High-Def Movies for Sale on iTunes

Watch out, Blu-ray: Apple is now offering high definition movies for sale—including the big-buzz “Twilight”—to iTunes subscribers for $19.99.

The download also includes a standard definition copy for viewing on an iPod or iPhone. And the HD versions can be rented for $4.99, Apple says, within a month of release.

Apple has been offering HD television shows since last year, and now takes a seat on the bench of an HD-movie bandwagon already occupied by Netflix and Blockbuster. The iTunes Store currently has 40,000 TV episodes, and about 5,000 movies, including 1,200 in high-definition (it’s also been reported that Amazon is planning to sell HD TV shows from its website for $3 an episode–the same price that Apple charges).

ITunes customers can pre-order the James Bond extravaganza “Quantum of Solace” for download on Tuesday, and HD titles like “Transporter 3” and “Punisher: War Zone” right away. The selection is on display here. You’ll need to be running iTunes version 8.1 or later to acquire HD content, Apple says.

And you’ll need patience for movie gratification via iTunes. The standard version of “Quantum” comes in at 1.55 gigabytes, while the HD capture is a whopping 3.37 gigs. Plan a nap while waiting for the download.

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iPod Touch generates more traffic than most phones

Apple's mobile-device user interface has made it so much easier to access the Internet compared to other mobile devices that its iPod Touch, which isn't even a mobile phone, beats out all mobile phones except the iPhone in terms of volume of Internet access, according to data released by AdMob.

The iPod Touch doesn't have a cellular connection, but users can access the Internet via Wi-Fi. It generated 6.7 percent of mobile traffic for AdMob in February. That's less than the 11.2 percent traffic generated from the iPhone, but more than any other mobile phone. Motorola's Razr came in third place, with 2.9 percent of AdMob's traffic.

AdMob hosts a mobile advertising network. Each time a mobile user opens a Web page that is part of the network, AdMob records that hit. It serves ads on 6,000 mobile Web sites and 1,000 applications around the world.

AdMob discovered some other interesting trends. Smartphones continue to generate more mobile Internet access than regular phones. Over six months, despite the economic downturn, smartphones increased their share of mobile Internet access from 26 percent to 33 percent in February, AdMob reported.

AdMob defines a smartphone as a device that runs a complete operating system, such as Symbian, Windows Mobile or Android.

Worldwide, the iPhone accounted for 33 percent of smartphone requests to AdMob in February, but Symbian was still in first place by operating system. Symbian phones generated 43 percent market share.

By individual device, the Nokia N70 came in second place among smartphones, with 7.1 percent of requests. Windows Mobile phones didn't make it into the top 10 smartphones, which was otherwise split among Research In Motion and Nokia, with the Palm Centro at number nine with 2.6 percent of the traffic.

In the U.S. the results were, predictably, different. Nokia didn't make it into the top 10 smartphones accessing AdMob's network. The iPhone generated 49.5 percent of traffic in the U.S. for AdMob, followed by the BlackBerry Curve, the BlackBerry Pearl and the Palm Centro. The Android phone came in fifth place, with 5.2 percent of the traffic.

Windows Mobile made it into the ranking in the U.S., with the Samsung Blackjack II generating 1.6 percent of traffic, placing it eighth among devices. The HTC Touch, which also runs Windows Mobile, came in ninth place with 1 percent of traffic for AdMob.

AdMob did not count the iPod Touch in those results since it does not categorize it as a smartphone because it doesn't have phone capabilities. AdMob did include the iPod Touch, however, in its overall list of handsets that included smartphones and regular phones like the Razr.

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iPod shuffle review: where we're going, we don't need clicks

The third-generation iPod shuffle has caused quite a stir thanks to its lack of buttons and the inclusion of a proprietary headphone controller chip. At the same time, Apple fans are loving the even-sleeker music player. Ars takes a look in its latest review to see whether the pros are worth the cons.

The third-generation iPod shuffle is here, and not a soul saw it coming. (These days, that's a rarity.) Apple's new buttonless wonder has been making waves and ruffling feathers in the days since its introduction, so we took some time with it to really see whether the hype—and the hate—was warranted.

Unlike the 2G shuffle, which came in a variety of colors, the third-gen iPod shuffle now comes in only two "colors" (if you can even call them that)—black and silver. This is sure to disappoint color enthusiasts and parents who love giving shuffles as stocking stuffers, but we wouldn't be surprised to see colors return to the shuffle line in time. More importantly, however, the new shuffle now comes with 4GB of storage space for the same price ($79) as the 2G shuffle's 1GB. That's half of an iPhone 3G, or a low-end 4G iPod nano.

What your $79 gets you

The 3G iPod shuffle comes in a square plastic box designed along the same lines as the packaging for other iPods.

The shuffle and headphone clicker are suspended front and center, while the USB 2.0 cable, remainder of the headphones, and a small instruction booklet are nestled underneath.

Compared to the previous shuffle...

Compared to the previous shuffle, the new version obviously has no buttons, which is its main selling point, of course. We'll elaborate on this further into the review. Other than the lack of buttons, the new shuffle is also smaller and more stick-like, though it's still much tinier than the original gum-pack-sized shuffle. It's just a hair thinner than the second-gen shuffle (0.3" thick versus the 2G's 0.41").

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AvatarLabs Announces Launch of App for iPhone and iPod Touch Based on DreamWorks Animation SKG Release 'Monsters vs. Aliens'

LOS ANGELES, March 24, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----AvatarLabs, one of Hollywood's leading online marketing agencies, specializing in the creation of online rich media, sites and original branded digital content, announced today the U.S. launch of the "Monsters vs. Aliens" iPhone and iPod Touch application on Apple's App Store in support of the upcoming theatrical release from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA). Rex Cook, Executive Creative Director/Founder, AvatarLabs, made the announcement.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090324/LA87507)

There are two versions of the app available now on the Apple App Store. The LITE version is a free download that allows users to learn more about the film, watch videos, view downloadable film stills and find show times at nearby theaters. There is also a special interactive sneak peek of one of the film's Monsters: B.O.B., the indestructible gelatinous mass hidden from the public eye by the government.

"'B.O.B.' is one of our favorite characters from the film," says Mr. Cook, "so we jumped at the chance to feature him in the app. He's funny and gelatinous, which makes him exciting to animate, and perfect to play with for kids of all ages."

Users can also purchase the FULL app to receive a B.O.B. Bundle suite of activities, including:

   --  A soundboard with over 30 B.O.B. Blurbs
--  More ways to play with B.O.B. - from swiping and poking to
"eye-popping" experiences
--  Containment Center-tainment featuring "B.O.B. Says" and
"Monster Match" (with unique character cards and additional
B.O.B. sound clips) and 4 levels of B.O.B.'s favorite game:
"52 Pickup"

The B.O.B. apps are designed to take advantage of Apple's innovative Multi-Touch user interface and accelerometer, including tapping, tilting and shaking the device.

The free "MONSTERS VS. ALIENS" B.O.B. app and the "MONSTERS VS. ALIENS" B.O.B. Bundle for sale at $1.99 are both available from Apple's App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://www.apple.com/iphone/appstore/

Other links:

Full App: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307956523&mt=8

Lite App:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=308050447&mt=8

"We are very excited to launch these apps," Cook adds, "Bringing DreamWorks Animation's 'Monsters vs. Aliens' to the iPhone and iPod Touch means people can interact with the brand and its most popular character, wherever they are. Not only will this create more goodwill towards the brand, but it will also act like viral marketing, with friends and family being introduced to the character via this very fun and interactive medium."

ABOUT "MONSTERS VS. ALIENS:"

"Monsters vs. Aliens" is the latest film from DreamWorks Animation and marks the company's first feature film to be produced in stereoscopic 3D technology. When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. Alerted to the threat of this new monster, the military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of other monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus.

Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, The President is persuaded by General W.R. Monger to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction.

ABOUT AVATARLABS

Founded in 2001 by Executive Creative Director Rex Cook, AvatarLabs is one of Hollywood's most successful online marketing, mobile and gaming agencies. The company is the winner of two 2008 Digital Movie Advertising Creative Showcase Awards, a 2008 "OMMA" Award, and four 2008 W-3 Awards, adding to a plethora of previously-won industry awards and honors.

AvatarLabs was recently behind the online promotional campaign for "Watchmen" and is currently working on an upcoming iPhone campaign promoting "Terminator Salvation." In addition, the company was also involved in the online marketing behind such major hit films as "The Dark Knight," "Wall-E," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Please visit www.avatarlabs.com or call (818) 784-2200.

SOURCE AvatarLabs

http://www.avatarlabs.com

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It's an iPod World

The transition is complete. My formerly heterogeneous home MP3 environment has transformed into a one-company, one-brand house. Everyone is using Apple iPods. If my home is a microcosm of the market, the MP3 industry has a major problem.

It wasn't always this way at my house. For a time my wife had an off-brand portable, exercise-friendly device. Then I bought her an iPod shuffle (no, not the new, buttonless one). Both my son and daughter had SanDisk Sansa e200s—nice, shiny 2GB models that handled music, video (sort of), and photos. The Sansas also had FM radios, which my kids almost never listened to. For the most part, they used the Sansas to download music from Real's Rhapsody service. For a while, my kids were happy. In fact, when one of the Sansas was stolen, we even replaced it with a similar model. Still, it was hard for the kids to ignore the Apple iPod marketing that was happening all around them. It didn't help that their experience with Real Rhapsody was more than a little frustrating. Music would inexplicably become unplayable on both players. Updating licenses within Rhapsody didn't help.

My son, 14, began his campaign for an iPod touch late last summer. Keep in mind that he never mentioned any player from any other manufacturer. He got the touch for Christmas and has rarely spent 5 minutes straight without it. Last year, my daughter started saving money for a PlayStation Portable. Since she's not much of a gamer, my wife and I never understood this. After seeing my son with his iPod touch and getting a look at some of the ads for the fourth-generation iPod nano, she switched gears. Last week, she took her savings and bought a bright, shiny, pink one. Like her brother, she's never without it.

During the years the kids had their Sansas, there were times of extreme gadget adoration, but they never lasted. It's different with the Apple iPods. In my son's case, I fear he may have glued the iPod touch to his hand. Interestingly, the other day he commented, "No one wants a Zune." He then asked me, "Does anyone buy them?" Yes, some people are buying Zunes, but they've clearly become more of a punch line than a viable product. Witness this exchange from the NBC espionage comedy Chuck:

"Chuck: Do we carry any Rush CDs in the store?
Morgan: No need, I got 'em all on my Zune.
Chuck: You have a Zune!?
Morgan: Heh, are you kidding me? No. No, I'll grab my iPod."

Ouch. I hope Bill Gates, who has said he won't let his kids have iPods in the home, wasn't a fan of that show.

The Zune is a quality—if uninspiring—player, but I don't see a lot of kids saving their money to buy one. This isn't necessarily Microsoft's fault. It seems that no one has successfully taken on the iPod. Look at SanDisk's Sansa division. Earlier this year it introduced the Sansa slotRadio player, which uses microSD cards. These retro devices are targeted at people who think iPods—and similar devices—are too complicated and would prefer to buy discrete song collections and albums—the way they did in the old days. SanDisk execs told me they were done trying to compete directly with Apple's iPods.

That said, is anyone really still competing with iPods? Colby, Cowon, Samsung, Sony, and others are still producing MP3 players, but I rarely see them in the wild. Honestly, not one of these products is as sexy, exciting, or innovative as the iPod touch. The touch, however, was not the game changer. In my opinion, the reason the MP3 market is on its way to becoming a one-man show is the iPhone.

Apple's iPhone is the single best combo phone/MP3 player. If you're buying a new phone, it's on your short list—it's on everybody's short list. For the majority of consumers, once they have an iPhone, there's no real need to buy a separate MP3 player. The iPhone is the gateway for Apple's music, video, apps, and iTunes ecosystem. Once consumers step in, they find the most extensible device and environment they've ever seen. Does any other product offer a similar experience?

I'm not saying an Apple monopoly of the MP3 market is a good thing, but it is a real possibility. More and more MP3 manufacturers are likely to bow out of the business. As I've said before, the Microsoft Zune will no longer be a standalone player. It will live as a feature in future Windows Mobile devices. I can't see much of a future for the Zune Marketplace, either.

Speaking of Zune Marketplace, software products and services of this ilk haven't done themselves any favors. For all the complaints I've heard (and myself have) about iTunes, it's still far better than Marketplace, Rhapsody, and essentially any other music utility software available today. Because it's designed for the iPod, it is a perfect marriage. Rhapsody is designed to support a huge list of devices and is expert in none.

My own iPod story is bound to be replayed over and over again in homes around the country. Take a look around you. How many music players aside from iPods (of all stripes) and iPhones do you see?

Full Apple Product Coverage http://go.pcmag.com/apple

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EA SCRABBLE Now Available on iPhone and iPod Touch With Facebook Connect

LOS ANGELES, Mar 24, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----EA Mobile(TM), a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced that SCRABBLE on Apple's App Store now supports Facebook(R) Connect. The new edition of SCRABBLE connects the Facebook SCRABBLE application to a SCRABBLE game on iPhone(TM) and iPod(R) touch - or vice versa - allowing fans in the U.S. and Canada to have access to their favorite Hasbro-branded crossword puzzle game any time, any place.

"We're excited to be one of the first companies to bring this popular game to two of the most prolific platforms in recent years, the iPhone and Facebook," said Travis Boatman, Vice President of Worldwide Studios, EA Mobile. "With this new innovation, we're giving players the opportunity to engage in SCRABBLE games from an iPhone, iPod touch or Facebook seamlessly, whether at home, during work or on the road."

This connected version of SCRABBLE provides an intuitive interface that allows head-to-head challenges with family, friends or anyone accessing the game on Facebook, an iPhone or iPod touch. Start on Facebook and switch to iPhone or iPod touch to keep playing on the go. Connect with a Facebook friend from an iPhone or iPod touch or join a public game on Facebook. With easy tracking of scores and statistics, players always know where they rank against competitors. While playing SCRABBLE, gamers can enjoy built-in chat so they can converse with opponents and friends throughout the game. Players can also get help from in-game dictionaries.

"The 'pick up and go' integration between Facebook, iPhone and iPod touch allows SCRABBLE fans to truly stay connected to the game they love to play," said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Gaming and Media at Hasbro. "It is a great example of how technology is opening new and exciting channels of gameplay for one of the most popular board games in North America."

SCRABBLE is available on Apple's App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore, and on Facebook for users in the U.S. and Canada, or by simply visiting www.eamobile.com. Customers who currently own SCRABBLE for the iPhone and iPod touch can download the update for free on their device. For information on pricing for all EA Mobile games, please visit www.eamobile.com.

About Scrabble

A family favorite since 1948, the Scrabble Brand Crossword game has sold has sold more than 100 million sets worldwide since its debut 60 years ago. Today there are between one and two million Scrabble games sold each year in North America and it can be found in one out of every three homes in America. The latest version, Scrabble: Diamond Anniversary Edition was released in 2008 in celebration of the game's ongoing popularity for the past six decades. Through an alliance forged between Hasbro and Electronic Arts (EA), Scrabble has also landed on digital gaming platforms including mobile phones, iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, Facebook and Pogo.com, EA's popular online gaming destination. Additionally, The National Scrabble Association sanctions more than 250 Scrabble tournaments and 300 Scrabble clubs in the United States and Canada.

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world. (C)2009 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About EA Mobile

EA Mobile(TM) is the world's leading wireless entertainment publisher with award-winning games such as Tetris(R), Bejeweled(R), The Sims(TM), and Need For Speed(TM). The EA Mobile portfolio also includes casual games based on the company's partnership with Hasbro, Inc. including MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE and SCRABBLE (in the U.S. and Canada) as well as sports blockbusters from the EA SPORTS(TM) brand, including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer and NASCAR(R). EA Mobile develops games for multiple mobile platforms including mobile phones, smartphones, the iPhone(TM) and iPod(R). For more information about EA Mobile, please visit www.eamobile.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS(TM), EA(TM), EA SPORTS Freestyle(TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, EA Mobile, POGO, Need for Speed, and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. John Madden, NFL, FIFA and NASCAR are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. Tetris is a registered trademark of Tetris Holding, LLC. Bejeweled is a registered trademark of PopCap Games, Inc. MONOPOLY, YAHTZEE and SCRABBLE (in the U.S. and Canada) are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc. Facebook(R) is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Facebook(R) is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5924645&lang=en

SOURCE: EA Mobile

The Benefits of iPod Videos

The Benefits of iPod Videos

People today are wireless. Everything is on the go. The young generation, according to the older people, cannot live or stay by themselves for a long period of time. That is quite true, you can see that almost everybody has a pair of earphones, and are listening to, either the oldies music or the latest tracks, or watching videos on their portable gadgets. We can say that today’s generation is dependent on the new technology.

The most popular wireless device on the market today is the APPLE’s ipod. It is popular because it is very small, which makes it very easy to bring, plus you no longer have to bring a cd, otherwise known as compact disc, or a cassette tape to play on it. But with this convenience comes also a flaw.

It is quite expensive (make that oftenly impractically expensive). Yes, it is and that is why not all people can enjoy such luxury because of its high price. As you must know, life is rough and every cent counts. So these gadgets are no’t the first priority for a lot of people, approximately half of the globe’s population.

If you are rich and your money does not have much to go on, this want is not a problem for you. But if you are on the harder side of life, then you have to depend on prayers to avail of a gadget like the said ipod.

So if you want to have an ipod but your low on budget, there, on the market exists cheap ipods. These cheap ipods are not necessarily copies or imitations, or worse, fakes. Its just that these cheap ipods were probably built with cheaper materials and are may also not be so super in its special features. The cheapest model is the 512 megabyte iPod shuffle.

This device can hold up to a whopping 120 songs. You can spend a day without taking your earphones off your ears with this one. This is about $70 or 3570 pesos. That is the cheapest ipod that you can buy. The price actually differs on the memory of the ipod. Though they are all the same, they are all ipods, the memory they contain are different with one another’s. Some have bigger memories that allow them to save more songs, while others have a smaller memory that opposes the function of the bigger memory.

The bigger the memory, the more expensive it is going to be. So if you just want to have a device which is portable and can play music, the cheap ipod is going to be the device for you.

Hey, 120 songs is a lot for this small ipod. Considering the comfort, convenience and enjoyment it will bring you. The price is really cheap. Instead of spending too much on a music player, an ipod, you can just spend your left money on things that are more helpful for your being. So it is recommended that you avail of the cheaper models of ipod.

Next on the line of cheap ipods is, the ipod shuffle. It is not as big as the other ipods that have been invented but they still play good music, so there is not much of a difference. Ipod shuffles are designated under the category of cheap ipods, though you should be mindful that it only has a memory span of 1GB. It is not much, but it can still allow you to save a big number of your favorite hits.

Since it has a bigger memory, also compared to those others, it is much more expensive than the other one. This cheap ipod can play up to 240 songs, double of that of the cheapest ipod. This mars the saying that goes “Entertainment is a price to pay”. You do not have to pay so much, so high an expense, just to be entertained. The ipod shuffle does that for you, entertains you, yet it does not cost so largely. This product is about 100 dollars or 5000 pesos.

Again, you’ll have more song selections but the physical appearance of your ipod is the same. That’s about the cheapest ipods you can buy on the market.

With these cheap ipods, you not only save money, but you get to own one of the latest technological trends in this generation. So grab one of those cheap ipods now.

Finding the Perfect iPod Speakers For You

Finding the Perfect iPod Speakers For You

Nowadays, you can throw a party anywhere as long as you have an iPod and a set of iPod speakers. They are so tiny, yet they can boom the bass and shake up the place.

iPod speakers are either portable, which you can carry around, or home models, which you cannot carry around because of some restrictions like, it is bigger and heavier and is therefore not handy, and it is not battery operated and work only when plugged into an electrical outlet.

The portable models are battery operated and has a size just slightly larger than iPod Nano and some weighs only half an ounce! Although portable iPod speakers offer sound better than most computer speaker, it can't compete with the home only or standalone iPod speakers that can produce louder, crisper, and more booming sound, for these iPod speakers get their power directly from an electical outlet that gives much energy compared to a low voltage battery.

Below are the best in iPod speakers that could rock us out of our seat with their booming sound.

-iBlasting the Room with iBoom iPod speakers

iBoom is the newest iPod speaker from DLO. The iBoom iPod speakers sport an amorphous shape and has a slot in the front which serve as a hub for iPod or iPod mini. The four iPod speakers only need 20 watts per channel to start producing sound. iBoom iPod speakers also has a built-in handle, an AUX in port, and can run either on AC power or a with six "D" batteries. When plugged in to an AC power, the iBoom iPod speakers will charge the cradled iPod. Design wise, iBoom iPod speakers look pretty good with a white iPod cradled on it.

The plus points for iBoom iPod speakers are (1) low wattage consumption but could still produce decent sound, (2) portable and (3) charge an iPod when it is running on A/C power.

- 'What's the new Black?'

For Altec Lansing, the answer is still black.

Altec Lansing's inMotion iM3 iPod speakers come in the usual Apple white and, now, in black. It weighs around 15 to 16 ounces only and is sized just a bit larger than the iPod.

Altec Lansing is known for creating sound system that could produce sounds in different ranges from the highest pitch to the lowest bass. And now that Altec Lansing has speakers for the iPod, expect that these iPod speakers would be of high quality. In fact, these iPod speakers has a class D amplifier to create rich, audible sounds.

It's quite unbelievable that these speakers could last 24 hours from four AA batteries. You can carry these iPod speakers anywhere, and play it on for an all night party even on a place where there's no power outlet, like the soccer field, basketball court, or the lakeside.

The black Altec Lansing iPod speakers has the same price as that of the Apple white version.

- Apple's Hi-Fi Shouts "Party!"

When iPod was released in 2001, the only way you could hear the playing songs is through headphones. There were no Apple-branded iPod speakers then, yet. Third party manufacturers and developers created their own iPod speakers to answer the growing demand for off-headphones music playing.

In 2006, Apple realized that it was time to create one of its own. In February, Apple released the iPod Hi-Fi. Priced at $349, Apple's eye is set on the high-end market.

Hi-Fi iPod speakers, according to Apple, creates a large soundstage and has a wide frequency range. So, Hi-fi iPod speakers are not only portable speakers, they can be the only speaker for a small house or an apartment, replacing the bulky speakers with separate woofer and sub-woofers. With the sound of these Hi-Fi iPod speakers, you can shout "Party!" anytime you want.

Design wise, it looks cool. It bears the traditional Apple white color. It's size is bigger than most portable iPod speakers and is the heaviest, weighs 15 ounces, in the entire line of third party developed iPod speakers

Hi-Fi iPod speakers are powered in two ways, AC or DC (six D-cell batteries), comes with a small, white remote control, and built-in handles to bring it anywhere you go.

Free iPod Music Downloads: Legal and Safe

Apple iPod is not only trendy but it also helps make music revolution in the new era. This new technology from Apple Computers has brought a new order of musical pleasure to many people. That is why it has spread widely and its music widely shared around the world. You can have a wide array of choices from the downloadable music in the Internet for your Ipod.

You can choose from millions of songs and download what you want and when you want it. Effortless free iPod music downloads are also available in the Internet of which music can be kept for as long as you want.

There are free iPod music downloads in the Internet where thousands of music tracks are stored for legal sharing. And if you find a song you like, you can download it effortlessly and legally. There are many questions still about the legality of free iPod music downloads.

International and domestic iPod music downloads are bombarded with questions of legality in accordance to the Recording Industry Association of America or RIAA. There are still a handful of websites that offer legal free iPod music downloads including:

3hive.com

Amazon.com

eMusic.com

Epitonic.com

Freekidsmusic.com

Garageband.com

IUMA.com

MFiles.co.uk

MP34U.com

MP3blogs.org

Music.download.com

PureVolume

Vitaminic

and iTunes Music Store

Free iPod music download websites above have great blog-style listings of free iPod compatible MP3 songs by record artists and labels, and mainstream and independent artists. Some will give you a free two-week trial period to check on the services provided by these websites that offer free iPod music downloads.

There are specialized websites too that give free iPod music downloads for young listeners. These are clean, professionally designed interface to give free iPod music downloads where you can download free iPod music across all major genres. There are more than hundreds of thousands of songs that are free for iPod music downloads.

If you find it hard to look for the songs you like, you can always go to iTunes Music Store. It is not as cheap as other iPod music download stores but it is completely safe and legal way to get access to one million songs.

Websites that offer free iPod music downloads can also update you to new cool accessories about your iPod and Apple computer that can help you and your gadgets achieve maximum performance. Accessories include car chargers, pocketdock firewire, pocketdock line out firewire, pocketdock combo, pocketdock line out USB, earbuddy and more. Websites that offer free iPod music downloads also feature not only songs but entire albums as well as updates on which songs and artists are becoming popular and hitting the charts.

From these featured free iPod music downloads in the Internet, you can easily locate the songs you want to have on your iPod. You can find the songs you like by browsing through the store's library by finding it by genre. Or you find too many results; you can make it easier by searching by artist, album or song title. For songs that are very popular for the moment, there are lists of songs that are topping charts around the world that will make the search easier.

Free iPod music downloads on different genres of music include alternative, indie and punk, Broadway, children's music, classical, country, dance and DJ, folk, international, jazz, Latin, miscellaneous, new age, Opera, pop, rap and hip-hop, rock, R&B and soul, and soundtracks.

There are many websites that offer free iPod music downloads but some people who have iPods do not know where to begin. The best way to search for these free iPod music downloads is through search engines like MSN, Google and Yahoo. Once you have found the websites you are looking for, you can click on them one by one and start by looking for the songs you wish to download for free.

After completing the downloading process of free iPod music, the songs you want are already stored in your computer which you can easily transfer to you iPod. Take note about where you saved the iPod music you downloaded for free for easy access later.

With free iPod music downloads, there is no need for you to break the law and join illegal files sharing communities in the Internet. If you cannot afford to buy new music downloads, you can maximize the use of free iPod music download websites today.

First-time iPod Nano User? A Quick Guide on Cases

First-time iPod Nano User? A Quick Guide on Cases

iPod nano cases are designed to shelter iPod nanos from dust, dirt, scratches, and from getting wet from water or perspiration. iPod nano cases also protects the color screen and the click wheel. Most iPod nano cases in the market have a built in cover that you can flip up or back to cover the front screen.

--What's the best iPod Nano case for you?

If you are in the lookout for the best iPod nano case, know first what kind of iPod nano user are you and from there, you can select the best iPod nano case for you.

1. The Trendy iPod Nano User

If you like to name the colors in these manner: pink is to blush, blue is to atomic blaze, black is to sonic eclipse, and white is to arctic, then we can say, you are a trendy user.

The best iPod nano cases for Trendy users are those that are silicon based and made by iPod nano cases experts like: iSkin, Speck, and iCandy.

The silicon material of these iPod nano cases ensure that your iPod nano is free from dust and stay inside the case even if you shop your way around the mall.

Silicon iPod nano cases, even those with colors, are translucent. So, if your iPod is black, don't choose a light colored iPod nano case. Your pink case would look like as though it had been smeared with black ink.

The best thing with silicon iPod nano cases, they have this anti-slip feature and is soft and cool to the touch.

You can either have these cases with a rotating clip or a lanyard.

2. The Practical iPod Nano User

If you are the type of person who thinks shelling out $20 to $100 for an iPod nano case is utterly ridiculous, the hard plastic iPod nano cases fit you perfectly.

Priced for as low as $2, these hard plastic iPod nano cases could also protect your iPod nano from dirt and scratches. These cases could do the job of silicon iPod nano cases less the price.

Nanshield offers well designed hard plastic iPod nano cases that come in various colors, are see through also, and bundled with a plastic lanyard or rotating belt clip.

The disadvantage of owning a hard plastic iPod nano case is that, unlike silicon iPod nano cases, it does not offer the no-slip guarantee when the case gets wet or your hand perspires. These iPod nano cases are also maleable and could easily break when dropped once or a few times.

3. The Elegant iPod Nano User

If you think black and ultra white are elegant, you should find your way in e-stores where a collection of italian leather iPod nano cases are showcased.

Apple released in 2006 its own line of italian leather iPod nano cases, which were priced from $89 up. It's true that leather iPod nano cases are pricey; but, these iPod nano cases satisfy your need for a fashionable yet elegant dress for your iPod nano.

Leather iPod nano cases also come in other colors: pink, red and blue, but in hues that don't shout but merely whisper its presence with a simple, "Hello, I'm here." The texture of the leather are soft to the touch.

Leather iPod nano cases have precise and detailed cut out to make way for the iPod nano's important features such as the click wheel, jack and dock connector,

4. The Sporty iPod Nano User

You love snowboarding and swimming and you wish you could listen to your iPod nano playlist, but you know you cannot possibly do this because your precious nano will get wet.

Well, this is the iPod nano case you have been waiting for.

H2O Audio, in April 2006, answered the wishes and prayers of sporty ipod nano users by announcing the release of its Waterproof Housing or casing for iPod nano.

With this waterproof iPod nano case, users can dip their iPod nano by 10-feet without the nano getting wet. The case is thin, waterproof and has a see through exoskeleton for the click wheel.

Better save some bucks for this iPod nano case for it costs $80.

Spin Tunes With the iPod Nano

Spin Tunes With the iPod Nano

Welcome the age of innovation! Welcome the Apple iPod nano. The iPod nano is the successor of Ipod mini. The ipod nano was born on September 7, 2005. It works on flash memory instead of a full a hard drive unlike the other ipods. The iPod nano is 62% smaller than its predecessor, with memory available in 1 GB, 2 GB, and 4 GB sizes. The 65,536 color LCD display can show photographs and connects to a computer with the use of a USB 2.0. The iPod nano has a headphone jack on the bottom and also has a dock for other peripherals. One setback though is that the iPod nano is the only one in the ipod series that does not sync to any PC or Windows through firewire.

The iPod nano has many features that would be copied and included into the fifth generation video iPod. These iPod nano features that are new to the ipod series is the addition of the world clock, a stopwatch, and the screenlock option. The world clock permits the users to set time in world cities and set alarms for their time zones. The clocks are ready to adjust for the Daylight Saving Time. The stopwatch feature enables users to start the timer and to stop. The screenlock feature lets users set a passcode for their iPod nano. Should the user forget his or her passcode and the iPod nano is locked, the iPod nano must be plugged into the computer and it will be unlocked.

Spinning tunes with the iPod nano is easy. All the user has to do is upload their chosen songs from iTunes or other external websites, attach their iPod to the computer and start using it. You can choose an iPod nano with colors in white or black. The memory size varies from in 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB models. The price for an iPod nano ranges from $149 to $249, depending on the memory capacity you want.

One of the most appealing things about the iPod nano is its sleek design. However, there have been a number of complaints about the nano’s screen softness thus becoming easily scratched or cracking if too much pressure is applied. The iPod nano body is also delicate and scratch easily. Its surface is soft plastic and frequent use can damage the surface.

Because of this, Apple has had to defend its iPod nano from lawsuits, stating that they found the units not living up to its claim. Also the battery life is not as reliable. Since then, Apple began to package the iPod nano and fifth-generation iPods along with soft fabric cloth carrying case to help prevent scratches on the screen and body. The bad side to this is that the case does not give access to the control and the screen. The user must really exert effort in using the function of the iPod nano under the soft case.

Lucky for us, there are iPod nano accessories that solve this problem. One such device is the rubberized skin covers. These skins not only prevent the unit from being scratched, it also protects it from moisture and dust. The snug fit ensures that it does not slip and the rubberized feature gives the user a tight grip on their iPod nano. For the battery problem, users can always purchase a new adapter that they can carry to charge their units anywhere, as long as there is a socket.

Along with the car charger, earphones and loud speakers, the iPod nano has loads of peripherals available to really give you listening pleasure all day long. Among the favorites is the iPod FM stereo and cassette adaptor. Now you can search for tunes and play them through conventional devices like a car stereo the use of your iPod. It’s fast and simple.

And also there is the iPod Groove Purse Tote with Built in Speaker & Amplifier System. This classy tote bag lets you display your iPod and share your music with everyone around you. The flawless integration of style, clear sounds and amazing technology, make this a hot item for gifts.

Spin your way into the world of music and multimedia with the iPod nano. Its great tunes, great photos and the coolest gadgets to show everyone what you’ve got are what turns an audiophile into an iPod lover. Once you get the beat started, it’s really hard to back down.

iPod Music - the ultimate music experience

iPod Music - the ultimate music experience

iPod music has sold models to over 10 million users. With the growth of iPod users, iPod music among the most sought after kind of music through the Internet. During the second quarter conference of its company, Apple, company executives said that it is actively going for the international digital music market.

In the United States alone, Apple's iPod and iPod music has a 78% share in the market, while it is also leading in the United Kingdom with 40%. In Japan, Canada and Australia, iPod music is also popular with market shares of 54%, 45% and 58% respectively. Apple Chief Operating officer Tim Cook said that while the iPod is the top portable audio player in these countries, Apple is also eyeing on improving iPod music sales in other countries like Italy and the rest of Eastern Europe, and Asian countries like China and Korea.

Cook said that Apple is planning to make local advertising and distribution points to help boost the sales of iPod and iPod music in these areas. The Apple executive said that there are now more than 35,000 storefronts in the world that sells iPod and promote iPod music. He said that the company is increasing the capacity of resellers in the United States that will enhance and increase the number of channel partners to distribute iPod and promote iPod music in Latin America and Asia.

More gadgets, accessories for iPod music

iPod music can now be played in Teac's two new offerings. The first one is called SRL-200 that features an integrated iPod dock, digital AM and FM radio tuner with 20 FM station presets, LCD display, and wireless remote. It lets you awaken or fall asleep to iPod music. It sells for $150.

The second offering is called GR-10i. It is a similar clock radio with iPod dock that sports a silver exterior. It also features digital AM and FM radio tuner, LCD display, remote and sleep/alarm functions.

iPod features

iPod can allow you to store up to 15,000 songs and up to 150 hours of video in your pocket size gadget. iPod and its music has surely brought the ultimate music experience both in sight and sound. It is now in thinner and lighter design that is available in white and dramatic black. Its 320x240 pixel QVGA color display allows you to view photos and videos in iPod music and video formats. These are all available in iTunes Music Store by Apple.

You can play more and more iPod music from your iPod with the 60GB and 30GB iPod but without occupying a big space. Incredibly, iPod plays almost countless music and videos yet measures only a half inch thin that can easily pit into your pocket.

There are many gadgets that you can plug into your iPod that does not only play iPod music but videos and slideshows as well on your TV. You can show and share your iPod music and other iPod files. The optional Audio video cable helps you do this and combined with a new Apple remote with an optional iPod Universal Dock, you can easily have control on your iPod music, videos and slideshows from across the room.

You can play iPod music up to 20 hours non stop. The 60GB iPod offers 20 hours of battery life for your music playing. The 30GB can be used for 14 hours non stop. The battery of your iPod can be charged up to 80% of its total capacity in just two hours while a full charge can take four hours all in all.

iPod has become the best travel companion when taking pictures during your vacation. In the absence of memory cards, you can automatically store extra files of pictures in your iPod. The optional iPod Camera Connector helps you do this while playing iPod music. You can connect the cable and transfer the pictures from your digital camera to your iPod. From your iPod, you can view your pictures immediately.

iPod is definitely not exclusive to playing iPod music alone. It has evolved to become best handy player of audio and video files in the world. No wonder that iPod is music lovers' most favored gadget.

Bono of U2 simply says it all, "iPod is the most interesting artistic creation in pop since the electric guitar.

The Coolest iPod Downloads Around

The Coolest iPod Downloads Around

iPod is only five years old but it dominates the digital audio player in the world. Around 42 million iPod unit sales has been recorded for the fiscal year of 2001 to 2005. The rate of iPod sales in the first quarter of 2006 shows that iPod is selling 100 iPod units every minute.

That is how popular iPod is. For this reason, third party manufacturers are jumping to the iPod craze and are manufacturing iPod skins, iPod covers, iPod cases and iPod special headphones, and iPod battery kits to meet the demand of the users to achieve maximum experience with their iPods.

The third party software developers do not want to be left behind so they created software and plugins for iPod mini, iPod nano, iPod Video. Third party developers offer their products as iPod downloads.

iPod downloads maybe a software or an image or video file for your iPod mini, iPod nano, or iPod shuffle. iPod downloads may be for free, freeware iPod downloads, or shareware, of for free for a limited time of use iPod downloads.

Software iPod downloads may be a dictionary, foreign words translator to english or a video file converter from computer to iPod.

Image or video file iPod downloads include screensavers, icons, free videos, and free music videos.

Below are some of the best iPod downloads.

--Accio Dictionary for iPod

Accio Dictionary is not a Harry Potter dictionary, although this iPod download works magic.

There are many dictionary iPod downloads out there but we consider Accio as one of the best if not the very best dictionary iPod downloads in the industry. With this iPod download, you can manage to ask a simple, "Where is the train station?" in Spanish or German or Portuguese or Italian by just simply referring to your Accio Dictionary in your iPod nano, iPod mini or iPod shuffle.

With this shareware iPod download, you can listed to translatations of phrases and words that a tourist often ask to a native, like asking directions or asking for a name or saying thanks and sorry. The translations in this iPod download are spoken by native speakers.

The Accio iPod dictionary has 8,000 indexed translations. The vocabularies in this superb iPod download are those you need for traveling and everyday usage.

Accio iPod dictionary offers five shareware iPod downloads. iPod Downloads are for: English-German, English-Spanish, English-French, English-Italian, English-Portuguese.

The four Accio iPod downloads also offer the following:

- Quick reference using the iPod “Notes.”
- It also has a "Talking Phrasebook!" You can listen to translated words or phrases for travelling and everyday use, spoken by native speakers.
- This iPod download is expandable. You can add several Accio modules into your iPod — these iPod downloads have everything you need for tours and travels.
- Up to 8,000 indexed translations.

--About iSpeak It

This is one of the most incredible iPod downloads to date. Imagine, you can convert into an audio file your favorite e-books simple by using this iPod software. Compatible with iPod nano, iPod mini, and iPod shuffle, you can install this fabulous iPod downloads software from the Apple.com or at its official website.

If you're a writer and would like to hear how you writing sounds, get this in iPod downloads center immediately for this is for you. This iPod download works best if you are working on a dialogue. You will know if your dialogue sounds more like your mother than a dialogue for a literary piece; unless the character that is speaking is inspired by your mother.

iPod downloads center offers iSpeak as a shareware. You can take any document that you want and convert in into an MP3/AAC track\. You can do this in your iTunes by turning on the built-in text-to-speech of Mac. Windows XP also offers text-to-speech capabilities.

What can you do with iSpeak once you downloaded it from the Apple iPod downloads center? You can download news, driving directions, email messages, weather, and then text-to-speech it in your computer with the help of iSpeak and then transfer it in your iPod nano, iPod mini, or iPod shuffle.

This spectacular software from the Apple iPod downloads center accepts files such as Word, RTF, Pages 2, PDF, AppleWorks, text and even HTML files.

Thank You Internet! Free iPods on the Net

Due to the success of Apple iPods, numerous websites on the Internet have invested on offering free iPods to website visitors with little strings attached.

An example website would be FreeiPods.com. FreeiPods.Com gives away free iPods to website visitors and potential participants who completes an offer. Then they would be required to recruit 5 friends to do the same. Internet websites such as this claims that it is not a scam, though it does require a little bit of work on your part.

If you're extremely gullible, you will easily be enticed to get one o fthe free iPods, although we must admit, this promise of a free iPod from Internet websites such as FreeiPods.com looks very dubious.

But closer scrutiny would make it appear that the site is legitimate. The scheme does not look every bit like a networking pyramid scheme. It seems like a new type of marketing online. It looks so professional with support from major Internet companies like AOL, eBay and Columbia House.

Also, many happy customers are appearing like mushrooms all over the internet claiming receiving free iPods. All the more that skeptics are analyzing the economics.

How it Works

This is basically how it works:

1. An internet website offering free iPods like FreeiPods.com would offer either an iPod or a US$ 250 gift certificate to potential contestants that would sign up for several online promotions.

2. It would also be required that they persuade five more people to sign up.

3. The subscribers are then given the option of choosing from 10 different offers, that includes a trial of 45 days of AOL, and a trial of two weeks of the genealogy service of Ancestry.com. As you can see, these offers are easily cancelled and are free.

4. When the online trials are finally over, for both the main customer and the five referred people, the free iPod is provided.

Several people have written on their blog about the free iPod. At first they were skeptical, but when they tried it out, they eventually had the free iPod. Some also had a nice feedback for the set up since the Internet company did not require any credit card number or any hidden fees.

In fact, some receivers of the free iPods are so convinced that they created Internet websites that are affiliates of the free iPods websites. These websites are called "conga lines," and are supposed to persuade other people that the free iPods schemes are not a scam. Some of the websites, to name a few, are FlatScreens.com and FreeiPodGuide.

Gratis Internet

People behind the free iPod websites also denied that the site is a a networking scheme. It is not like an advertised networking scheme on eBay that also promises to give away free iPods.

They also revealed that Gratis Internet, maker of FreeiPod.com receives a huge amount of money for sending potential subscribers to sites like eBay, AOL, or RealNetworks. These internet websites offering free iPods are marketing firms sending potential customers to client websites or advertisers. The scheme is closely related to viral marketing.

The management refused to specify the money involved in the business, and said that they do not directly deal with the major companies involved. Gratis Internet was just commissioned by a third-party marketing agency, such as San Francisco's Adteractive.

For four years, Gratis Internet was in operation of customer-acquisition schemes via these websites: FreeCDs.com, FreeVideoGames.com, FreeDVDs.com, and FreeCondoms.com.

More than US$ 3 million worth of free merchandise that includes free iPods and CDs were given away, including five to six million condoms.

Since its launching last June, FreeiPods.com was successful in dispatching more than 2,500 free iPods. In monetary terms, that is more than US$ 1 million.

During the last few weeks, Internet traffic hits have exploded. About one million Internet visitors have enrolled in the scheme. Though majority of these people are using fake names and addresses, it reflects the interest of the public on the free iPods and other stuffs.

Successful customers that have finished the requirements of the scheme would receive a message of "Sent to Vendor, Waiting on Product." This message means that the free iPod is already on backorder. Though, previously, iPods were delayed in shipment, the process would be improved.