News Archive for 05/12/30

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iPod may hasten movie-watching decline

12/30, 5:05pm

Movie-going declines

The introduction and subsequent popularity of the video iPod may be the beginning of the end of movie-going as we know it, according to one columnist at the Toronto Star. "I see this rite changing dramatically, and it saddens me. This might sound alarmist, and I wish it were simply that. But technological and cultural innovations of the past 12 months have pointed the way to a revolutionary future for the movies, one that few could have envisioned until recently. Watching a film is fast becoming a hermit's pursuit. For starters, there's the video-screen iPod, introduced this fall, which at the moment is being treated as a modest brand extension of Apple's portable jukebox gadget. Right now, early buyers are using it as a miniature VCR, for watching music videos and certain TV dramas downloaded from the Internet." The columnist says that future versions will help expand its poplarity and usefulness as a video-watching gadget.

Free songs, shipping promos end soon

12/30, 2:15pm

More Apple refurbs

Apple has added a new refurbished iMac G5 and iBook models to the special deals section of its online store--just a few days before its free overnight shipping promotion on virtually any Mac and many popular iPod/Mac accessories ends. The refurbished 12-inch 1.33GHz iBook with Combo drive is $800, while the 14-inch 1.42GHz iBook with SuperDrive is $1050. Two refurbished iMac G5 models are available: an older 20-inch 1.8GHz iMac G5 with SuperDrive for $1,150 and the previous-generation iMac G5 for $1,300. Apple also a slew of PowerBook models (all sizes), both models of the iPod shuffle, a few Mac mini models, and a few models of the refurbished dual-processor G5 desktops available. PayPal's promotion, offering up to 25 free songs with purchase of any iTunes gift certificate, also ends on December 31st. Customers can purchase a $20 or $50 gift certificate (through iTunes) and receive up to 25 free songs, if they pay using their PayPal account.

Pod Jams bundles for iPod nano

12/30, 2:05pm

Pod Jams bundles

Pacific Rim Marketing today announced its wearable iDiddy "Pod Jams" line of products developed exclusively for Apple's iPod nano. The new iDiddy Pod Jams are a bundle consisting of its new fabric iLanyard, featuring 16.9 mm earbuds covering a rich audio spectrum and our Diamond Etched "Bling" PVC or Clear PVC iPod nano cases. Pod Jams are available in two different styles, including the iDiddy Pod Jams "Bling," which includes either a Black or White Fabric iLanyard along with a patented diamond etched "Bling" PVC case, or its iDiddy Pod Jams "Clear" PVC case, which includes its clear see-through PVC case with either a Black or White Fabric iLanyard. Both are available for $30 and are expected to next year.

iPod makes Amazon's 2005 lists

12/30, 1:55pm

Amazon\'s 2005 lists

Amazon.com today released its "Best Of 2005 List" which includes the best selling, most positively reviewed, most wished for, and favorite gift products as determined by Amazon.com customers in 2005. The black 2GB iPod nano was the fourth best selling product--as counted by total units sold--behind Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (books), X&Y by Coldplay (music), and Star Wars Episode III- Revenge of the Sith (DVD). The 20GB iPod was No. 4 on its list of products that appeared most often on the Wish Lists of Amazon.com customers in 2005, while the 512MB iPod shuffle was fourth on its list of products most frequently purchased as gifts by Amazon.com customers in 2005--behind the aforementioned Harry Potter book and Coldplay album and the complete first season of Lost.

SSTL satellite uses iPod parts

12/30, 1:40pm

SSTL satellite from iPods

A company formed by a small team in Guildford UK yesterday launched the first Galileo satellite made of parts from consumer electronics devices, including the iPod. Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) celebrated the launch of Giove-A from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, after it beat a rival consortium of three of Europe's technology giants. "We specifically make low-cost and quick satellites," he said. Giove-A, which weighs 600kg, has gone from drawing board to launch in 30 months. "What we do is to take advantage of terrestrial technologies, such as mobile phones and DVD players. The consumer market has been leading the investment in technology. We take these components out of iPods and so on, and work out whether we can fly them in our spacecraft. Sometimes they will, and sometimes they will not."

Free iPod offer among AOL's top spam

12/30, 1:20pm

AOL\'s top spam lines

Apple's iPod is among top ten marketing ploys used by spammers. America Online's (AOL) third annual Top 10 Spam List, released today, includes pitches for products that claim to improve physical appearance, sexual material, and offers for prescription drugs as well as free technology product offers for the iPod Nano, PS3 AND Xbox 360. This year's analysis of hundreds of billions of attempted spam messages targeting AOL's global email customers finds that spammers are using more "special order" style subject lines. In fact, six in 10 of the top subject lines this year fall into this category, compared with just two in 2004, and none in 2003. In 2005, AOL has also been blocking an average of 1.5 billion spam messages each day from reaching the email boxes of the AOL Network. The total number of spam emails blocked by AOL in 2005 reached over a half trillion (556 billion) - a slight increase over 2004.

Jobs named "Radio Person of the Year"

12/30, 12:30pm

Jobs Radio Person of Year

RadioDailyNews, "The Daily Voice and Journal of Broadcasting", has named Apple CEO Steve Jobs as the recipient of the "Radio Person of the Year" award. The recognition is awarded annually to leading individuals in the radio industry who have not only shown remarkable leadership skills in 2005, but who will have a "profound, positive effect" on the radio industry in 2006. Steve Jobs is the CEO of Apple, whose products include the iPod and iTunes. The popularity of the iPod eventually lead to "podcasting" -- the creation of radio-like content for download to digital audio players.