iampowered: April 3, 2006 Archives

Digital music sales see triple-digit growth in 2005

This entry was posted in the following categories: Entertainment, News

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is reporting incredible growth; in 2005, revenue from digital sales nearly tripled from US$400 million to $1.1 billion. IFPI says globally digital music sales are split 50:50 between online and mobile sales.

Out of the digital music mobile sales, master ringtones accounted for 87% of the purchases. Master ringtone sales grew 120%. Another segment of the mobile market that experienced triple-digit growth was full track downloads and music videos to mobile devices. Those purchases increased 180%. Online sales, which were led by Apple's iTunes, were driven by a la carte downloads. Those a la carte purchases accounted for 86% of global online sales.

Digital music sales are also the dominant format for singles. Digital music sales of singles now account for three quarters of total singles sales. In 2004, the percentage of singles sales that were digital was only 45%. The shift toward digital music sales is being reflected in drops of physical format revenues. In 2005, revenues related to physical formats fell 6.7%. CD album revenue was down 6%, and DVD music video revenue was down 4.3%.

The music industry continues to make a shift toward being predominantly comprised of digital music sales. Nowhere can that better be seen than in the sale of singles. For the most part, people just don't go to a record store anymore to purchase a single song. They merely get it online or through their mobile device.

AOL Launches New Mobile Browsing Service

This entry was posted in the following categories: Mobility, News

A report at Slashphone reveals that as part of its ongoing commitment to making wireless devices easier to enjoy, AOL today announced the debut of new mobile information and location services, including a new addition to the mobile AOL Search services. The new offering is a mobile browsing service that automatically adapts Web pages for mobile screens. The easy-to-use mobile browsing service can be used by wireless subscribers with Web-enabled phones. AOL's mobile Web portal is included with all Sprint PCS Vision (TM) and Sprint Power Vision(SM) plans, and can be found by navigating to the "portals" category from the Vision home menu. According to a new survey AOL conducted with the Associated Press and Pew Research Center, 52 percent of adults keep their cell phone turned on all day, everyday, and 40 percent of those aged 18-29 are likely to drop their landline once and for all. Published today, the report reveals that more than 30 percent of adults want to search and browse the Web from their cell phone, while 47 percent say that mobile maps and driving directions are a "must have" on the next phone they buy.

"We are committed to providing people with easy access to the Web's full range of information, location and communications services wherever they may go," said Eric Engstrom, senior vice president of Products for AOL's wireless group. "We are pleased to be working with the nation's leading carriers to provide their subscribers with our complete suite of popular and consumer-friendly offerings. Together, we are making it easy for people to stay connected to friends, family members and colleagues."

AOL's new mobile browsing service has been seamlessly integrated into the existing suite of mobile AOL Search services -- including Web search, shopping search and local search -- to make it easy for consumers to navigate the Web and find anything they need from their mobile device.

VolumeCare For Treo Updated

This entry was posted in the following categories: Mobility, Reviews

GoTreo Software has released an update to VolumeCarePro. I've been evaluating this for a week or so now, and I'm liking it a lot.

Anyone with a Treo knows that the earpiece volume isn't that great, and the external speaker could also use some improvement.

It utilizes the built-in volume hard keys for making on-the-fly adjustments to either the volume in general or the booster.

VolumeCare fixes this issue. Now all sounds are greatly improved. VC also improves the mic, so your outgoing voice to other callers is also made better.

Additionally, you can configure particular applications to be louder. So any apps with alarms can be made louder, or the General tapping/selecting action is louder than what you have set globally in Palm Prefs.

Download the free trial.

New Discount Consumer Site Promises Great Prices

This entry was posted in the following categories: News, Web services

DiscountConsumerGoods is launching a new E-Commerce Site at http://www.discountconsumergoods.com offering low pricing on thousands of items.

DiscountConsumerGoods is a discount retailer offering thousands of new and closeout items.

They offer thousands of name brand items at discounted prices. They carry items from major manufactures such as, Kodak, Microsoft, Coby, Coleman, Kensington, Logitech, HP and many others.

Offering great pricing on Electronics, Jewelry, Fragrances, "As Seen on TV" items and more.

DiscountConsumerGoods also offers a dropshipping program for those of you who have an interest in selling items on ebay.

Check them out at http://www.discountconsumergoods.com

First Weather-Proof Bluetooth Headset

This entry was posted in the following categories: Mobility, Reviews

Bluetreck has released the world’s first weather-proof Bluetooth headset. With Bluetreck, you can now leave your cell phone on your beach chair, throw on the Bluetrek X2 headset and hit the pool.

Note that it's not fully submersible, so you'll have to keep your head above water, but the occasional splash won't harm it.

Aesthetically, it looks like nearly every other generic one out there, but that’s not why you would want it anyways.

Time to Ditch Your Land Line?

This entry was posted in the following categories: Home / Office, News

Comcast came after me the other day—offering a phone service/broadband package along with the digital cable services that I’m already receiving. I’ll admit, it was tempting, especially since I pretty much use my cell phone for nearly 99% of my calls.

According to a just released study by Forrester Research, last year about 8% of U.S. households that subscribe to cellphone service had given up their land-line phones, up from 5% in 2004 and 4% in 2003. Certainly that’s a trend that will continue.

Alyce Lomax over at Motley Fool has an interesting article to help you decide if cutting the cord is right for you.

The Wall Street Journal ran a story on this in The Marketplace section of Friday’s (March 31) paper.

This could be the year of mobile computing AND 100% wireless communications.

Identity Theft Numbers Down. Now Only 3.6 Million Victims.

This entry was posted in the following categories: Home / Office, News, Reading List

Source: CNN Money

While 3.6 Million sounds like a lot--and it is, the Justice Department finds far fewer victims of identity theft than previous Federal Trade Commission study.

An estimated 3.6 million households, or about 3 percent of all households in the country, have been victims of identity theft, according to the Justice Department.

That's far less the estimated 9.3 million victims reported by a Federal Trade Commission study for the same period.

The estimated total loss during the six-month period in 2004 was about $3.2 billion, the study said.

The Justice Department said households headed by people between 18-24 years old, those in urban or suburban areas and those with incomes of $75,000 or more were the most likely to experience identity theft.

About two-thirds of the households said they lost money and the average loss was $1,290.

About one-third of households that were identity theft victims discovered the loss by noticing missing money or unfamiliar charges on an account, and about a one-quarter were contacted by a credit bureau.

About one-quarter of all victimized households said they were still experiencing problems associated with having their identity stolen. The misuse was more likely to have stopped for households experiencing credit card theft (78 percent) than those experiencing theft of other existing accounts (65 percent) or the misuse of personal information (54 percent), according to the Justice Department.

One-third of the victimized households experienced problems caused by the identity theft, the most common of which was being contacted by a debt collector, followed by problems with bank accounts and credit cards.

About one-in-five households spent at least one month resolving their problems. One-third said the problems were resolved in one day.

The findings represent six-month estimates based on interviews conducted from July through December 2004 for the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey.

Low-Fare Airlines Top In Rankings According To Report

This entry was posted in the following categories: News, Reading List

Source: BusinessWeek Online

JetBlue and other low-fare airlines once again held the top rankings in a national survey of carrier quality, made public Monday. The survey found that people are flying more and complaining more.

Following JetBlue in the rankings were Air Tran, Independence Air and Southwest. Independence has since gone out of business.

The annual survey said that people are boarding planes as often as they did before the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings -- and complaints about airline service are growing as well.

The year 2000 was the high watermark for flight delays, cancellations and seething passengers left stranded in terminals.

"We've got the same problems we had five years ago," said Dean Headley, a co-author of the study and associate professor at Wichita State University in Kansas.

Customers' biggest gripe is likely to be lost baggage.

Complaints increased 17 percent last year over 2004 and the rate of mishandled baggage jumped from 4.83 per 1,000 passengers to 6.06 in 2005.

Intense competition from low-fare airlines and high jet-fuel prices have forced many established carriers to cut back or charge passengers for amenities.

Many airlines no longer serve meals on flights. Some charge for pillows. And there's a price now for overweight or extra bags.

"Airlines know their consumers," Headley said. "I'm not sure they know how far they can push them."

David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association that represents most U.S. carriers, said airlines know their service has suffered and they're trying to improve it.

"They're trying their best," he said. "They're taking advantage of technology to make the airport experience more pleasant."

Airlines have installed ticketing kiosks and machines that read boarding passes at the gates, and they've added flight delay information to their Web sites, Castelveter said.

But airlines don't have control over all the things that annoy passengers, the industry spokesman added.

"They're dealing with weather delays, air traffic control delays and new security measures," he said. "You've got airplanes misconnecting, passengers misconnecting and baggage misconnecting. That all translates into unhappy passengers."

The Airline Quality Rating study is based on Transportation Department statistics for airlines that carry at least 1 percent of the passengers who flew domestically last year. It's sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Omaha's aviation institute and Wichita State.

More on Best Buy: Centricity Key to Success

This entry was posted in the following categories: News

Best Buy considers itself North America's number-one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. They certainly have gained a lot of exposure—with appearances on “The Apprentice” and in “ESPN Mobile” commercials. And business writers have covered their “centricity” focus.

In brief, what Best Buy did was figure out which customers made them the most money. They segmented these customers and then realigned their stores (adjusting the product mix) and upgraded their sales teams (knowledgable, customer-focused). The resulting environment is one conducive for "frequent buyers" -- the type of customers who spend more and return often.

Needless to say, this is what probably attracted HP to Best Buy.

Read more about Best Buy here.

Coming to a Best Buy Near You – HP TVs

This entry was posted in the following categories: Entertainment, Home / Office, News

Did you know that Hewlett-Packard sold big screen televisions? Probably not, unless you followed the company closely or spent much time on their website. Well that’s about to change.

This April, HP flat-panel TVs will start appearing in Best Buy stores. This is HP’s first national retail deal for its TVs. HP plans to sell a total of five LCD and plasma models at Best Buy, said Jan-Luc Blakborn, director of digital entertainment at HP. One of the TVs in the mix is a 37-inch LCD TV with built-in wireless networking that HP announced at CES in January.

HP will certainly benefit from the showroom setup at Best Buy where buyers can actually see and experience what they have to offer. Read more here.

The Ultimate Coffee Maker

This entry was posted in the following categories: Home / Office, Reviews

The ultimate in super automatic coffee centers is here!

With the Jura-Capresso Impressa Z5, one touch is all it takes to create the perfect cappuccinos, espressos and lattes every time. The Impressa Z5 only requires you to place a cup under the dual nozzles while it takes care of the grinding, brewing, frothing and steaming using 2 state-of the-art stainless steel-lined thermoblock heating systems and an 18 bar power pump.

The programmable controls and a rotary dial allows limitless customized coffee creations. And a 32-oz. thermal container keeps milk fresh for up to 8 hours.

It also features customizable coffee-strength settings, one-touch milk-frothing buttons, height adjustable spouts for short and tall mugs, 6-setting commercial solid steel conical burr grinder, electronic bean level sensor, funnel for pre-ground coffee, 96-ounce removable water tank with a 60 espresso capacity, a Clearyl water care system that removes all impurities from water before brewing and so much more!

Here's the problem, it costs $3,199!

Looking For A Cell Phone That Meets All Your Personal Needs?

This entry was posted in the following categories: Mobility, News, Web services

Dealhack.com has a great rundown/checklist of what to look for, how to look for it, the best plan for your needs, to buy from the wireless provider or elsewhere, etc.

After reading this, I found that it would be extremely helpful for someone who is unsure what they want or even what they need.

Of course, I'm partial to the Treo, but that's me. I hope someone finds this helpful.

Tips on How to Make Your Work Day Sane

This entry was posted in the following categories: Guides, Productivity

Ellen McGirt at FORTUNE wrote a story with advice on how to make your work day sane. Here's the top line:

Give yourself a time-out. Devote an hour to uninterrupted thinking and planning every day.
Show your technology who's boss.
Keep your meetings rare.
Say no. "Sorry" isn't the hardest word -- "no" is.
Delete. Cut out or delegate anything on your to-do list that doesn't have long-term consequences for your work.

Read the complete story here.

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Time Management: Lessons From Ben Franklin

This entry was posted in the following categories: Guides, Productivity

In the quest to use our time better, we often turn to books from Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective People) or Peter Drucker ( The Effective Executive ) or a host of others. Justin Fox, the author of a recent story that appeared in FORTUNE Magazine, reached for the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin was an advocate of starting his day thinking, “What good shall I do today?” At the end of the day, he’d reflect on his day’s work by asking himself, “What good have I done today?”

Justin Fox states:

This emphasis on setting goals for the day ahead and taking stock afterward remains a staple of time-management advice. (At least, so I'm told.) There's clearly something to it: I know that I'm far more likely to accomplish something when I have a well-defined to-do list for the day. But in a work world where conflicting, competing priorities are the norm, it's really hard to stick to such a list. Which is why most of us seldom get around to devising one.

This is an article that is worth taking a "time out" to read.

Time Change Got You Dragging? Caribou Wants to Help

This entry was posted in the following categories: Home / Office, News

The Caribou Coffee Company, the second largest nonfranchised coffee house chain in the United States just announced a plan for helping the 70 percent of Americans who are not alert in the mornings survive Daylight Saving Time when their clocks jump forward on April 2.

Caribou Coffee (locations mostly in middle America and on the East Coast), is giving away free shots of espresso all day on Sunday, April 2, and Monday, April 3.

Caribou Coffee CEO Michael J. Coles said, "Our company motto is ‘Life is short. Stay awake for it.’ This weekend, life seems even shorter! That's why we are the official coffee of Daylight Saving Time and are offering our customers a FREE shot of espresso in any drink this Sunday and Monday. It’s just a small way for us to say thank you to our customers and help them make it through this launch into spring!"

Perhaps Coles would like to lend a hand to Major League Baseball players (see the story in The New York Times).

Note:

Ben Franklin created Daylight Saving Time at the age of 78 when visiting Paris as an American delegate in 1784. He then wrote an essay discussing the thriftiness of natural versus artificial lighting, and now Americans embrace his idea as a way to enjoy daylight while conserving energy.

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Digital music sales see triple-digit growth in 2005

AOL Launches New Mobile Browsing Service

VolumeCare For Treo Updated

New Discount Consumer Site Promises Great Prices

First Weather-Proof Bluetooth Headset

Time to Ditch Your Land Line?

Identity Theft Numbers Down. Now Only 3.6 Million Victims.

Low-Fare Airlines Top In Rankings According To Report

More on Best Buy: Centricity Key to Success

Coming to a Best Buy Near You – HP TVs

The Ultimate Coffee Maker

Looking For A Cell Phone That Meets All Your Personal Needs?

Tips on How to Make Your Work Day Sane

Time Management: Lessons From Ben Franklin

Time Change Got You Dragging? Caribou Wants to Help

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