Category: Apple

Apple Releases iPhone, Changes Name, and Gets Sued: All Smart Moves

January 10, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

So unless you’ve been hiding under a rock the past couple days, you’ve inevitably heard that Apple released its highly anticipated iPhone, fusing the ubiquitous iPod with the even more ubiquitous cellphone. Apple Computer even went as far as changing it’s name to Apple Inc. to illustrate just how serious this move is. The company has officially graduated from computer company to consumer electronics superstar.

But Cisco, the company that owns the iPhone trademark (incidentally, the latest rendition of the Cisco iPhone was hurriedly released three weeks ago: a VOIP phone that was and is talked about more for its name than anything), is now suing Apple.

Apple, Cyberlaw, Gadgets, Music, Tech News

Get Ready for DRM-FREE 2007: Amazon, LimeWire, MySpace, eMusic, Yahoo Music

January 2, 2007August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 16 Comments

More rumors are surfacing around Amazon offering DRM-free MP3s to compete with Apple’s iTunes. Only this time the rumors include other MP3 download services and are coming from the mainstream press (does that make it more or less credible?). Looks like certain key executives have converted to the idea that digital downloads should be sold as unprotected MP3s.

Amazon, Apple, Music, Tech News, Web 2.0

Apple Stock Near Record High: iPod Cellphone Rumors Trump Flawed iTunes Stats

December 22, 2006August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell No Comments

A cellphone that doesn’t yet exist has never been so popular. For the past few months, rumors have been flying about Apple’s entrance intothe multi-billion dollar cellphone market with a feature-rich iPod cellphone. Apple has been called “hypersecretive” and has refused to comment on the speculation which, of course, feeds the speculation fire even more.

Apple, Gadgets, Music, Tech News

Amazon Soon Opening DRM-free MP3 Store

December 19, 2006August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 23 Comments

Looks like rumors are afloat that Amazon is planning on a late first quarter 2007 launch of a new music download store. In an already crowded music download market, Amazon hopes to differentiate itself in two major ways:

The company is apparently telling labels (politely, I’m sure) that it is only interested in selling DRM-free mp3s (meaning, once you download the song, it’s yours for whatever purpose you see fit, no more restrictions like you can burn only X amount of times or you can only have it reside on X computers, etc.). The second difference is that Amazon seems interested in offering variable pricing.

Amazon, Apple, Music, Tech News

iPod Alternatives? Who is Switching and Why?

December 6, 2006August 20, 2008 Bob Caswell 4 Comments

Walt Mossberg of WSJ fame (subscription required) often answers popular tech questions coming from readers. One noticeable question answered this week, which coincidentally comes right on the heels of Microsoft announcing that it expects to sell 1 million Zunes by June:

We have not had good luck with iPods, and I’m ready to try an alternative. Which ones should I consider? Is there a way to transfer the music we purchased from iTunes to another player?

Apple, Gadgets, Music, Tech News