Speaking here just now on Microsoft’s Redmond campus, Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment & Devices Division, explained the strategy behind the company’s planned Zune media devices and services — the company’s forthcoming iPod and iTunes challengers. Bach cautioned the audience of financial analysts that the project will require an investment of hundreds of millions… Continue reading Microsoft Explains its Zune Strategy

Google-powered ads, which have become a mainstay on Web sites, are now being played on at least one radio station in Detroit. And like so many other Motor City radio products, it won’t be long before they go global. Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in a conference call with analysts last week that the… Continue reading Google Testing Adsense for Radio

A spokeswoman for Apple Computer on Friday said she was recently misquoted in a comment on the life-span of the company’s iPod digital music players. Earlier this week, Chicago Tribune quoted Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris as saying iPods have a relatively low failure rate and that they are designed to last “four years.” However, Kerris… Continue reading iPods built to last 'for years,' not 'four years'

It looks as though the RIAA has quietly dropped several lawsuit cases rather quickly because the defense started to ‘cry IP’: For years, the RIAA has claimed that having the IP address of a computer that has shared unauthorized files is the equivalent of having the evidence of who was actually sharing files. That, of… Continue reading How To Make the RIAA Drop the Case

Though some iPods do develop faults, Apple builds them to last at least four years, the company claims. A Chicago Tribune report weighs up the cacophony of complaints regarding Apple’s music players. With Apple selling millions of these devices each month, it’s likely that any percentage of failure would be well reported. Apple believes there… Continue reading iPod Life Estimated at Four Years