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Starbucks to distribute iTunes "Song of the day" cards
When the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks launches in New York and Seattle on Tuesday, October 2nd, the coffee giant will be armed with promotions.First of all, they'll distribute 1.5 million "Song of the day" cards across 10,000 locations. Each card will provide a free single from artists like Bob Dylan (Of course - Steve loves Dylan. In fact, Dylan's "Joker Man" will be the first giveaway), Paul McCartney and Dave Matthews via iTunes (US). They'll be valid until the end of 2007.Also, select Starbucks locations will sell "iTunes Digital Release Cards," which allow customers to download music and bonus materials (like music videos and digital booklets) from artists like KT Tunstall and Eddie Vedder. These must be activated at Starbucks before use in the iTunes Store (US).Finally, they'll also be selling the "Starbucks Card Plus Two"; a re-chargable coffee card that includes two free downloads from iTunes (US).If you're unfamiliar with the partnership, the iPhone and iPod Touch will be equipped with software that can "detect" a nearby Starbucks (in participating locations), and allow customers to purchase the song playing over the store's stereo system directly from those devices. Starbucks will provide free wireless access to the Wi-Fi iTunes Music Store (and only the Wi-Fi iTunes Music Store - meaning you've still got to pay for wireless internet, email, etc.).New York and Seattle will pilot the program, with more major metropolitan locations being added throughout 2008 and 2009. In short, they're really going to push this thing. Since the launch date of the joint venture is Oct. 2nd, we probably won't see the Wi-Fi iTunes Music Store on our iPhones or iPod Touches before then. Bummer.
Starbucks planning 50 million song giveaway for iTunes launch
We knew Starbucks was kicking off its new partnership with Apple on October 2nd, but apparently the 'bucks is pulling out all the stops for the launch with a 50 million song giveaway to start things off. From October 2nd to November 7th, baristas across the country will be handing out 1.5 million "Song of the day" cards each day, which can be redeemed at Apple's iTunes store -- though most stores won't have the free iTunes functionality set up for redeeming your prize in-store by the time the promotion ends. There will be 600 stores in New York and Seattle offering up free iTunes downloads via laptop, iPhone or iPod touch on October 2nd, with San Francisco to follow in early November. Starbucks will also start selling "digital release" cards that let you download a specific album online. Starbucks promises to upgrade a quarter of its stores to iTunes-fi by the end of the year, and roll out the functionality to its entire chain of WiFi shops by the end of 2009.
PC Mag gives iPod Touch an Editor's Choice
PC Magazine has given the iPod Touch a 5/5 score and their Editor's Choice award. High praise even from a definitely non-Apple source. Tom Gideon calls it "a thing of beauty," and says it's the best iPod ever. Well, no duh.He does say a major drawback is that the WiFi store doesn't contain movies, but that's just a matter of time, isn't it? Otherwise, he says the store works great, and will allow for plenty of spur-of-the-moment music purchasing (which surely Apple will love). Gideon even spends quite a bit of time on what I really think is one of the most important features of the iPod Touch-- the Starbucks integration. Every time you pass a Starbucks, an icon shows up in the dock of the iPod Touch's iTunes WiFi screen, and that is huge. Advertisers with even a little bit of forward-looking ability are probably fainting at the thought of what they can do with what.Strangely enough, Gideon doesn't mention the one problem I have with an iPod Touch, and the reason I'm sticking with my video iPod: the memory. 8 and 16gb are just embarrassing for a serious music player, whether the interface is amazing or not. For Gideon and other folks with only 16gb of music, obviously it's not a problem. But for us music lovers, who want to carry around our entire collection in our pockets, the current Touch doesn't cut it. Better to stick with a classic and leave the awesome interface for the iPhone.
Apple's "The Beat Goes On" event news roundup
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 Steve Jobs live -- Apple's "The beat goes on" special event iPod touch first hands-on iPod nano 3G first hands-on iPod classic first hands-on iTunes WiFi Music Store first hands-on iPod / iTunes Meet the new iPod family Apple announces (PRODUCT) RED iPod shuffle, new colors Apple announces new 3rd gen iPod nano Apple's new iPod classic Apple's iPod touch gets official Apple announces iTunes WiFi Music Store Apple and Starbucks join up for iTunes WiFi purchase iPhone Apple adds iPhone ringtones to iTunes iPhone to get iTunes WiFi Music Store, too Apple cuts 8GB iPhone price to $399 Apple killing 4GB iPhone, $299 while supplies last Where the hell is the 3G iPhone for Europe? We might know.
Apple and Starbucks, sitting in a tree
The most surprising announcement to come out of this afternoon's press conference was Apple's partnership with Starbucks. The new iPods and WiFi iTunes store were always possibilities. The Starbucks deal was unexpected.My initial reaction was amusement: Well, that's a silly thing! But now I get it. They've turned something that costs Starbucks money into an opportunity for profit.Consider music videos. Five years ago, there were pricey ads that consumers got for free and generated no income. Yes, you may argue that they influence the sale of albums and concert tickets, but in and of themselves, music videos weren't making money.Now Apple sells videos in the iTunes store. People pay to watch the advertisements. Retail chains pay a fee for the music they pipe into their stores. Just like the music videos, Apple has created a profit opportunity for Starbucks (and themselves, of course).Still think it's silly? Imagine when ten retailers are on board. Or twenty. Or television networks. Grey's Anatomy ends with a description of the week's featured pop tune. Why not grab it then and there?When this catches on, it will be big.
Apple and Starbucks join up for iTunes WiFi purchases
Before you get too excited about this new "feature" Apple announced today in regards to its iTunes WiFi Music Store, you should be warned it's not half as neat as it sounds. Apple and Starbucks are partnering to bring you that lame sauce song playing way too loudly over your local Starbucks's soundsystem. When you're in a Starbucks T-Mobile hotspot, an icon will pop up on the iTunes WiFi Music Store that allows you to purchase that track from a playlist of recently played songs in that store. You also get free WiFi access to the iTunes Music Store -- not quite as great as full-on free WiFi, but we'll take what we can get.
Not one but three new Apple stores
Apple is heading out on a store-opening spree in the next few days (hopefully populated with brand new iPods). If you're in Louisville, San Jose, or Boston, here's three new places you can hang out with Geniuses and play with the iPhone. As Dave noted yesterday, the store at Oxmoor in Louisville, KY has a grand opening scheduled on Thursday at 6pm. Los Gatos, CA, just south of San Jose, is cutting the ribbon at that same time. And the store at the Natick Collection in Natick, MA (which our readers have actually voiced a need for-- Apple is listening!) opens Friday morning at 10 am. Remember that dude who's going around to visit every Starbucks? I'd bet visiting every Apple Store would be a much more fun (albeit more expensive) trip. How come no one's done that yet?Thanks to everyone who sent these in!
T-Mobile offers free wi-fi with latest update
Reluctant to update your PSP to the latest firmware? You may want to reconsider. The latest firmware offers PSP users the ability to access T-Mobile's wi-fi service for free. T-Mobile HotSpots can be found at over 8,000 locations across the US, and can be found in Starbucks, Borders, FedEx Kinko's, Hyatt, Red Roof Inns, Sofitel and Novotel Hotels, and select airports. Now, you'll be able to frag friends through Infrastructure almost anywhere in the US ... for free! How sweet is that? I went to a Starbucks to test it out, and found the process is quite easy: Bring your PSP® system to a location that provides a T-Mobile HotSpot. (Refer to the T-Mobile HotSpot U.S. Location Map.) Select (Network Settings) under (Settings). Select [Infrastructure Mode]. Select [New Connection]. Select [Use Wireless Hotspot]. Select the T-Mobile HotSpot icon. If you have an existing T-Mobile HotSpot account, select [Enter User Credentials].Enter your user ID and password, and then press the right button.orIf you do not have an account, select [Use Promotional Access] to sign up for a complimentary six-month T-Mobile HotSpot account. (To qualify for this promotional access, you must authenticate your PSP® system to the T-Mobile HotSpot network prior to March 28, 2008.) Check the contents of the settings list. Save the settings. [Via PlayStation]
Starbucks launches record label
Building on the success of its iTunes-based "Hear Music" page, Starbucks has decided to launch its own record label. Hear Music will sign its own artists, and sell its recordings through Starbucks stores and iTunes. According to the AP, Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment, says the company has focused on the success of its iTunes page. One can only presume that in addition to the standard RIAA/Simon Cowell approach[1] to signing musicians, Starbucks will also provide a small percentage of highly-decaffeinated Fair Trade Certified™ recordings, where lucky musicians will receive equitable royalties if ordered in Grande or Venti sizes. Because "Medium" and "Large" talents do not exist at Starbucks. [1] You have potential but frankly I was bored.[2] [2] I really felt your performance. You made it your own.[3] [3] Dawg. Dawg. Dawg.
Fon wants you to help steal business from Starbucks and T-Mobile
Oh tricky, sneaky Fon. Fresh off their 10,000 Fonero giveaway, they're stepping up the ante with how they give away their loss-leader routers. Their newest campaign is sure to strike a chord with armchair entrepreneurs and Adbusters fans alike: if you live within the immediate vicinity of a Starbucks (read: WiFi range), Fon would like to send you one of their Foneros. Why? Because, if you recall, when you allow users to connect with your internet connection over your Fonero, Fon splits the profit with you -- $1 for every user (who pays $2 to use your connection). So for every $10 T-Mobile / Starbucks WiFi user you swipe, Fon gives you a buck; now, granted this still isn't a scheme for those paranoid about home network security, bandwidth usage, or nefarious hax0rs type with a spoofed MAC and a keen eye for easy hotspot access, but who knows, for those near Starbucks (yes, they'll be checking against known locations) it might even be worth it to buy a budget DSL line just to profit with Fon.
T-Mobile promises three free months of WiFi for Vista users
We know, it's a tough call. Do you stick with the operating system you finally got running like a well-oiled machine, or do you throw caution to the wind and pick up Vista even though service packs are already in the works? Just in case you needed a little more persuading to upgrade your laptop to Microsoft's latest OS, or to snag a brand new machine with Vista pre-installed, T-Mobile is hoping to coax users by offering up three months of free hotspot service at the firm's North American WiFi access points found at Starbucks, Borders, FedEx-Kinkos, hotel chains, etc. Interestingly, the offer actually goes "live" on Australia Day, while the freebie comes to an end on April 30th, so if you somehow acquire yourself a copy before the January 30th street date, you can snag a few more precious hours of gratis surfing courtesy of Mr. Gates and T-Mobile.[Via BetaNews]
Starbucks Entertainment now in iTunes Store
We interrupt your late day latte to bring you the news that Starbucks and Apple have brewed a deal that brings the soothing sounds of the Starbucks Hear Music catalog direct to your desktop and/or iPod via iTunes. They're serious too... there's an entire Starbucks Entertainment area within the iTunes Store now. Starbucks knows prime real estate when they see it! I just checked it out [iTS link] and it's off to a good start. You'll find most of the collections and releases that you'd typically find in CD form next to the cash register at Starbucks, along with a handful of suggested playlists, including several "Artist's Choice" collections (Mick Jagger digs Sade.. who knew?). There will also be exclusive content that even XM Radio subscribers like me probably won't get on the Hear Music channel.Any time there's a convergence of two of my favorite things from two of my favorite companies, I wish it well.
Starbucks contest features image recognition via MMS
If you're looking for the most high-tech way to win a trip to Costa Rica, we think we've got your answer right here. Starbucks' Summer Pursuit game uses trivia questions sent via SMS to weed out contestants -- nothing too interesting there, but answers can be sent with a reply text or by MMSing a picture of the answer to an email address. Seems a bit dangerous to us, since we're guessing the recognition rate isn't 100% and we Americans sure do like to sue when things don't go our way -- but if it means we can snap a pic of "triple Venti extra-hot sugar-free hazelnut soy latte" instead of typing it in via T9, we're all for it.[Via textually.org]
PhoneTag for Amp'd: stalking friends and strangers in the real world
Matt Damon and best friend/business partner Ben Affleck will soon be providing us with entertainment at more places than just the cineplex, as the two are set to take over the small screen as well -- on your cellphone. Unfortunately for fans of their acting talents, Damon and Affleck's contribution to the world of mobile content will come in the form of a video game from their production company, LivePlanet, that utilizes the location-awareness functionality on players' mobiles. Called PhoneTag, the subscription-based game is basically a real-world, touchless version of tag, where competitors join a match and use their handsets to track down friends or strangers in real world spaces, hitting a "capture" button when their prey is close enough. This online offering will be available exclusively from Amp'd Mobile, and will feature safehouses sponsored by establishments such as Starbucks, where players can congregate to become untraceable on their opponents' maps (and obviously pass the time drinking copious amounts of coffee).
