RIAA- DRM not dead and likely will make comeback

RIAA: DRM not dead and likely will make comeback
LOS ANGELES--News of DRM's death has been greatly exaggerated, according to an executive with the Recording Industry Association of America.At a time when the top recording companies appear to be phasing out digital rights management (DRM), the RIAA is predicting that the highly controversial software will make a comeback."(Recently) I made a list of the 22 ways to sell music, and 20 of them still require DRM," said David Hughes, who heads up the RIAA's technology unit, during a panel discussion at the Digital Hollywood conference. "Any form of subscription service or limited play-per-view or advertising offer still requires DRM. So DRM is not dead."Hughes just stated the obvious. DRM still exists; one can find it at iTunes, RealNetworks' Rhapsody, and at free-music service SpiralFrog just to name a few. But his statement was startling because the top four music labels have seemingly been warming up to unprotected music files. Last January, when Sony BMG became the last major recording company to sell DRM-free tracks at Amazon, plenty of observers considered the technology buried. Since then, a growing number of online stores have begun offering at least some open MP3s, including Walmart.com, Zune's Marketplace, Amazon, as well as iTunes.Not so fast, said Hughes, who predicted that DRM would reemerge in a big way. "I think there is going to be a shift," he told the audience. "I think there will be a movement towards subscription services, and (that) will eventually mean the return of DRM."Hughes also said that DRM must change so that the public sees it less as a sort of policeman that locks music a way. He would prefer a mode where consumers don't notice DRM at all. "People just want music when they want it," he said. "It's about access. If they get that then they don't care about DRM."Not everybody on the panel agreed. Rajan Samtani, director of business development at Digimarc Corp., a company that provides watermarking technology, said he worked for ContentGuard, a company that tries to help find less obtrusive ways to implement DRM. "I think it's time to throw in the towel," Samtani said. "These kids have too many ways to get around DRM."Fritz Attaway, executive vice president at the Motion Picture Association of America said: "We need DRM to show our customers the limits of the license they have entered into with us."

How people talk about Apple on social media

How people talk about Apple on social media
For all the questions people have about the direction of Apple in a post-Steve Jobs world, folks are still talking about the company's products. In a survey released on Thursday, the research firm Market Wired took a look at how people are talking about the company in blogs and on social media. Some overall figures from the study: Over the past year, Apple was mentioned in over 560 million tweets, 7.5 million blog posts, 6.6 million online news articles, and 25.9 million forum posts. Outside of the United States, where 30 percent of the mentions originated, China made the most mentions, at almost 19 percent.Market Wired, Screenshot/CNETNot surprisingly, the most mentioned piece of hardware was the iPhone, while the most mentioned software product was iOS. The popularity of these terms was exacerbated in a year when Apple for the first time released two models of the phone in one day -- the 5S and 5C -- and widely released the most major iOS overhaul since the software was first introduced. Another tidbit from the study is that women tend to talk more about Apple's hardware in online conversation, while men tend to talk more about software. The study also confirmed some things we already knew about social media: If you want to be mentioned, glom onto teen idols. The most retweeted Apple-related tweets were from Justin Bieber and a member of One Direction mentioning their music on iTunes. While not focusing specifically on competitors, the study points out that Android and Windows were mentioned a lot in the past year. That's a very salient point, considering the wide popularity of Android and hardware makers that build handsets for the operating system, like Samsung. Another notable thing about the study: It makes no mention of sentiment analysis, so while we might get a sense of how many people are talking about Apple, and what products they are calling out, there's no indication as to whether they are saying positive or negative things about Apple's offerings -- which may be one of the most important distinctions of all.

Samsung's redesigned Galaxy Tab hopes to get around injunction

Samsung's redesigned Galaxy Tab hopes to get around injunction
Samsung's change and insistence that it get around the ban marks the latest development in the ongoing legal saga between it and Apple. Apple won an injunction based on the claim that the Galaxy Tab shares too many similarities with its own iPad tablet, part of a legal battle fought in multiple courtrooms around the world. The ban was instituted in September, when a German court ruled that Samsung violated Apple's patents. That Samsung is already out with a new version of the Galaxy Tab speaks to its desire to stay in the growing tablet market. Patent analyst Florian Mueller said in the Foss Patents blog that the redesigned tablet looks like it was a result of cooperation from the product design team and the company's German lawyers. He added this "ups the ante" on Apple, which could decide to seek another injunction. Apple has aggressively pursued Android supporters, starting with a lawsuit against HTC, and expanding to others. It's almost become a mark of success as an Android vendor; show any success and Apple targets you. As a result, Google spent $12.5 billion to acquire Motorola Mobility to get a hold of its patents, and has provided HTC with additional patents for its defense. Apple's more litigious activity underscores a broader willingness in the tech industry to lob lawsuits against each other. While not a new practice, the activity has heated up in recent years.

Samsung's image doing just fine after Apple verdict, poll finds

Samsung's image doing just fine after Apple verdict, poll finds
And for 18-34 year olds:YouGovPer YouGov, that data comes from online surveys of about 5,000 people each day in the U.S.On August 24, Apple was given a sweeping verdict against Samsung in a U.S. trial between the two companies. That result puts Samsung on the hook for more than a billion dollars in damages, and has given Apple the grounds to request permanent U.S. sales bans against the infringing products -- an item that hasn't yet been sorted out. While not a definitive insight into whether those opinions were weighed by the results of the trial, YouGov's Ted Marzilli offers that there was strong evidence to support the rankings were closely tied. "Samsung's Buzz score was cut in half from 26 on that day to 12 by August 31, while Apple rose modestly from 33 to 38 in the same period, making a 26 point difference between the two brands at the end of the month," Marzilli wrote. He added that Samsung then proceeded to make gains, and actually surpassed Apple late last week. YouGov's findings match up with a study performed by researchers at London-based Media Measurement that suggested Apple's brand image took a dive following the verdict. Those results, published by Forbes last week, found an overwhelming number of those who took to Twitter and Facebook in order discuss the verdict, had negative things to say about the company.

Apple- Don't get excited about that new Apple TV box

Apple: Don't get excited about that new Apple TV box
Less than a day after a schematic of what appeared to be the fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box appeared in a U.S. regulatory filing, the company says it's not a new version at all, but a minor behind-the-scenes hardware change. In a statement today provided to The Verge, the company said it had to file new paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission following a change to one of the internal components."We sometimes make component changes which require an updated model number for regulatory approval," an Apple spokesperson said. "The component changes we made don't affect product features and Apple TV customers will continue to have the same great user experience."The component in question appears to be an updated A5X processor, as well as antenna technology, according to AnandTech, which yesterday went through both the FCC filings and the iOS 6.1 firmware file, which contained references to the hardware.Related storiesSmaller Apple TV box hinted at in FCC filingApple TV rumor roundupNot mentioned was the apparent size difference, something originally spotted by Engadget, that suggested the updated hardware was slightly smaller than the second- and third-generation models. A person familiar with Apple's plans says these updated models are the same size, and are headed to stores soon.Apple's last big Apple TV hardware update came last March with a third-generation model that added 1080p playback. Since then, Apple has put out a handful of interim software updates that added new features, including compatibility with iTunes Match and more recently, Bluetooth keyboards. The company is still expected to roll out a full-fledged TV set, possibly as soon as this fall.

Apple developer site buckles following WWDC

Apple developer site buckles following WWDC
Update: Back up now; see update below.Apparently a lot of developers are eager to get their mitts on preview versions of Apple's next iOS and OS X software. Enough are visiting the developer site to bring things to a screeching halt. Users who attempt to make their way there are currently getting page load errors, as well as a page that tells users: "We'll be back soon."This has happened plenty of other times, and is expected to be sorted out, though Apple's currently offering no guidance on when. Additionally, its fancy system status page for its services, stores and iCloud does not include its developer sites and services.More from WWDCMeet iTunes Radio, Apple's long-awaited streaming music serviceApple gives the iPhone a user interface face-lift with iOS 7Apple unveils new MacBook Air, gives Mac Pro sneak peek Mac Pro sneak peek (pictures) Getting to know Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks (pictures) WWDC 2013: Full coverageThe developer site will be the first and -- for a while -- only place to get downloads of iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 "Mavericks," which Apple introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference earlier today. Both pieces of software are headed for a public release later this year. Apple is giving developers early access to fine-tune their apps and help squash bugs before the public release.Users must be a registered Apple developer to install either of the two previews, and the software itself requires agreeing to a nondisclosure agreement. Perhaps making the outage more impressive is that iOS 7 won't work with all of Apple's iOS devices out the gate. Apple on Monday said the beta would only be for the iPhone initially, with betas for the iPad and iPod Touch to follow. Apple's also ratcheted up the minimum hardware needed to be able to install the software, which will work only on the iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, the iPad Mini, and fifth-generation iPod Touch.Update at 3 p.m. PT: Well, that was quick. Apple's developer site is up and running, several developer readers now tell CNET. What developers saw trying to get onto Apple's developers site.CNET

Apple could be working on television

Apple could be working on television
We know Apple already sells Apple TV. But it might be working on an another kind of Apple TV--as in an Apple-branded television, not a set-top box that hooks up to your TV.Eagle-eyed bloggers at 9to5 Mac noticed a job listing today that Apple posted that leaves little doubt it's something the company is at least exploring.The listing asks, rather benignly, for someone who wants to work on "new power management designs and technologies." But in what will Apple use this new power-management technology? The listing goes on to say that it will be used for "Apple's next-generation Macintosh platforms spanning from notebook computers, desktop computers, servers, standalone displays, and TV."It's safe to say that if Apple were going to advertise a job listing to work on generic product types, it would use the term set-top box or something similar to describe Apple TV in its current incarnation, since "TV" in any other context refers to a display, not a box. But it specifically says "TV."Making and selling a TV really wouldn't be that much of a stretch for Apple. Everyone has a television, so there's a built-in set of customers already. Apple makes some of the most well-regarded monitors on the market, and what are monitors but (basically) TVs without a TV antenna? Plus, Apple's got a growing video empire in iTunes, and though it likes to call it a hobby, with Apple TV it shows the company is interested in being in the living room, not just the office, car, coffee shop, or your backpack or purse.You might wonder, rightly, who in their right mind would want to enter the television business these days. Rapid commodification, easily copied features, and being forced to find new ways to display content that make people buy a new TV every couple years (HD, 3D, Internet-connected TVs) all make it a rough industry to be in right now. Of course the same could be said about PCs and mobile phones, but Apple has demonstrated it knows how to reap profits in both those industries in ways its competitors haven't.

Apple COO- iPad takes a bite out of Mac sales

Apple COO: iPad takes a bite out of Mac sales
iPad shipments jump 183 percent: How big of a nibble?We know this much.Apple shipped a record 9.25 million iPads during the quarter, a 183 percent increase over the same quarter last year when it shipped 3.3 million.Meanwhile, it shipped about 3.95 million Macs in the third quarter, a 14 percent increase from last year.iPad K-12 takes off: "We sold more iPads in K-12 than we sold Macs. To do that after just five quarters is absolutely shocking," Cook said. Mac revenue comparison: Revenue for the iPad and related products and services was $6 billion versus about $5 billion for Macs.But a more meaningful contrast is MacBooks.MacBook revenue was about $3.525 billion, a significantly smaller portion of iPad sales. Cook: Yes, there is cannibalization: While the numbers alone suggest some cannibalization of Macs, Cook was even more specific."In terms of cannibalization, we do believe that some customers chose to purchase an iPad instead of a new Mac during the quarter," he said. Not surprisingly, Cook added: "We also believe that even more customers chose to purchase an iPad over a Windows PC." Can't keep up with demand: It may also be the case that some consumers are choosing to buy an iPad over a competing Android tablet."We were still selling every unit we could during the quarter...[But] as we stepped into July, we have been able to increase the supply further," Cook said.Apple speaks the truth about competing tablets: Cook also made a statement later in the call about competitors that sounds like hubris but is pretty close to the truth when iPad sales numbers are compared with rivals' tallies."It doesn't appear that other tablets are getting any traction to speak of," Cook said.

Apple continues to dominate mobile PC, tablet markets

Apple continues to dominate mobile PC, tablet markets
Apple's iPad helped catapult the company to the top of the mobile PC space last quarter, according to new data from NPD DisplaySearch.The research firm revealed today that during the first quarter, Apple shipped 17.2 million mobile PCs worldwide, earning it 22.5 percent share of the market and jumping 118 percent year-over-year. Hewlett-Packard and Acer trailed with 11.6 percent and 9 percent market share, respectively. Lenovo and Dell rounded out the top five with 7.7 percent and 7.3 percent share.NPD DisplaySearch, which defines mobile PCs as tablets, notebooks, and mini-notebooks, said total shipments for the quarter hit 76.2 million, representing a 30 percent gain over the same period last year.Apple's dominance extended to the tablet market, where the company shipped 13.6 million iPads during the first quarter, according to NPD DisplaySearch. With that many tablets shipped, the company easily dwarfed all competitors in market share, taking 62.8 percent of the space. Samsung and Amazon trailed far behind with 7.5 percent and 4 percent market share, respectively.Although Apple's success was due mainly to its iPad's popularity, NPD revealed in its study that the company's competitors weren't necessarily so concerned about market share. In fact, HP was "one of the few top players in the market to increase its unit shipments year-over-year," NPD said. Instead of increasing shipments, NPD said, mobile PC vendors focused their efforts on "margins and profits."Still, the companies were able to slowly chip away at Apple's lead. During the fourth quarter of 2011, Apple owned 26.6 percent of the global mobile PC market. HP, which was in second place, had only 9.9 percent share.

Apple contacts man whose home was searched by employees

Apple contacts man whose home was searched by employees
Two Apple employees claimed they had traced the errant device to the residence of Sergio Calderon, 22, and then visited his house with four plainclothes officers from the San Francisco Police Department in late July. Calderon, who has said he was led to believe everyone who entered the house was a police officer, has hired attorney David Monroe.Monroe declined to elaborate on the conversations with Apple. Police have said a two-man Apple security team searched Calderon's home and did not recover the phone. Monroe said police facilitated the search by telling Calderon they would obtain a search warrant if he didn't submit to a search. Monroe said he believes police acted improperly by not identifying the Apple employees. He also said his client is innocent of any wrongdoing, Monroe said that police, who have launched an investigation into the matter, have asked to speak with Calderon and that he has offered to provide them with a written statement from his client. The police have not replied, Monroe said. Related links• Apple loses another unreleased iPhone (exclusive)• Apple may face suit over search for unreleased iPhone (scoop)• For lost iPhone, SFPD wants bar's surveillance video"We want to help them find out if their rules were broken," Monroe said. "The real problem here is that police failed to disclose to my client that Apple employees would be searching his home. We don't know how often this may happen. I think it was [SFPD Chief Greg Suhr] who indicated that police often do searches like this for private investigators."SFPD representatives did not respond to CNET's request for comment. An Apple representative declined to comment. For Apple, a company with a reputation as one of Silicon Valley's most security conscious companies, this was the second unreleased iPhone lost by employees in the span of 18 months--both times in bars.In March 2010, Gray Powell, an Apple engineer, lost a prototype iPhone 4 in a Redwood City, Calif., beer pub. Three weeks ago, the two men who obtained that phone and later sold the device to gadget blog Gizmodo, pleaded no contest to theft charges.

Apple confirms it will live-stream iPad event

Apple confirms it will live-stream iPad event
Apple has confirmed it will stream its 16 October event, giving eager spectators the chance to watch the tech giant unveil its latest gadgets as it happens.Visitors to Apple's live site will see a holding page for the stream,with the text: "Join us here at apple.com/live on October 16 at 10am PTto watch our special event live."Apple's newest techiPhone 6iPhone 6 PlusApple WatchApple Watch appears on Vogue China coverThe event is expected to see the arrival of new iPads and Macs, with discussion of Mac OS X Yosemite also in the cards.Apple's last big event took place in early September, when the tech giant proudly touted the iPhone 6 and its bigger sibling, the iPhone 6 Plus. We also got our first tempting glimpse at the Apple Watch -- the company's attempt to dominate the ever-expanding world of wearable tech.Our fingers are crossed that the live stream proves a little more stable than the one last month. Much of Apple's September event was marred for many viewers by sluggish, glitchy video and a translation audio track playing loudly over the feed.CNET has you coveredYou'd be wise, then, to keep an eye on CNET's live blog from the event. We'll bring you blow-by-blow updates and photos from inside the event itself, so be sure to read our event guide, which tells you who'll be there and what time the keynote starts in your time zone. Be sure to bookmark this page, where we'll be hosting all our live coverage.The invitation for the upcoming Apple event hints that "it's been waytoo long." The event will take place at Apple's Cupertino, Calif.,headquarters, a smaller venue than it's been using for its recentlaunches.Top iPad Air competitors (pictures)See full gallery1 - 4 / 5NextPrevOne challenge that the maker of glossy gadgetry faces is keeping interest in the iPad high. Earlier in the year its tablet shipments fell short of expectations. CEO Tim Cook is careful not to appear phased, however, and said in July, "We still feel the category as a whole is in its early days, and there's still significant innovation that can be brought to the iPad, and we can do that."