Ringtones -- Engadget

Pre deets continue to trickle out; Office 2007 support in the mix

by Nilay Patel posted May 5th 2009 at 6:38PM

Still no word on pricing or a release date, but the kind chappie running Inside Sprint Now has posted up a little Pre FAQ to tide us over. If you're inclined to believe this information indeed comes from deep within Sprint customer service -- and we've no reason to not to -- you'll find some interesting factoids in the mix, including full support for Office 2007, ringback tones, and custom ringtones. There's also a promise of video recording support and wireless PictBridge printing sometime down the line. Great, great -- but we'd really rather learn all this stuff on our own after release, you know?

[Via PalmInfoCenter]

Stewart Copeland composes BlackBerry Bold soundtrack with negative effects

by Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 4th 2008 at 7:50PM

You know how Stewart Copeland plays that insanely slick triplet hi-hat part in "Message in a Bottle," and every time you hear it you wonder how it's possible for him to stay so perfectly in time? And you know how his drums fit so perfectly in the pocket with Sting and Andy Summers on pretty much anything The Police ever touched despite the fact they all hated each other? Well, Copeland's "soundtrack" for the BlackBerry Bold -- commissioned by RIM -- should rid you of all of those amazing memories real fast. The drummer provided six ringtones, an alarm sound, and a Bold "theme" for the company's new device, yet not one of them is remotely pleasant to listen to. In a word or two? They stink.

[Via CrackBerry; Photo courtesy of spisharam]

Ringtones for dogs coming to Japanese cellphones

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jun 20th 2008 at 8:11PM

Just when you think you've given your dog everything it could ever want (gold plated water dish, rhinestone collar, a copy of Tegan and Sara's "The Con" on vinyl) the Japanese go and one up you. A Tokyo-based content provider named Dwango announced today that it would start selling specialized ringtones which can be heard only by dogs. The service, called Inu ni shika kikoenai chakushinon (ringtones only dogs can hear) will make free downloads available to current DoCoMo i-mode subscribers. No word on whether the company will provide Bluetooth headsets and holsters suited to our canine friends, but we understand plans are in the works for a line of bacon-themed wallpapers. [Warning: read link is a PDF, and it's in Japanese]

[Via CrunchGear]

Apple looks to OTA downloads for 3G iPhone, record labels look for cash

by Joshua Topolsky posted May 19th 2008 at 1:41PM

According to a churning rumor-mill, Apple desperately wants to make over-the-air downloads of iTunes content a reality on the 3G iPhone. Apparently, a record label executive "familiar with the discussions" states that the Cupertino gang is hoping for a "big launch in June" which includes OTA music downloads, ringtone sales, and ringback tones (the substitute music you hear instead of a ring when calling someone). There's only one problem: the labels want a higher premium for those services than a typical MP3 download. Of course, Apple's iTunes pricing has been a point of contention for some time, though its recent rule-bending for HBO could lead to upped charges for the new services. Something tells us Apple has the tenacity and bullheadedness to make this work -- let's just hope they can temper the labels' greed with the end user's economic realities.

[Via AppleInsider]

GarageBand 4.1.1 brings custom tones to iPhone

by Sean Cooper posted Dec 14th 2007 at 10:55AM

As the pic says ladies and gents, Apple has decided that if you're clever enough to work in GarageBand -- and really, aren't we all? -- you deserve custom tones. To get this working all you need do is grab at the fresh GarageBand 4.1.1 update released yesterday, select a cycle region in your song -- a cycle region is just an area in the song's timeline you want to repeat -- then "share" and select "send ringtone to iTunes" option. Of course, your iPhone will need to be at version 1.1.2 to accomplish this little feat of magic, but we're sure most of you out there have sorted updates by now. Enjoy the music and feel free to drop us a note with how things go.

[Via TUAW]

Read - Create custom ringtones in iTunes
Read - GarageBand 4.1.1 update

iTunes 7.4.2 hits, say goodbye to DIY iPhone ringtones (for a while)

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 17th 2007 at 6:56PM

Apple might be neutral towards third-party iPhone software development, but it's apparently downright hostile when it comes to DIY ringtones -- just 10 days after releasing iTunes 7.4.1, which killed off an easy way of getting your own ringtones on the iPhone, the company has dropped iTunes 7.4.2, which obsoletes the latest ways of getting your own sounds on the phone, including popular apps MakeiPhoneRingtones and iToner. DIY ringtones still make it into iTunes' ringtones folder, but aren't copied over to the iPhone -- a problem we're certain hackers will get around sooner rather than later. C'mon Apple, we know you're smarter than to play these cat-and-mouse games.

Update: Well, that didn't take long. According to Shadowfax in the MacRumors forums, all you've got to do to get ringtones back is flip a metadata bit and change the file extension back to .m4r -- something MacRumors says is more indicative of Apple "solidifying the format" than actively trying to kill ringtones. We're also hearing iToner still works, although we've yet to confirm. Check the read link for Shadowfox's instructions.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iTunes now serving-up Ringtones

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 11th 2007 at 2:16AM

If paying for ringtone snippets of the songs you already own is your idea of a good time, then get on over to iTunes trust funders, Apple's now serving up ringtones at $1.98 a pop. But they're only $0.99 you say? Nope, remember, you have to buy the rights to the song too. Fun. Keep it safe, kids.

[Thanks, Pinsleric, Michael F. and everyone who sent this in]

Music industry has another death-spasm, coughs up "ringles"

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 10th 2007 at 10:45PM

It seems like every couple months one of the major labels announces yet another harebrained scheme to entice consumers to purchase CDs, regardless of what people actually prefer, and right on schedule, Sony BMG and Universal have announced their latest three-martini-and-a-cocktail-napkin plan: the "ringle," a $6 CD single featuring a remix and ringtone. There's really not much more to say -- trying to revive the CD single by adding in something that consumers are used to getting over-the-air seems like it speaks for itself -- but it's certainly interesting to see the labels desperately try and nab as much of the ringtone market as they can, even as their partners try and move forward. We'll see you at the funeral, boys.

[Image courtesy of Boy Genuis Report]

iTunes 7.4.1 ringtones re-rename workaround discovered

by Ryan Block posted Sep 8th 2007 at 1:21PM

So last night iTunes 7.4.1 came out which, among other things, blocked off the custom ringtone renaming method, which allowed users to add their own ringtones to their iPhone without buying them on iTunes. Well, as posters in our own comments have already discovered, it's back, and here's how to do it:

First, follow the steps of the original method

Create your ringtone, save it as an AAC file.
Rename the m4a extension to m4r.
Double-click to play in iTunes.

Now, if you're upgraded to 7.4.1

Go back and re-rename that m4r file back to m4a. That's it.
Plug in your iPhone and that ringtone will be added to your syncable ringtones list -- and it won't pop up the error from before.
Play your ringtones constantly for the next 10 hours until 7.4.2 comes out.

[Thanks, Engadget commenters! More here.]

iTunes 7.4.1 already released -- free ringtone workaround is NOT ok

by Ryan Block posted Sep 7th 2007 at 11:35PM

Just thought we'd let the droves of paranoid upgraders know in on a small bit of ~~good~~ bad news. Yes, Apple did already release a new version of iTunes tonight, 7.4.1, and we tested to see if said update "fixes" the ringtone-renaming hack (if you really want to call it a hack) that lets users supply their own ringtones sans Apple's $0.99 fee. Breathe not so easy: it may be legal (probably), but the hack did not continue to work just fine for us. More below.

Update: So yes, our previous ringtones carried over and we were able to add new renamed ringtones to iTunes -- but our readers are right in that 7.4.1 DOES block the renamed ringtone workaround moving forward. Our initial syncs went unblocked, but only until we tried to add new ringtone files. Once you actually attempt to sync new renamed ringtone files, well, then you're in for a heap o' pain (see above).

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Know Your Rights: Is it illegal to make my own ringtones?

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 7th 2007 at 12:17PM

Know Your Rights is Engadget's new technology law series, written by our own totally punk copyright attorney Nilay Patel. In it we'll try to answer some fundamental tech-law questions to help you stay out of trouble in this brave new world. Disclaimer: Although this post was written by an attorney, it is not meant as legal advice or analysis and should not be taken as such.

We hate to do another Apple-related KYR so soon, but this week's announcement of Apple's pay-and-pay-again iPhone / iTunes ringtone maker (followed up by statements made by Apple VP Phil Schiller) has had a lot of people asking us the following question:

So, is it illegal to make my own ringtones?

No!

Come on.

No, really!

What's the catch?

Nothing!

You wouldn't be doing this if there wasn't a catch.

Oh, alright. But you're not going to like it.

Continue reading Know Your Rights: Is it illegal to make my own ringtones?

Apple's "The Beat Goes On" event news roundup

by Nilay Patel posted Sep 5th 2007 at 7:43PM

Apple came out swinging today, with three entirely new iPod models, a color refresh of the shuffle, the launch of the iTunes WiFi Music Store, iPhone ringtones and a price cut, and a partnership with Starbucks -- if you blinked and missed something, here's a brief recap of what went down at Moscone West:

Live Coverage / Hands-on

iPod / iTunes

iPhone

Apple set to launch ringtone service for iPhone September 5th?

by Sean Cooper posted Aug 31st 2007 at 2:23PM

The New York Post is reporting that Apple's September 5th dog and pony show is set to usher in the age of iTunes as ringtone-management software for iPhone. Apparently the rumored service will see iTunes able to convert any song into a ringtone -- for a fee, of course -- and you'll even have the ability to dictate which portion of the song becomes the tone. The offering will also include the ability to use previously purchased tunes as ringtones, and we're hoping your own music in iTunes, too. We're feeling this is long overdue, but can assume that Apple could have been in conversation with the labels to sort out the financials of all this magic. Watch this space next week for more news on pricing and availability -- if indeed, it actually pans out.

[Via AppleInsider]

What happened to the iPhone's Ringtones tab?

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 27th 2007 at 3:47PM

See that picture on the right? It comes straight from the iPhone's Q&A page. Go ahead, count the iTunes tabs... we'll wait. Right, 8 tabs. Up until now, Apple's only been showing the iPhone's iTunes sync with 6 tabs: Summary, Info, Music, Photos, Podcasts, and Video. So what can we expect on the other two (assuming this isn't another graphics screw-up)? Well, MacRumors is speculating Ringtones on one of them, and we think they're right. After all, we photographed a Ringtones tab during the iPhone's MacWorld debut. They're reporting that the unreleased iTunes version 7.3 -- listed as a requirement on the iPhone specs page -- will introduce a steep, $0.99 ringtones service to create your own 30 second ringtone from available iTunes (store) tracks. No word on whether it will work with tracks you already own. Whatever the case, Apple certainly seems poised to make good on their promise to "surprise and delight" iPhone owners with software updates. $0.99, though? If true, well, it would definitely be surprising since that's the cost to purchase a full single. Now, what could that other tab be for?

Update: And sure enough, Apple's dropped the image back down to six tabs. (Shown above.) Why fight it, Cupertino? You know we're all watching. Thanks, Duvi.

Commodore's Gravel In Home and In Public MediaTower

by Cyrus Farivar posted Aug 31st 2006 at 5:02PM

Just in case one Commodore product wasn't enough, the company will announce two other new hardware products at IFA. As a sister item to the Gravel In Pocket, Commodore will also demo the Commodore In Home, and like the name says, it's for the casa. The Gravel In Home comes with an 80GB drive to give you access to video on demand, Replay TV and streaming music services. Like the Gravel In Pocket, it too will be available in a few months. The Los Angeles-based company also announced the Commodore In Public MediaTower, a kiosk to download music, ringtones, games and the like from "high traffic public areas" via USB, WAP or Bluetooth -- something we're surprised that Apple didn't come out with first. Then again, maybe Stevie J.'s already got one in the pipeline. [Warning: PDF link!]