It’s the end of 2011 and it’s been one hell of a year for music! Today’s Amazon Deal of the Day wants to share some of the year’s best music for one low price. Save on the 10 Top 2011 Albums from some of your favorite artists and download their entire album for $3.99 or Less. New albums by Coldplay, Rihanna, Drake, Dauaghtry, the Decemberists, Florence + the Machine, Mac Miller, Amy Winehouse, She & Him, and the Muppets are all available for MP3 download! For less than a cup of coffee, you’ll be able to enjoy the year’s best in music on your Kindle ire, PC, Mac, iPad, or Android Phone with Amazon Cloud Player. You can instantly gift these or any MP3s from Amazon.

Even though you might not be familiar with all the songs on the album, today’s Deal of the Day is a score for any music lover who wants to have a very robust music library. The Late Amy Winehouse’s last album is as amazing as her previous efforts, while Rihanna continues to steam things up with her Talk That Talk release. Coldplay never fails to disappoint, while “American Idol’s” Daughtry is pure magic. Everybody loves the Muppets while Drake is hip-hop’s latest golden child. Florence + the Machine is a musical delight, just as She & Him. Music lovers will definitely want to take advantage at the low prices for the album, while those who are looking for a new sound can easily indulge without breaking the bank!

Expand your musical listening experience with some wireless speakers! We’ve picked out a 7 of the best solutions under $500 on the market, which allow you to play your favorite playlists, Internet stations or music subscriptions in any room of your pad, regardless if your audio system isn’t WiFi compatible. It’s time to step up your musical game!

7. CREATIVE SOUNDBLASTER WIRELESS ($150)

Easy and super simple, Creative’s SoundBlaster provides a great wireless solution without all the fuss. If you want music from point A to B, without having to worry about setting up all kinds of wires, then you’ve found what you’re looking for! The starter kit ($150) comes with a dongle for your Mac or PC, as well as a single receiver with 35mm or RCA stereo jacks.

Bonus: The hardware is pre-paired and works right out of the box!

6. PLAYGO USB WIRELESS SPEAKER ($500)

Enhance wireless streaming of your favorite jams with playGo’s USB Wireless Speaker System. Simply plug in the USB into your computer and your tunes will be wireless sent to any accompanying receiver unit. It’s price might be a tad scary ($499.99), but it features a stylish looks and is very durable.

Bonus: It can endure practically anything since it’s made from Corian, which is the stuff used to make countertops.

5. KLIPSCH LIGHTSPEAKERS ($599/$249 each)

Although it’s not entirely a complete WiFi solution, these speakers are capable of streaming music wirelessly from your PC …but also functions as a light source. Simply screw the Lightspeakers into any 5-or 6-inch socket and you have a light source.

Bonus: You can never go wrong with two-for-one devices, but this one is only great for PC peeps!

4. LOGITECH WIRELESS SPEAKER ($40)

Logitech’s Wireless Speaker Adapter allows for WiFi using Bluetooth so you can listen to all your music, movies and games that are on your Bluetooth-enabled gadgets on your home audio’s speakers. You’ll get a much better sound quality using this than with what you’d get from your mobile device’s tiny built-in speakers.

Bonus: Its $39.99 price is totally affordable and its sleek, modern design is pleasing.

3. APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS ($100)

For those Apple enthusiasts who like to keep everything Apple-based comes their AirPort Express. Featuring blazing fast 802.11n, the AirPort Express may be tiny, but it’s powerful enough to connect up to 10 users on its network.

Bonus: Its small size allows you to take it anywhere!

2. AUDIOENGINE W1 AND W2 ($99)

The Audioengine W1 is a wireless audio adapter that sends music from your computer, iPod or any other audio device straight to your headphones or home audio system. It’s a great way to eliminate audio cables and features CD-quality HD stereo sound, making your music sound that much better. The W2 is a wireless adapter specifically made for your iPod. Send music wireless from your iPod or iPod Touch to any speaker or audio system in your home.

Bonus: It’s $99 price makes both a great bargain!

1. SONOS PLAY:3 ($299)

Plug in the Sonos Play:3 to enjoy music anywhere you want. The all-in-one wireless system allows you to stream your entire music library, any music services you subscribe to Internet stations without any real hard work. With HiFi sound quality and the convenience to place anywhere, all you need to do is plug in the Sonos Play:3 and listen anywhere.

Bonus: Free Sonos Controller apps for Android, iPhone and iPad let you control your zone players, music on the Internet and your computer right from the palm of your hand.

Not only can you save money on your normal purchase of an MP3 album over traditional format you also have the ability to get yourself $2 of free Amazon Credit with your purchase. In order to take advantage of this new offering you first need to view an album for purchase such as this one, click “Redeem a gift card or promotion” and apply the code CLOUDMP3 which will dispatch your credit. Remember that this album is simply an example and this code applies to any MP3 Album on Amazon.com

Amazon is offering an unbeatable low price on the new Lady Gaga Born This Way Album (MP3) for only $13.86 – $12.87 Instant Off + Free Shipping = $0.99 today only!

If you’re a fan of Lady Gaga’s music then definitely take a look at her brand new album at an unbeatable price! Born this way includes 14 new tracks which adds up to just over an hour of new musical content, this edition is fully digital and downloadable in MP3 format and also comes with a Digital Book in PDF format which can be downloaded along with it. Amazon is experience a high volume of demand and downloads today and promises to maintain the $0.99 price as long as you order today.

We can’t tell you how long we’ve been hearing that Apple will soon launch a cloud based music service.  But who cares, because Amazon just launched their own, and there is no reason not to try it out.

For free, as in $0, you’ll get 5GB of storage.  However, if you buy an MP3 album from Amazon’s MP3 store, you’ll automatically be upgraded to 20GB for one year.  Any future MP3 purchases from Amazon will automatically be stored to the cloud and won’t count against your storage capacity – makes sense since Amazon already owns and stores the music.

As of now, and strategically so, there is no official iPhone support, though the service will launch with an Android app called Cloud Player that allows you to buy and play music from the same app.  Mac and PC users can access tunes using Safari, IE, Firefox or Chrome, although we have yet to test if it works with the iPhone’s browser, Safari.  Sure, battery concerns will be at the forefront of everyone’s mobile mind, but if you’re on the road, in close proximity to a car charger it should be a non-issue, and shouldn’t be any more taxing than Pandora’s streaming app.

Files can be stored in either AAC or MP3 and they’ll retain their original bit rate upon upload.  Uploaded files should be downloadable again and transferable to any portable device that accepts the aforementioned formats.  But that’s not all.  Amazon’s cloud service can be used to store pictures, videos and really any digital file of your choosing.

As of now, Amazon’s hasn’t rolled out a tiered pricing plan, but based on the copyright on the site, we’re guessing that they’ll eventually roll out an option for increased space at a cost.  Keep in mind that the free 20GB only lasts for up to one year from purchase date.

Introducing Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon Cloud Player for Web, and Amazon Cloud Player for Android
Buy anywhere, play anywhere and keep all your music in one place
Start with 5 GB of free Cloud Drive storage – upgrade to 20 GB free with purchase of any MP3 album

SEATTLE, Mar 29, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the launch of Amazon Cloud Drive (www.amazon.com/clouddrive), Amazon Cloud Player for Web (www.amazon.com/cloudplayer) and Amazon Cloud Player for Android (www.amazon.com/cloudplayerandroid). Together, these services enable customers to securely store music in the cloudand play it on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC, wherever they are. Customers can easily upload their music library to Amazon Cloud Drive and can save any new Amazon MP3 purchases directly to their Amazon Cloud Drive for free.

“We’re excited to take this leap forward in the digital experience,” said Bill Carr, vice president of Movies and Music at Amazon. “The launch of Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web and Cloud Player for Android eliminates the need for constant software updates as well as the use of thumb drives and cables to move and manage music.”

“Our customers have told us they don’t want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices,” Carr said. “Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere.”

Store Music for Free

Customers automatically start with 5 GB of Cloud Drive storage to upload their digital music library, and those who purchase an Amazon MP3 album will be upgraded to 20 GB of Cloud Drive space. New Amazon MP3 purchases saved directly to Cloud Drive are stored for free and do not count against a customer’s storage quota.

Adding Music to Cloud Drive

Amazon’s easy uploading process makes it simple for customers to save their music library to their Cloud Drive. Files can be stored in AAC or MP3 formats and will be uploaded to Cloud Drive in the original bit rate. Customers can hand-pick particular songs, artists, albums or playlists to upload or simply upload their entire music library.

Cloud Player for Web

Customers who have a computer with a Web browser can listen to their music. Cloud Player for Web currently supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari for Mac, and Chrome. Cloud Player for Web lets customers easily manage their music with download and streaming options. Customers don’t need to worry about regularly updating software on their computer to enjoy music, and Amazon MP3 customers can continue to use iTunes and Windows Media Player to add their music to their iPods and MP3 players.

Cloud Player for Android

Cloud Player for Android is now bundled into the new version of the Amazon MP3 App; it includes the full Amazon MP3 Store and the mobile version of Cloud Player. Customers can use the app to play music stored on their Cloud Drive and music stored locally on their device. Features include the ability to search and browse by artist, album or song, create playlists and download music from Cloud Drive.

Secure Storage

Customers never need to worry about losing their music collection to a hard drive crash again. Files are securely stored on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and each file is uploaded to Cloud Drive in its original bit rate. Customers can buy music anywhere and know that their MP3s are safely stored in Cloud Drive and accessible from any device.

Store More than Music

Cloud Drive allows customers to upload and store all kinds of digital files; music, photos, videos and documents can be stored securely and are available via web browser on any computer. In addition to the 5 GB of free storage, customers can purchase storage plans starting at $20 a year for 20 GB.

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Truth be told, at the end of the day most iPod speaker docks just aren’t loud enough.  Sure they may sound good, but often end up distorted when cranked at a higher volume.  If they even can get that loud.  The JVC RV-NB50 does not suffer this problem.  While not a perfect iPod speaker system by any means, the Kaboom does enough stuff right to satisfy anyone looking to seriously blast some loud music without the loss of fidelity.

To start off with the Kaboom’s visual presence would be the obvious one.  It pretty much looks like a bomb, which must have been the idea since it literally goes off like one.  I personally liked the way it looked, but my roommate and some others thought the aesthetic was too gaudy and didn’t fit into the modern contemporary feel of our apartment.  I mean, most people would say that they wouldn’t want anything sitting around their place that looked like a bomb right?  Especially in these trying times I’m sure!

Apart from the glaring resemblances an aforementioned detonation device, carrying this beast could have been dealt with in an easier manner.  The shoulder strap was uncomfortable and the hand grips on each side of the Kaboom should have been more ergonomic.  The strap used your typical weave, and could have easily had a cushion insert so your shoulders didn’t wear the mark of carrying it around for more than 5 minutes.  The grips could also have easily had some squishy adhesives instead of the open plastic backing that exposed the handles innards.

Function-wise, the RV-NB50 plays MP3 and WMA files from a CD or a USB drive in addition to whatever is on your iPod.  People still do that?  The front side USB input didn’t charge an iPhone, I can tell you that.  The included remote lets you navigate through folders and settings with ease just don’t lose it because you won’t be able do do a lot of stuff without it.

What I found to be the most troublesome aspect of using the JVC RV-NB50 was that it would never recognize my iPhone or iPod touch immediately.  I would have to remove it and place it back in the dock all while futzing with the play/pause button on the face of the RV-NB50.  Pretty annoying really.  I have run into this with other JVC speaker docks and I don’t understand what their problem is.  It also always wanted to put me in airplane mode which just added to the frustration.

Another gripe I had was managing playlists and songs in the RV-NB50.  While the casing surrounding the iPod was clear, you had to unlatch it to change the songs.  Being that it was set so low in the RV-NB50 and depending where you have the boombox situated, changing songs and artists can be a real pain.  The remote lets you get through the menus OK, but it’s much faster on the actual iPod.  What would have made the RV-NB50 crazy awesome would have been a resistive screen that let you touch through to an iPhone or iPod Touch.  Also, the connector is really wobbly and didn’t feel all that secure.

Once you got the iPod playing, however, the RV-NB50 cranked some serious jams.  The bass knob had 6 levels of low end that was easily adjustable and really sounded great across almost all of my MP3′s.  The RV-NB50 had a bunch of preset sound settings that added a nice touch to the sound spectrum.  I noticed that the RV-NB50 would also pick apart your bit rate whenever it wanted to, and really stressed the importance of quality MP3′s, which in the end is a good thing I’d say.  The RV-NB50 really held its quality of sound once the volume was turned up and is easily the biggest selling point of this boombox.

The radio also sounded really nice and clear with the bass adding what most radio signals desperately need.  The LCD display was a bright blue and was pretty easy to read with its everyday clock style digits.

So while facing some serious interface and connectivity issues, the JVC RV-NB50 will still be optimal for any BBQ, beach outing, or any other scenario where you need your tunes to be heard.  Clear and unobtrusively banging, the RV-NB50 is a great addition to anyone who needs loud and responsive music around the house or on the go.  Capable of being wireless, you gotta stuff 10 D batteries up in the RV-NB50 ( buy some rechargeable ones ), and there’s even an separate after market car plug for your next Honda Element adventure.

Pros:

• Excessively loud
• Great bass and overall sound
• Various modes and functions

Cons:

• Whack interface and connectivity issues
• Uncomfortable strap and handles
• Questionable visual flair

Buy the JVC RV-NB50 Kaboom System here for $240!

I once pulled a DeWalt BoomBox out of a river and it was still on and working fine.  Looking like it wants to be swung around at a party by some drunk behemoth, the Bosch Power Box 360 is gonna be hot at your neighborhood construction site.  The aluminum and rubber roll case protect the core while the virtual surround 360 speakers blast Seger at sunset.

The weather-sealed media bay holds what looks to be an iPod of the classic variety and it even has an SD card slot that supports MP3 and WMA files.  Add some external auxiliary ports, a USB port for charging cell phones, the Power Box has a battery bay for charging tools or powering the Power Box.  Finish it off with a illuminated LCD display and a remote and your mustache will literally twirl itself in pure delight.  Expect the price to be around $200-$250.  What a beast!

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Looking like it escaped from some crazy audio laboratory, the Fatman iTube ValveDock Carbon Edition II wants to spread your wallet apart ($700) with the vigor of a 7-10 split from a prosthetic arm.  Compatible with all iPods/iPhones barring the iPod Shuffle, this beast of audio slaughter is a one-piece hybrid vacuum tube amp, with 25W per channel that reproduces at 20-20,000 Hz and should effectively tear your MP3′s in half quicker than a wrestler with a phone book.

The Fatman iTube ValveDock Carbon Edition II will also charge any docking iPod or iPhone.  I’d love to blast some metal through this guy.  Get everything pictured above for the price I mentioned earlier ($700).

[via TheGadgeteer]

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That darn DJ equipment can be so back debilitating sometimes.  No problem.  The Pocket Sized MP3 Player Mixing Deck has you covered for your next gig. It works like a standard mixer and even allows you to preview your next track before mixing.  Of course you’ll need two MP3 players for a smooth transition and a headphone jack will let you preview and listen to your work without being interrupted by drunk flusies.

ThinkGeek has it for $25.

[via UberReview]

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Looking like Humpty Dumpty bobble heads, these odd looking Star Wars characters are actually speakers.  Designed by toymaker Funko, I really don’t know what to make of these lamp looking villains.  Not much information is available right now with availability and pricing nowhere to be found.

Funko makes a ton of nice looking Bobble Heads from Star Wars to Marvel Comics to the dude that won the 1st survivor.  Check em out here.

Definitely unique, I’m interested in how they sound.

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Coming soon to an OK GO! video near you, this Briefcase Turntable from Think Geek has got to be the smallest USB vinyl converter we’ve seen yet.  Priced at only $70, the turntable has a set of built in speakers and the actual briefcase is wrapped in vinyl.  It uses a belt driven turntable mechanism that plays records at 3 RPM’s (33 1/3, 45, 78) as well as 3 sizes (7″, 10″ & 12″).

The briefcase also includes Audacity Software Suite for recording and editing audio content, making this a great sounding product for the price.   Whipping this thing out from a trenchcoat will surely turn some heads at your next party appearance.

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With World Cup 2010 around the corner, it seems like a perfect time to unveil the MiSoccer iPod Dock.  From the makers of the awesome sounding iPig, this dock system is pretty much the same thing with a soccer facelift.  Sporting 2.1 sound, two full-range drivers deliver the stereo sound while a 15 watt sub woofer is at the base of the dock.

Capable of charging all iPod models, there’s no word on whether or not it will accept iPhones minus the GSM interference.  You can pre-order this “goal in one” (boo!!) now for $119.

[via Technabob]

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Huh.  Powered by USB or two AA batteries, this folding speaker’s design “creates a large resonance chamber and makes the sound richer than most other small speakers.”

For $18 it could be worth a try though at this point you probably already have a set of speakers for your MP3 scenarios.

[via LikeCool]

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Possibly looking pretty swank at your alpine lodge time share, the Maxell MXSP-D240 will hopefully be banging enough to get the party going as well.  Available in white or black, the MXSP-D240 is Japan only right now and goes on sale at the end of the month.

The MXSP-D240 is compatible with most iPod models and comes with a remote control.  Thanks to a balanced horn structure to radiate sound energy efficiently, this speaker dock could be worth looking into.  With so many speaker docks to choose from these days it’s nice to see one that actually sticks out visually.  Priced at around $112

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In America, there’s nothing quite like a good value.  I went to Burger King the other day because they had a $1 Double Cheeseburger.  It was quite a value as I had two.  This little iPod speaker from the Container Store is only $10.  What would make it a value?

For me, I don’t quite like how the speaker is facing backwards.  Other than that it looks OK.  Using four AAA batteries for power, I wonder how loud it gets, as lack of volume is generally the biggest downfall to speakers of this size.

It could be decent for some indoor situations, like a customer service call center cubicle during break time, but I can’t see this thing being of much “value” outdoors.

[via Unplggd]

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Suffice to say it’s been a ripe year for Beatles fans.  With all the other Beatles stuff to buy comes along this Limited Edition Beatles Catalog stored on a Apple Shaped USB Flash Drive from EMI and Apple Corps.

Available now for pre-order, this $280 set has 16GB’s of re-mastered stereo FLAC and MP3 versions of the Beatles Catalog.  FLAC quality runs at 44.1Khz 24 bit, whereas the MP3′s are at 320 Kbps.  Priced at $60 more than the normal CD set, only 30.000 of these will be produced.

On sale starting December 8th, the drive will also include a 13 minute documentary about all of the studio albums as well as original UK album art, rare photos, and expanded liner notes.

I think Anvil needs one of these.

[via TechTree]

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Coming to you today from the folks at fu-bi is the Retro Cube Mini Speaker With MP3 Player.

Basically, it’s pretty much what it says on the box.  It’s a speaker that hooks to your iPod or your PC, with either a headphone jack or a USB cable, and will give you about three hours of music for roughly every hour spent charging the battery.  You can also fill up a USB stick, MMC card or SD / SDHC card with music and play them directly from the speaker itself.

It looks like nothing so much as a old fashioned guitar amp, and this is probably where the “Retro” part comes into play.  They sell for about fifty bucks each, but only can be had in Japan for right now.  It’s kind of a nifty idea, but it’s a little bit short on execution.  I mean, great, congratulations. It’s a speaker.  I’ve got several.  But I like that it can be taken anywhere and will play music from outside media, turning it into a pocket stereo.  It’s the kind of thing I could’ve used back when I was in high school.

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Capable of mounting directly to your handlebars or fastening to your belt loop this waterproof speaker case by Sanwa may be a nice choice for those of you who like to ride your bike in the rain.  If you happen to live and ride in Portland Oregon, it could be essential.

I prefer riding with earphones, but for those who want to be able to hear the 18-Wheeler coming from behind them, this is a great alternative.  Your MP3 player fits inside the case and the volume controls are on the outside.  I used to have a SkullCandy backpack that had speakers mounted in the shoulder straps that sounded pretty good, but I question how good this thing sounds.

I mean part of the fun of listening to music was so you didn’t have to hear street noise as you rode, right?  It could be cool off the bike in places like the beach or pool, though.  On sale now for $44.

[via CoolestGadgets]

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