Wednesday, April 16, 2008 -- 8 a.m. -- on my couch

You might remember Starbucks and Apple partnered last year to bring customers the Pick of the Week card, redeemable for a free song picked by Starbucks.

Well, I headed across the street last night for my Caffe Misto (my new drink) and saw on the rack where the CDs are a card for a free song by the Counting Crows -- "Washington Square."

The song is OK, but the deal is what is making news. This is a chance for you to try new music and do it for free. Sometimes, music videos will be the pick.

According to the barista at my Starbucks, you'll see a new card each Tuesday and that unlike last year, when the cards were strewn all over the counter area if at all, the cards will be neatly placed on the rotating music rack. They are free, and you have 60 days to redeem the code in iTunes.

I also noticed on this rack that Starbucks is now selling $25 iTunes gift cards! Nice.

If you'd like to hear the 30 second preview of "Washington Square" in iTunes, here's the link.

It doesn't appear as though this offer is available outside of the U.S., so sorry international readers.

Thanks for calling.

Friday, February 22, 2008 -- 6 p.m. -- on my couch

This kind of reminds me of a digital flea market.

I can remember when I was a kid going up and down row after row after row of stuff that people decided they no longer had room for in their garages. Sometimes you'd find good deals ... like 50 cent cassettes and stuff.

And today, Apple has an audiobook sale for $2.

Now we're not talking about the New York Times Best Seller list. We're talking about classics by the greats like H.G. Wells and Twain. And many are unabridged.

Hey, if you are into that stuff, $2 is a small price to pay for a classic book on your iPhone or iPod.

And it's pretty cool to put something by Twain on an iPhone. It's like a clash in time ... something from Back to the Future.

So check it out at the iTunes store before the sale is over. Don't know how long it lasts.

Thanks for calling.

Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008 -- 9 p.m. -- on my couch

If you have a new iPhone -- or iPod, for that matter -- iTunes has a sale on greatest hits albums for $7.99.

As cool as all the iPhone features are, many times we forget about how great the iPod portion of the iPhone is. And some of these albums are definitely worth $7.99.

And it's a great collection -- rock, country, new, old, fast, slow, etc.

I don't know how long the sale lasts and there's no specific link to give you, so you to the homepage in the iTunes store and click on the headline $7.99 sale.

I tried this on my desktop. I don't think it's on the mobile store, but check back. If Apple decides to showcase it, you'd find it there, too.

Thanks for calling.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007 -- 9:26 p.m. -- at my desk

Here's a report from the Financial Times, that, if true, would be huge for the movie portion of the iTunes Store.

The paper reports that Apple has made an online deal with Fox that would allow for movie rentals with Fairplay DRM through the iTunes store.

According to the paper, the agreement will allow consumers to rent the latest Fox DVD releases by downloading a digital copy from iTunes for a limited time.

It goes on to report that the deal will likely be announced at Macworld on Jan. 14.

Obviously, this would mean more movies on iPhones and iPods -- not only more available movies but more people likely to pay a lesser sum to rent a movie than a larger sum to buy one.

When you have a 160GB iPod, you can afford to keep a few movies on there. But when you have an 8GB iPhone, you can't keep movies just lying around. I've blogged before and have said that if I could pay $4.99 to rent "An Inconvenient Truth" as opposed to $15.99 to own it, I'd go for it in a second. I'm willing to pay a little more for that privilege and I'd bet that millions of iTunes users would feel the same way.

So add this to your list of potentially big announcements at Macworld and get ready to watch more movies on your iPhone.

I'll keep you posted as things develop.

And here's a link to the full article at the Financial Times.

Thanks for calling.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007 -- 2:48 p.m. -- at my desk

What's up doc? I'll tell you what's up - Looney Tunes on iTunes.

Yep. They made the left turn at Albuquerque on Tuesday and now we've got Bugs, Daffy and Porky Pig available. Nothing like a good old classic cartoon on the old iPhone.

Individual episodes are $1.99 and 10-episode collections cost $19.90.

Bu-dee, bu-dee, bu-dee .,. that's all folks!

Thanks for calling.

Sunday, December 2, 2007 -- 9:05 p.m. -- at my desk

From now on, they are the Nothing Broadcasting Company to me.

NBC has fnally pulled its content from iTunes. It's gone.

That also means no more Bravo, CNBC, Sci-Fi, USA -- it's all gone.

The shaky relationship between Apple and NBC has been going on for a while and now that the contract has expired, NBC is turning its attention to NBC Direct and Hulu and those other things that no one will ever use.

Once again, let me tell you about the fantastic NBC Direct.

*Windows only -- Mac version planned for 2008 (I'll believe it when I see it).
*Internet Explorer only
*latest .Net framework required
*Videos available for just 7 days after the original air date
*Once you start a video, it disappears from your computer 48 hours later.
*You can only watch the video on the computer you downloaded it on. No sharing.
*And perhaps the best one of them all -- you can't transfer a video to a portable device.

Absolutely craptastic. My advice to you? Catch your NBC shows on TV when they are on and look to ABC, CBS or any other network to fill the void.

Thanks for calling.

Thursday, November 29, 2007 -- at my desk

Up until this morning, I had purchased 2 songs from the Wi-Fi store on my iPhone. Last night, while reviewing headphones (more on that soon) I searched for Christmas music and found an album that I really liked.

So I bought it.

And boy is it painless. I can see myself buying music anywhere. It's fast and did I mention it's so painless?

Normally, I'm not a huge Christmas music fan and this album normally wouldn't interest me, but it had 18 songs and it was just $5.99. And to my surprise, it was good!

It's called My Christmas Party Album (International edition) and I think the reason I missed it is because when you search in iTunes, it comes up under the children's genre, when it should be Christmas. But it's decent. Check it out.

Anyhow, the experience of buying an album on iTunes mobile was great and I recommend you give it a try.

Thanks for calling.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007 -- 11:32 a.m. -- on my couch

Apple took one giant step into the movie business today with the addition of the contemporary comedy-drama "Purple Violets." It is officially the first feature film to premiere exclusively on iTunes.

For your $12.99, you get a 1.15 GB download in widescreen format that tells the story of two college friends, now in their 30s, reunite with their past loves from school.

Apple summarizes it better than me, so without further ado.

"Patti (Selma Blair) is a woman in her early thirties living in New York City. For years, she chased after her dream of becoming a successful novelist, but recently she's had to put writing on hold and is unhappily working in real estate. Patti's ennui isn't helped by the fact her marriage has fallen into a rut and neither she nor her husband are interested in one another anymore. When she was in college, Patti was in love with Brian (Patrick Wilson), and while Brian is fortunate enough to support himself writing crime fiction, he's smarting from the uncharitable reviews given to his latest and most personal work."

"One night Patti is having dinner with her best friend Kate (Debra Messing) when she bumps into Brian, who is out with his friend Murph (Edward Burns), who in turn used to be involved with Kate. As the former lovers talk about their past and where life has taken them, Patti finds herself falling for Brian all over again, but both she and Brian are still dealing with the differences and insecurities that drove them apart years before."

What's obviously fascinating is iTunes being the outlet for the premiere. If it works well for the movie producers, perhaps this is just the beginning of what could be the future for an Apple movie label or an Apple music label. Apple has the capacity and the means ... but can it deliver.

My eyes are on Purple Violets.

What do you think? Apple the movie company? Will you download the movie?

Thanks for calling.

Friday, November 16, 2007 -- 1:49 p.m. -- on my couch

I have no interest in renting my music, but renting movies? I'm all for it.

And it can't come soon enough.

Just the other day I said to myself ... self? We should see if "An Inconvenient Truth" is available on iTunes and download it for the ol' iPhone.

I figured that with Al Gore's ties to Apple and his interest in saving the planet that it would cost the price of a TV episode at $1.99.

Ehhh, no. It's $14.99. And sorry, Al, but the amount of carbon dioxide I just exhaled as I tried to catch my breath didn't help the Earth much.

Anyway, I might still buy it. But I'd much rather rent it. I don't see Al Gore's flick as one I'll go back to to catch a favorite line. But I'd rent it. I'd pay say $4.99 to own it for 24 hours.

There have been hints that iTunes movie rentals are a possibility based on some of the hidden code in iTunes 7.5. I've talked about this supposed hidden code before, and just because it's there doesn't mean the features will ever see the light of day. The purpose of the hidden code is not actually to entice -- even though that's what it does for those who find it -- but to be ready if a feature does get the green light. If it's there and just needs to be activated, it saves a lot of time to get it on the street.

Again, renting music is dumb. My song is my song. But movies, well, I like the choice. I love knowing that I can rent or buy the DVD if I really want it. Or buy the download. I'll have to think about this one a little more. I like Al Gore. I enjoy a good documentary. And I really want to know all the details about Manhattan being submerged in 20 feet of water.

I'm just not sure I want to pay $14.99 for it.

What do you think?

Thanks for calling.

Monday, November 5, 2007 -- 11:46 p.m. -- at my desk

Remember these cards ... each one is worth 99 cents and they're free while supplies last as Starbucks.

Actually, supplies last Thursday and then they're gone. You have until Dec. 31 to redeem them, and all you need to do is click on the redeem square on the front page of iTunes.

Granted, it's not as good as being able to pick your own song, but if you are the kind of person that enjoys building up your iTunes/iPhone/Touch music library or just likes to listening to something new, this is a great opportunity to try out some free music.

I have about 15 cards and I haven't redeemed any of them yet. Truth be told, I'm a real 80s music person. That and R.E.M. So I'm not usually looking for what's new, although I'm intrigued and appreciate the opportunity to be given something for nothing.

So remember ... pick up the cards until Thursday and redeem until Dec. 31.

Thanks for calling.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 -- 5:23 p.m. -- at my desk

I am not a Led Zeppelin kind of guy, but maybe you are ... or gal.

If so, iTunes is the place to be. The Complete Led Zeppelin is now available for pre-order and features 165 tracks including the new album "Mothership." Plus, you get an entry into a sweepstakes for a chance to see the band live in London.

And, if you do the math, 165 songs for $99 is a pretty good deal.

The set is available for pre-order now at iTunes with an expected release date of Nov. 13.

Anyone out there a die-hard fan who can't wait to have this collection? Let me know.

Thanks for calling.

Thursday, October 18, 2007 -- 11:15 p.m. -- at my desk

Get ready to feel smart.

iTunes has expanded its iTunes U offering to include something called Beyond Campus.

Here, in addition to the usual iTunes U offerings from colleges across the country, you'll also find debates from the Supreme Court, thought-provoking podcasts about Einstein and even a 2005 commencement speech featuring Steve Jobs.

This is definitely a place where you can increase your brain power. And if you have an iPhone, you'll really have fun doing it.

Check it out by going to the iTunes store and clicking on the orange Beyond Campus square. I'm looking forward to checking out some of the offerings when I get home from this hectic day at the office.

Thanks for calling.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 -- 10:46 p.m. -- at my desk

Actually, a caller mentioned this to me a few days back and it hit me tonight when I was getting my cinnamon dolce mocha (I highly recommend this not-on-the-menu drink).

That Starbucks Plus 2 card is a pretty sweet deal. Caramel macchiato-sweet.

All you need to do is put some money on the card and register it. Then you get 2 free songs.

But you don't have to put a lot on the card. $5 will do. So for $5 you get $1.98 in songs. $3.02 isn't a bad investment.

You can have 3 cards registered at one time on an account. So you could technically get 2 songs pretty often if you want.

Not everyone drinks coffee, but if you do, rather than forking over a $5 bill, you can just put that $5 on the card and get 2 songs in exchange. Do remember though ... you need to have the cards activated by a barista. You can't just take them from the store and come home and try to register them. I don't know who in the world would do such a thing (ahem!) but just remember that little tip.

And remember ... DRM free high-quality songs are now just 99 cents, too.

Good deal. Rock on.

Thanks for calling.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 -- 3:54 p.m. -- at my desk

I reported yesterday about the rumblings that iTunes Plus songs were seen for 99 cents instead of the usual $1.29.

Today, in an interview in the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs confirms that ALL iTunes Plus songs are dropping to 99 cents effective either later today or tomorrow.

This is really good news. Those songs sound much better.

Currently, some DRM-free music on Amazon is 89 cents a song. Most MP3s at www.walmart.com are 94 cents each.

The journal quotes Jobs as saying: ""It's been very popular with our customers, and we're making it even more affordable."

What do you think of the price drop? Let me know.

Thanks for calling.

Monday, October 15, 2007 -- 10:34 p.m. -- at my desk

I have an amazing love-hate relationship with Starbucks.

I love the coffee. I love the caffeine. I love the vibe. I love the Apple partnership.

I hate the customer service. I hate the Wi-Fi. I hate the hours. I hate the inconsistent song of the day promotion.

In case you didn't know, Starbucks and Apple have partnered for the Song of the Day. You ask for a free card, enter the code on your iTunes account and download a free song. It's easy and simple.

But it's inconsistent.

I haven't asked for it every day, because frankly I don't like all the music. But today, the store across the street from the Michigan Avenue store has "You Picked Me" by A Fine Frenzy as the song of the day.

But Starbucks has a great page that shows all the featured artists for each day, and today's (10-15) should be "Maiden Voyage" By Herbie Hancock. "You Picked Me" is from the 11th.

It's the song of the day, Starbucks, not the Song of the 4 days ago. And little things like that ... the lack of attention of detail ... that really gets me fired up.

So where's the discrepancy? I'm not going to ask the baristas, because the ones at this store probably don't know there's chocolate in a mocha, so I don't expect them to understand the iTunes song calendar. I haven't checked to see if it's this disheveled at other locations. I wouldn't be surprised.

Can anyone tell me if they've successfully received the correct song of the day on the correct day? I really would love to know.

I need coffee.

Thanks for calling.

Monday, October 15, 2007 -- 10:18 p.m. -- at my desk

There's been a bunch of reports today of 99 cent iTunes Plus song sightings.

I can confirm it's true. Not all songs, but some.

And that's where the news gets interesting.

Over at Infinite Loop, they're reporting Apple is planning to drop all iTunes Plus prices from $1.29 to 99 cents, presumably in response to Amazon's discount MP3 shop.

I can't confirm or deny one way or another, but seeing so many 99 cent iTunes Plus songs gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling in my wallet.

In case you didn't know, iTunes Plus songs DRM free and feature higher quality sound than their 99 cent counterparts. Perfect for those V-MODA headphones I just reviewed.

And if you haven't looked at the iTunes Plus section, it will tell you what songs you have that are eligible for an upgrade. But you may want to wait a few days in case the rumor mill is spot on. A free upgrade like this would be very similiar to the upgrade at the rental car counter from a Corolla to a Pontiac G6.

Ahhhh, competition. How I love thee so.

Remember, here at iPhone, Therefore I Blog, plus-level witty commentary, news and lively discussion is always available for one low price.

Thanks for calling.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007 -- 11:08 p.m. -- at my desk

Here at work, Family Guy is right up there with the awesomest things in the world.

And now it's on iTunes.

Strange thing is it's just one episode. Hopefully there's plenty more coming. It's from Season 6.

Remember the episode with Sneakers O'Toole? (I ain't taking my sneakers off ... I'm still Sneakers O'Toole).

Just asking. I love that.

This news comes on the same day that "House" will no longer be available on iTunes because it has something to do with NBC Universal, which is part of that big argument with Apple.

So to recap, "House" off, "Family Guy" on.

Any other hidden gems of TV shows that we're all missing? Any one-episode only deals I might have overlooked? Let me know.

Thanks for calling.