The popularity of iPod is amazing, to say the least. Within months of release, the new iPod with video playing capability has gotten more reviews than necessary to make buying decision. Here is a round up list of good and decent reviews of the iPod.
PC Magazine
CNET 30GB 60GB
PC World
Arstechnica
letsgodigital
pcw
New York Times
digitaltrends
USA Today
macintouch
Wall Street Journal
Personal Tech Pipeline
Devlib
zatznotfunny
Macidol
CBS News
iLounge
tuaw
Topic Point
Cretive’s strategy was as simple to attack iPod by competing on price, and excellent feature set. The Zen players did just that. They beat iPod in feature-by-feature comparisons. The problem is, digital music and media players business is not that simple.
iPod music players has taken the storm on recent years, taking more than 70% market share in the portable music player business. Meanwhile, Creative is always a distant second with about 3% of the market share.
So what does Creative do? It sues Apple Computer, claiming that the popular iPod violates its patents.
Faced with the patent suit, Apple Computer countered this week with its own complaint against Creative. Apple filed the suit in a Wisconsin federal court on May 15. In the complaint, Apple claim that Creative is infringing four of its patents. Apple is requesting monetary damages and an injunction to stop Creative from using its patents.
The talk of flexible pricing for iTunes tracks has been going on for months, but apprently Apple still holds the card, for now.
Apple has apparently succeeded in persuading the world’s major record labels to re-license their content for sale on its iTunes Music Store (ITMS) for a flat-rate 99 cents - 79 pence in the UK - per track. To date, label executives have been keen to stress their demand for variable pricing - higher prices for new songs, lower prices for older material - but they’ve clearly been willing to let it pass this time.
via reghardware
ANYCOM BluNa is the Bluetooth adapter specifically designed for the iPod Nano. It plugs neatly onto the iPod nano without a cable dangling around. The BluNa draws its power from the player to beam out songs using the Bluetooth 1.2’s Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). It supports Bluetooth Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), so you can use any compatible headphones to control the player directly. The adapter weighs 10g.
product page
Mitsubishi has just unveiled the iCar, a glossy white motor produced by Mitsubishi for the Japanese market and entirely compatible with the iconic iPod Nano, produced exclusively for the Japanese market. It boasts a 0.66L 12-valve, three-cylinder engine and comes in 2WD or 4WD versions.
On the iCar’s dashboard is a horizontally aligned slot built for the Nano. Slot your Nano in and you’re ready play your music. The player is controlled through the car’s built-in, hard drive-equipped satellite navigation system.
[via reghardware]
The buzz surrounding a music-playing iPhone skyrocketed this weekend following a Nikkei report that Apple and Softbank are teaming up on a phone, and although Softbank denied the report today, many industry insiders say an iPhone is a sure thing…
[mp3.com]
Facing increasing losses, Singapore-based electronics maker Creative Technology has filed two legal actions against Apple Computer on Monday, claiming that the popular iPod violates its patents. This isn’t at all surprising, since Creative has said they planned to sue Apple end of last year. However, it apparently took them five months of negotiations to realize that Apple was not going to license their patent, and that they really need to sue.
In a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, Creative is asking for an injunction stopping Apple from selling the iPod and iPod Nano in the United States. Separately, Creative has also sued Apple in U.S. District Court in California, seeking damages.
In the center of Creative’s lawsuit is an invention on user interface software used by most portable digital media players, including the iPod. This invention is protected by a 2005 patent entitled “Automatic Hierarchical Categorization of Music by Metadata,” (U.S. Patent No. 6,928,433) Creative said.
