Partner Hugh McFarland, a guitar repairman, designed a model that borrowed elements from classic basses--and drew a cease-and-desist order from Fender Musical Instruments for trademark infringement.

FORBES: His Own Beat

The final version also won't require a tethered computer, though you'll be able to hook it up to one, in order to further customize the instruments.

ENGADGET: Roli's Seaboard is a rubber-keyed piano that may redefine the way you play

Launched by BBK spin-off Vivo in Beijing just now, this 5.7-inch Xplay takes one step further from its smaller X1 and X1S cousins by packing one extra audio chip, the OPA2604 op amp from Texas Instruments, in order to add extra oomph to Cirrus Logic's CS4398 DAC and CS8422 stereo asynchronous sample-rate converter -- both of which are featured on the X1 series.

ENGADGET