iPod leads growing MP3 player market...

Apple's iPod continues to dominate the rapidly growing MP3 player market, which could double in the coming years. A new In-Stat report says that the worldwide market for Flash-based and Hard Disk Drive (HDD)-based players will jump from 140 million units in 2005 to 286 million by 2010 and also revealed that Apple's competitors were facing pressures in a very competitive market. The report bodes well for Apple, which experienced a slow down in iPod sales in March quarter, but recently said it was looking to Europe and Asia for iPod growth. In-Stat said that the growing market is driven by several factors, including falling price points, the availability of legitimate subscription and pay-per-download online music sites, increasing Flash memory capacities, and enhanced functionality.

Sony plans iPod competitor

Sony is hoping to dethrone the iPod with its next-generation music player. A new report claims that Sony is prepping a new music player that it hopes will rival the success of the iPod. Due within the next year, Sony says the next-generation player will focus on design and long-battery life. The company has tried unsuccessfully to unseat the iPod as the defacto standard for music players, according to the report: "Sony has tried to unseat Apple in that market before with little success, and its recently launched A-series Walkman digital music players are on sale only in Japan and Europe.... The new player will be lauched within the current fiscal year, which ends in March 2007, Yuhara said. He wouldn't be more specific, but acknowledged that the holiday sales period between the US Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is an important time for consumer electronics products. Sony sold 4.5 million digital music players in the year to March, and expects this to rise to 5.5 million in the current year."

Color changing Nano cases ship

Proporta.com has launched silicone iPod cases that change color based on temperature. The Color Change Silicone Cases are molded from impact-absorbent silicone to provide a thin, durable protective skin around the device. Colors include pink, blue, and charcoal, which gradually change to white based on temperature. Cutaways offer access to ports and controls, allowing iPod usage while the player remains inside the case. Color Change Silicone Cases are compatible with Apple's iPod nano model and ship with a lifetime warranty from Proporta.com for $20.

Apple looking to double Nano capacity?...

Apple is readying product updates to its iPod nano line that could double its capacity and add video support by September, according to research firm American Technology. Maintaining its "buy" rating on Apple stock along with a $101 price target, the firm circulated a research note that its aging iPod nano product line would receive upgraded storage capacity and basic video support to help differentiate the popular music players from its competitors. "We continue to believe that the iPod nano is in need of a refresh with either an increase in storage capacities and/or price cuts to regenerate interest. Our most recent checks indicate that the current 2GB and 4GB models will see their storage doubled to 4GB and 8GB capacities," analyst Shaw Wu told clients.