AOL Updates AIM, Adds Streaming Music
AOL pushed a significant interim update to its instant messaging client on Wednesday, adding several new features and giving people the option to stream music to one another.
The new AIM Tunes is probably the most attractive new feature of AIM 6.5. DRM-free music added to a special playlist is streamable when users are online. AOL said the feature requires no separate media player download, and will "respect copyright issues of the music industry."
HTC Has Surprise Hit With Touch
HTC said this week that it had shipped some 800,000 Touch phones since it first went on sale on July 22, almost a month later than the iPhone.
Like the initial reports of the iPhone's one million phones "sold," it is unclear as of yet whether this was shipped to the retail channel or directly to the consumer. A request for clarification from HTC had not been returned as of press time.
Apple Sued Over iPhone Price Cut
Apple is finding itself in the center of yet another skirmish over its $200 USD price cut for the iPhone, although this one has landed it in court.
Dongmei Li, a resident of Queens, NY filed the lawsuit Sept. 24 in federal court in New York. It accuses Apple, Steve Jobs, and AT&T of price discrimination, discrimination in offering rebates versus credits, underselling, and unfair and deceptive practices, among other charges.
Microsoft Debuts New Zunes for Holidays
As expected, Microsoft unveiled its second generation Zune players on Tuesday night, including three new sizes, new software, and an updated store. In addition, it gave details of a new community site to launch next month.
The details of the players match information that sources first told BetaNews Monday afternoon. Central to the new players is the Zune Pad, a touch sensitive button for navigation, and wireless sync. The new Zunes be released in mid-November.
More Zune 2 Details Surface Ahead of Launch
UPDATE: As expected, Microsoft has made the official announcement regarding the new Zunes
Although the news won't officially hit until midnight tonight, further details of the Zune players have leaked ahead of Microsoft's secret Tuesday night event for press and bloggers.
Apple's Web User Market Share Increases
Apple's successes with the iPod are finally translating into real momentum for its computer business, if statistics from Net Applications are any indication.
The market research firm measured a 40 percent increase year over year in Mac usage on the Internet in September. As of the end of the month, 6.6 percent of Internet users were accessing the Web via Macs, up from 4.7 percent in September 2006.
Sony Updates Electronic Book Reader
Sony unveiled the newest edition of its digital book reader, roughly a year after it launched the first version. It will go on sale later this month.
At a price of $299, it is about $50 cheaper than its predecessor. It will also come in two colors -- silver and dark blue -- and have better controls to browse through books.
Online Video May Be Virus Writers' Next Target
A new study from Georgia Tech indicates that online videos may be the newest way for attackers to load viruses onto the computers of unsuspecting victims.
The report was released Tuesday ahead of the annual security conference the school holds each year. Some 300 experts and professors are expected to attend, and will discuss new security threats and prevention measures.
RIAA Piracy Trial Set to Begin Tuesday
The first piracy suit from RIAA to make it to trial starts Tuesday, with Jammie Thomas fighting accusations of sharing some 1,702 songs through the Kazaa network.
Thomas is the first of 26,000 sued by the organization to fight the charges. A large majority of those have already settled out of court by paying a few thousand dollars. However, the Minnesota mother says she has done nothing wrong.
Microsoft Acquires Shopping Site Jellyfish
Microsoft said Tuesday that it had acquired comparison shopping site Jellyfish, which allows users to compare and buy products, and then get cash back for purchases made through the site.
The site will remain separate from other products by Microsoft, but act as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Redmond company. Terms of the deal, which was struck on Thursday, were not immediately disclosed.
There's Still No Next-Gen DVD Winner Yet
Despite what fans of either format may be telling you, don't expect a winner in the next-generation DVD battle for at least a year if not more, say analysts.
The battle itself seems to be doing the most damage, with a majority of customers opting to wait it out for a clear leader. Price of the players is also a major deterrent, research firm Forrester said in a report last week.
Microsoft to Debut Zune 2 on Tuesday
Microsoft will hold a event on Tuesday in Redmond to herald the second generation of Zune music players, BetaNews has learned.
According to sources close to the situation, both Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Design and Development chief J Allard will be on hand for the event. The main part of the announcement will center around the players, which will include the first flash memory based Zunes.
Skype Founder Zennstrom Out As CEO
With eBay still not seeing much benefit from its 2005 acquisition of VoIP provider Skype, the company said Monday that it would shake up management and take some charges related to its operations.
Founder Niklas Zennstrom is stepping down as CEO, and will be replaced by eBay Chief Strategy Officer Michael van Swaaij on an interim basis. Henry Gomez, Skype's president, will also step down. He will take a position with eBay -- where he worked before Skype -- as senior vice president of corporate affairs.
Nokia Acquires Navteq for $8.1 Billion
Nokia said Monday that it had agreed to acquire navigation software company Navteq in an $8.1 billion acquisition, one of its largest in company history.
The move is likely aimed at giving Nokia a strong presence in the increasingly lucrative mobile navigation market. The mobile phone maker would also gain an instant customer base, which it said it would continue to support after the acquisition.
ITunes Update Makes Some Legit Phones 'iBricks'
While Apple has warned those who have unlocked the iPhone that the latest update would likely break their phones, some users are finding their locked phones broken by the update.
Reports first began surfacing on the website Twitter among users who had a locked iPhone and experienced problems after the update. The issues ranged from a loss of all data on the phone to 'bricking' of the device.
Ed's Bio
Ed Oswald is a freelance journalist from the Reading, PA area. Although he has written across a variety of subjects, Ed’s passion and focus has been on technology and gadgets. His work regularly appears on tech news sites BetaNews, PCWorld, and Technologizer, and has been syndicated to eWeek, Time’s Techland blog, VentureBeat and the New York Times.
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