Winamp 6 for mobile to launch in 2019

Winamp, the MP3 player of the late 1990s, will get a new version and aggregation features in 2019.

Possibly one of the most recognizable icons of the late 1990s’ computing era, Winamp became the go-to program for playing MP3 from a personal computer. The music player became a constant in the ever changing and growing PC platform and reached a user base of 60 million by 2001.


Because of its reputation and loyal community of users, Radionomy, the company that bought Winamp in 2014, continued development of the music player and confirmed an all-new version 6 mobile app to come out in 2019, reports TechCrunch


Winamp 6 will work as a neutral one-player-for-all where users can listen to their personal music collection while also plugging in to streaming services like Audible, Google Music library, Podcasts and Spotify playlists.

“What I see today is you have to jump from one player to another player or aggregator if you want to listen to a radio station, to a podcast player if you want to listen to a podcast — this, to me, is not the final experience,” said Radionomy CEO Alexandre Saboundjian.

Originally developed by the company Nullsoft, development continued for the desktop version of Winamp until it reached Winamp 5.5 in 2007. After this, updates stopped until Winamp 5.666 came out in 2013 and was billed as the last update from Nullsoft/AOL.

Meanwhile, a mobile version of Winamp came out in 2010 for Android. A year later, Winamp for Mac OS called Winamp for Mac Sync Beta was released.

On Sept. 16, 2018, a Winamp 5.8 version was leaked online. The leaked beta version bore the build date of Oct. 26, 2016. An official version is expected to come out by Oct. 18 which won’t be much different from the leaked beta version. It will still have all the fixes to allow the app to function properly in Windows 10.

Until Winamp 6 comes out in 2019 with its promised features, loyal fans may check on the website’s trademark Llama periodically for updates. Alfred Bayle/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

Label goes to war with MP3 reseller

Record label EMI have launched a legal battle against a startup business which is reselling MP3s.

ReDigi, which opened last year, offers fans the opportunity to sell on downloads they’ve paid for but no longer want. Tracks usually on sale for $1.29 can be found for 59c on their website.

But Capitol Records, a US division of the giant label, believes it’s nothing more than piracy, and have applied to the courts to have ReDigi shut down.

Larry Rudolph, the fledgling firm’s boss, believes the case will strike at the heart of the legal concept of ownership – particularly US copyright law, which states that anyone who buys a creative work can resell the copy they bought.

Rudolph tells Technology Review: “You buy it, you own it. You should be able to sell it. If you steal it, you shouldn’t be able to sell it. It’s very simple.

But Capitol say the company is nothing more than “a clearing-house for copyright infringement,” insisting: “While ReDigi touts its service as the equivalent of a used record store, that analogy is inapplicable. Used record stores do not make copies to fill up their shelves.”

ReDigi software verifies whether an MP3 was purchased fair and square before presenting users with the option to sell it on. If the system flags any doubt regarding a track, they will not offer to resell it. Once the data has been transferred, ReDigi then deletes all copies from the previous owner’s computer system. It only offers a track for sale when it has completed that routine – if one person has made a transaction for a particular song, then only one copy of the song will be available for second-hand purchase.

It’s thought the argument will focus on whether a copy of a song is made when ReDigi transfer the file to their server, and whether a track originally downloaded from an online store constitutes a transfer of ownership of that copy of data.

Digital copyright executive Jason Schultz believes the firm could win the case based on current copyright law. He adds: “It strikes at the heart of the future business model of creative industries.

“Are we shifting to a world where every single time you want to use some copyrighted content or media you have to pay, like on a toll road? Or do you actually own something, and you decide how you want to use it?”

source: classicrockmagazine.com

Apple - The Brand?

Ever since the early 2000's, Apple has been a major force in the MP3 and Mobile Phone market. Even Apple's PCs and notebook computers; long relegated to a niche status; are punching above their weight in the PC market. Their unique (some would argue 'magic') business model has made them one of the top companies in every industry they enter.

First and foremost, this company's brand name is very important to the success of Apple. Apple's brand marketing has been one of the key components to its success. A company's brand is the identity it presents to the public. This corporate identity plays an important role in how consumers view a company and its products. Smart companies put a lot of thought into brand management, crafting a brand character that will draw in customers. As such, many companies in the computer industry have looked to Apple as a benchmark for their business practices and policies.

Ongoing research and product development plays a major role in Apple's business strategy, always willing to try something new, seemingly always coming up with tomorrow's items today and often releasing at least one new product per year. It has almost become a yearly routine for them to announce their newest products in a spectacular launch event that attracts die-hard Apple fans, often travelling from all around the globe to witness the event. And always at the forefront is their charismatic leader, Steve Jobs.

They started in computers, but their big break came when they launched their famous MP3 player. Their computers were considered very good, but seemed to be attracting only a niche market, rather than everyday home use. It was not until the 2000's that they gained popularity with the younger generation, and having an Apple computer was considered 'cool'. As they have ventured into multiple markets, they have many different products and add-ons available in their stores and online. Their venture into the mobile phone market has proven to be a renowned success. It is this product variety that has made them very successful, since they now strive to be the best in whatever industry they enter.

And as the release of the iPad 2 so soon after the release of the original iPad shows us, what continues to astound everyone is Apple's ability to forever improve on what many of us already considered perfection. Yet strangely, it is still considered ok, dare I say fashionable, to own an Apple product that is four years old and first generation. Even a four-year old iPod is still arguably the best of its' kind.

But Apple does not hide behind a website only. They now have a very physical presence on the high street. Most major cities boast a technological wonder of a shop with an Apple logo above the door. Sleek in design, wonderfully crafted Apple decor, a trademarked Genius Bar and what can only be described as a plethora of pretty products greet all visitors. A fantastically beautiful location, lots of glass and exposed stone and views of the entire store from one spot seems to be a trademark.

Their customer service is also considered second to none. If something needs repairing, make an appointment at an Apple Store; explain your problem and the issue is almost magically resolved. A 24-hour customer service line for technical issues is also available.

But what has undoubtedly been a worldwide marketing success, not just for Apple, but more importantly for everyday normal folk, is the release of the Apple Software Development Kit (SDK). This has opened development to the iPhone, iPod, iTouch and now the iMac to outside developers. Anyone with an original idea can now create an App and share it with the world (subject to Apple's stringent acceptance criteria of course). It seems the only thing you can't find in the Apple iTunes Store is the kitchen sink (although I'm seriously considering developing this app!). Currently, there are more than 300,000 Apps available to download on the iTunes Store.

Rest assured whatever Apple decides to do next will be a big event and Steve Jobs will be at the forefront.

I'm simply an Apple convert. Not what you would call a fanatic, but very appreciative of the power of the iPhone. App Development is the next step.

Read more here about how iphone app development is available to everyone at www.theiphoneappdevelopmenttutorial.com

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