10/28, 11:15pm
Google Music Search uses iLike, Lala
Google at a Los Angeles event tonight unveiled its widely expected advanced music search feature. The addition (a video of which is available below) automatically parses regular searches for music from all four major labels and automatically filters it by artist, album or track; users can then either sample or buy the tracks through Lala or MySpace's iLike. Those who use recommendation-based Internet streaming service like iMeem, Pandora or Rhapsody can also find related music.
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10/13, 4:35pm
Threat to iTunes?
A forthcoming version of Real's Rhapsody iPhone app should support offline listening, a designer of the software says. Although Rhapsody mobile service is priced at $15 a month, iPhone and iPod users can currently only stream music, whether through Wi-Fi or 3G. Offline listening would likely allow the storage of tracks for the duration of a subscription, making the app more practical in areas with bad or inconsistent connections.
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10/13, 12:00am
HP launches TouchSmart 300 and 600
HP early today is making an aggressive push into touchscreen PCs with two key updates to its TouchSmart home all-in-ones. The TouchSmart 300 and 600 add true multi-touch input and have significantly expanded use for the technology: they can not only use pinch-to-zoom, flicks and other gestures in the general operating system thanks to Windows 7 but in several new touch apps for the systems' custom front end. They can now navigate Hulu or Netflix streaming video, stream Pandora or Rhapsody music, or update and follow Twitter feeds all primarily using touch.
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09/06, 10:35pm
Spotify for iPhone and Android
Spotify tonight quietly saw the release of both the iPhone (1.7MB) and Android versions of its promised mobile app. On both platforms, the free app lets those with a Spotify Premium subscription (roughly $14 per month) stream the service's entire catalog, including music from all the major labels. They also have access to an offline mode that caches whole playlists for use when Internet access over 3G or Wi-Fi isn't available.
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09/04, 1:15pm
Sonos apps, gear get Twitter support
Sonos on Friday announced through a Twitter post that its CR200 touchscreen controller, Sonos CR for iPhone and Sonos CRs for Mac and PC will get the ability to post tweets on Twitter directly through a given device. The feature should come through a software update that, on the Controller or an Apple device, will bring an onscreen keyboard.
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09/03, 10:40am
First touchscreen Squeezebox
Logitech this morning unveiled two expected but major updates to its Squeezebox network media streamers. The Squeezebox Touch is its first hub with a touchscreen and uses the 4.3-inch display to provide a much more flexible interface for playing music, whether from local Macs and Windows PCs or from Internet streaming like Last.fm, Rhapsody or general Internet radio. Its size better displays album art and lets users browse photos on the network.
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08/27, 3:40pm
Spotify iPhone App
Apple today said it has approved Spotify's iPhone app. A spokesperson for the company made the rare statement ahead of the app's appearance for paidContent in what's seen as a bid to prevent accusations of anti-competitive behavior regarding the app, which will need a 10 Euro (roughly $14) monthly premium subscription but which will give unlimited streaming of music over both Wi-Fi and on iPhones using 3G. It's unclear when the app will actually appear but is expected only in countries where Spotify is already available on computers, such as the UK or Spain.
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08/24, 8:25am
Revo IKON Radio Dock
Revo this morning claimed the high ground in radio docks through the unveiling of the IKON. The system aims to be a center for all digital audio with DAB+ radio (for the UK), Internet radio through many sources that include Last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody and Sirius, an iPhone/iPod dock and media sharing from Macs and PCs on the local Ethernet or Wi-Fi network. A unique advantage in the field is a 3.5-inch touchscreen that provides both a much more context-sensitive interface for each source but displays album art, song data and anything else a given format allows.
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08/24, 7:25am
Real Rhapsody for iPhone
Real this morning branched out to Apple devices in earnest by revealing a port of its Rhapsody service to the iPhone and iPod touch. Normally only offered through rival players like those from SanDisk, the service gives subscribers access to the full song catalog and lets them queue up any of the 8 million songs from Rhapsody on request. It also provides access to playlists, Rhapsody Radio and every other service normally available through the full-function website, Real claims.
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08/10, 4:50pm
Sonos iPhone app udpated
Sonos has released an update to its iPhone app that works with the company's multi-room music systems. Version 3.0 adds a new "Info View" command that connects to a variety of extra content from sources such as Last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster and Sonos Radio. While listening to last.fm, users can view artist information, similar artists or upcoming concert dates.
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08/10, 4:30pm
Onkyo home theater amps
Home theater manufacturer Onkyo has recently announced the release of two new high-end home theater receivers, with the TX-NR807 and TX-SR707. Both are 7.2-channel systems, though the TX-NR807 has the ability to stream audio from Internet-based services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius and Internet radio from vTuner's database. Music on networked PCs and hard drives can also be played back as the receiver is DLNA 1.5-compliant. It supports MP3, WMA, FLAC, OGG Vorbis and AAC file playback from PCs.
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07/02, 4:50pm
MCS sues MS, Yahoo, Real
MCS Music America has filed a lawsuit against Real Networks, Yahoo and Microsoft over alleged music copyright infringements earlier this week. The copyright administration company claims the defendants breached copyright on several pieces of music and their artists. MCS represents a large number of other plaintiffs and says streaming music services such as Rhapsody, Zune and Yahoo Music allow users to retain the copyrighted tracks for an extended period of time, saying the defendants are required to obtain the rights for such a form of distribution.
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07/01, 11:20am
Pioneer Elite receivers
Pioneer on Wednesday brought out four new home theater receivers to its flagship Elite lineup, including the top-rung SC-27 and SC-25, as well as the slightly lower-end VSX-21TXH and VSX-23TXH. All four have a customized USB/composite cable that allow users to integrate their iPhones and iPods into their home theater audio systems. Once connected, the Apple devices can be controlled via the systems' remote controls, and their content sent to 2nd and 3rd zones setup in the home. The SC-series units are meant to reproduce Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks found on more advanced Blu-ray discs. Both have a Direct Energy HD Class D amp based on ICEpower.
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06/23, 10:25am
Rhapsody comes to VIZIOs
VIZIO on Tuesday announced its VIA-badged TVs with access to Internet Apps will now have access to Real's Rhapsody music service. With the user interface, users can browse the near 8-million song library using VIZIO's Bluetooth universal remote control, which has a built-in QWERTY keyboard, while watching TV. Songs can be searched by title, artist or album and on-demand access to new releases and top albums is available.
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05/11, 4:15pm
Denon 2009 Lineup
Denon's American branch this afternoon bowed its core lineup for 2009 and headlined it with both Blu-ray players as well as network-aware iPod docks. The DBP-2010CI and DBP-1610CI both bring Blu-ray Profile 2.0 support for Internet-based special features and will play both AVC (H.264) and DivX video in HD. The higher-end 2010CI touts a higher-grade Anchor Bay digital imaging processor and a serial port for home automation. Both ship in July with the 1610CI costing $499 and the 2010CI asking a premium at $699.
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04/06, 2:10pm
Yahoo Music Revamp
Yahoo today unveiled a reworked, public beta version of Yahoo Music that significantly changes the company's philosophy on content. The new version serves as a central hub for third-party music services and will let users buy songs from a number of sources, including Amazon and iTunes. It likewise collects Internet radio streams from Last.fm and Pandora as well as music videos on YouTube.
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03/23, 9:55am
Nokia 7205 Intrigue at VZW
Verizon today made the rare addition of a Nokia phone to its stable in the 7205 Intrigue. The clamshell is a stylized music phone with a stealth external display and controls, a seamless back and a gradient-effect keypad. Functionally, it brings a 2-megapixel camera with a dedicated capture button and flash, a media player with support for Real Rhapsody music, and a microSDHC slot that supports up to 8GB of storage. Stereo Bluetooth allows wireless headphones.
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02/23, 9:05am
Verizon CDM8975
Verizon today put an end to a short run of leaks by launching the CDM8975. The self-branded phone improves on the earlier 8950 by adding EVDO Revision A-based push-to-talk access that helps outdoor travelers and workers talk to each other quickly. The 3G link also lets users share maps obtained through GPS mapping, which centers on the carrier's VZ Navigator subscription service. External music controls also turn the clamshell into a music player.
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01/13, 11:25pm
Haier ibiza touch and mini
Haier tonight added two more players to the Rhapsody ibiza line that both share direct parallels to Apple players. The ibiza Touch (pictured above) appears a higher-end counterpart to the ibiza Theatre that adds a sharper, 2.8-inch 400x240 touchscreen and Wi-Fi, which lets it browse the web, download podcasts and Real Rhapsody subscriptions, and tune Internet radio. It shares the Theatre's Bluetooth for pairing wireless headphones. Battery life drops accordingly and sees the Touch run for just 15 hours of AAC, Audible, MP3, Rhapsody or WMA audio but a relatively long 6 hours of DivX, H.264, MPEG-4, VC-1 or WMA video.
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01/12, 9:10am
Haier ibiza Theatre
Haier in a low-key introduction has revealed its second and third major players in the ibiza line. The ibiza Theatre is the company's first real touchscreen player and serves as a lower-cost alternative to players from Apple and Samsung; while it has a 2.4-inch, 320x240 screen and doesn't appear to include Wi-Fi, the device includes Bluetooth for wireless headphones, an FM radio tuner and a microSD slot to add more space. It also supports Real's Rhapsody to Go for loading the device with music from the unlimited subscription service.
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12/04, 9:15am
Haier ibiza Rhapsody Sport
Haier on Thursday has quietly released the second generation of its Internet-capable portable media players. The ibiza Rhapsody Sport is ruggedized compared to the original player and has both a more easily gripped, rounded body as well as a weather-resistant covering that partly protects against rain or snow. The player continues to center on an 802.11g Wi-Fi link that lets it download podcasts, download unlimited songs over Real's Rhapsody to Go service, stream videos from AOL and check specific news feeds.
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11/19, 3:40pm
iTunes Plus Talk Rumors
Apple is discussing deals with the three major music labels yet to sign on to iTunes Plus to remove the locks on their music as well, alleged sources tell CNET. Two reported contacts describe "preliminary" negotiations that would expand Apple's deal for music without copy protection beyond EMI and independents to include Sony, Warner and Universal. The talks are said to have been spread over the past several months for at least two labels and aren't certain to result in a favorable income.
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10/23, 10:35am
Facebook Music Rumor
A previously hinted-at Facebook music service could be true after all, a claim made by VentureBeat suggests. Previously discredited, a now supported rumor asserts that the social network is allegedly planning to team up with a partner such as iLike, imeem, Lala or RealNetworks' Rhapsody to offer a way of at least streaming full songs over artist pages or those friends who bring up songs in the regular Facebook news feed. The service would potentially let users buy downloads, though whether this would involve the partner or simply linking to a third party such as Amazon or iTunes is unknown.
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10/03, 3:55pm
Kid Rock picks Rhapsody
Popular rap-rocker Kid Rock has chosen Rhapsody as the exclusive online sales venue for his music, the owner of latter party has announced. Real notes that Kid Rock's albums have not been available online in any legal manner in the past, whether for download or streaming; as of today, the artist's entire collection should be available for purchase or streaming through the subscription version of Rhapsody.
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09/04, 11:05am
No iTunes subscriptions?
Regular shoppers at the iTunes Store should not expect any announcements on the content side of the equation in the near future, rumors indicate. CNET cites anonymous sources, who say that people should not expect Apple to announce any new music content at its special iPod event on September 9th. More specifically, the sources claim they are certain Apple will not introduce a long-rumored subscription option for iTunes.
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08/28, 12:20pm
Squeezebox Boom and Z-500
Logitech on Thursday turned its attention to wireless audio courtesy of both a wholly independent Internet radio and speakers built just for notebooks. One of the first fruits of Logitech's buyout of Squeezebox, the Squeezebox Boom can pull and play unprotected music from any recent Mac or Windows PC on a local 802.11g Wi-Fi network but also picks up Internet streaming radio services entirely on its own, including largely free services such as Last.FM, Pandora or Slacker as well as a user's memberships to primarily for-pay services such as Rhapsody and Sirius' Internet streams.
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08/25, 11:05am
Verizon Blitz Official
Verizon this morning switched its attention to non-smartphone messaging with the formal rollout of the Blitz. The UTStarcom-made device has a traditional feature phone interface but a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that speeds up responding to e-mail as well as instant messaging. The change also has the upside of keeping the closed phone short at 3.5 inches tall and allowing room for a 2.2-inch LCD.
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08/05, 11:25am
Sonos ZP120 and ZP90
In addition to new software, Sonos today overhauled its ZonePlayer music streaming hubs with two new models that should both be more useful across more areas. Both the high-end ZP120 and simpler ZP90 are the first to use the company's in-house SonosNet 2.0 network. The standard uses the same multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) antenna technology as 802.11n Wi-Fi to roughly double the range of the device's mesh network and thus let users tap into music from the Internet and local network from a greater distance in a given home. The network is also encrypted in AES and is backwards-compatible with earlier ZonePlayers.
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08/05, 10:30am
iTunes controls US music
Apple's iTunes Store continues to control the US music market, a new batch of surveys suggests. Following several polls of Americans 13 and older, conducted between January and June of this year, the NPD Group says that iTunes maintained an existing lead, despite competition from major, firmly established corporations. The results are are also notable in that they reflect all forms of music sales, including not just iTunes' digital specialty but online and retail CD sales. Excluded are non-permanent options like the subscription services offered by Rhapsody and Napster.
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07/26, 6:55pm
Yahoo Music Compensation
Yahoo will compensate customers of its Yahoo Music online store once the company shuts down its servers and prevents customers from renewing their copy protection licenses, the company says. The firm now says that anyone who purchased tracks in addition to their monthly subscriptions to Yahoo Music will be refunded "for whatever [was] paid" for the songs so that they aren't forced to repurchase the tracks later. All active subscribers can also voluntarily transfer over to RealNetworks' Rhapsody subscription service and will have their lower $10 monthly rate carry over for a limited amount of time.
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07/25, 12:25pm
Amazon May Back MySpace
The upcoming MySpace Music service may ultimately be run by another major online music store, say alleged sources for TechCrunch. The social networking site is described as most likely picking Amazon MP3 to handle the commerce behind the store but is also said to be entertaining offers from other companies, including Apple and RealNetworks. No commitments have yet been made.
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07/24, 2:55pm
Yahoo Music DRM deadline
All ability to copy or transfer tracks bought through Yahoo Music will end with the month of September, an announcement indicates. Beginning on October 1st the company is shutting off the delivery of DRM keys for tracks, a move which should leave the music playable locally, but difficult if not impossible to copy to a portable player, second hard drive, or compact disc. The deadline follows months after the closure of Yahoo Music sales, which have since been replaced by a partnership with Real's DRM-free Rhapsody service.
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07/21, 8:45am
Moto V750 Adventure at VZW
Verizon this morning quietly introduced the Motorola Adventure V750, the carrier's first-ever phone based on Motorola's push-to-talk network. The handset uses EVDO Revision A-based cellular data to provide the same kind of instant talk as Sprint's iDEN service (which moves to the similar QChat format) but with the theoretically improved quality of the 3G network. The clamshell design is also ruggedized with US military-grade protection against dust, drops and other shocks, temperature, and water splashes.
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06/30, 8:15am
Verizon VCast MP3
Following on the heels of Real's Rhapsody MP3 store, Verizon today expanded its VCast Music store to include both MP3s and the Rhapsody subscription service. The former lets users of Verizon's PC software as well as any MP3-supporting cellphone on the company's 3G network download unprotected songs that can be used as the customer likes; that includes loading content on to phones that wouldn't otherwise support VCast songs or to outside software and devices, including iPods.
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06/30, 7:20am
Real Rhapsody MP3 Store
Real this morning opened a test version of the Rhapsody MP3 Store, its first store to go without copy protected files. The MTV co-owned outlet is web-based and, unlike the company's subscription service, promises to work with any computer or device, including iPods; a Mac download manager is available to let users download all their songs as a complete package, Real says. The company has also successfully secured the catalogs of all four major music labels.
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04/08, 11:10am
Ipsos: Hard grip by iTunes
Research firm Ipsos has released a new study on the digital music industry, the results of which position Apple as the leader. Some 82 percent of American music downloaders are familiar with iTunes, versus a next-best figure of 76 percent for Napster. Some 38 percent of downloaders think of iTunes first when it comes to digital music, and while most major online outlets have had their name recognition increase during 2007, only iTunes showed a substantial growth in use past the first 30 days, up to 24 percent last year from 18 percent in 2006. Services such as Rhapsody and Walmart.com saw their 30-day-plus use decrease.
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04/03, 9:30am
iTunes Tops Wal-Mart
iTunes for at least a short while has been single largest outlet for music sales in the US, according to new data collected by The NPD Group's MusicWatch Survey conducted in January. The digital store at the time accounted for 19 percent of all music bought in the country versus 15 percent for Wal-Mart's combined in-store and online sales. Best Buy managed 13 percent, while Amazon sat further back at 6 percent despite offering the second-largest digital store in the US. RealNetworks' Rhapsody was the second digital-only store in the market but commands just 1 percent of the US marketplace.
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02/04, 8:25am
Yahoo Switches to Rhapsody
Yahoo today tilted the balance of digital music by announcing that Yahoo Music would switch to RealNetworks' Rhapsody for its on-demand music, replacing the Yahoo Music Unlimited service for subscription services. The move will see existing Yahoo subscribers transition over to Rhapsody accounts over the next several months, beginning mid-year, and will make Yahoo's music services accessible from devices which were previously limited to the Real service; devices such as Logitech's Squeezebox media streaming hub and TiVo recorders will now have access to Yahoo's services. Both companies also plan to collaborate on a la carte downloads in the future.
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01/07, 4:45pm
Philips TV, audio products
Philips today introduced several new home and personal audio products, also a new line of LCD TVs. Pairing up with RealNetworks, the company’s new Streamium NP1100 relies on the 4.5 million track collection offered by Real’s Rhapsody network, as well as internet radio, and PC music libraries to bring audio to the home environment. The device uses a black and white display to show track information, and has a built-in WiFi receiver to connect with users’ home wireless networks. Philips expects to ship the NP1100 in May for $150.
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