You would think the days of carefully crafting a cassette mixtape were all but gone. Or are they? Australian start-up business Sharetapes are bringing back the 90s nostalgia of the mixtape on cassette with a modern twist.
The digital product, also called Sharetapes, may look like an old school cassette but it is much more advanced, acting as a physical card with NFC (near-field communication) chips and QR (quick response) codes that allows consumers to save and share their digital playlists and videos with friends.
As Gizmaz reports, the digital card will set you back $6.99 for a pack of five, and allows you to create a playlist of your favourite tunes on music sites such as Spotify, Youtube and internet radio program 8tracks to share with others.
Users must first register on the Sharetapes website and then enter the link to their playlist on one of the supported platforms before hitting record. You then pass on the sharetape to someone you think will enjoy the playlist and they can instantly listen to it either by tapping the card to their smartphone or tablet, or scanning the QR code on the card.
The digital product, also called Sharetapes, may look like an old school cassette but it is much more advanced.Android, Windows and Blackberry devices will support the NFC technology with iPhone uses requiring the scanning of the QR code to access their musical present.
Imagine the ease of being able to share with your housemate your top 20 songs of the month, or share with Mum and Dad what ‘the kids’ are digging with your favourite new playlist (assuming they’re ‘up’ with the tech).
NFC technology works as a wireless technology within a short distance that allows smartphones to read information from an item tagged with similar NFC technology. It’s the same technology thats used when MasterCard owners swipe with Pay Pass, effortlessly making purchases by simply tapping their card to an EFTPOS machine.
The ease of Sharetapes in sharing music makes for a cost-effective way for bands and musicians to present their music. In fact Canberra band, Danger Beach did just that when they recently played at the Oxford Arts Factory in Sydney, distributing copies of their latest release, Pacific, on CD, vinyl, and Sharetapes – as the website’s blog shows.
The updated digital mixtape is just one of many new musical gadgets arriving on the music scene. As recently reported, the International Consumers Electronic Show (CES) showcased the latest electronic inventions and provided a glimpse into the future of music technology.
Motörhead lead singer Lemmy Kilmister presented the Motörheadphones, new headphones which aim to account for Kilmister’s opinion that current commercial headphones use too much bass. “It’s like you’re listening through a towel,” said the Motörhead frontman.
Other new gadgets unveiled included Sony’s waterproof digital walkman, aimed at giving swimmers a musical workout; as well as gTar, an electric guitar containing an iPhone that allows the user to load songs from their iTunes library and then teaches them – through an interactive fretboard – how to play their desired song.
