iPod

The Zune has wireless song sharing built in, but it comes with a three-playback restriction and--let's face it--most of the world has iPods. No worries: iPod sharing is coming in the form of a $100 gadget available later this month.

I've seen previews of the upcoming miShare in Engadget and Gizmodo, but the device got some major publicity today in the form of a quick New York Times review. (The company is based in Brooklyn.)

The concept's simple: connect miShare to two iPods (it doesn't work with first- or second-generation iPods, nor with the Shuffle or … Read more

Macworld is a little like the Super Bowl: one big day where everything gets laid out on the table.

So, let's break down Macworld 2008, Super Bowl style. Instead of offense, defense, and special teams, however, I'll take each of the big four themes that Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented, and share my thoughts.

MacBook Air -- I'm not crazy about the name, but this is a nice-looking laptop. Ultraportable laptops are prestige products for both the vendor and the customer; Apple gets to show off what it's capable of designing, while the customer gets to … Read more

The Macalope was certain that the whining would be swift and furious over Apple charging $20 for the same software features iPhone users get for free. As Adrian Kingsley-Hughes so brilliantly puts it:

Come on Steve, give your biggest fans a break.

Yeah!

$20 is awfully steep to add a little functionality to the iPod touch - functionality that already exists for the iPhone.

Yeah!

... I feel that this is going too far.

Yeah! Unlike all the other times Adrian writes about Apple!

Or not!

Whatever!

Well, dear reader, if you're experiencing a bit of deja vu over this, … Read more

By now you're surely read the big news -- Time Capsule backup device, a strong iPhone update, movie rentals with an accompanying Apple TV update and the ultra light MacBook Air -- so the Macalope won't rehash it.

It's a solid follow-up to last year's Keynote which was a tough act to follow. You can't get a new iPhone every year, but the MacBook Air comes pretty darned close.

One thing the horny one will call out is that Fox's Jim Gianopolus is one entertainment industry executive who seems to "get it" (… Read more

Several CES booths had the telltale orange and black HD Radio sign, designating that they were selling at least one device with an HD Radio receiver in it. There was also some buzz over a new feature that lets you flag a song for later purchase on iTunes (this works only on models with an iPod dock). I stopped by iBiquity's booth--they're the developers of HD Radio technology--to get an overview of all the supported devices out there, and it's a pretty impressive list, including home radios from Creative, JBL, and Sony, plus automotive radios from many … Read more

So yes, there are iPhone-related products at CES 2008 primarily focused covers and protective skins and audio speakers. Two products that really caught my eye in terms of form and function are B&W's Zepplin (yes, a Zeplin, like the Hindenpeter of Family Guy fame - hope this one doesn't burst into flames) and THX/Razer's Mako speakers. Both are definitely against the grain from a Bose or a Altec Lansing iPod docking audio system. I've never liked the Bose docks - the sound is too grainy or metallic, and the Altec Lansing product at … Read more

Ion's digital turntables, which let you convert LP records directly to digital files, aren't new--I first saw them at the 2006 CES--but the company is showing more sophisticated equipment each time I stop by their booth. This year, they're showing off their LP Dock turntables, which not only feature a USB connection out but also a dock for selected iPods (5th gen and Classic and 2nd and 3rd gen Nano). This lets you record directly to the device via Voice Memo mode.

But I hadn't seen their URecord before--it's like their digital turntables but more … Read more

Congratulations, Stacie Somers of San Diego County! You're the first jackass of 2008!

Well, OK, technically, since the suit was filed on December 31, you're the last jackass of 2007. But as it's already prompted some very silly analysis that we'll have to deal with this year, we're going to put it on the 2008 books, nnkay?

The tip o' the old antlers on this one goes to a friend of the Macalope's who happens to be a lawyer (and a woodland gnome, incidentally), who forwards it on with the one-word summary "Crazy.&… Read more

ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes wonders, will Apple every fully embrace DRM-free music?

Causing the Macalope to wonder, will this raging headache right between the antlers ever stop?

Musing on the recording industry's current penchant for only selling DRM-free tracks through stores other than Apple's Kingsley-Hughes says:

While I can't see this having an effect on iPod sales, a decline in iTunes sales could ding Apple's profits, which in turn might mean that it has to get with the 21st century and throw away the digital shackles and compete openly.

You really haven't been paying any … Read more