|
Low prices on iPods, nanos, shuffles, and all the accessories you need!
Buy with confidence from Amazon.com |
Australian IT
Apple says third-quarter profit rose five-fold as sales of iPod digital music players unexpectedly surged to a record and Macintosh computer shipments reached a five-year high. A jump in iPod shipments to 6.16 million, seven times as many as a year ago, allayed concerns that demand for the music players was waning.
PC Magazine
(4 out of 5 stars)
Podcasting -- the ability to time-shift and download your favorite radio programs (NPR has been a pioneer here) and subscribe to a multitude of homegrown audioblogs over the Internet -- has, despite a grab bag of free tools, inconsistent feed-management styles, and a hodgepodge of largely disparate content, grown rapidly over the last 12 months. Now Apple gives podcasting a huge nudge into the mainstream by blending innovative podcast download and management features into the latest release of its widely distributed iTunes music download and management software.
Layers Magazine
"The smallest MP3 player in history: the iPod Flea." Video for Apple's new tiny iPod and its accessories.
MacWorld 
A local Seattle newspaper reports that Microsoft employees now refuse to use the term podcasting.
In a slice of doublespeak, it appears employees at that company now call it "blogcasting", because its internationally-recognised real name also carries within it a reference to an Apple product that has been causing Microsoft anxiety in recent years, the iPod.
Evening Standard
Sales of iPod digital music players have rocketed to 6.2 million in the last three months, a million more than makers Apple expected. The sales figures released today put paid to suggestions that demand had peaked.
Apple is now selling six times the number of iPods it was last year and is expected to have shipped 35 million by the end of this year.
Daring FireballThere are a couple of intriguing aspects to Apples recent foray into podcasting with iTunes 4.9. First and foremost is the degree to which theyre promoting it. Podcasting is the new feature in iTunes 4.9 -- its pretty much the entire point of the release. The Podcasts icon scored the second-to-top position in the iTunes source list, and its getting a huge amount of play on Apple.com and a top spot in the iTunes Music Store.
...On the whole, I think its a sign that Apple can still be rather nimble -- this strikes me as about as quickly as something new can be adopted and embraced by a company of Apples size.
MacWorldApple Computer jumped into fourth place among PC vendors as it climbed to 4.5 percent market share in the United States, according to a report from market research form IDC. Noting the importance of the iPod in Apple’s overall strategy, IDC said that the so-called “halo effect” should continue if Apple continues to innovate.
Seattle TimesAccessories for the iPod are plentiful, and now there's software to make the portable music player even more versatile.
Roxio's The Boom Box ($50, Mac only) includes five applications that reportedly can do a lot. Windows PC owners, read on because there probably is, or will be, similar software for you, too. Let's take a look...
MacCentralA new worm afflicting Windows users poses as an iTunes-related file, according to security firm Trend Micro. The worm is being circulated through AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), and doesn’t cause any problems for Mac users.
The file is called “WORM_OPANKI.Y” and is being spread in a file called “iTunes.exe.” This attempts to deceive users into thinking the worm is “associated with a legitimate product,” according to the security firm.
Reuters Apple Computer Inc. on Monday said its iTunes online music service has sold more than 500 million songs since its inception over two years ago. While iTunes by itself is not viewed as a money maker for Apple, it has helped drive sales of the company's iPod, by far the most widely used digital music player which has helped boost profits.
MarketWatch 
The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has held discussions with the major recording companies about selling music videos through the iTunes music store. Such a move would necessitate the release of a new iPod that plays videos... Some speculation has grown that Apple could release a video iPod in September.
WiredSome people want free iPods so badly they’re willing to pay for them. Lured by a slew of websites that promise free electronics and other goods to people who fill out advertisers' forms and refer others to fill them out, some die-hard freebie fans are finding the best way to get something for nothing is to simply pay for it.
People are shelling out large sums in some cases to qualify for "free" goods from sites like FreeiPods.com, one of several freebie offers run by Gratis Internet. The sites require users to refer a certain number of people to sign up for online offers before they can get their coveted freebie.
Boston GlobeBy the late 1980s, CDs began to overtake vinyl, and cover art shrank, making closer inspection or sharper eyesight necessary. Now, the popularity of Apple's iPod has further accelerated the disappearance of visual clues to who might be compatible or, at least, safe. Getting next to a 1.67-inch backlit screen requires cooperation or intimacy, and where's the fun in that?
This Monday, 7/18 is the last day to get a 1GB iPod shuffle for $130 with free shipping and a free $15 iTunes card (use promotional code SHUFFREETUNE).
ipodnn.com
FastMac announced an iPod battery upgrade that utilizes nanoparticle technology to "dramatically extend battery lifespan." This upgrade is available for first, second, and third generation iPods. The upgrade offers up to 70 percent more capacity than the original and up to 7.5 times as many charge cycles, according to the manufacturer. Pricing ranges from $30 to $40.
John Kay reports for Britain’s The Sun newspaper, “The Queen has joined the hi-tech revolution and splashed out on the world’s hottest gadget — an iPod. The 79-year-old monarch despatched a flunkey to buy the mini digital music player which has become all the rage.”
Web Host Industry ReviewA recent study revealed that more than 600 of the 1,650 Duke University freshmen who were given free iPods and voice recorders in the autumn 2004 and spring 2005 terms to "encourage creative uses of technology" applied the digital devices to their academic studies.
Humanities students, especially those studying music and foreign languages, were found to use their iPods the most. While most students used the devices to record or play back lectures and tutorials, Spanish students recorded themselves speaking the language for playback, while electrical and computing engineering students used them to record pulse rates.
AppleMusic fans have purchased and downloaded more than 50 million songs from its European iTunes Music Stores in its first year. iTunes Music Stores were launched in the UK, France and Germany in June 2004 and now operate in 17 European countries.
Cheap Stingy BastardAmazon.com has the Apple 1 GB iPod shuffle for $130 shipped and receive a free $15 iTunes Card (use promotional code SHUFFREETUNE; expires 7/18)
Apple 512MB iPod shuffle: $100 shipped
PC Advisor[W]hile those white earphones may still be the it accessory, to really turn heads you'll want them coming not from an iPod, but an Altoids tin. Or a pack of chewing gum. Or maybe even a hand-sewn, beaded Hello Kitty case. In short, you're going to need to customise your iPod Shuffle.
While hacking or modifying electronics is nothing new, something about the Shuffle has really taken off with the DIY set. Modders have taken to it like clay, and hardly a day goes by when a new customisation doesn't show up online.
VarietyBoth Sony BMG and EMI are rapidly increasing the number of copy-protected CDs they release in the U.S. CDs with the protective technology prevent users from posting them on the Internet and allow users to burn only three copies onto other discs, which themselves can't be copied again. Sony BMG is already selling about half its discs with the technology, while EMI releases its first this summer.
But the technology also prevents consumers from transferring songs onto an iPod... That's because the technology uses Microsoft's Windows Media software, which isn't compatiable with iPods.
Check out these step-by-step photos of how someone replaced the plastic casing of their iPod with wood. This is one iPod modification taken to new levels...
Canadian PressA British sociologist has bad news for the mixed-media wizards looking to use streaming video and other tactics to tap into the lucrative iPod culture. He's found that owners of Apple's popular digital music player love being able to shut out the world's distractions, hate their cellphones and would prefer not to talk to anyone.
"These people are already screening out ads," says Michael Bull, whose research into the surging popularity of the sleek handheld device has gained him the moniker "Professor iPod." As entertainment and gaming companies -- to say nothing of direct advertisers -- brainstorm ways to connect with millions of potential customers on their mobile technology, Bull says it will be a tough sell.
Mac News NetworkEducational customers who buy a Mac through September 24th will get a free iPod mini and a chance to save up to $480 when combined with their student discount. "Choose an iBook, PowerBook, iMac or Power Mac, then select your favorite 4GB iPod mini."
Business Week Online(4.5 out of 5 stars)
With the world’s attention focused on the iPod, it’s easy to forget about iTunes. Apple’s music player has been on the cover of Newsweek and The New Yorker. But the iPod would just be a cool-looking gadget if it weren’t for its lesser-known sibling.
APRIL 28, 2004 - Today is the one year anniversary of the iTunes Music Store. As of April 15, Apple had sold roughly 60 million iTunes and 3 million iPods (sources below). That's about 21 songs per iPod. For perspective, the smallest iPods hold 1,000 songs, and some hold 10,000 songs. So, when people fill up those iPods, where does all the music come from?The (somewhat outdated) site implies that only 1% of people's iPods contain legal music purchased from the iTunes Music Store, and that the rest of everyone's iPods are filled with illegal music downloaded from P2P apps (like Kazaa).
Apple
The iPod and iPod photo lines are merging, creating a single line of white iPods that all feature color displays with the ability to view album artwork, photos and play slideshows in stunning color. The simplified iPod lineup features a 20GB model, holding up to 5,000 songs priced at just $299 and a 60GB model, holding up to 15,000 songs priced at $399.
|
Low prices on iPods, nanos, shuffles, and all the accessories you need!
Buy with confidence from Amazon.com |
