FretPen Is the Tiniest Guitar You Will Ever Play

The urge to RAWK OUT really can hit at any time or place, but who wants to be that weirdo who's always lugging a guitar around?

Now there's FretPen, which makes even your hipster ukelele look big and clumsy.

Pop off the cap, snap the ball-point end into the guitar body and pluck the tiny string; a Bluetooth-connected smartphone acts as a wireless amp that can make a host of sounds, from clean acoustic to dirty garage.

Since there’s only one actual string, you also need to play a directional pad on the body to move across the strings, which isn’t all that hard for a seasoned player. Though FretPen is too small to create actual string vibrations — electronics in the fretboard recognize your finger positions instead — its external materials are just like a real electric guitar. The fretboard is wood, the frets are steel and the string is also the real deal:

(And yes, it’s actually a functional pen, so you can jot down those epic lyrics you channeled from the cosmos during that face-melting riff.)

You can’t buy the FretPen just yet; the Colorado-based makers just launched a campaign Monday on Kickstarter. But you can pre-order it there, with delivery expected sometime in November — just in time for your huge tour (of the waiting area at the airport gate during holiday travel).

IMAGE: FRETPEN FRETPEN

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These Musical Drones Are More Talented Than Justin Bieber

Even the most skilled guitar god has nothing on these drones.

KMel Robotics created a swarm of flying hexrotors to play some sweet music. The perfectly synchronized robots float through the air to bang on drums and pluck strings to create famous classical compositions.

The band of drones perform three songs, beginning with Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra," leading into "Carol of the Bells" and finishing with a rendition of "Star Spangled Banner" that even Jimi Hendrix would approve of.

The musical machines will be rocking out live at the USA Science & Engineering Festival April 26-27 in Washington, D.C. After that, perhaps these drones should take their act on the road opening for Kesha.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE, THEDMEL

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Will.I.Am Reveals Newest Project: A Smartwatch

During a recent appearance on UK talk show Alan Carr: Chatty Man, musician Will.i.am revealed his latest project to a surprised studio audience: a smartwatch.

At least, based on the brief on-camera demonstration, that's what the sleek, black device appears to be.

Revealing the device in a decidedly understated fashion while being interviewed by host Carr, Will.i.am said, "I don't carry my phone anymore; I just use this, [this] is my phone." He then began tapping the device's touchscreen to trigger the number key tones.

"There's a lot of smartwatches that need phones [to operate]. Mine doesn't need a phone; this is the phone," he added.

Will.i.am then tapped the phone a bit more, and the device began playing one of his songs.

Based on the limited visual demonstration, the device's swiping dynamic is reminiscent of the interface interactions used on the recently unveiled Android Wear, Google's operating system for wearables. However, Will.i.am did not reveal any of the device's specs.

And lest anyone think the smartwatch reveal is merely a belated April Fools' prank, the musician, widely known as a tech enthusiast, later confirmed on Twitter that he is planning a formal launch for the device soon.

Based on his tweets, the launch date for the as-yet-unnamed device is July.

"I started the company myself; I funded it, used my own money to develop it," Will.i.am said. "It's a phone; it has all my music in it."

Will.i.am also claimed the device can connect to Bluetooth headphones, and has Twitter, Instagram and Facebook functionality.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE, ALAN CARR CHATTY MAN

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Make Sweet Music With Any Object Using This Sensor

If you’re prone to drumming on your steering wheel, desk or whatever is in reach when listening to your jam, this device could up your percussive game.

To make a musical instrument out of the mundane, users attach the circular sensor at the end of the stethoscope-like device to the surface of any everyday object and it becomes imbued the power of music. Then, users plug Mogees into a mobile device's headphone jack and connect their headphones to the gadget to listen to the music they create.

Mogees works by employing a small, specialized sensor called a "piezo-transducer" that converts a vibration produced by tapping any physical object into an electric signal. That signal is then sent to a mobile device running the Mogees app (available for both iOS and Android) which turns the signal into music.

Users can select different options that will determine how a particular object sounds once the vibrations are converted. They can also switch between free mode — where the user can change scales and keys and improvise pieces of music — and song mode, which lets the user tap along with their favorite songs.

Bruno Zamborlin, a musician who performs with British experimental dance group Plaid, designed and created Mogees to provide a fun, plug-and-play experience, but also as a tool for music education.

"I have done several workshops in primary schools in the UK, using Mogees to teach key aspects of sound and music in the national curriculum, and the results have been terrific," Zamborlin said. "Kids really learned concepts about vibrations and acoustic properties of materials in a brand new, interactive and natural way. Mogees is not just an instrument for musicians — it's a tool for music discovery that everyone should have fun in using."

Zamborlin started Mogees’ Kickstarter campaign on Feb. 17, and has raised almost $20,000 of its $83,000 goal with 22 days left.

IMAGE: MOGEES

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Beep Speaker Is the Chromecast of Music

Two former Google staffers launched a new startup on Thursday called Beep that aims to change the way you listen to music at home.

The Beep, available in copper and gunmetal colors for $99, allows users to stream music wirelessly from any speaker with an input. Think of it like a Chromecast for music — instead of making a TV Wi-Fi-enabled, the Beep plugs into any speaker and makes it wireless.

Beep is the brainchild of former Google employees Daniel Conrad and Shawn Lewis.

"Bluetooth is a great portable listening solution, but it falls short in the home — you quickly run into range issues, and of course, you can't synchronize a bunch of Bluetooth devices together in different rooms," Lewis said. "We also found more and more users gravitating towards streaming services, like Pandora, but are unable to listen to streaming music on their existing speakers. Beep easily connects any speaker to the cloud."

To get started, users connect the Beep to the speaker and by touching the hardware, it plays the last song or station accessed on your mobile device. Another tap will turn it off.

From there, you can play music files or stream music directly from streaming services like Pandora or Spotify. The volume can be controlled via the accompanying Android or iOS app, but also be adjusted by turning a dial on the front of the Beep.


"In terms of the design, we’re referencing audio equipment of yesteryear," Lewis said. "Music used to be such a tactile experience, so we wanted Beep to bring back that experience with our volume knob and push to play or pause function."

You can also play audio from one room or many, depending on how many Beeps you have. Most Wi-Fi networks can hold up to about five.

"Music following you from room to room in your home is a magical experience, and we wanted to bring that to everyone. It was something we'd experienced, but felt was inaccessible, so we decided to build it and make connecting your speakers to your music easy," Lewis added.

The device, which is available for pre-order now, will still allow you to get phone calls without interrupting the music.

The product will ship this fall, when the price will jump to $149.


IMAGE: BEEP BEEP

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