HITB News

Napster has been in talks with many technology companies including Microsoft about how
they can integrate thier products into the Napster service. The new Napster service due
out this summer will incorporate a slew of technologies to enhance the service but I believe
it will be too little too late as well as completely opposite of why people used the service at
all. Other p2p(peer to peer) companies have been doing the same integration of services

For those wishing to check out different MP3 software players for their desktop, here is a detailed review of the latest version of the Sonique MP3 player.

MP3Newswire.

In an effort to capitalize on favorable court rulings in the Napster case, the record industry again sent out cease and desist letters to several digital file-trading companies. Aimster is responding to this latest letter by fighting back.

MP3Newswire.

37 million Americans actively download digital music today and the mediocre speakers on their computers now sub for their stereo systems. This means there is a potentially lucrative market out there, developing products that can conveniently connect your PC to the stereo in the other room. Laying 100 feet of RCA cable will do it, but for most that's not practical. Enter SoundLink.

MP3Newswire.

According to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, downloading MP3 files is the fastest growing Internet activity over the past half-year. Between July-August 2000 and February 2001, over 30 million Americans have gathered their music this way.

MP3Newswire.

The PJB100 Personal MP3 Jukebox offers up 20 Gigs of storage on a standard notebook drive. About the size of a paperback novel, this unit allows you to store all your high quality, 320kbps MP3's without losing the quality, and without the fear of running out of space like you would on some of the dinky little units out there using smaller (and expensive) flash and smartmedia cards. Here's a clip:

This summer Archos plans to release a new MP3/CD portable that will burn as well as play CDs.

MP3NewsWire.

L33tdawg:Wow! We finally have a name to go with the submissions! Excellent! :)

Listen.com, a music directory service partly funded by major record labels, is shedding a little of its squeaky-clean image with a new song-search service that plugs directly into Napster's software.

The new service replicates all the music search and recommendation functions of Listen.com's Web site but lives on an individual's PC desktop. The company has added a function that triggers the Napster application, booting up the file-swapping service to help find music
reviewed or recommended by Listen.com.

Here is another story on Microsoft looking to limit MP3 quality on its upcoming OS update to stack the deck for its competing WMA format. After losing the antitrust trial one would suspect Microsoft would be a little more cautious when using its OS to club a competitor, at least while their case is under appeal.

Full details over at The Register.

A classic essay from MP3 Newswire that attempts to put in perspective the dangers of digital file trading and why the music industry has less to fear from Napster and its clones.

Mp3Newswire.