Olympus has introduced three new DS-Series digital voice recorders, the new Olympus DS-30, DS-40 and DS-50, that are optimized for downloading, listening to and creating podcasts. The new recorders’ high sound quality is also great for listening to audio books and music, making them the all-in-one audio device.

Software included with the devices is designed to make downloading podcasts easy, according to Olympus. Podcasts are updated automatically each time the audio recorder is connected to or “synchronized” with a computer. The new voice recorders are also specifically designed to work with Audible.com, a leading online provider of audio books and other spoken entertainment and information.

Features:

• The highest sound quality in the Olympus line-up with the new XSHQ Remarkable Stereo Sound Quality mode. The new DS-Series devices can record and play audio content up to 44.1 kilohertz (kHz), which is equal to the sound quality of most CDs.
• A removable stereo microphone for recording high-quality digital audio.
• A “Voice Guidance” function that talks, confirming which settings have been selected and helping visually challenged users to navigate the device.
• Built-in memory from 256MB to 512MB to one gigabyte that enables amazingly long recording times ranging up to 275 hours.
• “PC Link” enables the recorders to connect to a PC via the included USB cable for quick downloading of audio files to and from a computer.

“Our DS-Series voice recorders have been used for years by professionals such as doctors and lawyers to capture audio throughout their workday,” said Andy Flagg, director, Sales and Marketing, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “These new devices have moved from the hospital and courtroom into their personal lives. With stereo headphones and up to one gigabyte memory, the new devices are optimal for holding virtual libraries of music, audio books and podcasts, as well as the traditional voice recordings.”

Mopar, DaimlerChrysler’s original equipment manufacturer, has announced that it has expanded availability of its factory-engineered iPod Integration Kits for most Chrysler Group vehicles.

Mopar’s iPod Integration Kit provides direct connectivity between your iPod and the vehicle’s audio sound system. The iPod attaches to a custom cable port located in the glove box. The iPod adaptor module is concealed under the vehicle dash, translating and then sending the signal to the vehicle’s radio receiver.

Once attached, all iPod control functions are available through the vehicle’s audio sound system. Using the audio system or steering wheel controls, drivers can browse their iPod music collection of playlists, song titles, and artists that are viewable on the radio display face. Radio display and audio prompt features vary between radio model.

“People love their iPods and they love their cars. Expanding availability of our iPod Integration Kits means more Chrysler Group vehicle owners can hit the road and enjoy both,” said Chris Cortez, Senior Vice President – Global Service & Parts, Chrysler Group.

A Brazilian court has ordered YouTube to be shut down until it removes a celebrity sex video featuring Daniela Cicarelli, a model and ex-wife of soccer great Ronaldo. Cicarelli sued YouTube after a video of her apparently having sex in shallow water on a beach with her boyfriend Tato Malzoni was posted to the site.

Cicarelli and boyfriend Tato Malzoni filed to force YouTube to take the video down and demanded $116,000 in damages for each day the video remains up. Some copies of the video have been taken off the site but users have reposted it.

The case dragged on for several months before they filed a third suit in December requesting that YouTube be shut down as long as the video is available to users.

Juniper Research is predicting that the increasing influence of mobile video enabled on 3G networks will drive the uptake of many mobile sports, leisure and information services over the next five years. The global market for sports, leisure and information content (infotainment) is set to grow from its 2006 value of just under $4.2 billion to $9.5 billion by 2011.

The largest geographic market is forecast to be in Europe, which is expected to account for 40% of revenues over the 2006 to 2011 period, with Asia Pacific contributing 33% and the rapidly growing North American market 18%. Asia Pacific is forecast to generate the most infotainment traffic over the period, but higher price levels will make Europe the largest revenue generator.

‚ÄúVideo has the potential to transform the user experience of many infotainment services, provided the video quality is good enough,” said report author Bruce Gibson. “The continued roll-out of 3G services globally will provide the platform for the development of high quality video content based services.‚Äù

Sirius Satellite Radio today announced that it ended 2006 with approximately 6,024,000 subscribers, an 82% increase over the company’s 2005 ending subscriber base, but short of its goals for the year.

Based on preliminary financial data, Sirius also achieved its first ever quarter of positive free cash flow in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Both Sirius and XM have struggled to achieve profitability, faced with high costs for user acquisition and growing competition from Internet radio and podcasts.

PodZinger has announced that it is now indexing the audio content of YouTube videos, letting you search YouTube videos for spoken words or phrases.

“YouTube has garnered a huge amount of press and interest over the past year. Its reputation as a grass roots online forum for sharing is cemented by it being the driving force behind Time Magazine‚Äôs choice to name the online generated content user/owner as their Person of The Year,” notes PodZinger at their blog. “Now with this new PodZinger feature, you can access and search YouTube material allowing for more specific search of their user generated content. Now besides simply searching on the metadata of the video files, you can search for terms that are actually mentioned inside the audio, allowing for a greater likelihood you will find relevant material. We‚Äôre also automatically organizing the videos into channels based on the actual content of the video. Today you can narrow your search within entertainment, sports, and anime. And we‚Äôll continue to add more.”

via SplashCast

Failed Internet video site Intertainer has filed a lawsuit asserting that Apple, Google and Napster are infringing on a 2005 patent that covers the commercial distribution of audio and video over the Internet.

Founded by Jonathan T. Taplin and two other Hollywood entertainment executives in 1996, Intertainer developed technology to distribute movies on demand through cable and phone lines for viewing on televisions and personal computers. It gained investors including Intel, Microsoft, Sony, NBC and Comcast.

“Intertainer was the leader of the idea of entertainment on demand over Internet platforms before Google was even thought up,” said Mr. Taplin, now an adjunct professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. He and a secretary constitute the entire remaining staff of Intertainer.

According to Theodore Stevenson, Intertainer’s lawyer, the company filed suit against Apple, Google and Napster because they were perceived as leaders in the market for digital downloads. He declined to specify the damages that Intertainer was seeking.

Apple, Google and Napster have declined to comment on the lawsuit.

via VPN, New York Times

7 women of podcasting have banded together for Podshow’s Showgirls, a new podcast starring Cali Lewis from Geekbrief TV, Share from Rock and Roll TV, KFC from the Podchick podcast, Anji Bee from the Chillcast, SoccerGirl from SoccerGirl Incorporated and Karla and Karen from Rumor Girls along with moderator Franklin McMahon.

“It’s evident that in the past year female podcasters have become a huge force in this new media arena” says producer Franklin McMahon, “each of these women already produce very popular shows on their own. This new program gives them a chance to let their hair down and chat, and it also gives listeners a treat by featuring their favorite podcast stars…multiplied by seven.”

Topics include the Showgirls’ insights on everything from world events, to entertainment, to technology as well as a behind the scenes look at what it takes to produce their podcasts.

The Wall Street Journal today has a myopic report on the state of music podcasting, saying that podcasters have failed to make headway in the area of music podcasts.

The focus of the article is on the mainstream music industry’s tentative steps into the world of podcasting, but the article ignores the tremendous popularity of music podcasts that feature music from outside the world of the big four music companies.

“When podcasts attained prominence in 2004, amateurs and advertisers alike heralded the downloadable audio programs as the next step in the evolution of broadcasting,” writes WSJ’s Ethan Smith. “But they have failed to make headway in one key area: music programming.”

“The major record labels and music publishers that control the rights to about 75% of the commercially released music in the U.S. have refused to make deals that would allow songs to be used in podcasts,” adds Smith. “Consequently, podcasts have been blocked from using this music, at least legitimately. That has stopped music-oriented radio programming from being available as podcasts.”

The Journal article goes on to discuss a couple of podcasts San Francisco-based Rock River Communications is creating for DaimlerChrysler AG and Ford Motor Co, suggesting that the podcasts show that the music industry is changing its tune.

The mainstream music industry has been experimenting with unprotected MP3 distribution for years, and there’s not much to suggest that these new corporate podcasts represent a shift in the music industry’s business model of controlling access to music to create value for copyrighted material.