I admit it. I’m lazy. Even though I’ve purchased and ripped hundreds of CDs (plus those DRM-encumbered iTunes), I still prefer someone else program my playlists. In fact I’m an iPhone owner who (mostly) forgos the audio iPod functions, opting instead for the (jailbreak) iRadio streaming application. Or my XM subscription via Helix or computer. … Read more
For what seems like years, folks have been speculating on (and lusting after) an Apple DVR. Could that wait be nearing an end? The obvious platform for their DVR would be Apple TV, though I’m unsure if the current hardware is suitable for video encoding. Not to mention we’d need a USB tuner (ATSC? CableCARD?) … Read more
Follow the digital music space and available March 11th at 1PM EST? If so, I highly recommend tuning into a free webcast by Michael Gartenberg and David Card of Jupiter Research: Will digital music ever save the industry? Are downloaded singles replacing CD sales? Who are today’s customers, and how is that likely to change … Read more
Netflix isn’t the only online video service quizzing customers… Amazon’s also looking for input – to presumably guide future Unbox offerings, or perhaps to validate their existing (HD) intentions. Of course, it’s the theoretical scenarios that seem to get folks into a frenzy. So, without further ado: Free Video Streaming with ads â The ability … Read more
I recently discovered a very nice XM gadget for Windows Vista, but wondered if a Mac OS X equivalent existed. Well, Google showed me the way to Tim Glenn’s XM Dashboard widget. It’s not as polished as the Vista gadget, but works fine in streaming music via your online XM account without going through a … Read more
Microsoft’s cross-platform multimedia engine Silverlight 1.0 has only been shipping since September, yet they’ve gone ahead and announced a v2 beta is on the way: Silverlight 1.0 focused on enabling rich media scenarios in a browser, and supports a JavaScript/AJAX programming model. We are shortly going to release the first public beta of Silverlight 2, … Read more
If you’ve ever used the myFairTunes or QTFairTunes programs to strip DRM from Apple’s FairPlay or Windows Media encoding, then you’re probably familiar with the Hymn Project. Last week, they received a cease and desist letter demanding that all download links be removed from the site. From their forum: Until further notice, no links are … Read more
Apple has followed Amazon Unbox’s lead in offering weekly 99 movie rental specials. Call it a loss leader – these sales reinforce their respective movie rental service offerings. When we still had the bedroom 32″ SDTV, we often enjoyed Amazon’s discounted films via TiVo. (Though we haven’t enjoyed watching them on our HDTVs – letter … Read more