Dark Ipod

Less than one whole day after Apple’s big “One More Thing” announcement wherein they announced, among other things, partnership with ABC to provide ad-free TV content on iTMS for US$1.99/download, there are already rumors that another big network, NBC, is getting ready to hop on board. The Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required) apparently has an article detailing that NBC is “in talks” with a number of providers, “including Apple,” to do the same thing. From the iLounge link:

The paper says that the company is still discussing pricing and security issues. “NBC Universal Digital Media is having conversations with many top players,” Deborah Reif, president of NBC Universal Digital Media, said in a statement. An spokesman declined to comment on whether the company has held conversations with NBC.

Obviously, if this rumor is true, Apple has to be a strong leader in these talks as they are slowly grabbing the media industry by the balls, and the media industry is (mostly) loving it.

I’ll tell you one thing though—nobody could possibly be happier if NBC started providing TV content on iTunes than yours truly. As a veteran Reality Show Whore™, being able to subscribe to the series of The Biggest Loser and Martha’s and Donald’s Apprentices (c’mon, you know they’re good) without having to fiddle with my eyeTV and fluctuating show times could just about seal the deal for me to both get a video iPod and consider cancelling my cable. The possibilities are endless..

Apple has announced iTunes 6, the next generation of the world’s most popular music jukebox and online music store. iTunes 6 lets fans purchase and download over 2,000 music videos and six short films from Academy-Award winning Pixar Animation Studios for $1.99 each. Also, in a landmark deal with Disney, iTunes is now offering current and past episodes from two of the most popular shows on television, “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost,” as well as the new drama series “Night Stalker” and the two most popular shows from Disney Channel, “That’s So Raven” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” for $1.99 per episode. Customers can now purchase and download their favorite television shows from iTunes the day after they air on TV, watch them on their Mac or PC, and Auto-Sync them onto the new iPod® for viewing anywhere.

“We’re doing for video what we’ve done for music—we’re making it easy and affordable to purchase and download, play on your computer, and take with you on your iPod,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Right out of the gate we’re offering 2,000 music videos, Pixar’s short films and hit primetime TV shows like ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Lost’.”

“For the first time ever, hit primetime shows can be purchased online the day after they air on TV,” said Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company. “We’re delighted to be working with Apple to offer fans a new and innovative way to experience our wildly popular shows like ‘Desperate Housewives’ ‘Lost’ and ‘That’s So Raven’.”

“Apple is giving music fans a great way to own their favorite music videos,” said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M. “The people at Apple fully understand the interaction between musicians and their audience.”

Featured exclusive music videos are available from artists such as Beastie Boys and U2 along with more than two dozen classic music videos from Madonna. Music videos are available from hundreds of artists, including classic hits by Michael Jackson and Sting and current hits from Coldplay and Kanye West. The first ever video iTunes Originals is being released with an exclusive performance and interview from Death Cab for Cutie as well as an exclusive video album from Brazilian Girls. Music fans can also purchase the Complete Stevie Wonder digital box set, which contains over 500 songs, a full color digital booklet and three bonus videos, available only on the iTunes Music Store. Movie shorts available from Pixar include “Boundin’,” “For the Birds,” “Geri’s Game,” “Luxo Jr.,” “Red’s Dream,” and “Tin Toy.”

New features in iTunes 6 include expanded online gift options which now allow customers to give specific songs, albums, music videos or their own iTunes playlists to anyone with an email address, a public beta of new “Just for You” personalized music recommendations and the debut of online customer reviews. Now more than 10 million iTunes music fans can read other customers’ reviews, post their own and rate their usefulness.

With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated Podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store features more than two million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, 10,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.

Macintosh Requirements:
• Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later
• 500MHz G3 processor or better
• QuickTime 6.5.2 or later
• 256MB RAM
• Combo/Super Drive to burn CDs
• Broadband Internet connection (DSL/Cable/LAN) for buying and streaming music

Additional Video Requirements:
• Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later
• 500 MHz G4 processor or better
• QuickTime 7.0.3 or later
• 16MB video RAM

iTunes 6 for Mac and Windows includes the iTunes Music Store and is available as a free download immediately from http://www.apple.com/itunes . Purchase and download of songs from the iTunes Music Store for Mac or Windows requires a valid credit card with a billing address in the country of purchase. Television shows are available in the US only, and video availability varies by country. Music videos and short films are $1.99 (US) each, and television shows are $1.99 (US) per episode.

Apple Computer lured reporters to its latest carefully scripted product announcement with an invitation to peek behind a curtain for a look at “just one more thing.” In the end it was more like six.

But certainly the above-the-fold headline describing what Apple (AAPL) unveiled in San Jose on Oct. 12 would have to highlight the video iPod. Were it not for the slightly wider display screen — 2.5 inches diagonally, about a half-inch larger than the previous flagship model — you might almost miss the fact that it has been redesigned at all. The scroll wheel looks the same, and it’s thinner than previous iPods.

But now you can watch your own home movies, pay two bucks to download music videos from a catalog of some 2,000 now available on the iTunes music store, or watch an episode of Desperate Housewives, one of a handful of TV shows from Disney’s (DIS) ABC network, for $1.99 each. Disney CEO Bob Iger was on stage with Apple CEO Steve Jobs, calling the new iPod and iTunes video service a “breakthrough” — and likely signaling a new, more amicable phase in relations between Disney and Jobs’s other company, computer-animation titan Pixar (PIXR).

REDMOND FUMBLES. As with the first iterations of iTunes, which sported a library of only a few hundred thousand songs to download, the video offerings are off to a modest start. It won’t stay modest for long. With a device that can store 150 hours of video, the program choices will have to grow — and fast.

Portable video players aren’t a new idea. Microsoft (MSFT) has pushed its portable media centers since last year, through hardware partners such as Creative Labs (CREAF), Samsung, and others. It also tried to create its own digital hub with the Media Center PC line, developed with hardware partners including Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Dell (DELL), and Toshiba. But neither the mobile devices nor the Media Center PCs have sold well.

Until recently, Jobs had been dismissive of the idea of turning the iPod into a portable video platform. Why watch videos on a tiny little screen when you can see them on a much bigger and better screen in the living room? This argument had — indeed still has — a lot of merit. But the iPod or a device like it has a lot of potential as a portable storage medium that connects directly to a larger screen, like a TV or a PC display. This iPod — note there’s no change to the name — does both, allowing you to watch video on its small screen or connect to a home monitor.

HOME TURF. While the video iPod got the attention, it’s only a small part of what looks like a much grander strategic attack on the digital-media space. The new iMac G5 says much more about Apple’s stance on digital media going forward. Sporting a built-in iSight camera for video conferencing, and a remote control so you can start and stop music and video on the screen from 30 feet away, this machine, which starts at $1,299, reflects Apple’s increasing attention to the living room.

Is this a living room Mac? Maybe not. Is it a big part of Apple’s answer to the Media Center PC? Definitely so. Media Center PCs run a special variant of Windows that allows users to record TV shows, organize a digital-music collection, and play streaming audio from services such as XM Satellite Radio (XMSR).

Earlier this year, Microsoft released a product called the Media Center Extender that brought the PC and traditional home-entertainment devices like the TV and stereo together on a home computer network. The idea was to bridge the gap between a PC hard drive stuffed full of video and music and traditional entertainment equipment. But consumers still don’t seem to be biting.

SPEED THRILLS. Meanwhile, Apple’s campaign to conquer home entertainment keeps marching forward. Just this week, it joined 26 other companies in a new industry consortium called the Enhanced Wireless Coalition that’s developing a standard for the next generation of wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi, networking technology.

That next step is known by its arcane technical name, IEEE 802.11n, but it translates into a Wi-Fi network that would be 10 times faster than anything available today. Products using the current standard — known as 802.11g — boast download speeds of as much as 54 megabits per second. The new standard would push that speed to 600 megabits per second, fast enough to deliver high-quality streaming video whenever, wherever.

Once you get wireless networks running that fast, you can start thinking realistically about pushing multiple streams of high-quality sound and video content all over the house. And here Apple already has a ready-made brand of products — the Airport Extreme and Airport Express wireless networking products — that are both due for a refresh.

Airport Express can already be used to stream music from a Mac or a PC’s iTunes playlist to home stereos. And Apple launched its current flagship Wi-Fi router, the Airport Extreme, months ahead of the official industry ratification of the 802.11g standard. It might do something similar with a new Airport lineup before the 802.11n standard is ratified.

UTOPIA NOW? Apple has been traditionally strong in the Wi-Fi business. Last year, it was second only to Linksys, a unit of Cisco Systems (CSCO), in share of the market for Wi-Fi gear based on the 802.11g standard (see BW Online, 2/19/04, “Apple’s Other Hardware Hit”).

The division that includes Airport products accounted for $296 million, or about 8%, of sales in the most recent quarter. Recognizing the potential for growth in wireless-media-related gear, the Linksys unit just paid $61 million for Kiss Technology, a Danish startup that makes DVD players that can be connected to the Internet for video-on-demand functions.

We’ve been hearing about this utopian digital-media environment for a long time: music, TV, and movies available anytime, all over the home. And now, with the video iPod, you can have it outside the home.

CONNECTING IT ALL. Microsoft had the vision, but lacked the ability to push it through in a way that consumers find compelling. It built an ugly portable product that’s confusing to use. Apple has a proven record of turning the needlessly complex into beautifully simple designs.

Music videos and a few TV shows may be the first of its iTunes video offerings, but Hollywood can’t be far behind. The iPod, the new iMac and a faster wireless network will tie this digital media environment together. If Apple can’t do it right — and make billions of dollars in the process — I don’t see who can.

This past weekend, my fiance and I decided to take a much-needed, well deserved getaway to a nice little cabin in the town of Nashville, IN. Nashville is about 200 miles from where we live; a drive of approximately 4 hours, bladder breaks included.

Any time I find myself contemplating a roadtrip of more than, say, 5 minutes, my iPod comes along for the ride. The morning we were to depart, I took some time to load up iPod with some songs my lovely girlfriend had been requesting. That’s when I realized something was amiss with my beloved white and silver music machine. The software I use to manage music on iPod wouldn’t recognize it when I attached it to my computer. I reinstalled the software, and disconnected/reconnected iPod a half-dozen times, all to no avail. iPod, it seemed, was dead. The odd part was that my computer was still recognizing iPod as a device. Through Windows Explorer, I was able to see the files and folders on the iPod. I determined that all of my music was in fact, still present on the device; iPod had somehow just forgotten that it was carrying 16.1GB of my musical treasures. In the About screen, it showed the correct space usage, but listed that it was holding 0 songs. How bizarre…

So, we left, dead iPod in tow, on the off chance that by some miracle of fate iPod would resume normal function. That wasn’t to be. We were forced to listen to (GASP!) CD’s and radio for the entire trip. Despite the iPod problem, we had a perfectly relaxing weekend in the Autumn Capital of the World.

When we returned home, I spent about an hour and a half researching my iPod problem on the internet, without much result. Every reference I found that was similar to my problem concluded by saying that I’d just have to format the iPod and start fresh. WHAT?!?!? That seemed like an awful lot of work. Sure, all the music is still on my computer, but what a pain in the hind quarters to have to put it all back on the iPod. So, I started poking around iPod’s innards through Windows Explorer.

In the iPod_Control folder, I found a folder called iTunes. Within that folder are a variety of files, but two in particular interested me: the iTunesDB file (no file extension) and the iTunesDB.old file. In examining the files, I noticed that the iTunesDB file was very small…only 480 bytes, while the iTunesDB.old file was 2.50MB. It seemed logical to me that a database holding information on 3200 songs would more likely be 2.50MB than 480 bytes, so I decided to try an experiment. If you find yourself in similar trouble, and take the same steps I did, I cannot be held responsible for any problems that result. You’ve been warned

Before you begin, you must set Windows Explorer to View Hidden Files and Folders, and to show file extensions. Then navigate to (YOUR IPOD DRIVE LETTER):\iPod_Control\iTunes, and perform the following steps:

1) First, I renamed iTunesDB to iTunesDB.jt

2) Then I renamed iTunesDB.old to iTunesDB (no file extension)

3) Gracefully disconnected iPod from the computer.

4) Turned iPod on.

5) Screamed with joy when iPod once again listed the 3200 songs it contained.

6) Plugged in headphones to verify function. Sounded great

Thus ended my trouble with my iPod. It now remembered that it was carrying a priceless collection of music, and I went gleefully back to rocking out. I’m not sure what caused the database to flake out…perhaps one of you intrepid readers can fill me in. I’ll now be backing up iPod on a weekly basis…no more scares for me.

Your mileage may vary. If you have any trouble, drop me a line and let me know, and I’ll see what I can do to help you.

If 2005 was the year consumer generated audio (e.g. podcasting) took off, yesterday’s launch of the new video-capable iPod and iTunes is a sure sign that that 2006 will be all about video and vidcasting (or vodcasting if you prefer). Both citizens and corporations (in the form of advercasts) are going to going to start creating or repurposing their existing content for the small screen.

My initial reaction as a marketer is that we’re going to need a whole slew of new tools to mine all this data - and fast. Thankfully, there are already a few companies rushing to fill this void. One is vodcasts.tv - a Podcast Alley for vidcasts. However, SearchForVideo is an even better example. SearchforVideo does a good job searching for videos and then delivering these results via RSS. They also offer a solid base of general video RSS feeds.

if you think about it, all SearchforVideo (or Google or Yahoo) needs to do is figure out how to convert indexed videos to conform to the iPod’s standards, attach these enclosures to an RSS feed and boom - you have a customized vidcast feed for your iPod. This is easier said than done. There are some big technical and digital rights hurdles here. However, you just know that someone in their spare time is already working to figure this out. Apple is also helping by posting instructions on how to prepare iPod-friendly videos.

Marketers will also jump feet first into advercasting. And why not? They already have vast libraries of video available at their disposal from years of TV and rich media advertising. Imagine if the now defunct BMW films republished their webisodes in vidcast form. I would love to subscribe to these via RSS in iTunes and consume it all on the go on a video-capable iPod. Of course, citizens will jump into the act with their own advercasts as well.

This should all be fun to watch - grab some popcorn.

In unveiling the video iPod, Apple once again showed its ability to generate consumer buzz with a little help from some dramatic flair. It began with those intriguing invitations and continued through the event, which Steve Jobs presented in three acts — “like every great, classic story,” he explained. The result? See the accompanying screen shot for the top queries on the Technorati blog search site as of 9 p.m. Pacific time Wednesday night. Granted, the product itself is producing much of the interest, but the build-up and presentation also add that extra element that helps send it over the top.

Which brings me to the story of what happened as I was walking through San Jose after the event. I stopped at a crosswalk and ended up talking with George Kraw, a lawyer taking a noontime jog with an XM Satellite Radio Delphi device. Curious about how far word of the new video iPod had spread, I asked whether he had heard about it. And in fact, he had just read something about it online before leaving the office. He said he was intrigued enough by the concept to start thinking about buying one.

As it happens, I’m pretty familiar with the background of Microsoft’s Portable Media Center software, having written this story about its development by three enterprising Microsoft employees. So I couldn’t help but ask Kraw: What about those Windows-based portable video players? You know, the ones on the market since last year? Ever thought about buying one of those?

“Never heard of them,” he said.

Apple’s latest breakthrough in MP3 technology exists in the form of the small, attractive iPod Nano. The Nano, with dimensions of only 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 inches and weighing 1.5 ounces, features a 1.5-inch LCD color screen and holds up to 1,000 songs or 25,000 pictures (4-gigabyte model). Sporting the tagline “Impossibly small,” the iPod Nano looked to be a promising media player that would crush the competition. Unfortunately, this is one Apple product that is far from perfect.

Most iPod owners will admit their main reason behind choosing an iPod over other MP3 players with similar functionality: The simple fact that an iPod looks cool. It’s a slick piece of technology just like every other Apple product. Many people would agree that without the iPod’s smooth, shiny finish, there’s really nothing to brag about. The new iPod Nano lacks a necessity for all cool gadgets: A scratch-resistant surface.

Users have complained that their iPod Nano shows rapid wear-and-tear after only a few hours of normal usage. Scratches would appear all over the front of the device (including the screen) after handling it or keeping it in their pocket. Some users have even reported scratches from wiping the Nano with a cotton cloth to clean the very noticeable and recurring fingerprints off of the screen.

Since the release of the iPod Nano, tech forums have been overwhelmed with rants about Apple’s new easy-to-scratch MP3 player. Some have even gone as far as buying a domain devoted to the Nano’s scratching problems. One such site is called www.nanoscratch.com, where owners of the iPod Nano can post pictures of their scratched device or e-mail the owner of the site with their personal story about the Nano. The site also features a few suggestions on how to initially protect your Nano or half-way restore your already-scratched Nano. While this site may be useful, the best source of information about the Nano’s problems is Apple.com’s own message board.

“I’ve never had a problem with Apple until I bought my first Apple product,” said first-time Apple customer Jarad Spatola. “Within three hours of it being in my jeans pocket, the Nano looked like it had been dragged across concrete, and Apple won’t do anything about it.”

After an hour of talking to Apple’s tech support, Jarad was only able to get Apple to send him a free iPod case. He feels this is not satisfactory.

“No one buys an iPod only to cover it up,” he said.

In addition to unsightly scratches, many more users have reported their Nano to have a cracked screen after mere hours of having it in their pocket. For most people, the screen cracked after sitting down with the iPod in their pocket.

Apple’s return policy states that cosmetic issues are not covered in the warranty, as it is considered to be normal wear-and-tear. However, a cracked screen is more than a cosmetic issue. In most cases, the iPod ceases to function after that type of damage.

Fortunately, Apple has acknowledged the screen-cracking problem and will replace your Nano if this occurs, but Apple refuses to address the scratching issue because they have only agreed to cover hardware malfunctions. Most users with a scratched iPod Nano will be sending theirs back once they’ve intentionally cracked the screen.

The Nano’s predecessor, the iPod Mini, did not have the same scratching problems. However, the Mini is no longer being sold by Apple. You can still get one from eBay, which is what most people are doing in light of the Nano being prone to so much wear-and-tear.

Apple insists that the Nano is made of the same material as the iPod and the iPod Mini, but because their acknowledgement of the screen-cracking issue, expect a new, more scratch-resistant Nano to be released when Apple decides to fix the screen problem.

Apple´ss iPod digital music player has helped the company to record revenues and profits, but quarter-on-quarter demand for the iconic range of media players has disappointed industry analysts.

The manufacturer reported profit of $430m on sales of $3.68bn in its last quarter of the fiscal year.

Compared to the same period last year, sales were up 56.6 per cent and profit grew by 306 per cent. Fiscal 2005 showed sales of $13.93bn and profit of $1.34bn.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs touted the result as the best year in Apple’s history. But the figures were positively affected by a one-time tax charge.

The iPod remains a red hot item in Apple’s books. Consumers purchased 6.45 million of the devices in the quarter ending 24 September, up 220 per cent year-over-year.

Although this surpassed sales in the previous quarter when Apple sold 6.16 million units, investors had expected stronger growth. Following the earnings release, Apple stock fell almost 10 per cent in after-hours trading.

The iPod Nano, introduced in early September, proved to be an overwhelming success, selling more than one million units in its first 17 days. The Nano is currently sold out and Apple could not say when it expects to catch up with demand.

The earnings announcement came the day before a much anticipated Apple media event, at which the company is rumoured to be unveiling a video iPod.

Sales of Apple’s desktop and laptop computers showed a mixed picture. While overall sales increased 48 per cent year-over-year to 1.24 million units, desktop shipments fell relative to the past quarter.

Apple Computer Inc. Wednesday unveiled an iPod capable of playing videos, evolving the portable music player of choice into a multimedia platform for everything from TV shows to music videos.

Videos will now be sold online alongside songs on Apple’s iTunes Music Store.

Citing a groundbreaking deal with ABC Television Group, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said the online iTunes store will sell episodes of hit shows “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost” for $1.99 each, making them available the day after they air on TV for viewing on the new iPod’s 2.5-inch color screen.

TV services are available for cell phones, but quality remains substandard.

“It’s never been done before, where you could buy hit TV shows and buy them online the day after they’re shown,” said Jobs whose other company, Pixar Animation Studios Inc., has a long relationship with ABC’s parent, Walt Disney Co.

Competing portable video players have been available for several years, but very little compelling content has been available. Apple’s move comes amid fledgling initiatives to offer original video programming on the Internet.

“This is the first giant step to making more content available to more people online,” Robert Iger, Disney’s CEO, said. “It’s a great marriage between content and technology, and I’m thrilled about it.”

The new video iPod, available in white or in black, will be able to play video and podcasts. A 30-gigabyte version will sell for $299 and a 60-gigabyte, $399. Extra features on both versions include a clock, a calendar, a stop watch and a screen lock.

“It’s really very beautiful and very thin,” Jobs said.

The video iPod will lock TV shows and music videos downloaded from the iTunes store with copy-protection software, just as Apple does for music. But it will also support the MPEG-4 video standard, meaning users could view home movies and other unencrypted videos on it.