The 404 457: Where Justin gets some tail on Halloween
They said it would never happen, but the day has finally come for Justin to get some much-needed tail....as he dons a skunk costume and becomes Justin Le Pieu for today's very unspooky Halloween episode of The 404! Be sure to check out today's video for all the details. Since Jeff is out today and this coming Monday for who-knows-what, the guys ask everyone's favorite Kenley and Alli to help co-host the show. Unfortunately, with the Swine Flu hitting New York at full force, nobody in the office is feeling too hot for the holiday, but they do their best and don some shades as they recall last night's CNET's Client Halloween Party. Kenley chooses her top picks for the Best Costume Award and Alli tells everyone a horrifying story that happened on her way to work this morning...trust me folks, NOTHING is scarier than a mouthful of New York trash water.Last.FM/Fool's GoldAs October slowly fades away, and with great reluctance and tears, we must say goodbye to Beck's Beer and the Semi-Weekly Audio Draft, but not before Wilson debuts our last pick. Continuing in our tradition of introducing new and different genres of music, Fool's Gold plays a unique blend of South African, Ethiopian, and Eritrean influenced music with a twist--lead vocalist Luke Top was born and raised in Israel and sings the majority of the lyrics (although many of the tracks, including our first pick, are instrumental) in Hebrew.The two featured tracks on today's episode are called "Surprise Hotel" and "Ha Dvash." If you're into the band, you can even win a date with Alli and Kenley to go see the band perform on November 17 at the Bowery Ballroom here in New York! All interested parties should submit a photo, general interests, date ideas, and a brief cover letter to the404(at)cnet(dot)com.Have a great Halloween folks, and be safe!EPISODE 457PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
MP3 replacement proposed
MP3 replacement proposed
The proposed format was announced by Bach Technology on Sunday at MIDEM 2010, a music-industry conference under way in Cannes, France. Unlike current alternatives to the MP3, such as Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MusicDNA is not a new audio technology, and requires no new audio codecs. Rather, as Bach CEO Stefan Kohlmeyer explains in this video interview with PaidContent, MusicDNA is an add-on to existing audio formats. MusicDNA analyzes the audio itself for characteristics in 13 categories such as mood and tempo. This information is encoded as XML and ships with the file. Content owners can also provide data, such as album art and lyrics, to be included with the file. This data can even be updated when the user is online--for example, concert listings could be added as they're announced, complete with links to ticket-buying sites. Bach hopes to make money by licensing the technology to software and hardware manufacturers. Because MusicDNA isn't a new audio technology, MusicDNA files should play on existing hardware and software--they'll play the underlying audio file and ignore all the added data. This is how MusicDNA could escape the fate of marginalized formats like Windows Media Audio or Sony's ATRAC.It's an ambitious and interesting idea, but the digital music industry right now is dominated by one player: Apple. A lot of what MusicDNA proposes to accomplish could be handled at the application level--if Apple wants to analyze the audio content in files and add more categories to describe them, it could build this technology into iTunes. Moreover, Apple's already got its own format, iTunes LP, for shipping additional information with music files. So I don't see a lot of incentive for Apple to spend money to license and support this new third-party format. And without Apple, I don't see how MusicDNA can survive.
The proposed format was announced by Bach Technology on Sunday at MIDEM 2010, a music-industry conference under way in Cannes, France. Unlike current alternatives to the MP3, such as Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MusicDNA is not a new audio technology, and requires no new audio codecs. Rather, as Bach CEO Stefan Kohlmeyer explains in this video interview with PaidContent, MusicDNA is an add-on to existing audio formats. MusicDNA analyzes the audio itself for characteristics in 13 categories such as mood and tempo. This information is encoded as XML and ships with the file. Content owners can also provide data, such as album art and lyrics, to be included with the file. This data can even be updated when the user is online--for example, concert listings could be added as they're announced, complete with links to ticket-buying sites. Bach hopes to make money by licensing the technology to software and hardware manufacturers. Because MusicDNA isn't a new audio technology, MusicDNA files should play on existing hardware and software--they'll play the underlying audio file and ignore all the added data. This is how MusicDNA could escape the fate of marginalized formats like Windows Media Audio or Sony's ATRAC.It's an ambitious and interesting idea, but the digital music industry right now is dominated by one player: Apple. A lot of what MusicDNA proposes to accomplish could be handled at the application level--if Apple wants to analyze the audio content in files and add more categories to describe them, it could build this technology into iTunes. Moreover, Apple's already got its own format, iTunes LP, for shipping additional information with music files. So I don't see a lot of incentive for Apple to spend money to license and support this new third-party format. And without Apple, I don't see how MusicDNA can survive.
Get two free audiobooks from Audible
Get two free audiobooks from Audible
I'm a longtime fan of Audible, an audiobook-download service that lets you burn your own CDs and/or transfer books to portable devices (iPods, BlackBerrys, etc.).The company has offered various free trials and promotions over the years, but this is the best one I've seen: Sign up for a 30-day trial of AudibleListener Gold and get two free audiobooks.So here's how it works: You sign up for a new account (which does require a credit card), then download the Audible software (available for Windows and Mac, or as an iTunes add-on if you're doing the iPod/iPhone thing). You'll automatically receive two credits in your account, which you can use to download the books of your choice.After the 30-day trial expires, you'll start getting billed $14.95 per month for your Gold membership, which entitles you to one audio credit, 30 percent off any additional purchases, and a free subscription to The New York Times or Wall Street Journal (the audio versions, natch).If you routinely buy one audiobook every month, the Gold plan is pretty solid. For example, Jonathan Tropper's "This Is Where I Leave You" (a terrific read, by the way) costs $23.95 on iTunes. If you used your Audible credit, it'd effectively cost you $14.95. Already burned through your credit? Your membership price is $19.59--still cheaper than iTunes.Of course, you can always cancel your account before the end of the trial, end up paying nothing, and walk away with your two free books.But if you spend a lot of time in the car, on the train, or even on the biking/hiking/jogging trail, nothing beats a good book. Like I said, I'm a longtime Audible fan. It's a great resource for scoring audiobooks for less than you'd pay elsewhere.
I'm a longtime fan of Audible, an audiobook-download service that lets you burn your own CDs and/or transfer books to portable devices (iPods, BlackBerrys, etc.).The company has offered various free trials and promotions over the years, but this is the best one I've seen: Sign up for a 30-day trial of AudibleListener Gold and get two free audiobooks.So here's how it works: You sign up for a new account (which does require a credit card), then download the Audible software (available for Windows and Mac, or as an iTunes add-on if you're doing the iPod/iPhone thing). You'll automatically receive two credits in your account, which you can use to download the books of your choice.After the 30-day trial expires, you'll start getting billed $14.95 per month for your Gold membership, which entitles you to one audio credit, 30 percent off any additional purchases, and a free subscription to The New York Times or Wall Street Journal (the audio versions, natch).If you routinely buy one audiobook every month, the Gold plan is pretty solid. For example, Jonathan Tropper's "This Is Where I Leave You" (a terrific read, by the way) costs $23.95 on iTunes. If you used your Audible credit, it'd effectively cost you $14.95. Already burned through your credit? Your membership price is $19.59--still cheaper than iTunes.Of course, you can always cancel your account before the end of the trial, end up paying nothing, and walk away with your two free books.But if you spend a lot of time in the car, on the train, or even on the biking/hiking/jogging trail, nothing beats a good book. Like I said, I'm a longtime Audible fan. It's a great resource for scoring audiobooks for less than you'd pay elsewhere.
Get Textfree Unlimited free for a limited time
Get Textfree Unlimited free for a limited time
Your monthly iPhone bill is high enough without tacking on another $5, $15, or $20 for a text-messaging plan. That's why free-SMS apps are so popular: They let you text to your heart's content without putting a single extra penny in AT&T's pocket.One of the most popular free-SMS apps, Textfree Unlimited, costs $5.99. That's pretty cheap considering the money it can save you in the long run. Well, now it's cheaper still: For a limited time, you can get Textfree Unlimited absolutely free. (After clicking that link, just click Download Now to get to the app's iTunes page.)How limited a time is "a limited time"? The app is today's deal from Free App a Day--one of several Web sites that help you score free iPhone apps--so at the very least you have until the clock strikes midnight. But I've noticed that many of FAAD's freebies stay free for several days after the initial promotion, so who knows? This could go through the weekend.I've tried most of the popular free-SMS apps, and while they're all pretty good, Textfree Unlimited is my favorite. It loads quickly, supports push notifications, and even lets you pick your own phone number to use for sending and receiving texts. (Ideally, texts from Textfree would appear to come from your actual phone number, but this is the next best thing.)What's more, there's no longer an annual $5.99 fee to use Textfree. It's now free for life, though you do have to put up with a few ads. (Actually, you can "buy out" the ads if you want, but I can't locate the price tag for doing so.)Bottom line: If you want to save yourself six bucks now and upward of $240 per year on SMS fees, grab Textfree Unlimited while it's free.
Your monthly iPhone bill is high enough without tacking on another $5, $15, or $20 for a text-messaging plan. That's why free-SMS apps are so popular: They let you text to your heart's content without putting a single extra penny in AT&T's pocket.One of the most popular free-SMS apps, Textfree Unlimited, costs $5.99. That's pretty cheap considering the money it can save you in the long run. Well, now it's cheaper still: For a limited time, you can get Textfree Unlimited absolutely free. (After clicking that link, just click Download Now to get to the app's iTunes page.)How limited a time is "a limited time"? The app is today's deal from Free App a Day--one of several Web sites that help you score free iPhone apps--so at the very least you have until the clock strikes midnight. But I've noticed that many of FAAD's freebies stay free for several days after the initial promotion, so who knows? This could go through the weekend.I've tried most of the popular free-SMS apps, and while they're all pretty good, Textfree Unlimited is my favorite. It loads quickly, supports push notifications, and even lets you pick your own phone number to use for sending and receiving texts. (Ideally, texts from Textfree would appear to come from your actual phone number, but this is the next best thing.)What's more, there's no longer an annual $5.99 fee to use Textfree. It's now free for life, though you do have to put up with a few ads. (Actually, you can "buy out" the ads if you want, but I can't locate the price tag for doing so.)Bottom line: If you want to save yourself six bucks now and upward of $240 per year on SMS fees, grab Textfree Unlimited while it's free.
iPad 2 ship times cut to 24 hours in U.S., Canada
iPad 2 ship times cut to 24 hours in U.S., Canada
For the first time since launching in March, Apple seems to have caught up to online demand for the iPad 2 in its online store in both the U.S. and Canada.Ship times for all 18 models of the second-generation Apple tablet now sit at 24 hours, down from a high of "four to five" months just days after launch. It's the quickest Apple's offered to get the device out to buyers since first making it available. By comparison, it took Apple just under four months tohit the 24-hour milestonewith the first-generation model.During Apple's most recent quarterly earnings call, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook noted that the company had reached supply/demand equilibrium for the iPad 2 in some markets, but would not note which ones. The fact that Apple is now getting devices out to customers potentially the same day they're ordered, is a good sign that target has been reached in North America.Ship times in other countries--including the Mexico, the U.K., Japan, and China--continue to sit at one to three days from Apple's online store. Apple does not disclose stock or general availability of various models at its own stores, something it's done with previous generations of the iPhone. Apple sold 9.25 million iPads in its most recent fiscal quarter, up from 4.69 million the previous quarter. Rumors are now swirling about the third generation of the device, which is expected to sport a display with a higher pixel density to put it in line with Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. (via Macrumors)
For the first time since launching in March, Apple seems to have caught up to online demand for the iPad 2 in its online store in both the U.S. and Canada.Ship times for all 18 models of the second-generation Apple tablet now sit at 24 hours, down from a high of "four to five" months just days after launch. It's the quickest Apple's offered to get the device out to buyers since first making it available. By comparison, it took Apple just under four months tohit the 24-hour milestonewith the first-generation model.During Apple's most recent quarterly earnings call, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook noted that the company had reached supply/demand equilibrium for the iPad 2 in some markets, but would not note which ones. The fact that Apple is now getting devices out to customers potentially the same day they're ordered, is a good sign that target has been reached in North America.Ship times in other countries--including the Mexico, the U.K., Japan, and China--continue to sit at one to three days from Apple's online store. Apple does not disclose stock or general availability of various models at its own stores, something it's done with previous generations of the iPhone. Apple sold 9.25 million iPads in its most recent fiscal quarter, up from 4.69 million the previous quarter. Rumors are now swirling about the third generation of the device, which is expected to sport a display with a higher pixel density to put it in line with Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. (via Macrumors)
iPad 2 sells out internationally
iPad 2 sells out internationally
The long lines of iPad 2 buyers in the United Kingdom apparently scooped up all the available stock from Apple's stores and other retail outlets throughout the country.Speaking with Apple stores in Regent Street and Covent Garden areas in London, the Web site Pocket-Lint found that supplies were depleted on Saturday with no more stock expected yesterday and no indication of new iPad 2s today. The situation was generally the same at other major retail chains in London, including PC World, Curry's, Phones4U, and Carphone Warehouse.Outside of London, Apple stores in such areas as Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol also ran out of the tablet, while a sales rep told Pocket-Lint that there's no iPad 2 stock at all in the whole area of South West England.Looking at Canada, Electronista found that several of the Apple stores across the country as well as outlets such as Best Buy and Future Shop had run out of the new iPad. And in Australia, the iPad 2 also sold out over the weekend at Apple stores and third-party retailers, according to the Australian.France saw a similar situation, according to Fortune, with one shopper at Apple's Opera Store in Paris saying that more than 3,000 iPad 2s were sold in just five hours, with the store eventually running out by late Saturday afternoon. The French Web site MacBidouille said that the first eager buyers waited in line for 30 hours.Prospective iPad 2 buyers in the United States have run into the same long lines and depleted stock since the tablet's launch in mid-March. But the tablet's online availability recently eased a bit. Online wait times for the tablet in the U.S. shrunk last week to three to four weeks from four to five weeks.
The long lines of iPad 2 buyers in the United Kingdom apparently scooped up all the available stock from Apple's stores and other retail outlets throughout the country.Speaking with Apple stores in Regent Street and Covent Garden areas in London, the Web site Pocket-Lint found that supplies were depleted on Saturday with no more stock expected yesterday and no indication of new iPad 2s today. The situation was generally the same at other major retail chains in London, including PC World, Curry's, Phones4U, and Carphone Warehouse.Outside of London, Apple stores in such areas as Birmingham, Manchester, and Bristol also ran out of the tablet, while a sales rep told Pocket-Lint that there's no iPad 2 stock at all in the whole area of South West England.Looking at Canada, Electronista found that several of the Apple stores across the country as well as outlets such as Best Buy and Future Shop had run out of the new iPad. And in Australia, the iPad 2 also sold out over the weekend at Apple stores and third-party retailers, according to the Australian.France saw a similar situation, according to Fortune, with one shopper at Apple's Opera Store in Paris saying that more than 3,000 iPad 2s were sold in just five hours, with the store eventually running out by late Saturday afternoon. The French Web site MacBidouille said that the first eager buyers waited in line for 30 hours.Prospective iPad 2 buyers in the United States have run into the same long lines and depleted stock since the tablet's launch in mid-March. But the tablet's online availability recently eased a bit. Online wait times for the tablet in the U.S. shrunk last week to three to four weeks from four to five weeks.
iPad 2 online ship times drop to 3 to 4 weeks
iPad 2 online ship times drop to 3 to 4 weeks
Are the tight supplies of Apple's new iPad 2 starting to ease up?U.S. consumers eager to buy the new iPad at the online Apple Store now face a delay of only 3 to 4 weeks before the tablet will ship. The new ship time, which hit the store yesterday, compares with a ship time of 4 to 5 weeks previously.The new ship times are also now the same that Apple offered shortly after the iPad 2 first went on sale in the U.S. two weeks ago.Online buyers in 25 other countries--including the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia--where the tablet made its debut today also are looking at wait times of 3 to 4 weeks.One nation not on the list is Japan, where Apple is postponing the new tablet's launch as the country tries to recover from the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami.Rumors about tight component supplies following the Japanese disaster took a bite out of Apple's stock late last week. But the company's deals with suppliers typically allow it to handle component shortages better than many other vendors.The reduced online wait times follow a CNET story on Tuesday from Brooke Crothers, who reported that availability of the tablet at a few stores in Southern California seemed to be easing a bit. The Boy Genius Report yesterday also confirmed with different Apple store and third-party retail outlets that new shipments of the iPad have been reaching the stores lately.In an attempt to deal with the onrush of eager customers, many Apple stores have been handing out a limited number of claim tickets early in the morning depending on how much stock they receive. Those tickets then guarantee the few near the front of the line a chance to buy an iPad 2.
Are the tight supplies of Apple's new iPad 2 starting to ease up?U.S. consumers eager to buy the new iPad at the online Apple Store now face a delay of only 3 to 4 weeks before the tablet will ship. The new ship time, which hit the store yesterday, compares with a ship time of 4 to 5 weeks previously.The new ship times are also now the same that Apple offered shortly after the iPad 2 first went on sale in the U.S. two weeks ago.Online buyers in 25 other countries--including the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia--where the tablet made its debut today also are looking at wait times of 3 to 4 weeks.One nation not on the list is Japan, where Apple is postponing the new tablet's launch as the country tries to recover from the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami.Rumors about tight component supplies following the Japanese disaster took a bite out of Apple's stock late last week. But the company's deals with suppliers typically allow it to handle component shortages better than many other vendors.The reduced online wait times follow a CNET story on Tuesday from Brooke Crothers, who reported that availability of the tablet at a few stores in Southern California seemed to be easing a bit. The Boy Genius Report yesterday also confirmed with different Apple store and third-party retail outlets that new shipments of the iPad have been reaching the stores lately.In an attempt to deal with the onrush of eager customers, many Apple stores have been handing out a limited number of claim tickets early in the morning depending on how much stock they receive. Those tickets then guarantee the few near the front of the line a chance to buy an iPad 2.
iOS, Android apps surpass 1 billion downloads in final week of 2011
iOS, Android apps surpass 1 billion downloads in final week of 2011
Apple iOS and Android users downloaded a record 1.2 billion apps during the last week of 2011, according to mobile analytics firm Flurry.The seven days from Sunday, December 25, through Saturday, December 31, saw a 60 percent jump in the average number of downloads from the first two full weeks of the month. The final week also handily beat the previous week's record of 857 million to zoom past 1 billion for the first time.Along with downloads, 2011's final week captured a record number of device activations. For the full week, more than 20 million iOS and Android devices were activated. The week's numbers capped off a Christmas Day record of 242 million apps downloaded and 6.8 million devices activated for both mobile platforms.FlurryTraveling across the globe, the U.S. accounted for 509 million downloads last week, or 42.3 percent of the world's total. China, considered the world's second largest app market, took second place with 99 million downloads. Though China grabbed only one fifth as many downloads as did the U.S., such a gap isn't surprising, noted Flurry.The Christmas holidays clearly played a huge role in the record app downloads across the world. While a sizable number of those in the U.S. celebrate Christmas, China is home to only a small minority who would celebrate the holiday.Behind China, the U.K., Canada, Germany, France, and other Western countries pulled in a hefty percentage of downloads last week.To compile its data, Flurry looks at more than 144,000 apps running on a majority of iOS and Android devices and coordinates its own numbers with those publicly released by Apple and Google.
Apple iOS and Android users downloaded a record 1.2 billion apps during the last week of 2011, according to mobile analytics firm Flurry.The seven days from Sunday, December 25, through Saturday, December 31, saw a 60 percent jump in the average number of downloads from the first two full weeks of the month. The final week also handily beat the previous week's record of 857 million to zoom past 1 billion for the first time.Along with downloads, 2011's final week captured a record number of device activations. For the full week, more than 20 million iOS and Android devices were activated. The week's numbers capped off a Christmas Day record of 242 million apps downloaded and 6.8 million devices activated for both mobile platforms.FlurryTraveling across the globe, the U.S. accounted for 509 million downloads last week, or 42.3 percent of the world's total. China, considered the world's second largest app market, took second place with 99 million downloads. Though China grabbed only one fifth as many downloads as did the U.S., such a gap isn't surprising, noted Flurry.The Christmas holidays clearly played a huge role in the record app downloads across the world. While a sizable number of those in the U.S. celebrate Christmas, China is home to only a small minority who would celebrate the holiday.Behind China, the U.K., Canada, Germany, France, and other Western countries pulled in a hefty percentage of downloads last week.To compile its data, Flurry looks at more than 144,000 apps running on a majority of iOS and Android devices and coordinates its own numbers with those publicly released by Apple and Google.
iOS, Android apps are porking up, research firm says
iOS, Android apps are porking up, research firm says
The size of the average mobile application is on the rise, according to the results of a new study.As part of its Mobile Application Markets research report, ABI Research today said that the size of the average iOS application last month was 16 percent greater than in March, with even larger growth in some specific app categories. The big standout, the firm says, were games. In September, the average game was 60MB, up 42 percent from the average in March. Why exactly are these apps expanding in size? ABI points to two possible reasons: Appleextending the over-the-air app downloadlimit from 20MB to 50MB in March, as well as the third-generation iPad's Retina Display, which added bulk to some graphically rich apps. Apple is not alone though. ABI notes that Google's average app size is ballooning as well, with a 10 percent jump in size during the same time period, with a "nearly" quadruple app size growth in the games category on Google Play, something the firm says is tied to Google's app size limit increase. Related storiesIs the 64GB iPad the new 32?What would happen if Moore's Law did fizzle?Will Retina-ready iPad apps explode in size? Not necessarilyApple has kept its iOS device storage largely unchanged over the past couple of years. 8GB very quickly became the default size on the original iPhone, after the company phased out its 4GB entry model, later moving to a 16GB minimum and 64GB maximum with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. It's been the same for all three generations of the iPad, which have sold at 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. By comparison, most Android phones offer expandability options through a MicroSD card slot, to add extra memory on top of what the device ships with.(Via MacRumors)
The size of the average mobile application is on the rise, according to the results of a new study.As part of its Mobile Application Markets research report, ABI Research today said that the size of the average iOS application last month was 16 percent greater than in March, with even larger growth in some specific app categories. The big standout, the firm says, were games. In September, the average game was 60MB, up 42 percent from the average in March. Why exactly are these apps expanding in size? ABI points to two possible reasons: Appleextending the over-the-air app downloadlimit from 20MB to 50MB in March, as well as the third-generation iPad's Retina Display, which added bulk to some graphically rich apps. Apple is not alone though. ABI notes that Google's average app size is ballooning as well, with a 10 percent jump in size during the same time period, with a "nearly" quadruple app size growth in the games category on Google Play, something the firm says is tied to Google's app size limit increase. Related storiesIs the 64GB iPad the new 32?What would happen if Moore's Law did fizzle?Will Retina-ready iPad apps explode in size? Not necessarilyApple has kept its iOS device storage largely unchanged over the past couple of years. 8GB very quickly became the default size on the original iPhone, after the company phased out its 4GB entry model, later moving to a 16GB minimum and 64GB maximum with the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. It's been the same for all three generations of the iPad, which have sold at 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. By comparison, most Android phones offer expandability options through a MicroSD card slot, to add extra memory on top of what the device ships with.(Via MacRumors)
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