Pocket PC eBooks Watch - eBook and beyond  
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$29
Apple exec provides iPod Camera Connector details (photo included)
Greg Joswiak, vice president of hardware marketing at Apple, revealed further details of the Camera Connector in an interview with CNET News.com. He said that it is a small white plastic device that is similar to a small docking station with a cable for connecting to the iPod and a USB port for connecting to a camera. Joswiak noted that pictures loaded onto an iPod photo directly from the Camera Connector will be able to be viewed immediately on the device. However, in order for the photos to be shown on a TV, the iPod Photo will need to be connected to a computer first.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/25/2005

TimeOut!
New Music Instrument: Musicpole
(source: JWalk Blog)

posted by Jerry permanent link

iCool
Deconstructing the iPod
An analyst takes apart a Shuffle and learns that Apple is making music with two chips. In other gadget news: The shift to lower prices continues with a $199 iPod Mini.
An analyst dissects a Shuffle, details what she finds and takes a guess about the profit Apple's making on the device

posted by Jerry permanent link

iDenial
Bars hold iPod nights for iDrunk DJs
Most of the Mormons we know aren't terribly fond of the sauce, but someone needs to buy Dell CEO Kevin Rollins a beer before it's too late.
Rollins recently dubbed Apple's iPod a "fad," and he may well miss out on the iParty if he doesn't get down to the iBar quick. Pubs and clubs around the globe have started holding iPod nights where customers can bring in their devices, plug into the house music system and DJ for a period of time. One such iParty will take place this Saturday at the Progress Bar in London.
But calling the iPod a fad is like calling the Walkman a fad. Apple, like Sony, managed to nail a new market with the best device at the right time. iPod clones will erode Apple's market share over time, but that doesn't make the iPod a fad any more than it makes IBM's original PC a fad. (And if the iPod is indeed a fad then the Dell DJ is what? A desperate, failed fad hopeful? Who wants an iDud?)
The point here is that the iPod is breaking permanent ground, and Rollins is either in denial or out of touch.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Podca$h
For a Start-Up, Visions of Profit in Podcasting
The primarily amateur Internet audio medium known as podcasting will take a small, hopeful step on Friday toward becoming the commercial Web's next big thing.
That step is planned by Odeo, a five-person start-up that is based in a walk-up apartment in this city's Mission District and was co-founded by a Google alumnus. The company plans to introduce a Web-based system that is aimed at making a business of podcasting - the process of creating, finding, organizing and listening to digital audio files that range from living-room ramblings to BBC newscasts.
Audio files on the Internet are nothing new, of course. But the recent proliferation of portable iPods and other devices for storing and playing files in the MP3 audio format has created a mobile audience in this country - more than 11 million and growing - on whom podcasters are counting to listen to much more than downloaded songs and the occasional audio book.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/24/2005

The End of an Era?
Just a Thought - So Ends The PDA Fad
It's official: Sony has bowed out of the PDA market.
To many industry watchers, Sony's move is not surprising, if not necessarily expected. Many believe that the PDA as a distinct device has pretty much had its day. It is not surprising because many of the functions found in a PDA can now be found in other devices, like cell phones and iPods. It is expected, to my way of thinking at least, because the PDA's inevitable demise in the form we know today is nothing more than the natural evolution of the device.
When the Newton and Palm devices first came out, I wondered why anyone would use these devices over, say, a paper based organizer. Of course, there was a certain convenience factor with being able to connect the handheld device to a computer, and then sync the information, but the Newton, Palm-based devices, and all Windows CE/PocketPC based devices suffer from the same problem: they were not good enough to completely replace pencil and paper.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Back to the USSR
AllofMP3.com headed for a fall?
It appears that the low-price leader in pseudo-legit semi-legal (we’re being very nice here) music downloads—their buy-by-the-MB pricing model that severely undercuts ITMS, MSN Music, and Rhapsody—has apparently finally gone under investigation by the Moscow City Police Computer Crimes division; what the outcome will be if it actually does make it to court is fairly certain, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed that our peeps in Russia pull through. Afterall, though the RIAA would like us to forget, there is such thing as fair use downloading.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/23/2005

iPod Updater 2005-02-22
includes new iPod mini Software 1.3 for iPod mini, new iPod Software 2.3 for iPod with dock connector, new iPod shuffle Software 1.1 for iPod shuffle, and new iPod Software 1.5 for iPod with touch wheel or scroll wheel. iPod Updater 2005-02-22 contains the same software versions as iPod Updater 2005-01-11 for all other iPod models.
Download and install the iPod Updater then connect your iPod shuffle, iPod, iPod photo or iPod mini to your computer. The iPod Updater will automatically determine if an update is required.
What’s New in iPod Updater 2005-02-22
iPod shuffle Software 1.1 for iPod shuffle
? Support for iPod shuffle Battery Pack
? Increased software stability
iPod mini Software 1.3 for iPod mini
? Support for second-generation iPod mini
? Support for charging and syncing over USB with Mac OS X v10.2.8 or 10.3.4 or later
iPod Software 2.3 for iPod with dock connector
? Shuffle Songs selection in Main Menu
? Music menu item in Main Menu
? Support for iTunes 4.7 and later
iPod Software 1.5 for iPod with touch wheel or scroll wheel
? Shuffle Songs selection in Main Menu
? Music menu item in Main Menu
? Support for iTunes 4.7 and later

posted by Jerry permanent link

New iPods
iPod Mini 4GB & 6GB increase battery power
iPod Photo 30GB slimmer and 60GB cheaper

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/22/2005

Great Idea
ComicEdge: Comic Reader For Pocket PCs
You'll always be entertained with dozens of the most popular comics available at your fingertips. Webcomics, syndicated comics, and editorial comics are all there. You can view the last 2-4 weeks of comic strips and keep track of which ones are read and which ones are new.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pocket PC / iPod Wake Up Call!
Archos hits 100GB for portable video player
After adding digital-video recording capabilities to its hard-drive-based line of portable media players, Archos is turning up the volume on the capacity of its devices to 100GB.
The devices can play back MP3, WMA or WAV files. Consumers will be able to schedule shows to be recorded by picking a time and channel or by synchronizing online with Yahoo TV Guide to get a lineup of shows to choose from. The device also displays digital images.
The AV4100 will come with a cradle that connects to a video source, such as a television or set-top box, over a USB 2.0 cable. It will have an external speaker and built-in CompactFlash reader for transferring files directly to the device. The AV4100 comes with a 100GB 2.5-inch hard drive and a 3.8-inch color screen.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Hip Tech
Fashion and gadgetry say, 'I do'
The marriage of fashion and technology has long been touted as the perfect union, but one of the partners is usually cheating on the other. You have impractical little purses that can't carry more than a lipstick, or shock-absorbing shoes that make you look as if you were about to go on rounds at the hospital. And while the occasional artist constructs, say, an electronic skirt that tracks the stock market, for most of us, technological innovation has come down to one word: Lycra.
But there may be hope for this relationship after all. Modish personal gadgets have become ubiquitous, with everyone carrying at least a cell phone, often a laptop and a BlackBerry, and frequently an iPod as well. If you want proof that the tech companies are marketing to women, just look at the pastel-tinted iPod Minis, which Apple Computer calls fashionably compact. Wieger Deknatel, a marketing director at Philips, which is collaborating with Nike on MP3 players and clothing, says the company found that female consumers had just one additional demand when it came to personal technology: "that it looks nice on you."

posted by Jerry permanent link

Dream a little dream:
What I expect to see in the future:
1. iPod Swatch: The Shuffle/The Mini in Colorful Swatch Themes.
2. Digital Broadcast iPod, where we can tag the song for future purchase in iTunes.
3. iPod with big screen for eBook reading.
4. iTunes Pro for Radio Broadcast/Mix.
5. Pocket PC becomes the hub for home entertainment control.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/19/2005

Next Mobile Easy Frontier
Buy and Read Ebooks with Your Mobile Phones
Random House, the country's leading trade book publisher, announced Thursday that it had purchased a "significant minority stake" in VOCEL, a San Diego-based company that describes itself as a provider of "premium-branded applications for mobile phones."
"We're talking to all kinds of people about it," he said. "It's obviously one of the next frontiers in the e-book world."

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/18/2005

Limited Time
The Top 100 Gadgets of All Time
But let's lay some ground rules before we get started. What defines a "gadget" anyway?
• It has to have electronic and/or moving parts of some kind. Scissors count, but the knife does not.
• It has to be a self-contained apparatus that can be used on its own, not a subset of another device. The flashlight counts; the light bulb does not. The notebook counts, but the hard drive doesn't.
• It has to be smaller than the proverbial bread box. This is the most flexible of the categories, since gadgets have gotten inexorably smaller over time. But in general we included only items that were potentially mobile: The Dustbuster counts; the vacuum cleaner doesn't.
In the end, we tried to get to the heart of what really makes a gadget a gadget.
FYI: iPod is #12, Pocket PC is #49, Palm OS is #43, CF Card is #38, Gameboy is #25, and #1 is by Apple.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Just Shuffle It
iPod shuffle Tips and Tricks
The shuffle is so simple to operate that even your 2-year-old might soon be nagging you for one. But there are plenty of fun intricacies and nuances to learn about in iPod shuffle and in its faithful companion, iTunes 4.7.1. In this article, we'll take a deeper look at the newest iPod and iTunes.
For Example: The iPod shuffle includes a handy shortcut for going back to the beginning of its playlist: just press Play/Pause three times and the shuffle will start playing at the beginning of the first song. (You don't even have to say, "There's no place like home.")

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/17/2005

Execs Do The Math
Jobs' Jabs
The Los Angeles Times reports that Mr. Jobs sent an email directing label executives to a website promoting the stealing of music downloaded via the Napster-to-Go service, writing, "Thought you should know if you haven't heard about this."
In response, Napster CEO Chris Gorog sent an email highlighting digital rights management (DRM)-stripping software that removes Apple's FairPlay copy-protection.
Mac Observer: We will note, however, that hacking a subscription service is a far bigger deal than hacking a paid-music service. If you break into Apple's FairPlay DRM, you'll still first have to buy the songs at a dollar each. If you break into Napster's (WMA-based) DRM, then you can get as much music as you want for $15 a month.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/15/2005

Free iTunes Audiobook
Merrano of the Dry Country
by Louis L'Amour
(You need to have itunes installed to click above link)

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/14/2005

Digital Trend
Jazz Composer Nabs Grammy After Web-Only Sales
- Jazz composer Maria Schneider took home a Grammy on Sunday for her album "Concert in the Garden," without selling a single copy in a record store.
Schneider said she believed she might be the first artist ever to win a Grammy for an album distributed solely on the Web. But she said that other musicians had already approached her about trying similar experiments of their own.
(source: Jwalk Blog)

posted by Jerry permanent link

Ha!
Burning through Napster's collection, free
0. Download and install Napster, sign up for 14 day free trial.
1. Download and install Winamp
2. Download and install the Winamp Plug-in Output Stacker
3. Open Winamp Options->Plug-ins->Output->Dietmar's Output Stacker->Configure
a. Add out_ds.dll from Winamp/Plug-ins folder
b. Add out_disk.dll from Winamp/Plug-ins folder
c. Select out_disk.dll in the Output Stacker->Configure
d. Set the output directory and output file mode to Force WAV file
e. Exit preferences
4. Load downloaded Napster protected WMAs into your Winamp playlist
5. Press play and each file will be converted to WAV as it plays
6. Burn WAVs to CD with your favorite burning program
(credit goes to warlock1711 of club.cdfreaks.com for discovering this loophole)

posted by Jerry permanent link

Wet Dreams
The Zen of Fighting iPod
Creative Technologies' Sim Wong Hoo, king of PC sound, thinks his digital music players can bite Apple.
What is your take on Apple's iPod Shuffle?
We were preparing for a big fight. [We expected] they would come out with something very cool, very sexy. It turned out totally opposite, something like our first-generation product—no display, no radio, very simple. I believe we had this kind of thing more than three years or four years ago. You can say it's cool; I say it's plain-Jane.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Discounted Inventory Quantity for Napster To Go
90% Only for Napster
The Napster To Go selection doesn't match the inventory of songs Napster actually sells. The service estimates that "about 90 percent" of that catalogue is available under the To Go program -- blame the usual licensing issues for this -- but the utter randomness of that selection makes this feel worse than it is. For example, on a Rolling Stones compilation, "Tumbling Dice" can be rented, but "Wild Horses," just a year older, can only be bought.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Math for Dummies
Math Is Done: Napster To Go Doesn't Add Up
It wasn't until after my initial binge that I thought a bit more about the virtues of this service. What Napster's ads ignore is that most people already own a significant music collection -- so how many songs will they grab once they sign onto this service? How about after the first month or year? Even the most manic downloader has to slow down eventually.
Consider this example: I have been purchasing CDs for about 20 years now, in which time I've accumulated about 300 of the things. At an average of $15 each, I've spent $4,500. Now suppose that, instead of buying those CDs, I could have opened up a Napster To Go account back in 1985. My total bill would be $3,600 and counting -- and although I might have accumulated a larger, more diverse collection, I wouldn't own any of it.
I have a hard time accepting that. At its best, music has the same lasting value as books or paintings or any other sort of meaningful art: It isn't a disposable good that you use and then forget about. It's something that you keep listening to and discovering new things in. When music is good, you want to know that it can't be taken away from you.
Napster To Go doesn't allow for that. And when you realize this point, it looks less like a service that allows you to pay to get new music and more like one that forces you to pay to keep your existing music.

posted by Jerry permanent link

The Sim Sicko
Creative CEO: We are the first, Apple will loose to Microsoft, blah blah blah
MSNBC has published a very interesting Newsweek interview with Creative Technologies CEO Sim Wong Hoo. The piece examines Creative's struggle in the iPod-dominated music player market.
When asked about the iPod's success, Mr. Sim says:
"(Steve Jobs) was not the first to come out with this MP3 [sic]. We started way back in 1999."
"I'm betting on the Microsoft camp. They want to win this whole MP3 war. With all the cash they have, with all the clout they have, they are going to win—if not the first time, if not the second time, the third time, and that's why we're working very closely with them."

posted by Jerry permanent link

It's Coming
Motorola Unveils iTunes-compatible E1060 Phone
The E1060 uses TransFlash memory, expandable to 512MB, to store music in MPEG-4/WMV/WMA/MP3 formats, as well as to handle the other duties of the versatile phone, which packs a 1.3 megapixel digital camera for still photos, as well as a VGA camera for teleconferencing. Other features include Bluetooth 2, a WAP 2.0 browser, and multimedia messaging service capabilities.
...but we'll also continue to support other music players such as RealPlayer," Amer Husaini, vice president for Motorola's mobile devices group in Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asia, said at the trade show.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Ooops sorry Real Player
Nokia, Microsoft Make Music
Nokia and Microsoft struck a deal to make it easier for consumers to buy digital music and play it on their handsets.
In a comprehensive agreement, which involves a separate deal with digital media company Loudeye (LOUD), Nokia (NOK) agreed to put Microsoft's music-player software into its handsets.
In return, Microsoft (MSFT) will introduce open standards for digital music compression and piracy protection in its Media Players for personal computers.
The deal brings together two longtime rivals, with Nokia previously using either in-house or RealNetworks music and video software.
The move comes as the mobile technology that supports the faster downloading of music, 3G, takes off. Nokia launched a 3G phone along with two other new models. It forecast 70 million 3G subscribers by the end of 2005, versus 16 million in 2004.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Pink Tech
Of Gadgets and Gender
With women buying half of all consumer electronics, retailers and manufacturers are tailoring their products and marketing accordingly
"It's a top-of-the line camera that comes in a stylish red and fits into a woman's purse," says Jason Trice, director of product development at Jasco, which makes consumer-electronic products for GE.
Women clearly place a premium on the combination of style and substance, function and fashion. And companies are increasingly finding that it's a winning combination.

posted by Jerry permanent link

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/13/2005

New Trend: Pocket Reader (it can Read)
Cellphones Get a New Job Description: Portable Scanner
Imagine discreetly photographing contracts, notes jotted on a whiteboard or other handwritten information while on a research mission or a sales call, and later converting them into a format for processing, either in hard copy or on your computer.
That's what scientists at Xerox Research Center Europe in Grenoble, France, envisioned when they developed mobile document imaging software, which should reach the market later this year.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Tech Does It Better
The analogy I've been using to lay those fears to rest is this: Sex toys are like almonds. Almonds can be a delicious and satiating snack on their own. Almonds can be a delightful addition to a salad, a bowl of cereal, yogurt or a dessert. You can share almonds with others, or enjoy them on your own.
+
New ebook:

The Many Joys of Sex Toys: The Ultimate How-To Handbook for Couples and Singles
by Anne Semans

posted by Jerry permanent link

iPack Goodbye
Fiorina leaves HP with $42 million payday
Fiorina was forced to resign Tuesday after the board concluded that she failed to reverse HP's sagging stock price and accelerate the company's turnaround after the merger with Compaq Computer.
She will receive $14 million in severance pay, according to terms of the agreement submitted Friday in regulatory filings.
She will also receive a $7.38 million bonus for meeting certain performance goals in 2004 and the first quarter of this year, even though on Wednesday the board singled out Fiorina's failure to accelerate the company's strategy.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/11/2005

16 Free Songs
iPod New Album Sampler
Apple has released a second iTunes New Music Sampler album. The free 16-song compilation features music from Death Cab for Cutie, Simple Plan, Skindred, and more.
(You must have iTunes installed and registered to get the album)
(Source: iPodLounge.com)

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/08/2005

era of AudioBooks?
Duke iPod Pilot Program Going "Extremely Well
Duke University's iPod pilot program, which involved giving each freshman in the Fall a 20GB iPod, is going "extremely well," Lynne O'Brien, director of the Duke Center for Instructional Technology, told the Associated Press.
Eleven courses were involved in the pilot program in the Fall, and 14 are taking advantage of it this spring. The most common use for the iPods--beyond listening to music--is listening to or recording class lectures. Some professors post their lectures online for download, while others instruct students to use their iPods and Belkin microphones to conduct interviews related to assignments.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Flashback
The End of an Era - Where did the Handheld PC Go?
Along with the launch of the Windows Mobile 2003 Pocket PC, was a major restructuring of Microsoft’s Mobile Devices webpages. Originally it provided major links the Handheld PC, SmartPhone and Pocket PC sections. Each of these sections included an overview of the product, support information and links for downloads.
Chris De Herrera's comments:
"I really think that the removal of the Handheld PC information and downloads was ill timed. I would recommend that Microsoft provide a plan for the lifecycle of the devices they offer. Clearly Corporate users of these products need to know how long they can expect support for them just like the desktop operating systems and applications/"

posted by Jerry permanent link

Dr. iPod
Doctors turn to iPods and open source to cut cost
UCLA's Dr Osman Ratib, whose background is in medical imaging, wanted to find a way to sidestep the $100,000 workstations needed to view high resolution images that required 3D rendering. With help from programmer and fellow radiologist Dr Antoine Rosset, he created OsiriX, an open source application, to enable radiologists to teleconference with the images on Mac desktop systems.
...When it came time to find a way to store the high-res images, Ratib turned to another Apple staple - the iPod.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Gates at the Barbarians
Apple Wreckers
Starting today, Microsoft's upstart music site will be offering a free download every day through Saturday. The daily freebie will be limited to the one editorial pick from Microsoft's MSN Music staff members that they think will win a Grammy in the song's nominated genre.
Of course, Mr. Softy isn't known for being the generous type. The five giveaways are being done to promote the fledgling service, and Microsoft is opening up the offer only to adults willing to pony up their credit card information. Why divulge your payment terms for a freebie? Well, Microsoft is naturally hoping that you will get hooked after the digital gifts and buy more in the future. That will turn many cheapskates away -- but that's probably the desired result.

posted by Jerry permanent link

Right On
It’s Read an eBook Week!
...But now, the future of ebooks is looking bright again. Digital natives, who grew up reading on screens, are reading ebooks. They’re loading dozens of them into their PDAs and cell phones. Libraries are beginning to stock ebooks on CDs and even loaning out the dedicated e-readers. Project Gutenberg, a vast online repository of free e-reading, is growing by leaps and bounds. Major publishers are beaming out electronic versions of their bestsellers…while they’re still bestsellers. Some independent publishers are testing a book’s marketability by publishing electronically first and then, if sales are good, in print format. Even bookstores are selling ebooks.

posted by Jerry permanent link

What iPod Should Be
But don't worry for iPod lover, I put this in hardware terms.
But iPod is much better than any MP3 system, due to its iTunes software and its fairplay Music Store.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/07/2005

Avantnew
ZDNet Review: AvantGo 2005
While all this behind-the-scenes action is great, the Home screen is where the real excitement takes place. You can access your channels and preview others. With version 2005, you can now launch the Internet from within the program rather than having to open Internet Explorer. If you enable wireless features in Account Settings, you'll notice check boxes next to each channel and a refresh button at the bottom. Rather than updating the content on every channel each time, which can take precious time and money, you can tick off only the channels you wish to sync at that time, then press the refresh button. If you want to add or remove any channels or edit your channel layout, just hop over to the Manage Your Channels tab and do your thing. Since AvantGo is limited to only the available channels, the company has made it easier to access the rest of the World Wide Web by including a new section at the bottom of the screen for launching a browser within the program.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/05/2005

Wishful Thinking
Why Does Windows Still Suck?
Why do PC users put up with so many viruses and worms?
Why isn't everyone on a Mac?
It's very simple. The Mac really has few, if any, known viruses or major debilitating anything, no spyware and no Trojans and no worms, and sure I've been affected by a couple email bugs over the years, but those were mostly related to my mail server and ISP. For the most part and for all intents and purposes, Macs are immune. Period.
... I know Macs are not perfect, that there have been a handful of serious Apple security fixes over the years, and even a few rumored viruses and spyware apps (though rarely any reports of major server attacks or system shutdowns). I know Apple releases regular security updates of its own. The Mac is not flawless. But it's damn close.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/04/2005

hmmmmmmm
Does Your iPod Play Favorites?
My first iPod seemed to have a fondness for Steely Dan, while other artists were sent into exile.

posted by Jerry permanent link

PDF DRM Annoyance
Description of My eBooks folder and it's removal instructions
This is not a Windows XP tip, but a frequently asked question. After installing Adobe Acrobat Reader v6.x, you may notice the My eBooks folder appearing within the My Documents folder. This is not a standard Shell folder of Windows. Even if you delete it, this folder is recreated upon loading Adobe Acrobat Reader.
(source: JWalk Blog)

posted by Jerry permanent link

iSputnik
Pay Radio Becomes Personal
THE First Rule of Techno-Pop: Any popular, free medium will eventually be ruined by ads, repetition and lowest-common-denominator junk. It happened to network TV, it happened to the Web and it certainly happened to radio.
The Second Rule: Any free medium that has been ruined by ads will eventually encounter competition from a not-free alternative. It happened with cable TV and, more recently, satellite radio.
It may blow your mind to think that over four million people are now paying $10 or $13 a month just to listen to the radio. (Those are the fees for XM and Sirius Satellite Radio. Discounts are available if you pay in advance, own more than one radio and so on.)
Truth is, though, that what they're getting isn't very much like radio at all. They're getting 65 music channels, free of commercials and endless teenybopper-top-10 repetition, and 40 to 50 talk channels. (The talk channels have some ads, but nowhere near the average of 20 minutes per hour that you'll hear on AM radio.)
Satellite radio subscribers can also glance at the radio itself to see the name of the current song, performer and channel name. The sound is better than FM radio, though not as good as a CD or an iPod. And because the signal emanates from space, you don't lose the station as you drive from city to city. (The exception: the signal fades whenever the radio can't see the sky for more than five seconds, like in a long tunnel. The exception to the exception: in big cities, ground-based repeater antennas keep the signal going even in the concrete canyons.)
Until recently, you could buy satellite receivers in several sizes and shapes, like car dashboard installations, stereo components and boomboxes. But now there's a self-contained, hand-held format that offers a whole new set of possibilities.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/03/2005

An Offer You Can Refuse
On Piracy and Malicious Responses...
An interesting piece of news is floating around the Pocket PC Blogosphere: apparently the latest version of Anton Tomov's Pocket Mechanic will hard-reset your device if you're using an illegally-generated code for the software (i.e., a pirated copy).

posted by Jerry permanent link

DRM5 Strikes Back?
Napster to Go
Introducing the world's first portable music service. Now you can fill and refill your compatible MP3 Player without paying 99¢ per track.* Get all the music you want in a whole new way.
For only $14.95 a month, you can fill and refill your compatible MP3 player with your favorite music, artists you've just discovered and the latest releases without paying 99¢ per track. Get everything Napster has to offer PLUS unlimited music for your Napster To Go-compatible MP3 player.
But why no Pocket PC supported for this?

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/02/2005

MicroPod
Hide Your IPod, Here Comes Bill
"About 80 percent of Microsoft employees who have a portable music player have an iPod," said one source, a high-level manager who asked to remain anonymous. "It's pretty staggering."
The source estimated 80 percent of Microsoft employees have a music player -- that translates to 16,000 iPod users among the 25,000 who work at or near Microsoft's corporate campus. "This irks the management team no end," said the source.
So popular is the iPod, executives are increasingly sending out memos frowning on its use.

posted by Jerry permanent link

  2/01/2005

Sony Librie Review
The Rothman Librie arrives at the E-Book Ranch: The pros and cons so far
For leisurely recreational reading and for demonstrating the promise of E Ink--yes, future versions will have much faster response times--this machine is worth the trouble. But at this point, I'm wondering, "Even at a lower price, just how fit would an out-of-the-box Librie be for the typical user who doesn't want to bother with the intricacies of the device?" My gripe at this point isn't against the technology so much as it is against Sony's interface, which, even in English, would be too Rube Goldbergish for my tastes.

posted by Jerry permanent link

iCelebs
Name that tune: iTunes lets you eavesdrop on what the stars are groovin' to
Add a new stop along the gantlet: the iTunes celebrity playlist.
More celebs are making their ``mix tapes'' available to the public on Apple's successful online music service, on which customers download 1.25 million songs (at 99 cents each) daily.
``Celebrities usually approach iTunes, wanting to participate,'' said Alex Luke, Apple's director of music programming and label relations. ``We work with them to schedule the playlists when it makes sense for everyone as their movie premieres or as their new album is released.''
Apple releases new playlists every Tuesday. The 154 celebrity playlists now available come mostly from musicians, but also arrive courtesy of actors, actresses, authors, a Broadway puppet and the guy who downloaded the 100 millionth song from iTunes.

posted by Jerry permanent link

USA Today's Cover Story
In iPod America, legions in tune
"With the iPod, the Buddha is in the details. The finish and feel are such that you want to caress it. And when you do, wonderful things happen," says one user.
the iPod has created its own:
•Economy. Dozens of new companies cater to the faithful, including accessory manufacturers that turn your iPod into a digital audio recorder; fashion firms making clothes with iPod-ready pockets; and companies that will load your entire CD collection onto your iPod.
•Cultural trends. Some nightclubs are offering patrons the chance to DJ via their iPods, while even bolder owners practice iPod "jacking," momentarily swapping units with a stranger to tap into another devotee's musical soul.
•Naysayers. Some consumers still balk at the top-of-the-line iPod's cost, and others have yet to be convinced that Apple's version of the MP3 player will ultimately dominate the category. Recently, Dell CEO Kevin Rollins dissed the iPod as a "one-product wonder" that his and other companies would top soon.

posted by Jerry permanent link