Apparently Microsoft has a new product that will analyze music that is sung into it, and provide you with what it thinks is appropriate accompaniment. It looks at your pitch, tempo, and melody to determine things like instrumentation, and backing melody.

Watch how it handles the vocals that have been stripped out of some of your favorites.

Here's a sample:

Thanks for your patience! Why not randomly pick a show from the archives to quench your thirst for covers?

And in case you were thinking I'm not doing anything Coverville-related as I recuperate, I'll have something cool to show you in the next couple weeks.

Half of the core system is an iPod-based docking station similar to other iPod docks, where the iPod sits vertically, surrounded on either side by vertical speakers. Below the iPod, on the front of the unit, are the controls for the volume, a mute button, a source button (there's an auxiliary 1/8" input in the back for plugging in an alternate source, like a computer, a video game system, or a different portable music player, for example).

But the similarities to other iPod docks end there, and this is where the system really shines. The base station is also a wireless broadcast unit. And the other half of the core unit is a wireless speaker that plugs into the wall, and automatically plays whatever you're listening to on the base unit. This technology, and it's ease-of-use, are fantastic. It truly is plug-and-play. My grandmother could easily set this up.

And it's expandable. While the core system comes with one satellite unit, you can add up to three more, giving you sound in up to five locations in your house. There's no lag on the satellite speakers, so if you put them in the same room for a pseudo-surround effect, it sounds terrific.

Now, let's talk a little more about the sound. It's a little bit thin on the smaller satellite speakers. The bass is present, but it's not strong. And the only adjustment you can make on the satellite units is the volume, so you can't boost the bass. This an expected flaw due to the smaller, portable size of the unit. And that said, the absence of the bass isn't horrible, and the higher frequencies are beautifully presented. I tested several different songs of different types, as well as spoken-word podcasts. And with the latter, there's no noticeable loss of bass.

The unit comes with a remote control, cables, and inserts for the iPod dock to fit just about any iPod. And it works well with all the models I tried it with: the iPhone 3G, the 1st Gen iPod Nano, the iPod Video and the newer iPod Classic. The remote control could be a bit more tactile - it uses the blister-style buttons that give you that not-sure-I-pushed-it feel, and if the amount of music on your iPod makes it slow to respond, you might push buttons on the remote impatiently wanting to make things happen. Also, it would have been a nice touch if the remote worked with the satellite speakers, at least for pause/play, and back and next track functions. Hopefully this is something they can address in the next model.

All in all, these speakers sound great, and they excel at their primary feature: wireless, multi-room sound. Particular audiophiles won't be happy with the bass levels, but the average user won't notice, or won't mind. If you're looking for just an an iPod dock, this isn't the product for you. The price is high when compared to other iPod docks, but the wireless functionality is the reason to buy this unit, and I don't know of any other product that is this easy to use, right out of the box.

Coverville review score: 4 out of 5 stars

Band From TV, a celebrity-based rock group, whose mission it is to raise money for several worthwhile charities. Band members include Greg Grunberg and Adrian Pasdar from NBC's Heroes, James Denton from ABC's Desperate Housewives, Hugh Laurie from FOX's House, Bonnie Somerville from Cashmere Mafia and Bob Guiney, who was on The Bachelor. Rounding out the band are several performers who've worked with some of the biggest names in rock, soul and pop.

I've picked up a copy of the CD myself, which also comes with a very well-produced concert DVD, and even though I usually like cover albums to feature some non-standard cover choices, for Band From TV, the choices they made are perfect for the audience they're reaching. They're more of a "good time rock 'n' roll" band than a band that's out to prove their prowess with covers of obscure Tom Waits' tracks. The CD is excellent, and the concert DVD does a great job of showcasing the artists individually during their solos to the point that you feel like you're there.

I'm working on scheduling an interview with Greg Grunberg for January, as he got all of his musically-inclined fellow actors together for this project. You know him as Matt Parkman, the mind-reader on Heroes, or as I first remember seeing him, as FBI agent Weiss on Alias. He was also the pilot of the ill-fated Oceanic flight on Lost.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy - even if you're not a fan of of any of the TV shows represented (and who's not a fan of at least one of the shows mentioned?). The cause is great, and actors or not, these folks are terrific musicians. Hugh Laurie's "Will It Go 'Round In Circles" is almost worth the price of admission by itself.