There two legal ways to get digital music these days, buying songs by track, like on iTunes, or renting them by paying a monthly subscription fee for access to a huge library of tracks, like Rhapsody or MTV's Urge. Sure, renting can fill up your entire player, as long as it is not an iPod, but the downside of renting is that if you stop your subscription, those tracks stop working. Still, some in the industry treat the move to subscription services as a forgone conclusion. This posted on Red Herring this week:

People who today download single tracks from Internet music stores will soon likely be music subscribers—downloading or streaming as much music as they want to their computers or phones for a fixed fee, and even sharing tracks with fellow subscribers.

So the question is: Should you buy or rent your music?

We will be talking about this on Gearlog Radio this week with PC Mag audiophiles Mike Kobrin and Kyle Monson, but we want to know what you think, too. Leave a comment letting us know how, and if, you want to pay for your music.

In a brilliant cerulean blue, the Higher Ground 15" Shuttle laptop case is sturdy with a side of style. Also available in black and lime green, and in a smaller size (12-inch) for ultraportables, it's hard to find fault with it this versatile tote. You can use the included shoulder strap or opt for the backpack strap, which sells separately for $9.95.

At first look, the Shuttle looks like your ordinary, run-of-the-mill laptop case. But a look inside the main compartment reveals a handy CD/DVD organizer that literally takes up no space (see more photos of the bag here); the front pocket has plenty of room to stuff in your papers in and slots for all of your favorite gadgets and of course, your power supply and cables.

The best feature though, is that you can use your laptop without even taking it out of the case (see below). I especially liked it since my Dell 700m tends to run hot--not to worry, though, it's not likely to explode. (My battery's not on the recall list.) Your laptop rests on four non-slip rubber pads to allow for airflow underneath.

I found it to be comfortable to tote around--I love backpacks and this one fit snugly and didn't dig into the shoulders. The small handle on the top of the bag is great too for use when getting on and off the subway or in and out of a car. It's nice looking too, a bit sporty, but sleek and great for men and women.

The case is relatively lightweight and the fabric is waterproof in case you get stuck in the rain. There's a good amount of padding and reinforcement, but I wish there was a way to secure your laptop so it doesn't move around while you're in motion. (My Dell was dwarfed by the case as you can see in the picture below.)

Cheap Geeks will appreciate the pricing: the 15-inch case goes for $49.95 and the 12-inch for $39.95. I just wish the backpack strap wasn't extra.

Coming in September, just in time for Back to School, is a 13" case for the MacBook.

Holding gadgets or gear in your hands is overrated. At least, that's what we've seen at Gearlog, such as the Plasma Belt Buckle, the egokast, the iGroove Panty for iPod nano, the Cassette Belt, and now the Hipster.

The Hipster--designed by Joel Hoag, an award winning designer originally from Fargo, North Dakota--is a trailer that you attach to your hip to carry your personal belongings with you while you walk. Hoag calls it, "adventure walking".

There are two models of the Hipster. Hipster I is a single wheel that is both maneuverable and compact. Hipster II has two wheels and is better for carrying larger loads.

I can see it now: New Yorkers wearing this thing to the grocery store to carry their groceries, or to the park to bring their laptop, cell phone, and MP3 player.

You can order the Hipster (which are made-to-order) by emailing the company, Elseware Inc. Prices vary according to the size and model you prefer.

[via Ohgizmo!]

I can't decide whether Weird Al Yankovic's "Don't Download this Song" is a desperate bid for relevance from an aging rocker who is hopelessly out-of-fashion or just plain old fun.  Of course, Weird Al was always hopelessly out-of-fashion, that is what made him strangely appealing.  Compared to some of Al's psuedo-hits, the song itself is nothing special, but it is worth a  quick listen. You can do so here, free of charge or DRM restrictions. Best line:

'[It] doesn't matter if you're a grandma or a seven year old girl,

They'll treat you like the evil hardened criminal scum that you are.'

[[Found on The Listening Post]]

The Higher Ground Shuttle: On Your Back

The Straps

A Convenient Handle on Top

Pockets for all Your Gear and Gadgets

Work Right Inside the Case

Four Rubber Pads Keep Airflow Underneath Laptop

As expected, Microsoft will soon release a patch preventing FairUse4WM from breaking the DRM protection on files encoded with Windows Media Player 10 or 11. We tried this out in the labs, for testing purposes only, of course, and the app does work as advertised. PC Magazine's Mark Hachmen got the word from Redmond:

"Microsoft is aware that a tool recently surfaced that circumvents Windows Media Digital Rights Management technology – breaking the content protection that our content partners apply to their intellectual property such as music or video content," said Marcus Matthias, senior product manager of Microsoft's Windows Client Division, in a statement provided to PC Magazine. "Fortunately, the Windows Media DRM system has built-in renewability, we have an update to address the circumvention, and are working with our partners to deploy this solution."

But this is just going to be a temporary fix. In a few months "FairUse5WM" or some such app will come out an bypass the new restrictions, and on and on. The whole thing seem pretty silly to me. If a user is intent on stealing music, there are easier ways to do it than breaking the DRM on a subscription service.

While traveling home by train last night, I read an article in amNewYork about the hotels of the future. What can you expect in hotels say, two decades from now?

"Intelligent robots that clean rooms, change beds and even act as valets to provide automated personal service...[it] may also offer downloadable settings in which guests can choose personalized sounds, aromas, and colors or other visuals."

This will (hopefully) be possible in an ongoing project, dubbed The Hotel of Tomorrow (HOT) Project, organized by Gettys and Hospitality Design Group.

Companies already involved with this project are Starbucks, Whirlpool, and Starwood Hotels.

You can even expect regenerating rugs, "which repair themselves after guests walk on them." All I know is, I hope they develop some sort of technology that removes stains from bed sheets. I've heard so many horror stories of particles and germs that remain on hotel bed sheets even after being washed (that's if the hotels actually wash them after each guest checks out).

What do you think we'll see in the hotel of the future?

[via amNY, Tuesday Aug 28, page 23, opens PDF archive]

Ancient Egypt developed over 3,000 years ago, and still today I'm fascinated by that historical period. And I'm even more fascinated by the Japanese company Solid Alliance's announcement of the new Hieroglyph Love USB Memory keys. What's special about these USB keys is that hieroglyphics are on them.

From left to right, the five USB Keys mean: Ankh (Always Together), Gentle Heart, Courtship, Love, and Joy.

According to the company, "In ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs carried a sacred power to chronicle events and protect beliefs. We have created USB keys containing the same powerful words as the heiroglyphic script of ancient times. A surge of "love", "joy" and the like can be drawn to you even as your data is protected."

Each Hieroglyph Love USB Memory key holds 256MB, supports USB 2.0, and sells for 3,680 Yen (~$31.50 USD).

Thanks to our resident Japanese translator and Assistant Web Producer, Whitney Reynolds, for helping me interpret the press release.

[via NewLaunches]