My trusty old Rio Karma is nearing the end of its useful life, so I’m starting to think about an upgrade.

The ‘easy’ solution would be simply to buy an iPod. Since I’m looking for something with more than 20GB of solid state (not hard drive) storage, the ‘best fit’ iPod for me would seem to [...]

The replacement parts for my broken Rio Karma digital audio player arrived (from Karmalimbo in Canada), and the beastie is now repaired and working as well as ever.

Here’s how it all came together.

First, a picture showing the bits of my Karma after I’d opened it all up to find the problems (broken volume control buttons). [...]

It’s not as bad as it sounds, folks.

My companion on my early morning constitutionals – an aged Rio Karma digital audio player – has died. The ‘increase volume’ button failed. By the time I figured out what the problem was, it was too late – I’d already turned the volume down.

I don’t have an iPod.

I do have a portable, digital music player. It’s a Rio Karma. And it’s now an orphan. Rio has effectively exited the market, and my Karma has no long term future. When it dies, I’ll either have to buy a used replacement on eBay, or join the iPod throng.

Anyway, that’s a [...]

Well, new to me at least.

Latest CD in my player – and one I am enjoying – is a collaboration between Elvis Costello and American songwriter/producer Allen Toussaint called The River in Reverse.

The title refers to the flooding in New Orleans after Cyclone Katrina. The album was recorded in New Orleans, apparently in an attempt to demonstrate that the local [...]

I love a bargain. Who doesn’t?

Well, here’s a bargain that I can’t use… Maybe you can.

Uncle Steve (that’s what he calls himself) at Eastwood Hifi (one of Sydney’s few remaining specialist hifi stores) has some Celestion AVP305 5.1 speaker systems available at the special price of $990 (marked down from $3,199).

I celebrated my second 21st birthday a week or so ago. One of my gifts was the newly-released CD: She will have her way: the songs of Tim and Neil Finn.

At my age (please try to contain those giggles), you’re not supposed to start liking new styles of music. All around the world, radio programmers put enormous effort into finding just the right mix of classic hits music to attract people like me (and the advertisers that target us).

So why do I find myself listening [...]