'Tis the season for holiday music. And while you might be quite familiar/tired of some of the overplayed traditional songs we scoured the iTunes store to bring you some refreshing sounds of the season.
Fiona Apple's Rendition of Frosty The Snowman: Fiona Apple may not be the first singer to come to mind when you think of spreading holiday cheer, which makes this track, irony free, quite compelling. Fiona Apple: Frosty The Snowman
The Brian Setzer Orchestra Does Sleigh Ride Ah the 90's... After the flannel shirts and grunge started to fade, Ska and Swing ever so briefly made a return to fill the void. (Ok, Swing is still enjoying a higher level of popularity than in the 80's. No need for nasty letters/emails.) Setzer and his band souped up this holiday classic all their own. It's a bright, fresh take on the classic.Check out Sleigh Ride from The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Can I Interest You In Hannukah? Here at TDL HQ, we eagerly anticipated the Stephen Colbert Christmas Special. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown. The highlight though, was the music, and specifically the Stewart/Colbert duet "Can I Interest You In Hannukah?" Let's face it, other than Adam Sandler's Chanukah Song, this is one holiday that gets overlooked in the sounds of the season. Stewart tries to explain Hannukah to Colbert with catchy and humorous results.
The Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas This might qualify as a classic, but I'm going to let it slide because A: It's a fine selection, and B: It's at a heck of a sale price right now. Charlie may not win at baseball, but his Christmas album is a home run (come on, allow me some schmaltz here!).
The Bird and The Bee: Carol of The Bells Some friends of mine, will be less than thrilled to see this one on the list. Where others hear an annoying rendition of a classic that's trying too hard, I hear a light, fresh, but not-too far in left field cover. The iTunes Preview will give you a good sense of whether you'll love it or hate it. Let us know what you think in the comments.
I've always been a fan of Zuma on the iPod clickwheel, and I had no idea that game is actually derivative of Puzzloop, which was originally available on the Playstation, and has now made its way to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Here's a look at the marble shooting puzzler Puzzloop for iPhone and iPod Touch:
These are crazy times we're living in. You can now get someone a gift that doesn't even exist yet for the holidays. No doubt hoping to capitalize on the holiday season, iTunes is offering a Season Pass to Season Five of Lost, now, a full two months before the show begins to air. No, you won't get to see the episodes before everyone else. But you do get a free song ("You Found Me" by The Fray. Clever!). Who knows, by January, maybe you can purchase the inevitable spin-off!
Through iTunes, you can now get select (very select) TV seasons for less than $10. And you could even question how many full seasons are offered. Highlights include Tina Fey's Favorite Five 30 Rock Episodes, Fawlty Towers, Seasons 1 and 2 You can also get Matt & Trey's Top 10 South Park Episodes. Unfortunately, the pickings are slim, but hopefully we'll start to see more TV at this more reasonable price point soon. Click here for the rest of the $10 and under offerings.
A report at Ars Technica details the story of a man trying to watch purchased content on a projector connected to a new MacBook via a DisplayPort to VGA adapter. Rather than seeing the movie, he was greeted by an error message stating the content could not be played back because the display was not authorized to play protected content.
This is simply inexcusable. It doesn't matter if it's Apple's doing, or the studio's. Back when Apple announced the DisplayPort connector, you may recall, we pointed out on TDL Live that the DisplayPort standard included HDCP (copyright protection) support.
At the time, no one knew how/if this would be implemented with iTunes content. Now it looks like we know.
I squarely blame Apple for this. Why? Because Apple is the only company big enough to stand up to the studios. There are plenty of ways, legal and illegal, to watch/acquire this content online without this hassle. Putting these types of restrictions on legally obtained content is beyond stupid, and can only serve to send people further into the dark torrent corners to look for content. The iTunes store was built on the belief that if you made paid content adequately easy to obtain, it would be a more attractive option than stealing. The worst part is, DVDs still represent the quickest, easiest way for people to rip movies and share them with others. People are not sitting around, grabbing the feed from their computer on its way to the TV to make illegal copies.
It is an unfair burden on the consumer, and a disappointment that Apple has not only played along, but aided this burden by incoporating and activating the DisplayPort HDCP. Ridiculous.
I was just about to cancel my Netflix account. After all, why should I pay the same price as those using Windows computers, who are able to watch movies streaming instantly?
In another sign of the crazy times we're living in, Apple users have Microsoft to thank for making Netflix streaming on the Mac possible. Netflix will be using Microsoft's Silverlight to bring their streaming titles to the Mac. Why Silverlight? Well, one of the reasons the launch of these titles on the Mac has been delayed has been the requirements from studios to ensure copy protection of the content. On Windows computers, Windows Media Player provides an adequate level of DRM to satisfy content producers. Since Windows Media Player hasn't been updated for the Mac in years, Silverlight became the next best option. Since Silverlight is cross-platform, it will be interesting to see if all Netflix streaming is deployed via Silverlight in the future.
If it isn't already obvious, Apple's own QuickTime has stellar video quality, but lacks DRM options for third parties like Netflix. If nothing else, this may make Apple consider a subscription plan more in line with Netflix price offerings. A small portion of the Netflix catalog is currently available on any platform, but within 8-12 months, we could see some interesting competition between Netflix and Apple's own rental options.
Last year, Apple was blustering about potentially shutting down the iTunes music store. Yes, that's right... The world's largest music retailer said that an increase proposed by the Copyright Royalty Board to sweeten the cut of music track sales for songwriters from 9.1 cents to 15 cents would potentially cause Apple to cease iTunes operations. Really?
This week the Copyright Royalty Board decided to keep the rate unchanged. Whether you agree with the increase or not, the issue is concerning because of Apple's flair for the dramatic. We're expected to believe that Apple would really shut down the top-selling digital download site, which also happens to be the catalyst for iPod and iPhone sales, in the middle of an economic downturn. Stop and consider the consequences for Apple's battered stock for just a minute.
Shutting down iTunes is the closest thing to a "nuclear option" in the digital download world, and it should be used with caution. Ironically, if anything, the increase probably would've helped Apple. While most companies (amazon, rhapsody, etc.) would have to find a way to absorb the cost, Apple would more than make up for it in hardware sales. Considering there are roughly 50 tracks sold for every iPod purchased, Apple would've needed to absorb $3.00 more per iPod. I know electronics margins are close, but they're not that close.
Power in a market is a funny thing. Sometimes, once your the biggest, you actually have less freedom to do what you want to. While Apple may think users would've rallied around them if they actually went through with the threat, the reality is the lawsuits that would've sprung up, aimed at Apple, could be devastating.
With the continued focus (including by us) on the iPhone/iPod Touch app store, let's not forget the games being released for the click wheel iPods as well. Here's a look at Song Summoner. If you're into the kinds of role playing games in which you select from among multiple characters to do battle with each other. (And battle consisting of choosing the character, then having the game tell you what happened) then Song Summoner is for you. Otherwise, you might want to pass.
No, we're not stirring the pot again on our proposed Jobs' trip to China. We're referring to the impending collision between business decisions and political appeasements. Apple will have some serious decisions to make over the next few months regarding this lucrative market. Just this week reports surfaced that iTunes in China has been blocked due to Pro-Tibetan content, specifically, the "Songs for Tibet" album, added this week.
Apple, like many global companies faces serious questions in China. How should this situation be resolved? Give in to pressure from China and remove the album, at the risk of a backlash from around the world, or stand firm and risk losing what could easily be one of their most lucrative iPhone markets? And yes, there is the tiny detail that many Apple products are manufactured in China, as well.
What will Apple do? Well, there is one small incident that might give us a hint. Last year, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez decided to unilaterally change the time zone of Venezuela by half an hour. As you probably have noticed, most time zones are segmented by hours. The move placed Venezuela in its own time zone. As of July, Apple hadn't added the half hour offset for Venezuela in its time settings, causing problems like these. Microsoft on the other hand, had an update out within a few weeks acknowledging the time zone change. Was this lack of change an intentional political statement on Apple's part? If so, would they be as willing to take that sort of stand with China?
Dealing with China will be a far more high-profile, and high stakes process. Apple was wise to bring Andrea Jung from Avon onto the board early this year. At the time, the move was seen as a smart way to learn to market more effectively to women in China. In reality though, Jung could prove even more important as Apple navigates the Chinese political landscape.
While Apple has been a global brand for decades, China may be the first significant time in which a decision they make - to pull the Pro-Tibet album or not - will displease at least one major group of potential customers. Our bet: the album will disappear from the Chinese iTunes store, iTunes access in China will be restored, and except for a few protests (perhaps a letter from Richard Gere?) we'll all forget this happened. On the other hand, if it's a slow news cycle, or the issue is painted against the bigger backdrop of doing business with China, then this might not go away as quickly as Apple would like.
So put on your CEO hat. What would you do if you ran Apple?
First, a programming note: You'll be seeing a lot of iPhone app reviews this month, but we haven't lost sight of the fact that we're an Apple site and not an iPhone site, so there'll be plenty of non-iPhone videos and commentary as well.
Now then...
When Solar Quest debuted on the iTunes App Store, it was an alluring, if frustrating title. While it looked great, there were issues with navigation buttons sticking, and that really ruined the game. A new version is out though, and along with button fixes, there's greater use of the accelerometer for gameplay. Let's see how the new Solar Quest stacks up:
To coincide with the debut of the Watchmen movie trailer, Warner Brothers released what they are calling a "motion comic" on the iTunes Store.
You might remember TDL discussed the possibility of comic books for the iPhone and iPod a few month ago. Now this isn't exactly what we had in mind, but we do think it's fantastic. Warner Bros. has literally brought the panels of the original graphic novel to life. The effect is very similar to the Marvel Super Heroes cartoons that debuted in the 1960s, except with higher production values.
Do yourself a favor and get part one FREE today on iTunes.
The sites of digital music days of yore just keep coming back to life. This week Rhapsody announced the opening of their mp3 store component of their site. Touting the compatibility of the downloads with iTunes and the iPod, we had to check it out. If you want to check it out too, it's best to do it now as Rhapsody is offering a $10 credit (has to be used by midnight on the 4th) to try it. And if you do that, you'll discover the shortcomings of the site. Our full video review is below, but the gist of it is, their download manager software to automatically place the songs into iTunes is PC only, and the user interface really brings nothing new to the table. Still, with their $10 credit promotion (and supporting TV ads) it looks like they've gotten one part of the iTunes equation right:
Visiting the iTunes store today brings a new link (see above) to the Lost Book Club. What's that? It's a collection of books referenced, seen, or quoted in ABC's drama Lost. The executive producers aren't promising any great show-related revelations will come from reading (technically listening to) the books, but it is an interesting new way to build a community. Lost fans are a pretty devout group facing a long drought until the next season kicks off. This could be a great way to help them feel connected during the downtime, and it's certainly a more worthwhile endeavor than playing the awful LOST game for the iPod.
The cynic in me wonders though, why is it an ABC show (owned by Disney, who happens to have a single largest shareholder with the last name Jobs) that's trying this audiobook tie-in. It's a little strange (well my library friends will be up in arms) that while the characters in the show actually read the books, this tie-in encourages you to skip all that annoying reading and simply listen instead.
The easygoing side of me says it's no big deal, and it's just a nice way to promote a product (actually the books and the show). The old-man side of me wonders though, couldn't we come back from the brink of civilization a teensy bit by actually reading these books instead?
Business is hard. The digital music business is really hard. Or is it? On paper at least, you need to create an easy user interface, have a wide selection, and offer unique features. There's one other part of the equation everyone seems to keep forgetting though: advertising.
Amazon has a decent mp3 store. It has a fine selection of tracks, and the best way to get your music into your iTunes library without using the iTunes music store. So why then, isn't it more popular? No one knows/remembers it exists! Other than the promotion with Pepsi, (which didn't have the same ad support as the previous Pepsi deal with Apple) have you ever seen an ad for the service?
Now Amazon is expanding to the UK, where we're told most digital downloads are in a protected Windows Media format. What a great opportunity for Amazon to expand their marketshare, but if the y make the same mistake as in the U.S., they will be a very distant second place at best.
The only digital music competitor to sink any real money into advertising was the failed buy.com music store. Maybe the failure of Buy caused everyone else to be gun shy. The problem with Buy was never the advertising though, it was a clunky store with a small selection, of wildly varying price points. Any company serious about taking on Apple will have to match ad for ad with them just to make any impact. Think about all those Coldplay commercials from Apple, who easily has the #1 position. There's no magic wand to make your music store competitive with Apple. People need to know the store exists, and then be reminded of that at every turn. It's a simple business principle
If you've enjoyed Root Access on the channel, or on the shows page, you can now get it (for free of course) directly from the iTunes store. We'd appreciate it if you'd take a moment to subscribe, or leave your thoughts through the iTunes review system.
Apple announced this week they have now sold over 5 Billion songs. That is a huge number, and a huge feat in a space that was practically non-existent before the iTunes store launched.
With that said, some people, especially stock holders, might want to get out the calculators for a minute, and consider the ramifications of a rental or subscription service instead.
For this discussion, let's assume Apple's cut of rented music vs. purchase would be roughly the same. And we'll assume all those 5 billion tracks were purchased individually, meaning the sales brought in roughly $ 5 billion.
Today there are roughly 175 million iPods and iPhones sold. Let's say 150 million are still in use. Now let's assume 40% of those iPod/iPhone owners would be interested in a $15/mo rental program. $15/mo x 90 million would give Apple revenue of $1.25 billion per month.
There are a lot of unknowns here, so let's take a look at far more conservative numbers. Perhaps as few as 5%, or 7.5 million ipods/users would subscribe to the service. That would still mean more than $112 million in revenue each month, or $1.34billion per year. It would take less than four years to match the per song revenue.
This isn't meant to suggest Apple should abandon per track pricing, but rather they should offer a rental system as well. Traditionally Apple has been set in creating hardware or software, then telling the consumer why they needed it. Why not, just this once, give the consumer a choice. A choice that could ultimately lead to far higher revenue.
Macgirl's been playing Monopoly non-stop the last week to bring you this review. Find out how it stacks up against the board game original. And yes, it still takes a long time to play:
The iTunes store, YouTube, and other online outlets are quickly changing the landscape of television/video. However, cable and broadcast television aren't going away overnight. The public's new-found appeal for short-form content could just end up being perfect for television.
We had a chance to interview Howard J. Blumenthal, CEO of MiND TV, the new mind programming concept of WYBE in Philadelphia:
Not content with their subscription service, (although maybe that's what they really want to you to get.. more in a moment) Napster has announced it's own music download service. And, get this... individual tracks are $.99 with most albums being $9.99 Here's the skinny:
Pros: Library of 6 million songs Great sounding / quick previews Previews automatically go into the next track, allowing you yo easily preview the entire album. iPod Compatible, and great sounding DRM-free 256 kbps MP3's.
But it's certainly not all good..
Cons: Not Safari compatible Doesn't interface with iTunes like the Amazon store The interface feels cluttered.
But probably the most bothersome part to me, and the most Windows-ish feature for those of us who try to avoid such things, is the signup process.
Here's a look at the first page:
Seems harmless enough: Enter a username and password, and continue to the next page:
Notice anything odd? The only two account preferences are for the two types of subscription services, which are only nominally Mac compatible. (these songs won't play on the iPod, for example.) So now what do you do? The only two options are streaming accounts. but if you back out of this screen, and return to the main interface, you'll discover that you're now a "Light" member.
It feels slimy to only have two streaming options to choose from, essentially cancel out of that screen, only to discover you now have an account anyhow.
The selection and sound quality are great, but like most iTunes competitors, the user experience is sorely lacking. This store is definitely a distant third to iTunes and Amazon, and all the songs in the world can't make up for that.
