Amazon Prepares to Sell DRM Free Music

According to The Times (UK), Amazon is setting up to challenge Apple with an offering of DRM free music via their online store. Amazon is apparently ready to launch next month, hopefully the content will be really DRM free rather than of a reduced variety. I'm watching, anyone else up for the competition...

EU Hits Out at Apple Over iTunes DRM

The European Union Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva lashed out at the way Apple locks iTunes users to its iPod music players. When users download music from iTunes, the songs are saved in a proprietary format which will only play on their iPod players.

In an interview published by the Geman magazine Focus, Kuneva was quoted as saying, "Do you think it's fine that a CD plays in all CD players, but that an iTunes song only plays in an iPod? I don't. Something has to change."

This statement reflect growing consensus amongst consumer advocacy groups in Europe, with many of them joining forces to put pressure on Apple. Groups in Finland, France, Germany and Norway recently agreed to work together in their battle against Apple and iTunes.

Apple TV Due In March

Apple's, Apple TV product, is expected to ship in the middle of March. The device which is only a few weeks late, will be priced at around $299 US. It was first previewed as iTV in September of 2006 and formally announced at Macworld Expo in January along with the iPhone. The set-top box allows TV programmes and films to be downloaded to a Mac or PC and to be played on a television. It is another of Apple's convergence efforts and another product worth watching.