Get Better Gear!

Premier Sponsors

Other World Computing

TechRestore

Top 5 Free Apps

Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Release Date: August 07, 2009

iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Top 5 Paid Apps

Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Live at the Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI

    • 6 out of 10
    • Supersuckers
    • Man, there's nothing like good, old fashioned, rock and roll... add a bit of industry resentment to that with a double-shot of cynicism, and you get one of the best "new" rock bands going. This album
  • Gimme Fiction

    • 10 out of 10
    • Spoon
    • Gimme Fiction by Spoon is a terrific album by an Austin band that I was lucky enough to catch on an Austin radio station during a Christmas visit.

  • Plans

    • 8 out of 10
    • Death Cab for Cutie
    • With the introduction of Plans, Death Cab for Cutie became a new addition to many user's Artist list after the single "Soul Meets Body" became a hit on iTunes. Offering a fresh alternativ

  • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

    • 8 out of 10
    • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    • When I first got hooked to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the only place I could get their debut album, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, was through the band's Web site. I listened to the two tracks a

  • Album Of The Year

    • 10 out of 10
    • Brother Love
    • Killer grooves, catchy riffs, edgy vocals with oh-so-just-right layered harmonies, and a drive that will move even YOU out of your chair, Brother Love's initial release is what rock and roll should be

Reader Specials

Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!

News

Fortune Editor: iPhone is Real Reason Behind Steve Jobs DRM Letter

The real reason for the timing on Steve Jobs's open letter asking record labels to drop DRM is the iPhone, according to an editorial from Fortune magazine's Brent Schlender. Mr. Schlender suggests that Mr. Jobs' real motivation in going public with his DRM concerns is to get the Big Four music labels to renegotiate their music licenses so that Apple can allow iPhone users to download music directly from iTunes to their iPhone.

"From the get-go (once it goes on sale this summer)," wrote Mr. Schlender, "the iPhone as it is currently described will be prevented from directly downloading music or video itself, even though it is a wireless broadband-capable device."

While his wording is less than clear -- it is possible that iPhone users could download any media they can access through an ordinary URL through iPhone's browser -- as of now, iTunes will not be running on iPhone in such a way that allows customers to purchase music on the device.

"So the real question may be this," wrote Mr. Schlender, "could Jobs' eloquent plea on behalf of consumers all be a gambit to force Apple's content suppliers to renegotiate their deals and make it possible to download music and video directly onto the iPhone?"

The general consensus since Mr. Jobs's open letter appeared on Apple's Web site on Tuesday is that it is a direct response to Norway and other European governments demanding that Apple license FairPlay to other players in the digital media market.

While the letter certainly addresses those complaints fairly directly, Apple's public relations campaigns have certainly had a wheels-within-wheels-within-wheels aspect at other times. For instance, the public tit-for-tat squabble Apple had with IDG World Expos was in part an effort to gain control of the company's product release announcements, and Steve Jobs saying publicly that there's no money to be made from selling music online is thought to have been an effort to discourage competitors from entering the market.

Post Your Comments

  Remember Me  Forgot your password?

Not a member? Register now. You can post comments without logging in, but they'll show up as a "guest" post.

Commenting is not available in this section entry.