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Apple and other music retailers purportedly looking at 24-bit, high-fidelity audio downloads
Digital downloads, at least pertaining to music, have come a long, long way. The iTunes Music Store in particular has surpassed Walmart as America's leading seller of music, and it's evolved from a DRM-laden mess to a restriction-free(ish) marketplace with higher-than-average bitrate support. But it seems that 256kbps simply isn't high enough. According to unnamed "executives involved in talks," Apple -- as well as a few other digital music retailers -- are currently in discussions with labels to "improve the quality of the song files they sell." Essentially, these retailers are hoping to hawk 24-bit audio rather than the compressed 16-bit files available today, possibly with a price premium attached. The real trick, however, won't be coercing the labels to cooperate, but to retool future devices to actually play back 24-bit files. iTunes itself is already capable of handling 'em, but the iPod, iPhone and a slew of other handheld devices aren't. The report doesn't mention how close to a deal anyone is, but we're guessing it'll be sooner rather than later. Here's hoping the iPhone 5 ships with 128GB of capacity -- we're going to need an awful lot of space to handle those lossless Police albums.
Radiohead releasing new downloadable album, MC Hammer releases new iPad single
You may remember, about four years ago, Radiohead raising a stink over the digital release of its album In Rainbows. The band decided to "sell" the album on its website, asking fans to pay whatever they wanted, while at the same time shunning Apple's iTunes service, claiming they wanted to sell the album rather than individual songs. Back then, Radiohead's statement was pretty amazing, if only because there weren't a lot of other digital channels besides Apple's store. Now, of course, there are a few more ways to buy your music online. Radiohead's gone iTunes anyway, and more artists have decided to sell music themselves. But Radiohead is back at it -- they've announced that a new album will be sold a little more traditionally, but at a US$9 download for an MP3 version, as well as physically starting at $48. I doubt it'll be quite as disruptive a model as In Rainbows was, but figured it was worth a mention. And speaking of releasing new music, MC Hammer released a brand new single on the Flipboard iPad app this month. You'll know Flipboard as a social aggregator, but apparently the company took a musical turn the other week when it premiered the brand new single "See Her Face" on the pages of its app alone. There's no word on how the release went over, but you can listen to the song itself, even if you don't have the iPad app, on Flipboard's site.
iPod classic still the 5th most popular US MP3 player
Speculation has been poking around lately that the iPod classic's time is not long for this world, but before you start etching out the gravestone, take a look at these recent sales rankings from the NPD Group. According to the numbers, the iPod classic is still the fifth most popular MP3 player in the US, right behind all four versions of the iPod touch. Apple, in fact, claims 9 out of the top 10 spots on the list, but while the shuffle and the nano are down in the 6-9 spots, the iPod classic still reigns supreme when you don't need to have apps. That makes sense -- despite my iPhone, I still carry around an old 80 GB iPod, and I'd still maintain that for people who really want to carry their whole music library in their pocket, there's no match for the iPod classic and its, well, ... classic click wheel design. In fact, as we suggested, in opposition to all of the naysayers proclaiming the death of the old school iPod, a refresh is much more likely: Apple could add much more capacity, especially considering the improvements in memory lately. And while apps are nice, and 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity make for things like streaming music, some people just want to sit back and listen to gigabytes' worth of MP3 files. Long live the iPod classic!
Amazon MP3 app hits BlackBerry phones
It may not quite be enough to bring non-BlackBerry users into the fold, but RIM has finally scored one long awaited coup to keep its current users happy -- it's just announced that the Amazon MP3 application is now available for download from the BlackBerry App World. While still technically in beta, the app will let you purchase and download music both over WiFi and over the air, and it includes plenty of BlackBerry-specific functionality, including sharing via BBM in addition to the usual social networking features, and full integration with BlackBerry's Universal Search and Media Library. Hit up the link below for a closer look, or simply download it yourself to try it out first hand -- it is free, after all.
Cowon X7 debuts in home market of Korea with 4.3-inch screen, American ambitions
What was merely an indistinct outline in August is today a bona fide retail product. Cowon has made its X7 PMP official over in South Korea, letting us take a gander at the spec sheet if not necessarily buy one just yet. A 4.3-inch touchscreen takes center stage, backed by up to 160GB of hard drive storage and a battery rated to last for 103 hours of music or 10 hours of video playback. An FM radio tuner, built-in speaker, and Bluetooth chip fill out the "retro modern" body, while the software front reveals DivX-encoded video compatibility and a smattering of your usual note-taking and utility apps. The standard 160GB model is going on sale for 339,000 KRW ($304), or if you're a globetrotter and need a set of preinstalled dictionaries, it'll set you back 379,000 KRW ($340). There's no word on US availability just yet, but this thing didn't go through the chore of getting certified with the FCC for nothing.
SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ review
SanDisk's original Sansa Fuze may have had a solid run -- it's been a particular favorite among those looking for a good, inexpensive player that doesn't skimp on features or audio quality -- but there's no question that it was long overdue for an update, and SanDisk recently came through on that front with the completely revised Sansa Fuze+. Boasting a considerably sleeker design, the Fuze+ replaces the Fuze's venerable tactile click wheel with a capacitive touch panel (but not a touchscreen), and it hangs onto many of the features that made the original Fuze stand out, including a microSD card slot, FM radio, and support for a wide range of formats (including FLAC and AAC). Are all the changes for the better? Read on for our full review. %Gallery-103839%
Nielsen: growth of digital music sales flat in 2010
It's a bit early for the big music companies to start panicking, but it looks like the heyday of double-digit growth in digital music sales may now be behind us. That's according to market research firm Nielsen, at least, which found that sales in the US fell flat in 2010 after a 13 percent increase from 2008 to 2009, and a whopping 28 percent jump from 2007 to 2008. Nielsen is quick to point out, however, that it thinks this is a "plateau," and that it "doesn't mean that this digital consumption is going to drop significantly." It also still seems to be a different story outside of the US, with Nielsen reporting that digital music sales were up 7 percent in Britain, 13 percent in Germany and 19 percent in France.
Archos 32 Internet Tablet review
With there now being five (oh yes, five!) Archos Android Internet Tablets on the market, it's understandably hard to keep 'em all straight, but in our minds the 32 is easy to separate from the rest – it, along with the 28, is more of an Android PMP than anything else. With 3.2 inches of resistive touchscreen, the 32 packs the specs of a typical media player: 8GB of storage, media player software with support for loads of audio and video formats, and a VGA camera. But unlike most, it runs Android 2.1 (2.2 will be a firmware update, we're told), which adds quite a bit more functionality in terms of applications and web browsing. And it's also got an accelerometer for playing games. At $150, it seems like a pretty good deal, especially when you consider that it's cheaper than an iPod Touch or even a Zune HD (depending on where you're shopping), but there are a few issues that may hold you back from forking over the cash. You'll want to check out our full review after the break to find out just what those are. %Gallery-103173%
Napster app arrives on iOS, completes the circle of life
Before the iPhone, the iPod, and iTunes, there was Napster. The original gangster of digital music distribution has undergone many changes since its heyday as a pirate's Shangri-La, though this latest one seems to be the most fitting. A new app for the aforementioned iOS devices as well as the iPad has been launched, giving you the full Napster experience in a more portable form factor. That means that for $10 a month you can stream and cache music from a library of 10 million songs -- yes, offline listening is available too -- essentially turning your iDevice into the Apple equivalent of a Zune Pass-equipped music station. Good times ahead, eh sailor? [Thanks, Louis Choi]
Icarus preps Fallen Earth soundtrack release
Once upon a time, we spent an afternoon ripping audio files out of the recesses of our Fallen Earth directory. This wasn't fun, or especially productive, but the end result was a collection of MP3 snippets strung together on a playlist labeled FE Soundtrack. The whole hackneyed effort served as a stop-gap measure for getting our daily dose of wasteland ambiance while waiting patiently on an official solution. Happily, this half-arsed attempt is about to become obsolete, as Icarus Studios is gearing up to release their Firefly-esque soundtrack to fans all over the Grand Canyon province. The 20-track album will be available via the Fallen Earth website next week, and can be purchased for $13.99 US (or $.99 per individual track). Shiny.
iPod nano review (2010)
Apple's sixth generation of the iPod nano is essentially the first complete rethinking the product has had since its debut in 2005. The previous form factor -- slim and light with a decently sized display and clickwheel -- has been all but abandoned. The new design is a complete departure; a full touchscreen device that brings to mind something more like a large, living postage stamp than a portable music player. Along with the radical hardware redesign, Apple has infused the media player with a brand new operating system as well -- an interface that looks and plays more like iOS than iPod. We've spent the past week or so knocking the nano around to see if it's worth your hard-earned dollars, and we've got the answers inside -- so read on for our full review. %Gallery-101628%
12 people charged in iTunes royalty fraud
I guess with all of the money flowing around iTunes, sooner or later someone would have to try to steal some of it. Twelve people have been charged in the UK with basically laundering money through iTunes -- they were allegedly uploading their own tracks onto the music sales service, then buying those same tracks with stolen credit card numbers. The fraudsters nabbed over $300,000 worth of royalties in just a four month period between September 2008 and January 2009. The Register doesn't note how the 12 (who come from a surprising number of various jobs and backgrounds) came up with this idea, or how they got caught, although there was an investigation underway by the FBI. iTunes wasn't the only service defrauded -- Amazon was reportedly used for some of the transactions as well. The suspects are scheduled to appear on bail next month, and I'm sure both Apple and Amazon have taken steps to make sure this doesn't happen again. Even so, out of all of the millions if not billions of dollars running through iTunes, if this $300,000 is all of the theft they need to worry about, Apple's doing pretty well anyway. [via MDN]
Syabas provides tease of upcoming PopBox UI
We've already seen a lot of the Popbox, which is due out on July 23rd, but now we're getting a peek at the UI. Screenshots revealed on the company's blog showcase a welcome screen featuring quick access to the media library, apps, search and settings. We've also got a center "home" bar of presumably customizable widgets for at a glance weather and Twitter updates -- two snippets that you'll undoubtedly be refreshing at a near-maddening pace. Prominent features in the shared media library view include a top navigation bar for browsing by media type and a left sub navigation rail for media subgroups. Features aside though, these slightly distorted images definitely resemble the original Boxee interface, but we're all reminded that what we're seeing now is just an initial version. In other words, don't be shocked and appalled if significant updates come quickly after the device's official launch, cool? %Gallery-97450%
City of Heroes Going Rogue soundtrack available on iTunes and Amazon
There's just a little more than a month left until City of Heroes players get to take the new expansion for a spin, and Going Rogue's promotions have been stepped up accordingly. Oddly, while the art direction, storytelling, and mechanical aspects of the expansion have all gotten significant attention, we've heard very little about the music that will be expected to set the mood. But if you really want to know, there's no need to speculate -- the soundtrack is already available for purchase. Available both on iTunes and Amazon (albeit slightly cheaper on Amazon), the soundtrack contains 13 pieces composed by Jason Graves, previously of Dead Space and Command & Conquer 4 fame. The previews available suggest a highly orchestral and high-energy collection of pieces, with each piece giving a distinct and different feel from the familiar melodies of the Rogue Isles and Paragon City. Going Rogue players may well want to pick up the soundtrack, as it's only a few bucks and should conjure some engaging images for future City of Heroes adventures.
Samsung MP3 player goes 60 hours on a charge
Once upon a time, it meant something to have a digital audio player that went upwards of two full days without needing a charge. Since then, we've seen many, many examples, and it's just not that exciting anymore. But you know what? It's still not that often we see a DAP with 60 hours of battery life and a 3-inch, QVGA TFT LCD that plays ten hours of DivX, Xvid, WMV and H.264 video to boot, so we think Samsung's YP-RB might deserve an honorable mention. The player was recently spotted in a Korean distributor catalog in 4, 8 and 16GB varieties, and we hope (but doubt, given tricky patent licensing issues) that we'll see one stateside sometime soon.
Archos Vision 3 with VGA cam arriving this summer
Oh, we see what you're doing here with the updated Vision 3, Archos -- going straight for the $149 iPod Nano's jugular by pricing the 8GB, VGA cam-toting player under $100. Pretty clever, and after spending a few minutes with the small PMP, we have reason to believe that Archos may just have better luck than ever before. The 3-inch touchscreen on the Vision A30VC is responsive and the interface easy to navigate, and though the 640×480-resolution camera won't capture award-winning footage, you can tap to record video and snap some stills. Sure, the plastic body feels much cheaper than the iPod's anodized aluminum back, but at under $100 we're not complaining. Check out some hands-on pics of the gadget below, and look for the little guy to hit retailers in late summer. %Gallery-92368%
Download an MP3 from the official God of War III soundtrack
Like good, sane people, our friends at AOL Radio are huge fans of God of War. They've not only managed to add the entire God of War III original soundtrack to the Video Games Score station, but they're also giving away a free downloadable MP3 from the upcoming PS3 game. "Brothers of Blood," composed by Cris Velasco, has everything you'd expect from a God of War instrumental track: a brass-heavy orchestral score with dramatic choral singing. Should you want your morning commute to get a little more vengeance-y, head over to the AOL Radio blog to download the MP3 onto your favorite MP3 player.
Ask TUAW: File ownership and permissions, converting FLV and OGG, extra displays, and more
Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we have questions about changing file ownership and permissions, adding two external displays to a MacBook Pro, converting OGG and FLV files on an older Mac, transferring a Time Machine backup to a new disk, and more. As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.
Ask Engadget: Best no-frills portable media player?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Cam, who don't need no stinkin' app store for his next digital audio player. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm getting quite sick of my Sansa Clip, with it deciding when and when it doesn't want to work. I'm looking for a new PMP. The only requirement is that it has at least 4GB of storage, and supports FLAC files. Expandable memory would be cool too." We appreciate the brevity, Cam. In your spirit, we'll skip the usual coaxing and just demand that those with lovable gym-certified PMPs drop some knowledge in comments below. And... go!
Apple serves up 10 billionth iTune, smiles all the way to the bank
Whether you love it or loathe it, there is now no way to deny the spectacular success of Apple's iTunes Store. The proprietary digital media player, organizer and salesperson has just now recorded its 10 billionth song download, marking a truly unique achievement in the still nascent world of digital distribution. Congratulations to Apple, whose response has been to thank you all for spending so much cash and making El Steve look like the techno pied piper. Hit the source link to find out what the most downloaded songs of "all time" were... you might not be surprised by the top three, but you should definitely be horrified.
