Macenstein

Is Navio the next Apple?

Posted by Dr. Macenstein A new Business 2.0 article profiles a media startup company called Navio which aims to give Apple and Microsoft a run for their money in the fierce battle for Digital Rights Management supremacy. So far, Navio’s approach seems to offer consumers the most appealing alternative yet to either company’s DRM scheme. The hard part, of course, will be convincing the media companies that this is also the best deal for them. Here’s how it works.... Read More

RUMOR: Apple to raise price of some iTunes songs?

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Although Steve Jobs has publicly fought in the past against changing Apple’s “one-price-fits-allâ€? pricing structure for songs sold via its iTunes music store, a recent report from Marketwatch sites an EMI exec as saying there are plans at Apple to restructure the way Apple charges for songs. Alain Levy of EMI says the pricing structure will be based upon a song’s popularity, with popular songs costing more than the unpopular ones.... Read More

RUMOR: Shuffle to become more colorful come January: LEDs?

Posted by Lab Rat The iPod Shuffle is due for an update, and our source says Apple plans to release the Shuffle in an array of “fruityâ€? flavors come January. Look for a return to the beloved iPod mini colors of old. Pink, blue, and green pastel shades will all make their triumphant returns at next year’s Macworld Expo. LoopRumors is reporting black Shuffles are likely, however we have not heard this. The introduction of a yellow or orange Shuffle is also a very... Read More

First Power Book G5 pics

Posted by Helper Monkey OK, well not really. YUMLUM has posted some concept renderings for a Power book G5 laptop. They have gone with a brushed metal look, which is in keeping with the look of the PowerMac G5 Towers, however what is interesting here is that they envision the Power Book being able to fold into various configurations. At first I thought these ideas were a bit too clunky to ever be Apple-worthy, but after looking them over for a while they almost seem to make sense.... Read More

Dell admits to Apple’s dominance

Posted by Lab Rat “We’re obviously not competing very well.” Those are the words of Dell CFO Jim Schneider in response to analysts questions regarding Dell’s most recent earnings. Dell’s 3rd quarter profits fell 28% as US consumers stayed away in droves from Dell’s latest offerings. When asked specifically about Apple’s iPod and online music dominance, Schneider replied, “Apple has come out with a nice product and I think it’s... Read More

Music to your groin

Posted by Helper Monkey It is often said no industry can find new ways to exploit the latest technology faster than the adult entertainment industry. With the release of the video iPod, it took less than a week before hundreds of adult sites were making adult content available for download in “video iPod friendlyâ€? formats. Now we’ve stumbled across an iPod accessory so obvious (and so ridiculous), we are shocked it took the adult industry this long to invent... Read More

Steve Jobs turns focus from the under-privileged, to the OVER-privileged

Posted by Igor The recent snubbing of Steve Jobs by MIT’s Media Lab has apparently hit the Apple CEO harder than many would have thought. A recent report by the Wall Street Journal claims that Jobs offered MIT the opportunity to put Apple’s OS X operating system on its $100 laptops (designed for 3rd World use) but was passed over for the more “openâ€? Linux OS instead. Designed specifically for children in underprivileged nations, MIT’s notebook is... Read More

RUMOR: Apple Thanksgiving Sale?

Posted by Helper Monkey LoopRumors is reporting that Apple may be keeping up its Thanksgiving holiday tradition of offering notable discounts on certain Apple products the day after Thanksgiving. Reliable sources have told LoopRumors that Apple is planning a one-day sale on select items in the Apple Retail and Online Stores, Friday, November 25th. Apple has offered its customers similar post Thanksgiving sales in the past, with discounts off iMacs, iPods and accessories.  Read More

Video iPods plagued by cell phone interference?

Posted by Lab Rat Reports are coming in that the new 5th generation video iPods are subject to some rather odd behavior when placed near cellular phones, notably Sony Ericsson and Nokia models. The wacky behavior varies from case to case, although a large portion seem to relate to the volume levels automatically adjusting themselves. A video of one such case has been posted here. As many cell phone users know, this is more a problem with the phone than the iPod. Cell phones are... Read More

Anime makes its video iPod debut

Posted by Dr. Macenstein Website Animation Insider is reporting that animation distributor Central Park Media is the first anime company to offer video-iPod-friendly trailers and select full-length episodes of some of its popular and upcoming anime titles. What’s really great is the downloads are free, and look quite good (at least at their native 320×213 size). You don’t need a video iPod to enjoy these clips, just the latest version of iTunes or QuickTime. Central... Read More