ItunesTagging
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Pure's FlowSongs to rival iTunes tagging, won't be limited to select stations
For whatever reason, iTunes tagging never really has taken off. One could chalk it up to soft marketing or just a limited number of supported devices and stations, but either way, it seems that consumers have far more efficient ways to find music they like than to hear 'em on the radio, tag 'em, and download 'em later. Over in the UK, though, Pure is going ahead with a full-on competitor, as FlowSongs offers select Pure Digital radios (Avanti Flow, the Evoke Flow, the Oasis Flow, the Siesta Flow and the Sensia) to connect with the 7digital network in order to mark songs, purchase them for around £1 each and then have them streamed via one's Lounge account and to as many compatible Pure radios as you'd like. Songs that are found via DAB, FM or internet stations can be tagged, and all downloads are completely free of DRM. Better still, the "vast majority" of tracks will be encoded at 320kbps, though you will have to stomach a minor £2.99 yearly fee in order to pay for the Shazam portion of the service. It's all slated to go live on Monday across the pond, and you can give those links below a visit if you're thirsty for more.
Microsoft facing patent lawsuit over Zune Buy From FM feature
Looks like someone at Microsoft should be paying slightly more attention to the mail: an ophthalmologist (yes, that's right) in Illinois named Edward Yavitz is suing Redmond over the Zune's Buy From FM feature, saying he wrote the software giant a letter in 2006 that disclosed his two relevant patents on the tech, suggested how it could be integrated into the Zune, and asked for a deal. Two years and presumably zero replies later, a young Joe Belfiore introduced Buy From FM along with the Zune 3.0 software, which Ed says directly infringes on his patents -- and his lawsuit, filed ten days ago, asks the court to permanently stop sales of the Zune and award him triple damages in cash. Oops. We haven't dived too deeply into the patents themselves, but it looks like Ed's going to have a bit of a fight on his hands here, as the patents seem to describe systems that have preloaded content about music that's then accessed when a data trigger is received over the air, not just storing song information for later purchase over the Internet. We're sure the good doctor's attorneys have some high-powered arguments to the contrary, so we'll withhold judgment and see where this all leads -- we're guessing a quick settlement is in the cards, as fighting Microsoft might end up actually costing more than any percentage of royalties on total sales of the Zune. P.S.- If you're wondering why Apple hasn't been named for its similar iTunes Tagging feature... well, so are we. We'll see what happens.
Ford becomes first automaker to offer HD Radio with iTunes tagging
If you thought the automakers would be leaving CES to the TV and PMP makers, Ford would like to have a word with you. A few words, actually. Aside from announcing that in-car WiFi will be available next year, the iconic blue oval is today calling itself the first car manufacturer to offer factory-installed HD Radio with iTunes tagging capabilities. Slated to become available on select 2011 Ford models sometime next year, the implementation will enable listeners of HD Radio to "tag" songs they like via a single button press; from there, the song information will be logged within the radio's memory, and up to 100 tags on Sync can be stored until an iPod is connected to suck them down. Once that data hits the iPod, users can then preview or purchase them conveniently through iTunes. There's no word yet on pricing (we're being forced to wait until CES), but we're guessing it'll demand quite the premium.
iTunes tagging comes to London iPod nano owners: a European first
Hard to believe it but iTunes tagging has finally arrived in Europe. Well, Great Britain. The UK? Fine, England. Ok, ok, to those parts of London where you can tune into Absolute Radio 105.8FM -- the only European station to have inked a deal with Seattle-based Jump2Go (developer of the tech) and Britain's own Unique Interactive. Owners of the new iPod nano with built-in FM radio can now tag songs they're listening to for later purchase from the iTunes store when docked. Video demonstration after the break for you London newbs.
Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80
Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel dongle you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters. %Gallery-77806%
Gigaware adapter brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80
Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel in-line adapter you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters. %Gallery-77806%
Apple adds video camera, larger screen to new 5G iPod nano
Apple sure took long enough to get to this, but just as rumored, the iPod nano is seeing a hotly-anticipated refresh today. The big addition? A camera that just so happens to shoot live video (but not stills, apparently). On the lower left of the new fifth-generation nano, you'll find the camera as well as a speaker and microphone, but unfortunately you'll have to sync it with your computer before you upload clips to YouTube. The camera-laden nanos will be available starting today in a rainbow's worth of hues (nine, if we're being precise), with the 8GB model pegged at $149 and the 16GB edition at $179 -- though, we should mention that yellow and red are Apple Store exclusives. Oh, and oddly / tragically enough, the iPod nano is officially the only dedicated iPod with a camera, leaving the iPod touch -- and every human on the planet -- scratching their head in befuddlement. Meanwhile, iPhone 3G users are equally bewildered by the fact that a mid-range iPod can shoot video while a fully-capable smartphone cannot.As for other specs, you'll find a built-in FM tuner with Live Pause (!) and iTunes Tagging, a pedometer (you know, for that fancy Nike+ integration), VoiceOver, support for voice memos and a larger 2.2-inch display (up from 2.0-inches) with a 376 x 240 resolution. As for the camera, we're told that the video capture mode snags footage in VGA quality (640 x 480) H.264, with up to 30fps and AAC audio. If you're feeling fancy, there's also 15 real-time special effects including Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido and Motion Blur (among others). As for dimensions, the 5G nano remains identical to the 4G nano at 3.6- x 1.5- x 0.24-inches, though it somehow shaves a whopping 0.02 ounces as it climbs down from 1.3 to 1.28 ounces. Curious about battery life? Apple claims that the new nano can last up to 24 hours when playing back audio (same as 4G nano), while video playback should zap the rechargeable battery in just five hours (which is up an hour over its predecessor).Update: Check out our first hands-on live from the event!
iLuv rolls out iHD171 HD radio with iPhone / iPod dock, iTunes tagging
iLuv has been on quite the roll of late with these radio clocks and whatnot, though we're a touch more excited than usual about the iHD171. For starters, this one tunes into HD Radio stations (you know, given how FM is so 2006), and it also plays nice with dock-connecting iPods and iPhones. You'll find twin alarms for keeping couples happy, a front-panel display, iTunes tagging support, jAura speaker technology, an auxiliary line input (3.5-millimeter jack) and twin 4-watt drivers. If all that's enough for you to exchange $199.99 for, you can do just that next month. Full release is after the jump.
Alpine's head unit supports iPods, DivX playback and everything else
When you call your product a Mobile Multimedia Solution it had better offer up a pretty robust set of connectivity options; especially when it costs $1,100. In that manner, Alpine's new WXGA touch-screen IVA-W505 doesn't disappoint. The 7-inch DVD/CD/MP3/AAC/WMA/DivX AV head unit offers Bluetooth hands-free connectivity and touch control over all your in-car digital media sources. The list includes HD/Sat radio (with iTunes tagging) and MP3/WMA players like iPods and USB sticks. The double-DIN unit is IMPRINT, acoustic-correction ready and serves as a dock for Alpine's PMD-B200 portable GPS unit. Sweet. Available now through authorized dealers in North America.
Polk Audio strikes another deal, winds up in Apple Stores
Directed Electronics' president and CEO Jim Minarik isn't letting Polk Audio sit idly while rivals make a push to get all up in your grille -- oh no. Just days after the firm announced that its products would be hitting Best Buy later this year, now it's proudly proclaiming that Polk's logo will also be seen in Apple Stores this March. In particular, consumers will notice Polk Audio's I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 (ES2), which is hailed as the "world's first product" to feature iTunes tagging for HD Radio. Curiously, there's no word as to whether any other Polk items will show up in Apple Stores, but we suppose we've only got a month or so to find out.
Sony rocks out the HD radio
Sony's PR blitz continues with the announcement of two HD Radio products, a tuner and a radio-iPod dock combo. The XDR-F1HD Tuner and the XDR-S10HDiP HD Radio can both tune in the estimated 1,500 digital stations nationwide. The XDR-F1HD is an add-on tuner with LCD display and a wireless remote, set to launch in March for $100. The XDR-S10HDiP docking station sports an iPod interface and iTunes Tagging, the ability to tag songs while listening for later purchase using the iTunes Music Store. It will be available in the summer for $180.
Alpine's TUA-T550HD tunes HD Radio, supports iTunes tagging
The natural successor to the TUA-T500HD does more than just enable a slew of HD Radio-ready Alpine head units to tune into HD Radio, as it throws in that recently unveiled iTunes tagging feature for good measure. Hailed as "one of the first in-car applications combining HD Radio with iTunes tagging," this accessory will team up with Alpine's latest lineup of in-dash players to let users bookmark over-the-air tracks for purchase at a later time, effectively eliminating the "Now what was that song?" syndrome. Sadly, we've yet to see a definitive price or release date, but you can rest assured that the TUA-T550HD is on the way.
HD Radio rolls out iTunes tagging
Well you may have missed this particular feature in your rush to pick up Polk's I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 table radio, but like its upcoming iHD brother from JBL, the ES2 is one of the first HD Radio models to feature a new iTunes tagging option that lets users bookmark over-the-air tracks for later purchase. In a symbiotic program that should potentially benefit studios, consumers, and perhaps even the medium itself, Apple hooked up with HD Radio developer iBiquity to integrate a "Tag" button into future hardware releases, which when triggered loads metadata about the current song to memory for future transfer to a docked iPod. Once that iPod has been synced with iTunes, users will have the option of previewing and / or buying elements of the specific playlist that's been cobbled together. Le's just hope Universal and Apple make nice sooner rather than later, because the absence of a major label from iTunes certainly isn't gonna do anything to turn us into a nation of taggers.
HD Radios to allow tagging for later iTunes purchase
Playlist has an interesting story on upcoming HD Radios from Polk and JBL which will feature an iTunes tagging feature. Basically these radios receive the new HD Radio digital audio broadcasts that are starting to be rolled out around the country (and world). Each will have a tag button that you can press while listening to the radio and it will record the title, artist, etc. of the playing track. You can then plug your iPod into the built-in dock and it will transfer the data over; when you next sync the iPod to your Mac it will transfer the tracks to a "Tagged" playlist in iTunes. You can then preview and/or purchase these tracks as normal from the iTunes Store. Of course it would be rather cooler to have something like this built-in to an iPod with an HD Radio receiver, but I think it's a neat idea nonetheless. The first device to support iTunes tagging will be the Polk I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 (right) available in October for $499.
