Here’s a quick heads up: TUAW.com (The UnofÂfiÂcial Apple Weblog) postÂed a nice feaÂture that offers a new slant on what we often do here at Open CulÂture. They scanned the difÂferÂent interÂnaÂtionÂal iTunes stores and idenÂtiÂfied free music, video, and audio books availÂable to users in the US, AusÂtralia, CanaÂda, France, Britain and New Zealand. If interÂnaÂtionÂal culÂture is your thing, then defÂiÂniteÂly mosey on over.
Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple ComÂputÂer, delivÂered this speech at StanÂford’s comÂmenceÂment cerÂeÂmoÂny in June 2005. I’ve watched it a couÂple times now, with about 6 months in between viewÂings, and each time it has struck me as worth watchÂing every so often to keep focused on what matÂters.
Here’s a tip courÂtesy of The UnofÂfiÂcial Apple Weblog.
Apple TV just hit the marÂket, as we menÂtioned last week. And while the prodÂuct has a lot of promise, the immeÂdiÂate downÂside is that there’s a dearth of conÂtent ready for you to watch. But here’s a promisÂing option: HunÂgryFlix lets you downÂload indeÂpenÂdent films that are specifÂiÂcalÂly forÂmatÂted for Apple TV. You probÂaÂbly won’t recÂogÂnize too many of the titles — they are indeÂpenÂdent films after all — but the price for the downÂloads is cerÂtainÂly right. For more video podÂcasts, click here.
EarÂliÂer this week, we disÂcussed the recent release of Apple TV, the new gadÂget that lets you wireÂlessÂly downÂload videos from iTunes to your cushy widescreen TV. For many conÂsumers, the logÂiÂcal quesÂtion to ask is whether there’s much to watch if they plunk down the $299 for the hardÂware. (Check it out in our AmaÂzon store.) And our readÂers might parÂticÂuÂlarÂly wonÂder whether there’s much in the way of culÂturÂal video. With these quesÂtions in mind, we’ve put togethÂer a samÂpling of worthÂwhile video podÂcasts (othÂerÂwise called “vodÂcasts”) that you can immeÂdiÂateÂly start conÂsumÂing with Apple TV. These videos can also be found in our podÂcast library.
JerÂry Yang, and StanÂford PresÂiÂdent John HenÂnessy, among othÂers.
lecÂtures here from some of the world’s leadÂing thinkers.
If we’re missÂing anyÂthing great, please drop us a line.
When Steve Jobs announced Apple’s new lineÂup of gadÂgets at MacÂworld in JanÂuÂary (lisÂten on iTunes or stream it), all eyes were focused on the planned release of the iPhone. RelÂaÂtiveÂly lost in the comÂmoÂtion, howÂevÂer, was Apple TV, which startÂed shipÂping this week. (Check it out in our AmaÂzon store.) Despite the name, Apple TV doesÂn’t come with a TV. But, for $299, you do get a piece of hardÂware that lets you wireÂlessÂly sync your iTunes colÂlecÂtion to your widescreen TV. And, with that, you can watch downÂloaded movies, TV shows, and video podÂcasts in a much more suitÂable and pleaÂsurÂable enviÂronÂment. (EvenÂtuÂalÂly, you’ll be able to watch videos via Apple TV in high def.) If givÂen the choice between watchÂing your video downÂloads on a small iPod screen or a cushy plasÂma TV in your livÂing room, the deciÂsion becomes a no-brainÂer. The new gadÂget instantÂly makes Apple a credÂiÂble playÂer in the video disÂtriÂbÂuÂtion marÂket, and it clearÂly furÂthers along the comÂpaÂny’s transÂforÂmaÂtion into a more diverÂsiÂfied conÂsumer-elecÂtronÂics and media comÂpaÂny.
For Open CulÂture readÂers, Apple TV has some benÂeÂfits on the near horiÂzon. Over the past sevÂerÂal months, we’ve noticed more podÂcasts comÂing out in a video flaÂvor. (See our podÂcast library.) And that trend should only pick up over time. (Indeed, Robert X. CringÂley, the astute observÂer of tech trends, foreÂsees a video glut this year that could overÂwhelm the curÂrent capacÂiÂty of the Net.) Thanks to Apple TV, you might soon be able to use your teleÂviÂsion as much as your iPod to conÂsume high qualÂiÂty culÂturÂal conÂtent. And this may become all the more true if the rumors pan out that Apple and Google have been talkÂing about disÂtribÂutÂing Google Video through iTunes. Just think of the posÂsiÂbilÂiÂties that lie ahead.
For more inforÂmaÂtion on Apple TV, you can visÂit Apple’s site, check out the covÂerÂage on EngadÂget and CNET, or watch the WalÂter MossÂberg video below.
Most of the outÂside world didÂn’t care. They didÂn’t even know what Steve Jobs was talkÂing about. But withÂin tech cirÂcles it was a big deal, a landÂmark moment. Jobs’ s anti-DRM manÂiÂfesto, Thoughts on Music, moved us all closÂer to the day when music would be set free. (DRM = DigÂiÂtal Rights ManÂageÂment. Get more info here.) The reacÂtion in the tech press was, of course, jubiÂlant. Here’s a quick samÂple reacÂtion from the major tech blog, GizÂmoÂdo:
“Steve Jobs dropped a big one on us today, and no it wasÂn’t a new MacÂBook. Instead it was his anti-DRM ManÂiÂfesto, a state of the union for the music indusÂtry so to speak. In a nutÂshell, he advised the music indusÂtry to give up on DRM. It won’t work. There are smart peoÂple cirÂcumÂventÂing this stuff, and with all the CDs being ripped in the world, just give up on it.
AmazÂing to hear the man speak withÂout the PR mouthÂpiece, withÂout regards to anyÂthing but what he feels is right for the world. He even throws the iPod/iTunes monopÂoly to the wind with these notions.”
Now before we start a petiÂtion to canÂonÂize Jobs, it seems worth reflectÂing for a moment on whether St. Steve found reliÂgion, or whether Jobs was just being a brilÂliant CEO … yet again. And that’s why its worth givÂing a lisÂten to Robert X. CringeÂly’s recent podÂcast artiÂcle DRM CatchÂer (iTunes — Feed). (You can also read the text verÂsion here.) CringeÂly is a parÂticÂuÂlarÂly astute observÂer of how techÂnolÂoÂgy trends doveÂtail with busiÂness strateÂgies, and he’s right to see Jobs’ manÂiÂfesto as driÂven less by ideals than by what makes the most busiÂness sense for Apple at this parÂticÂuÂlar moment. DRM helped put Apple into its marÂket leadÂerÂship posiÂtion. Now, havÂing a lock on 75% of the marÂket, the best way to sell more iPods is to drop DRM. It’s smart busiÂness thinkÂing that you see at work here, not altruÂism. You can bet on that.
Give the podÂcast some of your time, and be sure to lisÂten to the part about Google’s ambiÂtious web stratÂeÂgy, which ties into his recent thinkÂing (see this piece) about the big plans that Google has on the horiÂzon.
Here’s a quick warnÂing for our readÂers who enjoy lisÂtenÂing to podÂcasts on iPods.
From CNET:
“Apple has warned WinÂdows users runÂning its iTunes softÂware that they should wait for its next update before upgradÂing their PCs to MicrosoftÂ’s new WinÂdows Vista operÂatÂing sysÂtem.
The CuperÂtiÂno, Calif.-based comÂpaÂny citÂed a variÂety of comÂpatÂiÂbilÂiÂty issues that may cause fricÂtion between the media playÂer softÂware, its accomÂpaÂnyÂing iPod playÂer, and Vista. Among these probÂlems is an inabilÂiÂty to play music or video purÂchased from the iTunes Store, probÂlems synÂchroÂnizÂing address book conÂtact and calÂenÂdar funcÂtions, and slowed runÂtime. AddiÂtionÂalÂly, there is a chance that plugÂging an iPod into a comÂputÂer runÂning Vista may corÂrupt the device.”
Click here to read the full artiÂcle.
Each year, Steve Jobs kicks off MacÂWorld with a big address, which either conÂfirms or quashÂes all the rumors and specÂuÂlaÂtion about the new wave of Apple prodÂucts. It’s usuÂalÂly a big deal, and this year didÂn’t disÂapÂpoint. Jobs delivÂered with flair the iPhone, which Apple hopes will revÂoÂluÂtionÂize the cell phone marÂket as the iPod did the portable music playÂer marÂket, if not the entire music marÂket itself. And then there is Apple TV, which will let you wireÂlessÂly play your iTunes conÂtent (movies, TV shows, music, phoÂtos and podÂcasts) on your widescreen TV.
If you have some downÂtime, you can check out the video of Jobs’ speech on iTunes or via QuickÂTime. For iniÂtial thoughts on the iPhone, you may want to read David Pogue’s and WalÂter MossÂberg’s earÂly reviews (and also Pogue’s iphone FAQ), and for comÂmenÂtary across the podÂcast world, you can lisÂten in on:
- GeekBrief.TV’s quick surÂvey of announceÂments iTunes Feed
- EngadÂget’s podÂcast comÂmenÂtary of new prodÂucts iTunes Feed
- also see EngadÂget’s web page dedÂiÂcatÂed to Mac World.
- MacÂWorld’s review of the keynote and new prodÂucts iTunes Mp3 Stream
- Robert X. CringÂley’s take on Apple’s tradeÂmark conÂflict with CisÂco iTunes Feed
- MacBreak WeekÂly iTunes Feed
- Forum on TechÂnolÂoÂgy & SociÂety — A panÂel disÂcusÂsion on the new gadÂgets and how they affect our sociÂety iTunes Feed
Also see Open CulÂture’s TechÂnolÂoÂgy PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion.
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