Get Better Gear!
- Madden NFL 10: The Grizzled Veteran from Electronic Arts, US$9.99
- NFL 2010: Rookie of the Year from Gameloft, US$2.99
- UNIEA Intrecciato, U-Pouch and U-Hip Pop iPhone Cases from UNIEA, $34.95, $22.95, $29.95
- Kensington Windshield/Vent Car Mount with Sound Amplified Cradle for iPhone from Kensington, $39.99
- SigFx Energy iPhone Case Contains Smart Battery from SigFx Energy, US$69.95
Top 5 Free Apps
iTunes New Music Releases
Top 5 Paid Apps
Discover New Music
- 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.
- Tegan and Sara
So Jealous is the third album from these sisters, and easily the one to single out for an introduction to their music. Some people may not get on board with their vocal styles, which are slightly
- Massive Attack
"Black Milk" knocks me off my feet in this collection of moody and eclectic songs. Massive Attack uses samples and keyboards in a very unique way, but not all the songs pack the same punch.
- Prefuse 73
- It's an album about a breakup, done with beats instead of mopey lyrics. But the beats are raw, and the emotions are there, even if there aren't many words on top of it. While possibly not Scott Herren
- Billy Miles
- Take the voice of a young Billie Holiday and stuff it into a svelte, petite body with the face of an angel, and you have some idea of what it's like to experience the music of Billy Miles in her self-
Reader Specials
Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!
News
iPod Becomes Dominant in Japan
Thursday, February 23rd, 2006 at 2:00 PM - by Brad Cook
The iPod had 51.3% of the MP3 player market in Japan at the end of 2005, up from around 32% in 2004 and dwarfing its nearest competitors, second-place Sony (16.2%) and third-place Panasonic (8.2%). BusinessWeek's Ian Rowley explained that while Japan has "one of the most competitive consumer-electronics markets on the planet," consumers in that country "are jazzed by iPod's sleek and hip design, easy-to-use functions and first-class software."
Gartner Dataquest analyst Jon Erensen told Mr. Rowley that "other companies, including the Japanese consumer-electronics giants, have been focused on one or two pieces of the equation." As an example, Mr. Rowley said that Sony's players have been praised for their design and sound quality, but the company's Connect software is oft-maligned.
Japan's overall market for MP3 players rose 50% during 2005, to 4.2 million units sold. Part of the credit for Apple's gain, according to Mr. Rowley, goes to last August's opening of the iTunes Music Store in Japan, along with the opening of an Apple Store in Tokyo's Shibuya district, which is well-known as the center of all things cool in Japan.
Apple, however, still faces threats on a number of fronts, including Sony's release of a new Walkman that "has been well-received in Japan," according to Mr. Rowley. He also said that the Japanese digital music service Mora, which offers Japanese pop stars not available through the iTMS, saw its downloads increase 190% from December 2004 to December 2005.
In addition, cell phones pose a substantial threat, with Toshiba offering one that includes a 4GB hard drive that can store 2,000 tracks. Japanese carrier AU has sold 33 million songs since November 2004 and in April will add an online music store that will enable consumers to download music to their computers or to their cell phones. "Apple claims iTunes is the leading supplier of downloadable music via PCs in Japan," Mr. Rowley wrote.
Recent Headlines
- EA Publishes Original Monopoly for iPhone
- New iPhone Games: Secret of the Lost Cavern Ep 1, New DJ Nights, More
- Musée du Louvre, Art Lite, SketchBook Mobile X and More.
- GelaSkins Intros Tim Burton, Bettie Page, WETA iPhone Skins
- iPhone Gets the Green Light in South Korea
- Qualcomm Hopes to Get In On the iPhone Action
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Lands at App Store

















Post Your Comments