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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio

It has been a solid tick since we’ve seen a good FairPlay hack, so it’s with great pleasure that we pass along El Tunes for Ubuntu 8.04 users everywhere. Tested to work on Hardy Heron using RhythmBox (but assumed to work on any modern Linux Distro with GStreamer and a media player that utilizes GStreamer), said plug-in enables open-source aficionados to play songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store. As for limitations, the current version has no Pause / Seek support and cannot de-authorize a machine for playback, but a future version should hopefully cure those two quirks and add support for purchased video content and audio streaming to an AirTunes device. Give it a shot and let us know how it treats ya.

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Source: Darren Murph

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The move is a significant step toward vanquishing the local video store and keeping couch potatoes planted firmly in front of their televisions and computers.

Source: By BRAD STONE

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The animated adventures of the comic book superhero Invincible will soon be available on iTunes, mobile phones, the television channel MTV2 and more.

Source: By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES

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It seems counterintuitive, but small really is beautiful; and stripping down to basic functions helps remove distractions.

Source: By JOHN MARKOFF

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Filed under: Cellphones

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/iTunes_activation_servers_go_down_told_to_activate_at_home’; In a repeat of last year’s problems, it looks like the insane demand for the iPhone 3G has taken its toll on Apple’s iTunes activation servers — that’s a picture of iTunes locking up in the Chicago AT&T flagship earlier this morning. We’re hearing that the servers are now definitely down after being intermittently active for the past few hours, and that customers are either being turned away or sent home from both Apple and AT&T stores to activate at home using iTunes. That’s especially interesting since it suggests that AT&T was insisting on in-store activation to thwart unlockers, but for right now the real news is that lots of eager iPhone 3G buyers are stuck with two useless phones, since upgrading from a first-gen unit disables the SIM. Ouch. We’ll keep you updated.

Update: Apple has confirmed to us that activation is down, and that customers are being asked to take the phone home and activate via iTunes later. We’re not sure what good that’ll do, since the servers are down no matter where you are, but Apple says it’s “working on a solution.” In the meantime, it looks like the new SIM works in first-gen units, so at least upgraders aren’t totally phone-deprived. Oh, and remember that updating a first-gen iPhone to 2.0 requires hitting the server as well, so if you haven’t taken the plunge we’d say hold off until this all gets sorted.

Update 2: In related news, those updating their first-gen iPhone to 2.0 are also getting caught in the activation shuffle, leaving some with bricked iPhones. In our test case, the activation servers came back up after about 45 minutes just long enough to get 2.0 running on our first-gen iPhone, but not all have been so lucky. Is your first-gen iPhone stuck in activation limbo from the update? Let us know.

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Source: Nilay Patel

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Filed under: Cellphones

For the smattering of Canadians wealthy enough to pick up an iPhone 3G from Rogers Wireless without worrying over the lack of an unlimited data plan, we’ve stumbled across what appears to be internal verbiage detailing the in-store activation process. Quite frankly, there doesn’t seem to be any real surprises here, but it is somewhat interesting that retail locations will be required to download and use a special version of iTunes with an “Activation Only Mode,” which will enable employees to unbrick the mobiles before customers leave. In any case, feel free to hit the read link if you’re anxious to know exactly what the sure-to-be-hair-raising experience will be like come July 11th.

[Via GearDiary, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Source: Darren Murph

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var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/Apple_finally_takes_the_UK_out_to_the_movies’; Apple just announced that iTunes UK will finally make films available to British punters. Studios include 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), Sony Pictures Television International and Lionsgate UK. At kickoff, about 700 films will be available to purchase or rent. Films cost £6.99 for purchased library titles and £10.99 for new releases. Rentals start at £2.49 for library titles and £3.49 for new releases — “HD” titles for £4.49 without with an Apple TV prerequisite, apparently.

Update: Nope, after digging around the store it’s clear that an Apple TV is still required for HD rentals. Picture proof after the break.

Update 2: The Canadian iTunes store is sporting films now as well. Come on Apple, Canada’s not worthy of a press release? What’s that aboot?

Update 3: Canadian press release now oot — 1,200 films (not 700 in UK) now available for rent or purchase.

[Thanks, Nate and Zayn K.]Continue reading Apple finally takes the UK out to the movies (Canada too)

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Source: Thomas Ricker

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The music label Fueled by Ramen has figured out a way to bring cross-promotion to the Internet, keeping fans of one of its bands just a click away from the label’s other acts.

Source: By ROBERT LEVINE

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