Denon’s AVR-4311CI to gain AirPlay compatibility this fall — that easy, huh?

Here’s an interesting tidbit. Denon‘s admittedly pricey AVR-4311CI — which was introduced in late April — may very well end up being the first major product to gain iTunes AirPlay compatibility retroactively. Yeah, retroactively. According to an updated product listing, the AVR will see a “planned upgrade” in the fall of 2010 that will “provide Apple iTunes AirPlay compatibility [that will let you] stream your favorite music to the AVR-4311CI.” Now, we already knew that Denon was a partner of both Apple and BridgeCo (the enabling company behind AirPlay), but this is first mention of any existing product receiving a simple upgrade (firmware, we’re guessing) that would add support for Apple’s newly touted streaming feature. In other words, this may mean that hundreds, if not thousands, of AirPlay compatible devices are already on the market, and just as soon as Apple and / or BridgeCo green-lights the respective firmware updates, home entertainment systems everywhere may gain support for a protocol that wasn’t even public before last week. Here’s hoping, right?

[Thanks, Ben]

Denon’s AVR-4311CI to gain AirPlay compatibility this fall — that easy, huh? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is BridgeCo the foundation for ‘Made for AirPlay’ Apple accessories?

Hands up if you’ve ever heard of BridgeCo. No? Us neither, but that’s about to change following a CNBC report detailing the company’s relationship with Apple. BridgeCo is in the business of embedding its network media processor and software stack into its partners’ audio equipment to enable wireless streaming. Now, according to a CNBC interview with BridgeCo CEO Gene Sheridan, Apple decided sometime last year to make BridgeCo an AirPlay launch partner. As such, any vendor that embeds BridgeCo’s newest tech will be able to accept streaming audio (and its metadata) from an iTunes library or handheld iOS 4.2 device — there’s no mention of video or picture streaming although AirPlay supports both. According to CNBC, audio gear should start arriving with the BridgeCo software in time for the holidays allowing iTunes users to “mix and match their favorite equipment with a common software.” What that means isn’t exactly clear, though BridgeCo does offer the ability to link systems into a distributed home audio network that includes a “party mode” where all speakers are synced to play from a common source. Importantly, according to Sheridan, this is the first time that Apple has opened up its iTunes software to a third party, giving it a glimpse at the source code. Exclusively? That’s the big question.

When Apple announced AirPlay, it listed Denon, Marantz, B&W, JBL, and iHome as “featured” partners. Coincidentally, in a blog post published two days after Apple’s fall music event, BridgeCo listed all of these brands, with the exception of Marantz, as partners of its own. If you’ll recall, the “Made for iPod” licensing program has provided a steady stream of revenue for Apple since 2005. And in the last few years, Apple has relied upon a proprietary authentication chip to authorize device compatibility and to unlock features such as video streaming. Apple undoubtedly seeks similar control over the expected rush of AirPlay-enabled devices in order to ensure a consistent user experience while making a few bucks on every third party accessory sold.

So is BridgeCo the new chip and software behind a “Made for AirPlay” accessory certification program? We can’t say for sure. Sheriden does let on that the Apple deal’s impact is “immense” and should provide more than half of the company’s revenues. Needless to say, the idea of combining systems from multiple brands into a unified whole-home audio network is certainly attractive. Sonos and Squeezebox, your approach to distributed wireless audio is officially on notice.

Update: Computerworld published a second interview with Sheridan this morning that digs a bit deeper into BridgeCo’s capabilities. For example, BridgeCo solutions support Pandora and Rhapsody streaming in addition to 12,000 streaming radio stations. BridgeCo also makes an SDK available to OEMs and developers. Now for the money quote: “The two companies spent the last year working together to develop AirPlay technology.” In other words, BridgeCo is not just an AirPlay licensee, it helped develop the tech. Computerworld also confirms that AirPlay will be licensed similar to “Made for iPod” systems. And with all the speculation and rumor about Apple getting ready to offer its own subscription streaming service once its data center is complete (and contracts signed), it’s easy to see how AirPlay could monetize Apple’s bid to dominate the connected home audio market.

Is BridgeCo the foundation for ‘Made for AirPlay’ Apple accessories? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Rolls Out iOS 4.1 Update for iPhone, iPod Touch

Apple on Wednesday morning released a minor update for its mobile operating system iOS 4, which includes bug fixes and a new photography mode.

Apple last week said iOS 4.1 would address a proximity-sensor issue in the iPhone 4 and sluggish performance on the iPhone 3G, among other flaws.

In terms of features, iOS 4.1 introduces Game Center, a social network for iOS gamers, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) photo processing, which Wired.com demonstrated last week.

The update is compatible with every iPhone and iPod Touch except for their first-generation models. A few iOS 4.1 features are not available on some of the older devices.

To download iOS 4.1, connect your iOS device to your computer’s USB port, then launch iTunes. Under the device menu, select your iPhone or iPod Touch and click “Check for Update” and follow the on-screen instructions to install the update. Make sure to back up your data first!

In the mean time, iPad owners can’t get iOS 4 just yet. Apple said it would release iOS 4.2 in November for the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone, unifying the devices into one tidy OS.

See Also:

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com


Wired.com Contest: Redesign Apple’s Ugly iTunes Icon

Apple dazzled customers with an armful of shiny new iPods during a press conference last week, but a number of fans groaned at a less pleasing sight: the new iTunes 10 icon (above).

Gone is the legendary icon of a compact disc, replaced by a blue bubble containing a music note. A Wired.com reader even sent an e-mail to Steve Jobs saying the iTunes 10 icon “sucks,” to which Jobs replied, “We disagree.”

Peeved Apple fans will just have to agree to disagree with the steadfast CEO. But it’s your computer desktop, so why not design your own icon to replace Apple’s? In the past week we’ve actually seen a bunch of really neat alternative iTunes icons made by independent designers.

Wired.com invites readers to redesign the iTunes 10 icon for a chance to win an iPod Shuffle ($50). Submit your mockup in the Reddit widget below, then vote on your favorites. Your votes will determine the standout submissions, and Wired.com editors will make the final call on a winner.

Directions: In the “Image URL” field paste a direct link to the location of the image. In “Image link” just paste a link to your website, if you have one; if not, no big deal. We entered an iTunes icon made by “Toffeenut” as an example.

The contest will close at 9 p.m. PT on Sunday. One winner gets the prize, and we’ll feature the top 10 icons next week in a photo gallery.

What are you waiting for? Get photoshopping!

Submit and vote on your favorite redesigned iTunes icon.

Submit an iTunes icon

While you can submit as many icons as you want, you can only submit one every 30 minutes. No HTML allowed.

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Apple’s Ping gains a million users in first two days

We’re still trying to figure out exactly what Apple’s new Ping social network is good for, but apparently quite a few people are curious about it: it’s already racked up a million users in its first two days. That’s just a third of the people who’ve downloaded iTunes 10, so we’re sure the numbers are will grow even faster as more people snag iTunes and the network effect starts to kick in — and things will get really crazy if Apple and Facebook ever work out their little tiff. Just remember: it’s a social network… for music.

Apple’s Ping gains a million users in first two days originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Seeds of Apple’s Cloud [Apple]

Apple has always sucked at the internet. With Ping and the new Apple TV, Apple sucks a little bit less at it. But Apple could be good at it. More »

Steve Jobs: iTunes 10 Icon Does Not ‘Suck’

While winding down from Wednesday’s iPod announcements, Apple CEO Steve Jobs appears to have taken some time to respond to an e-mail criticizing the new look of the iTunes icon.

Joshua Kopac, who oversees design work for advertising firm ValuLeads, sent Jobs an e-mail blasting the new iTunes icon (right) — a blue bubble containing a music note, replacing the old icon of a music note floating above a compact disc.

Jobs said on Wednesday that iTunes was ditching its old icon (pictured above) because iTunes digital music was poised to outpace sales of physical CD albums by next year.

Kopac provided the e-mail exchange to Wired.com:

Steve,

Enjoyed the presentation today. But … this new iTunes logo really sucks. You’re taking 10+ years of instant product recognition and replacing it with an unknown. Let’s both cross our fingers on this….

Jobs’ reply, terse as usual, was such:

We disagree.

Sent from my iPhone

Jobs this past year has been exceptionally chatty with customers, many of whom have reported receiving e-mail responses from the famous CEO. Wired.com reviewed Kopac’s e-mail for its authenticity, and we believe it’s real.

“It’s hideous, don’t you think?” Kopac said of the new iTunes icon in a phone interview with Wired.com. “Essentially it’s just a music note. The CD previously showed what they were about — how they were connected to music.”

Kopac isn’t alone, as the new iTunes icon has already inspired a Twitter account dubbed @itunes10icon — a fake persona defending itself against critics who call it ugly.

“Everyone’s so quick to judge me,” iTunes10Icon tweeted early Friday. “I don’t judge you and that shitty, hipster music you listen to.”

See Also:

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com


iHome teases first AirPlay-compatible portable speaker dock

No surprise that iHome is first out of the gate with a speaker dock that’s compatible with Apple’s newly-open AirPlay music streaming system, but unfortunately the teaser page is maddeningly light on details — all we know is that it’ll have a rechargeable battery and be available for the holidays. We’re actually pretty stoked for AirPlay gear — the idea of setting up a quick mix-and-match whole-home audio system that can stream lossless audio straight from iTunes seems awfully hard to resist — so we’re eager to hear more about this thing, as well as the other third-party AirPlay devices like receivers and stereos that have been promised. We’ll keep digging for more, so stay tuned.

[Thanks, Fred]

iHome teases first AirPlay-compatible portable speaker dock originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ringtone creationism not for sale in iTunes 10, but DIY method still seems to work

Not that we’ve ever been a fan of paying an additional 99 cents to turn an already-purchased track into a seconds-long ringtone, but if you fancied the option in iTunes 9.2.1, we’re sad to inform you that yesterday’s update seems to have nixed said option. But hey, look at this way, now you can learn a new skill: how to make iTunes 10 ringtones free of charge with some filename finagling. The old method still seems to work just fine (instructions via More Coverage link below), so turn that .m4-frown upside down!

Ringtone creationism not for sale in iTunes 10, but DIY method still seems to work originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All Things D: Facebook blocked Apple’s Ping service for unauthorized use

We’d already heard whispers that Apple had to yank Facebook Connect integration from its new Ping music network because the connection was being denied by Facebook, and now Kara Swisher at All Things D is confirming it — and she’s saying Facebook shut down access on purpose after Apple used the find-your-friends API without permission. Juicy! Here’s the deal: Facebook’s friend-finding API is generally open access, but anyone that wants to hit it an extreme number of times has to sign a deal agreeing to protect Facebook user data and limit network impact. Given the sheer size of the iTunes customer base, it’s no surprise that Facebook wanted such a deal, but apparently negotiations broke down — possibly over what Steve Jobs referred to as “onerous terms” — and Apple decided to just go ahead and use the API anyway. (Which, truth be told, is pretty in character for Apple.) Facebook then blocked access, Apple had to scramble to clean up all the Facebook references, and here we are. Only possibly not for long: Swisher also says Apple and Facebook are still negotiating, and Facebook Connect might eventually reappear in Ping. There is no word when Ping might actually be useful or interesting, however.

All Things D: Facebook blocked Apple’s Ping service for unauthorized use originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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