Beatles-iTunes negotiations stall
Posted by Dennis SellersPaul McCartney says negotiations on a long-awaited deal to make the Beatles catalog available on online music service iTunes have stalled, reports the Associated Press.
-
Paul McCartney blames record label for lack of Beatle downloads
Posted by Dennis SellersDespite years of negotiations Sir Paul McCartney and iTunes still haven't worked out a deal to make Beatles' tracks available for download—and the ex-Beatle blames the record label, reports the BBC.
-
McCartney says label execs holding up Beatles on iTunes
Those hoping to get a hold of The Beatles music in digital form anytime soon will most likely have to pony up for Rock Band: The Beatles, as the years-long negotiations to secure The Beatles catalog for sale on the iTunes Store are still in a holding pattern. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch blog, Sir Paul McCartney reiterated the same things we heard last November. When asked if the recent Rock Band deal was a sign that The Beatles would finally appear on iTunes, McCartney said that negotiations are still a "sticky issue." Click here to read the rest of this article
-
Paul McCartney: Beatles on iTunes stalled, I'm not dead
In a new twist to the wearisome saga of the Beatles digitizing their music catalog for iTunes (or any digital service, for that matter), Paul McCartney says that the negotiations have "stalled." McCartney said, "It's between EMI and the Beatles, I think," before adding, "I really hope it will happen because I think it should." While an EMI spokeswoman sounded hopeful about the matter getting resolved, we'll just assume this is all Yoko's fault in keeping with tradition.Filed under: Portable AudioPaul McCartney: Beatles on iTunes stalled, I'm not dead originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
â Macworld Expo Predictions
Predictions and advance commentary for tomorrow’s Macworld keynote, some based on consensus rumors, some based on no more than wishful thinking on the part of yours truly. This is all conjecture and tea-leaf-reading (well, mostly), so, please, no wagering. I keep two questions in mind when evaluating Apple product ideas: Would people run out to stand in line to buy this immediately? If not, is there a long-term strategic reason for Apple to start selling this now? If the answer to both questions is “no”, then Apple isn’t going to do it. The iPhone is a perfect example of a #1; the Apple TV is a #2. New Sub-Notebook MacBook: Yes Apple hasn’t had a small notebook in its lineup since the 12-inch PowerBook G4, which I still see in wide use. If you’re using a portable as a portable, smaller size and lighter weight make a tremendous difference. The demand for a good notebook smaller and lighter than standard MacBooks is strong; I think it’s a sure thing that Apple is set to announce one. (Of course, I said so before last year’s Macworld, too.) I say the consensus rumors are right: super-thin, no built-in optical drive, widescreen 12-inch display. It will use a hard drive, not flash memory, for storage. (Look no further than the iPod Classic to see how hard drives don’t keep a device from being super-thin). Rumors are already running strong that it’ll be called MacBook Air. (I like it, not sure though if Nike would.) Newton-y Tablet Thing: No I am nearly convinced that this product exists, at least as a project in development. My hunch is that AppleInsider has it spot-on: it’s in development, but not yet ready to launch, and, perhaps, never will if Apple can’t get it right. (Recall Steve Jobs’s statement to Walter Mossberg that he’s as proud of some of the products Apple decided not to ship as he is of the ones they did.) Like the iPhone, it runs “OS X” but not Mac OS X, does not run Mac apps, and will not be called a “Mac”. The big problem with a “tablet” computer of any sort is that 15 years of industry history indicate that people do not want to buy tablet computers. But the iPhone, arguably, is a tablet computer — a sub-tablet, if you will. The key mistake with failed efforts like Microsoft’s Tablet PC (and even Apple’s own Newton) was that these devices attempt to do too much. It’s seen as a feature that Tablet PCs run the full version of Windows. But why force software UI’s designed for traditional hardware form factors upon a totally different device? A successful tablet-like device from Apple, I think, would clearly be designed as a secondary computing device — a satellite attached and synched to a Mac or PC (probably, of course, through iTunes). There’s still the “what would I use it for?” factor. It seems to me it would need to be something more than just an iPod Touch with a larger screen — if that’s all it is, then what’s the point of buying one instead of a smaller, poctetable, iPod Touch or iPhone? I simply lack the cleverness to imagine what that hook might be — but I can’t imagine Apple releasing such a product without an obvious “Oh I gotta buy that” hook. Anyway: I do think something like this is in the works, but I don’t think it’s coming out now. I’d love to be wrong. Ubiquitous Wireless Networking for MacBooks: Please After using my iPhone for a few months, it started feeling weird that my PowerBook doesn’t have ubiquitous wireless networking: Wi-Fi when available, and seamless, instant switchover to something else when it isn’t. Just what that “something else” is, I don’t know. EVDO? WiMax? A Bluetooth connection to share an iPhone’s EDGE connection? I don’t care. But I’d pay for it. Ubiquitous networking is certainly the most intriguing thing about Amazon’s Kindle. It just feels crippled that I can’t get a network connection — even a slow one — once I’m outside the range of Wi-Fi. Wireless Time Machine Backups: Yes Time Machine is very cool; the first backup that qualifies as “you don’t have to do anything, it just works”. But currently it only works using a storage device connected via USB or FireWire. Tethered backups are irritating with notebooks — and MacBooks are the fastest-growing segment of Apple’s Mac hardware sales. The problem is that when you want to use your portable away from your desk, it’s a pain to disconnect mounted USB and FireWire drives. You can’t just pulled the plugs — you’ve got to unmount them in the Finder first. And, once you do so, to get Time Machine backups running again, you’ve got to re-tether your storage drive. Leopard developer seeds all supported network backups to USB drives connected to an AirPort base station. The feature was also demoed at WWDC. It was removed (or, better said, disabled) very late in Leopard’s development, supposedly because of a security problem that was discovered, but I expect the feature to return, perhaps in 10.5.2. It’s a terrific idea, perfect for multi-Mac homes and small offices. But so why not sell a device as a dedicated product — a big 500 GB or larger hard drive (or array of them) with built-in AirPort networking. No need to attach it to a separate AirPort base station, no temptation to use the device for anything other than one purpose: backing up via Time Machine. Just plug it into a power outlet, run through a simply configuration tool a la AirPort Utility, and it’s ready. When it first appears on your network, your (Leopard-running) Mac could prompt to ask if you’d like to use it for Time Machine, the same way it prompts when you first plug in a new USB or FireWire drive. iTunes Movie Rentals: Yes This one seems like such a done deal that it barely qualifies as a rumor. It seems obvious: Unlike with music, there’s been a strong market for movie rentals for as long as there’s been a home video market. Most movies aren’t worth watching more than once. Reports (based on leaks from studio executives) indicate rentals will cost $3-5, and will expire after 24 hours. If true, presumably that means they’ll expire 24 hours after you beginning playing them, not 24 hours after downloading. It’d be nice if the terms were a bit more flexible than that. One of the best things about Netflix, and something which makes it far more appealing than traditional brick-and-mortar Blockbuster-style rentals, is that you can watch movies on your own terms. A Netflix-style iTunes movie subscription service that lets you keep a certain number of unlocked movies open at the same time would be killer. Apple TV 2.0: Yes Jobs has called Apple TV a “hobby” for Apple. I think they have high hopes for it, but calling it a hobby is a practical way to buy time for it. What Apple did with the iPod was start as small and simple as they could — one device, in one configuration, only for the Mac, and all it did was play recorded audio — and then build the platform slowly from there. Things like Windows support, color screens, video playback, and expanding to a range of form factors all came incrementally. I think that’s the plan with Apple TV. Start simple and humble, and build from there, year after year. One obvious improvement (albeit contingent upon another rumor) would be to allow us to buy (or rent) movies and TV shows directly from the iTunes Store, right from the Apple TV. If the iPhone can do it, the Apple TV should too. I still think it’d be good business for Apple to sell their own HDTV sets with Apple TV built-in — more money for Apple, one fewer device spewing cables behind the display. DRM-Free iTunes Plus Music From the Other Major Music Labels: No I think Apple would love to have this, but it seems pretty clear that the major labels — other than EMI, of course — are convinced that it’s in their interest to withhold DRM-free music from Apple, in the hopes of helping Amazon gain market share. It actually agree that it’s in the music labels’ interest for Amazon’s music store to succeed. I’m not sure, though, that withholding DRM-free music from Apple is spiting anyone other than iTunes customers. I suspect the vast majority — an overwhelming majority — of iTunes music purchases are made by people who have at best only a vague inkling of what “DRM” is. If there’s any actual logic to it, it’s PR — withholding DRM-free music from Apple makes it easier to paint Apple as a company bent on using iTunes as a competitive cudgel to lock customers in to iPod hardware. Only a hack reporter would buy into that line, given Steve Jobs’s unequivocol “Thoughts on Music” open letter last year. One thing that would dispel any negative stories on the state of the iTunes empire, of course, would be the long-awaited debut of The Beatles catalog, exclusively at iTunes, perhaps with an on-stage visit from Paul McCartney. New iPhone Hardware: No, With a Minor Exception Apple announced the original iPhone a year ago, but they didn’t ship it until six months ago. They’re not going to announce new iPhones six months in advance again. (It was to their advantage last year to cause people to postpone phone purchases until the iPhone appeared; that’s not the case now that the iPhone is on the market.) If anything, I don’t expect new iPhones to appear until next fall, at the yearly iPod/iTunes pre-holiday season special event, leaving the original iPhone on the market for over a year. Why revise hardware for a product that, by all accounts, is selling remarkably well as-is? The only exception I could see would be a 16 GB iPhone that’s otherwise unchanged from the current 8 GB model. iPhone SDK News: No I can see the upcoming iPhone SDK getting a mention from Jobs on stage, a reminder that it’s coming and that’s it’s going to be great, but Macworld isn’t WWDC, and SDKs don’t make for splashy presentations. If I’m wrong, it’ll be because they have a demo queued up from a third-party developer with early access to the SDK. Actual third-party software (written against the actual official SDK) is demoable. Games, perhaps? The apparently-leaked 1.1.3 firmware might make for a good demo, what with the jiggly icons and whatnot. Cinema Displays With Better Resolution, Brighter Screens, and Built-In Cameras: Yes If I keep predicting it, eventually I’ll be right.
-
Beatles on iTunes Talks Stall
Talks to put The Beatles' catalog on Apple's iTunes online music store have stalled, former Fab Four member Paul McCartney told the BBC.
-
Negotiations to get Beatles on iTunes inexplicably stalled
According to Sir Paul McCartney, the process to get the Beatles' music on iTunes is currently on hold, despite his (and no doubt Beatles fan Steve Jobs') wishes.Read More...
-
Beatles-on-iTunes talks 'stalled' says Paul
Filed under: iTS, Rumors, Odds and endsTalks between Apple, Inc., Apple Corps, and EMI to bring the Beatles catalogue to the iTunes Store have "stalled," according to a statement by Paul McCartney to the Associated Press. McCartney said, "The last word I got back was it's stalled at the whole moment, the whole process." He told the BBC that "heavy negotiations" were in progress with EMI, who said they were "working hard to secure agreement with Apple Corps." My ill-informed, Captain Obvious guess? Someone's holding out for more money. The AP oddly suggested that the holdup is related to a trademark dispute between Apple Corps and Apple, Inc. which was settled in court last year. McCartney continued, "I really hope it will happen because I think it should." [Via Cult of Mac.]TUAWBeatles-on-iTunes talks 'stalled' says Paul originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
All Eyes on Apple Today
Eight days of anticipation and frenzied speculation come to a head today. At Apple's (AAPL) invitation, thousands of technology analysts and press will gather in San Francisco's Moscone Center for an event about which the company has said only four words: "The beat goes on." What does Steve Jobs have up his sleeve this time? Nobody outside Apple knows for sure, of course, but that hasn't stopped -- and may have only encouraged -- Apple watchers from trying to guess. Over the past week, the rumor sites have settled into something that resembles a consensus opinion. They're expecting: A new generation of iPods: It's been nearly two years since the line was refreshed and it's badly in need of an overhaul; sales have been drifting south since last Christmas and profit margins are shrinking. Most Apple watchers expect three new products: A wide-screen, touch-sensitive iPod that looks like the iPhone and runs a miniature version of OS X. Some reports say it will be Wi-Fi enabled to download music and video wirelessly; most expect it to have a hard drive rather than flash memory to hold down costs. A new iPod nano with a larger screen, a clickwheel and a "CoverFlow" interface like the iPhone. Based on spy photos that have been floating around for weeks, this squat iPod has already acquired several nicknames, among them the bilbo, the fatty (or phatty), and the Danny DeVito of iPods. A (PRODUCT) RED iPod Shuffle with more memory for the same price; reports that Apple will discontinue this popular line of iPods have mostly been dismissed. An iPhone update: Jobs has said he expects to sell 1 million iPhones by the end of September, and if he has reached that goal early you can be sure he will let us know tomorrow. (iSuppli reported yesterday that the iPhone outsold all other smartphones in July.) Rumors that Apple has signed three European cell phone providers to carry the device overseas have been knocking around for several weeks, waiting for Apple to make them official; that could happen today. Apple is also widely reported to be working on a lower-cost iPhone nano. A few rumor sites suggest it could be unveiled tomorrow, but that is not the consensus opinion. iTunes news: The image above, which accompanied the press invitation, looks like something out of Apple's iTunes Music (and Video) Store, and there has been no shortage of speculation about what changes might be coming there. Everybody expects Apple to announce downloadable ringtones for the iPhone, something that should have been available from day 1. More speculatively, some expect Apple to announce a wireless iTunes store that would permit iPhones (and, if they exist, wireless iPods) to download music and video without going through a computer; there's even talk of a digital radio service that would allow users to buy and download songs as they hear them broadcast. The Beatles. The easy consensus is that it's got to happen sometime. The minority opinion is that today is the day the beat goes online, perhaps with a live performance by Paul McCartney. Tune in at 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET) for live blogging from Jon Fortt at The Utility Belt and instant analysis here at Apple 2.0.
-
10 Best Alternatives to the iTunes Store
The iTunes Store changed how we buy music, but it's not the only option. We look at how nine other MP3 stores stack up to discover if anything can actually replace it. Buying music has always involved tough decisions. Rolling Stones or Beatles? CD or LP? The mall or the indie record store with the cute cashier? These questions have plagued music fans for decades, but the iTunes Store changed everything. Thanks to its convenience, huge catalog, and iPod-friendliness, iTunes now sells more music in the United States than any other retailer, either online or brick-and-mortar. But choices remain. iTunes competitors have sprung up all over the Internet, clamoring for your dollars.Some compete directly with the iTunes megastore model, while others cater to customers with specific tastes. Each sells high-quality MP3 files that play on Macs and iPods, but they supply them in different bit rates (a measure of data that helps determine sound quality) and from catalogs of varying sizes. Weâve compared nine top iTunes competitors to see which most deserve your time and money. After all, freedom of choice is music to a Mac userâs ears. Rhapsody MP3 Baffled buyer beware: It's hard to find what you're looking for.Prices, check. Selection, check. Searching...not so much.From search results that canât be sorted to a design that dribbles albums and track names across endless pages dotted with tiny cover art, the Rhapsody MP3 store (mp3.rhapsody.com) seems designed to frustrate. But the selection is good--if you can find what youâre looking for--and prices arenât bad. Rhapsody offers over 6 million songs in 256kbps (kilobits per second) DRM-free MP3 format for $0.99 or $1.29 each. Most albums start at $9.99 and may be as much as $2 cheaper than the same offerings in iTunes.Unlike iTunes, downloaded music is bundled in ZIP files thanks to lack of a Mac-native download manager, and youâll have to do fair amount of digging around if you want to buy a gift card. Rhapsodyâs full-length previews are great for trying those songs before you buy, but you get only 25 previews each month without paying up to $12.99 monthly for Rhapsody Unlimited, a plan that lets you stream the storeâs entire catalog. Considering Rhapsodyâs limitations, we have a plan of our own: Weâll pass. Walmart MP3 Music Downloads Predictably low prices on a predictably mainstream selection.Walmart's store is small and thoughtfully laid out, but you'll spend too much time in the checkout line.Walmart is all about cheap stuff, so the low prices at its MP3 Music Downloads store (mp3.walmart.com) come as no surprise. DRM-free MP3s (most encoded at 256kpbs, some at 192kbps) cost $0.64, $0.94, or $1.24 each, and most albums start at $8.99. You can even browse all tracks at a specific price, a nice touch that iTunes should consider. Just donât plan to hunt Walmartâs 2 millionâstrong catalog for obscure tunes or unusual genres--it has the latest hits, standard classics, and little else. (Fans of the well-represented country and gospel genres will fare better, though.)Shopping is a pleasure, thanks to a clear, uncluttered layout filled with eye-catching album art. The sub-site Soundcheck offers exclusive EPs and streaming video of performances by popular artists. And just like iTunes, you can email friends gift certificates, or you can upgrade songs to the full album they came from for a few extra bucks. But without a Mac OS X version of Walmartâs MP3 Music Downloads Manager, buying tracks is a chore we canât recommend. Mac users are forced to download all songs they buy individually, even if theyâre part of a complete album. Guess weâll pick up that 60-song Sinatra boxed set someplace else. 7digital British invasion offers low-priced MP3 and AAC files.Decent selection plus good prices add up to 7.The 7digital music store (us.7digital.com) has hopped the pond from England, bringing a right proper catalog of more than 6 million tracks. Most are DRM-free MP3 files encoded at 320, 256, and 192kbps, and some are similarly encoded AAC files. The store features an eclectic mix of old and new material, focusing on recent hits and the best of underground hip-hop and alternative music. However, we found the occasional odd hole in our favorite artistsâ catalogs, and too many compilation albums and songs are credited to âVarious Artists,â making searches frustrating. We like 7digitalâs Locker feature, which lets you easily re-download previous purchases, but weâd love to have a Mac version of the storeâs Download Manager app, instead of having to muck about downloading ZIP files of our tunes. These hiccups aside, browsing and gifting songs and albums in 7digital is easy. Better still, its prices are easy on the wallet. Songs set you back $0.77 to $0.99 to $1.29 apiece--most are only $0.77. And albums cost between $4.77 and $9.99, with many costing just $7.77. If youâre a bargain hunter (and really, who isnât?), 7digital is a bloody good show. Next Page: More iTunes Competitors >> eMusic High class and high fidelity--with one monthly catch.eMusic's layout is more magazine than music store, and it works.Is this a store or a sanctuary? While other sites seem content to merely sell you songs, eMusicâs emphasis on discovering new music offers an ongoing experience. Aimed at a sophisticated audience with eclectic tastes, eMusic (www.emusic.com) incorporates both links to artistsâ Wikipedia pages and embedded YouTube videos into an elegant design that makes it simple to browse its 6 million tracks and thousands of audiobooks. And classical fans will appreciate front-and-center options to search by composer or conductor.Whatâs the catch? eMusic requires you sign up for monthly subscription plans that cost $11.99, $15.89, or $20.79, allowing 24, 35, and 50 song downloads, respectively, per month. Separate audiobook-specific plans get you one book credit a month for $9.99 or two for $19.99 (most books cost one credit). Gift subscriptions are also available, and eMusicâs files--DRM-free variable bit rate MP3s, most with an average bit rate of 256kbps--remain yours even after you cancel your monthly plan. eMusicâs offerings may not be for everyone, but being part of a small community that cares about quality and good taste doesnât sound bad to us. After all, we use Macs. Amazon MP3 The 9 million-song gorilla gives iTunes a run for its money.Cluttered? Sure... cluttered with bargains, that is!With more than 9 million tracks, Amazon MP3 (www.amazon.com/mp3-music-download) probably has what youâre looking for when the urge to shop strikes. If only finding music was more streamlined. The siteâs busy design looks and feels more like a clunky database than a music store, though the sorting options that appear in search results help keep things moving. Songs--variable bit rate, DRM-free MP3 files with average bit rates of 256kbps--start at $0.89 and rise to $0.99 and $1.29, much like iTunes. Unlike iTunes, most albums hover between $5.99 and $9.99, and frequent specials drive prices even lower. Many albums on iTunes (if not most) can be found cheaper on Amazon MP3. Downloading them is made easy by the Amazon MP3 Downloader, a Mac-native application that can export tracks to iTunes when the shopping is done. Gifting is available through Amazonâs easily emailed cards, and all told, price and selection make Amazon MP3 hugely worthwhile. Napster The former king of pirated tracks now offers legal songs... but forgot the price tags.Napster's lack of prices squelches our urge to shop.After shedding its image as a file-sharing troublemaker, Napster (www.napster.com) next abandoned its diehard adherence to subscription-only music sales to offer Napster Light, which offers Ă la carte DRM-free MP3 downloads encoded at 256kbps (some at 128kbps). Like Rhapsody, Napster steers you toward plans that start at $7 a month and allow unlimited streaming of its music videos, Internet radio stations, and more than 8 million songs. These plans are optional if all you want to do is buy MP3s, but because their extra features arenât fully unlocked until you pony up for a plan, Napster feels like half a store if youâre not paying monthly. Selling MP3s seems like an afterthought, and nothing says that more than Napsterâs lack of prices.No, really--Napster doesnât display album or song prices. Incredibly, you have to mouse over a tiny icon to learn how much an album costs (most are $9.95), and song prices are simply unavailable until you buy one (theyâre $.99 or $1.29). Weâre all for keeping things simple, but Napsterâs solution stinks. Do we need to mention that the lack of an OS Xânative download manager forces Mac users to download one track at a time, or that its text-heavy store design feels chilly and soulless? Didnât think so. Next Page: More iTunes Competitors >> Amie Street Indie tracks on a sliding price scale, but browsing is like rummaging in an unorganized thrift store.You might find the next big thing on Amie Street... just not today's big thing.Like eMusic, Amie Street (amiestreet.com) is on a mission to expand your horizons. Most of its million-plus tracks come from small labels and independent musicians. Some major label artists are represented, but far fewer than we wanted to find. Worse, searches canât be sorted by price or artist, making browsing a hassle. Songs are available as DRM-free variable bit rate MP3s with an average encoding of 256kbps, though the quality of files uploaded from independent artists may vary.Happily, so do Amieâs prices. Songs first appear on the store for free or cheap, then increase in price as more people buy them, reaching a maximum $0.98 apiece. With some exceptions, albums cost the total of all their songs but are capped at $8.98. Amie lets you recommend music to earn âStreet Cred,â money that can be spent in the store. All this means low or no cost for trying a lot of new music, though shoppers are limited to 80 free downloads every 8 hours. We can live with that, and a Mac-native downloading app and music-gifting sweeten the deal. We just wish you could gift more than one item at a time. Lala It's a dream streamer.Lala boasts two music catalogs, and one of them is yours.Lala (www.lala.com) flips the script on Rhapsody and Napsterâs pay-to-stream subscription plans by letting you upload the tunes in your Macâs Music folder--including iTunes playlists and old FairPlay-protected tracks--to stream from Lalaâs site for free. Sound quality is excellent overall, but expect occasional distortion, mismatched playlist contents, and some misnamed tracks. The Web-based music player works just like iTunes. This minor licensing miracle is achieved by Lalaâs lawyers and a Mac-native Music Mover application that also syncs music bought at Lala back to your computer. Oh yeah, Lala sells DRM-free VBR MP3 files with average bit rates of 256kbps too. Theyâll cost you $.89, $.99, and $1.29, but most songs go for only $.89. Albums cost $9.99, but look for deals--many can be had for less than Amazonâs price. Unfortunately, Lalaâs selection could be better, even with 7 millionâplus tracks. Some music is available only as $0.10 streaming Web Songs that can be accessed from Lalaâs site. But even these, like regular MP3 downloads, can be given easily as gifts.One caveat: As we went to press, Apple acquired Lala. No word yet on if Lala.com will stay open, or if Lalaâs streaming or social features will be added to iTunes proper. Stay tuned. Masterbeat A DJ's delight, its electronica tracks go on for miles, and it even has lossless WAV files.One screen, many options, and 160 beats per minute.As its naughty name suggests, Masterbeat (www.masterbeat.com) isnât your grandmaâs music store. Not unless sheâs down with the dance, hip-hop, and electronica that abounds in its million-plus catalog, alongside instrumental and a cappella samples for your (or your grandmaâs) party-starting needs. Tracks are DRM-free MP3 files encoded at 320kbps (some at 256kbps), and many are also available as uncompressed WAV files. Prices range from $0.99 to $1.99 per song, and WAV files cost a dollar extra. Full albums start at $9.99, but Masterbeatâs many EPs cost $5.96.Navigating the site may take more time than youâd like--itâs an all-Flash control panel awash in tiny blue text and buttons that look like someone set the starship Enterpriseâs computer to âcomplicated.â But once you make sense of Masterbeatâs madness, having nearly all its features in one window is convenient, if still hard to read. A robust search feature lets you sort by the usual suspects as well as record label, release-date range, and more. But between the restrictions on gifting options (sent via snail mail or emailed to other Masterbeat members only) and the unapologetic lack of music without block-rockinâ beats, this storeâs appeal is limited. Next Page: Our Winning Pick, Stats, and Where to Score Free Music >> The Winner Despite impressive offerings from 7digital, eMusic, and Lala, at the end of the day we have to go with Amazon MP3 as our iTunes competitor of choice. Amazon MP3âs selection, Mac-friendliness, frequent specials, and low prices make a greatest-hits compilation that catapults the store ahead of its rivals. If Amazon put some of the design savvy that went toward the last Kindle revision into the look and feel of its music store, Apple might have some serious competition on its hands. Until then, Amazon will have to settle for being second in our hearts... but sometimes first in our wallets. Vital Stats on the Music Stores (click to embiggen) Score Free Music (Legally) Stealing music is bad, mmkay, but if you're offered a free MP3 or two, it's okay to politely accept. Here's a handful of places you can find free tunes:>> The iTunes Store has a Free On iTunes page with a small selection of rotating music and videos. Look for it at the bottom of the main iTunes Store page.iTunes rotates a smallish selection of free music and videos.>> Amazonâs free weekly downloads page is awesome. Go to Amazon.com/MP3 and look in the Browse MP3s sidebar for Free Songs & Special Deals. Or just navigate here and use the genre-selectors in the sidebar to narrow the search results.>> Your favorite bandsâ podcasts are free, and you already know you like them! Mouse over Podcasts in the black iTunes Store toolbar, click the down arrow, and select Music. Or use the store browser to get there.>> Last.fm, in addition to its excellent free streaming, offers free MP3 downloads at www.last.fm/music/+free-music-downloads.>> Insound.com has a page of free MP3s at www.insound.com/mp3/mp3s.php. The site specializes in indie rock and also sells MP3s, CDs, vinyl, and band merchandise.>> A-M Classical (www.amclassical.com) offers free classical music tracks.>> MP3 blogs post tons of songs every day. Check out aggregator Hype Machine (hypem.com), see a list of top blogs at hypem.com/toplist, and click around to find a few blogs that interest you. Then download Peel ($14.95, www.getpeel.com), a shareware app that monitors the blogsâ RSS feeds, grabs the new music, and even adds it to iTunes for you.>> The Live Music Archive has lots of free live concert recordings. Head to www.archive.org/details/etree, and look for a link in the Browsing And Finding Shows section for âBrowse artists with MP3sâ to limit your search to MP3 files. We recommend the Del McCoury Band, the New Mastersounds, and Tenacious D.Look at all those bands with free MP3s on the Live Music Archive!
-
Gear of the Year 2009
Apple and its partners released hundreds upon hundreds of compelling products this year. We scoured the hardware universe, tested the heck out of the most intriguing gear we found, and now share our exclusive list of the 15 very best.Apple doesnât make product design easy for its third-party partners and the rest of the hardware-manufacturing universe. Jonathan Ive and his design team craft the most emotionally inspiring gear in all of computing and gadgetdom, which only sets the bar higher for those companies aspiring to make products that work with Apple gear. Add in the fact that Steve Jobs keeps many of Appleâs development plans private, and you have third-party vendors essentially âdesigning blind,â as they anticipate products that complement the Apple oeuvre.But, oh well, such is the price we pay for gear that moves the soul. Appleâs design process creates the coolest family of products on the market, and the best third-party manufacturers always find a way to create gear and accessories that match Appleâs hallmarks of slick design, simple operation, and clever, cutting-edge features. On the following pages, we present the very best of the hardware we tested this year, as well as the iPhone and iPod touch apps that made profound impacts on the screens of our handhelds. Notebook: 13" MacBook Pro Pretend itâs January 1, 2009, and youâre in the market for a 13-inch Mac laptop. Your choices are few: Either a plastic MacBook starting at $999 (for which youâd get 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and a 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo âPenrynâ chip), or the svelte aluminum MacBook Air starting at $1,799 (2GB of non-upgradeable RAM, the same 120GB hard drive, and a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo âPenrynâ chip).The gulf between their prices: significant. The difference in their specs: yawn-inducing.The 13-inch MacBook Pro does a happy dance every time we sing its deserved praises.Thankfully, Apple introduced the 13-inch MacBook Pro in June, giving mobilistas the same features as the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros in a smaller, more portable package. Compared to the Air, itâs got more ports, a faster chip, upgradeable RAM, and a bigger and faster hard drive--and starting at $1,199, the 13-inch MBP is a few ducats cheaper too (the Air now starts at $1,499). From its all-day battery life to its oh-so-convenient SD card slot, the 13-inch Pro quickly became the favorite new Mac in our offices and a hands-down shoo-in for Gear of the Year honors.COMPANY: AppleCONTACT: www.apple.comPRICE: $1,199 and up Display: LED Cinema Display Appleâs LED Cinema Display isnât necessarily perfect. Itâs kinda expensive and only works with Mini DisplayPortâequipped Mac models (unibody MacBook Pros, the now-defunct unibody MacBook, the MacBook Air, and the latest Mac Pro and iMac). If your machine sports a DVI or mini-DVI port instead of a Mini DisplayPort, you canât use this display, even with Appleâs adapters. Yes, at press time, Atlona was releasing an adapter that purports to connect any DVI Mac to this display, but we havenât yet been able to test it yet.Behold: 24 inches of wow.So, yes, it may present problems for the budget- and DisplayPort-challenged, but none are serious enough to rob this incredible display of GOTY recognition. The 24-inch LED-backlit screen is sublime, even without a matte option, and the $899 price tag doesnât seem so steep considering that the monitor can also power your laptop with its built-in MagSafe power cord. Itâs like having a second power adapter, which typically would cost you $129. The LED Cinema Display also reflects the environmental strides Apple made in 2009: The glass is arsenic free, the cables are PVC free, it meets Energy Star requirements, itâs free of BFR and mercury, and the glass and aluminum enclosure are highly recyclable. OK, OK, and itâs great looking too. Weâre just shallow like that.COMPANY: AppleCONTACT: www.apple.comPRICE: $899 Camcorder: Zi8 Pocket Video Camera Kodakâs pocket-size Zi8 edges out the Flip MinoHD (4 out of 5 stars, Mar/09), thanks to its uncanny versatility. Nearly the same size as the Flip, the Zi8 can shoot in full 1080p at 30 frames per second, 720p at both 30 and 60 frames per second, widescreen VGA (848x480), and also take 5-megapixel stills. Removable SDHC cards let you swap in new memory, and the rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery is also removable, so you can pack extra cards and batteries and keep shooting all day, weekend, vacation, or bender long. A tripod mount, macro mode, 2.5-inch display, and stereo microphone input round out the package.Removable memory and batteries keep you shooting all day.Oh, and itâs $20 cheaper than the Flip MinoHD too (though you will need to shell out for an SDHC card; an 8GB one goes for about $25). Even the PC-only software doesnât rain on the Zi8âs parade too much--the MOV files play in QuickTime and can be imported into iMovie for further editing. We hear ArcSoft Media Impressions, the included software, is no picnic anyhow, although we really wouldnât know, as weâre all Mac Lifers. (Mac Lifers who are now videotaping each othersâ every move.)COMPANY: KodakCONTACT: www.kodak.comPRICE: $179.95 Printer: Epson Stylus Photo R2880 With multifunction printers like the Epson Artisan 810 running about $300 for quite impressive photo reproduction, some might think us decadent for choosing a photo-only printer that costs twice as much. Well, price isnât a major consideration in Gear of the Year voting, and when we consider the Stylus Photo R2880âs special talents for black-and-white printing and fine-art reproduction in general, we canât help but turn to Epsonâs most prosumer-oriented wide-format printer.An eight-cartridge ink system includes special magenta pigments for breathtaking tonal range in color prints. But where the R2880 really excels is in the grayscale reproduction of black-and-white prints. Three levels of black pigments and a special Black-and-White Photo Mode eliminate all of the unfortunate colorcasting that occurs in black-and-white prints from lesser photo printers.Only the fancy blue lighting in our photo studio casts impure color on the R2880's neutral B&W reproduction.The R2880 also supports a huge array of paper sizes and types. Formats range from 4x6 inches to 13x19 inches and 13-inch panoramic rolls. Supported paper types include Epsonâs own velvet, watercolor, and canvas mattes, each of which feature its own unique fine-art texture. You can even feed in 1.3mm-thick art boards! The R2880 is the artistâs choice. We love it.COMPANY: EpsonCONTACT: www.epson.comPRICE: $599.99 Camera: EOS 5D Mark II Pro photographers would likely give the stink eye to anyone who even suggested using one of those toy digi-cams that shoots both still images and video. But the Canon 5DMII isnât a toy--itâs a game-changing digital SLR that adds the ability to shoot 1080p video to an already unbelievable package. Thatâs right, kids: This thing shoots HD video out of the box.The 5DMII takes insanely detailed still images with its 21.1 megapixel, 35mm CMOS sensor, which is 60 percent larger than the sensor in most other DSLRs. This translates into crisper images all around and low-light photos with zero to little grain or noise. And thanks to an enormous 3-inch LCD screen, youâll be able to preview your shots with amazing detail, all in real time.Doesn't look like a video camera--but it is.When you get tired of still photos, you can shoot up to 12 minutes of HD 1080p video per each 4GB of flash memory. Video quality is good, and if you eschew the stock lens for a manually operated Canon lens, you can achieve superb video quality that rivals that of pro-level HD video cameras. Will the 5DMII replace those expensive HD video cameras? No. But it does take one step closer to leveling the playing field.COMPANY: CanonCONTACT: www.usa.canon.comPRICE: $2,699 (Body Only) Desktop: 24-inch 3.06GHz iMac There was a time not so long ago that when a pro content-creator needed a new Mac, we would emphatically point him or her to the fastest Mac Pro. You need to edit video? Get a Mac Pro. You got some huge photo files that need retouching? Get a Mac Pro. Mixing your latest album? Well, you get the point.The granddaddy of all iMacs is a winning mix of everything we care about in Apple computers.But now weâre not so sure, considering the sheer raw power and screen size of the 24-inch, 3.06GHz iMac. The biggest iMac in the Apple corral, this machine screams, thanks to its Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Nvidia GeForce GT 130 videocard, and cutting-edge DDR3 RAM. Throw in a 1TB of drive space and that huge beautiful display, and you have a desktop rig thatâs gloriously well appointed for consumer enthusiasts and pretty damn zippy for professionals. The 24-inch iMac doesnât beat the Mac Pro in terms of sheer processor power and expandability, but itâs perfection in terms of its price-to-performance-to-convenience ratios.COMPANY: AppleCONTACT: www.apple.comPRICE: $2,199 iPhone Case: Feather The Feather case is less than a millimeter thick. Thatâs thin, yâall. Made of a light but strong polymer, it snaps around your iPhone with a satisfying click, providing a layer of scratch-n-bump protection and a splash of color without adding any bulk whatsoever. The Feather comes in more than a dozen colors, including eye-catching, limited-edition fluorescents. Incipio even includes two surface protectors (removable film for your iPhoneâs touchscreen) and a soft cleaning cloth.The NBC peacock would be so proud.The bottom is open so you can dock your device in nearly any accessory without having to pull the case off first. Not every case can do that, which is why the Feather quickly became the iPhone case of choice in the Mac|Life offices. Our iPhones are nearly as busy as we are, in and out of docks, speakers, and other accessories all day long. Stylish, rugged, and thin. Thatâs the hat trick for an iPhone case, and the Feather scores big on all three points.COMPANY: IncipioCONTACT: www.myincipio.comPRICE: $19.99 Networking Device: Verizon MiFi 2200 At first glance, the MiFi doesnât look impressive--itâs just a shard of shiny black plastic and a few LEDs. But once you charge it up and slip it in your pocket, it becomes a tool of furious networking utility.The MiFi achieves the seemingly impossible: making networking hardware sexy.MiFi uses Wi-Fi to form a bridge between your computer and Verizonâs 3G data network, allowing you to access the Internet from anywhere Verizon has 3G coverage. That means you can take your MacBook to the beach and iChat with your pals with your toes in the sand--or grab online copies of the dreaded quarterly TPS report. You can also work from your favorite cafĂ©, park bench, or even a moving vehicle (as a passenger), all without having to worry about finding an open Wi-Fi network. Better still, unlike USB or ExpressCard devices that only work with a single computer, you can share your MiFi connection with up to four additional computers.Oh, sure, there are probably a bunch of Wi-Fi home network routers that did a bang-up job in 2009. Yay for them. Give them all cake and ice cream. Weâll still take the MiFi, a networking product that actually does something new.COMPANY: VerizonCONTACT: www.verizonwireless.comPRICE: $149.99 with two-year service contract Set-Top Media Player: Western Digital WD TV Sorry Apple TV, but the WD TV gets the nod for being the best device to deliver content from your Macâs multimedia collection directly to your TV. In April, we gave the WD TV a tepid 3-star rating for some awkward interface issues, but since then WD has issued firmware updates addressing some of the nits and adding support for more video formats. Yes, weâre still waiting for network connectivity directly from Western Digital, but an active hacking community has been expanding the WD TVâs feature set, including getting it to play nice on Wi-Fi networks.Firmware updates and community hacks elevated the WD TV to greatness. Nine months and several different set-top boxes later, we still find ourselves skipping more complicated competitors and using the WD TV to play media files on our HDTVs. This box seems to support every file format one can throw at it. And unlike Apple and other set-top box competitors, Western Digital takes a very hacker-friendly stance with the WD TV, which we applaud, as great developments often flow from a passionate hacker community. It may not be the highest-tech device in our entertainment center, but for ease-of-use and rock-steady reliability, itâs the media box we love most.COMPANY: Western DigitalCONTACT: www.wdc.comPRICE: $99.99 Gadget: Pulse Smartpen This ĂŒberhandy pen records audio, all while a teeny infrared camera in the tip links the sound to whatever youâre writing at the time. This lets you sit back and really listen to a lecture, meeting, or presentation without frantically scribbling notes. Instead, you can just jot the quickest of notes (even a single number or letter--whatever you like) on Livescribeâs special dot paper and then easily find the associated audio clip later. To do this, just tap a note with your pen as youâre playing back the audio, and the recording instantly jumps to the portion that was recorded when you wrote that note. Docking the pen uploads your recordings and a digitized version of your notes to the Livescribe Desktop app, which lets you archive, search, organize, and share your notes and audio.The notebook in this photo isn't a random prop. It's a volume of Livescribe's special dot paper.Itâs difficult to explain how useful the Pulse and Livescribe Desktop are (and they do more than weâve outlined here), but the genius behind the idea, the penâs classy design, and the âit just worksâ simplicity dropped the jaws of every single Mac|Life staffer when we got our paws on it earlier this year. Itâs our Gadget of the Year--take a note.COMPANY: LivescribeCONTACT: www.livescribe.comPRICE: $169.99 and up iPods: Fifth-Gen iPod nano The fifth-gen iPod nano is the first iteration of the nano since the original to not receive a perfect 5-star score from Mac|Life, but itâs still undoubtedly the iPod of the Year. Its 2.2-inch screen is the biggest for a nano ever, it plays FM radio--something weâve requested for years--and, oh yeah, did you notice that it shoots video? (Apple might have mentioned something about that in the commercials, but we just wanted to make sure.)The video camera interface includes a generous collection of 15 special visual effects, including ones that mimic thermal heat maps, creepy X-rays, old-timey sepia tones, and trippy motion blurs--just like when the vampires speed up in True Blood! This latest nano also includes a pedometer function that shows you how many steps youâve taken on your latest hike. All in all, the fifth-gen nano has a cunning array of talents and is our iPod of choice, especially if price is a consideration.An honorable mention should go to the third-gen iPod touch, now at a lower price to bring App Store goodness to more people (cue the zombies: âOne of us! One of us!â) without subjecting them to the slings and arrows of an AT&T contract.COMPANY: AppleCONTACT: www.apple.comPRICE: $149 (8GB), $179 (16GB) Earbuds: Future Sonics Atrio Two bills for a set of earbuds isnât exactly an impulse buy, but certain things in life warrant dropping a bit of extra coin. World-class computers, fine bourbon, and audiophile-caliber earbuds all make our short list of entirely justifiable splurges. Future Sonics manufactures âin-ear monitorsâ for professional musicians, and the Atrio earbuds reflect that professional pedigree. Theyâve outlasted several other pairs of comparably priced âbuds, which is no small feat, considering the daily abuse we put them through. But itâs really their impressive bass response--even at low volumes--that kept us coming back to them during Gear of the Year deliberations.Comfort and excellent bass response are worth $200.True to their roots in performance gear, the Atrios are comfortable for extended wear, and their treble is crisp and clean, without becoming fatiguing after listening for long periods. Weâve used the Atrios in a wide range of playback scenarios, from listening to the latest Kid Cudi record on the train, to the new Beatles box set at home, all with stellar results. In fact, we like them so much, weâve been tempted to spring for optional custom-fit sleeves--but that would require a trip to an audiologist to take molds of our ear canals. Oh well, the included tips still sound mighty sweet.COMPANY: Future SonicsCONTACT: www.futuresonics.comPRICE: $199 Speaker Dock: SYD 5 After testing a lab full of iPod speaker docks this year, weâve determined an incontestable truth: Either go big or go home. Indeed, after being bombarded with flimsy, tiny, tinny docks festooned with clocks, radios, cute graphics, and other distracting âfeatures,â we found audio excellence in the Kanto SYD 5. Itâs large, it bumps deep, deep base, and its only âfeatureâ is the color you choose for its smooth, shiny shell. At 22 lbs, the SYD 5 feels like speakers of days gone by--and when a speaker has heft, it usually also has the audio to back up the extra weight.The SYD 5 system comes in black, green, and blue--and a curious note on the Kanto website reads, "other Pantone colors possible." Someone out there please order Flame Orange, 15-1157 TPX!The SYD 5 accomplishes its feats of strength with four speakers hidden behind a removable front cover. Two 5.25-inch drivers and a bunch of reflex ports push deep, rich bass for your hip-hop mixes, while two 3-inch drivers deliver the high end for all the wailing guitars you can handle. Weeeee!The SYD 5 includes an audio auxiliary input and AC power outlet for Hessian-caliber iTunes rocking with an AirPort Extreme. RCA and S Video outputs allow you to watch videos from your iPod on your TV. The weight lifterâs belt for your lower back? That oneâs on you.COMPANY: KantoCONTACT: www.kantospeakers.comPRICE: $359 iPhone Headset: Griffin TuneBuds Mobile Apple has a headset problem. The one it bundles with the iPhone is, wellâŠthe dictionary definition is âcraptacular.â And weâre pretty sure that cramming hard plastic into oneâs ears doesnât meet anyoneâs definition of comfortable. And donât even get us started on the sound quality. Bottom line: Weâre now on the third iteration of the iPhone, and Apple still hasnât managed to include a set of âbuds that is comfy, stays in place, sounds good, and includes a good mic.Griffin Technologyâs TuneBuds Mobile succeeds on all four points, and we dig its reasonable price. We donât have anything against expensive, audiophile-level gear, but we absolutely love affordable accessories that do a really good job, and that describes the TuneBuds quite succinctly.No more tangles! Thank you, Griffin.The TuneBuds will work with your iPhone or any recent iPod that sports VoiceOver or Voice Control. The cable is covered in braided nylon and feels sturdier than most headset or earbud cables. And when you wind up the TuneBuds and stuff them in your pocket, the cables donât tangle quite as much as other headsets. A small detail for sure, but thatâs the kind of quality that helps a product transcend from great to awesome.COMPANY: GriffinCONTACT: www.griffintechnology.comPRICE: $39.99 Smartphone: iPhone 3GS Internet fanboys will hurl slander that weâre secretly on Appleâs payroll. Mac computer enthusiasts will say weâve drunk the Kool-Aid for a silly little pocket toy. And iPod touch owners will cry that we just donât get it--that the iPhone is considerably more expensive than the similarly featured touch and isnât even a very good device for voice calls, which is a bit of a problem for any gadget with the word âphoneâ in its name.To our critics, we say bah! Weâll see your cynicism and raise you 100 chips of we donât care. Ever since June 2007 when we all bought our first-gen models, we have been using, loving, and hourly depending on some version of the iPhone, and the improvements in this yearâs 3GS only reaffirm what most of our readers already know: Appleâs smartphone is the coolest, most useful piece of technology to hit the market since the personal computer itself.Let us reiterate the key improvements introduced in the 3GS:» Significantly faster app load times and better graphics performance in games.» Higher-res, better-looking photos thanks to a new 3-megapixel camera, now with automatic focus, exposure, and white-balance control.» Video support care of the fancy new camera.» Voice Control, which lets you find contacts, call phone numbers, and play music simply by talking into the iPhone's microphone.» A compass function that orients maps correctly, among other sweet benefits.Six Mac|Life editors, but only five new iPhones. Who's the 3GS holdout!?Did you really think any other mobile phone could knock the iPhone from our top spot? Of course not. But because the iPhone 3GS is so incredibly handy and has become so thoroughly integrated into the flow of our daily lifestyles, we are also compelled to name it Mac|Life Product of the Year. The apps we use entertain us, inform us, and have disruptively replaced a slew of other products and tools that we used by rote only a few years ago. And the new wave of augmented reality apps bring a certain Minority Report fantasy function to a device that is already firmly sci-fi.So donât come crying to us with protests of âAT&T sucks!â and âthereâs no physical keyboard!â We acknowledge those shortcomings, but remain resolute in our conviction that the iPhone 3GS is quite simply the finest, most innovative piece of personal technology by a wide, wide margin.COMPANY: AppleCONTACT: www.apple.comPRICE: $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB) (Pricing for both capacities is for new AT&T customers and eligible current customers)Â