News Archive for 08/02/26

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

Draft bill could unlock iPhone in U.S.

02/26, 6:20pm

Law could unlock iPhone

A new draft law in the U.S. sponsored by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) would require every mobile provider to offer subsidy-free wireless customer equipment, effectively breaking the exclusive deal between Apple and AT&T over the popular iPhone and allowing all owners of that device to subscribe to a wireless carrier of their choice. A hearing is scheduled on the draft bill for tomorrow morning, and a lobbyist for CTIA-The Wireless Association representing the major wireless carriers is already scheduled to speak about the bill.

Sony unveils personal field speakers, more

02/26, 4:00pm

Sony debuts new speakers

Sony today unveiled a pair of 'personal field speakers' (site not updated) that act similar to headphones as well as new multimedia speakers designed to produce high quality audio. The company's new PFR-V1 personal field speakers are designed to create a listening field around the ears, projecting music through two 1-inch die-cast aluminum speakers connected with a headband made of lightweight duralumin metal. Sony's PFR-V1 personal field speakers are slated for shipment in April for around $500.

TalkShoe chat comes to Apple's iPhone

02/26, 2:55pm

TalkShoe comes to iPhone

Community chat service TalkShoe has come to iPhone, bringing live phone calls together with online chat. The service presents users with a Web-based interface to host live discussions, according to Yahoo News, and is designed to facilitate discussions about podcasts or other events in real time as they progress. TalkShoe's new iPhone interface allows users to take part in community calls, while registered users can use an iPhone to conduct as well as manage those calls. iPhone users have access to a link that automatically dials in and participates in a call, allowing up to 250 people to talk together simultaneously.

Sony unveils sweeping headphone updates

02/26, 2:25pm

Sony unveils headphones

In its biggest headphone introduction to date, Sony released 20 new earphone models broken down over five specific use categories. Included in the release are headphones designed for children, another milestone for Sony. The remaining products include sets meant for sport and fitness use, a revised noise-canceling set, a pair of new flagship EX-series earbuds and a new series of the company's high-volume earbud and street-style, behind-the-neck headphones.

Research firms urge Hollywood to oust Apple

02/26, 2:05pm

Steps to ousting Apple

Two research firms -- Park Associates and Entertainment Technology Center at USC -- have released a document urging Hollywood to use Apple's own tactics of offering low-cost TV shows and feature films for mobile media devices in an effort to reap profits on their own, cutting the Cupertino-based company out of the equation. "Hollywood shouldn't let Apple make all the money, especially since they are the ones making the movies," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. "Judicious use of free mobile content can help drive ticket and DVD sales." The white paper specifically details steps to achieve profitable distribution of mobile content on mobile platforms and devices, without Apple's help.

Sony intros S-AIR wireless, multi-room home theaters

02/26, 12:35pm

Sony S-AIR Home Theaters

Sony today marked the rollout of S-AIR, a new wireless technology it hopes will provide real multi-room audio without the added burden of an expensive or complex home theater server. Using hubs known as S-AIR Air Stations, the system can either transmit music to other rooms with the hubs (which themselves include 8W speakers) or fill out the rear channels in a main surround system without stringing cables to the back of the room. Unlike most wireless sound bridges, no security codes or other steps are needed to create a link between receivers, Sony claims.

Sony launches whole-house HD, iPod rack system

02/26, 10:45am

Sony NHS-130 Rack Theater

Catering to the highest-end home theater enthusiasts who want a central location for all their media, Sony today launched its new NHS-130C rack system. The system is designed to pipe Blu-ray and other 1080p HD videos around as many as 13 individual zones and can supply a primary zone, such as the living room, with 7.1-channel surround audio. The device also focuses heavily on music with a 160GB hard drive to store music in a central location, a SIRIUS satellite radio tuner, and an in-wall iPod dock that uses just one cradled Apple player to supply music to the entire home.

Sony preps iPhone-compatible iPod alarm clock

02/26, 10:10am

Sony iPhone/iPod alarm

Sony has developed a new version of its ICF-C1iP iPod alarm clock, the C1iPMK2. The clock is the first from the company to specifically support the iPhone, and has an adjustable "backstop" used to secure any size of USB-equipped Apple player in its dock; Shuffles and non-Apple players can also connect, but must do so through a line-in jack and thus cannot charge simultaneously. To use an iPhone with the bundled remote, the former must be set in advance to iPod mode.

2GB iPod shuffle goes on sale

02/26, 9:15am

2GB iPod shuffle on sale

Announced earlier this month along with a price cut on its 1GB companion, the 2GB iPod shuffle is now on sale from the Apple Store. The player costs $69 -- $20 above the current price of the 1GB player, but still $10 less than what the 1GB model used to cost as recently as the beginning of February. Color options remain unchanged, including silver, green, cyan, purple and red; shipping times however are listed as seven to 10 days, compared to the 24-hour turnaround for a 1GB shuffle.