No more Real content for iPods

According to this article on News.com, the next version of the iPod update will prevent users from being able to load music purchased at the RealNetworks online music store onto their iPods.  Additionally, this "fix" may render previously purchased Real music unplayable on the iPod.

From the article:

It was not immediately clear whether iPods older than the photo edition had as a result also been rendered incompatible with RealNetworks' technology.

Apple is apparently not willing to open up their DRM technology to competitors, a strategy that, perhaps in the future will change, but for now seems to be viewed as a competitive advantage by Apple.  When Real first introduced their Harmony system that allowed iPod owners to purchase Real music and load it on their iPods, Apple was not amused, so it is not overly surprising that Apple has made a move to block Real access to their devices.

RIM injunction reversed

According to this article on News.com, a US court of appeals has reversed the injunction against RIM in the patent infringement case that is ongoing between RIM and NTP.  The court did not dismiss the case and says that there is still an infringement issue, but has remanded the case to a district court for further ruling on the matter.  Does this mean that we will see the Blackberry client released soon for all of the cellphones that are supposed to have it, like the Nokia 6820 and MPX220?

Long Tail manifesto

Written by Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, you can find The Long Tail manifesto here at Changethis.  From the manifesto:

Forget squeezing millions from a few megahits at the top of the charts. The future of entertainment is in the millions of niche markets at the shallow end of the bitstream.

It's all about consumer choice when you are freed from the constraints of the capacity of a store shelf.  Whereas in the past we could select from among the popular items (i.e., the "hits"), we now have the ability to browse through everything.  No longer are we limited to the 5 or 6 basic stations for TV; we have digital cable and DirecTV and content we can download directly from the Internet.  No longer are we bound to what we find on the shelves at Tower Records; we can browse obscure artists through online music stores and even download free tracks from bands that we've never heard of (Ever heard of my friend Pete McClean?  You can download some of his best songs right here on SongRamp for free!).

But most of us want more than just hits. Everyone's taste departs from the mainstream somewhere, and the more we explore alternatives, the more we're drawn to them. Unfortunately, in recent decades such alternatives have been pushed to the fringes by pumped-up marketing vehicles built to order by industries that desperately need them.

Hit-driven economics is a creation of an age without enough room to carry everything for everybody. Not enough shelf space for all the CDs, DVDs, and games produced. Not enough screens to show all the available movies. Not enough channels to broadcast all the TV programs, not enough radio waves to play all the music created, and not enough hours in the day to squeeze everything out through either of those sets of slots.

In short:

Suddenly, popularity no longer has a monopoly on profitability.

Read the manifesto to find out more about The Long Tail.

Beta desktop search tools and PSTs

Anyone else worried about the number of beta desktop search products that are interacting with your Outlook PST files?  I've been lucky in that I haven't had too many corrupted PST files in my time using Outlook (knock on wood), but I do worry about all the different search programs that are entering my PSTs to index the e-mails and attachments.  I get a security alert from Outlook 2003 every time that Filehand Search goes through my PSTs, although I have not experienced that issue with X1 or Lookout for Outlook.  I still haven't installed the new MSN Search and the Google Search doesn't have the capability to search within PSTs yet.

I guess I feel more comfortable with the full versions (i.e., non-beta) of software like X1 and Filehand, but I do still worry about PST corruption.  My advice to all of you: Just be careful using these beta tools or letting them have too much interaction with your PST files, especially if you are not backing up your PSTs on a daily basis.

easyPizza

The easy group is now taking on pizza according to this post on TJ's Weblog.  Like many of their other products, pricing will be based on how long before the actual date of product or service delivery an order is placed.  From the post:

Working on the same "demand-based pricing" that has applied to his low-cost airline, it will offer a pizza for a pound [sterling] for those who order early enough, impressing some business analysts and appalling anti-obesity campaigners in equal measure.

The decision to order pizza is usually a last minute decision for me, but I guess that's the whole point.

46 best freeware applications

Via this post on Cameron O'Reilly, you can find a listing of "The 46 Best-Ever Freeware Utilities" right here.

Great advice on building your team

Can be found here on this post at BeyondVC.  The advice is pretty lengthy, but certainly a worthwhile read, especially if you find yourself in a position where you are planning on hiring some people in the near future.

MSN Desktop Search now available

Not surprisingly, MSN Desktop Search is now available for download (note: I first found out about this via this post on thetabletpcweblog, so they get the link).  Some useful things from the tabletpcweblog post:

From the MSN Search Blog by way of thetabletpcweblog:

Start any task, quicker

By default you can jump focus to the Deskbar by pressing CTR+ALT+M.  For fans of the Window’s key – go to Deskbar options and enter SHIFT+Q (or any letter not already in use).  Now when you press Windows+Q you’ll jump to the Deskbar and be ready to search right away. 

Find entire conversations

After finding an email you were looking for, try right-clicking on it.  Select “Show Conversation” and we’ll automatically refine the search results to show all the emails from the conversation thread.

Be sure to download iFilter that allows you to search inside Acrobat PDF files.  Also, 2 tips from tabletpcweblog to make indexing go faster:

1. Make sure Outlook or Outlook Express is open. The MSN Indexer will only index mail when the client is running (Google has this same limitation, x1 and Copernic do not).
2. Bring the Indexer to the foreground by clicking on the MSN Search icon in the System Tray and choosing Indexing Status. Click the “Index Now” button and let the window “float” above whatever you’re working on. This way, it keeps running (with minimal impact on the system) rather than pausing every time you move the mouse. Or, you could leave the PC on and go take a long drive.

I'm a little concerned with having so many search programs on my computer right now.  I'm going to dump a couple before I install this one.

Important info for iPod users

I saw this information on a post over at Cameron O'Reilly:

Okay, so here's a tip for you iPodders out there - if you find a mysterious iTunes folder on your hdd and it's got nothing but .tmp files in it, ahem, DON'T DELETE IT.

I keep my music in a special folder on my hard drive, NOT under "My Documents/ My Music" which is where iTunes likes to try to stuff it. So yesterday when I went to PUT something into My Music, I discovered an iTunes folder in there. Hmmm, I thought to myself. What's THAT doing there? Must be junk DNA, I thought, from when I installed iTunes. I checked inside it, about 7000 .tmp files, taking up space, so, I thought, fuck it, I'll just delete it.

Next thing I know? My iPod is EMPTY dude. All gone. So, I re-import everything from my REAL iTunes folder, no big deal. BUT... all my meta-data is gone. Genres I changed are all back. NO SMART PLAYLISTS. NO RATINGS. 6 months of engineering my iPod to be the way I want it, all up in smoke. Time to start again.

I normally wouldn't quote an entire post, but I know a lot of people that do not store their music in the default folder.  All of my iTunes music is stored in an external hard drive on my Mac, but I also keep music in a different partition from the My Documents partition on my Windows machine; after reading this post, I checked My Documents/My Music and sure enough, there were .tmp files in it.

Anyone know a way to get around this on the Windows platform?  Anyone back up their .tmp data in case this happens?

Sprint-Nextel

That was fast!  Granted I'm a little behind the blogosphere buzz, but I only posted about Sprint and Nextel looking at merging a few hours ago, and lo and behold, I finally get through all the blog posts I missed while I was gone, saw a post pop up on Engadget, and the Wall Street Journal is apparently now reporting that there is a tentative merger agreement that has Sprint swapping 1.3 shares for every Nextel share.  The new company, once merged and called (very inventive name) Sprint-Nextel, will wind up being the 3rd largest wireless carrier. 

Does this mean that Nextel will start getting cool phones (i.e., the Treo 650)?  Does this mean that Nextel is switching to a PTT over CDMA framework?  Will you still be able to roam on the Verizon network for an extra $5 per month?  Does this mean that Motorola will lose the exclusive on Nextel phones?

So many questions, so little time.  I'll check the Internet again in 5 minutes to see if there are any more details.

Tidbits

I've been on vacation, so I am collecting some tidbits as I quickly go through all the blogs I read:

iTunes is apparently now taking PayPal as a form of payment for iTunes-purchased songs.  I am not a PayPal user, so this doesn't do much for me, but it certainly broadens the audience that can buy music on iTunes.  Also, apparently the first 500,000 that sign up for an iTunes Pay Pal account will receive 5 free songs.  Read via Gizmodo.

Trend Micro is giving away 6 months free of their Windows Mobile smartphone anti-virus software (the Symbian version will apparently be available in January).  Read via Gizmodo.

Spend a lot of time in the sun?  There's a detergent that you can wash your clothes with that actually binds a UV-absorbing compound to your clothes.  I spend a lot of time in the sun and have had to have some moles cut off, so I might check this out.  Read via Wired.

Lots of rumors this week as MacWorld approaches.  One is that Apple is going to start producing iPods with an embedded Sirius satellite radio receiver.  Sirius seems to be getting some good boosts in the arm and this would be a welcome complement to Howard Stern.  Now the question is whether or not you will be able to record Sirius content to your iPod.  Read via Engadget.

Vonage has cut a deal with Viseon to use the Viseon videophones to power a videoconferencing service.  Kind of a bummer that Vonage is making the service hardware specific, but I guess that would be the only realistic way that they could provide quality of service.  Read via Engadget.

No surprisingly in the world of cell company mega-mergers, there are reports that Sprint and Nextel are talking to each other about a merger.  Kind of weird when you consider that Nextel runs on a proprietary IDEN network, while Sprint operates on CDMA.  I would have thought that a Verizon and Sprint merger would be more likely as they both operate on CDMA, but who knows.  Read via Engadget.

Google Suggest will suggest search terms as you type based on site popularity.  Steve Rubel at Micro Persuasion suggests that you might be able to stack your company or products against competitors provided that your company or products start with the same letters.  Could this be another advertising channel for Google.  Read more via Micro Persuasion.

RSS subscription tracking.  Finally!  Read more via Micro Persuasion.

Yahoo's desktop search client is going to be powered by X1.  Competition for Google's Desktop Search; I don't think that Google's search can read into PST files yet, and X1's definitely can.  Apparently the AOL desktop search is going to be powered by Copernic.  Note that both Copernic and X1 have both recently released major upgrades to their search tools.  Read more via thetabletpcweblog.

The Tunderbird RC 1 is available at Mozilla.  Apparently it includes a built-in RSS reader that seems to look a lot like NewsGator with Outlook, except Thunderbird is free and if the software is built in, then you don't have to pay for NewsGator either.  Check out Mozilla.

BMW Z4s are available again from American Express on Monday.  Please withhold all of your purchases so that I can buy one.  Thanks for your cooperation.  Visit the My Wishlist site any time but Monday.

Wine preservation.  Applicable if you drink Two Buck Chuck or $50 (or more) bottles of wine.  Find one via Luxist.

More marvelous commentary on the Pepsi Spice blog.  Check it out.

Clearing your ears -- not just for divers.  Here is a list of 5-6 good ways to clear your ears.  My tip: clear your ears before you need to.  Read via Gadling.

Let your customers design cool ads for you and save yourself the cost of it.  Check out this ad for the iPod Mini.  Even better, the ad is only on the internet and 34,000+ hits with no investment from Apple at all -- send this man an iPod!

 

 

More Bingo!

Seth Godin posts a link to Business Buzzword Bingo!  Check out the site: it allows you to create bingo cards with different business buzzwords by reloading and has sites for eBusiness and Wired (read geek) bingo cards that change on reload; you can even use the web interface to create your own card.

Print them, take them to your next meeting.  Find prizes to give out.

Can you play bingo at your marketing meetings?

Via this post on Brand Autopsy, here is the Starbucks Marketing Bingo board:

Take this to your next marketing meeting.

Capitalizing on LiveStrong?

This just makes me sick.  Seth Godin has a post about a company that is marketing the "Friendship" bracelet, which just happens to very much resemble the yellow LiveStrong bracelet.  See the picture from Seth's site:

This makes me absolutely pissed off.  I've tried to help all of you that e-mailed me to find LiveStrong bracelets, so please do not settle for getting one of these things and supporting this rip-off marketing campaign.

Ambient Devices

Check out these pictures:

Ambient Devices is building a wireless infrastructure that will send data to "everyday devices" to let users know what is going on.  From left to right above:

• The Ambient Orb that changes colors based on the Dow Jones Industrial Average performance.  You can upgrade to have it track your portfolio or other things.
• The Ambient Dashboard that allows you track weather, sports, stock market, traffic, and lots of other things that are depicted in an analog format on the dashboard.
• The Ambient Weather Beacon that changes colors based on the weather in your area.

Design meets functionality.

MSN Spaces has launched

Yes, I am going to be Yet Another Blogger (YAB) that talks about this service, which is probably exactly how they are hoping the service will be marketing.  MSN Spaces is a free blogging tool from MSN that seems to be their attempt to directly compete with Blogger (read Google).  There are reports from users that the service is a little rough around the edges and my experience with looking at some of the Spaces is that the spaces load very slowly.  Interestingly enough (but not necessarily surprisingly), the Spaces site looks like a SharePoint implementation for the public.  Many of the spaces that I have looked at look suspiciously like the SharePoint pages that are used internally at my company.  One nice feature is that Spaces natively provides RSS feeds as opposed to the ATOM feeds that are natively provided by Blogger; I have yet to find an aggregator that does not support both ATOM and RSS.

Just remember, if you are thinking of switching, Scoble's 21 Rules of Blogging, Rule Number 12: Never change the URL of your blog.  

Comment spam

The comment section of my site seems to have turned into a testing ground for anonymous posters and an advertising ground for others.  Here's the simple fact of the matter: I can turn the comments off on this site with one click of a checkbox.  If you want to test your comments, set up your own blog and test them on your own comments system; if you want to advertise, find a different medium than my blog to do so or send me a free sample of whatever you are advertising and I will be happy to review it for you (however, you have to accept the fact that I will review it truthfully, so the review will be there for the world to read: good or bad).

That's it.

QED

Konfabulator updated

The Tablet PC Weblog has a post that details the changes in the updated version of Konfabulator.  From the post:

• Reduced our memory footprint in Task Manager.
• Upgraded the URL object to support POSTing, outputting to a file and returning the HTTP response code (see the Release Notes).
• Made the Below window level stick to the desktop when choosing Show Desktop from the Task Bar.
• We now react properly to monitor configuration changes and move widgets appropriately. We also remember where they were per screen config.
• We now store our unzipped widgets in the local app data folder, not the system’s temporary folder. This avoids the problems people experience when running temp file cleaners, essentially wiping out all the support files for a running widget.
• Fixed problem where click-through was not working. This meant you had to click twice if a widget was not already active.
• Redid CPU monitoring code to avoid issues with performance counters. It should work on all machines now.
• Attempted to solve the occasional spontaneous unregistering issue. If you do become unregistered after installing this release, enter your registration again. We have an alternate solution in place, so if you re-register, it will do it a bit differently and will hopefully be permanent.
• Added automatic check for updates, with ability to ‘skip’ a version.

• Read the detailed Windows Release Notes

I had actually uninstalled Konfabulator from my Windows machine because of problems that I was having with it; I'll re-install now that it seems many of the problems have been addressed.

Productivity enhancers for Mac

The Unofficial Apple Weblog has a great list of applications that add enhancements to your Mac OS.

Flashstickers

Want to put your logo on a sticker that blinks every time a cellphone rings?  This post on Engadget links through to this company that sells stickers that you can logo and stick on a phone that blink when it rings.  Apparently the sticker uses "radiation from your mobile phone" to power the blinking lights; I'm not sure that references to radiation really make people feel safe about using their phones.