Apple changes its I-tunes

Since Apple (AAPL) launched its wildly successful iTunes music store back in 2003, CEO Steve Jobs has adamantly refused to offer a monthly subscription service. If you want to buy music from iTunes, you do it either by the single or the album, that’s it. But that could soon change.

Les Ottolenghi, CEO of INTENT MediaWorks, a digital distribution system that works with peer-to-peer networks, said he’s had meetings with people from Apple and he believes the company will announce a subscription service for iTunes within the next six months. “I think Apple is seriously considering a subscription offering right now even though they will probably tell you otherwise,” he said. Spokespeople for Apple were not immediately available for comment.

So far though, it appears that Apple has made the right decision to spurn the subscription model. Rival online music stores, such as Napster (NAPS), RealNetworks’ (RNWK) Rhapsody and Yahoo’s (YHOO) Y! Music Unlimited, that offer monthly subscriptions have failed to attract a lot of interest. In fact, I wrote yesterday about how teens widely prefer iTunes to subscription-based music stores.

But Ottolenghi said that even though music subscription services have struggled against iTunes so far, he doesn’t think consumers are necessarily averse to paying monthly subscriptions. He argues that because Apple doesn’t offer a subscription product, that’s why music fans haven’t embraced the model.

Phil Leigh, a senior analyst with Inside Digital Media, an independent research firm based in Tampa, agrees with that assessment.

“The number one factor retarding the acceptance of the subscription model is the dominance of Apple. The idea of subscribing to music is new to most consumers so when the dominant player doesn’t talk about it, the idea seems out of the mainstream for most consumers,” Leigh said.

And as someone who buys from iTunes pretty frequently, I’d support a subscription model. For $15 a month, all I’d need to do is buy two albums a month to justify a subscription. I think many consumers would be amenable to paying a flat fee for unlimited downloads on iTunes.

That said, Leigh isn’t so sure that Apple is willing to do an about-face on subscriptions just yet…even though the record labels clearly would be overjoyed if Apple did begin to offer a monthly iTunes plan.

“Record labels would like a subscription service. They, like anyone else, like recurring revenue. Ringing the cash register every month is a beautiful way to run a business,” Leigh said. “But I don’t think they are going to do it because Jobs has said he’s against it and I believe that most of the time we should take people at face value unless we have compelling evidence not to.”

Plus, chatter about an iTunes subscription service is hardly new. BusinessWeek wrote about the possibility of a subscription model in August 2005 and CNET revisited the speculation last May.

Still, Ottolenghi was fairly confident that Apple will soon reveal an iTunes subscription service. He thinks Apple realizes that in order to attract more customers, particularly those that are using peer-to-peer file sharing services, Apple has to be more flexible.

“With peer-to-peer, there are 2.5 billion downloads per month compared to Apple taking three years to sell 1 billion songs on iTunes. That’s a big difference,” he said.

So maybe, just maybe, Steve Jobs will introduce an “all you can eat” iTunes 8.0 in the near future.

Panasonic TH-103PF9 103in Plasma TV

Everything about the Panasonic TH-103PF9 is massive. Truly, gargantuanly, humungously massive!

For starters, its screen acreage measures in at a frankly terrifying 103in from corner to corner. This makes it not only the biggest TV we’ve ever tested here at TrustedReviews, but also the biggest TV ever sold commercially in the UK. To give you some idea of just how big 103in of TV really is, the 103PF9’s screen will accommodate four 50in TV screens, and still have a few inches spare. Phenomenal.

The screen is as heavy as it is large, too, weighing in at 220kg – an already mighty figure that turns into 350kg if you also use the optional heavy-duty stand.

The next massive thing about this plasma screen is the headache involved in getting it installed in your home. Panasonic uses a professional team of AV installers to deliver 103PF9s, but even so it took well over three hours – including an hour with a special ‘interior’ crane - to get the TV installed. And that’s on the ground floor with a door big enough to take the vast box. Any problems of access to where you want the screen to go could potentially add hours to any install – or even present the very realistic prospect of having to get in builders to knock down or reinforce walls.

The last truly huge thing about the 103PF9 is, inevitably, its price. At £46,600, it’s clearly the sort of product that’s only within reach of the mega-rich – or your average Premiership footballer. Then again, adding £50k to our mortgage might not really hurt that much we guess, especially if you go for an interest only deal…

Realising there’s not really any way to make a 103in screen subtle, Panasonic has kept things simple by just sticking a fairly – though not excessively – chunky frame around it and leaving it at that.

The situation regarding the 103PF9’s connections is ‘fluid’, in that you can pick and choose the connections you want as they’re all available on slot-in modules. Options include, of course, HDMI/DVI, component and PC jacks.

Snoop Dogg chooses video games over charity event

When west coast rapper Snoop Dogg told us that it ain't no fun if the homies can't have none, we never imagined that he was referring to gaming consoles, but apparently the talented MC and occasional criminal defendent refused to perform at a recent UNICEF charity event if they would not provide his posse and himself an Xbox to play with. According to AHN, someone at the event eventually snatched their kid's Xbox (we assume a 360) to placate Snoop, but the troubles didn't stop there, as he apparantely got so caught up in the game that he was an hour late appearing on stage -- this despite a reported $150,000 paycheck for the appearance. While we can't be certain, we suspect this may all be the result of the charity's refusal to pay Snoop in achievement points.

Memorex Poker Chip USB flash drive knows when to fold 'em

While the poker sharks in the crowd are probably elated about the recent WSOP in HD news, we're going double or nothing with Memorex's Poker Chip Flash Drive. This 1GB device sports a design that any chip stacker would appreciate, and aside from giving you something to flip between your nervous fingers when pondering a fold, it also includes "software to play Texas Hold 'Em right from your PC." Additionally, a blue LED lights things up when data is being accessed, and while we're not exactly sure how much you'll have to wager in order to claim one as your own, they'll be situated in Target stores by the end of the month.

To subscribe or not,that is the Itunes Question

With rumors abounding that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) will turn the iTunes store into a subscription format, I'm wondering how much more the consumer will be forced to pay because the record labels will not acquiesce to the demands of the market. Forgive me if I sound resentful, because I am. In my opinion, Apple's iTunes makes the interface and purchase of digital music far easier than other services and while switching to a subscription service does not alter the interface or how you can listen, it drastically alters the ownership.

The record labels own the music, or at least the copyright and broadcast aspects of it. But if you buy a CD or an album, do you also own that music in some way? I would say that you do, but unfortunately that ownership comes with restrictions and guidelines that you, the consumer, must follow. Otherwise, the industry may come down on you with the force of a mighty storm. Consider how large the FBI warnings against copyright infringement are on CDs these days; not only the jewel case and digipak (cardboard) packaging but the actual CD.

Since I learned that iTunes may become a digital service, my outlook on whether to buy digital or physical formats has changed. Before the end of May there are about four new albums that I care to purchase (that's actually a low number for me if you are shocked by this value). When I knew they were going to be released, it was no question in my mind that I was going to buy the CD. That has changed now. I find myself pre-ordering on the iTunes store for the first time in the less than two years I have been a customer there. Fortunately, iTunes is nice about bonus and pre-order only tracks, so I can buy the albums at a lower cost for more music than if I went and purchased a CD.

However, I can see the benefits that a subscription service on iTunes would offer. The major benefit is the cost of the music and its reduction for the consumer. That may sound like an enticing offer, but it negates the ownership that I mentioned earlier. A subscription service acts as little more than a leasing agreement, where the consumer rents the tracks or albums they want to hear and must return them if they decide to end their subscription. For the consumer that has no issues about this matter, the deal is rather nice. But for the consumer who likes the aspect of purchasing the album (like me, for instance), the prospect of losing that edge in a digital world is unwanted.

The option to purchase a CD will theoretically always be present, but as the industry drifts more toward the digital market, those bonus and pre-order only tracks will make purchasing a CD pointless, unless similar measures are added to the discs. That ownership dilemma fuels this debate for me, because my CDs are my CDs. They may rightfully be the record labels or the artists, but I'd like to see them try and take an album like Revolver by The Beatles away from me just because they say it is theirs. Of course, the prospect of iTunes going digital at a time when The Beatles may become available for download scares me more than anything, because I want both the digital and physical formats that will hopefully be released.

If iTunes does go digital, I will likely follow. If the pre-ordering has shown me anything, it is that sometimes iTunes offers so much more than the CD on the shelf of a local retail store. It also makes my record collection less cluttered and I can hide the music that I like which may not be as "reputable" in the eyes of the "cool" people around me.

R.I.P. PlayStation 3 20GB is officially no more

Straight from Sony: The 20GB PS3 will no longer be offered to retailers for sale in North America. The decision was made based on consumer and retail demand favoring "the 60GB model 10 to 1."

Dave Karraker of Sony America states, "At launch, we offered two separate models of PlayStation 3 to meet the diverse needs and interests of our PlayStation fan base. Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of ninety percent in favor of the 60GB SKU, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly. Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America. In addition to the larger internal hard drive, the 60GB PlayStation 3 features added storage media slots and built-in Wi-Fi not found in the 20GB system. Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model."

This follows mounting evidence that the 20GB was on its way out the door at Best Buy and even the Sony Style store. And so we say goodbye to the PlayStation 3's 20GB model. Goodnight sweet Prince, we hardly knew ye.

Nokia N800 Gets Orb MyCasting

Nokia and Orb Networks has announced that Orb MyCasting will be available for use on the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet. Orb MyCasting allows consumers to access digital media stored on their home computer directly from their mobile multimedia computer.

Orb's solution streams a person's own content from their home PC using the Web browser and media player of the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet thus creating a "personal media portal" from which users can instantly access and enjoy home photos, videos, music, and even TV, from anywhere, anytime. With MyCasting, consumers can also remotely record TV programs using Orb's Digital Video Recorder (DVR) function and then play back those recorded programs on the Nokia N800.

"The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet was developed to make it easy for people to access their favorite internet sites, content, and entertainment from the couch, airport or coffee shop- anywhere there is WiFi. Orb's MyCasting is an excellent use of the device making it a jukebox of personal media," said Ari Virtanen, vice president, Convergence Products, Multimedia, Nokia.

"Nokia offers a quality mobile web experience for users with the rich functionality being introduced in the N800 Internet Tablet,' said Joe Costello, Chairman and CEO of Orb Networks. "When Orb unlocks that personal digital content on the home PC, the N800 becomes the one connected device to enjoy it all whenever and wherever you want.The combination offers a new level of media freedom and control for the customer."

The MyCasting service which will be demoed on the Nokia N800 at Nokia's booth (# 402) at Web 2.0 Expo this week is free of charge and is immediately available for download from www.orb.com/n800 as well as from the Tableteer site, which can be accessed via the Nokia N800. Using the built in media player and browser, Orb works instantly, so there's no need to download additional software for the N800.

Nokia's 8800 Gold Edition is announced

An addition to the Nokia 8800 series of exclusive and rather valuable mobile phones—enter the Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold edition. The phone is named after The Sirocco wind—originating in the Sahara desert. This model is encased in 18-carat gold plating and it's also enhanced with white gold with a sapphire-coated, scratch-resistant glass display.

The design itself has not undergone much change since the previous Diamond edition, though the color may not seem as bright as its predecessor. The reason being, that 18-carat gold has a paler complexion that 24-carat. Its slider is said to be extremely smooth and the overall form factor is a piece of exquisite craftsmanship.

"The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold is set to continue Nokia's strong legacy in exclusive and highly desirable style accessories," explains Heikki Norta, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold remains true to the "form follows function" mantra of Nokia designers and engineers—a tradition built upon decades of experience in mobility."

The Sirocco Gold Edition of the 8800 is equipped with a 2 megapixel (high-resolution) camera and accompanied by the 262k color display, image quality will rest assured be really good. The phone also has quite a few messaging functions. Another plus for the phone is that apparently it comes with a coordinated desk stand and color-matching Bluetooth headset. Also considering the fact that 18-carat gold is more durable that 24-carat, the chances are that this phone might actually last longer as well.

The Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold is available in select markets and is priced at approximately Rs. 57,650 (EUR 1000), before taxes or subsidies.

Nokia announces launch of 6120 Classic

Nokia's new 6120 classic phone is exactly that, a truly classic candy bar design but with a few technologically superior download capabilities. Nokia has taken into consideration the fact that these days more and more people seem to be downloading information on to their mobile phones, so their 6120 classic model is equipped with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), that offers almost 10 times faster downloading than your normal networks.

The phone uses Series 60 OS and is also loaded with quick step guides and Set-Up Wizard so all connections can be set up with ease by following the simple steps the wizard offers. The 6120 also sports 2 cameras, a 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and a second camera for video calls.

"Mobile phones have taken on a much larger role in our busy lives," said Peter Ropke, Senior Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "We recognize that having the capability to utilize the mobile phone in many ways gives consumers a better balance between work and play. With the HSDPA technology, S60 operating system and the wide range of features of the Nokia 6120 classic, consumers will be able to make their daily lives more manageable."

Syncing the phone with other devices is also quite easy—contacts, schedules, reminders etc. can be transferred either form an older phone or from the back up on your PC. This also makes it extremely easy not to loose out on any important information or having to struggle entering data manually.

The 6120 classic is expected to begin shipping somewhere in the second quarter of 2007 and is priced at approximately Rs. 14, 412 plus taxes.

Apple to launch Wi-fi equipped Ipods

According to the rumor mills, Apple is planning on introducing a Wi-Fi version of three popular models of iPods, in the second half of 2007.

News reports reveal that Universal Scientific Industrial (USI) will produce the Wi-Fi modules and Foxconn will perform as the OEM system assembler. According to the reports, USI will begin shipments later in April, while Foxconn may do so in the third quarter.

Analysts say Microsoft's Zune has led to increasing development of Wi-Fi portable music players, with Singapore-based Creative and SanDisk showcasing such players at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show. Also, Digitimes reveals that Samsung and Sony are also planning to offer similar products soon.