Technology is advancing so fast that it never ceases to amaze. I just had to share these two stories with you.

The first one is about a famous hip hop/pop superstar, Will.i.am, whose new song premiered from Mars.

The second is about a 23-year old deaf filmmaker who heard music for the first time two weeks ago.

I became involved in these stories because of my work with iriver, a Korean company that will be debuting a new product which is slated to become a game changer in the music business. I am not allowed to say anything more.

1. Will.i.am is a famous and talented musician, performer and producer. You know him because he is a member of the singing group Black Eyed Peas, which also boasts the gorgeous and shapely Fergie.

Will.i.am will go down in history as being the first musician and performing artist to premiere a new single from Mars. The NASA rover Curiosity beamed his new song “Reach for the Stars” in the first music broadcast from another planet.

This was all arranged almost a year ago because Will.i.am is heavily involved in promoting math and science education

“Reach for the Stars” was uploaded to the rover which landed near the equator of Mars. The song was played back to Earth, a journey of approximately 700 million miles. That will definitely go down in the history books.

Will.i.am was among more than a dozen celebrities who were invited to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) to watch Curiosity’s landing last month. Others included Wil Wheaton, Seth Green and Morgan Freeman.

Click here to watch everyone at NASA plus an auditorium filled with students listen to the first musical concert from Mars.

2. Austin Chapman heard music for the first time earlier this month thanks to a new breakthrough in Phonak’s Naida S Premium hearing aids.

First time listening to music at age 23

Chapman was born profoundly deaf. Hearing aids helped with words, but music, with its full range of pitches and tones, could not be decoded. Chapman’s entry into the world of music is a fascinating one. A group of friends introduced him to Michael Jackson, Radiohead, and the Rolling Stones. He was blown away when he heard Mozart’s Lacrimosa. It was the first time he was able to appreciate music. Tears rolled down his face and he tried to hide it. But when he looked over at his friends, he didn’t see a dry eye on any of them.

Read his story here.