Tech Industry

Google is in talks with music labels and aims to introduce its own music service by Christmas, Reuters reports.

The company intends offering a la carte music downloads alongside a digital song locker, the report explains. The latter feature would let song owners play their music anywhere. Negotiations have been led by Google’s Andy Rubin (Vice president of engineering).
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http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/microPlayer.swf

If you jumped into Ping as soon as it was available, like we did, you were able to connect to your friends with Facebook.  That capability soon disappeared, making everyone wonder what happened.  AllthingsD got the story:

[Facebook] essentially denied Apple’s Ping access to application programming interfaces that would allow it to search for an iTunes user’s friends on Facebook who also had signed up for Ping.

Normally, this API access is open and does not require permission.

That is, unless some entity wants to access it a lot. In that case, Facebook requires an agreement for reasons primarily centered on protection of Facebook user data and, of course, infrastructure impact.

With 160 million iTunes users, that could mean a possibility of a lot of impact.

Sources said Apple (AAPL) and Facebook conducted negotiations about an agreement, but could not come to terms.

So did Zuck rain a world of hurt down on Jobs?

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I know, I know. Flash on mobile devices isn’t what it is on desktops, which frankly isn’t that great either (as I try to write this on a Macbook Pro with memory and processor all but consumed by a Hulu video).

That being said, the Skyfire browser, which was submitted to the app store today, teases us with the ability to watch shows like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report for free using Apple-approved HTTP streaming.  The Skyfire browser can only do Flash video, not interactive games, ads and such.

Skyfire is a proxy browser like Opera Mini (which made it through the App Store gauntlet) so it isn’t an automatic fail.

Skyfire’s famed cloud-computing technology translates Flash video on the fly from millions of web sites into HTML5 formats, and supports iOS devices via Apple’s HTTP live streaming standard. Skyfire also avoids the concerns raised in Steve Jobs’ recent essay regarding Flash on mobile devices. By optimizing Flash for iPhones and network conditions in the Cloud, Skyfire improves performance and maximizes battery life while playing video.

Thoughts?

Press release follows:
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPfCZC4VHnE&w=675&h=404]

Even as Compal Electronics chairman, Ray Chen, warns investors that the non-Apple tablet market ain’t worth playing in, A4 processor manufacturing partner, Samsung, has introdced its Galaxy Tab tablet device.
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Amazon is promoting Apple’s new iOS products on its homepage this morning so we thought we’d give them a shout-out.  They’ve got all of Apple’s new products today, which certainly still isn’t the case with the Kindle-competing iPad.  However, if you live outside of Washington or New York, you’ll also save a few more bucks on taxes and what not.  Shipping is free.

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Steve Jobs laid down some not-so-subtle hints that Apple thought Google was cheating in their activations counting in his event presentation today. Google responded, saying:

“The Android activation numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market since we only include devices that have Google services.”

Oh, damn.

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It is late in the UK, I’ve put stuff together here and here. There’s a few facts which might be of interest to some readers, so I thought I’d take a moment to put them down.
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Hot on the heels of Apple’s 99 cent episode renting announcement, Amazon has matched Apple by offering those same episodes for the same price.

It isn’t immediately clear if these are for permanent download or just for streaming like AppleTV. (it says “Own Episodes” but I think only Windows and Tivo can download for offline viewing).

Via Engadget.
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• iTunes 10 is already live or just the download button?. Update: So is the store. and Apple’s website
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• iPod Classic is dead. Frommer gets a star?  Update: Maybe not. Still, no mention at the event doesn’t bode well long term.  Think more like ‘we made enough to last a few more months.’
• iPod nano is small (even smaller than the screen on the previous model) but also loses the camera which was nice on a device that small.  Even Steve said people would wear them as a watch, so I get a star.  Speaking of Stars, holy cow!  Mr. Nano mockup gets a galaxy of stars. Display is square(!) at 240×240 pixels. Still has FM.  Also has accelerometer.  It weighs under an ounce(!).  I think at 1.5 inches diagonally, it may be too small for videos but perfect for watches.
• AppleTV is awesome but maybe the coolest part is the Airport Express Video functionality.  Carrying around media on iPads, iPhones and iPods, it will be pretty cool to be able to shoot that right over to the TV.  Renting movies and TV shows does two things.  It makes cable optional.  It also means that TV shows now are a buck a pop or more.  If you watch 10 shows (Fox and ABC) a week, that is $40/month.  Not a bad tradeoff at that frequency.  $4.99 for first run movies is also OK, but I still like buying BlueRay for the good stuff.   AppleTV 1080P next year will be much more awesome.  Also…what’s that mini-USB port for?  Apple gets mega points for USB Stick/USB HD access but just like the older AppleTV, we’re not likely to be able to (officially;) use it.  Also, is does NOT do Gigabit Ethernet, which means your fastest method of streaming is N wireless which is marginally faster if there isn’t much overhead.  Also, this is the greenest TV appliance you’ll ever see with only a 6 watt power supply.  Thank the A4 chip for that. At $99, this will no longer be a hobby, but a popular iOS device accesory.
• Speaking of Airplay, it is coming to 3rd parties! (at least the audio component)
• iPod touch back camera is only 960×720(!!) pixels for stills.  That is abhorrant.  They should have made a thicker iPod touch with a decent camera.  This one is only good for video – just like the last iPod nano.  The entry price went up $30 to get an iPod but that $30 buys you an A4 processor, two cameras and Retina.  Not bad.
• The video stream of the event was good overall for us but there were definitely some hiccups along the way.  I’d rate it a success with the amount of traffic it must have received, but some improvements can definitely be made.
• Steve Jobs is looking better.  Perhaps that three week vacation in Hawaii last  month did him some good.

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There has been some significant interest in Apple’s decision to stream today’s event using their HTTP streaming protocol around the Web.  While the event’s status is certainly high enough to draw a huge load, Apple has some measures in place to make sure the experience is a good one.  That’s important because many believe that the stream is also a showcase for both Apple’s streaming video technology as well as its North Carolina Data Center, which won’t be fully operational until later this year (according to Tim Cook at the last earnings call).  The last time Apple streamed an event was 2002 when 50,000 people joined in.  We might see 10x that.

The stream quality is important because Apple is selling both the studios and potential customers on its technology.
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Computerworld: While we wait until Apple’s special event later today, here’s the current rumor round-up. I’m hoping to bring you some first impressions of Apple’s new products later, if I get the chance. If you are interested in what’s happening during the show, then do take a look at the company’s live video stream, which many believe is itself a test of Apple’s server set-up in a live situation.

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A little pre-announcement speculation from Down Under.  A Macworld.com.au source said the new AppleTV wouldn’t be shipping immediately (at least to .AU).  Perhaps ‘iTV’, as before, was just the project codename.  More on iPod touch shipping below:

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Intel’s $1.4 billion takeover of baseband chip maker, Infineon’s wireless unit, is being seen by some as a potential threat to Apple, but Steve Jobs doesn’t see it that way, at least according to Intel CEO, Paul Otellini, speaking to Fox.

Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com

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Sony will launch its own iTunes alternative tonight, introducing a music and video download service at European trade event, IFA.

Set for announcement at a press conference this evening, Sony’s news comes as another Apple competitor, Archos, announced five Android-based tablet devices, ranging from 2.8-inch to 10-inch screens.

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The WSJ is reporting that its sister company, Fox, will be giving up iTunes Shows for $.99/ episode along with ABC.  The announcement will be made tomorrow at the Apple event.

Some of these people said Fox agreed to participate in 99-cent rentals for a short period of time, and agreed to the lower-cost price only for broadcast shows it both produces and airs, such as “Glee,” “Bones” and “Lie to Me.” The Apple proposal won’t affect cable shows such as FX’s “Justified,” or Fox network shows, including “American Idol,” for which Fox doesn’t control the digital rights.

According to the people familiar with the matter[like their bosses], part of the calculus for Fox is that News Corp. wants Apple’s help with other digital projects, including the iPad version of The Wall Street Journal and a digital news offering known inside News Corp. as the “Daily Planet,” the name of the fictional paper in Superman comics.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jXz7NrfzsI&w=640&h=385]

I’m trying to think of something lamer than this. via TechCrunch
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Well, there you have it.  According to Bloomberg, an Army of people “familiar with the matter” have said that Apple will launch a TV service tomorrow with Netflix inside.  iTV?

Apple Inc., preparing to announce a new set-top box that delivers TV to consumers, will include movies from Netflix Inc., according to three people with knowledge of the plans.

The streaming service would be available on the revamped version of Apple TV, due to be introduced tomorrow in San Francisco, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. Users would pay a subscription fee to Netflix for the service, the people said.

Perhaps that’s why the Roku HD player dropped from $129 to $69 with $10 of free content at Amazon overnight.
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Hard Candy broke their iPod touch 4 cases loose, and they seem to follow what we’ve heard so far. There’s that camera on the top-left corner as well as a spot for a microphone, not an LED flash, on the back.  Also check out that funky diagonal on the 30-pin docking bay.

Hard Candy says they are already in full production and should have them ready for launch (below).  Thank you Mr. Devine?

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Apple’s TV plans continue to split the broadcast industry, at least in the US where any such service is most likely to appear first.

News from industry insiders show Apple in an increasingly isolated place with its plan, with Disney (on which Apple CEO Steve Jobs sits on the board) ready to roll withh 99-cent show rentals. All the other networks aren’t convinced at the plans, leaving just one global multimedia firm in position as kingmaker for the iTunes initiative.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is dealing with overtures by mighty media magnate, Rupert Murdoch, in whose hands the fate of the plan could sit.
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Microsoft has decided on the branding for its all-new Office 2011 for Mac releases, offering the two packages in grey and orange boxes, Setteb.it reveals this morning. And here’s the pictures to prove it.

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We love the smell of freshly fried rumor in the morning — particularly the day before an Apple special event. This morning’s rumor takes us back, right back to last week’s claims of Apple’s plans for streaming video services, hinted at by a question held inside an iTunes customer survey.

Now we already know what to expect tomorrow:
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