News Archive for 05/02/07

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Critics question iTunes

02/07, 1:45pm

Critics question iTunes/iPod longevity

New subscription-based music services that enable users to take music with them may challenge the iPod and iTunes Music Store, according to an AP story. Napster has launched a $30 million advertising campaign to promote its $15 a month service. The question remains, "is music something you own or something you rent?" Meanwhile, Inside Bay Area questions Apple's iTunes-only strategy for the iPod. Mark Farish of Samsung likens the iPod/iTunes situation to that of the original Macintosh, "the reason Macintosh failed in the PC market was because it didn't license its technologies to other manufacturers, which Microsoft did."

Prie PodOrganizer

02/07, 7:20am

Tunewear to ship Prie PodOrganizer in February

Tunewear today introduced its Prie PodOrganizer for Apple's iPod. The new carry case is designed for carrying the iPod and other accessories as well as organizing credit cards, documents, and other wallet contents. The hand-sewn case supports all iPod models and offers external access to both the dock connector and the headphone jack. It also features a "cable winder", an internal meshed net pocket for carrying accessories, space for credit cards/name badges, a pen holder, pockets to hold bills and documents, and more. The new Prie case also features a belt loop and easily can be attached to a strap of a purse or other carrying case using a snap-button system on the back of the case. It is expected to ship at the end of the month.

Chinese tracks on iTunes

02/07, 6:40am

Chinese-language pop music available at Apple's iTMS

Apple and Universal Music are selling Chinese-language pop music for the first time in North America and Europe, according to The Financial Times. "More than 1,000 tracks by top Chinese artists on the books of Universal, the world's biggest record company, including Jacky Cheung, Kelly Chen, Hacken Lee and Alan Tam, will be available from Apple's iTunes stores in 15 countries, including the US, UK and Canada.... The move represents Universal's faith in the continuing growth of the legal download market. The launch, to coincide with the Chinese lunar new year tomorrow, is aimed especially at the big overseas Chinese population, which has been able to access the music in physical form only through a limited number of specialist retailers."