CNET News Daily Podcast: Is free, ad-supported music downloading dead?
Greg Sandoval talks about what led to SpiralFrog's sudden death, and whether other sites have any hope of pursuing a similar model successfully.
Editor's note: Today's whole podcast has now been uploaded. Enjoy!
On Thursday afternoon when SpiralFrog quietly closed down, it became the second free music downloading site supported by ad sales to bite the dust this year. CNET News reporter Greg Sandoval, who broke the story of SpiralFrog's demise, reflects on the future of free music online and whether any model can dislodge Apple's iTunes dominance.
Also in today's podcast, Steve Ballmer speaks publicly about Apple, checking in on the latest battleground in the ongoing browser wars, turning trash into ethanol, and a look at the technology showcased in "Battlestar Galactica."
Listen now: Download today's podcast
Today's stories:
Requiem for a frog: SpiralFrog shuts down
Report: Ballmer dishes on Apple
TomTom countersues Microsoft in patent dispute
Browser war centers on once-obscure JavaScript
SonyEricsson warns of deepening losses