July 11, 2008

iPhone 3G Launch Day and Impressions

I went to the local mall today around 5PM. There were about 100 people on line at the Apple store outside. Inside the store looked like a total zoo. I asked the guy out front and he said the wait would take 1-2 hours. Then I remembered there was an AT&T store in the same mall.

Hilariously there was only 5 people on line at the AT&T store. They also had an iPhone 3G display. My initial impressions were pretty mixed. It seems the 3G iPhone has the same crappy screen that the iPod Touch has. My day one iPhone has crisp color renditions and great viewing angles. The 3G iPhone's colors look like a crappy TN LCD panel with dithered colors, weak dark detail, and bad view angles. Suffice it to say, I won't be upgrading anytime soon. However if you must get an iPhone 3G in the coming days, go to the AT&T store to save yourself some time.

June 14, 2008

Sennheiser PC-166 Pro Gaming Headset with Microphone Review

I recently bought the Sennheiser PC-166 headset from B&H for $89.50. It replaces an old plastic Plantronics headset that hurt my ears and had pretty weak microphone that fellow Skypers said made me sound like a high-pitched cartoon character.

Fear not, the Sennheiser restored my manliness over Skype as the same friends said the sound comes across much better and clearer. It is also much more comfortable to wear during those long VOIP conversations and Counterstrike gaming sessions. Moreover the sound quality through the USB digital interface and the better "speaker cans" is head and shoulders above my old headset. Every nuance and detail comes across beautifully in music and sound effects. Highly recommended. It's worth the premium price if you Skype often and play a lot of games that need a microphone/headset functionality. - Discuss

March 01, 2008

September 15, 2007

iPod Touch Screen Stinks, so I Returned it

After one day of use, I could not that take the idea I spent $400 on a crappy screen. So I returned the iPod Touch to the Apple store and took the 10% re-stocking fee hit of $40. Ouch.

It seems the bad screens are pervasive in this launch. Compared to the iPhone, it's not even a contest. The black levels look literally green and the shadow detail is non-existent. The viewing angles are very narrow and the colors seem dithered like a bad gradient. It literally is like comparing a cheap LCD TN-panel vs. a high end S-IPS LCD monitor. I can't believe that PC Magazine had the gaul to say the iPod Touch has a better screen. It simply DOES NOT. If the whole point of getting the iPod Touch is to play portable video, it sorely fails at that task. For Apple to infer is has the same screen as iPhone is pretty appalling.

It's saddening to think I've been looking forward to the video iPod of my dreams all this time and to be so utterly disappointed. I now have to resort to buying a iPod Classic, which seems to have sluggish user interface and audio quality issues of its own. Sigh. Discuss

September 13, 2007

iPod Touch Unboxing Pictures

I read that some Apple retail stores had them in stock today, so I instantly called my local store and found they have a few 16GBs in stock. Although I was wavering about getting one because of the lower than hard-drive storage capacity, once I knew I could get one, I COULD NOT RESIST. And the raving PC Mag review posted today did not help either. Damn you Steve Jobs! Damn you PC Mag! I cannot wait to watch movies and video podcasts on the iPod of my dreams! I snapped some unboxing pictures with my Nikon D40 while the new iPod is syncing. Enjoy. Discuss - Permalink





























September 02, 2007

Can't Wait for iPod Touch, eBay + Apple = the Win!

I'm dying to get my hands on the iPod Touch (next iteration of the video iPod) this Wednesday or Thursday. Everyone is expecting an iPod in a iPhone form factor with more space and no phone.

I just sold my iPod Video 5.5G for $222 on eBay a couple of days ago. Yes it was used, and yes a new one costs $249, and yes in less than a week later there will be a MUCH better iPod at that price point. The wonders of eBay.

I've noticed on selling Mac and Apple stuff over the years (an iMac, an G4 iBook, a bunch of iPods) the re-sale value is out of this world even after 2 years of use. Even though you pay and arm a leg for Apple branded stuff initially, you get it back on eBay in 2 years. Anyone else dying to get the iPod Touch this week? The first major upgrade of the iPod years. Discuss

March 23, 2007

Apple TV Innards - Internal Chips

Anandtech has dissected an Apple TV to figure out what's inside. The hard-drive was 40GB Fujitsu on a single 2.5 inch platter running at 4200 RPM with a 2MB buffer. Surprisingly Apple went with a discrete graphics solution, the GeForce Go 7300 with 64MB of GDDR3 Samsung RAM. Although they aren't entirely sure, they think the CPU is a ultra low voltage 1ghz Pentium M (Dothan core) running with a 400 mhz FSB and 2MB of L2 cache. The motherboard is an Intel Mobil 945G with 256MB of DDR system memory. For all the broo-ha-ha, it's just a cheap Intel laptop inside.

February 26, 2007

Costco Changes TV Return Policy

According to this leaked memo, Costco has decided to change its generous TV return policy from forever to 90 days. The new policy starts on February 26th for California and then rolls out across the country over the next few weeks. Too many people have abused the previous policy, just like they did with computers in the past. The company decided enough was enough. [Discuss]

November 15, 2006

Apple Video iPod Deal with Airlines

Apple has announced a deal with Continental, Delta, and United Airlines to let iPod users connect their video iPods to the seat-back displays. This lets you watch the movies on your iPod on the screen in front of you when you are flying. Good stuff. - Source

July 09, 2006

Why Bose Sucks Review Resources

The following is a list of resources you should read before you let anyone you know buy a Bose system. You can get far better sound performance for a much lower price if you buy audiophile brands such as Epos, NHT, and even the more well-known B&W. For those in the market for a pair of affordable, high fidelity "audiophile" speakers, I recommend the Usher S-520. I bought a pair recently and I'm very very satisfied. Stereophile also has a good list of audio component reviews for under $1000. If you have questions for other smart early adopters, try our discussion forum.

Smart Money Review - http://www.klipsch.com/media/Newscenter/SmartMoney%20Reprint_062404.pdf
We turn up the volume on the Bose Acoustimass 5 Series IIIsystem ($500), which includes two tiny speakers—just 6.2-inches high— and a subwoofer. Bose is the No. 1–selling speaker brand in the country, likely due to the company’s hundred or so retail stores. But it’s certainly not this audiophile’s speaker of choice. “No, no!” Reed yells, not even a minute into “Rock Minuet,” furiously waving his hands back and forth for us to stop. His complaint? The speakers deliver high- and low-end sound, but no middle. Plus, they display a “harsh high end,” and although the subwoofer adds nice bass, “it makes the guitar sound thin.”

A Bose spokesperson says that the speakers are balanced and designed to reproduce low and mid-to-high frequencies “according to the artist’s original performance.” But this artist, for one, disagrees. Still, we give the Bose another shot, this time playing hip-hop artist Mos Def, to test how the speakers handle heavy bass. “Oh no, oh no,” Reed groans, sitting up to pet Lola, his Jack Russell terrier, who’s curled up on a pillow next to him. “I’d pay money not to hear that.” “Next,” Reed demands.

Why Bose Sucks - http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
As a part of a small sect of audio enthusiasts who loathe the company Bose Corp. for its marketing deception, shortcutting in manufacturing, and shameless consumer trickery, I was recently passed on a website written by a "Bose-o-phile", who was defending the company. Upon reading his site, I vowed to represent our side: the TRUTH.. Popularity of a name brand doesn't equate to quality. Bose mystique feeds off of its well-targeted audience: the ignorant, ill-informed, mass-market consumers who search for simplified hifi audio solutions in "all-in-one" chain stores.. Audio newbies often throw out the "But I heard that Bose is good!" defense, to which I respond "From who?" Was it a sound engineer, electrical engineer, materials scientist, studio engineer, sound producer, recording professional, musician, Mark Levinson? Ray Dolby? George Lucas? Anyone credible? Or was it your neighbor with the GoldStar walkman, Teac boom box, Funai mini-system, and Sylvania receiver? Perhaps the ubiquitous Bose Ads that they find in completely irrelevant magazines such as Popular Science, Times, Playboy, GQ, People, Astronomy, etc, had some sort of subliminal effect against the better of their judgment?

Bose equipment, even the flagship LifeStyle 50, resembles the sonic performance of the 11-year-old Aiwa minisystem in my garage. For $500, the Wave Radio is an overpriced alarm clock. If you're impressed by it, have a listen to a Henry Kloss radio for a fraction of the price! For $1000, the Bose 3-2-1 can not be described as anything less than a crime against sound reproduction. The message I want everyone to take from this lengthy review is that Bose, like Bang & Olufsen and Nakamichi, sell lifestyle and designer products whose prices are very heavily saturated by image and appeal. They are by no means, no means at all performance products. They have no cost-effectiveness, no bang-for-the-buck value, and draw no respect from any true audio enthusiasts. If your goal is to appeal to and impress housewives, then this system gets the job done, but if your goal is high fidelity, high performance, high endurance, upgradeability, and fair market value pricing then I would very highly suggest you look elsewhere.

Former Speaker Salesman - http://www.hometheaterblog.com/hometheater/2006/03/what_about_bose_1.html
I’ll close in saying that Bose is very often an emotional purchase by uninformed (through no fault of their own) buyers looking to buy a ‘surround sound system’ and more often than not the size of the Satellite Cubes is what seals the deal. However if you’re after genuine sonic fidelity and aren’t limited to a speaker that’s tiny, I urge you to do your research, hear multiple systems and refrain from impulse purchases, your ears and wallet will thank you.

Leading A/V Message Board on Bose - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=343759&highlight=bose
I currently have a Bose Lifestyle 35 System. I thought I had the best system until I heard a friends Klipsch system. It litteraly blew me away. Apparently I bought advertising.

My roommate a few years back had Bose 301's. He thought they rocked. I picked up some Wharfedale Valdus 400's for about $200 less for a pair that simply made him want to cry. He said it made him sick, that he wasted all that money on a set of speakers that he cannot even listen to anymore without getting FURIOUS. To say the difference was night and day is a GROSS understatement.

The thing I don't like about bose is that in almost all of their displays the speakers are right on top of you, and usually cranked up to a very high level. This gives the consumer the idea that speakers are full and and have a good soundstage, when it's just the opposite. Almost any speaker will sound good, in a crouded store, when the speakers are right on top of you and cranked up so loud they are distorted.

Bose Sues Consumer Reports - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Reports
In 1984, Bose Corporation sued Consumer Reports for publishing a review in which Bose speakers did relatively poorly. The review stated that the stereo image of the Bose speakers was unstable and "tended to wander about the room", undermining the basic Direct/Reflecting concept behind Bose's products. The final verdict ruled that Consumer Reports had in fact libeled Bose by overstating its negative findings, which were, more precisely, that the stereo image merely "moved along the wall" behind the speakers. This was something of a Pyrrhic victory for Bose, as since then both Bose and Consumer Reports readership in demographic areas where Bose products are targeted have became bitter enemies, and the same may hold true today. Furthermore, the monetary award of $210,000 in libel damages was appealed to the Federal Supreme Court, who overturned it. Nevertheless, the case is believed to have had a chilling effect on publication of subjective preferences in reviews, both specifically by Consumer Reports as well as in the media as a whole.

Circuit City Employee - http://www.retailworker.com/node/10435
Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Bose.. I am really fucking sick of telling customers that the Bose speakers are really cheap cardboard and foam pieces of shit, and that Bose's high-tech "engineering" (if you can actually call it that) makes no sense at all. Also, small speakers (especially ones that are cardboard with foam surrounds) are not meant to handle any midrange or bass frequencies. My point to all this mess? Well besides hating companies like Bose (and sony too) that have no shame in ripping off people who don't know any better, I'm hoping that newer entertainment employees or CC employees in general will stop selling these pieces of shit. Permalink - Discuss

June 11, 2006

Cablevision Halts Server PVR Project

Cablevision has decided to halt its Server PVR project due to a lawsuit from the movie studios. The new service allowed customers to save TV programs much like a PVR, but on Cablevision's servers. The content providers did not believe this was "fair use" and sued. Cablevision is the nation's 6th largest cable provider servicing 3 million customers in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

June 05, 2006

HD Tivo on Comcast

According to iBloggedThis, Comcast is going to beta-test their HD Tivo software on their PVRs this month. Once launched, it will cost an extra $5 a month on top of current PVR charges. However with Tivo ease-of-use and better user interface, it probably be well worth the extra cost.

Free iPod Nano for New Mac Buying Students

Apple is offering a free iPod Nano for college students that buy a Mac. As long as you buy the Nano and a Mac at the same time before September 16th, you can get the Nano free after a mail-in rebate.

May 06, 2006

Yahoo! Go TV Review

200605061253
I installed and tried Yahoo! Go TV today. Just days after acquiring Meedio, Yahoo released their re-branded media center/PVR software.

Pros
1) Great looking candy user interface and nice Tivo-like bloop sounds
2) Lots of potential with links to movie trailers, popular videos, news, and Yahoo Photos
3) Can get past the wife factor for easy of use and prettiness

Cons
1) Flickr connectivity to my personal pictures does not work. Only Yahoo Photos at the moment.
2) No USB-IRT support, which means I can't use my Tivo Remote
3) No plug-in support that Meedio used to have (I guess this may come in time). I doubt they will let people rip DVDs and do another cutting edge things however. Things like weather plug-ins are no brainers.
4) Can't use the keyboard to type in TV titles (hello?)
5) Doesn't like they enabled commercial skip (critical feature)

All-in-all it looks like its still a beta version. Not having USB-IRT support and commercial skip are critical negatives for me. I'm going back to GB-PVR. Yahoo better not kow-tow to the media networks (I suspect they will) and take out critical features from Meedio. The CEO is a ex-Warner Brothers executive, so I foresee a neutered PVR. I guess we can't complain too much because it is free, but GB-PVR is free also and has all the extra features. [Discuss]

April 22, 2006

Piper Jaffray Says 8 and 10 GB iPod Nanos Coming in Summer

Piper Jaffray's analyst, Gene Munster, thinks that Apple will release an 8 and 10GB version of the iPod Nano this summer. He also thinks the new touch-screen video iPod has been delayed till next year. [Discuss]

April 03, 2006

Movie Downloading on DVD Day One Release

Movielink and CinemaNow have announced that starting April 3rd, they will sell movies on their site on the first day a DVD is released. Movies include such big names as King Kong and Brokeback Mountain. Customers will be able to watch the movies they buy as much as they want, however there are restrictions. Customers can not burn DVDs or copy the movies onto other devices. The sites will offer a way for the PC connect to a TV for playback.

March 27, 2006

Dell 2707WFP Specs

BeHardware confirmed that Dell is going to launch the 2707WFP LCD monitor later this year in October. It will feature 1920x1200 resolution and a 27 inch Samsung panel. Response time will be 8ms with a contrast ratio of 1000:1.

March 18, 2006

Sony Blu-Ray DVD Player $1000

Sony announced it will sell their first stand-alone Blu-ray high definition player in July in the United States for $1000. The model name is BDP-S1 and it will use a HDMI display connector. It will also upscale normal DVDs to 1080p resolution. Sony also plays to include Blu-ray players on some models in their PC line. It's no wonder that the Playstation 3 is being delayed because it would totally cannibalize the stand-alone Blu-ray sales of $1000 a pop. PS3 as a videogame machine, can't really sell for more than $500.

March 11, 2006

Free XM Satellite

With the news that XM is going to start putting commercials on a handful of their music channels and just the fact I rarely use it, I tried canceling my service. The operators are VERY persistent in giving away 3 months of free service, probably hoping you will forget to cancel in the future. So give it a try, try and cancel and I bet they will do the same for you.

March 08, 2006

Play Ms. Pac Man on your iPod Nano

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Yes you can play Ms. Pac Man on your iPod Nano now using iPod Linux. This is not a joke.

February 20, 2006

Canon ZR500 Camcorder Review

It looks like the new Canon ZR-500 has taken the lead in terms of price/performance of the low-end $300 camcorder market. I might get one myself.

Too often, replacement models do little more than bump up the zoom and change the color of a camcorder. Canon has gone above and beyond this year, overhauling old designs and building off of a solid imaging system. As I said earlier, this is one of the best ZR camcorders we've seen in years. The low light performance has been a thorn in their side for too long, and barred us from making recommendations towards them without an assortment of caveats: "good video... but bad low light;" "good design... but no mic input." No more. Barring the ability to take stills, expect the ZR500 to be one of the best deals in the low-end market.

February 09, 2006

Apple Working on Real Video iPod

The rumor of the day is Apple is working on a video iPod with a 3.5 inch color screen. The kicker is the physical click wheel will go the way of the dodo and be replaced by a virtual touch screen version. All this to use to make the full front screen real estate available for video.

Apple has been working with at least two other companies to perfect the digital click wheel display technology. While not all the engineering was completed in-house by Apple, sources have said Apple could hold an exclusive license on the technologies it borrowed from other developers for a period of time, limiting the ability of competitors to copy Apple's design.

February 05, 2006

Apple Replacing iPod Nanos and Videos

According to Apple Insider, sources have said Apple told its service providers to repair iPod Nanos screen cracks as “covered repairs”. Apple is doing its best to recover from the initial negative publicity on the scrathability of the Nano design.

“The AppleCare Repair Center will also be processing such repairs as covered repairs,” the company added. This means iPod nano owners with cracked displays should be able to contact AppleCare via telephone to arrange for their players to be serviced under warranty. Meanwhile, Apple's fifth-generation video iPods appear to be far less problematic. Following the release of the player in October, AppleInsider reported that Apple began capturing for evaluation any fifth-generation iPods that experience hardware failure, including issues excluded from the company's warranty terms. Users with problematic players received replacements with no questions asked.

Dell Drops Hard-drive Mp3 Players

Dell has raised the white flag on hard-drive Mp3 players. The company has stopped selling those devices and has decided to focus on lower end flash based products.

January 30, 2006

Microsoft iPod

Microsoft is supposedly considering making a Xbox game/media player.

BusinessWeek has learned that the software giant is working on plans to develop its own portable digital media device to rival the iPod, rather than just providing technology to partners.

January 14, 2006

Sony Coming out with 4GB and 8GB Memory Sticks

Exhibit Pro Duo

Sony is coming out with 4 and 8GB versions of the Memory Stick Pro Duo, perfect for all your movie watching on the shiny new PSP.

January 08, 2006

Plasma and LCD Killer

Toshiba is going to launch SED technology TVs later this year that is supposedly going to blow away plasma and LCD in terms of video quality. The main issue however with any new technology is pricing. No word there.

Toshiba is planning to release this new line of unbelievably accurate flat-panel sets in late 2006. The technology is called “Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display” (yes, that's a mouthful) or SED for short. The electronics maker showcased prototype SED sets at CES and every IGN editor on-hand was in agreement: nothing else compares.

Sony PSP Multimedia Ramp Up

Sony is ramping up the multimedia capability of the Sony PSP. They are hyping of Location Free technology which lets users stream live video and audio on their PC, TV, and PSP. The firm is also going to re launch the Connect music site to better compete with Apple's iTunes this March.

January 05, 2006

Toshiba HD-DVD Player to be Under $500

Toshiba announced at CES that their HD-DVD player will be priced under $500 and will come out in March. Samsung, Pioneer, and Sharp said they will come out with Blu-ray players for $1000-1800. That price point seems pretty crazy considering you probably can get a Playstation 3 later this year that will offer Blu-ray playback support for probably less than $500.

HD Tivo Series 3 Specs

The latest info the HD Tivo Series 3 is it will have 6 tuners, 2 cable tuners, 2 ATSC tuners, and 2 NTSC tuners. It will only be able to record 2 programs at a time however. Output will be HDMI, component video, S-Video, and Composite. It will have SATA hard drive support and be available in late 2006.

Samsung and Sandisk Prepare iPod Nano Clones

It amazing how even the largest companies in the world are blatantly copying Apple product so quickly.

Two MP3 player makers today demonstrated their decision to compete with Apple's iPod Nano by... er... announcing virtually identically styled products. Step forward Samsung and SanDisk, whose YP-Z5 and and Sansa e200 players elicited immediate 'it looks like a Nano' calls from assembled hacks. Ah well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em...

January 04, 2006

Xbox 360 to Get External HD DVD Drive

Microsoft isn't going to let Sony have all the high definition DVD fun. The company has announced at CES they will offer an external HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Xbox 360 games will benefit from the added storage capability of the new technology. Sony's Playstation 3 will have a large storage capacity edge.

Building on Xbox 360 leadership in high-definition experiences, the company announced plans to deliver a new Xbox 360 external HD DVD drive in 2006. The new drive will offer millions of Xbox 360 owners the ability to easily enjoy HD DVD movies and will provide consumers with even more choices for experiencing high-definition content, in either physical or digital form. Consumers can also use their Xbox 360 system to access high-definition television and movies from their Windows XP-based Media Center PC.

January 03, 2006

Motorola Unveils iRadio

Watch out satellite radio, Motorola has you in its sight.

The iRadio service, will include 435 commercial-free radio channels, including genres such as Heavy Metal, Rockin' Cowboys and Angry Women. Its satellite rivals also provide specialized music channels, often without ads. iRadio will let users download channels on the computer and transfer them to play on their phones or on car or home stereos, like satellite radio. The iRadio service will cost about $7 a month but the price may vary depending on which wireless phone service the subscriber uses, according to Motorola.

December 12, 2005

Apple Boombox for iPod?

Ever hungry for more revenue and share of wallet, sources say Apple is going to release iPod companion products such as an iPod boombox. With companies like Bose and Logitech making a killing on low-end speakers, more power to Mr. Jobs. Hopefully the quality will be there.

company's plans describe the new products as "iPod companions" rather than "accessories," and say Apple appears ripe to announce the first of the gadgets as early as the second week of January at the annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Calif. One such product described to AppleInsider is an iPod boombox "unlike anything seen in boombox world" and strikingly different from "anything Apple has released in the past."

November 21, 2005

Tivo to Allow Downloading to iPod and Sony PSP

Tivo is working on software to allow its users to copy their TV programs on their Tivo onto video iPods and Sony PSPs. If they can do this with an easy to use end-to-end experience, it will be a home-run.

TiVo Inc. on Monday said it will begin testing a feature in the coming weeks to let some subscribers transfer recorded television programming to Apple iPod digital music players or Sony's PlayStation portable devices, sending the company's shares up 4.5 percent.

November 20, 2005

Sony Eating More Crow

Sony is so desperate now, it is offering free unprotected MP3s to try and get into the consumer's good graces. Too late!

RIAA President Whines

So pathetic.

And for generations, students have spent their hard-earned dollars on the music they love in the local college record store. How many of those stores are left now? Makes you realize just what the impact of illegal downloading can be, and why we've taken the actions we have.

November 19, 2005

Pavio Portable Digital Theater

Pavio has a new portable video player that has a 30GB hard-drive, ability to record off a TV, and a SD/CF slot. They need to work on the design though. It is pretty ugly.

November 10, 2005

iPod Nano Shipping with Protective Sleeve

According to forums and iLounge, Apple has started shipping iPod Nanos with a protective sleeve similar to what is sold with the iPod Video. Does this mean us early adopter Nano owners are going to get the sleeve too?

November 01, 2005

iLounge Holiday Buyer's Guide

Do you own an Apple iPod? Then you must download this 100 page buyer's guide with 650 ratings and reviews on everything related to the iPod.

# The world’s first reviews of AKG’s stunning k701 Reference Headphones and Altec Lansing’s iM series headphones.
# Exclusive Sneak Peeks at new 2005 and 2006 iPod nano and 5G accessories from Belkin, Griffin, Vaja (iVod nano!), Power Support, Core Cases, ProClip and more.
# Re-introducing the iPod: iLounge editors will quickly help you pick the 5G, nano, or shuffle that’s right for you.
# Great new feature articles, including A Brief History of iPod + iTunes; and
# Contest winners for our two latest Buyers’ Guide photography and art contests - you’ll be blown away by these pictures!

Apple Aperture Review

A pro photographer reviews Apple's Aperture new image photo management / workflow software.

How Aperture should impact Adobe, the camera makers and smaller developers alike is to spur them into revising their programs for pro shooters to be super-efficient, smooth in operation, photographer-friendly and show a deep understanding of the pro workflow. Simply put, all pro photography programs should be really pleasant to work in. Watching Aperture run, we couldn't help but think that we've put up with the poorly-designed interfaces of certain applications, and the seriously slow underpinnings of others, for far too long. Aperture appears to demonstrate that there is a better way to design certain aspects of applications for pro photographers.

October 31, 2005

Apple Sells 1 Million Videos

Creating a new market worth $200 million in less than 20 days is pretty impressive. Especially since everyone that has tried downloadable videos before has failed. Go Apple go!

Topping the list of big sellers were music videos by Michael Jackson, Fatboy Slim and Kanye West, as well as episodes of ABC shows. "Selling one million videos in less than 20 days strongly suggests there is a market for legal downloads," Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, said in a statement. "Our next challenge is to broaden our content offerings."

October 30, 2005

Creative Labs Zen Nano Plus Review

A review of a flash MP3 player from Creative Labs. It got nothing on the Nano, even if it is called Nano Plus. Who was the pea brain that thought to name it that moniker?

The Creative Nano is jam-packed with features, including MP3/WMA/WMA (protected) playback, MP3 encoding up to 160kbps from the line-in, on-the-fly playlist creation, five graphic equalizer settings (one custom), as well as automatic synchronization software. As mentioned earlier, the Nano is recognized as a USB 2.0 Mass Storage device, which means you can store documents on it; the transfer rates are snappy.

Tivo Programs Automatically Transfered to the iPod Video, Palm, and Sony PSP

This program supposedly automates TV show transfers from your Tivo to the iPod Video, Palm PDA, and/or Sony PSP.

October 29, 2005

Birth of the iPod

A former Apple employee writes about what it was like to be there at the birth of the iPod with Steve Jobs ranting and raving.

“This feels like crap!” Steve growled at the engineer from the industrial design department. He repeatedly plugged and unplugged the headphones from the pre-production iPod and looked as if he might fling it across the room. “...these headphone jacks all have to be replaced by tomorrow” he continued. Tomorrow was October 22, 2001, one day before the introduction of Apple’s new digital music player, known as P68, but soon to be christened ‘iPod’.

October 23, 2005

Apple Nano Class Action Suit

I hate lawyers. Obviously the Nano scratches easily, but who said the Nano has to be scratch free? It's not Apple's fault a consumer scratches his or her products and doesn't buy a case for it. My Nano after its initial scratches is sitting pretty now in a new case. And even if the case wins, the lawyers will find a way to benefit the most in legal fees and settlements. Argh.

Claiming that the iPod Nano has a widespread propensity for scratching easily, lawyers this week filed a class action suit against Apple Computer on behalf of those who have purchased the diminutive music player. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday on behalf of all those who have bought a Nano, alleges that Apple violated state consumer protection statutes, as well as express and implied warranties. The complaint charges that Apple knew that there were design problems with the Nano. "These Nanos scratch excessively during normal usage, rendering the screen on the Nanos unreadable," according to the complaint

October 22, 2005

Radioshack Gets iPod and Cuts Verizon

RadioShack is still viable channel for electronics as laughable as that may of sounded years ago. The company is going to focus on satellite radio, digital imaging, Mp3, and wireless products. They announced they are going to sell the iPod and accessories in a big way. Also they are gong to cut Verizon wireless and just sell Sprint PCS and Cingular phones and plans.

Chief Operating Officer David Edmondson said the company will emphasize sales of satellite radio, digital imaging MP3 and wireless products. "These are hot categories and very productive for RadioShack," Edmondson told analysts in a conference call. "They drive traffic into the stores, and they also provide opportunities for selling profitable accessories." The year has been replete with new products, deals and advertising representation. Last month, RadioShack began carrying Apple Computer Inc.'s popular Ipod.

Apple Computer Universal Dock and Apple Remote

When you first get your iPod Nano, there is a plastic connector that makes you scratch your head and say, "What the hell is this used for?" Nothing in the manual or documentation gives you a clue. Well now we know it is used to connect to the Universal Dock. This new product lets you put your new Nano or iPod upright and the dock lets you output stereo audio and video to your TV, audio system, and computer. The kicker is your iPod can now be controlled by the new Apple remote control.

A single iPod dock electronically compatible with all Dock Connector-equipped iPod models, including necessary adapter plates for all 4G and mini iPods. Outputs S-Video and variable audio natively, composite video with an optional cable, and can be connected to a computer. Compatible with an optional Apple Remote, which is iPod shuffle-like in simplicity and looks.

October 19, 2005

CBS Puts more Content into Podcasts

CBS announced that it will put more content onto podcasts including "60 Minutes" and "Guiding Light", a soap opera. At this rate, who needs TV? I have all the great content I need from NPR, GamingSteve, Motley Fool, and Meet The Press.

October 18, 2005

Mossberg Reviews the iPod Video

Wall Street Journal columnist gives the new iPod high marks for its music playing capability. The video stuff is a bit more mixed as he had trouble converting his videos to formats the iPod can play.

As a music player, the video iPod is terrific. In our tests, it rapidly transferred numerous songs from both a Windows and Macintosh computer, and played them back with great fidelity. And there are a few refinements in its music capabilities.