New iPhone 3GS Units Jailbreak Resistant

Category: Music / Video Players, Gadgets
Posted: October 14, 2009 09:54AM
Author: d3bruts1d

In a move to thwart hackers, Apple is shipping new iPhone 3GS units with a new Boot ROM that prevents the popular 24kpwn exploit from jailbreaking the iPhone. While the attempt to block jailbreaking is not a surprise move on Apple's part, it is amazing that it took this long for something to happen. MuscleNerd from the Dev-Team has confirmed that the current Boot ROM would make it impossible to jailbreak for the time being, and suggest anyone that wants to JB locate an older or refurbished iPhone 3GS.

Radio On The iPhone? There Might Be An App For That

Category: Music / Video Players, Gadgets
Posted: October 14, 2009 02:45AM
Author: d3bruts1d

A new rumor sent to 9to5Mac suggest that Apple is working to develop a radio app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The app would offer similar functionality to the radio app included in the 5th generation iPod Nano, and will run in the background similar to or as part of the iPod app. Apple is looking for a way to tie in the radio app with the Mobile iTunes Store, so users can easily see more details about the song/band and even purchase the music.

Personally, I'd like to see Apple either license the technology from Shazam or purchase the company and incorporate the technology. Shazam is currently one of my most used iPhone apps. For those of you that don't know or haven't used Shazam, the app allows you to sample a song that is playing and then get details including title, artist, and album. Shazam can then send you to YouTube for a music video or the iTunes store for purchase. I've had over a 95% success ratio with the app using it to tag music playing at home, in my car, and even some of that odd, easy listening, Indy stuff they play at Starbucks.

The radio-digital media tie-in isn't anything new. Years ago XM Radio partnered up with Napster (the legit version, and subsidiary of BestBuy) to allow you to flag music you liked, and then download it later. Of course, that required a subscription to XM Satellite Radio as well as Napster. The Apple app of course wouldn't be charging for the FM radio access, and iTunes would only charge for purchases.

How would the Apple iPhone app allow FM reception? Easy the iPhone 3GS and the latest iPod Touch include a Broadcom BCM4329 wireless chip which supports a number of nice features, including FM reception. Currently the FM receiver is only being utilized for communication with Nike+ products.

If Apple does integrate an FM radio app into the iPod Touch, that could be bad news for Microsoft's Zune HD which launched last month touting "HD Radio" as a key feature. Contrary to popular belief HD Radio does not mean "high definition" as you see it used in regards to TVs and movies. It is simply a brand name from iBiquity, and describes a technology used to broadcast AM or FM in a digital format.

There Is An App For That, And That, And That, And That...

Category: Mobile, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Software, Gadgets
Posted: September 29, 2009 05:43PM
Author: d3bruts1d

If you've seen any of Apple's commercials for the iPhone or iPod Touch, you've probably heard Apple's key phrases "there is an app for that" and "there is an app for just about anything". Now that Apple's App Store has passed two billion app downloads, they are out to prove that there really is an app for anything with the new "Apps for Everything" section on their website.

The new website is broken down into "Apps for..." categories, such as Cooks, Music, Fun and Games, managing money and more. Each section is then broken down into more specific areas, and a few apps are listed. Also available are the top 10 free and paid apps for the category.

While Apple says there is an app for just about everything, we know that there are certain things that there are not apps available for. Porn, downloading or managing torrents, Google Voice, Adobe Flash, wallpapers on the home screen or quickly switching system setting.

Microsoft Zune HD Release Day

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: September 15, 2009 11:57AM
Author: Ben Grantham

Will the release of the Zune HD see Microsoft able to finally make some serious inroads into Apple's market dominance? While that's not a question I am even going to attempt to answer (I'm sure you can theorise plenty on your own), I can point you in the direction of some of the numerous stories published about the newly released player today. Naturally, several sites have already had hands-on time with the device, including engadget, gizmodo, c|net and ars. Initial impressions are generally pretty positive it seems. It is also now traditional for any big new gadget release to get the full dissection treatment, so you can see just what hardware is tucked away inside (such as that NVIDIA Tegra chip), who assembled it and where it was sourced. As with the recent iPod updates, iFixit has the full teardown posted already. The release of the Zune HD also sees the Zune software bumped up to version 4.0 and some new features added, which you can grab from the official site and give a spin for yourself.

 

Apple Slashes Prices on iPod Touch, Nano, and Classic

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: September 9, 2009 03:39AM
Author: d3bruts1d

Apple's iPod event doesn't officially start until 1pm EST today, but it looks like Apple decided to start the party a little early. This morning the Apple Store saw a number of price cuts across the iPod lineup. While the move is most likely an attempt to sell off existing inventory to make room for new products rumored to be announced today, it is probably no coincidence that the price cuts now put the 32 GB iPod Touch at a lower price point than Microsoft's high-end Zune HD which will be released next week.

Prices for the iPods are now:

• iPod Touch
  • $279 - 32 GB (was $399)
  • $249 - 16 GB (was $299)
  • $189 - 8 GB (was $229)
• iPod Nano
  • $149 - 16 GB (was $199)
  • $129 - 8 GB (was $149)
• iPod Classic
  • $229 - 120 GB (was $249)

Zune HD Will Launch September 15th, Pre-orders Open Now

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: August 13, 2009 12:20PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Earlier this week prices for Microsoft's iPod competitor were leaked, revealing that Zune HD 16GB and 32GB models would go for $220 and $290 respectively. Microsoft confirmed those prices today along with a release date of September 15th. It also opened up pre-orders for the player starting today. You can head on over to the Microsoft store right now to opt for either the $219.99 black 16GB version or the $289.99 32GB 'platinum' version. Amazon are also taking pre-orders from today. You will also be able to walk into a Best Buy store starting August 16th and place a pre-order in person.

Engadget also has a run through of the more detailed specifications that are now available, including twenty-four of music playback (wireless off), four hours of video and a three hour charge time (two hours for 90%).

 

Zune HD Prices Leaked

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: August 11, 2009 01:56AM
Author: d3bruts1d

The Zune HD has a lot of people talking, and now thanks to some shots of the Best Buy inventory system obtained by Gizmodo we now know what Microsoft's "iPod Touch killer" will cost. The 2 models, 16 GB and 32 GB, will go for $220 and $290 respectively. This puts the Zune HD well under the price tag of the Apple iPod Touch which rings in at a staggering $299 and $399 for those sizes, and a laughable 8 GB version is also available for $229.

The Best Buy inventory system also shows the release date of Tuesday, September 8.

While it is obvious that Apple isn't out to compete with Microsoft in a dollar for dollar battle, all bets are the iPod Touch will see a price cut as early as September. The date of the Apple iPod event hasn't been announced yet, but rumors indicate a major upgrade to iTunes, some kind of netbook or tablet, and the addition of a camera to the iPod Touch and iPod Nano could be some of the headlines at the event.

What are your thoughts on the Microsoft Zune, Zune HD, Apple iPod, and the iPod Touch? Come join the "I'm over the iPod" discussion in our forums. Be warned, the discussion can get a bit heated between fans of both products.

Rumors Swirl Around Apple iTunes 9

Category: Music / Video Players, Software
Posted: August 10, 2009 11:04AM
Author: d3bruts1d

Thanks to a "pretty reliable" informant for The Boy Genius Report we have some rumors as to what features may be included in the next major release of iTunes, Apple's digital media player and storefront.

First on the list is the possible support for Blu-ray Disc. Even though Apple, Inc. pay's $50,000 per year to maintain a seat on the Blu-ray Association's board, Apple CEO Steve Job's referred to the disk format as a "bag of hurt" late last year. This rumor lines up nicely with another rumor from AppleInsider which says a refresh of the iMac desktop may include Blu-ray. If this rumor does hold true, I for one hope that it include exporting / backup of the iTunes library to BD-R. With over 100 GB of music, movies, apps, and more in iTunes those DVD backups just don't cut it anymore.

Next up on the rumor list is a method to visually arrange apps on your iPhone or iPod Touch. This should be a welcome feature to anyone with an iTouch device, and has long been a feature requested by frustrated users.

The last rumor on the list is possible integration with social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Last.FM. We can only assume that this type of integration is going to be a broadcast type service similar to the third party apps often installed with IRC and instant messenger clients (i.e. d3bruts1d is now playing Use Somebody by Kings of Leon). If true, this would be the second Apple product to include support with Facebook. Apple's iPhoto '09 (part of the iLife '09 suite) allows uploading of pictures directly to Facebook.

We could see a new version of iTunes as early as September, which is usually when the program gets a major update. The release could also be accompanied by updated iPods, most likely iPod Touch and iPod Nano models with a built in camera.

Apple Tries Gag Order With Exploding iPod Incident

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: August 3, 2009 06:10AM
Author: redtigerdragon

Apparently Apple has not opted to take the high road in customer service as of lately. Apple tried to get a gagging order on a father and daughter, after the daughter's iPod exploded. Ken Stanborough, 47, from Liverpool, dropped his 11-year-old daughter Ellie's iPod Touch last month.

"It made a hissing noise. I could feel it getting hotter in my hand, and I thought I could see vapour. [I threw it and] within 30 seconds there was a pop, a big puff of smoke and it went 10ft in the air."

After doing the customer service marry-go-round, he was put in touch with an Apple executive who said he would handle it. Ken was sent a letter saying apple would refund him, but deny liability. It also stated that if he accepted the money, he couldn't talk about the agreement, and that if he did Apple may bring a lawsuit against him.

The story wouldn't be that big, seeing as how otherwise Apple has a superb customer service record, but another reporter obtained 800 pages of documents, after months of stall tactics, that show that there are other cases that are similar, with exploding iPods and overheating iPods alike. The papers show that the lithium ion batteries are the probable culprits. I knew Apple liked to keep things secret, but this may be going a bit far.

Toshiba To Start Selling Blu-ray Players

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: July 19, 2009 03:54PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Toshiba officially gave up on HD-DVD back in February of last year, though it now appears that Blu-ray discs and hardware are attracting enough sales that the company can't ignore the lack of Blu-ray hardware options of its own any longer. A Japanese newspaper reoprted this week that Toshiba would be entering the Blu-ray hardware market by introducing a player of its own before the year is up. In a world where consumers have the option of buying home cinema packages, not having a Blu-ray player in your line up effectively hurts sales of your other hardware, such as HDTVs. This is particularly the case as we see some HDTVs adopting built in Blu-ray capability. That hardware manufacturing costs are significantly lower than they were gives Toshiba another reason not to hang around any longer.

Zune HD Incorporates Tegra Processor

Category: CPU's, Music / Video Players
Posted: June 20, 2009 07:59PM
Author: Brentt Moore

Following the news that announced the Zune HD from Microsoft not too long ago, the company is now releasing that the portable music player will feature a NVIDIA Tegra processor. This decision to use NVIDIA’s processor will allow Microsoft to give consumers that much more of a digital multimedia experience, since the chip uses little energy and is fast as well. Also featured with the Tegra is graphics acceleration, so it will be interesting to see what the company decides to do with that certain aspect of the system-on-a-chip. No matter what happens though, it seems that as of right now, the move to use the NVIDIA Tegra processor is a smart one for Microsoft concerning the multimedia functionality that it hopes to deliver with the new Zune.

Does it Really Cost $30,000 to Fill An iPod? Microsoft Seems to Think So

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: May 11, 2009 05:17PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Microsoft has been pushing price comparisons as an advantage over Apple products with its "Laptop Hunters" website and commercial spots recently. In the latest ad, MS is taking a shot at iTunes with Wes Moss, "Certified Financial Planner" riffing on how it costs $30,00 to fill the latest (120GB) iPod, with the $15 a month Zune Pass subscription obviously making a lot more sense (one "costs a lot" while one "costs a little" according to Wes). Now while the laptop hunter angle arguably made a good degree of sense, this reasoning appears to be considerably more 'fuzzy'. The basic mathematics is obviously centered on the fact that a single song on iTunes generally costs about $1 and that Apple claims the iPod classic can hold up to 30,000 songs. Assuming that you buy 30,000 individual songs from iTunes and fill your entire iPod, that adds up, but then is anybody actually going to do that?

If you haven't already answered the question, then the answer is "probably not". For a start, buying 30,000 individual tracks is going to take an awful long time and it makes sense that most consumers are going to buy fair number of albums on their way to filling their iPod (assuming they can cram that many songs on in the first place). It also seems reasonable to make the assumption that most people will own a reasonable number of songs (be they on CD or otherwise) already. A reasonable number of consumers aren't likely to completely fill their iPods either, and if they do, will all of that be with music? So with the somewhat unrealistic expense proposed, it seems that the message that a Zune Pass subscription offers better value (which isn't really an unreasonable proposal) may be overlooked.

Windows 7 + Windows Media Player 12 = Seamless Streaming

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: April 27, 2009 05:34AM
Author: redtigerdragon

Windows 7 is close to the public release of the Release Candidate. And with that RC, comes the revamped Windows Media Player, now version 12. And with that new player comes support for more formats. The new Media Player will support XviD AVI files, MP4's, and even Mov files, all without the help of, well, anything. Not only does this limit the amount of downloads you will need to play media files on the new OS, but this also helps with media streaming. The people over at Hardcoreware.net got an advanced copy of the RC and tested streaming to both the Xbox 360 and the PS3, without the use special REG files or UPnP media servers, and the results look good. Just a couple of speed bumps, but nothing that can't be hammered out when Windows 7 goes gold.

Netgear Makes Entertainer Available

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: April 20, 2009 07:39PM
Author: Brentt Moore

The popular company that usually deals with routers and different types of access point hardware, have now stepped up their game with a new multimedia product. This new device, known as the Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite, plays nice with all three major operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and Mac, and is made as a digital media player. Inside of the Elite is a 500GB hard drive, broad video codec support, as well as dual-band 802.11n WiFi. Also included is a pair of USB ports, which allow for external storage devices such as flash based systems to be connected if wanted. As of now, Netgear is shipping the Digital Entertainer Elite worlwide, and is selling it for a pricy tag of $399.

Zune HD revealed

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: April 18, 2009 10:07AM
Author: MrAlex

As you know, the current leader in portable media players is Apple, with its range of iPods, iTouch and iPhones. A couple of years back, Microsoft released their answer to the iPod – the Zune. While the first two generations of the Zune were good, the iPod still surpassed it. With the third generation, the Zune passed the iPod, but received very little media attention. Now MS plans to bring out the big guns with the Zune HD. It will come in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 120GB although Microsoft might not release an 8GB version. It will come with a 3.6” screen with a resolution of 640x480 and is equipped with a HDMI connector. The battery is suspected to last 30 hours with audio, and 5 hours with video, which is the same region as an iPod Touch. The target launch date is to be in November, and let’s hope this gives some competition to Apple!

Images Leaked of 'Zune HD'?

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: April 13, 2009 04:48AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Leaked images from anonymous sources on the web supposedly depict a new touchscreen 'Zune HD' from Microsoft. The Zune HD looks similar in style to the iPod Touch, although a tad smaller and has capabilities to match, according to Technologizer. The Zune HD uses a touchscreen interface and would utilize a single button instead of the usual Zune pad. The pictures generally point towards a marketing campaign of some variety which would obviously be targeted at Apples flagship media players. The 3rd Gen Zune would have storage capacities similar (or better) than the iPod making it more attractive to consumers. The Zune HD might sport an HD screen as suggested by its naming, but this is yet to be confirmed, and if the screen was HD it is most likely to be 720p instead of 1080p Full HD. Now the real challenge is for Microsoft to convert the legions of Apple fans, if that is even possible!

Apple Updates iPod Shuffle VoiceOver Kit

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: April 10, 2009 07:59PM
Author: Brentt Moore

With the iPod shuffle, users of the device pretty much rely on the VoiceOver Kit to tell them what song is currently playing, by what artist, and also from what album. Previously, the release of the kit was pronouncing a couple of band names wrong, and support tickets were coming up with these problems. Apple has heard the rants of its users, and has recently released an update to the VoiceOver Kit, bringing it to version 1.0.1. This new update is said to fix pronunciation problems facing the voice that Apple uses, as well as fix some various bugs that the company is not exactly stating. Users can upgrade to the newest version through the Mac OS X software update portion of the operating system, though the update should find its way to the Apple website sometime soon.

iTunes Promises $0.69 Tracks, but Doesn't Deliver

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: April 8, 2009 06:18AM
Author: redtigerdragon

Apple announced a while back that their iTunes prices were going to change. They said that some would rise to $1.29, but that most would fall to $0.69. Is that the case? Sadly, no. As the author shows, $0.69 songs are hard to come by. As expected, the more popular hits have all been raised, not lowered. But songs that should have been lowered weren't. For example, Heart's Barracuda rose to $1.29. And the Katydids 1991 album Shangri-La, which wasn't anywhere near a hit release (and doesn't even have a Wikipedia article), stayed at $0.99. So did Camper Van Beethoven's and the Lyres' songs (don't act surprised if you haven't heard of these bands, just act surprised that you have to pay like you should have heard of them). In fact, even Ada Jones, a singer whose songs are PUBLIC DOMAIN (i.e. free, no one has copyrights to the songs), doesn't have a song for $0.69. So who does? The question is, at this point, who's going to care about those songs being lower priced? Way to stick to your promise, Apple.

Dexim Introduces New iPod Shuffle Product

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: March 13, 2009 08:01PM
Author: Brentt Moore

While users of the iPod Shuffle can connect their music playing device to their computer via a USB cord that converts into a audio jack, they now have the option of doing it a slightly different way. Instead of using this somewhat clumsy device, owners of Apple’s small music player can now work with a different method of connecting the product. Dexim has a new converter coming out, that is a very short device that plugs into the audio jack of the Shuffle and makes it literally into a USB thumb drive almost. At this point in time, no release date is set, but the company has the connecter in a render form, and plans to sell it for roughly ten dollars.

New 4GB iPod Shuffle

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: March 11, 2009 02:29PM
Author: Rpbert Bergem

Apple has just released a new version of the iPod Shuffle. The new iPod Shuffle has a 4GB capacity (~1,000 songs) and has become even smaller than the 2nd generation iPod Shuffle which held 1GB of songs. The new model is miniscule in size, measuring 1.8 inches tall, 0.7 inches wide, and 0.3 inches thick. That is roughly the size of an average key! The control wheel has been replaced; however, it has not been replaced by another physical navigation method, but rather a voice now speaks to the user. The new feature, called VoiceOver, speaks the song's title and artist and can say which playlist is playing. The vollume controls have been moved to a remote that is located on the headphone's cord. On a full charge, the new model has a 10 hour playtime.

For those of you still using XP, the new iPod Shuffle requires Windows XP with Service Pack 3, or Windows Vista.

The price of the new iPod Shuffle is $79 direct from Apple.

UPDATE:

A new piece of information that has come to my attention is that the new iPod Shuffle is not compatible with third-party headphones even though it uses a standard 3.5 mm jack. An extra adapter (presumably costing ~$30) is required for third-party headphones to function properly with the new model. The adapter will include the three button dongle that is found on the headphones that are supplied with the iPod from Apple. Without this dongle or an adapter, there would be no way to adjust the volume or have the iPod talk to indicate which song is playing.

If you want to use third-party headphones, the total cost to purchase a 4GB iPod Shuffle would be ~$110. At that point, you may as well step up to the iPod Nano which costs $150; however, it holds twice as many songs (8GB of storage), has a screen, uses a scroll wheel, and has a 24 hour playtime (compared to the Shuffle's 10). So, if you already own a nice pair of third-party headphones and want a new music player, the 4GB iPod Shuffle may not be what you are looking for.

Elton John Produces New iPod Nano Line

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: February 2, 2009 07:48PM
Author: Brentt Moore

Apple has been one to produce many variations of their music devices, offering up products such as the Shuffle, iPod Touch, iPod Classic, and the iPod Nano. With each product comes different colors that allow the consumer to somewhat personalize their music device. Elton John, who is best known for his musical talents, will be releasing a new lineup of iPods in the Nano form. The new revisions will benefit the Elton John AIDS foundation and will be able to be found in both 8GB and 16GB forms with each featuring different colors of Swarovski Crystal. Though some people may want to pick up the device just to benefit the foundation in a unique way, the line will be hard to find. This is due to Apple only making the new Elton John iPods in a limited amount, as only 100 of each colors will be produced, which include black, blue, orange, green, purple, pink, red, yellow, and silver.

iTunes Allows Upgrading Single Tracks / Albums To iTunes Plus

Category: Music / Video Players, Software
Posted: January 30, 2009 04:00PM
Author: d3bruts1d

Sometime in the last week or two Apple decided to allow iTunes users to upgrade single tracks or specific albums to iTunes Plus. The option was available several months ago, however around the time Apple announced it was going DRM free the option mysteriously vanished, forcing users into an all or nothing upgrade. An option that, depending on just how large your iTunes library was, could be very pricy.

iTunes Plus originally launched in 2007 and was Apple's DRM-free, 256-kbps AAC format. At the time, iTune's Plus items cost $1.29 per song but was eventually dropped to $0.99 where it became the standard format where available. Announced at MacWorld 2009, the entire iTunes catalog is being converted over to iTunes Plus however music is now broken into three price points: $0.69, $0.99, and $1.29. However many albums still remain at $9.99.

The cost for upgrading previous purchases varies. It's usually $0.30 per track and $2-3 per album.

Microsoft Reports Zune Revenue Decline

Category: Music / Video Players, General News
Posted: January 23, 2009 07:48PM
Author: Brentt Moore

With Microsoft announcing recently that it will be cutting 5,000 jobs, the company is now also reporting a very heavy Zune revenue decline, as it has declined fifty-four percent since the same quarter of last year. At this point in time, it is really the Xbox 360 platform along with the PC platform that is keeping the company afloat in the Entertainment and Devices Division. Microsoft said that the fifty-four percent drop comes out to about $100 million in total. Interestingly enough however, with the Zune revenue falling bad, the Apple iPod seemed to gain a three percent increase of sales during the same exact period.

Zunes Going Tango Uniform Worldwide

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: December 31, 2008 11:28AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Microsoft Zune PMP units seem to have taken sick and gone belly up last night according to reports all over the Internet today. The Zunes all show similar symptoms of freezing when the loading bar reaches the 100% level. At that point the unit becomes totally unresponsive. Initially, reports seemed to indicate the problem was limited to the Zune 30GB model but other sites are reporting the 80GB model is affected as well. Microsoft has posted a notice on the zune.net home page that states "Customers using the Zune 30 might experience problems starting their players. We're aware of the problem and are working to correct it. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience!"

Sharp To Launch First LCD TV With Built In Blu-ray

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: October 15, 2008 09:18AM
Author: Ben Grantham

The new Aquos DX models are due to appear in Japan next month, The U.S. before the end of the year and Europe in 2009. That will make them the first LCD TVs available with built in Blu-ray disc players, which also support the H.264/AVC encoding format that allows more high definition content to be squeezed onto a disc. The DX series will be available in sizes ranging from 26" to 52" (with 37" and up models being full HD resolution displays) and are expected to cost between $1,600 and $4,900. So if you were planning on grabbing yourself a HD TV and a Blu-ray player you now have one more option to consider.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: October 13, 2008 06:35AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Users you listen to portable music layers at high volumes face the possibility of permanent hearing loss according to a study conducted for the European Union due out today. According to researchers, listening to music at high volumes for only five hours a week at excessive volumes exceeds the noise levels allowed in factories with some players able to generate noise levels in excess of an airplane taking off. Researchers are concerned due to the sheer number of users. An estimate 50 to 100 million people in the EU may be using the devices. With just 5-10 off using the devices for one hour a day at high volumes means 2.5 60 10 million users could be at risk. Researchers suggest that after 5 years of use that hearing loss could be permanent. With so many young people using the devices, many could be facing hearing loss by the time they reach their mid-twenties.

Walmart Does An About Turn On DRM Server Shutdown

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: October 10, 2008 07:19AM
Author: Ben Grantham

Walmart made an announcement at the end of last month that it would be shutting down its DRM servers, which was planned to come into effect yesterday. The recommendation made back then was for customers with DRM tracks to burn them to CD to enable them to continue to be played on various platforms. Walmart has now announced that it will be keeping its DRM servers operational for the foreseeable future (however long that may be), which means customers with DRM protected files will still have support from its customer service team. The recommendation to burn your tracks to CD still stands however, so I wouldn't expect that support to be there for an awful lot longer.

Rockbox 3.0 Teaches Your Old MP3 Player Some New Tricks

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: September 25, 2008 02:24PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Rockbox is a firmware that enhances the functionality of your MP3 player, giving you options the manufacturer's software never had (providing you have a supported player). The 3.0 firmware is the first official release since September 2005 and makes a number of improvements over the previous 2.5 version. Rockbox works on a number of players from Apple, Archos, Cowon, iRiver, Olympus, Sandisk and Toshiba and adds support for a multitude of file formats (such as FLAC). You'll also get games to play (including DOOM on certain models) and generally a whole lot of control over what your hardware can do. You can read the full release notes here.

"slotMusic" To Offer MP3s On MicroSD Cards

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: September 21, 2008 10:02PM
Author: Ben Grantham

How we think about music and particularly how we treat it as consumers has changed in an age where digital content is so easily available. CD sales have slowed as the market has changed, and some would say this is partly becuase the music industry has struggled to innovate when it comes to its distribution models. So how about a new format to shake things up a bit? That's what has been announced today, with music industry giants EMI, Sony BMG, Universal and Warner teaming up with memory manufacturer SanDisk to launch slotMusic. This essentially boils down to microSD cards, that will come pre-loaded with high quality (playback at up to 320kbps) DRM-free MP3s and will be available at bricks and mortar stores such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart. The 1GB cards could potentially contain other content such as album art or any other media that an artist chooses. Stick it in a device with a microSD slot (a USB sleeve will also be provided for compatibility) and play. No official word on how much you can expect to pay on launch but it could be $7 to $10. I'll leave the verdict to you, positive step or destined for failure?

Music Industry Looking To MySpace For Help

Category: Music / Video Players
Posted: September 15, 2008 04:30AM
Author: IIxNullxII

A step in a new direction may be coming to Big Music. Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music have all begun a joint venture with News Corp.'s MySpace Music. Moving focus from the sales of only music to include extras, such as cell phones that come pre-loaded with music, online advertising, ring tones and concert tickets. The music industry has been steadily loosing revenue over the years; from $14.6 billion in 1999 to $10.4 billion in 2007. Check out the full story over on BusinessWeek.