thomas fitzgerald.net

There’s been a rumour doing the rounds the last few days that really doesn’t make sense. It started when some analyst (I think it was on techcrunch) said that they’d heard that Apple plans to offer people the ability to put their iTunes collection “in the cloud”. Basically, it would allow people to access their music anywhere in the world. CNET are now reporting that Apple have been talking to the record labels about the possibility. Needless to say the mac rumour web has jumped on this. I have doubts though. There’s one aspect in particular that just doesn’t make sense. Here’s an example From 9-5 Mac:

In article int he Guardian about Sky’s plan to launch a music subscription service they come up with this whopper.

Unlike iTunes, which is only compatible with Apple’s iPod music players, the new site, which will be launched next Monday, will allow users to download albums for use on any MP3 player.

Here’s a perfect example of when rumors spin out of control. From CNet:

Even as the music industry cooperates with Apple’s efforts, what has some insiders upset is that Apple rejected the labels’ plan. By seizing credit, Apple is being “disingenuous,” said the source.

Apple hasn’t announced anything. The only people giving them the “credit” are the rumor sites and the other media who “leaked” this story. If you ask me blaming Apple for something hey haven’t even done yet is the only thing “disingenuous” about this story.
[Read Labels to serve digital albums to iTunes rivals | Digital Media - CNET News]

Microsoft has Finally announced the much rumored (leaked) Zune answer to the iPod touch. While ti lacks many of the iPods features, most notably the App store, it does offer some unique features that are kind of cool. For instance it will allow you to play back HD content over HDMI to a hdtv. This is pretty cool. think of it as a portable AppleTV. Of course you need the external dock, which kind of defeats the purpose. There are some odd things in their press release though. For example:

It’s been a while since the launch of a Sony Walkman made headlines but its latest offering, the new x-series Walkman has reviewers somewhat excited. The new Walkman, despite its OLED screen, and despite its internet access, wifi and youtube, may be attempting to compete against Apple’s iPod touch, but its biggest strength is as a music player. It’s unclear if that is deliberate but it does present is an interesting point. As Apple moves it’s iPod line to be more of a multimedia handheld computing and gaming device, the market is opening up once again for a premium audio product that caters for those who want high quality audio in a portable device. Something, unfortunately Apple seems to no longer be interested in.

Dan Moren over at Macworld highlights what has to be one of the most badly designed products from Apple in years. He echos my own feelings on the matter. When I watched the quick tour I was stuck by how unnecessarily complicated the control mechanism is. Dan sums it up nicely:

The fact that Apple has to put up this diagram tells you how much more complicated it is: how would you figure out the controls without this chart? The only markings on the controls are the “+” and “-” that mark volume controls. There is no indication of how to play or pause music.

I’ve been a strong proponent of getting rid of DRM for quite some time. Here’s something I wrote back in 2006 (Before Steve’s infamous letter):

This is somewhat ironic, as it was the major labels that forced Apple to adopt DRM in the first place. Since then Apple has effectively owned the Digital Download space, despite many competitors, all of which have failed to gain anything like iTunes’ traction in the market. While the success of Apple’s music service has been a great boon for digital downloads, the Labels have been less than enthusiastic about their somewhat stubborn partner.

AppleInsider reports on the latest rumors. Fingers Crossed. Would be a nice announcement for Macworld.