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Virgin: iPod market share ‘not going to last’
As Virgin Electronics is set to unveil a 5GB digital music player that it hopes will compete with the iPod mini, the business group's CEO confidently told reporters that "Apple is dominating, yes, but the market share that it has today is not going to last." Forbes indicates that the new player, coming at the end of the month, will retail for US$249 — 25 percent more storage at the same price as Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod mini.News
iPod US marketshare rises to 82 percent
Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod was already the most popular digital music player on the market, but the device's share of the U.S. retail market for digital music players has grown considerably over the past twelve months, according to data collected by market research firm NPD Group Inc. NPD's research is mentioned in a recent Bloomberg.com report that discusses Apple's success with the iPod and how it has affected Apple's stock performance.News
MPIO offers three new MP3 players
Digitalway MPIO on Monday introduced three new portable digital music players compatible with both Macs and PCs that can play MP3, WMA, ASF and OGG-format files. The new line includes two new flash-based players and one hard disk player equipped with 20GB of storage capacity.News
BenQ to launch HDD media player this year
Taiwanese hardware maker BenQ Corp. is planning to launch a new hard-disk drive-based digital media player later this year, the company said at the Ceatec Japan 2004 exhibition on Friday. The player will be part of its Joybee range of digital media players. It contains a 4GB hard disk drive and accepts SD (Secure Digital) memory cards, said Noriyuki Kitamura, a product manager for digital audio products at BenQ Japan Co. Ltd.News
Griffin ships PodPod iPod cradle
Mac and iPod peripheral maker Griffin Technology Inc. on Friday announced that it's shipping PodPod, its soft auto cradle for Apple's iPod and iPod mini. The foam cradle fits into any auto cup holder, providing a cushioned ride for your iPod or iPod mini. PodPod sets the iPod at an angle to keep it easily accessible. The PodPod costs US$9.99.News
ColorWare offers 4G iPods in 20 custom shades
ColorWare, Inc. has announced the addition of the 4G iPod to the list of devices it can colorize. Their process, which ColorWare describes as "a hybrid between the manufacturing and automotive painting industry," involves either sending them your iPod and having them paint it or purchasing one pre-painted. The coloring, which comes in 20 different shades, costs US$49 for a 1G, 2G or 3G iPod and $64 for a 4G model. The company also offers colored iBooks, PowerBooks and iMac G5s.News
M-Audio releases O2 MIDI keyboard
M-Audio has introduced a new mobile MIDI USB controller that serves as the followup to the company's popular Oxygen8 controller. The US$179 O2 features 25 full-size, half-action velocity-sensitive keys, 8 assignable knobs and 8 assignable buttons, mod and pitch bend, input for a sustain pedal, and the ability to draw power from USB or off of a 9V adapter.Reviews
Microsoft Takes On Portable Video
Cool but pricey Portable Media Center devices now available.News
Pepsi Canada to give away 2,016 iPods
Apple Computer Inc.'s iTunes Music Store still isn't available in Canada, but iPods are — and now Pepsi drinkers can try to win a free iPod, courtesy of Pepsi-Cola Canada Ltd. The company is giving away an iPod every hour for the next twelve weeks — the contest runs through December 25, 2004.News
Apple to expand European iTunes next month
Speaking at the annual Popkomm conference in Berlin, Germany, Apple vice-president of applications Eddie Cue told music executives that the company will expand the online iTunes Music Store with a multi-country European launch in October. Cue noted that Apple is "well on pace to launch more EU stores" and said that the event "will cover a good portion of western Europe," but he declined to be more specific. The news came in a Reuters story covering Cue's comments.News
The Human Element: Record and Promote Your Own Music
Skip those large music companies that don't care about your music. Doing it yourself is easier and more affordable than ever.News
Edirol R-1 records, plays MP3, WAV files
Bellingham, Wash.-based company Edirol announced on Tuesday the release of the R-1, a 24-bit portable digital recorder and player that's compatible with the WAV and MP3 formats. It records files to CompactFlash cards up to 2GB in size and runs on a pair of AA batteries that bring its total weight to 10 ounces, or it can draw power from an AC adaptor. It's approximately an inch taller than Apple's iPod and is about twice as wide.News
Fly Business on Air France, get an iPod mini
Air France is offering customers of its "l'Espace Affaires" business class service an opportunity to get a free iPod mini; all they have to do is purchase a ticket from now to Nov. 15, 2004. Tickets must originate from any Air France U.S. gateway for travel to any European destination, and travel must be completed by Jan. 15, 2005. Additional restrictions apply. Once travel is completed, passengers mail their information to an Air France address, and the airline then sends them an iPod mini within six to ten weeks.News
TiVo Rewards program includes 20GB iPod
Subscribers to the digital video recorder service TiVo can now choose a 20GB iPod as part of the company's TiVo Rewards program. Subscribers earn points by referring friends to the service or by using a TiVo Platinum MasterCard. The points are redeemable for such gifts as a 140-hour TiVo box, a laptop bag, a wireless network adapter or the iPod, a 4G model that comes with the TiVo logo etched on the back. TiVo Series 2 DVRs start at US$99.99 for a 40-hour model, with the service selling for $12.95 per month or $299 for a lifetime subscription.News
O’Reilly publishes ‘iLife ’04: The Missing Manual’
Computer book publisher O'Reilly announced on Friday the publication of "iLife '04: The Missing Manual," the latest entry in David Pogue's series of Missing Manual books, which are co-published by Pogue Press. Penned by Pogue himself, this 664-page how-to walks readers through Apple's iLife suite, which collects iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, iDVD and newcomer GarageBand in one package. Along the way, Pogue offers tips and tricks, workarounds, hidden features and other information not found in the applications' help screens, which are the only documentation that comes with iLife '04. The book's cover price is US$29.95.News
Sony to support MP3 in future players
Sony's apparently gotten the message: Some of its new MP3 player models will feature direct support for MP3 in addition to its proprietary ATRAC format. Support for MP3 will first appear in flash-based players Sony plans to release in Europe this year, according to reports, which also indicate that Sony plans to release MP3-compatible flash players in the United States.News
Real merges its player, music services units
RealNetworks Inc. is merging its RealPlayer and Music Services business units into a single group so that the teams can collaborate on developing new products and services, the company announced Thursday. The merged unit will bring together teams from the Seattle-based company's RealPlayer, RealPlayer Music Store, RadioPass and Rhapsody divisions.Reviews
Digital-Audio Mixer-Controllers
Each of these devices significantly reduces the tedium of mouse-based mixing and brings professionalism to a home studio.Reviews
Digital Camera Link for iPod
The Digital Camera Link for iPod is handy for clearing out your camera’s CompactFlash cards and tucking your images safely into your iPod until you can get them into your Mac.News
Rock and Scroll
Take a closer look at Apple's fourth-generation iPods, from the new Click Wheel on the outside to the new software on the inside. Plus, see how they measure up; Macworld reviews the latest models.News
Costco.com to offer $269.99 iPod mini bundle
Starting Oct. 1, discount retailer Costco will begin selling a US$269.99 iPod mini bundle on its Web site. In addition to a standard 4GB iPod mini in pink, silver or blue, the package includes a gift certificate for 15 songs from the iTunes Music Store and Apple's iPod mini Armband, which appears to be the same one sold on the online Apple Store for $29. Given that the gift certificate and armband are worth $43.85, this bundle enables you to purchase an iPod mini for $226.14. Costco.com is not currently offering the green and gold iPod mini colors, however.News
Adobe Unveils Home Video Editing App
New Premiere Elements, updated Photoshop Elements coming soon.How-To
iTunes Encoding Strategies
Building a digital music library used to be a simple matter of inserting a CD into your Mac and encoding the songs as MP3 files. Today the process is a little more complicated. iTunes 4.5 not only supports the popular MP3 format but also gives you the option of encoding files in the AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format or in a new format called Apple Lossless. So which one should you use?News
What’s That Ringing?
Your ears are your most valuable audio tool. Here's how to protect them.Editors’ Notes