The other week I wrote a rant about mySpace mp3 downloads I was also a little bit rude about Tom from mySpace. I was angry because songs on mySpace kept getting streamed in my browser instead of downloaded, I thought it was something Tom had done, in actual fact Tom wasn’t the culprit at all, the real villain was none other than Steve Jobs!

Recently I had installed iTunes on my PC at work, these days iTunes comes bundled with QuickTime. When QuickTime installed, it forced mp3 files in FireFox to be associated with itself rather than be saved to disk (which was my previous default).

To solve this irritating problem load up FireFox click on Tools then Options.

Next click on the content tab, click the manage button in the file types section at the bottom.

You’ll see a big list of file which have been associated with Quicktime, find mp3 files in the list and click on the button that says “remove action” to remove its association with Quicktime. When you click on hyperlinks to mp3s you should now get the prompt to open or save.

I’d like to take this chance to publicly apologise to Tom from mySpace as I know he’s very sensitive about mockery especially when it comes from a prominent member of the blogosphere like myself!

/* Pete Graham */

So there’s been some banter on this blog about the “Mac vs PC” advert spoofs over on YouTube. I’ve watched a few of them and this Wii VS PS3 spoof is current favorite. Enjoy!

/* Pete Graham */

Apple has released some UK only adverts which feature the comedy duo Michelle and Web from the peek show. These adverts are a reworking of their Americans ones which feature one character as a PC; who is slightly uptight, uncool has bad hair and a bad suit. The Mac character on the other hand is laidback, friendly and hip. The adverts show the two characters interacting in various scenarios which help to point out how the Mac is great for “fun stuff” and the PC is best suited for business use.

Personally I found the adverts quite amusing the first time I saw them (I’m now sick of them because they’re on the UK version of mySpace all the bloody time), did the adverts make me want to buy a Mac? No they didn’t. The reason for this the same reason other Mac adverts have irritated me in the past, they’re quite smug! The casting of Michelle and Web probably doesn’t help as we know their characters from the peep show. So before the advert begins I was imagining the “PC” character as being a quite likable but bumbling oaf, and the “Mac” character as being a slightly irritating pretentious twat.

I wondered if it was just me that saw the add like this because I’d watched a lot of the peep show but there is an article on the BBC site which voices very similar opinions. Maybe Apple underestimated how well known the comedy duo were in England.

Now I’m not anti-Apple, I used to own a iPod until it broke. One of the thing that I have found about some Mac owners is they will quite happily bore you about how much better Macs are than PCs with a slightly smug look on their face. Becoming one of these is the reason more than anything that’s prevented me from buying/using Macs. Is this attitude reflected by the adverts or caused by them? Your guess is as good as mine.

# Pete Graham

Apple Overlord Steve Jobs has also been getting his bearded face in the papers because he’s finally managed to settle the legal dispute between Apple Computers (now just Apple) and the Beatles owned Apple records. Interestedly Apple is now able to sell iPods preloaded with music. iPod will be the New CD is an interesting article which explores the idea that if iPod Shuffle can be sold cheaply enough preloaded with music they could completely replace CD’s. I though this theory was bizarre at first but iPod Shuffle’s are essentially flash memory drives with a few microchips for the firmware. Flash memory sticks are so cheap these days that many companies give them away like pens or key-rings. The articles author Leander Kahney speculates that the Shuffle’s could be skinned to make them more collectable, it’s certainly a good concept.

There is an interesting article on Information Architects about a theoretical iPhone range. The article is quite detailed and explains the features each model would offer and the type of consumer they would appeal to. I can’t see anything like these actual models produced as they suggest dropping music playback from the iPhone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple do attempt to create a range of iPhones.

One topic the article touches upon is the huge scope for simplification and reduction of facilities in modern mobile phones. You might want the latest phone with mp3 player, camera, and video games but your Gran probably doesn’t.

To read my previous iPhone pondering click here.

/* Pete Graham */

There has been much discussion in the media this week about DRM (Digital Rights Management) and downloadable music. Apple Overlord Steve Jobs has done a U-turn and now decided that he doesn’t like DRM, Jobs has told the press that the only reason songs downloaded from his iTunes store are locked with DRM is because “the big record companies made me do it”. Sceptics are saying this sudden change of heart is mainly due to new European DRM legislation which means come Summer Apple may not be able to sell downloadable music with their currently DRM setup in some countries.

Personally I’d love to have the convenience of downloading music from the iTunes store, the reason I don’t is I refuse to pay money for music locked into being stored on one computer and one device. If I go to the shops to buy a CD (or order CDs from Amazon) its less convenient but once I’ve got that CD I can rip, and then move or copy the files to which ever computer or mp3 player I want to use. Majority of digital Music is ripped from CDs, so why would people be anymore likely to copy just because it was downloaded?

The other reason I don’t use the iTunes store is I don’t think its great value for money. If I buy a CD it’s around the same price as downloading the Album but I get a nice case and a booklet, I can put that on a shelf with other CDs and impress chicks. I’d like to see Apple offer a subscription based service where the user pays a set free for as many downloads as they like. If people had no download cap on the iTunes store why would they bother “illegally” swapping mp3s with each other anyway?

Interesting Bill Gates stated in December 2006 that he feels that digital copy protection for music and video is too complex. Hopefully with big names in Technology realising that DRM is a problem this could be the begging of the end for DRM, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

# Pete Graham

On Tuesday this week Mac Overlord Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone after months of speculation what the device would look like and how it would work. Now there’s no doubt that Apple with shift millions of these devices, Steve Jobs could announce a new product called the iTurd [1] and millions of Apple fanatics would still rush out to buy it. The real question is not if the device will be successful but how successful will the device will be?

Most people have an mp3 player and a phone; combining the industries best selling mp3 player and a phone makes excellent sense, one device less hassle. What Apple is aiming to do is much more ambitious they are attempting to create a portable multimedia device that will have mainstream appeal. Read the rest of this entry »