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Sony sues cable channel over Michael Jackson works
(Reuters)
Reuters - Michael Jackson tributes that aired on the TV Guide channel following the singer's death last year featured Jackson's works without authorization, Sony Music Entertainment charged in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
NAMM Update: iKey Plus Turns Audio Into MP3s
iKEY-Audio introduced the iKEY PLUS – a device that records live audio and converts it into high quality MP3 and WAV files and saves them directly to an iPod or another USB compatible storage device.
Griffin Intros PowerBlock Travel, International USB Power Adapter
Griffin Technology has introduced PowerBlock Travel, a package designed to simplify charging your USB devices (including iPods) while traveling.
Apple Tries To Bury Stock Options Controversy
Based on an analysis of the findings of the independent investigation, Apple has recognized additional non-cash stock-based compensation expenses of $84 million.
Otafuku Rex; Mix Them, Mash Them Up
The new band Otafuku Rex has debuted their music video, Do Me, I'm the Best, and is inviting fans to get in on the action and create their own remixes by mashing up the groups video and music, adding in their own music and video, and sending the results to friends.
iriver clix: iPod/iTunes Killer?
iriver has introduced the clix portable media player, a new media player that integrates with the new Windows Media Player 11 and the public beta of MTV Networks URGE digital music service
Simon Cowell, Sony sign new TV, music, film deal
(Reuters)
Reuters - Music mogul Simon Cowell has formed a long-term venture with Sony Corp's Sony Music Entertainment to produce music, television and film, beginning with the U.S. version of hit British show "The X Factor".
MP3 Tech Commentary
EnTourage Hopes to Gain 'eDGe' With Students EnTourage Systems has been pretty busy recently, making a strong push at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show for its new eDGe "Dualbook." The company also announced several strategic partnerships at CES, including deals with textbook maker McGraw-Hill and the Blackboard Alliance Program. In case you're curious, the latter lets students and instructors share notes, textbook annotations and media among other things. It even allows them to have access to class schedules, campus maps and announcements. And to think that having a beeper was a pretty big deal when I first started going to college... Want to learn more about the device? Here's our first look at the enTourage eDGe. Photo © enTourage EnTourage Hopes to Gain 'eDGe' With Students originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 00:18:12.
Following Apple's Big Jan. 27 Announcement (cough, Apple Tablet, cough) 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 copnnector. 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 iPad's 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'll be putting together a recap story for folks who don't want to wade through all the material in this blog. 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.
Student to Challenge $675,000 Illegal Music Download Fine Boston PhD student, Joel Tenenbaum, who was found guilty of illegally downloading music in August 2009, is to challenge his $675,000 fine. The announcement which was made via his blog, details the new motion -- there's also a PDF file of the actual submitted document. In essence, the new motion is asking for a re-trial and for the fine to be reduced. Joel Tenenbaum's attorney, Charles R. Nesson, is arguing that in the original case ruling by Massachusetts district judge, Nancy Gertner, the issue of 'fair use' was wrongly decided. It is also argued in the new motion that the jury's damage ward for the 30 illegally downloaded songs is grossly excessive; this equates to $22,500 per song. It will be interesting to see if Judge Nancy Gertner deems the arguments worthy of a new trial. If not, Joel's only other argument reading the official document is to show that the $675,000 fine is grossly excessive and that it should be lowered to a 'reasonable amount' -- what ever that is? Related Articles:
Student to Challenge $675,000 Illegal Music Download Fine originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Wednesday, January 6th, 2010 at 08:54:48.
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Free Music Downloads This Week As we near the end of another year, here is the last selection of free music downloads for 2009 - don't worry though, there will be plenty more in 2010! If you're planning on a New Year's Eve party, then be sure to check out the first freebie in particular that's over 30 minutes of non-stop music! Happy New Year to you all! Artist/Band: MoneyPenny Artist/Band: The Little Death Artist/Band: Dan Black Related Articles:
Genre: Club / Electro / Disco House
Free Music Download: Spandex Xmas Mixtape 9 (31:35). This mighty mixtape from MoneyPenny is a non-stop mix of electronic dance music which is ideal for any New Year's eve party! For more free mixtape downloads by MoneyPenny, check out their MySpace page.
Genre: Rock / Blues / Soul
Free Music Download: Why My Baby (4:06). Taken from their self-titled new album, this track shows off the bands musical style which is a mix of rock riffs, blues, and soulful melodies. As an added bonus, there's also a second download this week from The Little Death's new album called, Won't Ever Let You Down Again (6:27). The new 13-track album is now available digitally from digital music services and via the band's MySpace web page.
Genre: Electronica
Free Music Download: Pass That Head Noize (Missy Elliot Cover) (3:21). Dan Black is a British electronica artist who is also a former member of 'The Servant' band. The free promotional track that you can download is a good example of Dan's electro-pop/hip hop style. Incidentally, the U.S. version of his new album, ((UN)), (Polydor Records) will have a bonus selection of extra tracks and is expected, spring 2010.
Free Music Downloads This Week originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 at 09:00:06.
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The Apple-like DigitalRise X9 Tablet When you've made a name for yourself making iPhone knockoffs, it only stands to reason that you'd also want to make a knockoff of Apple's "alleged" tablet — or at least a representation of what you might think it will look like. On that note, the folks at PMP Today spied this listing for DigitalRise's X9 multi-touch tablet at Chinagrabber.com. There's just something about an Apple-ish knockoff appearing at a site that sounds like a knockoff of Pricegrabber that makes my easily amused self giggle. But I digress. A look at the X9 will likely make some people think, "Hey, it kinda' looks like an iPhone." Now check out the price of this baby: $999.99. (Though the site currently has it on sale for $779.99.) My keen powers of observation also tell me the X9 comes with Windows 7, 3G and GPS. I don't know why but I just know... Other specs not discernible from the above photo include a 10.2-inch 1024x600 TFT screen, Atom N270 1.6G processor, 2GB DDR2 memory, 160G SATA2.5 hard disk drive, and Intel 950 Integration video card. Speaking of the real Apple tablet/iSlate/whatever-it-is, I couldn't help but chuckle at Valleywag for giving first prize for its Apple Tablet Scavenger Hunt to an Apple lawyer warning them about said contest. Apparently, the site considers the legalese-filled letter as the best proof it's gotten so far that the mysterious Apple tablet actually exists. So much for my chance at winning $100,000. Photo from Chinagrabber The Apple-like DigitalRise X9 Tablet originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 01:04:10.
Free Christmas Music Albums As Christmas day is nearly upon us, what better way to celebrate than with festive music playing in the background? For your enjoyment, here are a couple of free Christmas album downloads to celebrate the holiday season: Source: Amazon MP3 Artist/Band: Jason Lytle Related Articles:
Tracks: 7
Free Christmas Album: Sampler Claus
is a compilation of 50s and 60s classic songs by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Mario Lanza, and others.
Tracks: 7
Free Christmas Album: Merry X-Mas 2009
is an improvised Christmas album of piano songs produced by Ex Grandaddy member, Jason Lytle, as a gift for all his fans.
Free Christmas Music Albums originally appeared on About.com Digital Music on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 06:54:44.
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Asus Joins Fray with DR-950 eReader And the eReader party keeps getting bigger. The Interweb was aflutter today after word broke out about computer maker Asus' new eBook reader, the DR-950. Given the plethora of eReaders unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, you basically have what amounts to a feeding frenzy for the sector. According to Web site Electricpig, Asus' DR-950 sports a 9-inch touchscreen with a 1024x760 resolution display. It's also only 9 millimeters thin and will weigh less than the juggernaut in its sights — Amazon's Kindle DX. Other features include either 2GB or 4GB of internal memory, SD slot, Wi-Fi, USB port, an audio port, RSS feed software and text-to-speech. (The juvenile in me now can't wait to test the text-to-speech function by typing "To get passed around like a bad cold, please press one. To get stuck in an endless loop of pressing buttons, please press two. If you think Jason Hidalgo is da bomb, press three...") With the latest addition to the eReader fray, I can't help but wonder if the market is truly getting oversaturated. Seriously, at this point I wouldn't be surprised if McDonald's released its own eReader, the eMc-Squared (Get it? eMC squared as in — um, just forget it). Yeah, laugh all you want now but I'm telling ya... Photo © Asus Asus Joins Fray with DR-950 eReader originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 00:01:18.
GelaSkins Review: Style and Substance? Regardless of what some people might say, I do NOT have an unhealthy personal attachment to my electronics devices. Now that we've got that out of the way ... so I was making giggly eyes at my beloved 17-inch laptop "Black Beauty" one night and I said, "Baby, can you possibly be even more beautiful?" "What do you think, Persephone?" I asked my PSP-3000, which lay nicely buffed in its padded protective case nearby. Still, as wonderfully dazzling as my precious Persephone and Black Beauty are, the plain truth is that there are a kajillion other Persephone and Black Beauty lookalikes out there. If only I could make both of them truly one of a kind. Enter GelaSkins' offering of outer skins for electronics devices. Designed to protect and add a touch of style at the same time, the skins sounded like an intriguing way to address my electronics issue. In fact, I liked them so much that I ended up ordering a bunch as Christmas presents for my little cousins' Nintendo DSi's. Read on for the full GelaSkins review. GelaSkins Review: Style and Substance? originally appeared on About.com Portable Entertainment on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 03:10:48.
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