Puretracks abandons DRM

In brief: Puretracks has abandoned DRM in its music service, Campus MovieFest is giving away Macs and iPods, Samsung is targeting the MacBook, and Avid has published sneak preview videos of Xpress Pro 5.7. Canadian online store Puretracks will soon strip DRM from music on select independent labels, such as Nettwerk and Beggar's Banquet. While this represents only 50,000 of Puretracks' 1.3 million songs, the company says it will increase the number of DRM-free tracks weekly, eventually adding major-label content where possible. The move makes Puretracks one of the first big online music stores to carry but later abandon DRM, a move recently suggested by Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

Campus MovieFest to give away Macs, iPods

At the finale of Campus MovieFest, touted as the world's largest student film festival, audience members will have a chance to win Apple door prizes including an iPod video, an iPod nano, or even a Mac mini. Doors open at 6:30PM on Wednesday, February 28th at the Atlanta Symphony Hall. Site visitors can use the code "MACNN" to receive half-priced tickets, which are normally $5 for students and $10 for general admission.

Samsung targets the MacBook

Samsung is on the verge of releasing a new designer notebook line, which uses many of the same aesthetics as the MacBook, such as conscious minimalism and a thin black shell. The introductory Aura R20 will specifically compete with Apple, having a 14-inch glossy widescreen that shares the same 1280x800 resolution, bolstered by ATI's recently announced Xpress 1250 -- a new chipset said to dramatically improve on typically slow integrated graphics. Complete details of the R20 should be made available in an official announcement next week.

Xpress Pro 5.7 preview videos

Avid has begun releasing sneak preview videos for Xpress Pro 5.7, its real-time editing application for HD, SD and DV video. Desiged mainly for those without Avid support contracts, who are not elligible for the Open Beta Program. The first video deals with the open timeline, which lets users mix-and-match different video types, color-coded to user preference. No release date has been set for the final product.

by MacNN Staff