MP3 Headlines & News for February 4, 2010

Artist/Band: Rob Swift
Genre: Hip Hop
Free Music Download: Rabia - 2nd Movement (3:31)
Music Video:Rabia- 2nd Movement
Album: The Architect (Ipecac Recordings) due for release Feb. 23, 2010.

Artist/Band: Annie Mac
Genre: Dance
Free Music Download: Annie Mac's Man Mix (32:38)

Artist/Band: Autokratz
Genre: Electronic / Dance
Free Music Downloads: Always More (YukSek Remix)(4:44) ¦ Swastika Eyes (4:17)
Album:Animal (The Hours / Kitsune) available digitally from the iTunes Store.

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• Top 5 streaming music sites
• Free music download services
• How to use iTunes to listen to thousands of free radio stations

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Free Music Downloads This Week originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 06:35:11.

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Has the mighty Amazon met its eBook match?

First came the news earlier this month that the online retail giant was raising its eBook royalty rate in response to the upcoming Apple iPad announcement.

Now reports are coming in that Amazon is starting to budge on its $9.99 pricing for eBooks, no thanks again to — you guessed it — Apple. Apparently, Apple's willingness to let publishers raise the prices of eBooks sold in its iBooks store is putting pressure on Amazon to do the same.

The latest to add heat on Amazon's collar is none other than media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who says his HarperCollins publishing arm just inked a deal with Apple that's apparently more favorable than the deal they have with Amazon, Reuters reports.

It's interesting that Apple has opted to take this approach given how it pretty much mandated music companies to price their songs at the iTunes store at 99 cents for the longest time (kinda' like what Amazon's doing with its $9.99 price point). The extra leverage is certainly good news for the publishing industry, which fears that cheaper eBooks would negatively impact sales of physical books. But for consumers, it likely means that eBook prices will be turning a page upward.

Photo © Amazon

Apple eBook Pricing Putting Pressure on Amazon originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 00:53:54.

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Microsoft? Who dat?

Apple may have buried news about its competitors this year when it hogged the media spotlight with its lead-up to the much-anticipated iPad unveiling. But hidden within the iPad-induced rubble are indications that Microsoft may be planning to release a phone version of its Zune device.

That would be the same, oft-maligned Zune that always got treated as the red-headed stepchild in comparison to Apple's iPhone. According to an article from Information Week, a recent Zune firmware update included "Setup Information Files" that specifically reference a phone. Meanwhile, one analyst also predicted that the unveiling of a Zune phone is likely this February or March.

As much grief as the Zune has gotten compared to the media darling iPhone, the latest iteration of the device is actually quite solid (which means building on it wouldn't be such a bad idea). In fact, the Zune was the fifth most searched portable device of 2009. And with Microsoft's Windows Mobile losing ground thanks to Apple and Google's Android platform, the company — despite past proclamations against getting into the phone hardware business — could certainly use a boost in the mobile arena right about now.

Photo © Microsoft

Not Zune Enough? Talk Swirls About a Zune Phone originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 00:01:02.

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Tired of all the non-stop opining and guessing about Apple's alleged tablet?

If so, get ready to feel all pooped out.

Retrevo just did its second survey about Apple's tablet and dug up some pretty interesting info.

For starters, long battery life was the No. 1 thing cited by respondents (75 percent) when asked what feature the device must absolutely have for them to buy one. The biggest buzzkill that would dissuade people from buying an Apple tablet? Requiring a monthly data plan — which was cited by 44 percent of respondents.

Asked which feature might get them over the hump and buy Apple's new tablet, solar charging was cited by 39 percent of respondents. (Quick fact: Did you know that Superman gets his strength via solar charging? Dude's basically a living, crime-fighting solar cell.) Second was a camera for video conferencing at 24 percent, followed by Wiimax at 22 percent and two screens (like a book) with 19 percent.

Of course, like many things in this world, one of the biggest factors for any consumer is price. About 70 percent of survey respondents said anything higher than $700 is pretty much a deal killer. The other 30 percent are probably swimming in their money vault a la Scrooge McDuck.

Interestingly, roughly half of respondents said they didn't need a tablet. Then again, I remember many folks saying they didn't need an iPhone, either, and look how that disaster of a product turned out.

Oh, the whims of the free market.

Photo © Retrevo

Survey: The Apple Tablet Wish List originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 00:01:14.

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It's go time, boys and girls.

With Apple's big Jan. 27 (hey, that's today!) announcement now upon us, I'm hoping to serve up tasty bites of Apple's mystery device (wink, tablet, wink) today as I get info on it.

Now I won't be at the event due to myriad reasons, one of which is unruly Sierra weather. And work. And my wallet. But I digress.

Anywho, I'm banking on live reports online to get me close to the action today (call it, um, liveblogging the liveblogs. What a "great" concept, eh?). If not, an Apple rep says an announcement should be made available to press folks immediately.

In the meantime, expect to have info start trickling in here one way or another before 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

Photo © Apple

9:09 a.m.: I'm all set up and ready to go. Are you ready for some Apple tablet news? Man this Apple tablet sure has everyone psyched out. I can't believe Apple is finally releasing its tablet! This Apple tablet is gonna change electronics as we know it — and the world! Apple tablet, tablet, tablet, tablet ... ... ... ... ... ... TABLET!!!

You know what would be funny? If Apple ends up not releasing a tablet after all this buildup. I'm gonna laugh my socks off. (I might cry, too. After all, I'm a sensitive guy who also happens to suffer from allergies. I might even laugh and cry at the same time. I'm awesome that way. By the way, did I ever say that waiting around makes me ramble incessantly?)

9:14: Looks like the folks at Gizmodo have gotten started early. You can read their discussions about facial hair at the Gizmodo liveblog. I'm telling ya' waiting plus a computer keyboard plus space to fill makes people ramble on about strange stuff. It's practically taking me all my willpower to stop myself from talking about my brother's cat right now.

9:19: Engadget's joined the Apple party as well. At least that's what the atmosphere apparently feels like, they say.

9:30: Looks like they've got one of those Continental breakfast spreads going on to feed the hungry media folk. One thing I've learned in all my years as a reporter is that journalists love free food. I mean just love it. You can't take any free stuff. But free food is apparently OK for the most part (one of the few exceptions being business lunches at a restaurant). So if you've ever wanted to attract journalists to one spot, set up a table with a Continental breakfast spread. They'll be flocking in from miles away.

9:41: The Gearlog Apple liveblog is up and running as well.

9:48: Pics of the stage are now coming out. Check out the iChair and the iTable on the stage. It would be hilarious if that's what they're unveiling.

9:53: Macworld's Apple liveblog is up and running. Apparently, Apple likes Bob Dylan. Livebloggers apparently like taking pictures of those Apple splotch logos as well.

9:57: The announcer has just asked for silence and for cell phones and pagers to be turned off. The popcorn must cost a fortune in this place.

9:59: Here's CNET's liveblog of the Apple event.

10:02: Some dude named Steve Jobs apparently just took the stage. Never heard of him. Looks like good, old Steve is wearing his good, old presentation uniform.

10:08: Looks like it's main event time. They just showed a slide with a Wall Street Journal quote about tablets. Could it be...?

10:10: Jobs' comment about Netbooks not being better than anything is getting a lot of chuckles from the audience and the blogosphere.

10:11: It's official. Apple's new tablet is called the iPad. Basically, it looks like a bigger iPhone. Like its little brother, it essentially has the same type of interface, an accelerometer, touchsreen (with a larger touchscreen keyboard that Jobs says is "a dream" to type on), same flicking action, and, of course, all sorts of apps.

10:15: Jobs is now demoing the iPad's browsing capabilities. He visits several sites first, then moves on to demo it's e-mail capabilities. Basically, Apple's goal is to create a device that serves as a middle ground between an iPhone and a laptop and does certain things better than both (that's where the netbook burn basically came from). Whether or not Apple succeeds with the iPad is something we'll find out eventually, I guess.

10:20: Maybe it's just me, but I think Jobs really likes Bob Dylan. The iPad's music interface apparently is closer to iTunes than it is to the iPhone. Given the extra real estate and what have you, it does seem to make sense.

10:31: Now it's time for some specs: The iPad is 0.5 inches thin, weighs 1.5 pounds, and features a 9.7-inch, "full-capacitive multi-touch" IPS (In-Plane Switching) display. Powering the device is a 1GHz Apple A4 chip. The device will come in three iterations that feature 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of memory. For networking, the device will have WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 plus EDR. Besides the accelerometer, it will also feature a compass in case you get lost admiring your shiny, new iPad. Other features include speakers, a mic and 30-pin connector.

10:33: Battery life is apparently 10 hours, including when watching video. For a videophile such as yours truly who takes long trips, that's actually a big deal. Standby is also over one month, Apple claims.

10:36: Now it's time for one of Apple's golden geese: apps. Apple's showing several games, including a first-person shooter. It would be interesting to see how this stuff controls (which is supposedly customizable). Then Apple showed the New York Times app. All I can say is, if Apple can make reading newspapers cool for the younger generation (which the industry has struggled with mightily for a loooong time), then newspapers will kiss Jobs figuratively and literally.

10:45: Hey look, a paint app. As a former art minor who switched minors to English because I flat ran out of money for art supplies, this app will, well, likely not help too much from an art supply standpoint but it's still a nice thing to have.

10:48: Check it out. EA's demoing its racing game Need for Speed. Where's Tom Cruise when you need him? (I feel the need ... the need for speed!) I feel like watching Top Gun all of a sudden. They squeeze in some baseball, too.

10:54: Oooh, iBooks. Jobs' credits Amazon for really kick starting the field. "Now we'll crush them like the tiny, little rainforest ants that they are." Actually he didn't say the latter but I wouldn't be surprised if his inner Jobs was thinking the exact same thing. Looks like Apple will support the EPUB format. Interface for iBooks also looks iTunes-ish.

11:00: Now they're demoing iWork. I think I'll start adding that little "i" when talking to people about my job. "Yeah, I'm iWorking right now on an iArticle about iFalafels." Notice how my credibility suddenly went up a hundredfold with that little change. Anywho, they're demoing how to create presentations, spreadsheets. etc.

11:13: Time for some networking talk. Though Wi-Fi is standard, some iPads will also come with 3G. There will apparently be two data plans — a 250MB plan for $14.99 per month and $29.99 for unlimited data, both with AT&T. Both don't require any contracts and you can also get free use of AT&T's WiFi hotspots. I wonder if there's any synergy for folks such as myself who already are AT&T customers... Incidentally, a data plan was the biggest buzzkill for survey respondents in a recent Apple tablet survey.

11:18: Money talks so it's time for some pricing info. iPad pricing will start at $499 for the 16GB version, $629 with 3G. For the 32GB iPad, the two price points are $599 for the Wi-Fi version and $729 for the Wi-Fi+3G version. Pricing for the 64GB iPad is $699 and $829 respectively. (I wonder if you can plug an external hard drive to this thing?). The Wi-Fi-only iPad starts shipping in 60 days while the Wi-Fi+3G model starts shipping in 90 days.

11:20: For accessories, it looks like there will a be an iPad dock, a keyboard dock and a case. Pretty sparse for now. I'm sure third-party manufacturers are licking their chops...

11:27: A few loose ends now. The iPad features a backlight display so it will be interesting to see how eBooks look on it, given how many folks prefer the look of E Ink. The multi-touch screen also features 1,000 hardware sensors. Oh yeah, not only is the device "revolutionary," Apple says it's also "magical." And no, I don't think the latter has anything to do with all the unicorn pictures some sites ran with their iPad rumor stories.

11:33: Jobs ends the presentation surrounded by a screen of paint splotches. So what do you think of Apple's new iPad? Personally, I think it looks pretty solid but I also wasn't incredibly blown away by it. That may change when the platform matures and more stuff becomes available for it. In the meantime, I've also put together an iPad first look recap with specs and features. Thanks for tuning in!

Following Apple's Big Jan. 27 Announcement (cough, Apple Tablet, cough) originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 at 00:01:34.

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Regardless of whether you think the iPad is the best thing ever or slated for disappointment (Get it? Slated? As in iSla... never mind) one thing is true: It was certainly buzzworthy.

According to the Retrevo "Buzzmeter" pictured above, the iPad reveal was a smashing success Twitterwise, averaging between 500 to 600 tweets per minute. At one point, Twitter activity actually peaked at 7,400 tweets per minute! This is not to be confused with twits per minute, though I'm sure Microsoft fanboys don't see a distinction at this point.

In comparison, celebrity topics such as "Britney Spears" typically get 10 to 20 tweets per minute. I'm not saying that Britney is a passe example, but maybe they should've gone with someone like Lady Gaga (Quick Trivia: Did you know that "gaga" is Filipino for "foolish woman" while "gago" is the male version? In short, make sure you don't sing "Gaga, ooh la la" from "Bad Romance" in a Filipino store, especially around older women. Consider yourself warned.)

Anyway, it looks like activity peaked at 10:30 a.m. when El Steve-o was going through specs. The Buzzmeter also hit 5,400 TPM when the device was announced in 10:10 a.m. and 4,900 at 11:30 as the event wrapped up. Other high points include the New York Times demo and the iBook store demo, proof that reading truly is fundamental. (Somewhere out there, the newspaper industry is crossing its downsized fingers.)

In other news, iLuv just unveiled a who line of iPad accessories. Was that fast or what? It's almost like the commercials you see after the Superbowl congratulating fans of the winning team and saying commemorative shirts are available. The announcement was for a line of iLuv leather and fabric cases plus three kinds of screen protectors. Like I said in my blog of the iPad reveal, third-party manufacturers are likely squealing with joy right now.

Photos © Retrevo; iLuv

iPad Tweets Hit 7,400 Per Minute; Plus iPad Accessories originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 19:07:07.

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Why hello there, beautiful.

Now that Apple has officially taken the covers off its latest purdy device, it's finally safe to run photos without getting a cease-and-desist letter from Mr. Jobs' lawyers.

For your viewing pleasure, I've compiled several images of Apple's new iPad. Check them out by visiting the Apple iPad Image Gallery.

Photo © Apple

The Apple iPad Image Gallery originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 01:40:41.

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