News Archive for 05/12/01

Choose an article from the archive listing on this page or refine your selection using the controls in the gray box below.

Monster Music SuperDiscs

12/01, 8:55pm

Monster Music SuperDiscs enhance listening

Monster Cable today announced its Monster Music Division, which it says will deliver improved music that will feature a "surreal" sense of quality through the "monstrous" innovation known as Monster Music SuperDiscs. Fully compatible with CD/DVD devices as well as iPods, Monster Music SuperDiscs offer advanced features to "enhance the listening experience" According to the company, the limited edition Monster Music SuperDiscs are carefully mixed and mastered to "bring out all the clarity, detail, and excitement of the original performance." Monster Music SuperDiscs are priced at $25.

First TuneBook on iTMS

12/01, 5:30pm

Tunebooks.com releases first full TuneBook

Tunebooks.com today announced that earlier this week, its first full TuneBook--digital liner notes that accompany an album downloaded from the iTunes Music Store--went live on the store for Atlantic Record's, "The Darkness One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back." The TuneBook contains cover art, lyrics, pictures, band notes, posters, and other perks that are currently missing from the digital music scene. One year ago, Tom Gibbons and a friend started the company called TuneBooks, aimed at improving the digital music experience. "We invented this much needed media format, and are the first ones to create and release one with a band on iTunes."

Sony TV rental service

12/01, 3:50pm

Sony unveils portable TV rental service

Sony today launched a Portable TV rental service for PlayStation Portable (PSP) owners in Japan that is set to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, allowing Sony customers to access the company's communication network to download current episodes of TV shows, music videos, trailers, and other video programming by downloading from Sony's website onto a Memory Stick. Video downloads cost between $1-3 each, but are only good for a limited time--between one and two weeks--after which they expire and become unusable, according to a report from ExtremeTech. Sony's lineup contains the "Mobile Suit Gundam films", popular TV anime "Noein", a comedy show featuring the comic group "~giggle~", and "Private Princess: Ayase Haruka." Sony hasn't said whether its service will make a debut in the U.S., according to the report.

Real Estate Home Show

12/01, 12:35pm

Real Estate Home Show available for 5G iPod

Explicit Media today announced that its Real Estate Home Show is now available for download to Apple's fifth-generation video-capable iPod. Pat Dulleck, a real estate broker for Realty World in San Jose said "my clients love the Featured Listing Videos; I provide six images and a few details of the listing and they create an incredible finished video product that has been a tremendous aid to my marketing. Now that they have added the ability to load the videos to my Apple iPod, it is absolutely awesome. I carry the iPod with me at all times, it's easy to use and just dazzles prospective clients as I am able to immediately provide them with video details of all of my active listings; no matter where I am, I never miss an opportunity to show a property, and it costs less than a 360 tour!" "Our Featured Listing Videos are now reaching all of the senses. They are viewable on the Web, on our national television show and now the Apple iPod, taking marketing of home listings to an entirely new level," said Greg Johnson, CEO of Explicit Media.

\"iPod tax\" plan dropped

12/01, 11:50am

Japan abandons "iPod tax" plan

Japan has decided not to push forward with a plan that would charge royalties on digital music players. The so-called "iPod tax," which was part of a copyright law revision, was abandoned after discussions in a government panel produced no consensus on ways to police violations, according to the Associated Press. "The decision Thursday from the Cultural Agency committee followed yearlong debate over how outdated the nation's system for levying an extra copyright fee on gadgets had grown, given the dramatic social changes in recent years in the digital content business, said government official Hiroyuki Suzuki."

Korean iPod knockoff

12/01, 11:35am

Apple goes after Korean iPod knockoff

Apple is taking action again to protect its intellectual property. The company has accused Iops, a Korean portable music player manufacturer, of illegally copying the design of its popular iPod mini music player. Iops, the fifth largest MP3 player seller in South Korea, said Thursday that it had received an official complaint from Apple in October which demanded the Korean firm stop manufacturing and selling its two MP3 player models, the Iops Jock and Iops Z3, according to The Korea Times: "Apple insists that the Jock and Z3 models copy the exterior design and case colors of the iPod Mini, especially the layout of a display screen and a round-shape control button on the front panel. Iops rebuffed the claim, saying it is waiting for further action from Apple. The Korean firm said that it is expecting an international legal suit from Apple.