Get Better Gear!
- Tenqa SP-109 Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Speaker from Tenqa, US$39.99
- RedLaser from Occipital, LLC , US$1.99
- iSkin solo, solo FX, and solo FX SE iPhone cases from iSkin, US$29.99 (solo); $32.99 (solo FX); $34.99 (solo FX SE)
- MobiValet from MobiValet, US$24.99 - $49.99
- myPantone from Pantone, $9.99
Top 5 Free Apps
iTunes New Music Releases
Top 5 Paid Apps
Discover New Music
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Phish
- This quasi-concept album (the only of its kind) from these Vermonters finally showcased their ability to convey a message with a studio album, whereas previously they only succeeded in doing so live.
- The Damned
- Punk rock is mostly associated with three chords and a bad attitude, but the Damned were one of the few bands of the era bent on bringing musicianship and a good sense of humor to the scene. And while
- Jeff Wayne
- With the new movie adaptation of H.G Wells' classic Sci Fi invasion tale, War of the Worlds, currently on theater screens everywhere, there's new interest in Jeff Wayne's rock opera version, and it is
- Amon Tobin
- The genius is in the beats. Amon Tobin creates fantastic, groovy beats behind beats. "Supermodified" rolls through your expectations of breakbeat music, and turns them up a bit. It's a mellow album, p
Reader Specials
Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!
News
Microsoft Ready to Spend Time, Money to Catch iPod
Thursday, July 27th, 2006 at 3:00 PM - by Jeff Gamet
Microsoft is ready to spend hundreds of millions of dollars over several years on its Zune products to catch up with the iPod. According to CNET News, Microsoft sees its music player and download service as a long-term investment.
Robbie Bach, Microsoft's president of the Entertainment and Devices Division, said "We think of this in the hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. It is something that is going to take time. This is not a six-month initiative."
The company says it isn't abandoning its PlaysForSure program, either. Microsoft plans to continue supporting the music player licensing program that many of its partners have joined.
Zune, Mr. Bach says, is designed to be a new product group that isn't going to be along the same lines as the devices Microsoft's PlaysForSure partners are producing. Instead, it is designed to tie in with other Microsoft products, like the Xbox, Media Center, and Live Anywhere gaming service.
The fact that Microsoft is entering the media player market, however, isn't good news for those PlaysForSure partners, despite the company's commitment of continued support. Zune will be clearly positioned in competition with products from companies like Creative and iriver, and will likely erode their sales before impacting the iPod.
In the long run, Microsoft may be able to chip away at the iPod+iTunes marketshare, but not before it hurts the other music players and services on the market.
Recent Headlines
- Notebook, iThoughts Add TextExpander touch Support
- Fixing iPhone and MobileMe Sync Headaches
- Juniper Readies Software to Improve Cell Carrier Networks
- Survey: iPad Announcement Increased Awareness, Fails to Convert New Buyers
- Pwnage Tool 3.1.5 Adds iPhone OS 3.1.3 Support
- Mobily Adding iPhone Tethering Support in February
- Flurry Estimates that Google Sold 80,000 Nexus One Smartphones in First Month

















Post Your Comments