News Archive for 05/01/05

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iTunes lawsuit

01/05, 8:50pm

Antitrust issues surface with iTunes lawsuit

Apple is being sued by an unhappy iTunes customer, alleging that the company broke antitrust laws by only allowing iTunes to work with its own iPod music player. Court filing showed that that the customer says the system freezes out competitors, according to Reuters: "The suit was filed on Monday in the U.S. District Court in San Jose. One antitrust expert called it a long shot, but Californian Thomas Slattery is hoping for unspecified damages for being 'forced' to buy an iPod, one of the most successful electronics products in years. The key to such a lawsuit would be convincing a court that a single product brand like iTunes is a market in itself separate from the rest of the online music market, according to Ernest Gellhorn, an antitrust law professor at George Mason University. There is legal precedent for such claims, but courts usually conclude competing products as viable alternatives, Gellhorn said."

Free iTunes sampler

01/05, 6:55pm

Apple offers free iTunes music sampler

Apple is offering iPod owners thirteen free songs on the iTunes music store. Many readers report discovering the offer, called "iTunes New Music Sampler," when restoring their iPod using the update utility. It is likely that purchasers of iPods will also be greeted with the offer when they configure their new iPod.

Lexar flash, MP3 players

01/05, 11:05am

Lexar debuts 2GB flash drive, new flash MP3 players

  Lexar Media today previewed its customizable JumpDrive Expression flash drive, a new 2GB flash drive with improved performance, and new flash-based digital music players. The JumpDrive Expression is a stylish, high-speed USB 2.0 flash drive, which it hopes will bring "an element of fun and personality to an individual's portable storage needs." Each JumpDrive Expression comes with three different colored "mood bands" available in a range of hues including Pistachio, Orange, and Periwinkle. The mood band wraps around the drive to form a durable protective cover that secures the USB cap to the drive so it won't be lost or misplaced. Due next month, the JumpDrive Expression will be available in 256MB ($50), 512MB ($70) and 1GB ($100) capacities.

140M digital music sales

01/05, 8:55am

Music sales grow, digital sales top 140M for 2004

Sales of recorded music in the United States are on the rise for the first time in four years--fueled in part by sales online digital music, according to The New York Times. "The recording industry registered sales of about 667 million albums, an increase of about 1.6 percent, according to year-end data expected to be released today by the market research firm Nielsen SoundScan. Album sales at one point surged by as much as 8 percent over last year's pace, but fell victim to a lackluster holiday season. The data, covering a 52-week period, also show that the industry is beginning to tap the power of the Internet to generate sales, though free music still flows through online file-sharing networks. Sales of digital tracks through services like iTunes from Apple exceeded 140 million..."

Audiovox iPod Mobile Kit

01/05, 8:50am

Audiovox offers iPod Mobile Interface Kit

 Audiovox has announced a new iPod car adapter that allows iPod users to play songs through any car stereo system. The Audiovox iPod Mobile Interface Kit allows for a direct connection of the iPod to most factory radios for playback through the cars audio system. In addition, it allows the radio controls to operate the iPod and also enables users to control the iPod using the steering wheel controls. The system will also charge the internal battery of the iPod, according to the company. The kit is easy to install with a plug-in connection to the CD Changer port. The company says the iPod screen will display all the Song/Artist data, and browse, as if it were not connected. The module will be available later this month for $200 and customers will be required to call a toll-free 800 number to obtain the appropriate cable for their car stereo (which the company will deliver within 24-48 hours).