People don’t like to be told when they can consume their content, whether it is television, radio or news – busy lifestyles rarely fit the schedules of such inflexible broadcasts. Now I’m not saying live content is dead. I don’t know anyone who would want to watch the Superbowl days after, or listen to a news broadcast from last week.

Competition for our attention is growing; free internet content is readily and easily available for consumption on cell phones and portable devices of all types. The only problem with all this free content is, well… most of it is poorly produced crap, or recycled content. This will not be the case forever and the shift has already begun, more and more professionals are turning to the internet for its freedom and ease of delivery.

Sirius XM Satellite Radio was nearing bankruptcy in February 2009; Sirius’ stock price had dropped to an all-time low of $0.05 per share.  Sirius was, however, able to get emergency financing, some $500,000,000, from media mogul John Malone, who took a 40% equity stake in the company.  A good band-aid but Sirius XM Satellite Radio and their contract with radio personality Howard Stern is about to expire within weeks. Will re-signing the “king of all media” alone be enough to save the company? Doubtful.

The problem I see with Sirius XM is that it’s a flat subscription service. In this internet age, content is king and although the company does have a variety of quality programming – they are not maximizing its financial potential.  Sure the service provides 120+ channels, but if you’re only interested in the talk channels, only the sports channels, only the music channels.. or only 1 or 2 channels is it worth it for most consumers to pay the full subscription price?  No matter how great the overall value of the service is, for most the answer is no.

I compare it somewhat to the music industry which was built on the album sale.  A band could have one hit song on their album and you’d be forced to pay for an entire album.  I say forced, because there was literally no other (legal) option.  Without an alternative, many would give in. Sure, there would be some people who loved the band completely and were happy to pay for the whole album. Fast forward to now, the music industry in its new digital form you see people mostly buy singles and only purchase entire albums for their favorite artists.

Instead of excluding those potential customers who only want a select few shows or channels, why not offer individual channel subscriptions?  Take it another step, offer subscriptions to individual shows.  If the only show on Sirius XM I like is  the Bubba The Love Sponge show, why not allow me to purchase a subscription to just this show streaming via internet or as a daily downloadable episode.  Podcasts are popular, and people will pay for quality programming. There are a lot of quality daily talk programs on Sirius that are currently only available live at a specific time.

The corporate bigwigs running things at Sirius XM need to realize, exclusive content is worthless if consumers don’t want it in the form you’re delivering it. Most people will not pay a $15/month subscription for a single show. Howard Stern is the exception, not the rule. Howard Stern doesn’t need Sirius XM — he could leave at the end of his contract and be extremely successful as a live/downloadable internet exclusive program. If Howard does leave, imagine the domino effect it will create. The truth is the quality content creators don’t need big corporations anymore. The internet is a delivery system available to a much wider audience than a radio or satellite signal. All they need is a strong following of dedicated fans and a small home studio. So what will keep other from leaving Sirius and setting up shop on the internet?

Sirius XM doesn’t have to stop selling radio hardware and subscriptions — start thinking of your company as a content provider instead of just a “satellite radio” company. Embrace the internet; stop trying to expand your channels selection in hopes of convincing people to subscribe. Instead let your individual content appeal to the individuals interested in it and give them the opportunity to purchase it without strings and schedules.  Offer a fair profit sharing deal with the content creators and it’s a win/win for consumers and creators alike.

It’s time to move with the future or get lost in the stone-age.

Instead of simply scaling up the existing iPhone app, the folks from Panelfly put their heads together with the  dev team and brainstormed. With all the talk of the iPad and how it could restore comic books to their former glory, they realized that they needed to revamp the app and make a version specifically for the iPad. This way they could take full advantage of the device’s screen size and provide a new way of purchasing and interacting with the content.

For the full story and more screenshots, check out the story on Gizmodo.

There’s no lack of Apple iPad related news. It’s only been a week since it’s was announced, and there’s no lack of speculation, rumors and news.

• Major Textbook and educational publishing companies have all made deals with the ScrollMotion to develop textbook apps and test-prep / study guide apps for the Apple iPad.  [Source: Wall Street Journal]
  
• Rupert Murdoch says “We don’t like the Amazon model of $9.99… we think it really devalues books and hurts all the retailers of hardcover books.” He prefers Apple’s new pricing flexibility for it’s upcoming iBook store. Expect all the “big six” publishers prices to soon follow suite. [Source: AllThingsDigital]
  
• Apple’s iPad May Gain an Intelligent Bezel in the Future. Today, the US Patent and Trademark Office officially published two major granted patents of Apple’s covering tablets and advanced touch technologies.  [Source: PatentlyApple]
  
• iPad was (maybe) supposed to contain a camera? [Source: Gizmodo]
• iPad apps to cost more than iPhone apps.  [Source: TechRadar]

It’s only been a few days since Steve Jobs came out and announced the details for the much hyped Apple tablet — which we now know has been officially titled the iPad. Rumored for years to be a revolutionary multi-touch tablet PC with an equally revolutionary operating system. Let’s just say, the actual product was far less impressive than the rumors. The overwhelming response amongst fans and the media are disappointment and scepticism. The most common complaints are “This is just an oversized iPod Touch”, no flash support, no camera, no multitasking, no USB ports, some have even called it lazy engineering on part of Apple.

The naysayers are right in many ways — the iPad is running on a modified version of the iPhone OS on a much larger screen.  But let’s be honest, how often do expectations meet reality? Not very often. People just want to be wowed. And I can’t blame them; it’s easier to criticize than to innovate. But let’s not forget, even the original iPod was criticized by some as overpriced and unimpressive when it was announced. The reality is this is still an impressive product with a very large customer appeal. I’ll tell you why — I personally know alot of people who are technologically inept. They hate computers and complicated technology BUT, almost ALL of them eventually purchased either an iPhone or an iPod Touch. Why? It’s user-friendly technology. From launching programs, to purchasing apps, games, music and videos — it’s all simple. People love simple, alot of technology is driven by the desire to simplify everyday actions.

So is the idea of a larger iPod touch really all that ridiculous? Games, movies and applications all look better on a larger screen. Internally the iPad has much more powerful hardware in comparison to the iPhone/iPod Touch — applications and games now have a greater potential on this new device. Apple has dismissed books and e-readers in the past. In 2008 Steve Jobs even went as far as to say “People don’t read anymore” . Amazon and its successful e-reader device The Kindle have forced Steve to eat his words. One of the impressive features of the iPad is the new iBook store and electronic book reading software. Apple has made deals with almost all the major publishers to bring their books to the iPad. Many major newspapers, magazines and even school textbooks are also rumored to be coming the way of the iPad. Like many iPhone users I have tried reading large articles and books the tiny screen.. It’s not easy. The screen is simply too small. Twitter, RSS and iPhone optimized websites make it bearable.. but long form text on such a small device was not meant to be.  The ipad solves this problem.

Now let’s go back and touch on some of those other criticism. We’ll start with the lack of flash support — there are a few reasons it’s missing. The problem is flash is a bit of a resource hog and can be very unstable. Apple doesn’t want to use a technology that will potentially drain your battery and crash your internet browser on their device. Steve Jobs was recently quoted saying “Apple does not support Flash because it is so buggy.  Whenever a Mac crashes more often than not it’s because of Flash. No one will be using Flash, he says. The world is moving to HTML5.” iTunes is also in the business of videos and games (flash’s main uses) — so I’m sure Apple isn’t happy about giving you access to free flash content over selling it to you and turning a profit.

The lack of Multitasking hasn’t really hurt the iPhone and ipod touch sales. So what incentive does Apple have for implementing it? It is also too early to dismiss the possibility of multitasking in future OS updates. Their next OS update for the iPhone, iPod Touch and undoubtedly the iPad (as it runs virtually the same OS) is due out soon (probably March). This will line up pretty nicely with the launch date of the iPad. Perhaps there is a laundry list of new features for the iPad that were not demonstrated during its announcement because the same features are slated to be on the iPhone/iPod Touch update.

The iPad also capable of running the some 133,000 apps available in the iTunes App store. Sure some of the apps look silly on upscaled on such a large screen (alternatively, you can use them within a window) — but some look very good. This backwards compatibility and interface will be familiar and comforting to existing iPhone and iPod touch users, and those who aren’t familiar will be using an interface already adored by many.

I’m not an Apple fanboy, I don’t own stock in the company and the only Apple product I own is an iPhone 3GS — so I have no dog in this fight but I have a hard time seeing the iPad  failing. Will it be as widely adopted and famous as the iPod or iPhone? Doubtful — atleast not as the iPad is now. The iPad still has alot of room to grow, I think as it stands now it will be a great device for media consumers who want a simple UI. I think Apple has some tricks up it’s sleeve. We’ll have to wait until the product launches to see.

Well it’s finally out! The new Microsoft OS — Windows 7, or as the critics would call it  “the what Vista should have been” OS. I never really understood all the Vista bashing that went on. Although I was not an early adopter of Vista, I did install it and had been running it (after the first major service pack) for about a year and I found it to be a perfectly stable OS. However, I have been running Windows 7 beta for a few months now and have found it to be great product. Again, with any new OS you probably don’t want to install it on older hardware — older hardware seems to operate smoother with an OS of the same era.

So here’s a quick roundup of some great Windows 7 Related articles & Reviews to celebrate the launch.

7 Reasons To Get Windows 7 Today (and 6 Reasons Not To) – Extreme Tech

Microsoft launches Windows 7, eyes PC sales rebound – Reuters

What you need to know about Windows 7 – MSNBC

TR’s Windows 7 system guide -  Tech Report

Reviews:

Here’s a huge round-up of Windows 7 Reviews that should give every type of perspective review.

CNET
Windows 7 Home Premium | Windows 7 Professional | Windows 7 Ultimate

Various Sites:
PC World | NYTimes | IT Pro | bit-tech | Guardian | Slate | Maximum PC | Tech Radar | PC Mag | Wall Street Journal | ElectricPig | Engadget | Telegraph |
Hexus | Digital Trends | AP | V3 | Federal Computer Week | PC Pro UK | Technodorm | Laptop Mag | Cult of Mac | The Inquirer | Computer World | TechWorld |

Gizmodo
“…if you’re coming from Windows XP, Windows 7 will totally feel like a revelation from the glossy future. If you’re coming from Vista, you’ll definitely go “Hey, this is much better!” the first time you touch Aero Peek. If you’re coming from a Mac, you’ll—hahahahaha. But seriously, even the Mactards will have to tone down their nasal David Spadian snide, at least a little bit.”

Were you pissed off when it was announced the new iPod Nanos have a FM radio feature implemented — meanwhile your expensive iPhone or iPod touch didn’t have this simple feature? We don’t normally report on rumors — however, there is a pretty solid rumor that an iPhone radio.app is being developed in-house by Apple for use on the iPhone and iPod touch. From what we’ve heard, the app will be allowed to operate in the background like iPod.app and will offer the same functionality as the FM radio in the new iPod Nanos.  The source mentioned that this application could also be incorporated into the iPod.app before release.

The holdup on this app is that Apple is trying to integrate the Mobile iTunes Store purchases into the functionality of the program.  For instance, if you like a song you are listening to on the radio (and that station supports tagging and you are in the US), you will be able to push a button and see the song (and all of the information around it) in the iTunes Mobile store.  With another click, you’ll be able to make a purchase.  This is an extension of the Song Tagging feature used in the iPod Nanos.  Perhaps they could even add some Shazam-esque technology to help with those stations that don’t support tagging.

Though it wasn’t specified, the app will likely have the same Live Pause functionality that the Nanos currently enjoy.

Apple’s iPods and iPhones have been able to receive FM radio signals for some time now.  The latest generation of iPhone and iPod touch can even broadcast FM signal, for instance to a car stereo.  The ability of the iPhone and iPod touch to receive FM signals has been used solely in the implementation of the Nike+ ecosystem to this point.

This wouldn’t be the first time Apple awoke sleeping hardware functionality from its mobile products.  Apple sometimes chooses to leave hardware features dormant in their products until they feel the time is right.  For instance, Apple didn’t enable Bluetooth in its 2nd generation iPod touch until 9 months after it was released.  Apple also hasn’t enabled the 802.11N +5GHZ wireless networking (which we also hope to see updated shortly) in its latest iPhone and iPods.

Only time will tell — but this sounds like good news for iPhone and iPod Touch users.

Microsoft has announced that their much anticipated Windows 7 OS will be available for students to purchase at the special price of $29.99.  How do you qualify? You qualify if you have a valid .EDU e-mail OR an e-mail address through one of the educational institutions listed here and are enrolled in coursework (current proof or enrollment may be required in the United States).  For full details and more information please visit this link.

It appears this may be a move by Microsoft to match a similar offer being made by Apple for their new Snow Leopard OS. As this article points out — Windows 7 may be the better value.

No cable? No satellite? No problem. Traditional television and the way it’s delivered is a thing of the past. You now have alternatives. The internet is an endless resource for great FREE on-demand programming — whether it be network tv programs or internet exclusive content. There’s much more than Youtube out there.

Hulu is a website that offers commercial-supported streaming video of TV shows and movies from NBC, Fox, ABC and many other networks and studios. Hulu Desktop is application (PC & Mac) you can use to navigate and stream Hulu content without the need of a internet browser. Unfortunately Hulu videos are only offered to users in the United States. Although we’ve heard of international users utilizing VPN services to access Hulu from anywhere– we of course don’t condone such sneeky tactics.

Revision3 is a San Francisco based Internet television network that creates, produces and distributes web television shows on topics such as films, video games, comics, television, technology, bar tricks,  and stand-up comedy — just to name a few. The company was founded by Jay Adelson, Kevin Rose and David Prager in April 2005. Most of them were previously employees of the television network TechTV. The content and selection is great.

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an academic organization. TED is well-known for its annual, invitation-only conference devoted to “ideas worth spreading”. TED is famous for its lectures, known as TED Talks, which originally focused on technology, entertainment and design, but have now expanded in scope to a broad set of topics including science, arts, politics, education, culture, business, global issues, technology and development. Speakers have included such people as former U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Nobel laureates James D. Watson, Jane Goodall, and Al Gore, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and Billy Graham. If you’re looking for more educational and informative content — this site has what you’re looking for.

Tom Green is definitely no Jay Leno (thank god) and I wouldn’t really call him a comedian but he does have a very real, unscripted and irreverent talk show. The show is shot and broadcasted live on the internet from his home in California. Despite this modest setup Tom has managed to attract some decent caliber celebrities such as Norm Macdonald, Joe Rogan, Russell Peters, and Judah Friedlander — to name just a few.

Boxee isn’t a video website — it’s a cross-platform media center program that supports plugins for many video content websites. Some of the plugins include the websites mentioned above and many others. The program is completely free and is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and even Apple TV. This program is a great solution for users who watch alot of video on their PC, or use their PC as a mediacenter. Visit the Boxee website for more information.

There is also a variety of pay services to get your favorite television shows and movies and we’ll be looking at those in a future article. If you feel like we’ve neglected to mention some other great websites or programs please use the comments form below or e-mail us. We’d love to hear your feedback.

Dexter is the killer 3D iPhone game based on the hit Showtime original series. Dexter Morgan, a charming blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, is leading a double life. While helping the homicide division solve murders, he has a tendency to take the justice system into his own hands: stalking and murdering the guilty.

This game looks like it might be one of the better iPhone games in a while based of screenshots and the trailer. We’ll be reviewing it within the next few days.  But if you’re a huge Dexter fan and want to play it now, go download it via itunes.

Watch the trailer:

Did you miss the Apple “Rock and Roll” event from a few days ago? Well why read about all the new iPod & Itunes news when you can watch the entire keynote event for yourself. Download it via iTunes or stream it directly from Apple’s website right now. Some notable news includes –  iPod Touch third generation: now up to 64GB storage, iPod Classic gets more storage, iPod Shuffle gets more colors and a special edition, the new iPod Nano shoots video and plays radio.

iTunes 9 is out and sports some new features. The store has seen a general redesign as well—the most prominent part being the ever-present menubar at the top, which replaces the awkward breadcrumb system from before.

iTunes LPs: These are effectively like bonus CDs for digital albums.

iTunes Extra: Like iTunes LPs for films, this gives you a downloadable equivalent of DVD extras for films, with interviews, supplemental clips and photo galleries.

Media Sharing: The software’s getting some pretty fantastic new functionality outside the store as well—it’s got media sharing, at least on your local network: You can copy songs, movies, and TV shows to up to 5 authorized computers, or simply stream them. This is pretty huge, and a definite about-face for Apple, which has been slowly stripping out sharing functionality from iTunes from the beginning.

An App Manager: you can rearrange and manage apps from within iTunes for your iPhone and iPod Touch, which was one of those simple feature upgrades people  have been clamoring for for months. Apple’s version of the app manager is better thought out than the concepts we’ve seen before. Apps can be dragged and dropped, either alone or in groups, and selectively synced. Awesome.

Syncing, Genius and Social Networking: A few odds and ends here—iTunes 9 also brings finer sync controls, including options to sync genres or artists instead of just playlists, and more options for video and photo syncing. There are also new “Genius Playlists,” which are just general library mixes that iTunes thinks you’ll like, rather than the old Genius playlists, which were based on a particular artist. Social networking support is nowhere near as deep as rumored—it just gives you shortcuts to spam your friends with links to iTunes store pages over Twitter, et al. Apple’s also thrown in a little treat for Windows users: Playback controls from the Windows 7 task bar.