April 4, 2008
Other related coverage
MySpace aims to pip Apple with free music
iTunes now tops the charts
MySpace to unveil music service in days
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MySpace is creating a free music internet service with major recording labels to go head to head with digital giant Apple, whose iTunes has just claimed the crown as the world's largest music store.
The leading social networking website has unveiled MySpace Music, a joint venture with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group.
MySpace Music will build on the News Corporation-owned website's MySpace Music Channel and weave new services into online profile pages of more than five million musicians.
Income methods will include selling digital music downloads buyers can freely copy, along with ring tones for mobile telephones, concert tickets and band merchandise.
"We look to music as an area where we want to do something huge; something historical,'' MySpace chief operating officer Amit Kapur told AFP.
"We plan to really change the game entirely.''
The Music Channel was launched about four years ago and is visited by 30 million people monthly, according to MySpace. The new service will be rolled out in the United States in coming months.
Financial terms of the partnership with recording labels were not disclosed.
MySpace's announcement came as data from industry tracker NPD Group showed that earlier this year iTunes topped retail colossus Wal-Mart as the world's largest music seller.
"We are thrilled,'' said iTunes vice-president Eddy Cue.
Since Apple launched the online digital content store five years ago, iTunes has reportedly sold more than four billion songs and built the most extensive music catalogue in the market.
Both announcements confirm a death knell for compact disks as music lovers embrace digital formats for MP3 players such as iPod and Zune, according to Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.
Online retail champion Amazon.com entered the increasingly crowded online digital music market last year. Wal-Mart is among major US retailers that sell music downloads via the internet.
Media giant Time Warner is considering offering an "all you can eat'' music subscription service for five dollars a month, according to Enderle.
"We are undoubtedly going to see more people move to provide the media now that more of these digital players are out there,'' Mr Enderle told AFP.
"It's a natural for online social networks, because they provide ways to share play lists and songs broadly. It won't be long before Facebook does something like this.''
MySpace, a hit with teens, has worked to make itself a platform for musicians famous or obscure to connect with the website's millions of users.
MySpace has woven live concerts into its repertoire. A US concert tour headlining with the French music group Justice wrapped up on March 31.
"MySpace is trying to find its niche and maintain relevance,'' Jason Miklian of Norway said as he and other fans packed into a MySpace Justice show in San Francisco last week.
"MySpace is like a gateway for musicians - you have to have a presence,'' he said.
Mr Enderle said MySpace was getting more aggressive about "trying to create some breathing space between them
and Facebook,'' which is in second place but growing at a blistering pace.
AFP
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Microsoft Zune 3 Launch Accompanied by WiFi Music Store?
Thursday March 13, 2008 4:54 PM CDT - By: Michael Kwan
The Zune 2 is a significant improvement over the original model. I am especially pleased with the introduction of the Zune Pad for menu navigation. As we look forward to the 2009 holiday season (yes, we're looking that far ahead), more news surrouding the third-generation Zune is starting to rise to the surface.
Francois Ruault of Microsoft France is saying that the Zune 3 will be launching in Europe at the same time that it is being released for North America. This should help Microsoft better establish its portable media player in international markets. On a side note, the Zune 2 has yet to launch in Canada, though that should happen soon.
Getting back on the track, the more interesting news surrouding the upcoming third-generation Microsoft Zune is that it may be accompanied by an updated version of the Zune Marketplace that caters to "Mobile Platforms." This should work for both the Zune and Windows Mobile devices, and this could point toward a mobile music/video store not unlike the iTunes Wi-Fi store.
The Zune 2 is a significant improvement over the original model. I am especially pleased with the introduction of the Zune Pad for menu navigation. As we look forward to the 2009 holiday season (yes, we're looking that far ahead), more news surrouding the third-generation Zune is starting to rise to the surface.
Francois Ruault of Microsoft France is saying that the Zune 3 will be launching in Europe at the same time that it is being released for North America. This should help Microsoft better establish its portable media player in international markets. On a side note, the Zune 2 has yet to launch in Canada, though that should happen soon.
Getting back on the track, the more interesting news surrouding the upcoming third-generation Microsoft Zune is that it may be accompanied by an updated version of the Zune Marketplace that caters to "Mobile Platforms." This should work for both the Zune and Windows Mobile devices, and this could point toward a mobile music/video store not unlike the iTunes Wi-Fi store.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Eighth Graders Test Zune
Eighth Graders Test Zune
2008
Feb
24
Two classes have been selected nationwide to test the new MS Zune. One of them is Eric Langhorst’s class. So if you see his students listening to music, they are probably hard at study. Eric Langhorst is a social studies teacher in the South Valley Junior High School. His students are testing the new MS Zune, which allows easy transfer of video, audio, pictures and music, wirelessly.
Langhorst has recieved nationwide recognition for his work in student learning, with an incorporation of technology. He uses “studycasts” which are downloadable podcasts which can be listened to on an MP3 player, iPod or computer. Langhorst has also worked with Microsoft, including discussions on the use of the Zune in classroom learning.Kathy Richardson, marketing manager, Zune business group was interested in the teaching method of Langhorst. Initially Langhorst and Richardson met with parents and students. By the end of the academic year, they hope to collect data on the frequency of listening to classroom material on the Zune, and if it helped improve scores.
Although the purpose of the Zune was not academic but purely entertainment, a new use is being found for the Zune. Classrooms can extend indefinitely beyond school by the innovative use of this device.
2008
Feb
24
Two classes have been selected nationwide to test the new MS Zune. One of them is Eric Langhorst’s class. So if you see his students listening to music, they are probably hard at study. Eric Langhorst is a social studies teacher in the South Valley Junior High School. His students are testing the new MS Zune, which allows easy transfer of video, audio, pictures and music, wirelessly.
Langhorst has recieved nationwide recognition for his work in student learning, with an incorporation of technology. He uses “studycasts” which are downloadable podcasts which can be listened to on an MP3 player, iPod or computer. Langhorst has also worked with Microsoft, including discussions on the use of the Zune in classroom learning.Kathy Richardson, marketing manager, Zune business group was interested in the teaching method of Langhorst. Initially Langhorst and Richardson met with parents and students. By the end of the academic year, they hope to collect data on the frequency of listening to classroom material on the Zune, and if it helped improve scores.
Although the purpose of the Zune was not academic but purely entertainment, a new use is being found for the Zune. Classrooms can extend indefinitely beyond school by the innovative use of this device.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Zune: Heavyweight Competition For The i-POD Classic
If your looking for an Mp3 player that can hold a ton of data in my opinion the Zune 30gb or higher is for you. As compared to the iPod Classic and the iPod holds a small lead in reviews, but the experts say the improved Microsoft Zune is the best alternative for those who are looking into not only Mp3 players but also movies.
There are some features with Zune that are up to par and unique to Zune over iPod Classic. Unique to Zune is Wi-Fi, sync in wireless with your PC and your music collection. The 3.2-inch video-capable display is much larger than the screen on the iPod Classic, and yet Zune is about the same size. Included with the Zune is a FM tuner which you're missing on the iPod. Also have you ever had earphones that were uncomfortable and always fell out...not with a Zune as it comes with high quality headphones that sound and feel excellent as compared to iPods earbud type. Also with iPods AAC music format you are pretty much limited mainly to the iTunes music store, great marketing for iPods, as compared to Zunes music supported formats,(AAC) (.mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .mov) - .m4a and .m4b mp3 and a whole slew of movie formats too. Now some consumers say that AAC formatting quality of sound is better but that is up for you to decide and how much of an ear you have to really hear the difference.
In summary it seems to me there is more versatility, if not for some other features, going with a Zune. Please don't get me wrong, iPod's are an excellent choice also when it comes to an MP3 player just not as many features as Zune.
What would be your choice ? Leave a comment below.
Sincerely, J.D.
If you want to know more from the opinions of real people follow this link: Zune or iPod
There are some features with Zune that are up to par and unique to Zune over iPod Classic. Unique to Zune is Wi-Fi, sync in wireless with your PC and your music collection. The 3.2-inch video-capable display is much larger than the screen on the iPod Classic, and yet Zune is about the same size. Included with the Zune is a FM tuner which you're missing on the iPod. Also have you ever had earphones that were uncomfortable and always fell out...not with a Zune as it comes with high quality headphones that sound and feel excellent as compared to iPods earbud type. Also with iPods AAC music format you are pretty much limited mainly to the iTunes music store, great marketing for iPods, as compared to Zunes music supported formats,(AAC) (.mp4, .m4a, .m4b, .mov) - .m4a and .m4b mp3 and a whole slew of movie formats too. Now some consumers say that AAC formatting quality of sound is better but that is up for you to decide and how much of an ear you have to really hear the difference.
In summary it seems to me there is more versatility, if not for some other features, going with a Zune. Please don't get me wrong, iPod's are an excellent choice also when it comes to an MP3 player just not as many features as Zune.
What would be your choice ? Leave a comment below.
Sincerely, J.D.
If you want to know more from the opinions of real people follow this link: Zune or iPod
How To Get the Most Life Out Of Your Zune Battery
By Kori Smith
Naturally, how you choose to operate your Zune player is going to affect the total lifetime of your Zune battery. With the wireless turned off and under normal circumstances when you're just listening to an mp3, the Zune battery will last you a good 14 hours. If you're playing videos on the player, however, the battery life drops down to about 4 hours.
There's a few smart things you can do to effectively maximize the overall lifespan of your Zune battery.
The first thing you should do is update the Zune firmware. This is essentially a free upgrade that improves the operation of your Zune, you have no reason not to upgrade anyway.
When you're listening to your songs, the less interaction you have between you and the player the better. This will improve battery life tons. For this reason, I suggest that you only use the Play All or Shuffle All options on your Zune. You can do this easily using the playlists.
Using the backlights on your Zune will cut your battery life down drastically. If you can, reduce the time you use the backlight. Also, make sure you don't set the backlight to always on. High brightness settings can also drain the life out of your battery. When you're in places where you have a lot of natural sunlight, be sure to set the brightness settings back down to low so you can save your battery.
The wireless option on your Zune player is a great extra feature to have when you need it, but it will also drain the battery if you have it on. If you aren't sharing files, turn it off when you aren't using it.
As you can see there's many effective ways to save on your Zune's battery life. By far the most battery saving tip is to just turn it off when you aren't using it. When you turn off the Zune, it puts it into low-power standby mode. If the Zune doesn't have any activity within the next day, it will revert to sleep-mod and should take about 8-10 seconds to power back up.
Written by Doug Smith. Find the latest portable media articles, news, and more at PocketSynch the Portable Media Gadget Blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kori_Smith
Naturally, how you choose to operate your Zune player is going to affect the total lifetime of your Zune battery. With the wireless turned off and under normal circumstances when you're just listening to an mp3, the Zune battery will last you a good 14 hours. If you're playing videos on the player, however, the battery life drops down to about 4 hours.
There's a few smart things you can do to effectively maximize the overall lifespan of your Zune battery.
The first thing you should do is update the Zune firmware. This is essentially a free upgrade that improves the operation of your Zune, you have no reason not to upgrade anyway.
When you're listening to your songs, the less interaction you have between you and the player the better. This will improve battery life tons. For this reason, I suggest that you only use the Play All or Shuffle All options on your Zune. You can do this easily using the playlists.
Using the backlights on your Zune will cut your battery life down drastically. If you can, reduce the time you use the backlight. Also, make sure you don't set the backlight to always on. High brightness settings can also drain the life out of your battery. When you're in places where you have a lot of natural sunlight, be sure to set the brightness settings back down to low so you can save your battery.
The wireless option on your Zune player is a great extra feature to have when you need it, but it will also drain the battery if you have it on. If you aren't sharing files, turn it off when you aren't using it.
As you can see there's many effective ways to save on your Zune's battery life. By far the most battery saving tip is to just turn it off when you aren't using it. When you turn off the Zune, it puts it into low-power standby mode. If the Zune doesn't have any activity within the next day, it will revert to sleep-mod and should take about 8-10 seconds to power back up.
Written by Doug Smith. Find the latest portable media articles, news, and more at PocketSynch the Portable Media Gadget Blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kori_Smith
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