A boom in top-end headphones is taking place with the growth in portable digital music players. Customers are now going gaga over active noise-canceling headphones that shut out external noise to improve the quality of the listening experience. A microphone in each earpiece analyzes external sound waves such as those of a surrounding crowd or a moving train and inverts the signal. The external noises are lessened, giving the user uninterrupted and high-quality music during a flight or on the train. The increasing popularity of digital mobile players such as Apple’s iPod has spawned a wide range of headphones, such as neck strap and ear hook models. The headphones are developed using the technology originally designed for use by pilots. Sony’s MDR-NC50 model can lessen external noise by 80 percent.
Apple
TagFrance showing teeth to Apple iTunes, will it bite?
Apple may be forced to spill its iTunes beans as per a new French law. Apple at present dominates the online digital music market and providing the facility only to Apple iPods. The law aims at loosing the grip of any single media-playing operating system on the digital online music retail market and to break the monopoly. Apple will be forced, according to the legislation, to provide iTunes codes i.e. Digital Rights Management (DRM). France’s new copyright law states:Any interested party can ask the court … to get a supplier (of content) … to provide information that is essential for ‘interoperability’. In the wake of events even if Apple shuts down its iTunes store in France, it would have no effect on sales which contribute to less than5 per cent of Apple’s revenue.
France Vs Apple: The Inside Story
I agree with Kevin Hassett here that it’s time for the U.S government to take a stand. In my last post I discussed how France is showing its teeth to Apple iTunes, but why? Is it fear or hypocrisy? The new French law targeting the iTunes software and iPod players that have revolutionized the music industry and have forced French to resort to piracy, as the iPod players can download songs only from iTunes music store due to the encryption technology called FairPlay, making other sites to just sit and bite their nails. Now here we can see something burning, with Apple’s whopping 70 percent share in the digital music download market providing the required heat, and the French has taken a different route to rout Apple by forcing it to pack its bags from France. In stead they must have tried to make something better than the iTunes, and as they don’t have the grit to do so, they’ve resorted to start the war. It’s a sheer act of cowardice, especially when Apple is enjoying its share of pie, it clearly deserves it for providing the immaculate service to the music lovers and what for they’ve done this, to make money, isn’t it and this is what they’re here for – to give the best of services and reap the deserved benefits. If French don’t have the guts to beat them in the ring, they won’t be able to beat them off the ring too, doesn’t matter how hard they try.
MTV & Microsoft target Apple with new online music & video store
MTV Networks Inc. has finally decided to get out of the shell and give Apple some heat with the launch of its latest online music and video download service. Joining hands with Microsoft, the new service, URGE, integrated with the latest version of Windows Media Player, will be launched on Wednesday armed with around 2 million tracks for 99 cents individually. Users can even download unlimited music for $9.95 monthly and even transfer them to any of the PMPs for $14.95. The supremacy of Apple’s iTunes Music Store will definitely get some jolt and so will other providers like RealNetworks’ Rhapsody and Napster Inc., especially when URGE is not compatible with the ubiquitous iPod.
Apple ready to rock you with the trio combo of Pioneer, Bluetooth and iPod
As reported by John Biggs there is news in the air that Apple is going to introduce a Bluetooth iPod adapter that will enable the device to play music wirelessly through the company’s new DEH car stereo head units. Since it has been revealed by Pioneer Electronics spokesperson, so this certainly is going to be true, also, it is being supported by the fact that Bluetooth has already gone stereo. Apparently, with this Apple is all set to rock the road.
Creative’s Zen patent to get added lawsuit protection
Creative, after creating ripples for their Zen patent and Apple lawsuit ($100m), has stated that they are planning to tail their patent cases anywhere else. Craig McHugh, head of Creative Labs Inc, quoted that there are many Zen technology user cellphones having MP3 players in the US market. Now they are taking steps to protect their patents. The matter has gone so disfigured that USPTO will have to show it’s involvement.
Will Apple Announce iTunes 7 Tomorrow?
I know you music nerds are fervently waiting for the Apple’s ‘Showtime’ that is going to take place tomorrow. So, what do you guys expect from the big ‘Showtime’ to be held in San Francisco? Internet is a 24-hour rumor-mill. The followers of Apple must be looking for something new from the company’s side. What about iTunes? I mean to say that it might be possible that Apple is going to announce the new generation of iTunes-the iTunes 7. Well friends, we can only hope for, rest is in the hands of Apple. So, wait and watch, we don’t have to wait a long.
Apple’s iTunes set to drag Movies to your TV with iTV
Apple Computer Inc. yesterday announced their alliance with Walt Disney Co.’s film studios in an attempt to revolve its iTunes online for digital entertainment. Apple is planning to launch iTV, which will allow customers to heave movies, music, photos, and television shows to their iPods and computers, and ultimately on their televisions, by early 2007 and will cost $299, said Chief Executive Steve Jobs. Along with a thinner iPod Nano obtainable in five colors with 24 hour battery life ranging from $149, $199 to $249, an iPod with the capacity of 80-gigabyte costing $349 was also showcased featuring sport video games as Pac-Man and Tetris. Another product showcased was a 1-gigabyte Shuffle with the capacity of 240 songs, half the size of the unusual version and will cost $79. Hence, Apple is ready to equal the challenge put forward by the competitor companies in digital entertainment and improve on previous milestones.
Apple releases iTunes7 update
If you are the harrsed owner of iTune7 here some good news for you, Apple has heeded to the complaints of its users and has released an update the iTunes 7.0.1 update which the company claims will help you fix widespread issues. Ever since its September 12, launch in an company event the apple site has been flooded with complaints ranging from navigation problem , poor sound quality and application crashes. The updated version is available for download on Apple website. The update releaed on Tuesday introduces a feature called ‘gapless playback’ that eliminates pauses between two consecutive songs on an album. It also includes a new way browser to browse through a media collection by flipping through the album art. But hold on as users who upgraded to the latest version are reporting several problems. “Anyone who has not yet downloaded iTunes 7, I strongly advise you to wait until the bugs are worked out,” recommended one user whose iPod and iTunes ceased to function after updating to the latest version. Windows users complained that the songs in their library were “extremely distorted” after they updated the software.
Creative loads Zen V Plus with 8GB
Business rivalry might be nauseating for the business entrants but never for consumers, as it offers wide range of variety in products with quite cheap price. That’s what is going on between Creative and Apple. Apple’s second-generation 8GB iPod Nano may sustain setback as Creative has proclaimed an 8GB version of their Zen V Plus. It has a large scratch resistant OLED screen, one touch navigation joystick, line-in encoding etc. Have a full color photos, loads of music, FM radio and view short video clips in a small design just for $270 (available next month in Singapore).