Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

“Operation Humble Kanye” is sort of a success.  If you don’t know, Stephen Colbert attempted to have the top album on iTunes by telling everyone to buy his Christmas album on December 3rd at 5PM Eastern.  Last night, the album was #15.  This morning, “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All” is the #3 album on iTunes.

Now, while Colbert was trying to get the top spot, he was also trying to have his album overtake Kanye West’s “808s & Heartbreak.“  West’s album is now #4, looking up at Colbert’s #3 album.  Does this mean you can game iTunes by having a lot of people buy your album just within a couple of minutes?  Perhaps.  Maybe record companies are already doing that to move things like Britney Spears’ “Circus” to the top spot. 

• Psystar backed by a larger company, at least that’s what Apple thinks
• The new pirate busting idea: second hand music
• The disruptive spectre of a $99 Wal-Mart iPhone

Stephen Colbert is trying to push his Christmas album to the top of the iTunes album charts.  How?  He’s organizing “Operation Humble Kanye” to game iTunes.  Kanye West’s album was #1 when Colbert started this plan (currently, Britney Spears is in the top spot). 

His plan is to get everyone to buy “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All” today, December 3rd, at 5PM Eastern time. 

Can this actually work?  Will a concentrated surge of purchases propel the album to the top of the charts?  I guess we’ll find out later today.  Check out the video after the break.

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You must have heard all the hype about Hulu by now.  How it gives you the ability to watch your favorite shows online, any time you want.  How it’s easy to use, and so convenient.  How it is—(drum roll here)—FREE.

Granted, there are several different places you can go to watch different television shows, but, I’ve found that for reliability, Hulu is really way up there.  Now, I know my title said TEN reasons, but, I couldn’t knock it down to just ten.  So I’m going with eleven reasons to Hulu.  I know, what a rebel.

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Sections: Video, Content, Video Providers, Gadgets / Other, Household, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Originals, Web, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites, Online Music/Video

This is where we call out by names the actions and companies that seem odd, out of touch or just plain straight up smokin’ crack.  Technology is an odd realm where PR speak doesn’t hold a lot of water if the 1s and 0s don’t line up.  This week sees posturing, positioning and flat out insanity.  Here is what caught my eye this week:

Click more to witness the insanity.

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A few days ago, our friends over at Appletell reported on a possible increase in royalty rates that could spell out a problem for iTunes, and possibly other digital music stores.  A meeting took place on Thursday, and royalties were set on digital downloads and ringtones for the first time ever.  The good news for those who buy songs and albums online: prices probably won’t be going up any time soon, at least not because of this.  The Copyright Royalty Board set the royalty rate for songs on albums and songs downloaded online at 9.1 cents, or the same rate it was.  This rate will remain into effect into 2012.

The interesting rates announced were actually those of master tones.  That rate is a comparatively astounding 24 cents.  Yeah, you read that right, 24 cents.  More after the break.

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Sections: Audio, Web, Downloads, Online Music/Video

Alltel, the owner of the

world’s

America’s (meaning USA) largest wireless network, announced today they will be offering the nuTsie service on select phones bringing customers their iTunes music wherever they are, just like an iPhone.  nuTsie says they’ve got over 1 million happy users and the Alltel deal gives them direct access to even more.  Alltel will become the first wireless carrier to offer the service to their customers. 

Forget syncing, nuTsie works via low-bandwidth streaming.  No downloading, sideloading or waiting.  Seems like a simple idea.  In addition to offering access to users iTunes music, a clever “Serendipity Slider” allows music recommendations to be be played as well opening up users to new music.  Customers can also share playlists, check out lyrics and view YouTube videos, if the phone supports these features.  Alltel is offering the service for $5 per month or $19 per year.

Find out if this deal is for you, click more…

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Seems folks like a bit of music with their mobile phone, who knew?  Sony Ericsson (“SE”) announced they will join the growing list of manufacturers that offer some kind of music service with their phones.  Designed to compete with Nokia’s cleverly named “comes with music,“ SE plans to begin the service in Sweden, then expand to Western Europe.

The service will be an all-you-can-eat unlimited music subscription and should roll out mid-way through 2009; Rome wasn’t build in a day.  Nokia’s service starts up next month in the UK.  Nokia’s plan is expected to cost 70 pounds extra, though there is some belief the cost will be rolled into a contract price.

Manufacturers chase customers

Hit more to see if this phenom is coming to the US

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Because there isn’t quite enough hoopla today surrounding the news of the Android G1…Amazon comes out and adds their version of the cherry on the cupcake. They confirmed today that a music store for Android-based cellphones does indeed exist, and it comes pre-loaded on the G1. (yes, Virginia..there is a Santa Claus).  With it, users have 6 million DRM-free songs to pick from, coming from all four of the top record labels.

You are able to browse and preview no problem anytime you’re connected to the T-Mobile network; but when it comes time to buy and download, you’ll have to have a Wi-Fi connection.  No, the songs aren’t free, (although wouldn’t that be a bonus?!), but they also don’t rack you with any extra “convenience” charges. It will still cost the same 89 cents per individual song download, unless otherwise indicated.

In their official press release, Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music and Video says

“Amazon wants to make it easy for customers to discover, buy, and play their music wherever they happen to be–whether sitting at their computer or on the go. We look forward to the release of the T-Mobile G1, which will put Amazon MP3’s vast selection of low-priced DRM-free music at the fingertips of even more customers in more places.”

Music that is downloaded from the site onto the T-Mobile G1 can also be played on PCs, Macs or any other MP3 music player.

via [techmeme] 

• The new pirate busting idea: second hand music
• Colbert beats West, doesn’t claim top spot
• Random Amazon game deals

Sections: Audio, Accessories, Home Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Accessories, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Software / Applications, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Web Apps, Websites, Online Music/Video

Well, apparently SanDisk feels Joe Public likes their music hands on.  This thinking may well be what led to their new line of music-filled microSD cards. They managed to pull in all the big record labels like Sony BMG, EMI, Universal and Warner.  Although, I’m not sure what the labels were thinking with this one. The songs on the 1 GB cards will be DRM-free MP3s that are encoded at 320 kbps for the record.

The first stores they have in on the deal are Wal-Mart or Best Buy.  So, you simply stroll into one of those two stores, nab your rockin’, grooving, bopping-loaded slotMusic, and pop it into your phone, and voila…you’re set.  However, if you are one of the millions who would simply rather get your music by downloading it, then this little slotMusic thing is pretty useless.

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Sections: Audio, Accessories, Audio Receivers, Portable Audio, Communications, Accessories, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Software / Applications, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Peripherals, Storage, Web, Downloads, Web 2.0, Websites, Online Music/Video

Nokia is poised to release its new “Comes With Music” phones on October 17th in Britain.  The phones will come with a subscription music service that will allow users to keep any song they obtain through it for 12 months.  The service will come with every phone, with nothing mentioned about payment.  So far, three major studios have signed on for the project: Universal, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group.  Seems like a fairly good push to start with.

According to the Reuters reports, the music companies are hoping this will diminish the popularity of Apple’s iTunes Music Store.  I don’t see why, but music publishers don’t seem to really like Apple too much lately.  Maybe they don’t like making slightly less money?  iTunes is the biggest music seller out there at the moment (well, in America at least, not too sure about worldwide), but this Nokia subscription plan may take a bit away from that.  If the iPhone and other lower-end phones have shown anything, it’s that people don’t mind listening to music on cellphones.

There are a few problems with the service that can be a bit off a turn-off with the service, though…

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Sections: Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Cellphones, Web, Online Music/Video