Filed under: Home Entertainment

It’s been over a year since Rogue Amoeba came out with Airfoil, a program that lets you stream music from your computer to an Apple Airport Express using any application, rather than just iTunes. Unfortunately for Windows users, Airfoil was Mac-only, leaving the Airport Express as an iTunes-only device on Windows boxes. However, that’s now changed, as Rogue Amoeba has launched a beta version of Airfoil for Windows, which the company says will work with most Windows media programs, including Windows Media Player and Real Player. Of course, in the past year, Airport Express has had a lot of competition on the Windows streaming front, with devices like the Linksys Wireless-G Music Bridge undercutting it on price, and offering full compatibility with most Windows programs out of the box. But if you’re a Windows user with an Airport Express and you’ve grown frustrated by its limitations, here’s your chance to set it free.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

As expected, the French Senate passed a controversial copyright bill on Wednesday -- and, also as expected, the bill dropped key provisions on DRM interoperability that were included in a previous version approved by the country's National Assembly. The earlier version had included language that would have required companies such as Apple Computer to open their proprietary DRM to consumers and competitors, so that music protected via one DRM scheme could be played on all digital audio players, regardless of manufacturer. The Senate's version of the bill pays lip service to the interoperability concept, but leaves enforcement up to a new government agency -- and exempts companies from the requirement as long as the original copyright holders agree to have their works protected by proprietary DRM. In Apple's case, that may mean renegotiating contracts with record companies to include such language. However, given that Steve Jobs recently managed to get the labels to back down on their demands that he offer flexible pricing, chances are he'll have no problem getting them to agree that Apple's FairPlay DRM is, well, fair play.

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Cingular, GSM, GPRS, EDGE

While not quite as hot as the $75,000 diamond-encrusted version, Cingular new pink SLVR L7 will surely find a market among the hoards of people that seem addicted to devices in that most feminine of colors. Even though its sporting a different shade, this model has the exact same features as the black L7 — iTunes, Bluetooth, EDGE, MicroSD, and a VGA cam — and costs the same too, priced at $199 with a two-year service agreement and pledge of eternal loyalty to Cingular/AT&T Wireless.

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Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Motorola, O2

We already learned just about everything we needed to know about Motorola’s colorful V3im model at CTIA — except for one thing: whether this phone — which is now available in the UK from O2 for free with a contract — would be iTunes-capable. Turns out it is, so podsters can start plotting out which playlists they want to put on their phones. Oh, and before you ask: yes, the 100-song limit is still in place — though we all know what to do about that, right?

[Thanks, Arne]

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Filed under: Home Entertainment

It looks like BitTorrent has really cleaned up its act ever since it bowed to movie studio wishes and swore to remove pirated content from its search last year. Not only have they managed to send plenty of downloaders elsewhere, but have gotten friendly enough with Warner Bros. to start distributing movies and TV shows via the BitTorrent tech in the US. (Disclaimer: Engadget's parent's parent company is Time Warner, the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment.) Just like old Napster vs new Napster, this isn't your father's BitTorrent movie download, since the files will be saddled with BitTorrent's very own DRM tech that won't let you copy the file around, or burn it as a DVD. Luckily, Warner Bros. is claiming that they'll be offering content on the day of its retail availability. On the flip side, it sounds like pricing for TV shows will be similar to that of Apple and Google (though the Reuters mentions $1 per episode, so maybe there is hope for a BitTorrent discount), and DVDs will match retail prices. Seems kind of lame considering the fact that you're saving them bandwidth costs, and obtaining a file that you have less rights to than a traditional disc, but dems the breaks. The service should go live this summer, and provide around 200 titles at launch, including "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and "Babylon 5." BitTorrent says they're also in talks with other studios, but that's all they'll say about that for now.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Portable Audio

The long and winding road of the Apple v. Apple battle appears to have finally come to an end, as a British judge has decided the case in favor of the American computer company. In the most recent episode, Apple Corps, the record label owned by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and the estate of George Harrison, had sued Apple Computer, saying that the iTunes Music Store violated an earlier settlement in which Apple Computer had agreed not to sell music. However, Apple Computer argued that the iTunes service only sold data, and the judge agreed, and told them so. “I find no breach of the trademark agreement has been demonstrated,” he said. “The action therefore fails.” Steve Jobs commented that he was glad that the battle was over, and added, “we have always loved the Beatles, and hopefully we can now work together to get them on the iTunes Music Store.” You mean, you’ll be selling Beatles data, right Steve?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

src="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:KQ1Y4WxhTJ1SEM:img.engadget.com/common/images/3060000000058221.JPG%3F0.5337050400372105"
alt="" />Don’t look now, but the same folks that brought us the evils of href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/06/20/podslurping-made-easy-dont-try-this-at-work/">podslurping, href="http://www.engadget.com/search/?sourceid=Mozilla-search&q=bluesnarfing">bluesnarfing and href="http://www.engadget.com/2005/08/11/beware-the-growing-menace-of-cameraphone-id-theft/">cellphone ID theft are
at it again. The culprit this time: devious iPod users who stuff their workplace servers with downloaded music and
videos. According to the Sun, a paragon of journalistic expertise, a UK hospital’s server was brought to its knees by
employees who filled it with so much music that there was no room left for crucial patient data. As one patient told
the paper: “It’s a disgrace. How can they sit around downloading music when they should
be looking after patients?” We couldn’t agree more. We suggest that, in the future, hospital staff should only
download music while looking after patients. And share the files with them as well. Nothing like a bit of href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/04/05/u-k-s-3-helped-gnarls-barkleys-crazy-top-the-charts/">Gnarls Barkley
to brighten up the ward.

[Via href="http://www.watchyourend.com/2006/05/04/ipods-bring-down-hospital-servers/">Network Endpoint Security News] />

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Looks like this is shaping up to be a good week for Apple and their digital music business -- after the French government effectively eviscerated the iPod DRM bill, it was reported that EMI, Sony BMG, Universal, and Warner Music have all renewed their contracts to sell music on the iTunes Music Store at the standard, flat $0.99 per track rate (that was supposedly settled on before), instead of that yucko variable pricing scheme that would have had consumers paying more for new music, and less for older tracks. It basically sounds like Jobs himself reigns victorious over putting these music execs in their place and bending them his will, but who knows how long he'll be able to stave off their pricing tactics. Something eventually has to give between the irresistable force that is the record labels and the immovable object that is iTunes; who knows how it'll all play out when this new contract is up (whenever that is).

Filed under: Portable Audio

After a month or so of heated debate, including France's Trade Minister telling Apple: "I don't want the crap," France's DRM-killa legislation has lost most of its teeth in committee, after being passed by the National Assembly. The new draft of the legislation switches out phrases like "copy in an open standard" for "protected copy," puts restrictions on getting access to information needed for interoperability, and says that DRM publishers don't have to publish source code if they can prove it harms that DRM's security. It sounds basically like a whole bunch of wins for team Apple, a lot of lost ground for Mr. "I don't want the crap," and a possible overall loss for consumer rights in France. Turns out the bill has been hijacked by Universal/Vivendi and they're having their way with it, but nothing has been passed into law yet, so we'll just have to wait and see how this sorts out.

[Via Ars Technica]

Filed under: Gaming

So Sony launched their v2.70 firmware in Japan, and like we heard back in March, this version brings Flash capabilities to the browser in addition to a new RSS Channel function allowing you to save audio content to the MemoryStick. As a bit of surprise, Sony also threw in support for the AAC audio format playback -- hey, they did co-create it. We'll just have to hold tight for a US-bound release which should drop within the next few days, or weeks, or you know, whenever Sony feels like it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: US release is up, here we go! Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Filed under: Portable Audio

French Trade Minister Christine Lagarde has hit back at Apple — and critics of France — in defending the country’s proposed law on digital audio interoperability. In comments to reporters while visiting San Francisco, Lagarde declared that when "a company restricts competition in … it gets the attention of regulating agencies. We have to play by the rules of the game." Of course, it can be argued that Apple hasn’t restricted competition, given the fact that there are a number of other companies operating online music stores and making digital audio players — and that France is attempting to change the rules midgame. Lagarde also had a message for those who have criticized French policies on the Apple issue and other recent developments: "I don’t want the crap," she said. "It annoys me when France is portrayed as an awkward, backward country. It is not."

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Transportation

Companies that develop inflight entertainment (IFE) systems for airlines have been in discussions with Apple about integrating the iPod and iTunes into IFE systems, according to several of the companies. Proposed applications include seatback-based iPod docks with USB and charging ports, allowing passengers to charge song and video purchases to frequent-flyer miles, and adding other ecommerce applications. "Our interests are wider – not just Apple, but enabling any e-commerce on the aircraft. Music is one thing in that category we are working on," said an exec with Panasonic Avionics. However, numerous obstacles stand in the way of inflight downloads, including changing Apple's licensing, so that songs downloaded directly to an iPod in the air could later be copied back to a customer's hard drive, and the issue of licensing and payment while a plane is in international airspace. Then, there's the issue of getting Apple to participate in the first place. When asked for a comment by editors at  Flight International, the company issued what has to be one of our favorite "no comment" lines, especially for a technology company: "Apple never talks about the future." We'll keep that in mind.

Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, Cingular, GSM, GPRS, EDGE

align="right" src="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2006/04/motoslvrl6.jpg" alt="" />If you dig the shape and
style of the SLVR L7 but don’t want to hand over $200 just
for the dubious privilege of being able to store 100 songs on it via iTunes, you may want to head over to Radio Shack,
which currently has an exclusive on the $50 (with Cingular service plan) SLVR L6. The cheaper phone has the same form
factor as its iTunes-enhanced sibling (though it’s clad in SLVR, er, silver, instead of black), and has most of L7′s
other features, including Bluetooth connectivity, EDGE, VGA camera and a built-in music player (which Radio Shack
claims supports iTunes, though we’re a little dubious). At $50, if you really can’t bear to be without 100 iTunes-based
songs, you can always use the $150 you’ve saved to pick up a refurbed 512MB shuffle and 100 songs, and come out even.

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The iTunes Music Store keeps coming with the hits lately. NBC has added a ton of old shows to the catalog including Knight Rider, Adam-12, Dragnet, and Alfred Hitchcock presents. Looks like NBC is offering a show from each decade from the 1950s on up, just to make sure Dad gets his Dragnet, and your older brother gets his Knight Rider. Hopefully people will realize that they need Hasslehoff on their iPod video shouting at KITT about some problem. Ahh NBC, you treat us well. The episodes are $1.99 a piece which is a great deal for a 45 minute long episode of a show.

[Thanks Jay and Gabe!]

Filed under: Handsets

Throwing an iPhone rumor to the gadget-obsessed is a fair bit like burning paper in a fireplace — sure, things will flare up for a few seconds, but shortly thereafter the flames calm back down again. We recently caught wind of the fact that the new iTunes 7.0.1 update is packed with a bunch of text strings that say things like:” 4301.022″ = ” ^0 was not copied because the video format is not supported by the mobile phone ^1 .”; and so forth, implying that an iPhone is forthcoming. Now remember, we’ve seen similar language embedded in Apple software before, but we’ve yet to see an actual product, although the internet’s Magic 8 Ball as of late seems to be pointing to Macworld Expo 2007. But then again, we’ve heard for months now that our friends in Cupertino are working on such a device, with everyone and everything from analysts to patent filings saying as much; so we’re just hoping that Apple is waiting until it’s good and ready to release it. For all you Apple and iPhone fanboys, take a moment to do a little jig, and then resume your daily routine.

Read – iLounge
Read – Mac Rumors

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