Could Apple Make A Move Into Video Games?

No single company has come to dominate digital content as much as Apple.  Most music, movies and TV shows sold and delivered online is sold through iTunes.  The single most popular content apart from music is games for iPhones, iPod Touch and iPad, naturally rumors have been swirling that Apple will make a move into the video game industry taking on Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. 

Now more than ever could be the time for Apple to get into video games not just portable handheld gaming where sales of Nintendo's DS systems and Sony's Playstation Portable and Vita systems have seen large declines due to the popularity of iPhones and iPod touches.  For numerous reasons moving into home game consoles could lead to new success and revenue for Apple. 

Well established platform:  With iOS powering Apple's handheld devices as well as Apple TV, there are already is millions of potential of devices and millions of potential gamers already out there.  Using an Apple TV as the home console and iPhone or iPod Touch as controllers gives gamers a low cost of ownership because they are using Apple hardware they already own but gives Apple room to sell that one piece of hardware that potential gamers don't already have most likely the Apple TV.

Established relationships with game developers:  No video game system can be successful without game software for customers to play.  With iOS devices as ubiquitous as they are game developers and publishers from the giants like EA and ActiVision right to the independents making games for iOS a supply of games is already guaranteed to be there.

If Apple ends up taking on  Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo the video game industry which has seen lackluster sales in the past few years, will get a shot of new life that it desperately needs.  The established giants of the industry will be getting a competitor they simlpy cannot ignore.  Apple is already bigger than Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo and can crush any of them if Apple gets a chance.

Will There Be A Revamp of The iPod Product Come On the 12th

Just a week away from Apple's worst kept secret becomes confirmed fact the iPhone 5 During Apple's announcement on September 12th.
Industry speculators that specialize in everything Apple are also expecting other new products to also be unveiled on the 12th as well.  Many think that an iPad mini with a 7 inch screen will be announced.  Apple's line of iPods has remained the same for over a year as is in need of an update that could be coming soon.

Just before new iPods are announced, shipments of older iPod models to retailers slow down and stop within a couple of weeks before any announcement from Apple.  Selling electronics for a retail chain including a few Apple products I am seeing very few iPod Shuffles, Nanos, and Classics coming from Apple in the past few weeks. 

The classic, the iPod that many technology journalists have been writing eulogies for the past three years may finally see the last iPod with a click wheel and a hard drive pass on to gadget heaven.  iPod Nanos are most likely to see the two Models the 8 and 16 GB versions merge into one model most likely 8 GB with Apple's new smaller dock connector.  Shuffle are most likely to get an upgrade from 2 GB to 4 GB and replace that sync though the headphone jack cable with a standard dock cable with the new smaller dock connector.  That's just a start how Apple could freshen up the product lines of iPods that some have described as stagnating.

Dual Mode iPhone 5? Potentially Yes

Just a couple of months out of the gate the CDMA based iPhone 4, is going to be supplanted by an iPhone 5 as early as September an early sign that there will be a single model iPhone 5 that supports both CDMA and HSPA networks comes from an announcement from the Chief Financial Officer, Fran Shammo of Verizon Communications that next iPhone will be a Global model that would support both CDMA for Verizon's network and GSM for roaming outside of North America. 

Would it make sense to make a iPhone CDMA/GSM hybrid for Verizon and a HSPA only version for AT&T?  Would it make more sense to make a single model that supports both CDMA and HSPA to sell to all carriers that sell iPhones?  It would be cheaper for Apple's manufacturing partners though. 

A hybrid CDMA/HSPA iPhone would be beneficial to Canadian subscribers on Telus and Bell that still have some parts of their networks in remote areas that have not been upgraded to HSPA that are still CDMA only.  For smaller Canadian carriers MTS, Sasktel and TbayTel that launching the iPhone on April 26th, they still have large portions of their networks that will be CDMA only for a year or two to come. 

Should App Store Games Need ESRB Ratings?

In just a couple of years Apple's app store grew to 300,000 programs, the most popular category is the games.  Most of the games are created by people on their computers coding away, the major publishers such as Electronic Arts and Activision have versions of their most popular games for the home consoles and portable systems available for purchase on the App store that can be played on any iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. This has made Apple the third giant of handheld gaming.

All the games are easily accessible, but maybe a little too accessible, and that can be a problem for parents who are looking to keep inappropriate games away from younger players. Parents have had the ratings system put in place and administrated by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to help parents make good choices about which games for home console, handheld systems and computer are appropriate for their children to play.  Games on the App store do not carry ESRB ratings, which does not give parents any kind of guidelines about the contents of App store games.

Reviewing and rating all the games on the App store by ESRB may be a task too big to be realistic, however when major franchise games from the big publishers such as Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed can be downloaded without any sort of age restriction, that's something that will need to be addressed and soon. While a credit card is required to set up an iTunes account, all games, apps and songs can downloaded with pre-paid cards regardless of content.

If Apple wants to be a player in the video game industry then they will have to demand ESRB ratings from the Major game publishers.  If not, game publishers as well as Apple itself can and will facing the legal reprisal from jurisdictions that mandate by law restricting the sales of games that carry the Mature rating to those over the age of seventeen.

Could Microsoft Get Shut Out Of Tablet Computing?

The introduction of Apple's iPad earlier this year has made tablets the fastest growing segment of the computer industry.  Multiple hardware manufacturers are said to be ready to launch competing tablet computing devices featuring Google's Android operating system by the end of the year.  HP is working on a tablet of their own running WebOS, the operating system HP acquired when HP bought Palm last year.  Research In Motion is also rumoured to be working on a BlackBerry tablet as well.  With all these tablets about to go head to head with the iPad, running different operating systems, one question is top of mind. Where is Microsoft in all this?  Where is their operating system for tablet computers?

Just before the announcement back in January when the iPad went from rumour to reality, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in his keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show, Ballmer announced that tablet computers running Windows 7 were on the way from HP, Dell, and other PC manufacturers.  Since HP bought Palm all the talk of a Windows 7 based tablets have vanished.  Potentially Microsoft could find themselves on the outside looking in if the tablet computer market takes off when more tablets from more manufacturers end up in consumers' hands.

Just shoehorning Windows 7 onto a tablet would be the wrong path to take to try to move into the tablet computing operating system market.  Despite calls from many tech industry analysts and journalists to put a full version of OSX onto the iPad, and went with iOS instead because Apple understands that a full sized computer operating system is just unworkable on a tablet.  The Windows Phone 7 OS and user interface would be much better suited for a tablet than a full version of Windows. 

Could it be that Microsoft executives are asleep and are just not seeing the potential that the tablet market holds, or are they consciously forfeiting the tablet market to Apple, Google, HP, and Research In Motion?

How Can PC Manufacturers Compete With The iPad?

Although Apple's iPad isn't the first attempt to create a segment of tablet computers within the computer industry, but so far it's been the most successful to date.  With over two million iPads sold in just a few months since the introduction of the iPad, manufacturers of Windows PC's haven't even come close to selling a tablet computer that can come close to what the iPad can do.  Is there anything PC manufacturers can do to get back into a game that so far they haven't even shown up to play yet?

1. Ditch Microsoft:  So far the big boys from Redmond the only operating system for a tablet computer they have ever shipped was a version of Windows XP modified to be controlled by a stylus instead of a mouse and a keyboard.  The sign that big M will be on the outside looking in is Hewlett Packard's purchase of Palm and rumours of a WebOS based tablet abound.  Google's Android is another leading choice for an operating system for a tablet computer.

2. Let Users Choose Their 3G/4G Provider:  While the iPad is great for AT&T it may not be so great for those who subscribe to AT&T's competitors.  Any competing tablet computer had some kind of capability to insert a 3G or 4G modem into some kind of special slot would be an attractive feature for those who have aversion to AT&T.

3. Break down the Price Barrier:  The iPad is a hot trendy gadget it also has a price tag to match.  Smaller price tags have kept Windows PC's sales far and beyond Apple's Macintosh computers.  PC manufacturers may be able to use price to steer people looking to buy an iPad to their products, but that won't be a guarantee of success.  There are hundreds of models of MP3 players that are priced at a fraction of comparable iPod, but it's the iPods that remain the top selling portable music player.


4.  Cash in on iPad's short comings:  There are some who are still complaining about the features that the iPad lacks.  If any potential iPad competitors come out with a 16:9 display or printing support, it will at least will appeal to the complainers. 

Apple's iPad has been successful where others have tried and failed but Apple doesn't own the tablet computer market yet.  There is still time for competitors make their mark on the industry but in order to do so they have to get it right given how huge a head start that the iPad has.

Who Are The Potential Suitors For Palm?

Pioneering maker of PDA's and Smartphones, Palm is seeking to get bought.  There has been speculation about who would be a suitable buyer, since the announcements that sales of the WebOS based pre and pixi smartphones have been disappointing to tech industry observers and investors.  These companies have already been named as potential buyers looking to buy Palm:

Microsoft:  The big boys in Redmond are seen by some as a likely buyer for Palm mostly just to get another smartphone hardware manufacturing asset.  Additionally for Microsoft, buying Palm gets two competing smartphone OS's (Palm OS and Web OS) out of the way in advance of the release of Windows Phone 7 Series at the end of 2010. 

Google:  For the king of search also being the provider of the Andoid operating system, seen by many as the rising star of the cellular industry buying Palm would provide Google with Palm's large library of Patents.  With HTC facing lawsuits from Apple from Apple's claims that HTC's Android handsets violate Apple's patents.  With Google potentially on Apple's lawsuit hit list, owning Palm's patents would give Google some rear end protection.

Apple:  Buying Palm would bring former Apple engineers who worked on development of the iPhone who bolted from Cupertino to join Palm to create WebOS.  Apple would expand their own library of patents to use against the makers of other competing smartphone operating systems.  But that would make Apple a patent troll, not a maker of insanely great products.  Apple wouldn't do that, would they?

Those are the likely suspects but there are other tech companies would benefit from owning Palm and are most likely to be looking at bidding:

Nokia:  Nokia's Symbian OS based smartphones maybe popular in Europe, but has virtually no users in North America.  After Nokia's licencing fee scrap with Qualcomm half a dozen years ago Nokia found themselves vanquished from CDMA carriers.  Buying Palm would give Nokia a Smartphone operating system that have market share in North America and Palm's licensing agreement with Qualcomm wouldn't hurt ether.

Samsung or LG:  The big two from South Korea sell a lot of cells in North America, but attempts to make the leap to Smartphones have fallen flat.  Making WebOS phones for a lower cost, rather than having to buy Windows Mobile or Google's Android would be more attractive for cellular carriers who would not have to spend as much money on subidizing the cost of smartphones.

Amazon:  For one of the Internet's most successful online retailer, selling WebOS Smartphones would be a similar business model as the Kindle, buy content such as e-books and music on a device that people have to buy from Amazon.  Adding smartphones to the Kindle would help Amazon compete against Apple. 

Intel: Smartphones are going to be the largest segment of the devices with CPU's market in the next few years, and so far Intel is on the outside looking in.  Buying Palm would not just give Intel a smartphone hardware business, but an operating system that could be used to spotlight Intel's mobile CPU's

The sale of Palm is expected to happen very quickly, the interesting question is not when Palm will sell, but to who and for what purpose.

Could Sprint Land The CDMA iPhone

As the rumors of version of Apple's iPhone that runs on CDMA technology are now supported by sightings in manufacturing plants, it has become a foregone conclusion that a CDMA iPhone would automatically be carried by Verizon Wireless.  Nobody who has speculated about the development of a CDMA iPhone has even considered the fact that America's other CDMA carrier, Sprint would be the carrier that provides CDMA iPhones to subscribers. 

Is it worth considering that Steve Jobs would be so spiteful to Verizon for referring to the iPhone as a misfit toy?  It would not be outside the realm of possibility.  For Apple the choice of a carrier for the CDMA iPhone has yet to be made since there was no EV-DO support built into the iPad.  For Apple choosing Sprint over Verizon means getting access to better technology faster.  While Verizon will start the process of deploying an LTE network in the next couple of years, Sprint is deploying WiMax now.  Perhaps Apple is going to wait for the second generation of iPad to put in WiMax support, the service for a WiMax based iPad can only come from one company, Sprint.

Apple's claim to fame is making insanely great tech products. Can Apple afford not to be on Verizon meanwhile being able to create insanely greater iPhones, and iPads on Sprint's network. It's easy to yes they can.

CDMA iPhone Could it Come to Canada?

The rumour mill is once again spinning the story that a new version of Apple's iPhone that runs on mobile networks that use CDMA technology will soon hit the market.  For most Canadian cellular subscribers this about face from Apple probably won't get too much attention.  Canada's two largest CDMA network operators, Bell and Telus have started a switch to GSM/HSPA networks and currently offer iPhones to their subscribers.  For Canada's last two CDMA only networks, MTS and Sasktel it may mean a chance of finally being able to carry the iPhone, but highly unlikely.

Most of Canada's incumbent CDMA carriers have traditionally partnered with Sprint to buy phones from handset manufacturers, MTS and Sasktel included carry the same lineup of phones that Sprint carries.  Since the CDMA iPhone is supposed to be coming to Verizon whose phone line had traditionally been offered by Telus in Canada.  The best chance of getting the CDMA iPhone in Canada would be if both Sprint and Verizon were to offer it in the states.  There maybe a possibility that Telus will carry the CDMA iPhone for Saskatchewan and Manitoba, since Telus has no HSPA in those provinces.  For the last two CDMA only networks on the Canadian prairies, one of them in the process of getting upgraded.  MTS is in process of building their own HSPA network in partnership with Rogers.

For some it may not seem right that one carrier can offer the in demand smartphones and another cannot but in these next couple of years of network upgrades that's the way it is.  To get the new hot in demand people will have to be ready to switch carriers despite any blind loyalty to the carriers they have now.  It's called letting the market decide.

Wish list for iPhone 4.0

With the speculation and hype surround the iPad subsiding now that it's an official Apple product, attention turns to the next announcement that comes in just four months.  For the past few years Apple has used the World Wide Developers' Conference to announce updates to the iPhone.  Some rumors have already surfaced as what the fourth version will bring. Here's just a few things that Apple can and should do to update the iPhone:

Replaceable batteries: Cell Phones, like many other devices often outlive the rechargeable batteries they come with.  Make the batteries replaceable will help people keep iPhones longer and will be better for the environment.

Advanced Wireless Spectrum (AWS ) support: Putting in support for new frequency bands for cellular systems collectively known as Advanced Wireless Spectrum will help Apple expand the reach of the iPhone to more carriers.  T-Mobile runs their 3G on AWS bands, so when the exclusivity with AT&T runs out and Apple looks to more carriers having AWS support on the iPhone will be necessary to operate on T-Mobile.  In order to get the iPhone on Canada's new carriers Wind Mobile and Mobilicity AWS support will be required.

A change in display screen technology:  Changing the display screen on the iPhone from a traditional LCD to a LED backlet LCD or making a complete change to OLED will allow Apple to make a claim better battery life than previous iPhones, since these newer technologies are more power efficient.

WiFi Tethering: Using the iPhone as a 3G modem for use with a laptop computer has been high on wish lists since the original iPhone launched back in 2007.  Newer Palm and Android smartphones have Tethering using WiFi for sharing 3G data service with up to five computers.  Maybe it's time for Apple to catch up.

Five Badly Overpackaged Tech Products

For many of those who make modifications to their lifestyles to create a cleaner world in the days to years to come, choosing products with less packaging is one of the most important steps to decreasing the amount of waste going to landfills.  Many technology products however still come with more packaging that there needs to be.  Here's five products that technology companies still put into packages that are way too much.

1. iPod, Shuffle, Nano, and Touch: Look at the displays of portable media players in retail stores, and the shiny iPods in their plastic boxes are sure to leap out.  For every pair of Apple's iconic white earbuds seen just about everywhere there is a plastic box that once held that iPod sitting in a landfill somewhere.  The first generations of iPods came in a cardboard box.  Going to the clear plastic box to house iPods during their journey from the factory to the customers' hands was just to make the iPods look pretty on retail store shelves it serves no other useful purpose.

2. Cardboard DVD/BluRay Sleeves:  More often or not buying the latest movies on DVD or BluRay comes with a piece of packaging that serves no purpose and becomes waste just as fast as the shrink wrap comes off.  Many movie DVD's and BluRay discs come with a cardboard sleeve over the plastic protective case for the disc.  The graphics on cardboard sleeve are identical to the graphic on the insert sheet in the case and completely unnecessary.

3.  Microsoft Xbox Live subscription and points cards:  Players on Microsoft's Xbox Live online service need to pay to play online and pay for points to download add-ons for games such as extra levels.  Both the subscriptions and points are sold on plastic cards with codes on them which are redeemed online.  Buying the cards in electronics stores and in specialty video game stores the cards come attached to a cardboard backer card and the whole thing comes in a plastic blister pack.  Xbox live cards sold at convenience stores come without the blister pack, this at least gives consumers the opportunity to choose not to buy unneeded packaging.

4.  Microsoft Windows & Office:  Recent version of both Windows and office have come in hard plastic cases where retail packages for Windows and Office in the past was just a cardboard box.  While other software publishers have reduced the size of the boxes that their software is packaged in, Microsoft has made a similar reduction but has made an unneeded switch from cardboard to plastic. 

5. Printer ink cartridges:  The ink cartridges for most printers come in a sealed bag in a cardboard box.  Isn't it possible that the sealed bag could become the retail package and skip the cardboard box entirely?  It has been worse though, some ink cartridges also had a plastic blister pack to hold the cardboard box that holds the sealed plastic bag.  While it is encouraging to see those blister packs gone the cardboard boxes should go too.

For more information on decreasing the impact on the environment while using and enjoying technology check out the 25 Things Geeks Can Do To Go Green

Belus to get iPhone Next Month?

According to an unnamed report from an unnamed source, Canada's the dynamic duo of telecom Telus and Bell will begin to offer Apple's iPhone when the exclusivity agreement with Rogers ends in November. Upgrades to Canada's two largest CDMA based networks to HSPA will allow Telus and Bell to offer the iPhone or any other HSPA based smartphone.

That would at least give most Canadian iPhone users choice of carriers, wherever Bell or Telus operates the incumbent CDMA network. Telus subscribers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba will not get a chance to get an iPhone. In Saskatchewan incumbent carrier Sasktel is planning to upgrade their network to another technology UMTS which is in direct competition, and in Manitoba MTS is making their upgrade to HSPA in conjunction with Rogers Wireless.

Since both Telus and Bell see Rogers as their biggest competitor, how likely would it be that they would have to operate under a roaming agreement with Rogers. Some within both Telus and Bell would see it as a deal with the Devil. Telus' market share in Manitoba and Saskatchewan has been low compared to the incumbent carriers, and Bell has no market share in those provinces since they do not even offer service in neither Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Telus and Bell will likely will wait it out until Globalive or Dave Wireless builds their cellular networks in the provinces.

This rumor of the iPhone coming Telus and Bell would be good for most Canadians, some of us will be left with the status quo.

Patent Trolling Is Alive and Well

The latest in questionable lawsuits is another one from yet another company that is in business to sue other companies who make and sell successful products. A holding company called Tsera LLC has filed lawsuits against Apple, Microsoft and 21 other companies over touch pad controlled portable electronics. While the original application for the patent was made in 1999 it wasn't actually issued until 2003.

There were touch pads on laptop computers and other devices long before 1999 which makes this patent itself questionable. This lawsuit will be tossed out in time but not before another patent troll will line up and take a shot at Apple, Microsoft or any other successful tech company. Some kind of reform needs to happen soon.

The Death of Music DRM

Digital rights management, the technology restricts how music and videos are used by people who pay to download, is on it's way to becoming history (for downloaded music at least). At MacWorld Expo keynote Apple's Phil Schiller announced that all ten million songs available for download from the iTunes Music Store will no longer have DRM restrictions.

Steve Jobs lead the charge against Digital Rights Management about this time last year when he called on the recording industry to drop the requirement for DRM restrictions on all purchased downloaded music. Initially only EMI music played ball with Apple and offered DRM free songs on the iTunes Music store for an extra thirty cents per song.

Other online stores had more success in getting big music to drop DRM from paid downloads. WalMart.com went DRM free back in the summer of 2008. Amazon started their MP3 store with no DRM restrictions from the first day.

Now that Apple is going DRM free, it will be interesting to see if they stay with the AAC format or will they go to MP3. Going over to MP3 would mean that any digital music player could play songs downloaded from iTunes. Would Apple dare to be that open? Do the words too good to be true come to mind? but then Zunes play nonencrypted DRM free AAC files. Ain't that to strange to be true!

Is Pulling Out of MacWorld Expo A Smart Thing To Do?

The event that kicks off the year for Apple Fanboys is no more, Apple Inc. has announced that they are pulling out of the MacWorld, and along with it the yearly iconic announcement of new products dubbed the 'Stevenote' is history as well.

Undoubtedly the decision on the part of Apple executives to drop announcing new products at MacWorld comes in part to leaks of announcements. While this can be seen as a way to quash the rumour mill. In turn this will help Apple's own hardware and software developers, they will no longer be presured to rush new products through the development cycle just to be ready to demo at MacWorld.

This may mean waiting for new Apple products a little longer but may not be as buggy. For Apple this will means giving up the fanfare that products announced through the annual Stevenote. While it may be understandable to advertise to a wide audience instead of hooting and hollering fanboys but is a mass market advertisng campaign after a press release really the way to go?

Why Apple Needs To Do a Netbook

Apple has always been the one of the names that been associated with the leading edge of computing, but surprisingly absent from the netbook market. During troubled economic times, it's been ultra compact, ultra inexpensive netbooks that have been driving sales for PC manufacturers. It was the original netbook the Asus eeePC that was giving Linux it's much sought after foot in the door before Microsoft caught on and extended the shelf life of Windows XP and put out a version of Windows XP just for netbooks.

Apple has put a lot into the iPhone and iPod touch but as great as users of those devices think they are, it's netbooks that are the big thing in portable computing. In the upcoming hard times it will be especially hard to try to use a 17 inch MacBook Pro in an economy airline seat.

It was the original iMac back ten years ago that brought Apple back from the brink of extinction because it was a economical alternative to Windows PC's with their security nightmares at the time. An Apple netbook especially if priced under $400.00 that would make living without Windows an easier choice to make.

The next Stevenote at the next MacWorld in January will show if Apple will jump off the fence and ship a netbook or will sit it out and let Microsoft own the netbook market.

Yet Another Patent Troll Lines Up To Take a Shot At Apple

Apple has found itself as a target yet again of a patent troll. A company called EMG Technology LLC has sued Apple alleging that the web browser that reformats web pages to be easier to read on the small screen on the iPhone.

EMG Technology LLC is a company based out of Tyler, Texas and has only one employee and doesn't even have a web site. EMG Technology LLC was founded by Elliot Gottfurcht who has never even worked at tech company, he is actually is a real estate developer.

EMG Technology is only out make money from aquiring techology related patents and suing successful companies based on these patents. Many tech giants are being unjustly knocked down because of patent trolling, and a legislated end to patent trolling is needed, now.

My original commentary about Patent Trolling

Steve Ballmer Wrong Again

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has once again made another prediction that makes me start to think that it is possible to have one foot on their mouth while having their head stuck up another orifice. Ballmer predicts that Apple and RIM will Nokia will lose and Microsoft will win the battle of the Smart Phone operating systems according to a CNET News.com article.

Ballmer claims that because the competitors to Microsoft's Windows Mobile because they design proprietary hardware and tie it to proprietary software. In Ballmer's distorted view smart phones are just going to be like little PC's with most hardware manufacturers buying Windows Moble.

What goes to show that Steve Ballmer really has the blinders on is that he makes absolutely no mention about Google's Android which like Windows Mobile is designed to operate on just about any smart phone regardless of manufacturer.

Hardware manufacturers such as Motorola have have relied upon Microsoft's Windows Mobile to power their smart phones are now taking a serious look at releasing new phones that use Google's Android. While any Android phone may only join a line up smartphones that are powered by Windows Mobile, it's only a matter of time before smartphone manufacturers drop Windows Mobile and go Android only. Let's see what Steve has to say happens when Windows Mobile loses.

A is for Apple and A is for Antitrust

In a surprise response to Apple's lawsuit against Psystar, the attorneys for the Mac clone manufacturer are preparing to use Antitrust law as their defense. Claiming that Apple is stifling competition by monopolizing the Mac OS computer market.

For most in the tech industry the last taste of antitrust litigation was unpleasant leaving Microsoft in charge of Operating System market without even a slap on the wrist. Microsoft squashed out the competition in web browser market share and got away with it.

If there was a credible antitrust case against Apple, wouldn't the last legitimate mac cloners raised it with the FTC or DOJ when Steve Jobs terminated the license agreements back in 1997? This maybe raised at sometime by the Psystar attorneys, but until a conclusion is reached it will be closely followed.

Napster Goes DRM Free (So Everything Old is New Again)

The original music download service, Napster is casting away the Digital Rights Management restrictions from the music they sell. Six million different songs are now available as unrestricted MP3 files which are just like the files that the original Napster helped people distribute way back in the day.

Napster is one of the growing number of online music stores that are now selling songs without DRM. The major labels are easing off the restrictions on what consumers could do with purchased songs partly to open up the market dominated by Apple's iTunes. While it's highly unlikely that the labels want a price war that would give consumers lower prices, they don't want Apple to be the gatekeeper between the labels and consumers.

It's great to see that despite the head planted in rear end thinking of the RIAA, Music bogged down with DRM restrictions is on it's way to becoming a thing of the past.