Entries tagged with “mobile music” from WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS

Microsoft has released the new Zune HD touchscreen media player and an update to the Zune PC software. The Zune has an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) multitouch screen, an NVIDIA Tegra HD processor and HD Radio capabilities with software advancements such as the new Quickplay menu, a well-featured web vrowser, and engaging music and video playback features.

The Zune HD website claims, “Zune HD is the only MP3 player with a touchscreen, HD Radio, HD video out, and wireless sync.”

Standard- and high-definition (HD) movies can be purchased or rented through the Zune Marketplace online store, and a new streaming music service on Zune.net lets Zune Pass subscribers listen to music from a web browser. The updates to the Zune hardware, software bring customers instant access to their favorite music and videos anywhere, across their mobile device, PC and TV.

According to The NPD Group, a while CDs remain the most popular format for paid music purchases, digital music sales are making up an ever-greater share of U.S. music sales. CDs comprised 65 percent of all music sold in the first half of 2009 compared to paid digital downloads, which comprised 35 percent of music sales. By comparison, paid digital music downloads comprised just 20 percent of sales in 2007 - growing to 30 percent of the music market last year.

According to NPD MusicWatch, when it comes to the unit-sales volume of music sold at retail - including paid digital music downloads and CDs - Apple iTunes leads in the U.S. with 25 percent of music units sold, which is up from 21 percent in 2008 and 14 percent in 2007. Walmart (including Walmart, Walmart.com, Walmart Music Downloads) remains in second position with 14 percent of music volume sold at their stores and Web sites with Best Buy ranked third.

iTunes also continued to solidify its lead in the digital music arena, as consumer downloads from iTunes comprised 69 percent of the digital music market in the first half of 2009, followed by AmazonMP3 at 8 percent. Walmart leads all sellers of CDs with a 20 percent share of the physical music market, followed by Best Buy at 16 percent and Target and Amazon tied at 10 percent each.

More than three-fourths of US consumers surveyed are pleased with their experience downloading and listening to songs on their mobile phone, and almost a third are willing to accept advertising on their mobile phones in exchange for free music downloads, according to results of a KPMG Survey announced today by KPMG LLP and the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF).

These results were among the findings of KPMG's third annual Global Consumers and Convergence survey of more than 4,000 people in 19 countries worldwide to understand trends in the use of mobile technology.

According to the study by the audit, tax and advisory firm, 21 percent of the U.S. respondents, and 30 percent globally, have purchased songs at least once on their mobile phones in the past 12 months. An overwhelming majority of the US (84 percent) and global (66 percent) purchasers said they were satisfied with the downloading and listening experience. A similar US survey conducted by MEF in 2007 found that only 26 percent were satisfied.

KPMG's study also identified a promising new finding for mobile advertisers, where 29 percent of the mobile phone users surveyed in the US said they were willing to see advertising in return for free songs. And globally, 49 percent of consumers will accept ads on their mobile phones in return for songs.

Fry’s is selling the AT&T GoPhone Motorola C168i for $14.99 with $10.00 worth of airtime, a good phone at a very cheap price. This phone looks so good; pirates (I mean entrepreneurs) are unlocking them for replacement phones and selling them on eBay. I also would not be embarrassed using the C168i at any coffee house where they talk on their iPhones and RAZRs. Although Web access is slow and limited, text message search is a viable less expensive method.

There are some good features about the C168i. It is nice looking, operable with one hand, and the keys are tactile keys and don’t trip up easily by mistake. The 128 x 128 pixel 1.5 inch diagonal screen color scheme is easy to read and clear. There are Windows-like icons to find and activate features such as the phone book and Web browsing. It has SMS and MMS messaging capabilities with pre-defined templates. Text entry with the small keyboard is not that difficult if you choose your type of entry mode and play with it for a while.

Fry’s is selling the AT&T GoPhone Motorola C168i for $14.99 with $10.00 worth of airtime, a good phone at a very cheap price. This phone looks so good; pirates (I mean entrepreneurs) are unlocking them for replacement phones and selling them on eBay. I also would not be embarrassed using the C168i at any coffee house where they talk on their iPhones and RAZRs. Although Web access is slow and limited, text message search is a viable less expensive method.

There are some good features about the C168i. It is nice looking, operable with one hand, and the keys are tactile keys and don’t trip up easily by mistake. The 128 x 128 pixel 1.5 inch diagonal screen color scheme is easy to read and clear. There are Windows-like icons to find and activate features such as the phone book and Web browsing. It has SMS and MMS messaging capabilities with pre-defined templates. Text entry with the small keyboard is not that difficult if you choose your type of entry mode and play with it for a while.