Apple Holding An Music/iPod Related Event on Sept 9th

In what has become an annual ritual, Apple will be holding a press event either on Sept 9th, or close to it (it hasn’t been officially confirmed).  The event will most likely be to introduce new iPods, and a new version of iTunes.  The iPods are expected to gain camera functionality, similar to the iPhone, and iTunes is supposed to gain a social element to it, but no one really knows what that means.  Though there is a lot of talk of an Apple tablet device, it is expected not to be discussed at this event.  As more rumors surface closer to the event I’ll post them here.

Point of this post: If you want to purchase an iPod, I might wait until Sept 9th!

Want To Use Microsoft Word? Yeah There Isn’t An App For That…For Now

Though it seems this order will be short lived, a court in Texas has banned Microsoft from selling or importing their MS Word software after a judge ruled that it infringes on a patent related to XML.  I am not sure I completely understand what they infringed upon, but it has something to do with how Word uses XML tags and how users can enter into their documents.  A court in Texas had already ruled on this issue in May forcing MS to fork over 200 million, but it seems MS continued using the patented technology, and has now stepped in even more muck.  Any current user of MS Word won’t be effected, and with Microsoft planning on appealing the case, this issue really shouldn’t effect many for awhile.  To read more, click the link below:

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Microsoft and Yahoo Finally Strike Up A Search Deal

All the details have not been released but Microsoft’s on again off again love affair with Yahoo is now on again, but this time it looks for real.  A big stock swap does not appear to be in the works, it seems that the deal mostly involves sharing technology and profits from the search business.  Microsoft will provide the search engine for both Yahoo and their upstart search site Bing, and Yahoo will provide their ad driving system, and ad sales force for both the sites.  They hope to reduce overall costs by sharing their technology, and be able to increase their overall share of the search business against Google.  Between both Bing and Yahoo they only make up close to 30 percent of the search business.  The deal still has to pass the government’s OK, which they expect to happen by the fall.

My personal opinion is that it won’t really make a difference.  I use Google not because I think it’s really any better than any other site, but because it’s habit for me to just “google it”.  I don’t know if there is something they could provide that would make me switch, but I guess time will tell.

If you would like to read more details on the deal, click the link below:

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Barnes And Noble Wi-Fi Now Free

All I can say is Finally…In an effort to promote their new e-bookstore, Barnes and Nobel has decided to make their wi-fi free for their customers in their stores.  It always annoyed me to no end that they charged to access wi-fi there.  All it really did was push me to hanging out in Panera instead of their store which I would prefer anyway.  So for those that spend time in their cafe rejoice because you should now be able to get your fill of the Internets while enjoying an overpriced beverage supplied by Stabucks

Update – Palm Updates WebOS For The Pre – Syncing With iTunes Is Back

With today’s update to the WebOS (the O/S on the Palm Pre), syncing with iTunes is now back.  As I reported several days ago Apple updated iTunes for what seems as no other reason than to break the ability for the Pre to sync with iTunes.  Somehow Palm has figured out the fix and pushed it out.  There haven’t been many reports out there saying if it is truly fixed since the 87MB file gets automatically pushed to your phone over several hours/days, but I am sure they will be coming soon.  Palm is taking Apple head on, both with their phone, and their ads.  In what was either a taunt to Apple’s co-founder, or just a coincidence, the press release of the Web O/S update included this:

“Oh, and one more thing: Palm webOS 1.1 re-enables Palm media sync. That’s right–you once again can have seamless access to your music, photos and videos from the current version of iTunes (8.2.1).”

Palm took the “one more thing” snippet that Jobs usually uses in his keynotes, and used it to stick their tongues out at Apple.  This back and forth will probably continue until either Apple finds a way to break the syncing permanently, or Palm figures out a better way to complete the direct syncing with iTunes.

So Palm Pre owners go get your update, and if everything goes right, you can now update iTunes to the most recent version.

Apple Updates iTunes – Breaks Syncing With The Palm Pre

This is a head scratcher for me…With the release of the Palm Pre, Palm was touting that you could sync your Pre using iTunes.  They supposedly got iTunes to think the Pre was an iPod, and it allowed syncing, and easy purchasing from the iTunes music store.  Apple stated when the Pre was released that they will not promise that the functionality will work in future updates.  Well Apple released iTunes 8.2.1, and it broke it alright.  The release notes included this note:

“”iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses and issue with verification of Apple devices.”

This just doesn’t make much sense to me.  I know that the iPhone and the Pre are competing in the same market, but it seems that Apple is basically getting mad, taking their toys, and going home with them.  iTunes is marketed as a free product to manage your media. It allows you to organize your music and download music from the iTunes store.  It’s not called iPod Music Manager, so why would they get up in arms about other devices working with their product?  I just don’t understand why they would want to lose users of their program, and potential customers of their music and movie store.  It seems counter-intuitive to me.

So long story short, Palm Pre owners – Don’t updgrade iTunes. You’ll be sorry!

Amazon’s Kindle Reader Now $299

The wanters of the Kindle, rejoice.  The price of the standard Kindle has been dropped by 60 dollars, and now costs 299.  Amazon stated that costs of production have dropped due to the number of Kindles created.  For 299 you get the most popular e-book reader, and limited wireless access to download new books, and search for things on google etc.  I don’t read enough to justify the price, but for some breaking that 300 dollar barrier might do the trick.

Pandora Radio Lives On

For those that use the online Pandora Radio, there is good news.  They have made a deal through 2015 with the record labels to keep them online.  Pandora was close to being shut down because the greedy record execs wanted a piece of the pie, and raised the royalty rates through the roof for online radio. The radio execs got away with it because the sites like Pandora had no lobbyists to stand up for them.  So to help fight them off, Pandora and others like them started a social movement and got their listeners to call their Congressmen, which got them a lifeline to keep going until an equitable deal could be reached.  Online web casters will still be charged more than regular radio stations (for some reason unknown to me), but hopefully this deal will allow sites like Pandora to keep going.  I found a decent article on TechCrunch that explains the deal.  Click the link below for more:

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FTC To Monitor Blogs For Failure To Disclose Conflicts of Interest

When I get ready to make a purchase of something that I haven’t bought before I usually scour the web for reviews of the product. I usually start with Amazon, but I also look for blogs that review the product to try and get a personal review.  What I didn’t know at first, and what many other people might not know is that some of the blogs out there will put positive reviews of a product on their blog in hopes of getting money from the vendor selling the product.  I realized this first hand when we were looking to buy an elliptical machine for our home last year.  There was a “home gym review blog” out there that gave glowing reviews of products that in actuality were crap, but since he made money on his reviews, and if someone bought the product through a link on his site he put a glowing report on his blog.  Well the FTC has decided that they have had enough and coming this summer the FTC will release new guidelines that will allow the FTC to go after bloggers that do not disclose that they are getting kickbacks from the vendor.  I think it’s a good idea since the reader will have a better idea if a blogger review is an honest review, or just a way to get a buck.

FYI-Since I don’t have money to buy things, and comanies don’t send me stuff to try out for free, I promise I do not have a conflict in any of my blog posts

Want Your GPS To Talk To You Like Homer Simpson??? Yeah They Got That

For anyone that can’t get enough of the Simpsons, there is now an option to have your gps speak like Homer Simpson.  Instead of “make a U-turn if possible” now you can get “Doh, you missed the turn, turn around!”  The service comes from Tom Tom, and you can download the voice off their website (www.tomtom.com).  There are several others you can download too, the Monty Python crew, Mr.T, and Knight Rider among others.  Check out their website for specs, and requirements.