digital posts

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Kids, News, Web services, web 2.0

Amazon Software Download Store to include video games soon

by Danny Mendez Feb 17th 2008

A job posting on Gamasutra suggests Amazon will soon start a PC game download store to compliment Unbox, its video-on-demand service, and the site's MP3 download store. The job posting asks programmer/engineers to apply to become a part of the Software and Video Games Digital Technology Team at Amazon, which is "responsible for digital distribution of software and video game products from the Amazon website, including the newly launched Amazon Software Download store."

The job posting itself is unsurprising as Amazon recently launched the software branch of its download services, but the job post includes the bit about the distribution of "video game products," which is currently not happening at the Amazon Software Download Store. The only software presently available from the very new service is unfortunately tax software.

But fear not! We're sure a few competent souls will apply, molding the new service into a very happy reality for those of us that hate visiting and supporting major retail stores like Best Buy and Circuit City.

[via Joystiq]

Tags: amazon, digital, download, game, online store, OnlineStore, video game, VideoGame

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Macintosh, Web services, Commercial, web 2.0

Target enters digital music biz with John Legend album

by Danny Mendez Jan 23rd 2008

After about three years of preparing and attempting to get into the digital music business, Target is finally offering digital music (320kbps MP3) for download. Currently the only album available is the latest John Legend album "Live From Philadelphia" with SonyBMG as the label. The album is a Target exclusive, so you'll need to shop there if you're lookin' to score the latest of Legend, but it's also available in-store in CD format . The 19-track set will run you $10 online, which is a steal for so much music.

Though it may seem like the digital-download market is starting to get crowded with new services popping up all the time, there's still a lot of room for major iTunes competitors to surface. It's also nice to have options when it comes to shopping. The digital-download market is no exception, so we gladly welcome Target to the new frontier.

[via paidContent]

Tags: digital, download, john legend, JohnLegend, music, online music, online store, OnlineMusic, OnlineStore, store, target

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Macintosh, web 2.0

Is Amazon's iTunes Killer growing up to be a big boy?

by Danny Mendez Dec 21st 2007

It's been a little over two months since Amazon launched its MP3 Download store, and the site's still around. So how is it doing? Well, Amazon hasn't publicly announced any numbers yet, but billboard speculates Amazon's captured about 3% of the digital download market and 6% of the physical CD market.

Considering that it hasn't even been three months since Amazon's digital music store opened shop, that's pretty damn good. With Pepsi joining Amazon to give away free MP3s, word of Amazon's new DRM-free store will only spread. Silicon Valley Insider suggests Amazon must be reaching a mainstream audience if Fergie is a top seller at both Amazon and iTunes.

While many find switching download services a hassle, we would strongly recommend taking Amazon's MP3 Download store for a test drive. The Amazon software can be configured to automatically add any music you buy to iTunes, and, best of all, the music comes DRM-free in a relatively high quality MP3 format, allowing Amazon's customers to do whatever they want with their music. Besides, DRM sucks and shouldn't be supported. Isn't that reason enough?

Tags: digital, download, drm, drm-free, itunes, mp3, store

Filed under: Audio, Internet, News

RIAA, extortion, and conspiracy, in the same sentence

by Ryan Carter Jun 6th 2007

Finally someone, more specifically Ms. Del Cid has filed counterclaims against the RIAA under Florida, California, and Federal law. She's tired of the RIAA's nonsense and decided to uphold her right to defend herself and ultimately others, if this case turns out right.

The claims Ms. Cid is bringing against the RIAA are of Trespass, Computer Fraud and Abuse, Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices, Civil Extortion, and Civil conspiracy. Now we're talking. The RIAA has been terrorizing many people who they knew didn't have anything to do with alleged copyright violations, including dead people, young children, and the elderly. Ms Cid's counterclaim aims to prove exactly that the RIAA used questionable means to obtain what they refer to as evidence.

Who knows if it will slow down or bring any real resolution to the tyranny of the ridiculous, but here's crossing our fingers that it moves things in the right direction.

Tags: countersuit, digital, DMCA, DRM, legal, music, RIAA

Filed under: Text, Utilities, News, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Adobe, Freeware

Adobe's Digital Editions: light-weight e-book reader

by Ryan Carter Oct 31st 2006

Clocking in at just over 2.5MB to download, Adobe's new digital e-book reader "Digital Editions" is a Flash-based lightweight e-book reading app that looks very. It has the same type of effect on you as a "darkroom" application, since it's all black outside the page, making reading a luxurious-feeling experience. The beta acts like a very light edition of Adobe Acrobat, or at least that is what it reminds me of. This a decent reader for simple reading, and make e-books enjoyable and fast loading. The "library" feature keeps material available in either a tile or list view format so you don't have to go looking for your e-books once they are added to the player. This thing is just darn good-looking, I wish all the apps I use could look like this, minimalistic and dark.

Tags: adobe, digital, editions

Filed under: Audio, Internet, News

Digital downloads change the pay-grade

by Ryan Carter Oct 2nd 2006

The UK is also experiencing the growing pains of digital music downloads, resulting in writers and publishers of digital content being unhappy with the amount of compensation they receive from now different ways of marketing their creations. Digital downloads have changed a lot of how the music business works. No longer are CDs needed to get your music, there is a choice between buying a CD or downloading and rolling your own CD. This has taken some of the costs out of producing the media, since there is no media to purchase, it is only a file to download. Writers and publishers want a bigger piece of the action. A deal was reached between the writers and record companies "at the eleventh hour" as Media Guardian puts it. Writers of hit records will now get 8% of digital downloads, and 6.5% of streamed content revenues. It is good that everyone worked something out, now let the music play!

Tags: audio, digital, downloads, music, publisher, streaming

Filed under: Business, Design, Developer, Internet, Web services, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!

Microsoft is planning on taking over the digital landscape

by Chris Gilmer Sep 26th 2006

On Monday Microsoft launched Digital Advertising Solutions, a new ad network that ties all of Microsoft's networks together and pushes ads across Windows Live, Xbox, Office, Live Search, smart phones, and handheld computers. Microsoft realizes that people are spending more and more time with all of their devices connected online, and is stepping up to Google and Yahoo to try to gain a larger market share. So in this heavy move to inundate Microsoft network users with ads, how do you feel about the influx of advertising in the digital space? Taking it to smart phones and Xbox gaming systems seems a little too far for me.

Tags: ads, advertising, digital, google, handheld, live search, LiveSearch, microsoft, smart phones, SmartPhones, xbox live, XboxLive, yahoo

Filed under: Business, Photo, E-mail

ScanR: Scan documents with your camera phone

by Jordan Running Apr 20th 2006

ScanR is an interesting service that lets you turn your camera phone into a "scanner." Basically you snap a shot of a document or whiteboard with your 1MP-or-better camera phone and e-mail it to ScanR, whereupon they'll send you a cleaned up, tagged version of the image as a PDF or a fax. The examples on the ScanR web site are pretty impressive, and if the fax option works well it might save businesspeople a lot of trips to Kinko's. ScanR is (currently) free to use.

[Via TechCrunch]

Tags: camera, cameraphone, digital, email, fax, mobile, phone, scanr

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