C/Net says Microsoft’s forthcoming Zune player will allow users to create mobile social networks and stream music to nearby friends or strangers, according to the FCC’s regulatory filing.
Zune owners can act as their own DJ, sending streaming music content to up to four other devices. With the built-in WiFi, people can send and receive photos, as well as “promotional copies of songs, albums and playlists,” according to the filing.
Hardware maker Toshiba filed the FCC documents. Microsoft said it will have one model available in time for this year’s holiday season.
According to the draft user manual, the device supports both the 802.11b and 802.11g wireless standards. It also has a 30GB hard drive, a 3-inch screen and an FM tuner, along with a USB 2.0 connection to synchronize with a PC. “Sync your music, movies and pictures,” reads one page from the manual.
Microsoft has said that Zune will come preloaded with videos from record label EMI, but has not discussed the details of any music or movie service it plans to offer. No word on pricing or availability for now although the $299 price has been bantied about.
Meanwhile, Public Domain Books, are ready for your iPod, reports the NY Times. LibriVox is the largest of several emerging collectives that offer free or inexpensive audiobooks of works whose copyrights have expired.
The Spoken Alexandria Project and LiteralSystems also have free downloads available. The audio format of choice for each service is MP3 (though Spoken Alexandria and LibriVox offer other options). That means the audiobooks can play on any computer and most digital music players.
All three services rely on Project Gutenberg, the online repository of works in the public domain, for texts. Listeners often can choose from several recordings of the same work; LibriVox, for example, offers three readings of the Gettysburg Address, explains the NY Times.
Listeners are free to copy and share the recordings.
The billboard industry is now dominated by three multi-billion dollar conglomerates; Eller Media Company (reputedly the largest billboard company in the world, and a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications), Infinity Outdoor, (reportedly the largest billboard company in the United States, and a subsidiary of media giant Viacom), and Lamar Media.
Newspapers, radio, tv and independent media could do worse than partner with outdoor advertising firms.
That’s public access!
