] The newest digital players can even write their own songs
]
] So you wanna be a rock-'n'-roll star? Well, listen now:
] skip the electric guitar, get yourself a MadPlayer %u2014
] a handheld device developed in France for London-based
] MadWaves. It's a one-stop musical shop %u2014 an MP3
] player for grabbing music from the Internet, an FM tuner,
] and a karaoke machine that allows you to download backing
] music, view the lyrics and sing. But its chief function
] is as an interactive music composer that creates original
] songs on the fly. Pick one of 21 styles (like hip-hop or
] house music) and push a button. Out pops a fully composed
] song, with an introduction, ending, chord progression,
] melody and rhythm. (Chart success and groupies not
] included.) Music executives think it has great potential
] for getting tech-addicted kids to interact with music.
] Less ambitious? Settle for Microsoft's Media2Go, a
] software platform based on Windows CE that stores up to
] 8,000 songs or 175 hours of video. It should be on sale
] by the end of the year, when your MP3 player is full.
] %u2014 J.L.S