MP3

NEWS UPDATE: 3G iPhone as soon as tomorrow?

Joe Cox — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:08:00 GMT

UPDATE: Both the UK and US Apple stores have sold out of the 8GB and 16GB models, and aren’t replenishing stock. That's on top of Carphone Warehouse and O2's depleted store cupboards.

Apple’s fondness for updating its online store on a Tuesday means our basic arithmetic involving the number '2' has us thinking there could be a new iPhone as soon as tomorrow... Read our iPhone story from last week below.

We wouldn't blame you for being sick to the back teeth of news and rumours regarding Apple's iPhone.

Nevertheless we feel duty bound to keep you up-to-date, so here's as close to concrete proof of an imminent new version (most likely a 3G iPhone): O2 is no longer selling the original models – the 8G and 16G – as confirmed on the company's website here.

We have covered the extensive rumours in detail on this website, see here and indeed here, and it now looks for sure like a new model is imminent.

While there's no denying the iPhone is pretty smart already, we would naturally welcome the faster browsing that 3G should bring... For now, we wait with bated breath.

Technorati Tags: 3G, apple, iPhone, o2, rumours

NEWS: Fake-MP3 virus threatens half a million

Joe Cox — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:23:00 GMT

It may sound like something out of Brass Eye – 'one virus even disguised itself as a Girls Aloud track' – but if you were one of the 500,000 people thought to have downloaded the Trojan horse virus instead of that MP3 you were after, you wouldn't be laughing.

Users of the Limewire and eDonkey file-sharing networks have been hit by a fake MP3 that once downloaded causes the customary havoc to your PC.

While viruses and misleading file names aren't unfortunately a new thing, the scale of this current outbreak seems to dwarf anything seen in the last few years.

Unsurprisingly the news was broken by anti-virus company McAfee, who will no doubt look to sign-up a few worried punters in the process. But hey, it's not like having virus protection is a bad thing...

The virus hides behind fake music and video files on P2P networks. Once the user opens the file they are instructed to download a file named PLAY_MP3.exe. If you do this your computer is infected with 'adware' that fills the computer with the dreaded 'pop-up' adverts.

So consider this a public service announcement, though we could wonder what you were doing on file-sharing networks in the first place...!

Technorati Tags: anti-virus, fake, McAfee, MP3, virus

NEWS: Gear4 picks up the beat with novel DUO iPod dock

Andy Clough — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:35:12 GMT

Gear4 has come up with a novel twist on the iPod dock concept with its new DUO 2.1 home stereo speaker system, launched today.

Created for use with an iPod, the DUO combines a bass unit with a detachable satellite speaker. The two can be used together as a single home music system, or the satellite speaker can be detached and taken around the house or garden to ensure your music follows you wherever you roam.

The concept is user friendly too, with the satellite speaker designed to be charged by the bass unit when docked, using a Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery.

Using Gear 4's own Seamless Sound Technology (SST), the DUO allows uninterrupted playback between the bass and satellite, even during docking and undocking.

The package comes complete with its own remote control, five iPod adapters, fold-out stand, retractable iPod dock and an optional travel pack that includes a spare battery and hard carrying case.

For those of you interested in figures, the DUO pumps out 38w in total, with the bass unit housing a 20W subwoofer and the satellite holding four tweeters.

Currently the DUO is priced at £149.99 (199.99 Euros), with details of where to buy at www.gear4.com.

Technorati Tags: Apple iPod, Gear4 DUO, iPod dock, MP3, MP4

NEWS: Universal to deliver free downloads

Joe Cox — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:02:40 GMT

We've reported on free, ad-supported download services before, most notably from the We7.com service, and now Universal is getting in on the act.

Qtrax is the company setting this ball in motion, striking a deal with Universal that covers publishing and recording rights, and should see music available for free within the next month or so.

The company has also struck deals with Beggars, the UK's largest independent label, and the publishing arms of EMI and Sony/ATV, but this deal is the first covering publishing and recording.

Using peer-to-peer software, downloaded music will be the users for ever as long as they regularly log in to renew the rights management. Tracks will also be transferable to iPods and MP3 players.

As well as displaying advertising, the site will offer merchandise, concert tickets and other music-related items for sale. Check out the site here.

Technorati Tags: download, MP3, Qtrax, Universal, We7.com

NEWS: Go!View brings Sky content to the PSP

Andrew Everard — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:59:58 GMT

Cross-platforming continues apace, with the announcement of a deal to bring downloadable Sky content to Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld device.

Called Go!View, the service will offer a choice of subscription or pay-per-view, and registered users will be able to download content via a PC.

Go!View will offer comedy, entertainment, movies and more, specifically tailored to the PSP, and is the latest in a range of Go! services for the PSP, which include Go!Messenger wireless communications and a Go!Cam attachment.

For more details see the dedicated website, and watch this space for a review of the service.

Technorati Tags: download, PSP, Go!View, Sky TV

NEWS: Surf, text and email with BT To Go internet smartphone

Andy Clough — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:56:21 GMT

BT is expanding its broadband service beyond the home with the introduction of BT Total Broadband Anywhere, which includes a free, internet-capable smartphone, the BT ToGo.

Broadband Anywhere customers will get the choice of two styles of BT To Go smartphones – the HTC S620 0r S710 – both powered by Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.

For a fee of £23.99 per month, users of BT Anywhere will be able to use the phone for surfing the web, sending and receiving emails, making calls or texting.

When in range of a wi-fi hotspot, the BT To Go phone connects to the internet at broadband speeds. When outside of wi-fi range, there's a 10MB monthly download allowance, and the package includes 50 call minutes and 50 texts on any network.

Other functions on the phone include a built-in camera, a video/music media player and BT's Snap & Send service, which means photos taken with the phone can be transferred to a personal online BT digital vault to be stored or shared with family and friends.

John Petter, managing director, consumer at BT, says: "Communications services are converging, and it's clear that customers want consistent access to the things that matter not only at home, but in the palm of their hands wherever they are."

Households that require more than one BT To Go handset can buy up to five more for £29.99 each and an additional fee of £5/month for each handset.

Technorati Tags: BT Anywhere Broadband , BT To Go, HTC S620, HTC S720, internet smartphone, mobile phone, MP3, wi-fi

NEWS: Nine Inch Nails give record companies the slip

Joe Cox — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:46:29 GMT

Nine Inch Nails have made their latest album available to download completely and utterly free from the band's website.

What's more, 'The Slip' is available in four different formats – MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC and WAVE 24/96.

Well aware that some people will still want a hard copy, the band make a note of saying a vinyl and CD release will follow in July.

Once you've entered your email address, which the site assures you won't be used for spam or sent on to anyone else, you'll be sent a link from where you can choose your download, which is delivered via the torrent application of your choice.

As the website states, the band see this is a way of giving something back to their fans: "As a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new Nine Inch Nails album one hundred percent free, exclusively via nin.com."

Trent Reznor and co. are clearly happy with their decision, urging downloaders to share the free music with as many people as possible: "We encourage you to share it with your friends, post it on your blog, play it on your podcast, give it to strangers, etc."

So it's three cheers for NiN – we're struggling to see a bad side to this news. Free music in high quality audio, and with a hard copy to follow for those who want it. As the website states: "Enjoy..." Click here for more.

Technorati Tags: download, FLAC, MP3, NiN, nine inch nails, the slip

NEWS: Audio-Technica's £250 in-ear buds

Joe Cox — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:49:19 GMT

Hot-on-the-heels of our review of the fine ATH-W1000 Sovereign high-end headphones in the June issue of our magazine – available now in all good newsagents – Audio-Technica has announced the ATH-CK10.

Despite the name, there's no relation to the aftershave as far as we're aware, but the diminutive in-ear 'phones will hope to come up at least smelling of roses, claiming sound quality previously unheard from such small headphones...

The 'two-way' headphones house two separate drivers, in a similar way to how speakers have a tweeter and a bass driver. Naturally this sounds good to us, though we might baulk at the idea that it's the equivalent of having a "high-fidelity loudspeaker inside each ear" – that would be rather heavy, no?

The 'phones come in a black finish, weigh just 4g and come with a 1.2m cable and a protective carry pouch. Though for £250, perhaps that's the least you'd expect. We look forward to hearing them in action very soon – and of course telling you all about them.

Technorati Tags: ATH-CK10, Audio-Technica, earphones, headphones, noise-cancelling

NEWS: Intempo launches internet radio portal

Joe Cox — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:30:00 GMT

Intempo is set to offer radio listeners more choice with the launch of the first version of its Radio Portal this month. The portal allows users to access over 30,000 radio stations and podcasts, whilst also allowing access to services such as news and weather information.

Head over to Intempo's website here to see the portal in action, which delivers simple, easy to navigate Internet radio and other information.

Intempo says the portal - powered by Radeo - is 'fast and easy to set up' and features simple navigation for ease of use on Macs and PCs. The site also supports Windows Media, QuickTime and Real music players.

Another useful feature is the ability to customize the portal to match the listeners preferences. A quick look at the website shows it's certainly up and running – see it for yourself at www.intempodigital.com.

Technorati Tags: Intempo, internet radio, radeo, radio, radio portal

NEWS: Archos adds GPS system to its portable 605 wi-fi media player

Andy Clough — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:54:02 GMT

Archos is blending navigation and entertainment with a new GPS system for its 605 WiFi enabled portable media player (PMP).

The GPS system comes with an in-car holder into which the Archos 605 is inserted, and it's connected to the car stereo system using the built-in line out. Maps are displayed on the colour 4.3in LCD touch screen on the 605.

The GPS in-car holder – which attaches to the car windscreen – can be sold separately for £99.99, or as a bundle with the 30GB player for £299.99.

Currently, the system supplies navigation support for 22 countries in Europe, with North American and Chinese versions set to follow.

Features of the GPS include speed camera location, route planning and traffic assistance in some countries, while route recalculation, advance signposting and lane assistance are also provided.

In a separate move Archos is also expanding the Contents Portal - launched in June last year - for its Gen 5 multimedia players. The portal has been boosted with the addition of music web platform Jamendo and German international broadcasting service Deutsche Welle.

The addition of Jamendo allows subscribers to download unlimited free and legal albums and tracks. May will also see the launch of the Archos Media Club (AMC) by Paramount, with 160 films initially to be on offer via the VOD (video-on-demand) platform launched in December last year.

Archos has also launched its TVportation feature that enables viewers to watch their home TV on portable devices wherever they go using the Archos TV+ as a streaming media server. It's available now for £29.99 as a plug in, or free to Archos website subscribers.

Technorati Tags: Archos 605 wi-fi, Archos GPS, Archos TV , Media streamer, MP3, MP4, Portable media player

NEWS: We7 and Sony BMG offer tunes for free

Joe Cox — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:49:00 GMT

We7.com has added Sony BMG to the list of record labels on its advert-supported download service. The website has over 500,000 tracks from the likes of Bob Dylan, Editors and Alicia Keys thanks to the Sony BMG tie-in.

Tracks are available to stream and download – both completely free.

The free tracks contain an advert at the start, which helps the site to pay the artists and record labels on your behalf, despite you not paying any money yourself. Your advert is removed after a set number of listens. That said, If you'd rather not buy a track with an ad at the front, then We7.com allows you to do this, too.

Steve Purdham, co-founder and CEO of We7 comments: "To date music fans have really only had two choices to get the music how they want it - buy or steal. Today we're changing that by putting the fans and artists first to deliver a fresh new alternative.

Simply fans get the music they want and now have the choice of paying with their money or paying with a small amount of their time. So everybody is happy"

Co-founded by ex-Genesis front man Peter Gabriel and launched in May 2007, the site has since reached over 3 million downloads and over 100,000 subscribers.

Technorati Tags: download, Sony, Sony BMG, We7, We7.com

NEWS: Epoz AktiMate combines British and Australian design

Andrew Everard — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:07:11 GMT

The AktiMate MP3 speaker system from Australian company Epoz was presented at the Munich High End show by Creek and Epos, whose audio technology underpins the design.

Already available in Australia, the USA and some European companies, the AktiMate is now coming to the UKi, and is described as 'first and foremost a serious hi-fi loudspeaker' with the addition of an iPod docking station.

The design has a 40Wpc amp built into one of the two 30cm-tall speakers, which connects to the other, passive, enclosure, and as well as the dock it has a 3.5mm stereo input, standard RCA phono ins and even a USB connection to charge MP3 players.

An additional pair of RCA phono outputs also allows you to connect a second AktiMate system for use in another room, or a subwoofer, and there's a video output to feed iPod menus to a larger monitor.

A simple volume/power control is provided on the active speaker, and there's a remote control handset.

Rumours about the new iPhone - and Nokia's challenge to Apple

dominic dawes — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:22:21 GMT

Since the announcement that O2 are offering the 8GB Apple iPhone for just £169, rumours have been rife that the beginning of June will see the launch of the new 3G iPhone, writes Dominic Dawes.

And as we all know, rumours like company. The latest whispers are that the new iPhone will have Nike+ (a portable personal training application), stereo Bluetooth support and GPS, as well as new software to combat those clever hackers who seem intent on 'jailbreaking' the iPhone.

That means hacking it so that it can be used on different networks, or support unauthorised third-party applications.

And if you didn't already know it can do that, you never saw me, right?

Meanwhile, there's still the question of 'will anyone, ever, release a product with an interface slick enough to compete with Apple?'

Well, The next serious contender to clamber into the ring will be Nokia, whose next big thing is currently shrouding itself beneath the peculiar codename 'Tube'.

And it seems the new Nokia may be closer to release than was previously thought. The new handset will be - naturally - a touchscreen device, and will resemble quite closely the size and dimensions of the iPhone (if the blurred shots we've seen are to be believed).

Hopefully, if a decent rival to the iPhone hits the market and is competitive in terms of price, maybe we'll see even the next-gen iPhone appearing with sub-£200 tag. For now, we'll wait to see how far Apple can bring down its prices before we start betting on any rival...

Technorati Tags: iPhone, Downloads, Apple, Nokia, MP3, digital music, iTunes, Bluetooth, Nike

NEWS: Targus releases portable NXT speakers

Joe Cox — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:18:05 GMT

Targus, previously 'known' for computer accessories, has launched two new portable speaker systems for the MP3 market.

The flat as a pancake Traveler's Choice speakers and the folding design of the Portable Speaker Book (left) both feature 3.5mm audio inputs making them compatible with iPods, laptops and MP3 players.

Both the units are powered either by a battery pack containing four batteries (AA in the former, AAA in the latter) or via a USB connection to a laptop or desktop PC.

The stereo speakers that make up the Traveler's Choice system (pictured, bottom) are available in black or red finishes, and have the neat function of clipping together magnetically when not in use – ideal for carrying about.

Also due for a summer 2008 release, the Targus Portable Speaker Book (pictured, top) is more striking in design and incorporates NXT's Balanced Radiator technology, which should equal a better dispersed sound.

Prices (and better images) to follow on these two, which should be out in a couple of months time.

Technorati Tags: iPod, MP3, NXT, Targus

NEWS: O2 slashes price of 8GB iPhone

dominic dawes — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:07:13 GMT

The price of Apple's 8GB iPhone is to be slashed to just £169, in a special offer that lasts from tomorrow until June 1st.

O2, the mobile network which exclusively provides contracts for the iPhone, has cut the price by £100, from £269.

The deal includes a choice of different contracts starting at £35 per month, and you will need to sign up to an 18-month contract. Those who take up the new deal will also be given free access to all 7,500 of The Cloud's Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK.

The price of the 16GB iPhone will remain the same at £329 inc VAT.

Technorati Tags: Apple, digital music, Downloads, iPhone, iTunes, MP3