journal: toy

AmazonMP3: DRM-free MP3 service debuts

By Nick, September 25, 2007

Today Amazon has unveiled amazonMP3, a new online music download service. Individual songs run for 89 or 99 cents, depending on the song, and albums start at $4.99 (most albums range between $5.99 and $9.99). All the songs are in MP3 format, encoded at 256 kbps, and are DRM-free, which means that the songs you download will work on any digital audio player on the market today.

iTunes, the current online music store market leader, offers DRM-protected AAC files for 99 cents each, DRM-free singles for $1.29, and most albums for $9.99. iTunes has over 6 million songs available for download, while Amazon currently offers 2 million songs.

No DRM? Higher quality? Lower prices? Mac- and Windows-compatible? Works with any digital audio player? Sounds like iTunes may have its first serious competitor!

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Apple warns against unlocking iPhone [UPDATED]

By Nick, September 24, 2007

If you’ve been considering buying an iPhone then unlocking it, you may want to think twice before doing the deed. Apple today issued a warningagainst using unauthorized iPhone unlocking tools, because they may render your iPhone an unusable brick the next time you install an iPhone software update. Quoth Apple:

Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed. Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store (http://www.itunes.com), later this week. Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone’s warranty.

Eek! At least they issued a warning in advance. I think everyone who unlocked their iPhone knew that a future iPhone software update could re-lock their iPhone, but
I don’t know if anyone…
(Continue)

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News quickies - iPhone in Germany, Hello Kitty laptop

By Nick, September 19, 2007

It’s a slow news day today, but here are a couple short news blurbs. One is fairly important (but everyone else beat us to the punch in reporting it). The other is just amusing.

iPhone coming to Germany November 9

Following up their announcement of the iPhone’s availability in the UK, Apple today announced that the iPhone will make its German debut on November 9 on the T-Mobile network. The iPhone runs for €399 (including VAT), and includes a 2-year tariff with T-Mobile (I’m assuming “Tariff” is the term they use for “contract” there). More information is available in Apple’s press release, as well as http://www.apple.com/de/iphone/ (German).

Hello Kitty laptop!

Aw, how cute! One blog posted photos of oh-so-adorable Hello Kitty-themed laptops released by Epson. What does this have to do with anything? Nothing really, but I was briefly amused.

(via Engadget)

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The ringtone revolt

By Nick, September 18, 2007

Last week I toyed with Apple’s new ringtone service and wrote about the experience. It’s a nice service, so far as the clipping tool goes. It’s quick and easy to make a ringtone out of any catchy little motif in a song. But it’s not free.

Since announcing the ringtone service on September 5, Apple released an update to iTunes that made it harder for iPhone owners to create free ringtones outside of iTunes and, when iPhone owners found a quick workaround, another one. That’s two updates in two weeks. Excessive?

Why is Apple frantically releasing new versions of iTunes to keep iPhone ringtones locked down? Are home-made ringtones illegal? Not so, says copyright attorney and Engadget staff writer Nilay Patel, who tells us it is perfectly legal to make ringtones from CDs you’ve purchased. What’s more, if you made the song, you own the copyright and can do with it whatever you want. Patel noted that the iTunes End User License Agreement (EULA) forbids using iTunes-bought songs as ringtones. The EULA has since been updated to clarify the restriction:

You may use only ring tone Products as a musical “ringer” in connection with phone calls.

But if your music…
(Continue)

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iTunes 7.4.2 released; Breaks Some Ringtone Hacks

By UnnDunn, September 17, 2007

Apple has released version 7.4.2 of iTunes, which purports to fix certain bugs involving creating ringtones from iTunes Plus tracks. But in the process, it also reportedly breaks certain “unauthorized” methods of sending ringtones to the iPhone:

Early Reactions from Comments:

- iToner (Mac) still works.
- iPhoneRingToneMaker (PC) still works.
- Other custom Ringtones appear to be removed (via MakeiPhoneRingtone) and can not be recreated even using ‘proper’ tag change techniques previously described.

Ringtones: iTunes 7.4.2 ringtone workaround posted.: Doesn’t appear to work.

From MacRumors.

Looks like we’re in for a Cat & Mouse game over this. As if it could be any other way.