According to BusinessWeek, it looks like Apple is starting to buckle on its stance of consistent pricing for digital content in order to secure deals with the major film studios (via Mac Rumors). It appears likely that Apple is going to give the studios the $17 wholesale price for digital movies (comparable to the wholesale on DVDs) rather than the $14 that Apple has typically offered. Apple’s nearly bullet-proof image of late has been ever-so-slightly tarnished by the underwhelming performance of the AppleTV, and many analysts believe one of the missing elements to its success is to make more movie content available in iTunes. Whereas Apple has sold over 1 billion songs and 100 million TV shows, movies have sold a comparatively paltry 2 million downloads. Currently, movies are priced at $14.99 for new releases and $9.99 for older movies. MORE »

Before the days of LimeWire, Kazaa or BitTorrents, there was Napster. The poster-child for illegal music sharing was both the most lauded and most attacked service of its time. However, once the RIAA clued-in to what was going on and sued the bejesus out of Shawn Fanning and company, the once rebellious, anti-establishment symbol became a DRM-stricken, music subscription provider. Given recent developments, it comes as little surprise that – according to the Wall Street Journal – Napster will begin selling DRM-free MP3 files sometime this spring (via Silicon Alley Insider). MORE »

According to I4U News, iRiver has shown off their WiFi enabled portable device, the WING. Details are sketchy, but the initial specifications are impressive at first glance. The WING features a full QWERTY keyboard and a 4-inch, 800×480 resolution touchscreen. It supports VOIP and features a web browser along with email and messaging support. MORE »

Have you ever dealt with someone that owed you an apology, but didn’t realize it or even agree that they owed it? Once they dealt the apology, it probably felt cold and insincere if experience is a teacher. Well, chalk one up for Sony. According to Crave, their latest “apology” is rather cold and insincere and I’d just assume they didn’t apologize to begin with. The good news is this: Sony-BMG has finally followed the other major labels and has decided to sell their music in DRM-free MP3 format. But, as is usually the case with Sony, there is a catch. MORE »

Bill Gates’ last keynote ever at CES has come and gone, and Brier Dudley at The Seattle Times believes the lack of a big Xbox 360 announcement at CES was a missed opportunity. What’s interesting is not the dismay that Brier has expressed, but rather, what he’s dismayed about. Recent rumors were flying around that Microsoft would “finally” integrate an HD-DVD drive into a new Xbox 360 SKU, although the company has constantly reiterated that it has no plans to do so. This rumor, though, wasn’t what Brier was expecting. MORE »

If you’re like me (a scary proposition, I know) and you don’t have the spare $5.5 million to spend on a new super home, the house presented in the Popular Science “House of the Future” may be out of your reach. However, don’t let that stop you from taking a look at this incredibly impressive home because it may just give you a glimpse of what may be standard fare for home owners in the not too distant future. The home is an interesting mix of ultra-high tech, predicted technologies and currently available connected home techology. MORE »

For anyone that regularly reads PC Magazine, the term “perfect” rarely comes up and deservedly so. So few products ever hit the goldmine of pricing, styling and functionality. That’s why, when reading the review of the Winbook Jiv Mini MCE PC I was taken aback by the statement that the Jiv Mini is “the perfect home-theater PC.” Yes – perfect. And from a company whose name is not Sony, HP or Dell no less. MORE »

It is oh so good to have options – no matter what it is. The same can be said for the home PVR market. If you want Hi-Def and easy, you can opt for the new Hi-Def TiVo Series 3 that’s set to hit anyday now. If you want a full-blown media center, you may opt for buying a new PC with Microsoft’s own MCE 2005. However, if you’ve already got a PC and you want a refined Media Center interface to run on the cheap, you may want to consider taking a look at TVedia, an alternative to the offerings from Yahoo and Microsoft in the Media Center software market. MORE »

You know… for as long as Netflix and Blockbuster have been around, it’s been a complete shock to me that neither company has offered game rentals along with movies. Afterall, Blockbuster lets you rent games along with DVDs in their stores – but alas, neither of the two major online DVD rental carriers has bothered to add games to their lists. Well, they may end up regretting that decision in the light of a new competitor that aims to fill that gap. Intelliflix is the kind of option that movie and game enthusiasts have been yearning for. MORE »

TiVo lovers rejoice. Heck, anyone who is a fan of recording Hi-Definition television content should rejoice. Dave Zatz brings the good news that TiVo is getting very, very close to releasing the new Series 3 HD PVR to retail. In a letter sent to both the FCC and cable operators, TiVo disclosed that the Series3 units – which support 2 separate CableCARDs – are currently being tested and “will be generally available in retail stores soon.” The letter was sent in the hopes of preparing cable operators for the inevitable requests for 2 CableCARD decoders they will be getting from customers once the new PVR hits the street. The long overdue, and possibly company saving Series3 unit was announced January this year at CES 2006.