snapshot 6/02/08

Staples Didn't Get the Memo, To Start Selling Self-Destructing DVDs
The tech world is full of inherently terrible ideas, but one especially bad one that just won't seem to die is the idea that people want to buy DVDs that will self-destruct in a couple of days. Beyond the fact that the entire concept is a giant kick to the balls of the environment, it's an idea that consumers have shown zero interest in getting behind. But here we are, nearly a decade after the idea was first floated, and Staples is about to get onboard with them.

Flexplay, a company that's been peddling self-destructing DVDs for five years or so, teaming up with the office supply store to start selling the coasters for $4.99 each later this month. It's pretty much exactly like the deal between DIVX and Circuit City that tanked so badly back around the turn of the century, but now they're doing it at a time when downloads are becoming more popular, Netflix is ubiquitous and there's a newer disc format out there competing with DVD. Boy, I don't see how this can fail! [PC World]


MySpace Music to stage its 150th Secret Show
The secret's out: MySpace Music Secret Shows are a hit. Social networking pioneer MySpace has created its most successful music program with the intimate Secret Shows series, whose 150th installment will feature Gnarls Barkley on June 8 at Irving Plaza in New York.

Secret Shows is MySpace's most successful and longstanding music program to date, and the program with the most user interaction, Walter says. "Almost half a million kids have signed up for the Secret Shows profile, and those kids are keeping the profile active, going in and requesting bands to play."


Bertelsmann Selling Out To Sony?
Reports are surfacing that Bertelsmann is currently in talks to sell out their share of Sony BMG to Sony. Other rumors are circulating that the sell off may only include a portion of the joint venture, but this seems unlikely considering Bertelsmann’s recent moves and quotes from CEO Hartmut Ostrowski.

The merger was finalized in 2004, but has sparked rumors of a split since the new year. Ostrowski recently confirmed suspicions, when he stated publicly in March, “We might take over 100%, or sell our 50% to Sony so that they have 100% or we might continue the joint venture…all three outcomes are possible.”


New FYE kiosks load your iPod with MP3s
Retail chain FYE (For Your Entertainment) has begun testing an "MP3 kiosk" in two of its stores, sources have told Ars Technica. Allowing customers to browse and purchase MP3s from a retail store, as well as providing a convenient way to get the music back onto a computer at home, FYE may have a decent chance at bringing MP3 shopping to the real world.

The idea is simple: patrons are able to browse a catalog of songs at an FYE Tunes kiosk in a store for single tracks or complete albums, then build a playlist. The customer can then either pay to have the songs burned to CD or downloaded as DRM-free MP3s to an iPod or other USB-compatible player for $.99 per track. There's no word yet on whether discounts will be applied when purchasing larger playlists of songs or full albums. Making deals for videos like TV shows and movies is also reportedly on hold to see whether this idea takes off.
Right now, FYE Tunes has a catalog of over one million tracks available to purchase in store. The major labels—Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI—are all coming soon. The first of the two stores this pilot program has been rolled out to is in the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. The other is the store at Colonie Center in Albany, NY.


Major Music Distributor Handleman Exits Music Business
Major music distributor Handleman Corp. announced Monday (June 2) that it is exiting the music business. The Wal-Mart chain has been Handleman's biggest CD customer. Handleman president/CEO Albert A. Koch said, "CD music sales have been declining at double-digit rates for several years, both industry wide and at our customers' stores, resulting in a sharp drop-off in our business. Unfortunately, even the significant steps we've taken over the past two years to reduce our costs have not enabled the company to return to profitability." The Troy, Mich.-based company will lay off 260 workers. Its inventory and other assets will be sold to Anderson, based in Amarillo, Tex. Handleman said it will continue to operate its other units, including video game maker Crave Entertainment.


Front 242 Free Download Fights Compression
Front 242 wants listeners to discover the quality-destroying aspects of digital music compression for themselves. Quit reading about the differences -- or lack thereof -- between CDs' .wav files and different levels of MP3 compression and experience the difference for yourself with a free download from the venerable industrial act. The band will give away its two-song "First Moment" single at no cost to anyone who registers in advance through its label, Alfa Matrix. The single's set to see the light of day in five different formats to give listeners the opportunity to compare the difference in sound quality between formats. MP3 files, encoded at 192Kbps and 320Kbps, .wav files (16-bit CD quality) and lossless encryption for both PC and Macs will be bundled in the download.