6GB, 8GB iPod nanos in November?


A recent drop in flash memory prices could indicate that upcoming 6GB and 8GB iPod nanos may not hit shelves until November, according to one analyst.


According to the Associated Press, Baird analyst Tristan Gerra said prices of NAND flash memory (a type of memory used in MP3 players) dropped 31 percent on the spot market this week due to a two-month pushout in iPod nano-related orders from June to August. “This suggests Apple’s upcoming 6 Gigabyte and 8 Gigabyte nano will be on the shelves in November rather than September,” Gerra wrote in a note.



iPod blamed in, part, for demise of jazz on WBEZ


The iPod and a growing need for local news are being blamed for the demise of jazz on WBEZ, Chicago’s National Public Radio (NPR) member station and among the oldest public radio outlets in the U.S., according to Reuters. WBEZ is abandoning its music programming—the bulk of which was nightly jazz—and moving to a 24-hour news and public affairs format.


Downloadable music and streaming Webcasts are competing for their music listeners, and local news, threatened by consolidation in the commercial media, is taking on greater importance, Reuters notes. In addition, WBEZ and many other public radio stations say their programming has not kept pace with a changing U.S. population.


“”Local news has simply been abandoned by the commercial broadcasters and sometimes even the commercial newspapers,” Ken Stern, executive vice president of Washington-based National Public Radio, told Reuters. “What you see as a trend is stations like WBEZ investing heavily in local news and information.”




iTMS now offers some files in PDF format


The iTunes Music Store has been expanded to accept some files in PDF format, reports Financial Wire.


The first free PDF download includes advertisements and editorials, while a second accompanies a 47 minute segment featuring the tracks of some 20 artists. The promotion is sponsored by The Fader Magazine and Wikinews, which will provide feature articles.



Apple files Euro trademark application for ‘MAC’ and ‘MAGSAFE’ in the U.S.


The US Patent & Trademark Office has revealed that Apple had filed for a trademark/service mark for “MagSafe,” on June 16 under application number 78910155. A ”Notice of Pseudo Mark” was also noted as being filed on the case docket on June 22 and is noted as “MAG SAFE.”

The International Class is noted as 009: Power adapters for computers.


The application makes notes: Priority based on foreign filing: Applicant has a bona fide intention to use the mark in commerce on or in connection with the identified goods and/or services and asserts a claim of priority based on Hong Kong (HKX) application number, 300553077, filed 12/21/2005.15 U.S.C. Section 1126(d), as amended.



Pop2Life wants to meld iTunes, old-school radio


New York-based Pop2Life, a marketing and promotions agency, is in talks with Apple to provide a text-messaging link that connects iTunes to dozens of terrestrial radio stations in major urban markets in the U.S., reports Red Herring.


Pop2Life recently introduced P1 SMS, a text-messaging system that allows listeners to purchase songs they hear on the radio. When a song comes on the radio, listeners can text a five-digit trigger word, like the station’s call letters. They then receive a menu of items related to the song, such as full-track downloads, ringtones, concert tickets, CDs, and in the future, videos.


“Listeners set up M-Wallet accounts with the radio stations,” Red Herring says. “Every time they buy something, whether it’s music content on demand or a sponsor’s product, M-Wallet charges the credit card they have on file.”



Source: Marware