snapshot 6/27/07

iPhone may not rock music industry
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070626/ap_on_hi_te/iphone_mobile_music;_ylt=AvcMZ.p76LYYVsmf5FISJQFkM3wV
But Gomez says he won't buy the handset because users can't use it to buy and download music over a wireless network. Instead, iPhone owners will have to buy music via their computers and then download it to their phones, a process called side-loading.

About 4 percent of all mobile phone users in the U.S. and 27 percent of those with MP3-capable handsets side-loaded music onto their phones in the first quarter of this year, according to a survey by research firm The NPD Group. In contrast, just under 1 percent of all wireless subscribers and nearly 6 percent of those with music-player phones downloaded music over-the-air in the same period, the firm said.


Sales of Digital Music Players Fall
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/22/ap3850191.html
As financial reports this week from two major U.S. electronics retailers made clear, there has been an across-the-board slowdown in sales of digital music players. After a period of phenomenal sales growth, nearly one in four U.S. households now own one of these devices. The relatively high percentage means digital music players are nearing a saturation point.

Music player sales are also being cannibalized by surging interest in cell phones with music players, says Ross Rubin, director of consumer technology industry analysis at the NPD Group. "We're still seeing sales growth of about 20 percent this year," said James McQuivey, an analyst with Forrester Research "But it won't be what it once was."


Wednesday Business Links
http://www.coolfer.com/blog/archives/2007/06/wednesday_busin_24.php
Album sales were down 7% last week and were 5% lower than the same week last year. For the year, album sales are down 15%. That's a two-point improvement in just two months. Sales of digital tracks rose 2% for the week and were 44% higher than the same week last year. For the year, digital track sales are up 49%. Two months ago, digital tracks were up 52% for the year. Three months ago the number was 53%. One might find it odd that album sales are improving against last year's pace while digital track sales are worsening against last year's pace.


Imagine selling music through digital radio
http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/news/view_article.asp?article_id=12126
SoC designer, Imagination Technologies has announced a collaboration with UBC media to develop a system to provide DAB listeners with the ability to purchase music direct from their digital radios.


Report: one-third of all home networks used for entertainment
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070626-report-one-third-of-all-home-networks-used-for-entertainment.html
Consumers are starting to use home networks for more than sharing an Internet connection and sending files between PCs on the network, according to a new study by Forrester Research. One-third of all home networks are now used to stream music, movies, TV shows, and other media throughout the home. Although some of those surveyed said that wanted to stream photos and video across the network, the biggest reason for creating the network (aside from sharing a broadband connection) is to stream music or connect a console.


Cellfish.com: PC To Mobile Content Sharing
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/06/26/cellfishcom-pc-to-mobile-content-sharing/
Cellfish Media, a spin-off company from media company Lagardère (publisher of Elle magazine) has launched Cellfish.com , a social network and destination portal centered on users sharing music, videos and art between their PCs and mobile devices. Cellfish.com aims to tackle the issue of being able to share mobile entertainment while retaining the use of such content regardless of handset upgrades or changing service providers. Users are able upload content and display it on their personal Cellfish pages and their cell phones, then share that content with friends from a mobile device or PC. The Cellfish.com portal provides multiple content options including free for download and premium paid offerings on top of user generated content.


Next-generation Zune "Scorpio" set for July production?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/26/next-generation-zune-scorpio-set-for-july-production/
According to a super-secret, top level official inside Microsoft's megaplexing-hyper-bunker in Redmond, the Zuneinites are readying an 80GB Zune 2.0 called the "Scorpio", which will be a companion to the also-rumored 4GB or 8GB flash-based "Draco". The rumor additionally proffers that production on the Scorpio will begin towards the end of July, although we can't recommend any fancy breath holding. The diabolical naming convention apparently stems from the original Zune codename "Argo" and its WiFi component, called "Pyxis."


iPhone facts from the first reviews
http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/26/iphone-facts-from-the-first-reviews/

• The mobile version of OS X or whatever it is the iPhone runs takes up 700MB of the device's capacity.
• There's no way to cut, copy, or paste text!
• No A2DP support (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), which defines how high quality audio (stereo or mono) can be streamed from one device to another over a Bluetooth connection - for example, music streamed from a mobile phone to a wireless headset.
• Sorry, music can't be used as a ringtone -- even if it's just a raw MP3. No additional ringtones will be sold at launch.
• On a PC the iPhone syncs with Outlook for calendars AND addresses!
• It supports MS Exchange in some capacity, according to Walt, but he doesn't exactly say how.
• Pogue again confirms document file reading -- but not editing -- for PDF, Word, and Excel (only).
• Adobe Flash support is officially out. It's just not in the browser. Neither is there any other kind of embedded video support.
• It will take snaps, but won't record video.
• Oh, and no MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). And sorry, no voice dialing, either.
• Contact groups can't be emailed as contact lists.
• Apple sez between 300-400 charges the iPhone will lose battery capacity -- you'll send it in and get the cell replaced for a fee.
• Apple can (and supposedly will) be rolling out periodic updates -- no surprise there.
• Battery life is, somehow, almost as mind-blowingly good as Apple claims for calls, music, and movies.
• As we suspected, users are prompted with lists of WiFi networks if you're not nearby a trusted hotspot. We've seen this on other phones, and we're afraid this would get friggin annoying.
  http://www.macrumors.com/2007/06/27/vpn-support-in-iphone-whats-in-the-box-specs/
• For secure Internet access, iPhone supports industry-standard Wi-Fi security and virtual private networking (VPN).
• Windows 2000 (SP4), Windows XP Home or Professional (SP2), and Windows Vista.
• Audio formats supported: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
• Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
  http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/27/what-happend-to-the-iphones-ringtones-tab/
• Well, MacRumors is speculating Ringtones on one of them, and we think they're right. After all, we photographed a Ringtones tab during the iPhone's MacWorld debut. They're reporting that the unreleased iTunes version 7.3 -- listed as a requirement on the iPhone specs page -- will introduce a steep, $0.99 ringtones service to create your own 30 second ringtone from available iTunes (store) tracks. No word on whether it will work with tracks you already own.
  
  
  Netflix turns on star power in DVD rental war
  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070627/wr_nm/netflix_branding_dc_1;_ylt=Ai5XnD4zAmsJCJufH5y4Ib9kM3wV
  Netflix Inc has become a Hollywood player, turning to star-studded promotions and teaming with A-list actors on movie projects to raise itself above a cluttered market for online movie delivery. Netflix, best known for pioneering DVD rentals by mail, also owns a content acquisition arm called Red Envelope Entertainment. The unit, formed in 2006, has been buying up small films to bolster an 80,000 title DVD library and expects to own rights to nearly 200 movies by year's end.