The Good NET Guide

Posts Tagged ‘itunes’

There was an interesting debate on today’s Ron and Fez that speaks to a subject we’ve been whinging about for some time now: digital delivery of content, specifically of music. Pink Floyd has won a court ruling that will put an end to places like iTunes selling its songs individually.

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Pink Floyd only wants you to download their entire albums, not individual songs

Over the last six months, doubleTwist, the iTunes alternative that lets you manage your music, videos, and photos, has really been stepping up its game. In October the company integrated an Amazon-powered MP3 store, allowing users to download and sync their music directly with any of hundreds of compatible devices, much as they would with the iTunes/iPod combo. And today it’s adding a new feature that makes it an even more viable iTunes competitor: support for podcasts.

Co-founder Monique Farantzos says that doubleTwist has built and integrated a podcast search engine with 20 times as many podcasts as iTunes offers. Rankings are based on popularity (as opposed to a simple listing that would grow unmanageable with that much content). The new feature is launching on Windows now, with Mac support for podcasts coming next month.  Later this year, doubleTwist will offer an API allowing other applications to tap into the podcast search engine.  The company is also planning to launch a client for Android (which would presumably allow users to stream content) over the summer.

Farantzos says that doubleTwist is also going to start offering more cloud-based services. In May, users will be able to store the podcasts they’re subscribed to server-side, so they’ll be able to use the same subscriptions on their desktop and mobile clients without having to dock them together.

While it supports many devices, doubleTwist is becoming increasingly popular as an ‘iTunes for Android’. In January, it forged a partnership with T-Mobile, which promotes doubleTwist and has pre-installed it on some devices. Now, 53% of doubleTwist users are using it to sync with Android phones. The application also supports syncing with many other devices, including WebOS, BlackBerry, Sony PSP, and digital cameras.

doubleTwist is still missing some of the functionality that iTunes has, like the ability to download TV shows and movies. But the podcast functionality will add some video content, and 1 in 5 users are using it to manage video content they already have.  And some people may even appreciate the added simplicity if they’re just interested in music. In any case, it probably isn’t worth holding your breath for doubleTwist to add movies and TV downloads any time soon — content owners are still set on wrapping that content in DRM.

Also see Songbird, another iTunes alternative (you can see our past coverage here).

Apple just announced that its tablet device, the iPad, will be available in the U.S. on April 3. See announcement below.

When Apple unveiled the device a few months ago, we were told it would be available by March. Rumors began to swirl recently that shipment of the devices was delayed until April. According to the release, the Wi-Fi models of the iPad will be available starting April 3, with the Wi-Fi and 3G models rolled out by late April. Starting on March 12, U.S. customers can pre-order the device either online or at their local Apple retail store. The device will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.

Pricing has remained the same, with the basic Wi-Fi enabled model starting at $499. Pricing is as follows: $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB.

Apple is launching with 12 apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the 150,000 apps on the App Store. The supposed Kindle-killer will debut with an iBooks app, which will be available for free download from the App Store in the US on April 3. Apple’s partnered witha number of publishers including the Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

Apple® today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April.

Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store (www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store.

“iPad is something completely new,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.”

Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds–thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook–and delivers battery life of up to 10 hours.*

iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch(TM) interface makes surfing the web an entirely new experience, dramatically more interactive and intimate than on a computer. You can read and send email on iPad’s large screen and almost full-size “soft” keyboard or import photos from a Mac®, PC or digital camera, see them organized as albums, and enjoy and share them using iPad’s elegant slideshows. iPad makes it easy to watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD, or flip through the pages of an ebook you downloaded from Apple’s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection.

The App Store on iPad lets you wirelessly browse, buy and download new apps from the world’s largest app store. iPad includes 12 new innovative apps designed especially for iPad and will run almost all of the more than 150,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone® or iPod touch®. Developers are already creating exciting new apps designed for iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch interface, large screen and high-quality graphics.

The new iBooks app for iPad includes Apple’s new iBookstore, the best way to browse, buy and read books on a mobile product. The iBookstore will feature books from the New York Times Best Seller list from both major and independent publishers, including Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.

The iTunes® Store gives iPad users access to the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store with a catalog of over 12 million songs, over 55,000 TV episodes and over 8,500 films including over 2,500 in stunning high definition. All the apps and content you download on iPad from the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore will be automatically synced to your iTunes library the next time you connect with your computer.

Pricing & Availability

iPad will be available in Wi-Fi models on April 3 in the US for a suggested retail price of $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. The Wi-Fi + 3G models will be available in late April for a suggested retail price of $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB and $829 for 64GB. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPad will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models in late April in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. International pricing will be announced in April. iPad will ship in additional countries later this year.

The iBooks app for iPad including Apple’s iBookstore will be available as a free download from the App Store in the US on April 3, with additional countries added later this year.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

Fresh off the acquisition of AppVee, social mobile app directory Appolicious is releasing a few new features including a Facebook App, an Appo.me URL Shortener for links to apps, and a Twicker ad model, which allows users to view tweets and offers from sponsors on the site. Appolicious, which just raised $1.5 million in funding and debuted an iPhone app, tries to make sense of the 100,000 apps on Apple’s App Store and the 16,000 apps on the Android Market, but with a social twist. So not only can you find apps based on category or topic, but you can share those apps with your social graph on Twitter and Facebook, review apps, and more.

The Appolicious Facebook app allows users to access Appolicious’ recently launched Curated App Lists, which are recommended lists of apps from users based around hobbies and interests. The startup also launched Twicker, an ad format where advertisers send customized messages to the Appolicious audience via Twitter. The Tweets are seen on a ticker at the top of the site’s page. Sponsors pay a monthly fee to advertise via the Twicker.

Additionally, Appolicious is rolling out the Appo.me URL shortner, which gives the ability to easily create, grab and share a shortened URL that links directly to an app. You simple type in the name of an iPhone app and Appo.me automatically completes the app name and will give you a shortened URL for the link to the app in the iTunes store and its landing page on Appolicious’ directory.

Appolicious’ Facebook app will compete with the mPlayit, a Facebook-based mobile app directory. But the feature I find most compelling is the URL shortener, which makes it dead simple to find and link to any app on Apple’s App Store. Founded in May of this year by former Yahoo VP, Alan Warms, Appolicious is hoping to expand its platform to include Blackberry and other smartphone apps. Warms is a serial entrepreneur who sold his startup Buzztracker to Yahoo in 2007.

Reader Dan of the UK sent us this image of the UK iTunes store, where things are a little more Cool Britannia, if you know what I mean. As I said before , this is all about image in the US

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Quick! There’s still porn in the iTunes store

Apple is getting more prudish and pulling sexy apps from iTunes. One of the new rules is no more bikini apps, unless you happen to be Sports Illustrated (or FHM or Playboy). Sports Illustrated, for instance, just released its 2010 Swimsuit app on iTunes on February 9, before the ban really started. The SI Swimsuit app is filled with pictures of bikini-clad models.

If you fire up iTunes right now, you will see the SI Swimsuit app being promoted on the main App Store homepage. It is currently the No. 1 Sports app, the No. 13 free app, and the No. 35 Top Grossing app (you have to pay $1.99 to unlock all the free photos and videos). FHM’s $1.99 app is also filled with bikini and panty pics via its “Girl of the Week” and “Non-Stop Honeys” features. It also offers videos with titles such as “Young and Hardly Innocent” and “Lucy in Naughty Nighties.” The Playboy app is similarly salacious. Yet other non-name-brand bikini apps such as Bikini Blast are nowhere to be found on iTunes anymore.

So the rule seems to be: No sexy apps, unless you are magazine that can’t make money any other way. I can’t wait to see the SI Swimsuit app on the iPad. Maybe they will develop new touch gestures for the bigger screen.

I’m testing out JustUnfollow, a new Twitter app from Twi5. The idea is simple – sign in to Twitter via OAuth and a list of people pops up that you follow on Twitter but don’t follow you back. If that makes you angry and insecure, you can then unfollow some or all of those people.

I ran it through my @arrington Twitter account and a few dozen people popped up. Top of list was TechCrunch employee David Diaz. Mocking ensued, and frankly I was hurt that someone on Team TechCrunch had decided I wasn’t worthy of a follow.

But there’s a problem. @davidjamesdiaz does follow me, as do many of the other people on the list.

We’ve notified Twi5 of the error. So go ahead and try this if you want to, but until they fix it, don’t start any unnecessary fights until you double check the results.

Check out FriendOrFollow as well, although the success rate may not be much better – the results for both apps are likely determined by Twitter.

If you are one of the millions of people who use Meebo to bring together all of your buddies from different chat services across the Web, you can now do that on your iPhone as well. Meebo’s iPhone app is now available on iTunes The iPhone app lets you chat via AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Google Talk, MySpace IM, ICQ, Jabber, Facebook, and other chat services, delivering new messages vis push notifications.

In his preview of the app last week, MG wrote:

While there are no shortage of apps that now allow you to connect to a wide range of messaging networks, Meebo’s is great because it’s very, very fast. It might not have all the bells and whistles that some others contain, but its brilliance is its simplicity. The app itself contains only three main areas: Buddies, Chats, and Accounts. Buddies obviously shows you a list of all your contacts. Chats keeps track of who you are actively chatting with. And Accounts allows you to set status messages, and toggle settings such as being visible. From here you can also add accounts, which is the key to Meebo.

Now you can check it out. Tell us how it compares to other IM apps on the iPhone in comments. My one pet peeve: it doesn’t support Skype.

Hat tip to Adam.

Leading up to its January event, rumors were swirling that Apple was talking to the TV networks about offering possible subscriptions to their shows through iTunes. Of course, that never happened. While reports had CBS and ABC interested in such a deal, the other networks apparently were less enthusiastic about it — perhaps out of fear of repercussions from the cable companies. But that doesn’t mean that Apple is giving up.

A new report today in the Financial Times indicates that Apple will begin testing the sale of $1 U.S. TV shows this year. Specifically, the new pricing could launch around the time that the iPad does, which will be March/April, FT notes citing people familiar with the discussions. Apple currently sells its shows for $1.99 (standard definition) or $2.99 (high definition) through iTunes. These $1 would be the standard definition variety, apparently, as they will play on the iPad.

Obviously, by cutting the prices of the shows in half, Apple and the networks in the test are trying to see if it spurs sales. It undoubtedly will, but this remains a temporary solution. Apple still wants to do some sort of subscription service for the shows it offers through iTunes. And I would be all about that because it would strike a blow to the major cable operators that control the industry with an iron fist and make us all pay insane rates so they can pad their profits.

Also, a subscription version of television shows would mean you wouldn’t have to store all of them, all the time. It’s simply not practical to buy all the shows you want through iTunes right now. Even if you could afford it, the amount of space they take up would quickly overwhelm your hard drive. This is exactly why iTunes is inevitably going to move to the cloud.

Apple has been testing discounts on its TV shows even before this announcement. For example, if you bought the latest season of ABC’s show Lost early, you could get the season pass for $39.99 instead of the regular $49.99. It’s not clear how the new $1 pricing would change season passes, but presumably, they would be much cheaper as well.

As you may have heard by now, Netflix has agreed to movie studio demands that they not rent new movies until 28 days after their DVD release. The idea is that this will help drive DVD sales, which have been plummeting in recent years, taking billions out of the pockets of the studios. Right now, this deal is only in place with Warner Brothers, but you can be sure that the other studios are going to want the same deal. Netflix says it’s going along with this because most of its customers care more about catalog (older) releases than newer ones. But the popularity charts suggest otherwise.

Each month, Netflix releases a list of the top 25 rented movies for the previous month on its Facebook page. This week, they gave out the data for January 2010, and guess what? Of the top 25 rentals, over half (13) would not have been fully available to rent for the month under the new 28-day rule. And some wouldn’t have been available at all. Clearly, this new policy is going to have a bigger effect on Netflix users’ rental habits that the company wants you to believe.

Here’s a full list of the top 25 rented films in January 2010 with their DVD release data next to the title, followed by a yes/no note of if they would have been available to rent for the full month of January:

1) Julie & Julia: December 8 —— No

2) District 9: December 22 ——- No

3) 500 Days of Summer: December 22 ——- No

4) Angels and Demons: November 24 —– Yes

5) The Proposal: October 13 ——-Yes

6) The Hangover: December 15 ——— No

7) Star Trek: November 17 —Yes

Up: November 10 ——-Yes

9) The Taking Of Pelham 123: November 3 —– Yes

10) Night At The Museum 2: December 1 —– Yes

11) The Ugly Truth: November 10 ——- Yes

12) Public Enemies: December 8 —– No

13) The Hurt Locker: January 12 ——- No

14) Inglourious Basterds: December 15 ——- No

15) Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs: January 5 —— No

16) Funny People: November 24 —- Yes

17) G.I. Joe: November 3 —— Yes

18) Harry Potter 6: December 8 ——- No

19) Terminator 4: December 1 — Yes

20) Gamer: January 19 —- No

21) A Perfect Getaway: December 29 —— No

22) Extract: December 22 —— No

23) 9: December 29 ——– No

24) Transformers 2: October 20 —— Yes

25) Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past: September 22 —- Yes

A few other things to note. First, two of the movies on this list benefitted from the fact that December 1 was a Tuesday (the day DVDs are released). In other months, these films may have missed the 28-day window depending on when the first Tuesday of the month was. Second, Netflix actually started implementing its 28-day rule in January, so films such as The Invention Of Lying were already subject to this and as such, not available to rent from Netflix. It’s hard to know if these movies would have made the top rental list even if it were available, but it’s worth noting (and more on that below). Third, it’s already a bit difficult to rent new releases due to demand, so it’s certainly possible that if Netflix focused on supply of newer films rather than removing them until 28 days later, many of the newer films would be even higher on the list.