Easy Ipod Blog

In what can only be great news for Apple American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu has said While we have great respect for Microsoft, we are frankly underwhelmed by the much-hyped Zune device,”. Wu also mentioned that “Microsoft had hinted of an all-new design from the ground up, but from our analysis, it appears that the Zune is essentially a repackaged Toshiba Gigabeat that has seen limited success. Moreover, the software is similar to the Windows Mobile OS licensed to its hardware ‘partners’. At this point, we believe this could end up being another classic case of overpromising and underdelivering by Microsoft.”

The main funtion that has not impressed so far is the Zune’s control pad functional which is not as user friendly as the iPod Click wheel.

Wu said he continues to believe that creating a complete device-software solution similar to Apple’s iPod and iTunes is nearly impossible. “Replicating the ease-of-use and experience of iPod + iTunes is a difficult endeavor, not to mention likely to infringe on Apple’s patents,” Wu said. “In our opinion, Sony has come the closest in creating a pleasant experience with its Walkman cell phones, but its success has had little to no impact on Apple (likely because customers use the Walkman phones mostly as cell phones).”

In addition, the Zune player will likely only have success against Microsoft’s own partners, according to Wu. “To us the portable media market is divided into two camps—iPod + iTunes (the de facto standard) and Windows Media,” he said. “We believe Zune will likely see some success due to Microsoft’s strong brand name and strong marketing effort. However, we believe its success will likely come at an expense and be limited by its lack of differentiation vs. other Windows players (CREAF, SNDK, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, iRiver, Archos, and others).”

What do you guys thinks about the soon to be released Zune player will you be ditching your iPod for a Zune? Do you think that the Zune can compete with the iPod?

Apple yesterday posted a new section on its US itunes site named “Great Albums/Great Prices,”
in this section consumers will find ablums priced at only $6.99. “We’ve got a vast selection of up-and-coming artists at a great price, so you’re guaranteed to find new music you love without putting a dent in your wallet,” says Apple. So US consumers can now fill up their iPod’s cheaper than ever before.

What do you think about the price or music in the UK?

What’s better than a glass of Moet for lifting your mood, more versatile than a Swiss Army Knife, sexier than a supermodel and has a bigger sound than Pavarotti singing in the shower? Answer: the HouseParty 24/7 from GEAR4 – an advanced 2.1 stereo speaker system for iPod with alarm clock, remote control and AM/FM radio to bring you the tunes you love where you want them, and at any time of day or night.

Psychological studies have shown that listening to music we like improves our disposition by between 30% and 50% in any situation, whether we’re getting dressed, doing the housework or just kicking back on the couch. So GEAR4 is pleased to help improve the nation’s mental state with the launch of the HouseParty 24/7 – a natural mood enhancer that fits perfectly into any room of the house.

Dock your iPod and prepare to be blown away the HouseParty 24/7’s two powerful two-inch six-watt magnetic shielded speakers combined with its ActiveBass 2.1™ twelve-watt sub-woofer, a combination that produces a fuller and richer sound than many conventional thirty-watt systems – beating mini hi-fis hands down.

It’s a fantastic addition to the bedroom: cue up Air’s Moon Safari on the HouseParty 24/7 and let the chilled French duo inspire you to new heights of passion. With its three-stage dimmer LCD screen, you can keep that mood lighting and not be kept awake by unwanted glare when it’s time to sleep. With a 16-function remote control allowing direct access to your iPod’s menus, you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your duvet to up the tempo or bring the BPM down.

And don’t worry about your night time exertions meaning you’ll be late for work in the morning. The HouseParty 24/7 features an alarm clock with two different alarms for different times of the day and four modes – choose to wake up to your iPod, other music player, FM or AM radio. It also has a snooze function that can be set between 5 and 20 minutes depending on how quickly you need to get out of bed!

Alternatively, take your HouseParty 24/7 into the lounge and make this awesome sound system an integral part of your living zone. Sleek and compact, the HouseParty 24/7 is available in sexy black or cool white which will draw admiring looks from your guests – and that’s even before they’ve heard its incredible sound reproduction.

If music is the food of love, then why not bring your HouseParty 24/7 into the kitchen to cook up an audio feast? Its FM/AM radio allows you to programme up to five preset stations so you can listen to Chris Moyles as you make your breakfast or switch between stations at the touch of a button while preparing your favourite menu. Forget celebrity chefs – let the HouseParty 24/7 provide you with all the culinary inspiration you need.

The HouseParty 24/7 is the most versatile, best-sounding dedicated speaker system for iPods we think you’ll find – and at £99.99 this essential piece of kit is available at a highly competitive price. Transform your home and improve your mood around the clock with some 24/7-style living.

HouseParty 24/7 – A high quality 2.1 stereo speaker system for iPod with alarm clock and AM/FM radio functions as well as a fully functional remote control with access to your iPod’s menus. With its ActiveBass 2.1™ sub-woofer technology and two powerful 2-inch speakers, tunes come to life with room-filling bass-rich sound. Ambient LCD display and alarm clock/snooze functions mean you can party through the night and still wake up to your favourite tunes – 24/7 style living.

Apple’s $100 million settlement with Creative Technology is only a “drop in the bucket” for Apple and removes potential future headaches for the company, according to one Wall Street analyst. “If Creative had been able to win any favorable rulings in the five outstanding lawsuits, Apple could have faced headaches including: further appeals, product injunctions, future and historical royalty payments,” said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. “Considering $100m represents 1.1% of Apple’s $9.2 billion in cash (at the end of the June quarter), we believe the settlement will prove to be the right course of action.”

Easyishop has today launched a new iPod charger.

Digitimes is reporting that Apple will soon introduce a new iPod that has wireless capablilties. In a brief report, the publication claims: “Apple is expected to launch soon a new iPod that supports wireless capabilities so as to compete with Microsoft’s planned year-end launch of its Zune-branded MP3 players, according to market sources. Apple’s headquarters has begun dispatching its staff to its major markets in Asia, to teach local sales how to demonstrate the new products, the sources noted.” It has been reported that the Zune player will feature Wi-Fi support for sharing music with other Zune users and for downloading music without a computer.

We think this really could be possible as Apple are going to pull out all the stops on their next iPod to blow the Zune out the water. Have you guys heard any Zune or iPod news let us know.

Only in America!!! A 14 year old US teen from Illinois has been sued by the parents of another teen after an iPod went missing during a school class. The US Naperville Sun newspaper reports “On June 6, the last day of eighth-grade at Still Middle School, Shannon lent Stephanie her iPod Nano. Shannon’s mother, Melanie McCarthy of Aurora, said her daughter had saved money from Christmas and birthday gifts to purchase the $300 iPod in late May. McCarthy said her daughter left the classroom to use the bathroom and when she returned, the iPod was gone. Stephanie, who had also left the room, told her friend that she had placed the iPod on top of Shannon’s desk. McCarthy named Stephanie in a lawsuit filed in DuPage County on Aug. 4. The suit seeks $350 for the iPod and $125 in court costs.”

Have you heard any crazy iPod related stories if so why not comment below.

Picture of the long awaited Levi jeans have finally hit the net. The jeans which were announced back in January have iPod charging facility and custom made pockets for the iPod. The asking price seems very high at $250 it seems this could be more of a PR stunt for Levi than them actually looking to shift lots of units.

Here are the pics

Steve jobs Apple’s CEO is to host a keynote speach today at 10.00am Eastern Time. Steve will be showing off Apple’s new Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard which is their next major operating system upgrade. There are lots of rumours flying around as to what else Steve could announce with Intel based Mac Pro desktops and an iPhone being widely rumoured. It is not expected that a new iPod will be announced today but as always with Apple they do like to bring out surprises at the last minute.

Keep checking back and we will be updating any news we have.