Microsoft Media Watch

Podcasting For Dummies

Just created a nice new blog focused on Podcasting. If you're new to this recent phenom, head over to Podcasting for Dummies and check it out. While your in a clicky mood, you should also check out my new homepage - UtahSaint. I'm a busy guy, I'm not sure how I do all this work...

Nokia Ties The Knot With The Devil

BBC NEWS | Business | Nokia announces Microsoft tie-up

Nokia has announced a tie-up with software giant Microsoft and US music download service Loudeye. Users will be able to download songs and ringtones to Nokia handsets equipped with Microsoft's digital music-playing software.

There will be a choice of tracks from international and local music lists. Microsoft, which competes with Nokia in developing mobile phone operating software, will see its Windows Media technology installed on Nokia phones.

How to get rid of spyware!

SpywareThink your machine is infected with Spyware? check out the guys at spyware nation - they have the tools, they have the technology, they have the amazing insight into Spyware and Adware - I hate that stuff!

Looks a little bit like Blackpool/Brighton, but I can assure you, it's warmer! The Jersey Shore...
Jason

Getting ready to wipe-out, it's the O'Neil New Jersey Surfing championship - who needs the north shore?
Jason

Surfs up, Jersey style!
Jason

Portable Media Center Review

Portable Media Center Review
The big picture: Why Portable Media Center?
For the most part, I'll leave it to Microsoft and its hardware partners to market Portable Media Centers. But I do find the story of how the PMC came about to be somewhat interesting. There are two aspects to this story: The wider strategy Microsoft has for delivering digital media beyond your PC, and the way in which the company has delivered on that vision, specifically, in this case with the PMC.

Portable Media Player Screen 1

Portable Player Screen 2

WinXP SP2 Review

Win XP SP 2 with Advanced Security Technologies Review
It's hard to even remember when Internet Explorer (IE) was on the front burner at Microsoft: This once proud Web browser has languished in the background in recent years as speedier competitors like Mozilla Firefox steal all the press with innovative features and standards-compliant Web page rendering. With XP SP2, IE gets a small polish, and the result is a product that answers about 50 percent of my IE complaints. The obvious change is that IE now blocks pop-up ads by default, and it's a welcome addition. Over the past few years, IE users have fallen victim to insidious pop-up (and so-called pop-under) ads, IE windows that arrive unbidden when you visit malicious Web sites. You know what I'm talking about

Screenshots:
Zero Popups!
Security Center

Microsoft Reloads XP: Microsoft Preps US Launch of MSN Music, WMP 10, Portable Media Center Devices

Microsoft Reloads XP: Microsoft Preps US Launch of MSN Music, WMP 10, Portable Media Center Devices
The Microsoft Windows XP Reloaded marketing campaign cranks up this week with the launch of Windows Media Player (WMP) 10, MSN Music, and the partner-made Portable Media Center devices. These releases follow the shipment of XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, both of which became available in early August and precede a host of other XP Reloaded releases that many have pegged for October. Chief among those second-stage releases, of course, is the next version of XP Media Center Edition (MCE), a product veiled in much secrecy.

With a public beta release earlier this summer and many public pronouncements from Microsoft about its design, WMP 10 is largely a known quantity. But MSN Music, Microsoft's first serious foray into online music services in the United States, has been the cause of much speculation. And although some people have suggested that the service will quickly relegate Apple Computer's successful iTunes to the dustbin of history, I'm not sure that's going to be the case.

More important, perhaps, is what's the difference? The online music market is currently tiny, only occupying about 2 percent of the $1.7 billion music business in the United States, and much, much less worldwide; even the most positive outlooks see online music occupying just 12 percent of the overall music business in the United States by 2007. As David Card, the research director of Jupiter Research, told the “New York Times” this week, "for Microsoft, [entering the online music business] is like Slate, not Xbox. It's a pretty small opportunity right now."

Microsoft Launches Napster/iTunes Rival

Microsoft was a bit late to the game in the online music download market. Apple managed to grab a sizable chunk of the market with their popular music service, iTunes. However, this could very well change with the launch of MSN Music.

The new site (currently in preview, expected to be launched live with WMP 10) allows users to download music from a variety of artists for 99 cents per song, $9.90 per album. Content wise, the site does not pass the infamous Beatles test (context: neither do any others), yet a notice can be seen suggesting that the Beatles will soon be added. They claim to have licensed over 1 million songs, substantially more than other online outfits, from major music labels, independents, and even undiscovered artists". When Apple came to the UK, they had (and still are) problems securing contracts with Independent labels. Microsoft appears to have used its significantly larger financial clout to solve these issues; The Beatles, for example, were only going online with a company that would offer them a lot of money.

To compare with iTunes; the site is intended to be used via WMP 10, but can be viewed in browsers (link below). The site appeared usable in non-IE browsers, yet had a few minor quirks, as is to be expected. The price is similar to iTunes. In terms of DRM / format efficiency, the site claims that the music can be played on 70 devices - i.e. WMA enabled devices and is encoded at 160kbps WMA. Microsoft have been quite generous in terms of rights, with the site reporting that the "MSN Music allows you to play your music on up to five Windows PCs, burn play lists to CD up to seven times, and transfer to an unlimited number of portable audio devices." iTunes purchased music can be played only on PC/Macs & iPods. MSN Music also has reviews, ratings, and album information in a similar fashion to iTunes. The site will have celebrity recommendations, ala iTunes, and expertly themed playlists. All in all, the site compares very well, in some areas coming out clearly on top.

The site requires a passport account for use. Asides from hosting music, the site also offers cinema information, a variety of radio stations, and TV listings for the USA. No word on whether the site will be offering localised information when it is launched proper.

The site is slick and well designed, arguably slick enough to compete well with iTunes. It might be added, however, that it is not difficult for Microsoft to promote it's own services (e.g. IE default homepage -> msn.com) and tunnel its Windows market share elsewhere. That aside, the site will undoubtedly enjoy success in its own right. The service looks well thought through and is easily accessible. You can check it out at the link below; the site is expected to go live with the launch of Windows Media Player 10, which is expected as soon as tomorrow. If you can't wait, you can download the WMP 10 Public Preview here: