Radio Disney comes to the iTunes Music Store...

Radio Disney announced today that songs from its playlist will be featured on the iTunes Music Store. Radio Disney listeners can now easily find the music they hear on Radio Disney on the iTunes Music Store, including special features and exclusives. "iTunes is a great way for our loyal listeners to find and buy the music they love on Radio Disney. Consumers count on Radio Disney to bring them fun, contemporary music that's appropriate for families," said Jean-Paul Colaco, President and General Manager, Radio Disney. "This is yet another important step in our strategy to bring Radio Disney music to kids and families in every platform." Radio Disney covers 97 percent of the United States via 50+ terrestrial stations that include 18 of the top 20 DMAs; XM and Sirius satellite radio and digital cable & satellite TV music provider, Music Choice.

OWC announces iPod battery replacement program

Other World Computing today announced it is offering an iPod battery replacement program for the "not-so-do-it-yourselfer." OWC customers within the continental U.S. purchasing any NewerTech NuPower iPod battery replacement for their Apple first-, second-, third- or fourth-generation iPod, iPod mini or iPod photo model can elect to have OWC install that battery for an additional $40. The batteries are available for $25 to $40. Customers will receive a packing box for shipping their iPod to OWC, complete with a return overnight shipping label and protective cushion. Once OWC receives the iPod, trained service technicians will perform the battery replacement as well as clean and test the iPod prior to repackaging and returning the iPod – all within 24 business hours. OWC said it properly disposes of the old batteries.

Video iPod, iTunes to revolutionize digital movies?

CNET News.com speculates that Apple may be working on an online movie store and a movie playback device that "does for movies what iTunes and the iPod have done for music." The iTunes Music Store has already "begun selling a handful of music videos, with more being added each week.[...] Record label sources say Apple has been in talks to sell a much wider range of music videos through the store, probably as soon as this fall. The company also has indicated to media executives that an iPod that plays video could be unveiled as early as September." However, industry observers caution that "the iTunes phenomenon will be a tough act to follow, and they figure Apple will take incremental steps later this year and next rather than diving headfirst into video overnight." A recent report indicated that Apple was working to license various Disney content for use with its rumored forthcoming video iPod.

Apple to license Disney content for video iPod?

Apple is working to license various Disney content for use with its rumored forthcoming video iPod. Following a WSJ report that Apple is readying a video iPod for release as early as September and prepping to sell music videos via the iTunes Music Store, Business 2.0 editor Paul Sloan reports that "Steve Jobs has spoken with Disney President and soon-to-be CEO Bob Iger about ways to license various Disney content for a video iPod." The report is based on an internal company email reportedly obtained by Sloan. Sloan also said that while Apple won't be the first to enter the portable digital video device market with the rumored video iPod, the company will leapfrog the competition, including both Microsoft and Sony. "If the past is any measure of what’s to come, Jobs will enter the arena late (as he did with the iPod) only to leapfrog over the competition with some entirely different device."