Digital Trends
About three and a half years ago, online auction giant eBay bought VoIP success story Skype for some $2.6 billion dollars, and espoused dreams of integrating Skype functionality into its ecommerce business so, say, buyers could call up sellers and get details on items before placing a bid, or maybe the company would hold online real-time voice auctions. To hear eBay talk, the possibilities for synergy were endless.
There is a lot of speculation here in the Silicon Valley that Apple will be launching its low-cost netbook early in 2009, possibly to eclipse CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, next year. I figured it would be fun to imagine what an Apple netbook might look like and, given that a number of us are speculating that Google is on a similar path, contrast it with the anticipated Google offering. Think of this as an interesting, and relatively safe, thing to chat about during the holidays.
We know it’s shocking, but iTunes—and, dare we say it, the iPod—have become ubiquitous parts of some people’s lives. But as folks upgrade computers, migrate to a bigger and better (or smaller and cooler) iPod, they’re often left in a lurch trying to manage their music across multiple iTunes applications, multiple libraries, multiple computers, and multiple iPods. Smith Micro, current publishers of the venerable StuffIt, wants to come to the rescue with TuneRanger, a new application that lets users manage their ever-multiplying iTunes/iPod lifestyles.
Apple iTunes users take note: two separate announcements made today promise to bring some new video content to the online music store for purchase and download to a computer or iPod. NBC News looksto be bringing a variety of its programming to iTunes, while Cartoon Network and LucasFilm will make available the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated action adventure series. Star Wars: CloneWars, said the Cartoon Network and Lucasfilm, will be made available beginning today in the form of the 20 chapters of Volume 1. Volume 2 will follow later in June. Each chapter, or episode, will beavailable for download for $1.99 with the full season of Volume 1 available for $10.99. “As animated shorts, Clone Wars is the perfect content to watch on an iPod,” said Tom Warner, SeniorDirector of Marketing for Lucasfilm Ltd, in a statement. “iTunes is a convenient new way to explore these rich, exciting stories that expand the Star Wars universe.” NBC News’ iTunescontributions amount to a rather large collection of video news and documentary programming, priced at $1.99 per download. A complete list of what NBC is making available from current and historicalprogramming from NBC News, CNBC and MSNBC follows: NBC News Specials:
NBC News Time Capsule:
Tom Brokaw Reports:
Meet The Presidents (complete episodes of Meet the Press, with introductions by Tim Russert):
Dateline NBC: Crime and Punishment:
MSNBC: Caught on Tape:
MSNBC: LockUp:
CNBC Specials:
“By being the first news organization to offer programs for purchase at iTunes, we are once again demonstrating NBC News’ commitment to reaching our audience where and when they want us,”said Steve Capus, President, NBC News. “Giving Americans access to some of the great programming and history of NBC News makes this even more exciting. From the legendary 1962 Jacqueline KennedyWhite House Tour to a rare 1987 interview with the band U2, offered in its entirety for the first time, there is something here for everyone.”
Sondigo, the new consumer hardware brand of British Columbia based Networking Limited (LENL), earlier this week announced a new wireless media bridge designed to bring audio streaming over 802.11 networks. The new Sirocco Wireless Audio Bridge is priced at $139.99 and available now.
The Sondigo Sirocco Wireless Audio Bridge, said the company, uses a consumer’s existing 802.11g wireless network infrastructure to deliver reportedly 100 percent of all PC audio formats and player applications – including Apple iTunes (protected content), Realnetworks’ Rhapsody, Yahoo! Music Engine, Windows Media Player (with DRM), AOL music, Flash and Web based players and more – via special patented audio driver technology to home theater and PC speaker systems. The Sirocco includes support for Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio via an S/PDIF optical digital audio output as well as 5.1 channel analog audio outputs for compatibility with PC speaker systems.
Discovery Communications, the company behind popular television networks like the Discovery Channel and the Travel Channel, today announced that programming content from their shows would begin being available online via the Apple iTunes Music Store. The cost of this content will, like other programming on iTunes, be $1.99 per episode for viewing on a computer or iPod.
Over a dozen series and specials from Discovery Communications’ various networks will be initially available, said the company. These programming choices will include World’s Best Travel Series, National Parks Short Films and Passport to Europe from the Travel Channel; Amazing Babies and Pregnancy for Dummies from Discovery Health; Kenny The Shark and Save-Ums from Discovery Kids; MythBusters, Extreme Engineering and Shark Week from Discovery Channel; and Most Extreme and Breed All About It from Animal Planet.
The Walt Disney Company yesterday announced that they’d made available the first 2006 episode of the “Official Disneyland Resort Podcast†series available for download from either the Apple iTunes Podcast Directory or an official Disneyland site.
The monthly Disneyland podcast, said Disney, focuses this time around on the opening of the all-new attraction “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!” at Disney’s California Adventure Park and then goes backstage for a peek at the workings of the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride. Both segments include interviews with those who are involved with the attractions. The podcast is hosted by Michael Geoghegan.
Do you have what it takes to be Apple iTunes’ 500 millionth song downloader? The popular computer and iPod manufacturer thinks so, with a cool giveaway going on to motivate people to help cross that mark.
Apple, in a press release from today, announced they would grant the 500 millionth song downloader a grand prize of 10 iPods of their choice to share with others, an iTunes gift card for 10,000 songs and a trip for four to see Coldplay perform on their world tour. As part of the giveaway, every person who downloads a song at the 100,000 mark interval gets an iPod mini and iTunes gift card for 50 songs.
Podcasting is getting another supporter today, quite possibly the industries largest to-date, in the form of Apple iTunes. Version 4.9 of iTunes will not allow its users to subscribe to a directory of over 3,000 free Podcasts including Podcasts from big names like ABC News, Adam Curry, BBC, Clear Channel, The Dawn and Drew Show, Disney, ESPN, Newsweek and NPR member stations such as KCRW in Los Angeles and WGBH in Boston.
Called FeedStation, the new Podcast receiver will download audio and video files automatically to your favorite portable media player. Both NewsGator and FeedDemon will support the new Podcast audio and video files and let you store the content to your iPod, or any other portable media device that uses Windows Media Player or Apple iTunes.
One cool feature is that you can download and synchronize content from any location to your media player, just tell the download when to occur.
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