Radiohead Subverts Download Model

By Digital Trends Staff Updated October 25, 2009

Radiohead Subverts Download Model The British rock band Radiohead has always seemed uneasy with the business of music. For their new album, In Rainbows, to be released on October 10, they’ve declared their position – andit’s subversive. Fans will be able to download the entire album from the band’s site for whatever they wish to pay (although there will bean administration fee of around 90 cents). Or, if they prefer, they can pre-order the discbox, as the band is calling it. This will consist of In Rainbows on CD and also on two 12” vinyl discs,along with artwork and lyrics, along with another CD of extra songs, artwork and more. This, however, isn’t quite as cheap, selling for $80 including postage. This is the first releasefor the band since 2003’s Hail to the Thief, which fulfilled their contract with Parlophone. Once news of the release appeared yesterday, the band’s site crashed – but it wasdue to fans putting in orders for the discbox rather than those waiting for the free download. On the site, band member Jonny Greenwood wrote, “….it’s getting busy in there – busierthan they expected. So if you please bear with us, it should get cleared out soon. I sound like a bouncer. Get behind the rope. No denim. Thanks for your patience with the site & interest in therecord.” It’s certainly a grand experiment, letting fans decide the value of a band’s new work, but it seems to be creating a trend. The Charlatans are also giving away theirnew single and album as downloads available only through the radio station Xfm. Radiohead have a history of refusing to go with the flow. For several yearsthey refused to make their back catalogue available on iTunes, since the service allowed individual tracks to be downloaded, rather than insisting on theentire album. It’s only recently that their older material has become available on 7Digital.

Digital Trends Staff

Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…

Smart Home

Wyze branches out with $199 robot vacuum featuring lidar tech

wyze enters smart cleaning market with 199 robot vac vacuum

Wyze is best known for its affordable security cameras, but now the company is entering the robot vacuum cleaner market with a $199 bot that boasts enough features to compete with many of the bigger names on the market. Unlike many budget models, the Wyze Robot Vacuum uses precision lidar to navigate through the home and avoid common obstacles and pitfalls that might snare other models. Users can also set up virtual walls to keep the vacuum from running into things like pet water bowls and over stairs.

The Wyze Robot Vacuum also has schedule times for automatic cleaning of specific areas of the home. This is particularly useful for keeping high-traffic areas (like the space in front of the door) clean.

Smart Home

Smart toothbrushes are expensive. Quip’s model is proof why you don’t need them

you dont need spend fortune smart toothbrush quip brush

Brushing your teeth is a deeply ingrained part of the daily routine for most people. You wake up, stretch, get out of bed, and brush your teeth. It’s the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do at night. When something is as ubiquitous as that, can a smart toothbrush really make much more of a difference than a normal toothbrush?

Well, yes and no. A smart toothbrush can certainly enhance the brushing experience and give you a deeper, more dentist-like cleaning, but you don’t need to spend a fortune on one. As time goes on and smart toothbrushes become more advanced and complex, their price goes up. I spent some time using Quip's new Smart Brush, and it has forever changed my mind. Here’s why you don’t need to break the bank on a smart toothbrush.
Still a better clean than manual brushing
There's no denying the effectiveness of electric toothbrushes when it comes to getting rid of plaque -- they're better than manual brushes. Period. Two of the more popular brands on the market, Oral-B and Sonicare, have shown consumers the advantages of toothbrushes that leverage vibrating brush heads -- and Quip's interpretation is no different. Actually, Quip has been a name in the electric toothbrush scene for a while, but the recent launch of its smart toothbrush shows big improvements to the design.

Smart Home

Instant Pot prices dip below $50 on many models for Cyber Monday

amazon instant pot deals duo plus 60

For Cyber Monday, some retailers are selling Instant Pots at half of their standard prices. You can purchase one of the multifunctional pressure cookers for under $50 — a price that’s typically unheard of for the Instant Pot brand.

Not familiar with Instant Pots? These amazing countertop appliances are electric pressure cookers that boast additional cooking functions. In one appliance, you can sauté, sear, slow cook, make yogurt, pressure cook, and more. The device cooks your ingredients consistently and accurately, and you can even cook without thawing. Want to brown ground beef? You can just toss a frozen block of ground beef in your Instant Pot, and break it apart after cooking — no need to thaw first.