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AppleInsider has posted details about a patent recently filed by Apple that describes technology for playing iTunes content from a desktop computer remotely on an iPhone or iPod touch.

The new software would load only meta data about songs, videos, and other media onto a handheld device. It would then allow users to stream this media from their desktop computers on demand and even let them organize their iTunes libraries remotely (by adding, deleting, and moving files around). The main benefits come from saving space on your handheld device, where disk storage is scarce, as well as saving the time it takes to synchronize.

There’s been no official word from Apple on when or whether it plans to release this technology (it files patents all the time that go nowhere). But such a development could be seen as one step towards a streaming music service like Rhapsody or Napster, which have operated in stark contrast to Apple’s download model. However, the patent does not suggest that Apple plans to stream data from its own servers - just consumers’ own desktop computers, where they keep the music they have downloaded.

Apple could also be understood to be taking on at least one facet of Microsoft Mesh, which promises to make consumers’ personal files available to them on whichever device they use. Of course, MobileMe already goes to show that Apple has data synchronization on its mind - but perhaps there’s a broader trend here as well.

Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware.

Source: Mark Hendrickson

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Rhapsody, the digital love-child of Real Networks and MTV, is best known for its DRM’d subscription music service. As such, the globe’s population of sheep-white-earbudded, sidewalk zombies have been completely off limits to its charms. Until today. While its DRM’d subscription deals remain in place, Rhapsody is now offering unprotected MP3 downloads via its Rhapsody MP3 store and via partners including Verizon’s VCAST over-the-air service and Yahoo. We’re talking 5 million DRM-free tracks (generally priced at $0.99 per song, $9.99 per album) from Indies and the four majors. Uniquely, all tracks can be previewed in full before downloading. Rhapsody VP, Neil Smith said, “We’re no longer competing with the iPod, we’re embracing it.” Perhaps, but Rhapsody’s planned $50 million marketing assault on iTunes with the help of MTV’s TV networks doesn’t exactly make them best of friends. We’re not DRM-free across the industry yet (in fact, far from it), but things are certainly moving in that direction.

Update: Signup now with the Rhapsody MP3 store and get a $10 credit which can be applied to your first album.

[Via Reuters]

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Source: Thomas Ricker

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Filed under: CES, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Like a dump truck backing up onto our virtual doorstep, Philips dropped an enormous pile of new GoGear units on us at CES today. We’re not really sure what’s what here (really, there’s a bunch) but we were intrigued to read about the Rhapsody compatibility that some of the players are sporting. Hit up those read links if you’re in the market.

Read - Philips GoGear Audio Video Players
Read - Rhapsody-compatible Streamium and GoGear models

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Source: Christopher Grant

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Though not what we’d deem “common,” outages extending beyond a few hours have been known to happen to the services we love so dearly, and it seems that some Rhapsody users have become the latest to fall victim to an inexplicable lapse in service. Over at the Real forums, a number of customers have been unable to sign into their accounts for up to two days, and no amount of chicanery has solved the quandary. To make matters even more frightening, many are getting a message that their account simply is nowhere to be found, and customer service doesn’t seem to be getting anyone very far. Also curious is the fact that new accounts (as in, ones created while current customers are unable to login) seem to be working just fine, but we here haven’t personally experienced any of the login difficulties. What gives? Any of you out there pulling your hair out over this? Got a secret for getting logged in that you’d like to share?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Features, Interviews

We got a few minutes to chat (once again) with Real’s Rob Glaser today, who was kind enough to answer a few lingering questions about Real’s freshly announced music alliance with MTV and Verizon called Rhapsody America.

• On Urge and integrating with Rhapsody, “The Urge brand will be retired… but we wanted to be welcoming and loving to existing Urge subscribers” who are now making the migration to Rhapsody.
• On Rhapsody and MTV’s strange bedfellows partnership: “Philosophically we have very similar views…”, Real intends to leverage “MTV’s expertise in genres and content curation”, but technologically Real’s Rhapsody platform will continue to be what the venture builds off.
• For example, one unannounced iteration of that integration would be with “MTV’s Top 20 video countdown — you’ll be able to see the countdown and get music directly in Rhapsody.”
• On PlaysForSure: “PFS is a legacy system that Microsoft abandoned when they went to Zune.” With the Clix2 Rhapsody, Real and iRiver “picked up the mantle of innovation that MS chose to abandon.”
• Will real continue to support PFS? “Yes, as long as there is a high volume of devices and we can extend them, we see no reason to stop supporing the legacy architecture.”
• On DRM-free music sales: “We think in the long term DRM-free music delivers the best consumer experience, solves the interoperability problem, and better connects with consumers psychologically.” Damn skippy.

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Source: Ryan Block

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio

Cross-marketing is great and all, but we’d rather know how we factor into this new partnership between MTV, Real and Verizon Wireless. Turns out a few things will be changing from the get go. For one, Urge customers can dive into Rhapsody starting today, using their existing login info to get their feet wet in the #1 subscription service. Rhapsody users will also be enjoying a bit of MTV, VH1 and CMT content, but it’s not perfectly clear what or when they’ll be getting it. Real also confirmed that it’ll be keeping its current partnerships with the likes of Best Buy, SanDisk and TiVo. For Verizon’s part of the action, they’ll be giving you Rhapsody versions of your over-the-air purchases in a few months. Otherwise, the future is unclear. According to the press release, Rhapsody is “the exclusive digital music service for Real and for MTV Networks’ premier music and pop culture brands in the United States.” That said, MTV hasn’t really said anything too solid on its exit from Microsoft cahoots with its current Urge offering, so we’ll just have to wait and see how this all pans out.

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Source: Paul Miller

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Rhapsody America (the new Real / MTV partnership) wasn’t the only thing that Real had up its sleeve today. Hot on the heels of the Universal snubbing of iTunes, and consequent announcement that the company would begin selling music via other outlets, comes today’s news that the Rhapsody / Universal Music partnership has officially launched, at least in a limited “test” form, with the aim of selling UMG’s catalog of thousands of tracks — sans DRM — via the Real Rhapsody service, charging $.89 per song for subscribers and $.99 for non-subscribers. Currently, only a select group of artists are up for grabs, including 50 Cent, Amy Winehouse, The Pussycat Dolls, The Police and Johnny Cash, though the plan is to make Universal’s entire catalog available in the future. This announcement makes what we all knew was coming now abundantly clear — the gloves have come off.

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Source: Joshua Topolsky

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Filed under: Portable Audio

According to the Wall Street Journal, Wal-mart’s welcome entry into DRM-free MP3 sales isn’t the only thing going on in the online music space this morning. Apparently MTV and Real have decided to team up against Apple’s juggernaut, and will be announcing a merged online store at 11AM ET today. They’ve even got Verizon and Vodafone signed up for mobile distribution, says the Journal. At this point it’s still unclear how this will impact MTV’s Urge partnership with Microsoft, and Real’s Rhapsody service, but we just hope they’re aware of the fact that things are basically looking DRM-free or bust at the moment, ’cause the market really doesn’t need too many more also-rans.

Update: We’re tuning into the press conference call as we speak, so standby for updates.

11:10AM - MTV, Real and Verizon are launching a new integrated music service.

11:11AM - MTV and Real are spinning off a new company called Rhapsody America, partnering with Verizon Wireless. V CAST as mobile platform.

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Source: Paul Miller

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