Eleksen Group, a maker of touch-sensitive smart fabrics, is partnering with clothing manufacturer, Bagir, to produce its iPod suit for men. The Bagir suit jacket integrates Eleksen’s ElekTex smart fabric touchpad technology, which transforms a lapel into a 5-button electronic control panel.

“We selected Eleksen’s unique touch-sensitive fabric to create an accessible interface between our clientele and their iPods,” said Offer Gilboa, CEO of Bagir. “ElekTex is the only product on the market that is not disruptive to the design of our suits. By integrating ElekTex, Bagir is able to introduce a trend-setting suit that enables iPod-lovers to play, pause, skip tracks and adjust the volume on their iPods from their jacket lapels. We couldn’t be happier with the results.”

Libsyn, a popular podcast hosting service, has debuted a new site for heavy-hitting podcast customers, LibsynPRO.

Libsyn currently provides many podcasters with hosting, syndication and blogging services. Their new offering provides the same types of services, but aimed towards corporate publishers.

Early adopters of LibsynPRO include the National Geographic Society, National Public Radio (NPR), and agency Blue Sky Factory.

“We’ve launched LibsynPRO to meet the larger needs of our business customers. Now podcasters can manage multiple shows through a single account, with a guarantee of 99.99% up-time, and a single bill that tracks each feed, each file, each month, individually,” explained Chris MacDonald, Executive Vice President, Business Development and Operations at Liberated Syndication.

UK’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has introduced a new podcast, the CBSO Podcast, making it the first major ensemble in the world to launch a regular podcast, according to organizers.

The free 30-minute monthly podcast, hosted by music broadcaster Tommy Pearson, includes the latest CBSO news, interviews and discussions with musicians and conductors as well as music clips.

The first episode (MP3) features Music Director Sakari Oramo looking back over his time with the Orchestra and forward to the highlights of the coming year; a look at the new season’s concerts with CBSO chief executive, Stephen Maddock; a behind the scenes at the CBSO’s double bass section; and an introduction to Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8;

“Podcasting offers a direct personal route to classical music fans and novices alike and I’m delighted that the CBSO is once again pioneering a new approach to broadening our audience,” said Maddock.

eMusic today launched its service in Europe, becoming the first digital music service available throughout the entire European Union. eMusic will offer music lovers in all 25 EU member nations a catalogue of 1.7 million tracks in the universally compatible MP3 format, which works on every digital music hardware and software device including iPods.
‚ÄúThe monopoly of iTunes in Europe is over,” said David Pakman, President and CEO, eMusic. “European consumers, fed up with homogeneous music and services focused only on mainstream pop can now discover a wealth of music created to transcend rules, boundaries and commercialism. We are excited to introduce the most diverse catalogue of music in the world to European independent music fans who are crying out for a download service that caters to their needs.‚Äù

The new site offers tracks specific to domestic territories and includes the most important European independent music, specifically merchandised for British and other European audiences. Labels newly available to European customers include independent giants Beggars Group (XL, Matador, Beggars Banquet, 4AD, Too Pure), Edel, Domino, Ministry of Sound and many more.

To license the hundreds of EU-specific labels that are available for today’s European launch, eMusic established EU headquarters and a dedicated, specialist staff in London almost two years ago.

TiVo announced today the launch of the high-end TiVo Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder — the first stand-alone TiVo product that is HD compatible.

With a built-in Ethernet jack and USB ports, the TiVo Series3 HD box also provides advanced connectivity and easy networking. TiVo users will also be able to access TiVoCasts such as RocketBoom.

The TiVo Series3 is designed to fit seamlessly into home theater systems. It is compatible with digital cable, analog cable and is the first TiVo to support over-the-air digital HD (ATSC).

Later this year, it will also support the newly released TiVoCast service feature which allows users to access content directly through their broadband connection.

Available beginning mid-September, the TiVo Series3 HD box will be the world’s first THX-certified, digital video recorder, delivering audio and video that maintains the fidelity of the original broadcast.

via Video Podcasting News

ViewSonic today showcased the world’s first Made for iPod desktop display technology with an integrated iPod dock at the 2006 Apple Expo in Paris. The ViewDock displays modernize the desktop by letting users view iPod content 65 times larger than on their iPod screens.

ViewSonic’s evolution of the desktop monitor category supports growing trends in digital entertainment and the booming iPod accessory market. The ViewDock Series expands media player possibilities by integrating an iPod docking station into an widescreen display.

Additional features such as multiple connectivity options—including several USB 2.0 ports and an 8-in-1 card reader—along with a microphone, integrated stereo speakers and a subwoofer, combine to make feature-rich monitors.

Apple held a special event today to introduce an updated iPod lineup and a new version of iTunes.

The introductions were evolutionary updates to existing products instead of revolutionary ones. The iPod shuffle is now smaller, but still not edible; Apple iTunes 7 adds movie downloads; Apple has a deal with the NFL to deliver football video downloads; and the updated iPod has a bigger hard drive and lets you play 80’s video games.

The widely-anticipated iPod phone was nowhere to be seen, and the iPod update failed to deliver a larger widescreen display or the touch screen that some had predicted.

For many music fans, the best news of the day was that, after 5 years, iPods will finally be able to play albums back without gaps in the playback.

The day’s most important announcement was the Apple iTV, a set-top box designed to marry Internet video with big screen TVs.

Apple today introduced the new iPod. While the new iPod features a larger hard drive and brighter screen than earlier models, it doesn’t have the touch-sensitive widescreen display many had anticipated, making it an evolutionary update rather than a revolutionary one.

The new iPod features a 60 percent brighter and more vibrant 2.5-inch color display. The new iPod is available in a 30GB model for $249 and an 80GB model for $349.

“The world’s best digital music player has evolved into the world’s most popular portable video player too,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The new iPod’s brighter and more vibrant display and longer battery life make it perfect for watching Hollywood movies and TV shows right in the palm of your hand.”

The National Football League (NFL) and Apple today announced that they will bring 2006 NFL regular season action to the iTunes Store, offering video downloads of highlights from individual NFL games the day after they are played.

Fans will be able to download highlights of each NFL regular season game for $1.99 per game. Fans may also purchase a “Follow Your Team” Season Pass for $24.99 and have game clips from their favorite teams delivered automatically as they become available for viewing on a computer or iPod.

NFL fans will also be able to download NFL Network’s NFL GameDay, hosted by Rich Eisen with Steve Mariucci and Deion Sanders. This all-inclusive Sunday night wrap-up show offers the most comprehensive NFL coverage on television, with highlights from every NFL game plus post-game reaction and expert analysis, all for $1.99 per show or $19.99 for a full season.

“We are dedicated to bringing the best of NFL action to NFL fans wherever they are,” said Brian Rolapp, NFL vice president of media strategy. “We’re convinced offering NFL highlights produced by Emmy Award-winning NFL Films and NFL Network’s GameDay on iTunes is a great way for fans to not only follow their team but also experience the NFL as they never have before.”

Apple today introduced the new iPod shuffle, now the world’s smallest digital music player with Apple’s shuffle feature.

Nearly half the size of the original, the new iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce and features an aluminum design and a built-in clip which makes it the most wearable iPod ever. The new iPod shuffle contains one gigabyte of flash memory which holds up to 240 songs, and is more affordable at just $79.

“It’s hard to believe the new iPod is a real music player when you first see it,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “But it is real, and holds up to 240 songs in an incredibly compact and wearable design that weighs just half an ounce.”