Apple working on streaming your iTunes library to your iPhone?

Apple's experimented with allowing iTunes to stream over the internet as well as your LAN in the past and quickly removed the feature (probably due to RIAA pressure), so we're not placing too much stock in this, but AppleInsider's unearthed a patent that seems to describe a way to stream music over the 'net to your iPhone / iPod touch. The goal is to prevent you from having to selectively sync content to your device -- instead, you'd sync just the metadata and stream whatever you wanted direct from your machine as though it was all stored locally. There are some obvious problems here -- it wouldn't work if you didn't have service (or over EDGE, really), most home upstream connections aren't that fast, etc., etc., -- but it's certainly interesting, and a welcome addition to local storage if it ever makes the scene. In the meantime, how about working in some of those new UI elements from the Remote app into the iPod app?
[Via: Macrumors ] [Tag: 3g iphone, 3gIphone, apple, iphone, iphone 2.0, iphone 3g, Iphone2.0, Iphone3g, ipod, ipod touch, IpodTouch, itunes, patent, rumor, rumors, streaming, touch ]

Microsoft's Xbox Live, Zune services to be down simultaneously this Monday

Simmer down folks -- everything is going to be a-okay. Yes, 'tis true -- Microsoft has indeed scheduled for Xbox Live service maintenance and Zune service tweakage to take place at the exact same time this coming Monday, but it's probably not worth losing your mind over. In fact, Major Nelson goes out of his way to affirm that "when [Xbox Live] service returns, you will not have any new features and you will not have the new Xbox experience update." Point being, your Zune Social, Zune.net forums, all of the Zune Marketplace and Xbox Live services will be offline for up to 24 hours (48 hours for the Zune suite) starting at 12:01 PST on September 29th, but don't expect a Zunephone to pop out of your now-forgotten HD DVD add-on when things come back on. Or you can, but we'd be prepared for unprecedented disappointment.

[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: microsoft, outage, service, xbox, xbox 360, xbox live, Xbox360, XboxLive, zune, zune marketplace, ZuneMarketplace, zunephone ]

Apple orders 50 million iPhone NAND chips from Samsung, rest of world put on hold?

Daaaamn, talk about clout. If DigiTimes' sources are correct, then Samsung, the world's primary supplier of flash memory, just told its non-Apple customers to suck it in favor of a "large batch of orders" it received from Cupertino. The order is said to be for 50-million "8Gb-equivalent" (we assume they mean gigabyte, or GB) NAND chips "mainly for use in Apple's iPhone." This order follows a June procurement for 25 million of the same chips. In response, Samsung has reportedly told its lesser customers that it would "sharply cut supply" of NAND to them while the order is being fulfilled. The shortage is compounded by Samsung lowering its manufacturing output in April and May in an attempt to reduce oversupply. Still, if these numbers are true (they seem high and DigiTimes can be hit or miss with its Apple sources) then the world is about to be awash in iPhone 3Gs come July 11th.
Update: We've given the Gigabits vs. Gigabytes a bit more thought. If it's 50 million 8Gbit chips as stated, they would divide evenly across about 2.1 million 8GB iPhone 3Gs plus another 2.1 million 16GB models. A reasonable production run for Apple's global launch but an order which shouldn't be so taxing on Samsung's production capability. Something doesn't add up.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: apple,digitimes,flash,iphone,iphone 3g,Iphone3g,nand,rumor,samsung ]

Joy Division Zune hands-on

So we dropped by our old friend Peter Rojas's place (you know, the guy who started this site) -- turns out that since he's a music executive and stuff now, he got himself hooked up with a prototype limited edition Joy Division Zune. (Yeah, the irony in that isn't lost on us.) From the absurdly elaborate pivoting, platform-raising box, to the black fabric wrap (which looked blue to our camera), to the faux-LP liner, to Peter Saville's signature etched in foam, they clearly did Joy Division justice on this one. Which they damn well should have, because in case you couldn't already tell, we're all Joy Division fans around these parts -- which means we'd have the music to load this Zune up, being that the only thing it doesn't have is the back-catalog.
[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: features,hands-on,joy division,JoyDivision,zune ]

The Bill Day giveaway (part 3) - Zune 80GB (black)

Hey, if Bill can give away tens of billions of dollars, the least we can do to celebrate his last day is to give away some Microsoft-powered gear, right? Next up: a black Zune 80GB.

• Leave a comment below. Tell us about your favorite Microsoft-powered product. Or your favorite Apple product, too, since Bill totally bailed those guys out back in '97.
  


• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)


• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  


• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  


• Winner will be chosen randomly. That winner will get a brand new black Zune 80GB. Approximate value is $250.
  


• Entries can be submitted until Sunday, June 29th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck!


• Full rules can be found here.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: bill gates day, BillGatesDay, contest, microsoft, zune, zune 80, Zune80 ]

Rogers announces iPhone 3G plans, unlimited data isn't one of them

Here we have it, iPhone 3G pricing for our better mannered, gun-toting friends up north. All the plans from Rogers Wireless require that lovely, three-year contract and include visual voicemail, free evenings and weekends, and unlimited WiFi at all Rogers and Fido hotspots. The plans start at $60/month for 150 minutes of voice and just 400MB of data before topping out at $115/month for 800 minutes voice and up to 2GB of data. None of these plans offer unlimited data as previously rumored. See the details after the break.

Price	Voice	Data	Sent Text Messages	Incoming Text Messages	Visual Voicemail
$60	150 minutes + unlimited evening and weekend	400 MB (up to 200,000 text emails or 3,100 web pages or 1,360 photo attachments)	75	Unlimited	Unlimited
$75	300 minutes + unlimited evening and weekend	750 MB (up to 380,000 text emails or 5,900 web pages or 2,560 photo Attachments)	100	Unlimited	Unlimited
$100	600 minutes + unlimited evening and weekend	1 GB (up to 524,000 text emails or 8,000 web pages or 3,500 photo attachments)	200	Unlimited	Unlimited
$115	800 minutes + unlimited evening and weekend	2 GB (up to 1,048,000 text emails or 16,000 web pages or 7,000 photo attachments)	300	Unlimited	Unlimited

Rogers Wireless will also offer two voice value packs for popular wireless features: a $15 monthly value pack including Caller ID, Who Called, Caller Ring Trax, 2,500 Sent Text Messages and 2,500 Call Forwarding Minutes; and a $20 monthly value pack including Caller ID, Who Called, Caller Ring Trax, 10,000 Sent Text Messages and 6:00 p.m. Early Evening Calling and 2,500 Call Forwarding Minutes.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: canada, fido, iphone 3g, Iphone3g, rogers ]

MyVu Crystal a worthy travel companion, available now

Surely you remember Veronica Belmont posing with the MyVu Crystal / Shades at CES earlier this year? Yeah, the former unit is finally available to order for the three people in attendance who care, and better still, a recent review by PC World asserts that this thing actually isn't a half bad travel companion. Imagery was said to be "crystal-clear" (har) and battery life was more than reasonable, but look, even the reviewer admitted that he "wouldn't be caught walking down the street" with 'em on. Purchase accordingly.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: Crystal, head-mounted display, Head-mountedDisplay, ipod accessory, IpodAccessory, mhd, myvu, video glasses, VideoGlasses ]

Alesis' ProTrack turns your iPod into portable digital recorder

Though not the first audio recorder we've seen to get buddy-buddy with Apple's darling for storage -- nor the first Alesis product to partner up with the iPod -- the ProTrack is still pretty swank in its own right. Hailed as a "professional handheld digital stereo recorder for iPod," this unit enables direct-to-iPod stereo digital recording for folks needing gobs of storage space. You'll find a pair of condenser microphones built-in along with twin XLR - 1/4-inch inputs for connecting external mics and line sources. Folks who can't locate an AC outlet can count on four to five hours of use from four AAA cells, but it should be noted that only select iPods (2G / 3G nanos, 5G iPods and the iPod classic) are supported. Look for this one to land in Q3 for a currently undisclosed price.

[Via: Brad Linder's Blog ]
[Tag: ALESIS,audio,digital recorder,DigitalRecorder,ipod,ipod accessory,IpodAccessory,music,pro audio,ProAudio,protrack ]

Shenzhen EM-2811 "Latte ICE" is actually kind of neat

These days, it's pretty wild and crazy if a PMP manufacturer manages to do anything different than what's already out there, so we've got a soft spot for Shenzhen's EM-2811, being sold as the "Latte ICE." Sure, nothing spectacular, and the 1GB-4GB capacity is seriously amature hour, but we like the look of the device, and the interface is pretty strong for a no-name DAP. There's a miniSD slot to overcome that capacity handicap, a 2.8-inch QVGA screen, FM radio, voice support, AVI / MPEG video playback, and a built-in speaker. Tetris is included, but with the button layout we're hoping they can finagle a couple emulators on there. Battery life of 4 hours video and 8 hours audio is painful, but overall the Latte ICE isn't at all bad for a $70 starting price. Video is after the break.

[Via: PMP Today ]
[Tag: dap,latte,latte ice,LatteIce,pmp,shenzhen ]

Onda VX777+ touchscreen PMP gets detailed, shown off on video

Onda's VX777 (or VX777+, as it's apparently now known) has been popping up here and there for a while now, but it looks like it's finally nearing an actual release, and MP4 Global has now provided a fairly thorough video overview of the device for the occasion. Unfortunately, it appears that this particular model doesn't boast the WiFi we had heard about previously, although it does somewhat surprisingly pack a capacitive touchscreen (3-inch, 400 x 240) instead of a more common resistive one. Otherwise, you can expect your choice of 2GB, 4GB or 8GB capacities, with a microSD card slot provided for further expansion, along with a TV-out, a built-in microphone, and support for just about every audio and video format you could want. Head on past the break for the video, and look for this one to start shipping next week with pre-order prices clocking in at $89, $99 and $109 for the 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB models, respectively.

[Via: Slash Gear ]
[Tag: onda,onda vx777,OndaVx777,vx777 ]

Mercedes-Benz introduces new iPhone integration kit

Mercedes-Benz's current iPod integration kit is pretty weak sauce, especially since the new COMAND nav / multimedia system is so well done, but it looks like the automaker's newest iPhone cradle will take steps to address some of the more glaring issues and also add some interesting new features. The cradle appears to finally integrate iPod controls with the main nav screen and COMAND controller instead of relying solely on the instrument display and steering wheel controls, and it will charge your phone while allowing you to make calls and listen to music. On top of that, plugging the phone in will apparently increase reception by using the vehicle's antennas as well as the iPhone's, and from what we can tell, you'll be able to access the contacts list as well -- something MB's current Bluetooth system doesn't allow. If you've already got the iPod kit or Media Interface kit, the adapters needed will run you €39 ($60), and the cradle itself is available now in Germany for €249 ($385). Lots more pics at the read link.


[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: apple,iphone,iphone integration,IphoneIntegration,ipod integration,IpodIntegration,meercedes-benz,mercedes ]

Robbie Bach says no Zune Phone, no Xbox Blu-ray... maybe a touchscreen Zune

Someone clearly didn't want Microsoft fans being left out at this time of extreme Apple coverage. In an interview with SFGate, Robbie Bach manages to deftly deny the rumored Xbox / Blu-ray match-up, deny a Zune Phone is coming anytime soon (although he intimates Zune software may come to phones), but still cleverly suggests that a Zune Touch could be in the offing. Of course, by "cleverly suggest" we mean he mentions the possibility of a device with touch capabilities, which is like saying Dell might release a laptop with a keyboard. Is that the device pictured above? No silly, that's just someone's Photoshop work. Steve Jobs -- anything to say about this?

[Via: wmpoweruser ]
[Tag: interview,robbie bach,RobbieBach,touchscreen,zune,zune phone,zune touch,ZunePhone,ZuneTouch ]

iRiver Spinn gets a release date, fleshed out details

We haven't heard much about iRiver's shiny new Spinn PMP since it was unveiled at CES earlier this year, but Crave has now turned up a couple of fresh new details on the device, including word of the all important release date. That'll apparently come sometime in August (in the UK, at least), although there's unfortunately still no word on prices. Otherwise, Crave has confirmed that the player will still be arriving in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB varieties, and that it'll be shipping with built-in DAB radio in the UK, as well as built-in Bluetooth and a dedicated (but unspecified) 3D acceleration chip to spice up the interface a bit. In case you missed 'em the first time around, you can find our shots of the device (under glass) here.


[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: iriver,iriver spinn,IriverSpinn,spinn ]

Griffin PowerDock 2 charges iPhones and iPods two-at-a-time

In case you're not swimming in Apple gear just yet (wait 'til the kids come...), Griffin Technology has just released a more modest solution to charging "just" a pair of iPhones / iPods or one of each. The two-port PowerDock 2 features a pair of universal docks and a collection of dock inserts to ensure that almost every iPod (and the iPhone) can get a seat at the table. It's available as we speak for $49.95.

[Via: PopGadget ]
[Tag: griffin,iphone accessory,iphone dock,IphoneAccessory,IphoneDock,ipod accessory,ipod dock,IpodAccessory,IpodDock,PowerDock ]

Griffin ships iPod / iPhone-compatible iTrip AutoPilot

It's been a hot minute since Griffin Technology loosed a new iTrip, but the newest member of the family is one we can't help but high-five. The iTrip AutoPilot not only charges and transmits iPod audio to your FM stereo, but it also does the same with Apple's iPhone. As expected, the device plugs into one's cigarette adapter on one end while sliding into a Dock Connector on the other; the SmartScan technology will do its best to locate the clearest frequency for transmitting on, and it will then display said station so you can dial in with your radio. Not a half bad piece for $99.99 -- 'tis a shame FM transmitters are all but worthless in even modestly large cities.


[Via: Macworld ]
[Tag: autopilot,griffin,griffin technology,GriffinTechnology,iphone,iphone accessory,IphoneAccessory,ipod accessory,IpodAccessory,itrip,iTrip AutoPilot,ItripAutopilot ]

NTT DoCoMo's 906i and 706i handsets answer "who's your daddy?"

We'll get into more detail later, but we thought it was appropriate to share the moment when the Japanese showed the world just how pathetic your 3G iPhone fantasies really are. Announced today are 19 new handsets from NTT DoCoMo's 906i and 706i series. All 8 of the 906i feature 3G / GSM international roaming, GPS, HSDPA, 1-seg mobile TV, full browser with Flash 8 support, DCMX mobile credit card and iD mobile credit payment tech, VGA LCD screens, and voice to text translation of Chinese, English, and Japanese. Some even support direct transfer of Blu-ray video. The 11-strong 706i series features a variety of handsets including a waterproof 1-Seg phone, world's slimmest 1-Seg phone, and a wellness phone to monitor your health and diet. All eleven 706i phones rounded up and pictured after the break.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 706i,906i,breaking news,BreakingNews,foma,ntt docomo,NttDocomo ]

MemUp reveals new line of portable media players

Given MemUp's recent past, we wouldn't be too shocked to find that the outfit's latest bundle of media players were all rips of other units, but we'll assume innocence until proven guilty. Up first is the K-SLIM, a simplistic DAP with a 1.8-inch display, FM tuner and 2GB / 4GB of internal capacity. Moving on, we've got the all-too-similar K-TOUCH, which gently ups the ante with a 2-inch touchscreen and 4/8/16GB of space. The V-TOUCH gets oriented horizontally and boasts a 2.4-inch panel, while the M430 TR PMP arrives with 4.3-inches of screen real estate. Lastly, we've got the M430 DTV, which obviously trumps the latter with its integrated TV tuner. Hit the read link for more details on the whole lot, and don't be surprised if you notice any similarities in design.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: dap,K-SLIM,K-TOUCH,M430 DTV,M430 TR,M430Dtv,M430Tr,memup,pmp,V-TOUCH ]

Apple files patent for "solar cells on portable devices"

While we wait, and wait... and wait for manufactures to perfect long-lasting fuel cells, Apple and others are pursuing at least one other approach: solar augmentation. In a patent application dated April 24, 2008 and titled "Solar cells on portable devices" attributed to a number of Apple employees, Apple reveals possible plans to integrate solar cells into devices such as iPods and MacBooks. The application describes a scenario where, "Solar cells are typically stacked with other layers made of transparent or semi-transparent materials... Some of these layers may be used for display or input purposes, and some layers may be coated with various materials or they may be etched with product logos or other patterns." In other words, Apple is looking to cover the entire device, including the transparent display, with a layer of solar cells -- the latter approach already patented by Motorola. While the efficiency of solar cells and existing manufacturing techniques call into question the immediate viability of such an approach, it's intriguing nonetheless as a means to offset any lost battery life on the move to say, 3G.

[Via: MacRumors ]
[Tag: apple,lcd,patent,solar ]

Oppo offers up sleek S11 portable media player

Go 'head Oppo -- get down with your bad self. This S11 portable media player may not be the most easily recognized on the streets, but it sure has a lot going for it. Aside from the sleek (dare we say sexy?) enclosure, the unit packs a 3-inch 400 x 240 resolution touch panel, video out port, integrated photo viewer / calender / stopwatch / calculator, a couple of games, file search capabilities and support for MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AAC and APE audio files. On the video front, it'll play nice with AVI, DivX, XviD, RM, RMVB and FLV formats. If the 4GB of internal memory just isn't enough, there's also a microSD slot for loading in additional media. Check out a video preview of the thing just after the break before dropping $163.99, though.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: dap,oppo,pmp,s11 ]

Microsoft bringing ads to your Zune: everybody panic

Microsoft turned a few heads at its Advance '08 advertising conference by announcing a type of ads for its Zune platform, in addition to those web, TV and Xbox "branding experiences" it already delivers. The primary method described merely involved corporate sponsorships of celebrity playlists, with the "ad" being consigned to branding on that musician's Social card -- and you'd have to have friended the musician to see any of it at all. Apocalyptic stuff, eh? Microsoft also promises to keep the ads appropriate for the audience, so we're not going to start panicking just yet, but the first DAP builder to make us sit through a minute of ads every time we try to sync with our computer is sure score the (oh, hey, thanks for the $100, Microsoft!) scorn and vitriol love and affection of its customers for years to come.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: ads, advertising, microsoft, zune ]