http://www.itunesmuse.org/index.htmliTunesMuseenroc3@mac.comCopyright 2008 iTunesMuse2008-08-20T14:18:13-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:46:57 -0400roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-20T14:18:13-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/b77a76d3174cb73fb0a7cf15b760722c-152.html#unique-entry-id-152http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/b77a76d3174cb73fb0a7cf15b760722c-152.html#unique-entry-id-152MultiChannel News reports that select Smithsonian Channel programming (iTS) is now available on iTunes for $1.99 per episode.

“Our presence on the iTunes Store is great exposure for our new network and will allow a much broader audience the opportunity to sample our award winning original programming and builds and demonstrates the brand value of the Smithsonian name,” said Tom Hayden, general manager, Smithsonian Networks.

The films, documentaries and limited series available on iTunes cover genres such as wildlife, technology, history, pop culture and children’s programs, including Stories from the Vaults, Remembering Vietnam: The Wall at 25, Day of the Kamikaze and Nature Tech.

TUAW

Get 25 FREE MP3s!
Choose from over 4-million songs!
Work on any MP3 player, including the iPod! Click Here]]>roc3@mac.comFree Music!2008-08-20T12:11:39-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/683ae2b62fea88dfdb1ba34bcb93e665-151.html#unique-entry-id-151http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/683ae2b62fea88dfdb1ba34bcb93e665-151.html#unique-entry-id-151Sydney Morning Herald reports that China has blocked access to iTunes following reports that Olympic athletes have been downloading and listening to an album of pro-Tibetan music, Songs for Tibet (iTunes), which includes music from Sting, Moby, Suzanne Vega, Alanis Morissette and other mostly A-list Western musicians.

JeninShanghai, a blogger that one assumes lives in Shanghai, has reposted a reply she purportedly received from Apple customer support after she reported problems with her US iTunes Store account.

"iTunes is not being blocked in China from our end, but access to the iTunes Store IS restricted in some areas in China. This would also explain why it's happening to your friends there as well."

Songs for Tibet was released on iTunes on Aug 5 and proceeds benefit the The Art of Peace Foundation, which supports "peace-related projects that are dear to the Dalai Lama."

Editor's note: Banned speech, holy land, religious stricture, nationalist invective... realms of unimaginatively inept and dangerously incompetent people everywhere.

Get 25 FREE MP3s!
Choose from over 4-million songs!
Work on any MP3 player, including the iPod! Click Here]]>roc3@mac.com99¢ Movie of the Week2008-08-19T13:21:38-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/88393188aacbd0b8503b4df6bf3b1bbd-150.html#unique-entry-id-150http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/88393188aacbd0b8503b4df6bf3b1bbd-150.html#unique-entry-id-150El Mariachi, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week:

Winner of the Audience Award at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, El Mariachi tells the story of a young mariachi (Carlos Gallardo), or itinerant musician, who arrives in a Mexican border town looking for work. He is dressed in black and carries a guitar case; a killer arrives in the same town on the same day, dressed in the same way—only the hitman's identical guitar case is filled with weapons. A case of mistaken identity ensues, and soon the easy-going mariachi is thrust into the middle of someone else's blood feud and people start shooting at him. When the sexy bar owner (Consuelo Gomez) who befriends him turns out to be the object of the local warlord's unrequited lust, the mariachi finds himself in a whole heap of trouble that will require a lot of courage, luck and bullets to get out of.

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Producers: Robert Rodriguez, Carlos Gallardo
Starring: Carlos Gallardo
Starring: Consuelo Gomez
Starring: Peter Marquardt

Get El Mariachi, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week.

Check back every week for the iTunes Store 99¢ Movie of the week.



Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFree Music!2008-08-19T08:46:17-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/c75c44dc9e2058753331fc2e56073fa1-149.html#unique-entry-id-149http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/c75c44dc9e2058753331fc2e56073fa1-149.html#unique-entry-id-149Single of the Week

Though they're from the West Coast, Gran Ronde sounds as if they'd fit right in playing alongside Bloc Party or Interpol The band's debut album, Secret Rooms, shows off a melodic, post-punk sound with 11 tightly produced songs (including bonus track Control). Wisdom is one of the more upbeat singles, with its jangly guitars, catchy hooks and sentimental lyrics about love lost.

Canción de la Semana

Austin-based Latin-funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma is one of the hardest working and most exciting bands around right now. Produced by co-founder and guitarist Adrian Quesada, the band delivers a modern twist on cumbia with the track El Sabio Soy Yo, laced with slick horns, driving percussion and blazing guitar riffs.



Free TV—The Cho Show

Having spent the majority of her career defying social norms and industry stereotypes, Margaret Cho has created her own identity, turning the tables on an industry famous for manufacturing its stars. VH1's The Cho Show provides an inside look at the fabulous, over-the-top and out-of-the box life of comedian / actress Margaret Cho as she explores the entertainment industry and pop culture phenomenon, including the supernatural world, youth worship, the green movement and beauty pageants. However, the lessons learned are secondary to the laughs experienced along the way. Because, for Margaret Cho, the entire world truly is a stage.

Get Korean of the Year.

Exclusive Clip—The Scorpion King 2

An exclusive look at The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior, starring Randy Courture.

Links and descriptions for this week's "free" downloadable music and video have been copied from the iTunes Store. For a complete listing of this week's free iTunes Store downloadables, click here.

Get 25 FREE MP3s!
Choose from over 4-million songs!
Work on any MP3 player, including the iPod! Click Here]]>roc3@mac.comRefurb'd Macs2008-08-18T20:30:21-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/1da9eef401b63832f9ccef54575aa45f-148.html#unique-entry-id-148http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/1da9eef401b63832f9ccef54575aa45f-148.html#unique-entry-id-148Notable desktops: Get the Quad 2GHz Mac Pro, the lowest we've seen for a refurbished pro desktop. There's also second model available for less than $2,000, the 2.66GHz Mac Pro.

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $999 (1199)
— 1GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2400 XT w/ 128MB

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $1,049 (1499)
— 1GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• Mac Pro Quad 2.0GHz, $1,799 (2199)
— 1GB, 250GB, 16x SuperDrive, 7300 GT w/ 256MB

• Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz, $1,999 (2499)
— 1GB, 250GB, 16x SuperDrive, 7300 GT w/ 256MB



Notable notebooks: There are plenty of great portable deals available with none better than the 2.16GHz MacBook at just $899. But don't miss the 17" 2.4GHz MacBook Pro, available with either matte or glossy screens for just $1,899, which is $100 less than the price of a new 15" 2.4GHz unit.

And, yes, all four MacBook Air skus are still available.

• MacBook 2.1GHz, $899 (1099)
— 1GB, 120GB, Combo drive

• MacBook Air 1.6GHz, $1,499 (1799)
— 2GB, 80GB HDD

• MacBook Air 1.8GHz, $1,699 (1999)
— 2GB, 80GB HDD

• MacBook Air 1.6GHz, $2,099 (2398)
— 2GB, 64GB SSD

• MacBook Air 1.8GHz, $2,299 (2598)
— 2GB, 64GB SSD

• 15" MacBook Pro 2.5GHz, $1,999 (2499)
— 2GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 8600M GT w/ 512MB

• 17" MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, $1,899 (2799)
— 2GB, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive, 8600M GT w/ 256MB
— Glossy, matte screens]]>roc3@mac.comRefurb'd Macs2008-08-15T11:55:20-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/64791dd68eac04f7604cc79bcd351ba2-147.html#unique-entry-id-147http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/64791dd68eac04f7604cc79bcd351ba2-147.html#unique-entry-id-147iPod touch, classic: Apple's trimmed $30 and $20 from the prices of the 80GB and 160GB iPod classic, respectively. Both colors of each model were stock at press time.

Also, the mothership's under-appreciated iPod saw price cuts a week or so ago and all three models are in stock (current software release).

• 8GB iPod touch, $199 (299)
— Current Software Release
— Earphones, dock, USB cable

• 16GB iPod touch, $299 (399)
— Current Software Release
— Earphones, dock, USB cable

• 32GB iPod touch, $399 (499)
— Current Software Release
— Earphones, dock, USB cable

• 80GB iPod classic, $179 (249)
— Silver, Black
— Earphones, dock, USB cable

• 160GB iPod classic, $279 (349)
— Silver, black
— Earphones, dock, USB cable



iPod nano, shuffle: Colors come and colors go, yet little's changed with Apple's most-portable media players since price cuts earlier this year. That isn't to say the refurbished iPod nano and iPod shuffle aren't great values starting at $39 and $99, respectively.

• 1GB iPod shuffle, $39 (49)
— Earphones, dock
— Silver, blue, green, purple

• 2GB iPod shuffle, $59 (69)
— Silver
— Earphones, dock

• 4GB iPod nano, $99 (149)
— Silver
— Earphones, dock, USB cable

• 8GB iPod nano, $149 (199)
— Silver, blue, green, black, pink
— Earphones, dock, USB cable

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-13T18:26:12-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/6c9af47ddbabf2fa0c972e628afd4dc9-146.html#unique-entry-id-146http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/6c9af47ddbabf2fa0c972e628afd4dc9-146.html#unique-entry-id-146TV Envy reports that HBO is offering Entourage Seasons 1 and 2 via iTunes. Additionally, Seasons 3 and 4 are expected to be available from Apple's industry-leading media store on Aug 18 and Aug 26, respectively.

HBO is offering Season 1 and its eight episodes sells for $15.92 and Season (13 episodes) for $25.87. Individual episodes sell for $1.99 each.

In addition to Entourage, HBO also offers The Larry Sanders Show, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Deadwood, Rome, Flight of the Conchords and The Wire via iTunes.

Lastly, did you know that HBO offers 15 podcasts? Whatever the topic—Real Time with Bill Maher, Stand Up Comedy, Flight of Conchords, Entourate, The Write, HBO Documentary Films, Generation Kill, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Cinemax, HBO Films, HBO Boxing, Costas Now, HBO Latino, Blood Copy, Back Nine at Cherry Hills—these podcasts are current, informative, fun and best of all free.

]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-13T09:23:15-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/8061f58a66a120745fb96ee29ca8ed12-145.html#unique-entry-id-145http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/8061f58a66a120745fb96ee29ca8ed12-145.html#unique-entry-id-145Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, has announced the launch of The iTunes Download, a three-hour weekend music countdown show hosted by iTunes director of music programming Alex Luke.

"The iTunes charts have become the first indicator, each week, of what millions of music fans are buying," said Luke. "Radio is where more music buyers first hear what they want to buy and iTunes is the place they go to do it—now we're connecting the two."

President of Premiere Radio Networks Charlie Rahilly stated, "Being the first radio company to do a national show with iTunes demonstrates our desire and ability to explore unprecedented ways to reach, entertain and involve listeners." [Continue reading]



In addition to playing a selection of the 30 most downloaded songs in America, Luke will interview high-profile music artists, and feature a "celebrity playlist" compiled by various entertainers, and iMixes, which are playlists listeners create in the iTunes Store.

This weekend, the syndicated radio program will debut on Top 40 radio stations nationwide. The show will originate from Los Angeles and will air on Saturdays or Sundays.

Previously, ClearChannel added the ability to purchase songs heard on its HD channels using specially equipped radios.

Editor's note: Obviously, the record labels' refusal, EMI aside, to allow iTunes to sell 256K DRM-free tracks isn't having the desired effect. Apple's download service is still No 1 and, as evidenced above, iTunes continues to spread and gain traction.

The labels need to stop their intransigence and allow iTunes to sell 256K DRM-free mp3s...

What's your take?

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-12T20:46:49-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/464f9eb60042299a9cbc745cb78a3e78-144.html#unique-entry-id-144http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/464f9eb60042299a9cbc745cb78a3e78-144.html#unique-entry-id-144Fox Shop, the retail kitsch outlet of the eponymous broadcaster, has partnered with Apple to offer the The X-Files: Limited Edition Apple iPod Classic 80GB (available in black, too). And, yes, there's even The X-Files: Limited Edition Apple iPod Nano 8GB version, as well.

Here's some spin:

With 80GB of storage, 'The X-Files: iPod Classic' can handle your entire collection—up to 40,000 songs or up to 200 hours of video—imagine taking all your favorite episodes everywhere you go! Custom laser-etched with officially licensed 'X-Files' artwork, each collector's item iPod Classic is numbered and only a limited amount are available in this exclusive series. [Continue reading]





At $329, this special edition iPod classic is only $80 more expensive than an unadorned model. The nano version is just $70 more than a stock unit.

It has to be said that's a small price to pay given that these beautifully styled devices commemorate a (*cough*) truly great film...

What's your take?

via Gizmodo

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.com99¢ Movie of the Week2008-08-12T12:40:17-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/46dfced38847bb0b7496a181b2f4c164-143.html#unique-entry-id-143http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/46dfced38847bb0b7496a181b2f4c164-143.html#unique-entry-id-143Groundhog Day, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week:

Do you ever have deja vu? Didn't you just ask me that? Bill Murray is at his wry, wisecracking best in this riotous romantic comedy about a weatherman caught in a personal time warp on the worst day of his life. Teamed with a relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie McDowell) and a smart-alek cameraman (Chris Elliot), TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. But on his way out of town, Phil is caught in a giant blizzard, which he failed to predict, and finds himself stuck in small-town hell. Just when things couldn't get worse, they get worse; Phil wakes the next morning to find it's Groundhog Day all over again... and again and again. Cheered by critics as Bill Murray's best movie ever.

Director: Harold Ramis
Producers: Trevor Albert, Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray
Starring: Andie McDowell
Starring: Chris Elliot
Starring: Brian Doyle-Murray
Starring: Stephen Tobolowsky

Get Groundhog Day, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week.

Check back every week for the iTunes Store 99¢ Movie of the week.



Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFree Music!2008-08-12T08:57:46-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/bdf1df6ae4c8d2ef9f454352b86b0d05-142.html#unique-entry-id-142http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/bdf1df6ae4c8d2ef9f454352b86b0d05-142.html#unique-entry-id-142Single of the Week

SLO-O skates over a classic Dr Dre-style production with his crisp, laid-back flow. The San Francisco newcomer's hazy tale about grinding on sleepless streets takes on added drama thanks to strings that sweep across a hypnotic keyboard riff. The song's title references Eldridge Cleaver's collection of essays and SLO-O proves he too has literary flare: "I walk with my soul on ice, on gasoline blocks, matchbook ready to strike, I'm trying to weave out."

Get Soul on Ice.

Canción de la Semana

All-star producers Luny Tunes put their signature spin on the ultra-smooth urban bachata love song Te Abrazare from the self-titled debut album by newcomers Erre XI (aka Raphy Flores and Gerry Capo). The rest of the album jumps from driving reggaeton cuts to ballads to cumbia-pop fusions that include collaborations with Pee Wee (Kumbia All Stars), Zion & Lennox, La Sista and more.



Discovery Download

Not this week

Book sample—Grammar Girl

Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl, is determined to wipe out bad grammar—but she's also determined to make the process as painless as possible. One year ago, she created a weekly podcast to tackle some of them most common mistakes people make while communicating. More than 7-million episodes have now been downloaded, and Mignon has dispensed grammar tips on Oprah and appeared on the pages of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. With trademark wit, warmth and approachability that the podcasts are known for, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing covers the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers.

Get Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing: Free Excerpt.

Free TV—Deadliest Catch

America's favorite crab fisherman meet after the Deadliest Catch season to swap tales of the Bering Sea in a fishing town North of Boston: Gloucester, Massachusetts. In this town famous for fishing and sea tragedies of its own, Mike Rowe and the guys invite some of Gloucester's fisherman to the bar to stir up some healthy East-West rivalry. Other special guests include author Spike Walker and a barmaid from Alaska with a whole lot of inside scoop on "Real Life" in Dutch Harbor.

Get After the Catch: Legends.

Links and descriptions for this week's "free" downloadable music and video have been copied from the iTunes Store. For a complete listing of this week's free iTunes Store downloadables, click here.

Get 25 FREE MP3s!
Choose from over 4-million songs!
Work on any MP3 player, including the iPod!Click Here]]>roc3@mac.comRefurb'd Macs2008-08-11T18:27:32-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/528c22da26ed5e12e5d0b36a2492c9b4-141.html#unique-entry-id-141http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/528c22da26ed5e12e5d0b36a2492c9b4-141.html#unique-entry-id-141Choice is a good thing™ and, although Apple only advertises two new MacBook Air models, you'll find four refurbished configurations available. Apple's knocked $300 off the price of each vs buying new for savings of up to 16% when you buy one of these "thinnovative" notebooks.

And, just because it's cheap, check out the white 2.1GHz MacBook, which is $50 off Apple's previously list price for this model.

• MacBook 2.1GHz, $899 (1099)
— 1GB, 120GB, Combo drive

• MacBook Air 1.6GHz, $1,499 (1799)
— 2GB, 80GB HDD

• MacBook Air 1.8GHz, $1,699 (1999)
— 2GB, 80GB HDD

• MacBook Air 1.6GHz, $2,099 (2398)
— 2GB, 64GB SSD

• MacBook Air 1.8GHz, $2,299 (2598)
— 2GB, 64GB SSD



If you're wanting a refurbished iMac, now is a good time to buy as Apple's advertising a half-dozen marked models. Savings range from 14% to 26% off these models' original retail sticker prices.

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $999 (1199)
— 1GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2400 XT w/ 128MB

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $1,099 (1499)
— 1GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• iMac 20-inch 2.66GHz, $1,299 (1499)
— 2GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• iMac 24-inch 2.4GHz, $1,349 (1799)
— 1GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• iMac 24-inch 2.8GHz, $1,549 (1799)
— 2GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• iMac 24-inch 3.06GHz, $1,899 (2199)
— 2GB, 500GB, 8x SuperDrive, 8800 GS w/ 512MB

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comRefurb'd Macs2008-08-07T00:01:27-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/0f63f64cef2c4e5b97e5f8a118014c56-140.html#unique-entry-id-140http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/0f63f64cef2c4e5b97e5f8a118014c56-140.html#unique-entry-id-140Notable notebooks: To earn a spot in this refurb roundup, the product in question must be either marked down at least 20% or be unique.

Thereupon, we've got two MacBooks for less than a grand, including the current-gen 2.1GHz model for $899, which is $50 less than our last mention.

Of course, the always popular and quick to sell out BlackBook falls into the unique category.

• MacBook 2.1GHz, $899 (1099)
— 1GB, 120GB, Combo drive
— White

• MacBook 2.2GHz, $999 1299)
— 1GB, 120GB, 8x SuperDrive
— White

• MacBook 2.4GHz, $1,299 (1499)
— 2GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive
— Black



Super deals on MacBook Pro models continue with two models listed sporting discounts of up to 35% off their original list price. The 17" 2.4GHz model is tagged at $1,899, or $900 off what it cost new or, put another way, $600 less than a current-gen 15" 2.5GHz unit. None. Too. Shabby.

• MacBook Air 1.6GHz, $1,499 (1799)
— 2GB, 80GB 4200-rpm HDD

• 15" MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, $1,649 (2499)
— 2GB, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive, 8600M GT w/ 256MB
— Glossy, matte displays available

• 17" MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, $1,899 (2799)
— 2GB, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive, 8600M GT w/ 256MB
— Glossy, matte displays available

Notable desktops: Yes, we have minis, both models in stock—but don't hold your breath. There's also the 20" 2.4GHz iMac, which is tagged at $1,099. That's $100 less than the current-gen 2.4GHz iMac and yet it has double the video memory.

• Mac mini 1.83GHz, $499 (599)
— 1GB, 80GB, Combo drive

• Mac mini 2.0GHz, $679 (799)
— 1GB, 120GB, SuperDrive

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $1,099 (1499)
— 1GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz, $1,999 (2499)
— 1GB, 250GB, 16x SuperDrive, 7300 GT graphics w/ 256MB



Widgets: Apple's marked down the refurbished 32GB iPod touch from $429 to $399, which is a cool, cool Benjamin off the price of a new unit.

And, if you're in the market for an 802.11n Airport hub, Express or Base Station, there's no cheaper way to get one than to go refurbished.

• 32GB iPod touch, $399 (499)
— Up to 7,000 songs
— Up to 22 hours of music playback
— Up to 5 hours of video playback
— Earphones, USB cable, Dock adapter

• AirPort Express Base Station (802.11n) w/ AirTunes, $79 (99)

• AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11n), $149 (179)

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-05T11:28:56-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/99693329866041725913a7f54622c0b1-139.html#unique-entry-id-139http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/99693329866041725913a7f54622c0b1-139.html#unique-entry-id-139NPD Group has announced results of the latest MusicWatch consumer survey that shows the five leading music retailers in the US for the first half of 2008 (January through June, based on purchases of CDs and a-la-carte digital music downloads) ranking as follows:

1. iTunes
2. Wal-Mart (Walmart, Walmart.com, Walmart Music Downloads)
3. Best Buy (Best Buy, Bestbuy.com, Best Buy Digital Music Store)
4. Amazon (Amazon.com, AmazonMP3.com)
5. Target (Target and Target.com)



“We expect Apple will consolidate its lead in the retail music market, as CD sales continue to slow,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Amazon’s CD buyers tend to be older, so they haven’t abandoned the CD format to the extent seen in the average music buyer. Plus Amazon’s successful introduction of its digital download store will help the company improve its position in the future.”

NPD’s data reflects the ongoing consumer shift from physical CDs to digital music, as iTunes maintained their leadership position reached earlier this year. Amazon rose from fifth place to fourth primarily for two reasons: first, online CD sales have seen less erosion than CD sales at brick-and-mortar stores; and second, Amazon launched its digital music store, Amazon.mp3, last year.

Editor's note: Maybe it's just the location I visited, but been in Target lately? Not a lot of CDs available.

Also, none of the other pure-play digital download stores—eMusic, Napster, Rhapsody, etc—made the Top 5. When they do, we can start writing the CD's obituary...

What's your take?

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.com99¢ Movie of the Week2008-08-05T11:07:16-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/10b569835ad2e313cd934c348bd8da8b-138.html#unique-entry-id-138http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/10b569835ad2e313cd934c348bd8da8b-138.html#unique-entry-id-138Men in Black, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week:

Men in Black follows the exploits of agents Kay (Jones) and Jay (Smith), members of a top-secret organization established to monitor alien activity on Earth. The two MiB find themselves in the middle of the deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio) who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Producers: Laurie McDonald, Walter Parkes
Starring: Will Smith
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones
Starring: Linda Fiorentino
Starring: Vincent D'Onofrio
Starring: Rip Torn

Get Men in Black, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week.

Check back every week for the iTunes Store 99¢ Movie of the week.



Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFree Music!2008-08-05T09:57:13-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/45359e3f9aa19f377c1e70efacfde10e-137.html#unique-entry-id-137http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/45359e3f9aa19f377c1e70efacfde10e-137.html#unique-entry-id-137Single of the Week

Alabama's Jamey Johnson has been building up a strong fanbase since he debuted with The Dollar three years ago. In that time, he's grown as a songwriter—inviting comparisons to Trace Adkins and George Strait (both of whom have sung his songs). Indeed, Johnson's deep, rich vocals and rock-based twang have him on the fast track towards critical and commercial success.

Get In Color.

Canción de la Semana

The dub-reggae-rock feel of Give Me Love is one of the standout tracks on the debut from the Los Angeles group Monte Negro. On an album that is such a successful melange of ideas—from Latin pop, sugary alt-rock to mature synth-pop (to name just a few of the genres they touch on), we feel that's saying something.



Discovery Download

Carrie Rodriquez is a classically trained violinist who studied at the Berklee School of Music and made a name for herself as an earthy, passionate songwriter in the musician-frinedly Austin, Texas. Infinite Night is a track from her second album, She Ain't Me and it's a murky bit of countrified, rootsy soul music with Rodriguez shining succinctly as a vocalist.

Free TV—A Shot at Glory

Every journey has a story. Kate Ziegler swam over 200,000 miles to get there. Tyson Gay ran over 25,000 miles get to there. Donald Robinson broke more bones than he can remember to get there. For America's hopefuls, the trip to Beijing began long before this Summer. Every night for two weeks leading up to the opening ceremonies, MOJO in conjunction with USA Today profiles Team USA's medal hopefuls.

Get Wrestling: Daniel Cormier.

Free TV—After Hours with Daniel

In a brand new season, Danial visits two of the country's most fascinating culinary enclaves on a Southern jaunt through Miami and New Orleans.

Get Michael's.

Links and descriptions for this week's "free" downloadable music and video have been copied from the iTunes Store. For a complete listing of this week's free iTunes Store downloadables, click here.

Get 25 FREE MP3s!
Choose from over 4-million songs!
Work on any MP3 player, including the iPod!Click Here]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-04T16:45:07-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/c5179cfc7353f52437ef2ebb4845bf8e-136.html#unique-entry-id-136http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/c5179cfc7353f52437ef2ebb4845bf8e-136.html#unique-entry-id-136eMusic, the world’s largest retailer of independent music and the world’s second largest music service after iTunes, has announced that its worldwide catalogue has now exceeded 4-million tracks.

"eMusic is redefining digital music retail for the 21st century with new features that make it easier than ever to discover new music," said David Pakman, president and CEO. "More and more labels are recognizing that eMusic is always working to help them increase sales of their catalogues, including songs that don't sell on other services."



The growing eMusic roster now comprises more than 40,000 record labels. The majority of these label catalogues are available worldwide, including reissues label Ace Records, with a music collection ranging from soul and jazz to rock and roll; non-profit New World Music Records, also part of the Anthology of Recorded Music; Load Records, the popular noise/experimental indie label; celebrated classical label Delos Records, featuring music from Janos Starker and Eugene Ormandy, including his final recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra; and What’s Your Rupture Records, specializing in small-run vinyl releases.

Additional titles to the eMusic catalogue include the recent, critically-acclaimed album from Nine Inch Nails, The Slip as well as classic titles from Liz Phair and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

eMusic offers music encoded at 256K and are DRM-free with per track prices averaging as low as 39¢.

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-04T13:06:56-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/96c9d8eb3959f63ca8b51b8235509b47-135.html#unique-entry-id-135http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/96c9d8eb3959f63ca8b51b8235509b47-135.html#unique-entry-id-135MacUser UK reports that one of the co-inventors of the MP3, The Fraunhofer Institute, will invest €60-million ($90-million) in the AudioLabs Erlangen research centre, with much of the funding allocated to work on lossless compression.

"In the development of world standards such as MP3, AAC or MPEG Surround, Fraunhofer IIS has achieved an authoritative contribution," said Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits director Heinz Gerhäuser. "The long-term research cooperation of the university and Fraunhofer IIS will secure our globally leading position and expand it to further research areas," adding that the money will fund 10 years of work.

Earlier this year, Fraunhofer unveiled its new HD-AAC lossless audio codec and the Erlangen labs are already working on developing scalable systems based on the codec.

Fraunhofer collects royalties from companies that license and use the MP3 format.



Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-03T16:02:22-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/abf041a04fd43f65a72f078d4a550bb6-134.html#unique-entry-id-134http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/abf041a04fd43f65a72f078d4a550bb6-134.html#unique-entry-id-134If you're into sarcasm and snarky humor, you've gotta get Katy Perry into the mix on your iPod. And, right now, there's no cheaper way to legally get that down than to download her latest via AmazonMP3, which is offering the album in high-quality 256K, DRM-free mp3 format for a penny shy of two bucks.

One of the Boys, $1.99 ($13.86)

If you prefer atoms over bit, then by all means go for the CD, which Amazon's selling at 63% off their regular price.

One of the Boys (CD), $6.99 ($18.98)

Editor's note: I'm not a great fan of AmazonMP3. To put it succinctly, the user experience sucks. Still, some prices are so good you just gotta bite the bullet and muddle throw...

What's your take?

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comRefurb'd Macs2008-08-02T12:23:09-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/503a897c89045a09cb8531435bc1a1ec-133.html#unique-entry-id-133http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/503a897c89045a09cb8531435bc1a1ec-133.html#unique-entry-id-133Macs: Apple will be refreshing its portable lines sometime before the end of this quarter and that means current-gen notebooks have to go. In order to make that happen, MacMall's cut prices significantly.

Get the entry-level 2.1GHz MacBook for $999—that's the same price Apple charges educational customers—yet you'll get Parallels, a carrying case and printer in the mix for no additional charge after mail-in rebates.

• $75 OFF on the MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1 GHz now only $999.98
+ Free Parallels 3.0, Carrying Case & Printer after Rebate(s)

• SAVE up to $100! The new MacBook now up to 2.4GHz starts at $1,019
+ Free Parallels 3.0, Carrying Case & Printer after Rebate(s)

• MacBook Pro 2.2GHz with Glossy Display now only $1498.99 (was $1994)
+ Free Parallels 3.0, Carrying Case & Printer after Rebate(s)

• MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Glossy Screen now only $1648.99
+ Free Parallels 3.0, Case & Printer after Rebate (was $2494)

SAVE up to $100 on iMac starts at $1054
+ Free Parallels 3.0 & Printer after Rebate(s)! NOW up to 3.06 GHz

• Save up to $250! Price drops on MacBooks, MacBook Pros and iMacs Closeout Specials!

Use coupon code PCPRICESMWB13588, good through August 15, 2008, to take 3% off the price of any MacBook Pro at MacMall. This discount is in addition to their $150 MacBook Pro mail-in rebates plus up to $173 instant discounts, for a total of up to $323 off MSRP. Make your purchase online to qualify for the coupon. Combine the coupon code with their rebate, and these are among the lowest MacBook Pro prices currently available from any Apple Authorized Reseller (MacMall has extended their coupon code through the 15th - it was originally slated to expire on July 31st)—via MacPrices.net



Peripherals: Nothing says multimedia like lots of storage. Get a place for all of your music, movies and other multimedia files with 1TB Seagate Barracuda for $180.

Also, check out the Guitar Hero III Rock Guitar Control for half price, marked down to $39.98.

• Logitech AudioHub Speakers w/ Integrated USB Hub for Mac now only $49.98 (was $88.99).

• Price Drop! Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock with Guitar Controller
Mac & Windows now only $39.98 (was$79.98)!

• Western Digital My Book Studio 500GB Quad Interface Now $129.99 (was $148.99)

• LaCie Big Disk Extreme now only $232.98 (was $274.99!)

• Seagate Barracuda 1 TB Internal Hard Drive now $179.99 (was $198.99)!



Software: Got lots of tunes and videos? Then you need Roxio Toast 9—the fastest, easiest way to repurpose and store all that great web content.

If your new Mac will be used for school or work, Microsoft Office 2008 is the industry standard for document productivity. Get the Home and Student edition for $25 off the suggested retail price.

• Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Home and Student Edition—$124.98
($149.95 SRP)! 3 Macs in one household

• Office 2008 for Mac Back-to-School Promo! Save up to $150
on Office 2008 for Mac with purchase of a Mac CPU. ends 9/06

• Run Windows on your Mac! Save as much as 100% OFF on Parallels Desktop 3.0 & VMWare Fusion after Rebate(s)

• SAVE $20 on Roxio Toast 9 Titanium—$59.98 after in Rebate! until 12/31

• SHIPS AUG. 15! Adobe Lightroom 2 starts at $94.98. PRE-ORDER NOW!

• Be one of the first to experience QuarkXPress 8.
QuarkXpress 8 Upgrade starting at $293.99. BUY NOW!

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-08-01T12:26:45-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/39db747ccdbf7035d7124ad85d0ce646-132.html#unique-entry-id-132http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/39db747ccdbf7035d7124ad85d0ce646-132.html#unique-entry-id-132AOL has released AOL Radio 2 beta, which brings a number of important and long-sought improvements to the popular internet radio tuner.

New and upcoming features include:

• Currently supporting 10 presets with 5 available presets on the player window

• Improved, more responsive user interface, the ad panel has been removed

• Ability to find and buy currently playing tracks on iTunes, AOL Music

• Favorites & Local Channels panes will be available in a future beta release



Like its predecessor AOL Radio 2 beta offers over 350 stations spanning 25 genres from across the US. System requirements now start at OS X 10.5.2 or later and Tiger users are encouraged to use the web client (v1.2.1 has been discontinued as of 7 / 30)

Get your copy of AOL Radio 2 beta here (648K).

Editor's note: Still no equalizer. I would really like to see AOL radically expand its local and international offerings. Analog, over-the-air radio is just so quaint and if I had the choice, I would box up or get rid of a few dinosaurs (ie radios).

This release shows promise and is perhaps indicative of the future direction of this good, yet underdeveloped product...

What's your take?

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comRefurb'd Macs2008-07-31T19:58:31-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/277fec78fcd53868e9fa5ec8c8b10a9e-131.html#unique-entry-id-131http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/277fec78fcd53868e9fa5ec8c8b10a9e-131.html#unique-entry-id-131MacBooks: I could be wrong, but I believe today's $999 BlackBook is the first available for South of a grand. Whatever the price, BlackBooks sell out quickly and are often out-of-stock for weeks.

• MacBook 2.1GHz, $949 (1099)
— 1GB, 120GB, Combo drive
— White

• MacBook 2.16GHz, $949 (1299)
— 1GB, 120GB, 8x SuperDrive
— White

• MacBook 2.16GHz, $999 (1499)
— 1GB memory, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive
— Black



iMacs, minis: Both Mac mini models are in stock, though they never seem to last more than a few hours, especially the $499 model.

And, don't miss the pair of sub-$1,000 iMacs—20" of screen real estate and SuperDrive equipped.

• Mac mini 1.83GHz, $599 (499)
— 1GB, 80GB, Combo drive

• Mac mini 2.0GHz, $679 (799)
— 1GB, 120GB, SuperDrive

• iMac 20-inch 2.0GHz, $949 (1199)
— 1GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2400 XT w/ 128MB

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $999 (1199)
— 1GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2400 XT w/ 128MB

• AirPort Express Base Station (802.11g) w/ AirTunes, $69 (99)

• AirPort Express Base Station (802.11n) w/ AirTunes, $79 (99)



Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-07-31T17:36:28-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/46cebf1b22ea2de02f0e90a525edeabc-130.html#unique-entry-id-130http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/46cebf1b22ea2de02f0e90a525edeabc-130.html#unique-entry-id-130Quoting the company's third-quarter announcement (.pdf) and analyst conference call, Video Business reports that Disney has sold 5-million movies via the iTunes Store (Disney classics landing page).

Further, whereas Disney's Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian tanked, the company says that another Steve Jobs vehicle, Pixar, is delivering great results.

“Wall•E is a big hit and has nearly made $200 million at the box office,” said Disney CEO Robert Iger. “This is the best reviewed movie of the year and will contribute to value over time as one of our classic films.”



Disney recorded $1.3 billion in net income for the three months ended June 28, a nearly 9% rise over the same quarter last year, with revenue up 2% to $9.2 billion.

Editor's note: Assuming every Disney title has sold for the minimum price ($1.99 x 5-million = $9.95-mIlion x .7 =), the company has netted at least $6.965-million just from movies. Of course, most of the videos Disney has sold via iTunes cost much, much more.

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-07-30T12:03:03-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/668067ca3e1b49ea8be09277a41283e2-129.html#unique-entry-id-129http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/668067ca3e1b49ea8be09277a41283e2-129.html#unique-entry-id-129ElectricPig reports that Universal Music has launched yet another iTunes alternative, Lost Tunes, with a twist.

It includes tracks that (in some cases) have taken a year of trawling through archive boxes to rediscover. In short, if it’s on LostTunes, you won’t find it anywhere else.

The service will offer exclusive content, rare recordings and long-lost tracks. All tracks will be sold DRM-free and encoded as high-quality, 320kpbs MP3s.

Currently available tracks and albums are priced at £0.99 ($2) and £5.99 ($12), respectively.

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-07-30T12:01:52-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/bd682d3d0a8dcc91027f9e5b77275f6e-128.html#unique-entry-id-128http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/bd682d3d0a8dcc91027f9e5b77275f6e-128.html#unique-entry-id-128BetterSex.com has announced the BetterSex Sweapstakes, which aims to give away his and hers iPod touches loaded with sex videos.

"Our contest goal, like our company goal, is to help couples improve their love life," said Martin Smith, director. "We believe great lovers, like great golfers, cooks or business people, are made not born and our DVD's provide insight and information guaranteed to help."

The "his and hers iPod Touch Sweepstakes" will be drawn on August 10th. A single winner will win both a his blue iPod Touch Player and a hers pink player with a total retail value of $1,000. Each player will hold several hours of DVD's on how to improve one's love life.

Contest entrants must be at least 18 years of age and the contest is only open to mailing addresses in the United States.

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-07-29T14:24:03-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/347fd0bd76487460e619613302d81583-127.html#unique-entry-id-127http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/347fd0bd76487460e619613302d81583-127.html#unique-entry-id-127Nickelodeon has announced that Nick Rewind (iTunes link) is now offering a catalog featuring some of the most-beloved classic shows on the iTunes Store.

"Nick Rewind's extensive catalog offers some of the most-requested and classic early shows from Nickelodeon," said Steve Youngwood, Executive Vice President, Digital Media, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. "We hear from literally thousands of teens and young parents who say they want to see the shows that defined their childhood, so we're launching Nick Rewind for them and all the fans of our brand."



Nick Rewind features both full-length episodes ($1.99) and season / best of collections ($8.99 and up) of classic Nickelodeon shows including: The Amanda Show; Rugrats; As Told By Ginger; Hey Dude; Rocket Power; Clarissa Explains It All; and many more.

In related news, Macworld reports that AMC is now offering the first season of Mad Men via iTunes for $20.

Editor's note: Whereas NBC won't sell its products through iTunes, even though its other digital outlets net it less money, companies like Nickelodeon seem to be very pleased with their relationship with Apple and keep expanding their offerings.

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.com99¢ Movie of the Week2008-07-29T10:07:53-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/5622292238f601b0ad8a5cb64f23164f-126.html#unique-entry-id-126http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/5622292238f601b0ad8a5cb64f23164f-126.html#unique-entry-id-126Ghost, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week:

An interesting hybrid of popular film genres, Ghost showcases the talents of its entire cast. While out on th town one evening, New York couple Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) are confronted by a mugger. After submitting to his demands, Sam is murdered anyway. He then finds himself a disembodied spirit, invisible to the living world, wandering without hope until he finds a spiteful spirit aboard the subway (Vincent Schiavelli) who gives him some helpful pointers on how to co-exist. Soon Sam comes back into contact with those he knew in life, and he begins to learn piece-by-piece of his close friend and co-worker Carl's (Tony Goldwyn) embezzling plot which caused his death; the apparent mugging was, in fact, a premeditated murder. In the meantime, Carl has designs on Molly, and Sam is determined to extract revenge. He contacts a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg), and together, the two set out to serve justice and stop the maniacal Carl from getting to Molly. Blending comedy, romance, action and horror, Ghost was a box-office smash and managed to garner five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Goldberg), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Score; Goldberg won he first Oscar.

Director: Jerry Zucker
Producers: Lisa Weinstein, Howard Koch, Jr
Starring:Patrick Swayze
Starring: Demi Moore
Starring: Whoopi Goldberg
Starring: Tony Goldwym
Starring: Vincent Schiavelli

Get Ghost, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week

Check back every week for the iTunes Store 99¢ Movie of the week.



Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFree Music!2008-07-29T08:49:15-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/e6359d59be8166b92c5d86246b5812db-125.html#unique-entry-id-125http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/e6359d59be8166b92c5d86246b5812db-125.html#unique-entry-id-125Single of the Week

Belanova shows that synth pop is not just the playground of tech-savvy Brits or Americans. On One, Two, Three, Go!, the Guadalajara, Mexico, trio (Denise Guerrero, Edgar Huerta, Ricardo Arreola) cut loose with programmed beats, shout-along hooks and Guerrero's high-pitch yelp reminiscent of Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna. One, Two, Three, Go! is a sweet blast of international pop, equally useful on the treadmill and the dance floor.

Canción de la Semana

Not yet available.



Discovery Download

Kicking off with a crystal clear piano melody and then layering that with a warm twang and a tight rock backing band, Katie Armiger's bright-eyed vocals sound right at home on this track from her album Believe. Armiger is a teenage singer from Sugar Land, Texas, whose voice has a straightforward crossover quality that is not unlike those who have blazed this trail before, such as Shania Twain and Faith Hill.

Get Unseen.

Free TV—X Games

X Games guru Sal Masekela tells the inspirational story of skateboarder Jake Brown who is ready to put the demons of last year's horrific fall behind him as he goes searching for gold at X Games 14.

Get Jake Brown.

Free Comic—Watchmen

A murder takes place in New York City. "The Comedian," a former costumed crime fighter, was thrown out the window of a skyscraper. This event triggers an investigation that rounds up many of the Comedian's former superhero allies, who are now banned from carrying out any acts of "justice." Chapter 1 is the first in a 12-chapter saga that examines the nature of modern vigilantism, crime and the decay of many norms in society. Watchmen is considered an instant classic, and a standard-bearer in the world of comics and graphic novels.

Get Chapter One.

Links and descriptions for this week's "free" downloadable music and video have been copied from the iTunes Store. For a complete listing of this week's free iTunes Store downloadables, click here.

Get 25 FREE MP3s!
Choose from over 3.5 million songs!
Work on any MP3 player, including the iPod!Click Here]]>roc3@mac.comRefurb'd Macs2008-07-28T15:58:17-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/9c770364fe632b6f42efd91574aebf11-124.html#unique-entry-id-124http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/9c770364fe632b6f42efd91574aebf11-124.html#unique-entry-id-124Notable desktops: The refurbished 3.06GHz iMac makes infrequent and generally very short appearances on the Apple Store. If you've got it bad for the mothership's biggest and baddest prosumer desktop, you won't find a better deal than this—$1,899 with free shipping.

And, the $499 Mac mini returns!

[u] • Mac mini 1.83GHz, $499 (599)
— 1GB, 80GB, Combo drive

• iMac 20-inch 2.0GHz, $949 (1199)
— 1GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2400 XT w/ 128MB

• iMac 20-inch 2.4GHz, $1,099 (1499)
— 1GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• iMac 24-inch 2.4GHz, $1,349 (1799)
— 1GB, 320GB, 8x SuperDrive, 2600 PRO w/ 256MB

• iMac 24-inch 3.06GHz, $1,899 (2199)
— 2GB, 500GB, 8x SuperDrive, 8800 GS w/ 512MB

• Mac Pro Quad 2.66GHz, $1,999 (2499)
— 1GB, 250GB, 16x SuperDrive, 7300 GT w/ 256MB memory




Notable portables: The biggest prices reductions this week are once again to be found on Apple's desktop replacement 17" MacBook Pro with discounts of 33%.

Also, if black's where it's at for you, don't miss the 2.4GHz BlackBook for $1,299—that's $200 off the price of a new unit. These tend to sell out quickly, so don't hesitate.

[u] • MacBook 2.16GHz, $949 (1299)
— 1GB, 120GB, 8x SuperDrive
— White

[u] • Refurbished MacBook 2.2GHz, $999 (1299)
— 1GB, 120GB, 8x SuperDrive
— White

• MacBook 2.4GHz, $1,299 (1499)
— 2GB, 250GB, 8x SuperDrive
— Black

• 17" MacBook Pro 2.33GHz, $1,899 (2799)
— 2GB, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive, X1600 w/ 256MB
— Matte, glossy displays

• 17" MacBook Pro 2.6GHz, $2,499 (3299)
— 2GB, 160GB, 8x SuperDrive, 8600M GT w/ 256MB
— Hi-res display

• AirPort Express 802.11n w/ AirTunes, $79 (99)



MacMall highlights: The mall with it all now carries MacKiev software titles. They also have the best price we've seen for MobileMe as a stand-alone package at $89.

Also, though we've only listed the iMac, every Mac they sell ships with a free printer and Parallels virtualization software. Further MacMall's prices for new Macs are well below SRP and you get the other stuff gratis, all you have to do is mail in the rebates.

• Software MacKiev starting at $24.99 now available at MacMall.com

• Save up to $100 on the New iMac starts at $1144 + FREE Parallels 3.0 & Printer after Rebate(s)! Now up to 3.06 GHz

• Office 2008 for Mac Back-to-School Promo!
Save up to $150 on Office '08 w/ Mac purchase, ends 9/06

• MobileMe now only $89 ($99 MSRP)

• LaCie Big Disk Extreme now only $233.98 (was $284.99!)

• 10% off instantly on Logitech and Belkin products

• Bluetooth Headsets from Plantronics, Nokia, Jabra.
CA & WA Hands-Free Law Go Into Effect July 1, 2008!

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-07-26T09:08:08-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/edbdcda4f237354b494eef245bf39aac-123.html#unique-entry-id-123http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/edbdcda4f237354b494eef245bf39aac-123.html#unique-entry-id-123Washington Post reports that Federal Communications Commission regulators have approved the merger between XM and Sirius, the world's two and only two satellite radio providers. The deal, worth $3.3-billion that covers 18-million subscribers, was opposed by dozens of lawmakers, consumer groups and broadcasters because it creates a monopoly.

"Consumers will get to enjoy the best of the programming on both services," said FCC Chairman Kevin J Martin. "They'll also be able to pick and choose channels at a lower price."



Three of five FCC board members voted to allow the union, though conditions were attached:

• A three-year price cap

• Reduced channel package prices

• Merged companies must offer a la carte pricing and receivers that support free choice

• Companies must offer receivers that support both XM, Sirius channels

• Companies must offer more education and minority programming

Further, XM and Sirus agreed to pay $17.5-million and $2.2-million, respectively, in fines to resolve complaints that some of the companies' receivers and signal-boosting towers were in violation of FCC rules. The companies have promised to stop the practices and bring equipment into compliance.

XM and Sirius are not entirely out of the woods yet as the still has to pass Justice Department anti-trust scrutiny.

Editor's note: Not the outcome that I hoping for, but some fairly serious conditions have been imposed. However, enforcement of the conditions, something that likely won't see much public involvement or transparency, is another matter entirely.

Whether you're for or against the merger, contact your Senator or Congressman and let him know what you'd like to see done going forward...

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-07-24T22:05:16-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/1da2e8e5a68ca056c52632b071bded71-122.html#unique-entry-id-122http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/1da2e8e5a68ca056c52632b071bded71-122.html#unique-entry-id-122Fortune is running an article featuring comments from rock star cum activist Neil Young in which he lambasts Apple and the iPod, saying that music sound quality has been dumbed down to “Fisher-Price toy” levels.

“Apple has taken a detour down the convenience highway,” said Young. “Quality has taken a complete backseat—if it even gets in the car at all.

“We have beautiful computers now but high-resolution music is one of the missing elements,” he said. “The ears are the windows to the soul,” adding that music has become "like wallpaper"—more muzak than music.



Apparently, Neil is unaware of the fact that users can choose to encode music at whatever bit-rate they want, including Apple lossless. Further, the shuffle aside, iPods really don't present capacity constraints for users and today's hard drives are similarly liberating. The conclusion herein is that users are getting exactly what they want—lots of low-quality junk.

And, he obviously doesn't know that Apple would sell (relatively) "high-quality" 256-bit mp3s if the labels would let them.

The fault for music becoming "like wallpaper" can be laid at the feet of the labels which have marketed and licensed to everyone willing to give 'em a nickel for the privilege. Honestly, is there anywhere you can go that isn't polluted by piped in muzak?

There's also the Napster thing. Here again, though, this is what users wanted and still want.

Six of one...

To be sure, Neil's got his quirks and has been anything but shy about his drug use. Still, although it would be easy to simply assume that's he's unaware of the facts, it seems all-the-more-likely that he's just walking a well-worn path that the likes of Greenpeace and others keep coming back—milk Apple's ability to attract and generate publicity.

If Young really is unable or unwilling grasp reality, well that's just sad. If he's just another publicity hound going for easy headlines, that's just as sad...

What's your take?

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFound Footage2008-07-24T22:04:48-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/9999a3c81f27668fa001c12eab09137c-121.html#unique-entry-id-121http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/9999a3c81f27668fa001c12eab09137c-121.html#unique-entry-id-121eMusic, which bills itself as the world’s largest retailer of independent music and world’s second largest digital music service after iTunes, has announced a major transformation of its website with the addition of a host of new Web 2.0 features will offer customers more context.

"Stores like iTunes, Amazon and even the new Rhapsody are missing the boat," said David Pakman, president and CEO. "Blogs and recommendations from friends are now more relevant in music discovery than what music critics have to say, but what's missing is a place that brings that all together. eMusic is that place."

The new features break the online music retail mold and recognize that consumer music discovery behavior has changed. The first of the changes will be integrated into a redesigned eMusic album page, the most popular page on the site. Beginning today, eMusic customers will not only see album information and track-listing on the page, they will see imported content from YouTube, Flickr and Wikipedia for the artist whose music they are exploring.



Customers can share their finds via Facebook, Digg, Del.icio.us, Twitter, Stumble Upon with more sites to be added over time. Also, eMusic has devised a new browsing widget to surface relevant editorial material on every artist from its vast archives.

Editor's note: It's a bit of an exageration to say that iTunes is missing the boat. In fact, iTunes was an early leader with its affiliate program and public link-maker, as well as Facebook tie-in.

Still, eMusic is probably first first-tier online music seller to embrace social networking with this much gusto...

What's your take?

Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.com99¢ Movie of the Week2008-07-24T00:48:19-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/ded11c70ab2913339e7a97abc2c5d711-120.html#unique-entry-id-120http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/ded11c70ab2913339e7a97abc2c5d711-120.html#unique-entry-id-120Dressed to Kill, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week:

One of Brian De Palma's most divisive films, Dressed to Kill is a spine-chilling Alfred Hitchcock update for the late 1970s. Sexually-frustrated wife and mother Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson) visits her New York psychiatrist, Dr Elliot (Michael Caine), to complain about her unfulfilling erotic life. When she then goes to meet her husband at a museum, she meets an anonymous man whom she follows out to a cab. After an afternoon of satisfying sex, Kate discovers that the man has a venereal disease, but that information becomes a moot point when a razor-wielding blonde woman slashes Kate to ribbons in the elevator of the man's building. Blonde prostitute Liz (Nancy Allen), who caught a glimpse of the murderer, becomes both the prime suspect and the killer's next target. With the police less than willing to believe her story, Liz joins forces with Kate's son Peter (Keith Gordon) to get the psychopath themselves. Steamy material cut to get an R-rating was restored on the unrated laser disc version.

Director: Brian De Palma
Producer: George Litto
Starring: Michael Caine
Starring: Angie Dickinson
Starring: Dennis Franz
Starring: Keith Gordon

Get Dressed to Kill, the iTunes 99¢ Movie of the Week.

Check back every week for the iTunes Store 99¢ Movie of the week.



Download, Play, Burn MP3s! No DRM. No Restrictions. No Worries.]]>roc3@mac.comFree Music!2008-07-24T00:39:52-04:00http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/1a1d58c32d0729b0a20ad4dbe9ae8640-119.html#unique-entry-id-119http://www.itunesmuse.org/files/1a1d58c32d0729b0a20ad4dbe9ae8640-119.html#unique-entry-id-119Single of the Week

From Nathanishot27: Kerli's debut cd, Love Is Dead, is finally here! You will never listen to music like hers! Her music so unique and different but it is a refreshing sound. Each song here showcases her talent and originality. She is from the small country of Estonia, but that doesn't mean her music is limited. This is truly original music. It is also available for a low price! If you don't believe that she is amazing, just listen to Walking on Air and try to get it out of your head after.

Canción de la Semana

Bajofondo is an eight-member strong group from South America who fuse together contemporary electronic dance music with tango in a luscious, sophisticated and still deeply funky way. The sounds on Mar Dulce are more grand than ever and features vocals in a stronger role. Not just any vocalists either—Mar Dulce features vocals from Gustavo Cerati, Julieta Venegas and Elvis Costello.

Get El Mareo.



Discovery Download

Not posted as of press time

Free TV—Buzzin'

As their first single, Buzzin', starts to climb the charts, musical artist Shwayze, his best friend and music producer, Cisco Adler, and their friend / tour manager, Warren, get into comic misadventures as they try to navigate their way to stardom in the music industry. Trying to keep them on track is their tough manager and label honcho, Jordan Schur, of Suretone Records, who has taken artists like Ashley Simpson and Limp Bixkit all the way to the top. Together, this crew is taking a very long, windy and crazy trip to fame.

Get Super Monday.

Links and descriptions for this week's "free" downloadable music, etc have been copied from the iTunes Store