European negotiators said they made “surprising progress” in talks today with Apple Computer over easing the restrictions it imposes on users of its iTunes service, by far the dominant seller of downloaded music.
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Speck Products announced that its new cases for Apple's second-generation iPod nano will ship just 15 days after the new iPods debuted on September 12th. New Nano cases include the ToughSkin (shown at right) -- a shock-absorbing case with rubberized bumpers and tear-resistant plastic; Canvas Sport -- a sneaker-inspired design made from durable canvas and rubber; and Active Sport -- a case designed for users in training boasting Nike+iPod Sport Kit compatibility made from breathable mesh material with an adjustable Velcro armband and a sewn-in screen protector. Speck's ToughSkin ($30) and Canvas Sport ($30) will ship in colors coordinating with Apple's second-generation iPod nano, while the Active Sport ($35) features a reflective material for safety at night.
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Apple Computer is looking to time the introduction of its iPhone perfectly with the inflection point in the music-enabled handset market, one research and investment firm says.
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During this month's Apple Expo in Paris, analysts from PiperJaffray polled 50 European Apple customers about their interested in an iPhone that holds 1,000 songs and found that 74 percent indicated they have a highly likely of buying such a product.
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JVC today unveiled four iPod-ready sound systems (site not updated) which include its ultra-compact desktop audio system, CD micro system, low-profile boombox with clock radio functions, and full-size CD boombox. The NX-PS1 desktop audio system plays music files from portable players via three diminutive cubes -- a center unit and two matching speakers -- each measuring roughly 4-inches on all sides.
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Analysts for Wedbush Morgan Securities estimate that Apple's gross margins could be as high as 50 percent on its new line of aluminum anodized iPod nano digital music players.
Craig Berger, an analyst at the firm, recently told clients he believes Apple is set to see stronger gross margins with its new iPod nano this holiday season than it did last holiday season because of the large price decline in NAND flash memory this year.
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Apple Computer this week quietly refreshed its special edition U2 iPod, bringing it up to spec with the recently updated line of fifth-generation iPod digital music players.
Although the change is not immediately apparent from the company's U2 iPod product page, an update on the Apple online store describes the new model with "its new, brighter 320 x 240-pixel QVGA color display."
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Apple's new 80GB video iPod, introduced earlier this month, is TIME magazine's "Gadget of the Week." The review notes the improved earphones as well as the improved iTunes video resolution for both TV shows and movies, which reduces battery life and are twice the file size--adversely affecting storage and download times--but can be useful for playback on a television: "But the larger-size video is still welcome news. The 80GB iPod can play six and a half hours of it (or more); the 30GB iPod has three and a half hours, up from around two.
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Kensington Computer Products Group on Monday announced is new FX 300 Speaker To Go and SX 3000R Speaker with Radio for iPod. They cost $29.99 and $179.99 respectively; both are available now.
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Walt Disney President and CEO Robert Iger reported Tuesday that his company has sold 125,000 digital movies since they debuted on the iTunes Store last week, already generating $1 million in revenue. Iger told attendees of an investment conference in New York on Tuesday that Disney anticipates seeing about $50 million in revenue from the venture during its first year.
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Apple's revamped video iPod may produce high margins for the company, according to a tear-down of the device performed by analyst Craig Berger of Wedbush Morgan Securities. The tear-down revealed potential gross margins between 45 and 50 percent on Apple's revamped iPod video, with consideration for continued hard drive price drops, according to AppleInsider.
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Protect your new iPod nano from scratches and dings with the invisibleSHIELD, the ultimate scratch protection. The full-body shield for the iPod nano has four separate pieces and covers not only the screen, but also the sides, front, and back of the device still allowing access to all ports and the hold button.
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Nearly everyone has an iPod these days, and it comes as no surprise that the new and revamped range of digital audio players from Apple will cause even the staunchest, most vocal of anti-iPod evangelists to pause and think of jumping on the bandwagon . Of course, purchasing a brand new iPod is one thing, but keeping it safe and sound from the rigours of everyday use could be another problem. Most of us would think twice and even more when it comes to bringing our precious iPods to poolside events or a day out at the beach, as drowning your iPod could prove to be a traumatizing experience.
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Microsoft on Thursday official unveiled its Zune digital media player but refused to provide pricing details, likely because it was caught off-guard by Apple Computer's aggressive new pricing on its video iPod line, one Wall Street analyst says.
"Microsoft formally announced its Zune portable media player, with specs in-line with Toshiba FCC filings," American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu told clients on Friday. "However, pricing and timing were not revealed likely because our sources indicate that Apple's aggressive pricing at $249 for its new 30 GB video iPod took Microsoft by surprise."
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Several rivals of Apple Computer Inc. plan digital music devices to work closely with their own online music services, just as Apple's iPods and iTunes do, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
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Amid all the hooplah at Apple's September 12 press event, the company released the second generation of its wildly popular iPod nano. Thanks to its new anodized aluminum casing, the new model looks much like the now-defunct iPod mini, but much, much slimmer. Improvements over the first-gen nano include a brighter screen, longer battery life, and my personal favorite—gapless playback.
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Now that you can buy movies from the iTunes Store and sync them to your iPod, the whole world is your theater. With a 30GB or 80GB iPod in hand, those movies fit comfortably next to TV shows, new iPod games, podcasts, audiobooks, photo albums, and, of course, an entire library of music — up to 20,000 songs, in fact. Now starting at $249, iPod is a pocket-size prodigy.
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A thinner design. Five stylish colors. A brighter display. Up to 24 hours of battery life. Just about the only thing that hasn’t changed is the name. In 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models starting at $149, iPod nano puts up to 2,000 songs in your pocket.
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The world’s smallest digital music player and just $79, the 1GB iPod shuffle lets you wear up to 240 songs(1) on your sleeve. Or your lapel. Or your belt. Clip on iPod shuffle and wear it as a badge of musical devotion.
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Mustek today began shipping its new Paragon iPod-dockable home audio systems which include a compact tabletop model and a sleek tower design. Paragon audio systems incorporate the Apple iPod universal docking cradle to support the video iPod, iPod nano, iPod photo, iPod mini, and earlier FireWire-capable iPods.
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Zenecom has unveiled Blupod, bringing Bluetooth functionality to Apple's dockable iPod players. The device resembles a tiny iPod shuffle in form and control, but functions as a Bluetooth dongle that works with a phone to display a caller's id on the iPod screen, and automatically lowers playback volume for conversing. Blupod features a built-in FM tuner, but does not support transferring files from an iPod to another Bluetooth device.
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The MTVN Kids and Family Group has announced that it will launch a lineup of new entertainment programming on Apple's iTunes Music Store, including six shows from Nickelodeon and the N nighttime network for teens.
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GizMac Accessories has announced the release of its Titan anodized aluminum case for Apple’s iPod nano. The Titan case costs $39.99.
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The Royal National Institute for Deaf (RNID) in the UK is requesting that iPods and other MP3 players include health warnings for excessive use at high volumes. The organization is asking portable music player manufacturers such as Apple to warn customers that using such devices for extended periods at high volumes could damage hearing, according to Macworld UK, and is asking for labels stating that fact on packaging or even on the devices themselves.
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BOSTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it sees plenty of room for growth in the digital music player market as the company tries to dislodge Apple Computer Inc.'s dominant iPod with a device of its own.
The digital music player market will eventually mushroom to hundreds of millions of units a year -- up from a current rate of 30 to 40 million units per year, said Bryan Lee, corporate vice president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division.
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Could the company that helped catapult the legal music download market with iPods and iTunes now kick-start the online movie market?
Rumors of Apple Computer Inc.'s plans to launch a movie download service gained momentum Tuesday after the company sent invitations to the media, saying "It's Showtime," next week.
The media event scheduled for Sept. 12 is set in San Francisco and coincides with the opening day of the Apple Expo in Paris.
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The subcontractor accused of mistreating workers at an iPod factory in China dropped its libel suit against two reporters and the news organization they work for in Shanghai.
The dismissal of the suit comes just days after press freedom group, Reporters Without Borders, asked the head of Apple Computer Inc. to step in and mediate the disagreement.
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The iRocker features a multi-position reclining back, two to five speakers, audio inputs, audio inputs, additional line input (for use with other music players and devices), and master volume dial. Some models also feature the “Base Tube” for added bass response.
It comes in seven different models and costs from $99 to $599 depending on features.
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The new Japanese robot Miuro turns an iPod music player into a dancing boombox-on-wheels. The 14-inch-long machine from ZMP Inc. blares music as it rolls and twists from room to room. The robot, which looks like a ball popping out of an egg, has a speaker system from Kenwood Corp.
Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod player locks into the top of the robot, which comes in white, black, yellow or red.
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