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Show notes for TMO To Go: Mac Geek Gab For September 30th, 2006 Direct Links: MP3 Version or AAC Enhanced Version (courtesy of Michael, aka Computernap!). Back at Portable Media Expo in Ontario, California, John and Dave are joined by Weekly Roundup host Ricky Spero to talk about the new Mac Pro. Other topics include…

Direct Link: MP3 Version Roundup Anchor Ricky Spero phones in from the road to talk with TMO’s Jeff Gamet about what’s been going on at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo. The Weekly Roundup will be included in TMO’s main RSS feed, and also in its own feed if you’d like to add it directly…

Apple and Wal-Mart may be negotiating a deal that would give the big-box retailer a cut of iTunes movie download sales in exchange for selling digital download coupons. According to Variety, the alliance would make movie studios feel more comfortable about adding their libraries to the iTunes Store. So far, only Disney has signed on…

While many pundits don’t expect Microsoft to make much of a dent in Apple’s share of the MP3 player market — rather, the company is expected to cannibalize sales of other competitors — Computerworld’s Mike Elgan believes that the Zune “scares Apple to the core.” He offered five reasons why he thinks that: a consumer…

Microsoft’s Zune media player offers similar features to Apple’s iPod, and now will debut with a similar price tag, too. But that may not be enough to draw away iPod users, according to American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu. Mr. Wu comments “To us, the key question is whether Zune priced in-line with a vPod…

Apple and four British cell phone operators, including Vodafone France-based Orange, have agreed to royalty rates for digital music downloads. According to The Australian, Apple and the cell phone companies will pay 8% of gross revenue for all music, except ring tones. British law previously said that 12% of gross revenue had to be paid,…

Show notes for TMO To Go: Mac Geek Gab For September 25th, 2006 Direct Links: MP3 Version or AAC Enhanced Version (courtesy of Michael, aka Computernap!). Continuing the discussions started with their favorite apps and such in last week’s show, John and Dave share some of your favorite apps and tips, then answer some of…

In the beginning, I was starved for iPod accessories to review in my columns and books. Weeks could go by without my receiving a single iPod add-on. These days it seems barely a day goes by when a new (or new and improved) iPod peripheral doesn’t land on my doorstep. It’s gotten so I call…

Direct Link: MP3 Version This week, amid a mash of news, both Google Video and YouTube made the headlines. In this week’s Context Machine: Ricky Spero and Jeff Gamet take a close look at Viral Video’s dirty secrets, then take off on a discussion about where it’s headed. Here’s a hint: iTV is involved, and…

Apple’s iPod Hi-Fi speakers are fourth in their category with 7.8% market share, behind Bose, Logitech, and i-Fusion, according to John Fortt’s Business 2.0 blog. He received those numbers from NPD Group analyst Steve Baker, who also told him that the US$349 iPod Hi-Fi has 14.5% of the revenue share in its category, which is…

A teardown analysis of a 4GB second-generation iPod nano reveals a US$72.24 bill of materials (BOM) cost, less than the $89.97 cost for a first-generation 2Gb iPod nano, according to a report issued by iSuppli on Wednesday. In a press release, the research firm noted surprise that the new Samsung system-on-chip, which replaced the previous…

Video clips from The Simpsons, Family Guy and other Fox TV shows appearing on Google Video could cause problems for the network’s deal between its News Corp. and Google for the right to supply search features and advertising to MySpace, which is owned by News Corp. A Fox spokeswoman told MarketWatch: “What you see on…

Apple’s refreshed iPod nano and iPod shuffle have been well-received, but Gartner analysts Joseph Unsworth and Jon Erensen said in a report issued Monday that they believe “the company is looking for better profit margins, not gaining market share,” according to an IDG News Service article. Looking at the cost of the materials going into…

The environmental activist group, Greenpeace, released a report on Monday titled Toxic Chemicals In Your Laptop that attempts to list the percentages of toxic chemicals found in several different laptop computer models, including Apple’s MacBook Pro. Greenpeace tested the computers for compliance with The European Union’s RoHS directive – a set of voluntary guidelines that…

Microsoft officially revealed the specifications for its first Zune media player on Thursday. It didn’t, however, reveal the unit’s price, or exactly when it will be on store shelves – only that it will be available “this holiday season.” The first Zune will include a 30GB hard drive, 3-inch color LCD screen, a built-in FM…

So Apple showed its cards on Tuesday, and it wasn’t a bad hand at all: A nice pair of aces with the new iPod nano and Shuffle, and a pair of kings with  the announcement of iTV and the newly refurbished iTunes Store — no longer the iTunes Music Store, I guess it isn’t just…