@methodshop

NBA LIVE 2005

(EA Sports)



I'm not a huge b-ball fan but when someone offers me the opportunity to play as 70's all-stars, complete w/ retro jerseys and hilarious afros, I'm sold. On the latest edition of NBA Live (EA Sports) you can even choose 80's or 90's all-stars such as Julius Irving, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. The controls are easy to pick up and the gameplay is so smooth that you'll be peggin' Kobe vs. Shaq in no time. My only gripe is the lame MTV-drenched soundtrack. Put some old school hip-hop in there and you've got a gem. - David Brown



NBA Live 2005 (XBOX)

NBA Live 2005 (P2)

"The iPod is arguably the ultimate cultural icon for the 2000s. But its use is evolving, and it is now also a tool for some college students and budding DJs alike."



At Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, they have taken it one step further: giving all first year students such a device.



Some 1,600 Apple iPods were handed out free of charge. The university is paying out of its technology budget.



The students can keep the digital music players, specially engraved with the university's logo, if they can show physical ownership after one year.



But does a trend-setting gadget really belong on the college campus?



"The fact that it's pop culture doesn't mean that's the only use it can be put to," says Peter Lange, provost of Duke University.



In Manhattan two DJs who go by the name Andrew Andrew hold a weekly iParty open night.



Attendees are given seven minutes to mix and switch between two players, and can even bring their own. Customers effectively enter an iPod democracy.



[Via BBC News]



The MethodShop Spin: With features such as the notes, and digital audio books available, professors could distribute reading materials and lectures via iPod downloadable for archiving and studying uses.



Related Links:

DJ Creepy Shares his MP3j Tips and Tricks

The iPod DJ Revolution

"Hearing noises when your iPod 20 and 40 gig iPod reloads the buuefr for a track? Well, guess what? You can find the same issue with many the new iPod Photo - sources ay from iPod Lounge."



[ViaiPodlounge]



The MethodShop Spin: I'm lucky, as I have tested my own 40 gig 4g iPod and have not heard issues as outlined in this feature, but I would recommend all owners do. I am honestly shocked to hear that Apple is failing to acknowledge this faulty feature with there recent products. It also leads me to believe they were definitely feeling the heat from rival manufacturers in the digital music player market to quickly release the iPod Photo and the U2 special edition without fixing these issue first.

"Music swapping/downloading is said to be dirupting work at US colleges. The US recording industry is taking legal action against 750 computer users believed to be distributing music illegally over the internet."



Students at 13 universities are among those targetted by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).



Another 213 people who were identified earlier but failed to settle their cases are also being sued.

Record companies have taken action against a total of 6,191 illegal song swappers since September 2003.



As with preceding cases, the fresh action was made against so-called "John Doe" defendants, who are identified only by the codes given to their computers' internet connections.



Record industry lawyers obtain the identity of suspected illegal users through their internet service providers.



[Via BBC News]



The MethodShop Spin: This will go one forever until the RIAA finally seizes the notion that peer-to-peer sharing and music downloading started on college campuses. If it weren’t for Shawn Fanning, there would be no Napster, who knows what else. College students have pioneered the distribution, and yes legality, of file trading) particularly music on the Internet.



Though I agree there are limits to this behavior and what is right and/or wrong, the RIAA is still going about this in the wrong manner. In all honesty, the RIAA needs to both turn its head and face the fact that the activities will not seize or simply diminish the RIAA as we know it today putting all liability and pacs into the distributors online (stores etc.) and the artist’s labels.

"Gateway is joining the band of computer makers selling hard-drive-based digital audio players, but its riff adds miniaturization and a color screen for displaying photos."



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: Hey why not? Might as well have another choice for consumers to purchase and analyst's to argue over. These days everyone and their mother are coming out with rival players and technologies to capitalize on the market Apple has been dominating since its conception. Just how well will it do? ...Who knows. Video can only be the next logical step for all of these manufacturers goals and there integration with multimedia handheld devices.

Now that Apple released its new limited edition U2 Black iPod, the door has been opened for imitators to follow. Let's hope these ideas never even make it past the drawing board.



Here's a sample...



The Jacko Pod: This special edition iPod comes out of the box black, but fades to white over time. NOTE: Only available in Mini size.

XM Satellite Radio Holdings on Tuesday introduced a handheld portable version of its satellite radio, hoping to boost demand for its service beyond it primary audience of automobile owners.



The Delphi MyFi, which was developed with automotive parts and consumer electronics products maker Delphi, contains a rechargeable battery, a built-in antenna and on-board flash memory that allows users to pause and record more than five hours of XM programming.



The device will sell for $350 starting in early December at major chain store retailers Best Buy, Circuit City and online sites, XM said.



MyFi's launch will be backed by a television advertising campaign featuring singer Elton John. The company declined to disclose the size of the campaign.



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: Similar to what Apple did with the recent iPod U2 venture, but this time with satellite radio in the palm of your hands. I am thoroughly impressed by this player and size of its real-estate. Around the same size as the iPod (40 gig) model, this device looks very prosperous in the consumer sales market. I hope Apple is taking notes, as I have been asking myself when the iPod will become even better and allow its streaming web radio casts like in its iTunes app, play much like this MyFi's capabilities without the extra subscription fee XM charges current customers.

THE ALBUM LEAF provides music for new HUMMER commercial.



Hummer has just launched a new television commercial that includes music written and performed by San Diego indietronic band, THE ALBUM LEAF. With indie music being so hot right now for car commercials, it's no surprise Hummer jumped on The Album Leaf as their music has been repeatedly referred to as cinematic. The commercial will be airing in heavy rotation throughout the major networks in USA and Cananda, however, you can also view it online (click on Hummer World, TV Commercials, Nature). Here's a Quicktime clip of the commercial.



Also check out our interview with Jimmy LaValle from The Album Leaf.



Related Links:

MethodShop Album Leaf Interview

The Album Leaf on Amazon

The Album Leaf on iTunes

FUH2.com

Long predicted by MethodShop, Apple finally lifted the veil on its new color iPod with iPhoto compatibility. The new iPod, comes with 40- or 60 Gb hard drives along with a new photo dock and photo cable. Measuring only 0.06" thicker than the 4th gen. 40 Gb iPod, the iPod Photo includes a 65,000 color backlit screen. Also of note is an extended battery life that can play 15 hours of music or 5 hours of slideshow with music.



The MethodShop Spin: Complimenting the new iPod offering is the U2 Black iPod, which was also released today. Clearly, the iPod product line remains a true market innovation.

"Apple today introduced the iPod U2 Special Edition as part of a partnership between Apple, U2 and Universal Music Group to create "innovative new products together for the new digital music era." The new U2 iPod holds up to 5,000 songs and features a black enclosure with a red Click Wheel and custom engraving of the U2 band member's signatures. Apple also announced that it has "created the online music industry's first-of-its-kind 'Digital Box Set.'" The first digital box set, "The Complete U2," will contain over 400 tracks including all of the band's albums and over 25 rare and unreleased tracks. U2 fans will be able to purchase and download The Complete U2 beginning in late November for US$149, and U2 iPod customers will receive a coupon for $50 off the purchase price. The new 20GB iPod U2 Special Edition is expected to be available in mid-November for a suggested retail price of $349."[Via MacMinute]



The MethodShop Spin: Spend $350 on a U2 iPod and you's think they'd throw in the U2 Box Set. But all you get is a coupon for $50 off the $150 boxset on iTunes.

"PalmOne is aiming to sharpen up its image with the launch of the Treo 650."



The smart-phone update has a higher-resolution screen and a faster processor than the previous top-of-the-line model, the Treo 600.



Additions include a removable battery and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. An improved VGA camera promises to work better in low-light situations and to record video as well as still images.



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: It’s got just about every feature you could want in a PDF. Though its music capabilities are small in storage, all around the Treo 600 is a big improvement than its predecessor. Much cooler and rounded appeal. The keyboard also has improved with a flatter key surface.

"As Apple tries to keep the iPod at the head of the digital music player pack, technology analyst Bill Thompson wonders whether they are playing fair."



Music fans with a particular interest in the pomp-rock experimentation of U2 are salivating at the news that Bono and The Edge will be appearing with Apple's Steve Jobs at a PR event in California on Tuesday.



[Via BBC News]



The MethodShop Spin: People can criticize anyone (in this case Apple) all they want for what they are doing now and in the future. However, don't even begin to talk about all of this open source crap! It's Bull %*#@ to say that Apple is going about there front game in the digital music industry all wrong. Reason being that Microsoft and other competitors are doing the same thing just with more technologies. Examples include wider range of music source support on players and jukeboxes. Anyway, what I am saying is that all of this bolognie about Apple making another wrong turn in its endeavors like people claim they did with there Apple Mac's initial introduction years ago, is crap! Competitors like Microsoft are the kings of proprietary! Microsoft and Sony have capitalized on this tactic for years and will continue to do so, in this industry and the many other revolving technical industries they have their hands on. Examples include Sony's "memory card" used for some of their personal cameras in previous years, and Microsoft’s "WMA" file format.



Teaming with a solid band such as U2 is only a partnership to what both parties believe is for the good of the industry as a whole. This good obviously plays into both Apples and U2's success as well, but without the industry pioneering in the manner Apple is directing, labels may loose profit margins, and artists may notice overall decrease in album success.



All in all, Apple is once again showing the world there is better technology out there and that they can handle this industry as well as others with ingenuity and character. Jealousy has definitely sunk in among the competition right above its idolization factor ;-)

"Electronics have found their way into the daily lives of millions of people, many of whom can't imagine life without their beloved gadgets.



Manufacturers now offer devices with any combination of cell phone, camera, movie player, PDA and MP3 player functionality. But with these sophisticated devices come complexity, confusion and a demand for power that regular batteries can't keep up with. Early adopters are eager to buy the latest streamlined devices.



But many others are now ditching their ultra-converged gadgets and relying on separate devices with simpler functionality. Are gadgets getting too complicated for the average user? "



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: While converged devices are great, I feel it is true that the majority of these toys we claim we cannot live without are over-the-top. Pda's for example have become an all encompassed platform. We check email, text message, answer calls, plan calendar events, and listen to mp3's on these doohickeys. However, the best and closest to a real power saver for something requiring enough juice to run all these things and more is the iPod. Even still, I find it almost not enough to run my iPod and other similar gadgets all day long without nearly depleting all of the batteries juice.



Not just power issues arise when the discussion of converged devices is on the table. The other main issue is its ease of use. Interfaces and gadget software have become increasingly difficult for the average user when try to coordinate daily functions/tasks with these devices and require a learning curve many are not willing to take! It is the ease of use and separation that is ultimately pulling the crowd away from the sole purpose these gadgets were originally designed for. People want simplicity, and the technology is supposed to simplify our lives and everyday chores (both work & personal). Separating the confusion of the application of these technologies has brought back a sense of categorization to the user to apply to his/her lifestyle and needs.

METHODSHOP MUSIC NEWS:

New York, NY – 10/23/04:

Following in the tradition of her older sister, Jessica, and Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson showed the world that it only takes a few lessons of lip-syncing to be a successful pop star. Or maybe not. Perhaps a few more rehearsals are required for this teen crooner. [Read Full Article]



Related Links:

Ashlee Simpson on Amazon

Ashlee Simpson on iTunes





by B. Maas

"The 2004 holiday shopping season promises a deluge of would-be iPod killers. But with reports showing that the iPod owns fully 92 percent of the hard drive digital music player market, can the king of players even be dented, much less dethroned?"



[Via CNET]



The MethodShop Spin: Although the Dell DJ looks alright if you are not willing to pay $300 for an iPod, but are willing to wait for the release of this product. However, the iPod still remains to be shown up against any other competitor.

METHODSHOP MUSIC NEWS:



Original lyrics and production notes designed for U2's 1981 October Album were at long last returned to Bono. The materials were found in a Tacoma, WA dwelling by the landlord back in 1981. The landlord kept the materials, unaware that they were missing and stolen from U2 until recently.



The band was forced to rewrite October in the studio and band members called it "their worst recording experience." Not surprisingly, the album fared less well with critics.



History repeated itself with U2's latest album, How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, when the master CD was stolen from the band during a photography shoot. Fortunately, the CD wasn't the only master copy and, unlike the October episode, the band did not have to rewrite the album.



Related Links:

MethodShop Music



by B. Maas

If you've downloaded a Van Halen, Hole, Sarah McLachlan or even a Beatles song online, and it sounds just a bit off to you, you're not alone--you might have run into a "codec killer."



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: Though this article is probably true. Codec's for our audio pleasures have increased music listening in my opinion. Though we may never hear true audio, as its fully intended by the artists, to the majority of us, will never realize this. Not only do you need a trained ear to miss the full audio intentions of the music prior to codec'ing the audio, but even a CD doesn’t reproduce what you can experience when attending a live concert! The codec has brought us an easier and more quickly adaptive way to store, and purchase our music collections. In our increasingly busy lives, I see the codec as a convenience that most listeners of MP3's, AAC, and others will never know the difference from there previous book of CD's they once listened to.

"Apple Computer is warning users of older iTunes software versions that it plans to stop allowing those versions to connect to its music store."



Apple has in the past used various incentives to move users to new versions in an effort to thwart add-on programs that allow music sharing via iTunes. The iTunes program is designed to allow users to listen to, but not download, music stored on closely networked computers. However, there are a growing number of programs that exploit the music-streaming feature and allow the files to be downloaded.



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: Not only is Apple getting stricter on those who procrastinate there software upgrades, but they also mention there dislike of RealNetworks' music service and the files compatibility that are purchased through Real' Harmony Technology and used with the current/future iPods.

"EMI Music UK and The Carphone Warehouse will make Robbie Williams the first artist ever to release an entire album plus video content on a Memory Card - a tiny stamp size gizmo that slots straight into a mobile phone to deliver music on the move.



The pre-loaded memory card will be sold exclusively at The Carphone Warehouse’s 600 outlets across the UK. EMI and The Carphone Warehouse believe the new format marks the start of another era in digital music - one that will make it more tangible and accessible, especially to people without internet access."



[Via spymac]



The MethodShop Spin: They are gonna have to do better to entice consumers this is a viable alternative to other means of digital music distribution by getting better bands than Robbie Williams. Maybe its just me, but with the looks of Apple recently releasing commercials and ad spots with U2, EMI Music UK's going to need to be more creative :-)



Don't get me wrong..Its feasible to say this could be a great ulterior market, but the bar is raised to a new height with major players in the biz redefining the standard/future standards everyday. Another thing I cannot see is how well the audio quality will compare to that out of the tunes I have in my iPod.

Apple may be adding a new theme to it's list for it's OS.



"This was sort of a trick question, because arguably, there already are three Mac OS X themes from Apple, and perhaps a fourth on the way in 10.4. (Let’s not even mention the ridiculous woodgrain-and-ebony custom theme used in GarageBand.)"



[Via Daring Fireball]



The MethodShop Spin: I'm a sucker for the brushed metal, possibly even the "pro" look found in apps like Final Cut and DVD studio Pro. Apple will ultimately catch us by surprise and most likely redefine all of what we believe future themes will look like and wow us with more gorgeous appeal - at least that’s my outlook :-)

by J. Accarrino & B. Maas

Forbes.com, a website not known for spreading false rumors, reports that rock band U2 inked a deal with Apple to sell a special Black iPod preloaded with their new album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. This will mark U2's 11th album along their 25+ year music history.

Invitations have been sent out by U2 for a special music-oriented event set for October 26th. The invite says, "Steve Jobs, Bono and The Edge invite you to attend a special event;" however, press relations departments at Apple and U2's label, Interscope Records, declined comment about the event.

It's unclear if Apple will debut the 'U2 Black iPod' as 'PhotoPod-capable.' The much rumored 'Photopod' is expected to feature a color screen for digital photo
display and storage.

Asides from the black faceplate, the 'U2 Black iPod' will include rock group's forthcoming album, 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb,' in addition to other tracks commemorating the band's 25-year music history.

U2's new single, Vertigo, was released exclusively through iTunes. The band can also be seen in a new 30-second iTunes/iPod commercial.

[The Black iPod image shown above is only a concept photo and not the official 'U2 Black iPod.']

iPodBackup is a shell-script-turned-application (via Platypus) that backs up your home folder to your iPod using the open source backup utility called rsync.



You can customize a list of items to be excluded. By default, the Music folder, as well as certain cache folders are skipped, in order to prevent duplicating your music and because caches are a kind of stupid thing to backup.

[Via MacUpdate]



The MethodShop Spin: Awesome app..works fantastic, but not sure how practical this may be. Other than a few files here and there I don’t see to many people backing up there home folders if they have substantial gigs worth of data. I already loved rsync, but this is definitely a great accessory.

"Soon the time will come where your children are talking to there friends as your families drive in tandem next to each other down highway 77. When I say "talking", I mean wirelessly through console video game UI's such as Microsoft’s XBOX live and over IM wirelessly as they chat over secured connections on there laptop. The dawn has come to show that car electronics have evolved...tremendously! It is little time before these awesome technologies will allow our road warriors to download new music and movies right from there car and watch/listen to them instantly.



Not only will your car download video wirelessly, but you might be able to buy online music or video games without leaving the driver's (or passenger's) seat. "We are moving very quickly to this world where I can have everything I want to listen to right now," said Richard Lind of Delphi, a $4.6 billion Michigan company that sells navigation, video and satellite radio systems.





Before long, Lind predicted, consumers will be able to play a "video game downloaded at the last gas station" or enjoy the "ability for vehicles to communicate with each other as they go down the road."



Wireless networks that encourage file swapping in, say, rush hour traffic jams probably wouldn't be taken lightly by Hollywood's well-practiced lawyers. That's why electronics makers already are planning to avoid the Napsterization of the road by pledging to adopt digital rights management technology. Lind said that his company will ensure that digital content is transferred from home PCs to the car "with all the appropriate rights management in place."



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: I'm sure the folks at the RIAA are thrilled about all of this ;-)

"Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store sold its 150 millionth song on Thursday, another key milestone in the Cupertino firm's push to stay ahead of digital music rivals like Microsoft and Dell.



Apple said customers of the iTunes Music Store, started in April 2003, are now downloading songs at a rate of more than 4 million per week. Apple, which also began selling iTunes gift cards at Best Buy outlets, said customer Beth Santisteven of Ignacio, Colo., put the company over the top by downloading "Ex-Factor'' by singer Lauryn Hill." [Via SFGate.com]



The MethodShop Spin: Although the profit margins are low, the real deal is behind the integration of the iPod and the ITMS. Rivals need to better market their creativity in the approach they are taking towards conquering the music market.

DOWNLOAD THIS!

by Dave Brown



ARTIST: ELLIOTT SMITH

ALBUM: From A Basement On The Hill CD

LABEL: Anti (aka Epitaph)



There's definitely something strange about listening to a new record from someone who you greatly admire yet recently killed themself. "From A Basement On The Hill" certainly leaves an emotional mark as the late Elliott Smith furthers his exploration of song-writing over delicate tales of misery, jealousy, drugs, love and notoriety. Tracks such as "Let's Get Lost" and "A Fond Farewell" are instant jems that could only be crafted with such delicacy from the talent consumed by our late indie rock hero. Mr. Smith, you might be gone but never forgotten.



Related Links:

Elliott Smith on iTunes

Elliott Smith on Amazon

Apple is ready to open six new "mini" stores today in a move to further boost its retail presence. The stores somewhat resemble an iPod with white floors and ceilings and stainless steel walls. Taking cues from its own iPod Mini, the stores are 750 sq. ft., which are half the size of its smallest "full" retail store. The stores will also feature a Genius Bar.

"Google is expanding the borders of its search empire into people's computers."



The net giant has released a preliminary version of a desktop program that will search computer hard drives, as well as the web.



"We think of this as the photographic memory of your computer," said Marissa Mayer, Google's director of consumer web products.



Privacy issues-search is becoming an increasingly competitive and lucrative arena.



Google is the leader in this area and the launch of a PC search tool is its latest attempt to become even more indispensable to its millions of users.



The desktop tool can be downloaded for free and lets people search e-mails in Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, as well as files in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and in plain text.



It also searches web pages viewed in Internet Explorer and instant messages in AOL Instant Messenger.



[Via BBC News]



The MethodShop Spin: Could this new Google search application become as standard on all PC's as the Google web browser search bar?

The Pocket DJ 5, which will sell for $199 and offer 5GB of storage, is likely to be compared to Apple's 4GB, $249 iPod Mini. A trim 20GB Dell DJ will sell for $249, a drop of $30 from the price of Dell's existing 20GB model. Dell believes that its relatively low prices on the music players and also on its plasma TVs, which start at $2,299, will help win over consumers.





The new DJ music players and plasma TVs are only one aspect of a broader effort begun last year by Dell, which aims to gain a position in the so-called digital home market.



[Via CNet]



The MethodShop Spin: Simply lowering the price of their music players is not going to help Dell in the ongoing battle to dominate the music market which Apple clearly has hold of. Dell will need to improve both the user interface of its electronics’ software, and the general OS used by these devices. Apple has mastered this arena by creating simple, elegant experiences for the end user. Ease of use, and stability are items Dell will need to improve on when it comes to their competing digital music players.

"It was a beautiful day for Apple Computer on Tuesday, as the company kicked off a new advertising campaign featuring rock superstars U2."



The company began airing a television ad featuring the Irish rock quartet during Major League Baseball playoff games and other programs. U2's new single, "Vertigo," is available for download exclusively through Apple's iTunes service.



The ad is something of a switch for the Irish quartet, one of a handful of prominent rock acts who refuse on principle to allow their music to be used in commercials.



[Via C|Net]



The MethodShop Spin: What happens when you put one of the greatest Rock bands ever and the coolest computer manufacturer together - absolute "coolness" and a pop-culture staple! Fusion of the two has created an overwhelming breakthrough of how people perceive the iconic art of their favorite music and the Apple brand. The silhouettes and primary colors say it all folks!

"It's been 12 months since "hell froze over" at Apple Computer."



A year ago this week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the company's plans to sell tunes to Windows users. And while the company hasn't magically converted them all to the Mac view of the world, it has made a pretty nice business for itself.





In that time, Apple has sold tens of millions of songs and more than doubled the number of iPods it is selling. The Mac maker won't say how many of its songs or players are going to Windows users, but it's reasonable to think it's a pretty good chunk, given the relative prevalence of PCs (90-plus percent of the market, while Mac holds less than 5 percent).



[Via C|Net]



The MethodShop Spin: With Apple's stock shares doubling where they were from last year, and the iPod continuing to bash any other player and music service that attempts to over-throw the "cool-of-cool" personal music players, its no wonder people are beginning to notice Apple yet once again.

"Virgin Electronics unveiled on Tuesday a digital audio player with a 5GB hard disk, in a bid to penetrate the market dominated by Apple Computer's iPod."



The $249 Virgin Player, weighing 3.1 ounces, supports MP3 and WMA music formats and is capable of working with various digital music services, the company said.





The device has separate buttons for volume, skipping to the next song, and pausing the music, and features the ability to create playlists. The storage is sufficient for 1,200 MP3 songs, or around 80 compact discs, it said.





Apple's $249 iPod Mini has a 4GB hard drive, can store 1,000 songs and weighs 3.6 ounces.



Virgin said support for open standards such as WMA will let people select the music service of their choice. The device comes bundled with the company's music software and service, Virgin Digital, which sells song downloads for 99 cents, or monthly subscriptions for $7.99



[Via C|Net]



The MethodShop Spin: In all honesty, Virgin may be to late to try and overcome the "king kong" of the mini players (iPod). Though more music is able to be stored on Virgin's player, lack of support for the ITMS may have a drastic effect on Virgin's success.

"Its TiVo for your radio!"[Via griffintechnology.com]



The MethodShop Spin: If you have ever wanted to capture that hot new track from your favorite artist that you just heard on your local am/fm station while driving home, there has become a way. All you need is Griffin Technology's new radio Shark. You simply connect the unit to your pc/mac and begin transmitting fm/am signals to your local stations. Blue lights on the sharks' "fin" indicate power and red indicates recording. Also, play with live casts of your radio programs with the ability to stop and pause radio streams via Radio Shark's easy interface.



The Radio Shark also integrates beautifully with iTunes and the recording features automatically converts your show or song of recording choice to AIFF or AAC formats. You can even schedule these recordings just like you would with your favorite tv show with a TiVo.

"AT&T is evaluating different operating systems, including Mac OS X and Linux, as alternatives to Microsoft Windows for internal use. "[Via Newsfactor]



The MethodShop Spin: I am glad to see a major player like AT&T is doing such a thing. It's sad the vulnerabilities that Windows has produced for major IT corporations and there data, especially recently. Also, I feel that once the evaluations have undergone rigorous testing, these testers will see where the Windows platform fails in security and stability against it's counter parts (Mac OSX & Linux) first hand. Needless to say, I think the test findings will be interesting to hear.

"Lately the iPod world has been buzzing about ThinkSecret's suggestion that Apple will soon release a 60GB, fourth-generation iPod that sports a color screen capable of displaying photos and album art. Although this alleged $500 iPod offers no removable media port for directly importing pictures into the device, it's rumored to include a Video Out port for displaying the iPod's pictures on a television."[Via Playlist Mag]



Read our speculation article about a Video iPod

"Are you an aspiring digital dj? Miss the old school vinyl feel when playing music with your computer? If so, Vinyl 1.7 is for you. The free program by izotope creates many different realistic vinyl sounds.



The ultimate lo-fi weapon, iZotope Vinyl uses 64-bit processing and advanced filtering, modeling and resampling to create authentic "vinyl" simulation, as if the audio was a record being played on a record player.



And with Vinyl 1.7, we now provide support for Mac OS X as well as Windows. This adds the MAS and Audio Unit formats to our list which already includes HTDM, RTAS, AudioSuite, VST, and DirectX.

Timeless. Priceless. Free."[Via www.izotope.com]



The MethodShop Spin: Pretty nifty application, and you can't beat the price!

"Mac and iPod peripheral maker Griffin Technology Inc. on Friday announced that it's shipping PodPod, its soft auto cradle for Apple's iPod and iPod mini."



The foam cradle fits into any auto cup holder, providing a cushioned ride for your iPod or iPod mini. PodPod sets the iPod at an angle to keep it easily accessible. The PodPod costs US$9.99



[Via griffintechnology.com]



The MethodShop Spin: Though this is a great little accessory, it isn’t much of anything different than the Belkin TuneDok, which has been around for some time now. While the price difference is clearly visible, both Belkin and Griffin's products are the same.

"A quick and easy synapsis of your best friend (iPod), and all of its little icons appearing on the screen."[Via methodshop.com]



The MethodShop Spin: Being a recent owner of an iPod myself, I was up with the technology but unaware of its subtle features. These features, though most are pretty standard, are important for all iPod owners to be aware of. Features and technical know-how of things like your iPods battery life, disc failure, and software restore. All of which are described and noted in this methodshop page for you to note and learn about.

"ColorWare, Inc.has a list of devices it can colorize to make your personal player more cheerful. The company recently added the 4gig model to its line up also."[Via Colorwarepc.com]



The MethodShop Spin: Their process, which ColorWare describes as "a hybrid between the manufacturing and automotive painting industry," involves either sending them your iPod and having them paint it or purchasing one pre-painted. The coloring, which comes in 20 different shades, costs US$49 for a 1G, 2G or 3G iPod and $64 for a 4G model. The company also offers colored iBooks, PowerBooks and iMac G5s.



I love this ability because no longer do you have to sacrifice a smaller iPod for "cuteness" or appeal in its outer coat. Up until recently, all color and festivity was reserved for those only owning an iPod mini, but no longer is this true! The days of owning that mini just for its outer appeal and transferring playlists to meet its tiny maximum capacity are long gone, I can now use my 4g iPod and show it in style (not that its white standard was really ugly, just more typical).

"A marriage of iTunes and RSS, iPodder is small program that downloads audio files, usually in the MP3 format, from various Podcasts."[Via MacMerc]



The MethodShop Spin: Awesome utility here folks! Now I can catch all of my importants during my commute by simply syncing my iPod prior to my leave in the morning. The podcasts were something a lot of us were not familiar with for some time and it has taken time for them to get up to speed, but you can quickly fid them getting into the hearts of everyday travelers and the like listening to there needed news on their iPods. The concept rocks and its even multi-platform for those using windows (a Linux copy is in the works also ;-)

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Our Price: $224.99 (when purchased with service plan)

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Special Offers: $200.00

Price After Special Offers: $24.99 " [Amazon.com]



The PimpWiz Spin: Can you really beat a $25 dollar Sidekick II?

"AutoSync 'HAS BEEN' into your iPod Scotty!" William Shatner, aka Captain Kirk from Star Trek, is famous for many things from acting to writing novels. But should we add musician to that list?



William Shatner's new album, HAS BEEN, is a cross between electronic lounge music and spoken word resulting in an album unlike anything you've probably ever heard before. HAS BEEN was produced by Ben Folds, from Ben Folds Five, and features a ton of celebrity guest appearances including country star Brad Paisley, Henry Rollins, Jon Auer, Adrian Belew, Matt Chamberlain, Lemon Jelly, Aimee Mann, Joe Jackson and Sebastian Steinberg.

Here's a run down of a few of the songs:



The first track, "Common People", features Joe Jackson and is fantastic. I just checked in the iTunes Music Store and "Common People" is the top downloaded track off HAS BEEN. In the song, Shatner tells a story of a rich girl slumming, who is incapable of ever understanding what it means to be poor. The song "Has Been" from which the album gets its name, is a typical sad country song dismissing the critics of the world. "I Can't Get Behind That" is a classic Shatner style over-the-top rant duet with punk legend Henry Rollins. Has there ever been a rant duet before? "Ideal Woman" is an amusing series of backhanded compliments directed a woman. The album's closer "Real", written by country singer Brad Paisley, ends the album with a little bit of tough love. Listen up Star Trek fans, he's not Captain Kirk. William Shatner is just an actor.



Although Shatner is primarily known as an actor, the music industry isn't exactly uncharted territory for him. He's released two album before titled Spaced Out and Transformed Man. Both of which are campy novelty records and while they might have been "serious" music releases, they probably should have been classified under comedy. But if hearing Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner sings such tracks as "Highly Illogical", "If I Was a Carpenter" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" is your thing, then you should definitely check out Spaced Out.



The MethodShop Spin: HAS BEEN is not just a campy novelty record. It's actually decent music. Regardless, this album will provide you with endless amusement for many days to come! HAS BEEN is available in store everywhere October 5, 2004.

First Albany raised Apple Computer's (AAPL) stock price target to $44 from $35 due to the belief that fiscal fourth-quarter earnings iPod unit sales and will exceed current estimates. "We think investors are expecting continued upside, and we believe Apple has room to continue to exceed expectations based on multiple growth drivers"



[Via CBS MarketWatch]



The MethodShop Spin: Well it stinks in regards to the buyer, but in the end I think First Albany knows its decision is a "sure thing" and both the shareholder and Apple will benefit. With the increase in iPod purchases everyday and more people utilizing Apples revolution of consumer digital music tools (namely ITMS and the iPod in particular), I feel that theses growth drivers and the shareholders will continue to see Apple innovate and better these before mentioned accessories that are finding there way to millions and millions of music enthusiasts hearts everyday.

"I don't know what I said exactly, but it was baaaaad!"



Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's outspoken CEO, has responded to fierce criticism of his recent comments about users of the Apple iPod which he made to an exclusive group of UK journalists in Lonndon.



Speaking on Sunday evening, the Microsoft boss said the most common format of music on an iPod "stolen".



On the Dutch leg of his European tour he was asked to explain those views, as expressed in the silicon.com story. It was a question he had perhaps been expecting and was obviously aware of the backlash his words had evoked. However, his exact remarks had clearly, conveniently slipped his mind.



[Via Silicon.com]



The MethodShop Spin: Why ohh why must it be this way? Isn’t it enough already that Microsoft owns nearly 85% or more of the PC market as is in this world? Just as Apple once again out does it's competitors (this time in the music market with the iPod), must everyone try and bring down the good? I say "good" due to the overwhelmingly popular appeal for Apples iPod and ITMS companion. Known as the largest legal digital music service (ITMS) and the worlds #1 music player (iPod), Apple will continue to dominate the music markets with both products and increasingly raise the bar for competitors such as Microsoft when improving these products much like Apple recently did with its newest generation of iPod creations. When competitors such as Microsoft are loosing in there domination of all consumer electronics (which they are with digital music targets), it’s amazing how the greed shows in the eyes of its management. Why must Microsoft seize our every digital companion, make our lives so proprietary, and not just fess up to there incompetence? Just license the iPod and give it up Microsoft, just ask HP if you’re confused ;-)

"Now that the bricks-and-mortar music mart is on its way to becoming as relevant as the drive-thru dry cleaner, what will fans do? Those whose allegiance borders on the pathological will continue to find ways to get an artist's work early -- through peer-to-peer networks or diving into recording studio dumpsters. But if your loyalty is slightly less intense, I can recommend something that's likely to appeal.



That something is Kevin Savetz and Eric Wagner's Tunes Tracker , a free service that automatically emails you when new releases from preferred artists hit the shelves of the iTunes Music Store."[Via Playlist]

"Meet the f/x gods who created the most anticipated game of the year."

[Via WIRED News]

Cowboys using Palm Pilots? Just imagine Roy Rogers or the Lone Ranger riding through the great plains with a revolver in one hand and a Palm Pilot in the other. However, the reality of being a modern day Cowboy is a lot different than what we see on TV or in the movies.



"Only an authentic cowboy could live by himself for weeks at a time on a rocky and remote patch of ground in Idaho's central Owyhee County, a stretch of the interior West where cattle outnumber people by an untold margin. Today's art of cowboying is the same as it was 150 years ago, when cowboys in the Spanish vaquero tradition roamed mountain ranges and low-slung plains.



But in some ways, today's cowboy is as high-tech as he is high plains. Global positioning units tell cowboys where they are. Handheld computers allow them to accurately record range conditions. Biomedical research allows them to vaccinate calves for up to 15 diseases at a time." [Via SEATTLE TIMES]



The MethodShop Spin: What's next for the modern day Cowboy? Force-field fences and cattle tractor-beams?

If you are a Windows user and get disappointed about much more iPod software there is for Mac users, then iPOD AGENT will give you a smile. iPOD AGENT enables you to accomplish various common tasks that previously would have required 3rd party software. And it's FREE!





iPOD AGENT 0.7.10 Beta Features:



· Transfers songs from your iPod to your PC

· Transfers Outlook mail to your iPod

· Transfers Outlook appointments to your iPod

· Transfers Outlook contacts to your iPod

· Transfers Outlook tasks to your iPod

· Transfers Outlook notes to your iPod

· Fetches weather forecasts from the web and puts it on your iPod

· Fetches RSS news feeds from the internet and makes them available on your iPod

· Fetches local movie showtimes from the internet and makes them available on your iPod

· fetches daily horoscopes from the internet and makes them available on your iPod

· Transfer the contents of any folder on your PC to your iPod

· Copy any text file to your iPod - iPod Agent will automatically break these up into 4k size pages if necessary (the iPod has a limit of 4k size notes).

· Create listings of the songs on your iPod in plain text, HTML or CSV formats.



You can download iPOD AGENT from http://www.ipodsoft.com/



Note: This software does not make any changes to the iTunes database on the iPod. So, there is no chance that it will screw up your music on your iPod."[Via iPODSOFT]



The MethodShop Spin: That's a lot of features for a free application. We look forward to seeing this application come out of Beta.

"The music group says it's filed suits against 762 people it suspects of song swapping, including students from 26 different colleges and universities. The RIAA has now sued roughly 5,400 people over the past year."

[Via Wired News]