Things have been bad for the music industry ever since itunes and it is getting worse. Physical album sales are expected to drop 40%. The RIAA in the US and the worldwide IFPI have often said that these drops in sales are only due to piracy, but we all know that that is just bogus. Much of the drop is due to the decline of the album format.

Much of the industry’s sales has always been due to stronger whole albums in some cases and of course the necessity to buy a whole album at $15 to $20, even when you only want one or two songs. Strong quality albums are what sells. Quality. Are there any modern Beatles? Stones? Bah. I’m going back to bed.

There are a few basic things that people need for their home and office when it comes to technology. Things like cables, ink, recordable CDs and DVDs, and other things of that sort. The problem with massive stereos like Amazon is that it can be difficult to find these basic things and we all want them at a low price.

Amazon has introduced a new line of private branded AmazonBasics gear for consumers that are being sold all in one store to make it easy to find. The AmazonBasics line currently features video cables and blank CDs and such.

This is pretty awesome in a Macguyver sort of way. Using a motor, USB cable, two compact discs and a paper or plastic tube, Instructables user msolek creates a sweet little USB powered fan. This is a pretty simple project and the parts are all inexpensive, so don’t be afraid to make one yourself.

To build your very own USB-powered fan, you’ll need: a motor, USB port (max. 2.5W), two compact discs, a USB cable, paper or a plastic tube. Then, just cut up the disc, prep the USB cable, and put everything together.

It’s been a long wait. A long and winding road if you will. At last, the Beatles iPod is out, with only 2,500 units available. You know you want it. And in these tough economic times, Paul, Ringo, and Yoko need your help. So why not fork out $795. The Limited Edition Ultimate Collector’s Beatles iPod Set comes complete with a wooden box designed by Psycho Bunny, where you can store your 120GB Beatles iPod, 13 original Beatles albums on CD, two masters, the Love CD, and an engraved guitar pick that is surely the pick of destiny.

Uh, hang on a minute here. Anyone wanting a Beatles iPod surely owns all of these CDs anyway, so what gives? I don’t need all of that extra junk for 800 clams. Just give me a decent Beatles iPod. Preferably something with a classic album cover on it.

Geek or not, if there’s one thing we all have plenty of it’s Cds. And if you want some exercise, but don’t happen to have any dumbbells around, just create your own with all of those CDs collecting dust. The one pictured is 10lbs. All you need are 150 CDs, a threaded rod and bolts and you’ve got a 10 pound weight. The rest is up to you my flabby friend. This should give you an idea of what mailmen had to go through back when all those AOL CDs were arriving at your house. Sure some got all muscular, but others threw out their backs.

Do you hate it when you have to copy tons of pics from your camera onto the PC, then burn them using software so that they can later be viewed on your DVD player? Yes, there are plenty of cameras that offer TV out, but maybe you love your current camera and don’t want another.

If that’s the case, check out this device that does it all, without a PC. It’s a compact recorder for converting your JPEGs to MPEGs and burning them onto CDs. It can also burn images without converting, making back-ups easier. Comes equipped with RCA and S-Video inputs and also acts as a player.