Hasta La Gadget!

You know all that rumor and speculation about Apple launching a subscription-based streaming music service? Forget it — at least until the next rumor comes along. Bloomberg is citing three people with knowledge of private talks between Apple, Universal Music, Sony Music, and Warner Music to make purchased music more easily accessible to iTunes users. Two sources claim that an agreement could be announced by midyear. Contrary to popular speculation aroused by Apple’s purchase of Lala, they’re not talking about streaming music from Apple’s new North Carolina data center scheduled to come online in the spring. According to Bloomberg‘s sources, Apple is instead, planning to offer unlimited downloads to any device linked to the same iTunes account. So, purchase a track on your iPhone and download it again for free to your iPad without having to go back and tether the mobile device to your PC or Mac for a sync. Hard disk crash? No worries, there’s a permanent backup in the cloud. Of course, there’s nothing preventing Apple from providing unlimited downloads in parallel with a streaming service except for the labels and artists who prefer the higher revenues paid out by download services. Then again, if it was left to them we’d still be buying our music on $15 CDs.

Incidentally, one Bloomberg source was also caught blabbing about Apple’s plans to overhaul the MobileMe service to store pictures, video, and other online content sometime this year. Better yet, it could drop from $99 per year to free — something already reported by the Wall Street Journal a few weeks ago.

Apple working on unlimited downloads of purchased iTunes music, setting MobileMe free? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 07:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Bloomberg  | Email this | Comments

While its page on iTunes doesn’t show any change, HackingNetflix points out Netflix for iPad was updated today with a new version of the app that gives it a customized interface instead of just pulling up a lightly customized version of the standard webpage. That reduces browsing options to four areas: Home, Genres, Search and Instant Queue. Note the word instant, because there is no longer any way to access one’s DVD queue from within the app (pulling up the Netflix page in a browser window or using a third party app, still works just fine) mirroring the changes made on TV streaming frontends in January. While there are a few reviews praising it for sleeker, speedier access, removing access to DVDs (plus detailed info on each movie like user or critic reviews, cast lists and more) has already been met with angry comments. We’ve always found the Netflix interface on iPhone and iPad somewhat lacking when it came to queue management anyway, now that Watch Instantly streaming is its only reason for being we’re wondering if you consider that a positive or negative change.

Netflix for iPad updated with a new custom UI but loses features like DVD queueing originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Hacking Netflix, iTunes  | Email this | Comments

Apparently that “coming soon” teaser page meant only a few days, as the aptly named DirecTV App for iPad popped up on the iTunes store this morning. The features were pretty well detailed on the website preview, just like other tablet remote control apps it can provide remote scheduling for most DVR boxes, you’ll need one of the Plus HD DVR models (HR20, HR21, HR22, HR23, HR24 and H21, H23, H24) for remote control functions. Early reviews seem positive except for the lack of video streaming to the tablet itself, check out the screens and other info from iTunes below or just click on through and try it out.

Update: ZatzNotFunny points out a detailed walkthrough of the new app put together by forum posters at DBSTalk, check it out at the link or embedded after the break.

[Thanks, Ali]

Continue reading Official DirecTV App for iPad now available, brings touch controls to your satellite box

Official DirecTV App for iPad now available, brings touch controls to your satellite box originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ZatzNotFunny  |  iTunes  | Email this | Comments

Well, it looks like Apple’s just put an end to some of the speculation surrounding its massive data center in North Carolina. According to Apple Insider and Electronista, Apple told shareholders at its annual meeting today that the center is for iTunes and MobileMe (along with Apple’s “corporate systems”), and that it is set to open sometime this spring. As you might expect, it doesn’t seem like things got much more detailed than that, but the news does certainly lend some credence to earlier rumors of a cloud-based, Lala-infused iTunes service and a significantly expanded (and possibly free) MobileMe offering. Here’s hoping we’ll hear a bit more from Apple itself next week.

Apple tells shareholders North Carolina data center is for iTunes and MobileMe, set to open this spring originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Apple Insider, Electronista  | Email this | Comments

If you have an iPod, iPhone or iPad with the SlingPlayer Mobile app, you now have a Slingbox to go since the app was just updated with support for video out over component cables in high quality mode. Version 2.1 also includes a few unspecified bugfixes, but we’re figuring the opportunity to watch TV, on a TV in high bitrate streams is more than enough to get users mashing that update button and digging out their unused connectors.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone & iPad updated with video out support originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  iPad, iPhone  | Email this | Comments