NPR has introduced a custom branded podcast player for Facebook, based on technology from SplashCast.

The application, called the NPR Podcast Player, displays the latest episodes of a variety of NPR Podcasts. Facebook users can add the application to their profiles to automatically receive new NPR Podcasts episodes to listen to and to share this great content with their friends.

The player is also embeddable:

The New York Times has a decent overview of recent developments in streaming video today:

“There is extreme interest in streaming because it simplifies the process of getting video to the consumer,” said Ross Rubin, the director of industry analysis for the NPD Group, a market analysis company.

Streaming video, unlike downloads, never resides on a viewer’s computer. It usually cannot be replayed as a downloaded file can be, which is another reason that content creators like it.

The growing use and popularity of streaming among consumers are closely tied to the increasing popularity of broadband Internet connections in homes. The Pew Internet & American Life Project estimated that 47 percent of American households have broadband connections that make streaming possible because it transmits data faster.

“The greater adoption of broadband in the United States is really raising the ante for all kinds of content from premium Hollywood offerings to pet videos,” said Mr. Rubin, who noted that NBC and ABC have begun streaming their prime-time programming to online viewers.

What isn’t clear, though, is whether these current streaming solutions can grow beyond niche audiences. Many of the current streaming offerings depend on proprietary players, which limit adoption and device compatibility.

A survey (pdf)¬†of music fans in the UK suggests that pricing at Apple’s iTunes music store may be keeping people from buying more legal music downloads, and could be driving people to file-sharing sites. Equally surprising, the survey suggests that most music fans don’t know or care about DRM (Digital Rights Management software).

iTunes Pricing Slowing Growth of Legal Downloads

• The survey identifies a slowdown in the increase in the population of legal downloaders, with a¬†40% growth rate in users in 2006 reduced to some 15% in 2007.
• The survey reveals a marked decline in the perceived price advantage of legal downloads over CDs.¬†In 2007, only 31% see pricing as an advantage of digital music downloads.
• iTunes’ one-price-fits-all approach to music pricing appears to be a barrier to purchasing. 84% of consumers said that older digital downloads should be cheaper, while 48% claimed they would be prepared to pay more for newly released tracks.
• After a decline in 2006, unauthorised downloading increased in 2007 to its highest level to date

• 2005 = 40% incidence
• 2006 = 36% incidence
• 2007 = 43% incidence

DRM Not Big Factor In Purchasing Decisions For Most

• Most people don‚Äôt know enough about DRM to care about it.
• Among those that know about DRM, there are conflicting opinions. 63% said that it was useful for protecting music against file sharing, but 68%¬†said that music¬†downloads are ‚ÄúOnly worth purchasing if free of DRM.‚Äù
• Of those that care about DRM, most are willing to pay a little extra for tracks free of DRM.

 

Audiophile loudspeaker maker Bowers & Wilkins has announced the Zeppelin speaker system, a high-end dirigible-shaped dock & speaker system for the iPod.

“The iPod deserves no less than the best audio reproduction possible” says Evert Huizing, B&W Executive VP of Business Development, “and we believe Zeppelin delivers the truest, most life-like sound from it. We‚Äôve incorporated our 40 years of technology and know-how into a product that we hope will allow us to introduce a new market to the level of sound quality enjoyed by professionals every day.”

In creating Zeppelin, Bowers & Wilkins has tried to marry top-of-the-line audio quality with cutting edge design. Its larger bass unit sits in the center of the device and the form tapers towards the ends, where the smaller mid-range and tweeter drivers are accommodated.

Zeppelin will be available for purchase from September 2007 at select Apple Stores nationwide and online at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $599.00.

Antivirus researchers have identified a new Windows virus, W32/Deletemp3.worm, searches your hard drive and deletes all your MP3s. The virus spreads by copying itself onto any drives on your PC, including removable media and flash drives. If you move the drive to a new computer, it gets infected, too.

The virus was discovered July 30th, and is considered a fairly low risk because of the way it is spread. Systems affected are Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

There are a few undocumented changes to the iPhone’s features hidden in the device’s recent update:

• In the Favorites list in the Phone module, the iPhone‚Äôs equivalent of a speed-dial list, you can now have 50 entries instead of 20.
• In the email module, you can now automatically BCC yourself on every message you send, allowing you to get a copy without revealing to the sender that you are doing so.
• The iPhone can now play music through many previously incompatible car adapters and other external speakers originally designed for the iPod.
• Wifi networks with security enabled no longer require you to specify whether it‚Äôs an ASCII password or HEX passcode.
• Bluetooth no longer drops connection to many in-car BT handsfree setups (Audi and others).
• IMAP no longer requires a ‚Äúpath prefix‚Äù field to display folders. Also, it no longer crashes the Mail application.
• Album view no longer gets ‚Äústuck‚Äù in a specific album if you select one, and then hit the ‚Äúhome‚Äù button.
• Passcode Lock period. You now have choices of 10, 15, 30 mins and 1 hr.
• Hosted Exchange IMAP accounts now show all of folders, instead of just Inbox, Drafts, Sent, and Trash.

via WSJ

According to ChangeWave’s July 18-20 consumer cell phone survey, Apple’s Internet-media saavy iPhone is changing the game within the telecom industry.

Even though it’s been on the market just a month, the Apple iPhone is already registering in ChangeWave’s survey results. Among respondents who say they plan to buy a cell phone in the next six months, an astounding 16% say they’ll purchase an iPhone ‚Äì catapulting Apple ahead of all other manufacturers:

Consumer Satisfaction Levels

ChangeWave also asked consumers how satisfied they were with their current cell phone, and found the iPhone registering the highest satisfaction level of any device. An extraordinary 77% of iPhone owners said they were Very Satisfied with their new Apple product.

It’s worth noting that ChangeWave’s survey focuses on early-adopters, who are more likely than average to use some of the iPhone’s cutting-edge features. We also looked at the cellular service providers market, where the survey found clear signs of the impact Apple’s exclusive agreement with AT&T is having on the competition.

The survey also suggests that AT&T is likely to steal marketshare away from Verizon, and Apple will be stealing phone sales away from Motorola.

The iPhone momentum ChangeWave identified in two previous surveys (January 2007 and April 2007), coupled with the exceptionally strong momentum found in the current survey, points to an upheaval among cell phone manufacturers and service providers as a result of Apple’s new multifunctional device.

Billboard today announced an update to its Hot 100 list, a ranking of the top 100 songs in the US, adding weekly streamed and on-demand music data from AOL Music and Yahoo! Music.

The Billboard Hot 100¬†ranks songs by aggregating sales and radio data. Digital delivery began playing an important role in the chart’s composition in February 2005, when Billboard factored in the sale of digital tracks, as measured by Nielsen SoundScan from a comprehensive panel of online merchants. The chart also factors radio impressions and retail single sales, tracked by Nielsen SoundScan to reflect the 100 most popular songs.

The new formula is heavily weighted towards traditional radio and digital sales:

• Radio audience will average about 55% of the chart’s total points;
• Digital sales will account for about 40%;
• Streaming media will determine 5%;
• Physical singles–in line with the music industry’s retreat from that product over the past decade — account for less than 1% of the chart’s new formula.

While the updates are much needed, Billboard’s charts miss podcasts and other Internet media that are increasingly popular. For tracking “music 2.0” consumption, Apple’s iTunes podcast and music download rankings may offer more useful information than anything Billboard provides.
 

MXL Microphones has introduced a new USB mic, the MXL 990 USB Stereo Condenser Microphone.

The MXL 990 features two gold diaphragm capsules in an X/Y stereo configuration and promises rich sound with excellent spatial imaging. The MXL 990 USB is a Universal Serial Bus instrument that connects directly to a computer without the need for external mic preamps. Featuring support for USB 1.1 and 2.0, the microphone includes gain adjustment settings via a built-in three position attenuation switch.

As a plug and play device for both Windows and Macintosh, the mic requires no special drivers. The microphone is optimized for capturing a wide range of musical performances—both vocal and instrumental. The MXL 990 USB Stereo Condenser Microphone also has a maximum SPL (Sound Pressure Level) rating of 137 dB—making it an excellent choice for capturing loud instruments such as trumpet, saxophone, or electric guitar.

The new MXL 990 USB Stereo Condenser Microphone ships with a travel case, a mic stand adapter, a shock mount, a 10-foot USB cable, an owner’s manual, and an applications guide.

The mic carries an MSRP of $199.95. It is scheduled to ship Q3 of 2007.

Puretracks.com today becomes the first Canadian digital music store to sell EMI’s digital music catalogue in an unrestricted¬†MP3 file format, without digital rights management (DRM). Beginning immediately in the Canadian market, you can purchase tracks from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Canada’s Nickelback as MP3s.”EMI tracks purchased at Puretracks will play on any portable music device, including MP3-enabled phones and the iPod. Interoperability has been a huge issue and this is a big step forward in solving it,” says Alistair Mitchell, President and CEO, Puretracks. “This is a watershed moment for the digital music business.”

Albums in MP3 format will retail for the same price as DRM-enabled albums. Single tracks will retail for CDN $1.29. With this announcement, Canadians now have a new alternative where they can purchase EMI digital music for their iPod, as well as MP3 enabled phones or other music players.

“EMI Music Canada wants to give fans the best possible digital music buying experience, and our premium download offering is a fundamental part of our strategy,” says Deane Cameron, President EMI Music Canada. “We are proud that Puretracks is the first Canadian retailer to offer EMI’s DRM-free downloads in the MP3 format. We are confident that artists on EMI’s roster, as well as those on our distributed labels will see a good lift in digital sales as a result.”