This week: "Rokr", competition, accessories
updated 04:50 pm EDT, Fri September 2, 2005
Rokr, competition
This week brought more details on the upcoming Motorola "Rokr" mobile phone with iTunes support, first with for a ROKR iTunes phone television ad yesterday starring Madonna, Little Richard, Bootsy Collins, Sum 41, Mya, Lil' Jon, The Pussycat Dolls, The White Stripes, and Billie Joe from Green Day.
Consumers face more alternatives
Competition remained strong for Apple and Apple's successful iPod/iTunes system was threatened when Creative Technology won the patent for a user interface for digital music players.
HMV and Virgin are set to enter the music download market while Sony and 3 planning to offer music on mobile phones. Napster has evolved to challenge iTunes, rising up from the ashes of bankruptcy.
Verizon Wireless will reportedly start selling three mobile phones capable of playing digital music next week, this after Verizon announced on Wednesday it would delay the availability of its mobile music service until the first quarter of next year. Philips rolled out two new digital music players with color screens, higher storage capacities and PlaysForSure compatibility, adding two more options for holiday shoppers other than Apple's iPod.
iPod Accessories:
HangPhones from Artwizz for the iPod shuffle offer a solution to messy cabling problems by allowing the Shuffle to be worn around the neck, while Griffin's new TuneBox offers a portable speaker system that takes up less than four square inches. Griffin Technology announced a redesigned version of its iTrip FM transmitter for the iPod, adding a backlit LCD display, a dial to adjust broadcast frequency, and selectable LX or DX modes. Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) announced its new line of mini fling fashion cases for iPod minis, designed specifically for the fashion conscious iPod mini owner.
