take apart an original Sega Genesis for the audio circuitry.

Apple Music is celebrating the iPod’s 25th anniversary with a playable replica of the original click-wheel player hidden on its 404 page. There’s even a secret Brick game tucked inside.

Apple announced the iPod 25 years ago on October 23, 2001, and it's doing something unique to mark the anniversary: a chance to try the original MP3 player. The company has a 404 "page not found" error website on Apple Music that contains a working virtual iPod.

Apple has confirmed an Apple Music revamp following the release of its redesigned app icon, hinting at a broader visual update for the streaming service.

The post Apple Music Revamp Confirmed Following New Icon Release first appeared on Redmond Pie.

Spotify told investors its rollout of QR code verification to ensure Family Plan members live in the same household is not a "crackdown," just a routine improvement.

Can the right soundtrack make food more enjoyable? A new study suggests music can influence how your brain processes taste.

Apple says that it actually used music to create the visuals. The colors are gone, and what you get a black-against white look with glass-inspired design elements.

Spotify is stepping up its fight against AI-generated music spam, with millions of tracks filtered out and new tools designed to help listeners discover genuine artists.

Sony has revived its Walkman lineup with three Android 16-powered high-end music players ranging from $1,900 to $5,900, topped by the gold-plated NW-WM1ZM3 with 256GB of storage. The Register reports: The Japanese giant named the new models the NW-WM1ZM3, NW-WM1AM3 and NW-ZX900. All can store and play many codecs, including MP3s, WMA, and FLAC files, plus others like Direct Stream Digital (DSD) and Apple Lossless, which use various tricks to avoid nasty artefacts accruing during the digitization process. Sony also says it has used "key components made from oxygen-free copper" because that apparently delivers "uncompromising sound quality." The machines also include "screws featuring a low-resistance gold-plated treatment ... providing a stable ground connection that delivers powerful bass, an expansive soundstage and smooth, extended high frequencies." Sony claims even the cabling it's used in the devices "further reduces noise and preserves signal integrity for rich, detailed sound." They're also housed in carefully-milled slabs of copper -- gold-plated in the case of the NW-WM1ZM3 -- because that apparently improves sound, too. And then Sony's gone and spoiled it all by offering Bluetooth connectivity, a notorious music-mangler, in addition to wired headphone ports. Sony's US site lists all three devices, which run Android 16 and include Wi-Fi so they can access streaming music services. All are USB-chargeable and Sony claims their batteries allow 30-odd hours of music playback.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

YouTube Music is adding labels to AI-generated songs. Learn what the badges reveal, how disclosures work, and why unlabeled tracks offer no guarantee.

The post YouTube Music Rolls Out Labels for AI-Generated Songs appeared first on TechRepublic.

YouTube Music is adding labels to AI-generated songs. Learn what the badges reveal, how disclosures work, and why unlabeled tracks offer no guarantee.

The post YouTube Music Rolls Out Labels for AI-Generated Songs appeared first on TechRepublic.

Genuine human creativity takes time, but you know what doesn't? AI slop. There are countless AI models out there that can make something that passes for music, and you might come across those tracks on streaming services without realizing it. Google says it will begin labeling that content in YouTube Music, building on similar disclosures in the main YouTube app.

Google is not outright banning AI music or even speaking ill of it. "Generative AI is opening up new ways for artists to create, experiment, and share music," the company says in a blog post.

However, the company also acknowledges that people want to know if a song was created with generative AI tools. A new label for AI content on YouTube Music is now rolling out in the app and on the website, which looks a lot like a label Google began adding to AI-generated videos on YouTube earlier this year.

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Apple has redesigned the Apple Music app icon in iOS 27.2, introducing a fresh look as part of its latest software update.

The post Apple Music App Icon Just Got A Revamp With iOS 27.2 first appeared on Redmond Pie.

For small business owners playing Spotify over their shop speakers, the threat of hefty copyright fines is very real. John Boyle‘s new startup might be music to their ears.

Boyle, of Kirkland, Wash., is the founder and one-man-plus-AI band behind Music for Business Finder, a free platform that helps businesses navigate the murky waters of commercial music licensing.

Boyle is a former VP of digital marketing and e-commerce at Mood Media (formerly Muzak) who left his corporate job last September. Faced with a tight hiring market, the onetime Expedia and GoDaddy exec decided to test how far a single founder could get by leveraging AI to build a business from scratch.

“If that was something I pitched at a big company and I needed engineers to do it, it would probably sit at the bottom of the queue for months, and I built it in a day,” Boyle said.

To build the platform — which acts as an “Expedia for business music” by allowing shop owners to compare legal streaming options and calculate compliance requirements — Boyle relied on a combination of AI models including Gemini, Claude, and autonomous bots.

The tools handled front-end development, backend architecture, graphic design, SEO, and automated email marketing, allowing Boyle to ship a product that he estimates would have otherwise required a four-person team.

He even configured an autonomous analytics bot on Grokbot that runs on a dedicated cloud computer 24/7, watching anonymous user sessions to spot UX friction points and recommend site improvements.

“The barrier to create something or start something or try something is so low now,” he said. “It’s going to be probably one person with a team of bots, and that person coordinates it all through that system.”

The site’s core feature — a music licensing checker — helps small businesses determine exact compliance requirements based on whether they play background tracks, host live music, or run karaoke.

Users answer a few quick questions about their venue, current music setup, and number of locations to receive a customized compliance checklist, complete with direct links to commercial streaming platforms or specific performance rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI.

There’s even a dedicated section on the site compiling real-world enforcement cases and lawsuits against bars, restaurants, and shops across the country. With potential copyright fines running from $750 to $150,000 per song, Boyle says the platform gives shop owners a clear path to stay legal for a fraction of the cost.

Traffic has grown 308% since launching in January, with partnerships already in place with commercial music providers like Soundtrack Your Brand, Jukeboxy, and SoundMachine. The site monetizes through affiliate and partner relationships, though Boyle maintains an unbiased catalog of all major background music providers on the platform.

While Boyle continues to manage partner deals and strategy, his AI bots remain on the clock 24/7, monitoring site performance and tweaking user experience.

For Boyle, the platform serves as a proof-of-concept for how modern, AI-assisted work environments will operate. While he continues to scale Music for Business Finder, he believes the frameworks he’s built using AI agents are the blueprint for how larger organizations will run in the near future.

“The goal was to test how far I could take this on my own,” Boyle said. “It’s been a blast running it, but more than anything, it proves what’s possible when you pair human domain expertise with a team of bots.”

In the United States, today is Labor Day, when we honor the American labor movement and the contribution of laborers. Considering how the middle class and laborers are currently under attack, with massive inflation, a growing gap between the ultra-rich and everyone else, and AI replacing workers, it's more important than ever to recognize this holiday.

For many people, today is a three-day weekend. One of my friend's kids knows that I'm self-employed. She asked if I got Labor Day off? I laughed. Nope, I use the extra day to catch up on all of my half-finished projects.

Among the things I accomplished?

Power!

I finally completed the DIY solar panel project that I started last year by putting the battery in a cabinet. It may not sounds like a big deal, but I can walk by the server rack without fear of electrocution.



Mounting it in the cabinet was much more difficult that it sounds. It required drilling holes through steel for the power cords, and mounting rubber grommets to prevent the sharp edges from damaging the cables. Inside:

• The battery has plenty of space away from the walls so it won't short out, and it's sitting on a half-inch thick insulated foam mat to keep it isolated and safe.


• A temperature sensor monitors it in case of overheating. The battery currently sits at 75°F (23.9°C) when idle or in use, and rises to 78°F (25.6°C) when charging. That's the sweet spot for keeping the battery running longer.


• Fort Collins has surge pricing for electricity, where late afternoon's power is over 4 times more expensive. While I use this project for solar power, I'm also using it for load shifting. That's when you charge using cheaper power so you can use it later, when the price increases.
  
  To help with the load shifting, I mounted a battery charger plugged in at the bottom of the cabinet. The charger is controlled by a smart outlet. This allows the automated system to partially charge the battery at night, when electricity is cheap, and use the battery when power is more expensive.

On a typical day, this homemade solar solution provides about 5 hours of power on overcast days, and up to 9 hours when it's sunny. It's saving me about 30kWh per month. (That's about 28kWh when I subtract the charger's usage.)

At the current savings rate, it will probably pay itself off in 8 years. That's not bad for a fun (and dangerous) home project.

Music!

Last year, I wrote about how I sometimes relax by switching gears and doing something completely different. Yes, I'm still writing my bad poetry and still trying to put it to music. After a year, I'm happy to announce another album by Brain Dead Frogs: Reflections.



I often hear people say that AI music sounds like crap. However, the real problem is that people often put very little effort into the composition. Too many artists combine AI-written lyrics with AI-music, and very little manual effort. This results in meaningless lyrics, random quips, and no storyline. When the lyrics are dull, the music ends up sounding equally flat. On top of this, there's often no human curator to filter out the bad songs. This results in a flood of bad AI music.

With this album, I wrote all of the lyrics, selected and edited the compositions (sometimes fighting with Suno for days to make it sound the way I want it to sound), and manually curated the collection into an album. (I wrote over 20 songs, but only included the 12 best ones on this album.) The net result combines human-written lyrics with AI-generated music and vocals.

As far as topics and genres go, I have eclectic tastes. There's everything from 80s Big Hair Rock ("Bald") to Reggae ("I Ate The Last Unicorn"), latin guitar ("Dangerously Competent"), and even a Scottish Garage Band song written in Doric! (I used AI to translate my English poem into this Scottish dialect; it took a few iterations and help from a Doric dictionary.)

Since it's human written and human curated, I certainly hope it sounds better than typical "AI crap music."

The House!

After I left the office, I went to work at home. I mowed the lawn, swept the floor, and vaccummed the carpet. (It's allergy season, and this kind of cleaning really helps.) I also began moving piles of old stuff that we need to get rid of. On top of this, someone left a bunch of warm chocolate chip cookies on the counter, and I needed to help, uh, put them away!

If today was a holiday for you, then I hope your Labor Day was relaxing, fun, or productive. For me, I'm ready to get back to programming.