News Archive for 06/09/07

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Apple to launch movies with Disney only

09/07, 6:10pm

Apple, Amazon digital dual

With the launch of the much-anticipated Amazon.com's Unbox movie service today, more information has surfaced on the rumored movie offering from Apple. Amazon.com is believed to have most -- possibly all -- of the major studios in its corner, while Apple is only guaranteed to have Disney as part of its full-length movie offerings. The other major studios are likely to join iTunes some time in the next year, according to Variety.com. Pricing is to blame for Apple's possible one-studio deal, according to the report, because Amazon.com agreed to studio demands with pricing for digital offerings, which are expected to range between $9.99 and $19.99. Apple has pushed for fixed pricing on digital movie sales just as it did for musical tracks on its iTunes Music Store. Apple earlier this week was rumored to have compromised on digital movie pricing with Hollywood studios, splitting the difference between asking prices of both sides.

Apple, Hollywood "split the difference"

09/07, 5:55pm

Home run for Apple?

A new report says that Hollywood studios and Apple reached a compromise over the cost of digital movies by splitting the difference, and while the compromise could cost both sides millions of dollars, it may not be enough to reach more users. The report follows a slew of other reports that indicate that Apple is prepping its own digital movie service. Apple will reportedly charge $15 per movies, after the studios wanted to charge $20 and Apple wanted to charge $10, according to researchers at the Diffusion Group in Dallas. "The decision will likely cost both sides millions of dollars. Only 14% of broadband households would be interested in an iTunes movie service if the films cost $15. At $10, almost 1 in 4 homes show interest, TDG found in surveys. The firm's report on the viability of an iTunes service also suggests that Apple will hit a home run if, as AppleInsider speculates, it announces next week a wireless video accessory for the iPod to beam movies to the TV set," MarketWatch reports.

MSI to stream iPod audio via Bluetooth

09/07, 5:25pm

Bluetooth, iPod audio

MSI has received the FCC's approval for a Bluetooth audio transmitter that will enable iPod owners to wirelessly stream audio to Bluetooth-enabled headsets. The company's FS320 ships with an iPod nano-sized transmitter, an 3.5mm audio cable, a USB-powered charger, and driver software, according to TG Daily. The transmitter will work with any Bluetooth device featuring an A2DP profile, and the transmitter uses a proprietary Lithium Polymer battery chargeable only via the USB port of a host device, such as a portable notebook. The device driver software is incompatible with Mac OS X, however, working only with Windows-based systems. Pricing is yet to be announced.