The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that Apple appears to be using the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) to limit what iPod owners can do with their portable media players: At the heart of this is the iTunesDB file, the index that the iPod operating system uses to keep track of what playable media is on […]

Microsoft today announced a new “landmark agreement” (Microsoft’s words) with major and independent music labels to “bring significant new value to the subscription music model.” The Zune Pass subscription service currently gives consumers on-demand access to millions of tracks for $14.99 per month. Starting today subscribers will also get to select 10 tracks per month to […]

Microsoft, makers of the Zune portable media player, announced a firmware update today, along with announcements of lower prices for the devices. The 3.1 update features some new free games, refreshes the Zune Social, and adds incremental updates to the Zune software. Games in this update include Checkers, Sudoku, and Space Battle. A multiplayer mode […]

John Markoff at the New York Times writes that there’s evidence that Apple is working on a Kindle-killer.  According to Markoff, his contact at a search engine company has “spotted Web visits from an unannounced Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0?” […]

A new scientific study brings bad news for iPod lovers.  The report found that those who listened for five hours a week at high-volume settings exposed themselves to more noise than permitted in the noisiest factory or work place. The study also warns that people may not realize the damage until years later. “Regularly listening to […]

Aristarkh Chernyshev & Alexei Shulgin’s wowPod is an interactive multimedia sculpture based on the iPod.  It features a giant, distorted version of the iconic Apple iPod, which is actually functional.

The New York Times has a great look at the state of the Zune today, that suggests that the Microsoft’s portable media player has found a niche: Microsoft hasn’t made much effort to match the iPod’s universe of functions. The Zune store still lacks movies, downloadable programs, gift certificates, monthly allowances or any way to rate […]

A lot of tech analysts, including TechCrunch and Citi analyst Mark Mahaney, have been talking up their estimates of Kindle sales, and positioning Amazon’s device as the iPod of ebooks. Unfortunately for Amazon, the numbers being thrown around by TechCrunch & Citi appear to be bogus. According to a report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Amazon […]

Japan is warning users of Apple iPod nanos of a potential fire risk, after two new instances in which the popular portable music players overheated and caught fire. According to Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, Apple Computer has been notified of 14 similar cases in Japan. The ministry said the incidents were caused by […]

New Scientist points out some legalese buried into Apple’s iTunes EULA that you’ll want to keep in mind, if you’re planning on using iTunes to run a nuclear reactor: “Licensee also agrees that Licensee will not use the Apple Software for any purposes prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture […]