Apple still gaining teen interest...

Apple is still gaining ground in the MP3 player market and the online music business, according to a new study conducted by analyst firm Piper Jaffray. The firm asked nearly 1,000 high school students about interest and buying patterns for MP3 players and online music. Teen responses revealed that iPod market share grew to 79 percent in the spring of 2006 from 77 percent from fall of 2006, and that interest in purchasing an MP3 player in the next 12 months increased to 45 percent from 41 percent over the same time period. Of those students who legally purchase music online, 91 percent said they use Apple's iTunes Music Store, up from 71 percent. Additionally, interest in all brands of music-enabled cell phones increased to 74 percent from 70 percent. "Apple continues to dominate the MP3 player and online music markets, despite new competitors constantly entering the market," said senior analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray.

Wolverine ESP takes on video iPod...

Wolverine Data today introduced the Wolverine ESP portable media player featuring a 3.6-inch LCD display with storage capacities of 80GB and 120GB, which will compete with Apple's iPod in the "Prosumer" market. The new player can record TV shows as well as FM radio, and features a built-in 7-in-1 card reader that accepts most memory cards types. The device measures 5.3 x 2.8 x 0.9-inches, and weighs 10.2 ounces. Users can view, zoom, and rotate JPEG, bitmap, TIFF, text, or RAW images on-the-go, and can connect directly to PictBridge-capable printers. An optional ESP Cradle System allows acts as a digital video recorder (DVR), enabling users to record directly from TV, DVD players, and VCRs. The Wolverine ESP is available starting from $400 for the 80GB model and $500 for the 120GB version. The optional ESP Cradle System is priced at $80.

Griffin ships Centerstage, Disko cases...

Griffin Technology today began shipping its Centerstage and Disko (pictured at right) iPod cases, offering iPod owners two new ways to protect and use their portable players. Centerstage shows off the iPod in a clear hard shell case, offering protection with a colorful anodized aluminum cover -- available in silver, blue, black, or hot pink -- that flips open and under to create a sturdy easel stand for hands-free viewing. Disko is designed as a functional iPod case that senses movements and responds with moving colored lights that outline the iPod's clickwheel. Disko's colored LEDs are powered by two tiny wafer batteries (included), negating the need to draw from the iPod's own battery charge. Both Centerstage ($25) and Disko ($30) work with 30GB, 60GB, and 80GB video iPods.

Creative unveils Xmod audio adapter...

Creative has unveiled its new Xmod adapter, a device offering USB connectivity that converts audio up to a 24-bit signal before it reaches speakers. The adapter uses a proprietary crystalizer to analyze compression artifacts and repair lost audio quality, according to Creative. The Xmod is also capable of applying virtual surround sound to stereo sources, according to Electronista. The adapter requires no driver software installation, enabling users of Mac OS X Panther systems or later to simply plug the device into their computers and speakers. The Xmod plugs into portable media players such as Apple's iPod or Microsoft's Zune via a special AC adapter, and is slated for shipment late this month for $80.

New Jersey law to tax iTunes sales

New Jersey governor Jon Corzine is pushing for a new law that would tax individual iTunes Music Store purchases to help alleviate the state's $4.5 billion debt. Governor Corzine recently began taxing individual services such as health club memberships and storage facilities to aid in the debt relief effort. Direct music and video download sales have generally remained tax-free since their inception, partially due to laws prohibiting taxes on out-of-state sales; however, the new law would require that each album, song, or video bought by a New Jersey resident be subject to a 7 percent tax. Challenges to the new law have yet to be filed, according to Electronista.