Category: iPod

New iPod Shuffle DRM chip – not.

“Paranoia strikes deep…”

It seems that Boing Boing gadgets found (gasp!) a chip lurking in the 3rd generation iPod shuffle headphone controller. Donning their tinfoil hats they then proceeded to speculate it was a DRM chip, preventing non-approved headphones from working with the Shuffle. Could this be the start of Apple using its 70% of the MP3 player market to crush the headphone industry?

Erm… No.

The craziness even spread as far as the usually more sensible Macintouch, where a user’s post of a link to BoingBoing caused mention of the authentication chip to be rolled into their Shuffle review.

Fortunately after a bit more digging some rationality seems to have prevailed. Yes, you still have to license it from Apple, but on the plus side it means you can sell your wares to all the iPod Shuffle owners out there.

Of course, the Shuffle still starts playing through plain old stereo headphones when you plug them in.

17 inch Unibody MacBook Pro now shipping in 5-7 days

As of last Friday apparently the Australian Apple Store is now listing the 17 inch Unibody MacBook Pro as shipping within 5-7 days.

A reminder also that students, teachers and educational professionals are also able to get $176 rebate if they purchase an iPod with an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air.

iTunes to close?

In a news story that threatens to eclipse panicky Wall Street speculation, rumours are spreading that the iTunes store might have to close if a ruling tomorrow by the Copyright Royalty Board increases royalties too much. Or maybe the CRB will get panicky if Steve threatens to throw the big iTunes Store switch…

Of course, Apple really makes its money from selling iPods and iPhones to play content from iTunes, so it might not be as big a problem as people expect 🙂