apple - Internet Marketing News and Blogs

Apple is said to be in talks with major Hollywood film studios about an online movie rental service. It already has tie-ups with Walt Disney and Paramount for downloads, and is now apparently looking to expand into rentals.

The FT reports that Apple is in advanced talks over the deal, and hopes to launch the service in the autumn. A film would cost $2.99 for a 30-day rental.

All they needed was love. Now Apple and The Beatles have kissed and made up - and it could see The Fab Four's catalogue added to iTunes.

The band's Apple Corps. label last year lost a High Court lawsuit in which it had claimed Steve Jobs' computer company had reneged on a prior agreement not to confuse matters by entering the music business using the "Apple" name.

In an article called ‘Zune: Falling Down On Cool’ BusinessWeek savages the forthcoming Microsoft device, predicting that “by this time next year, it will be considered a dismal failure”.

And the reason why it will fail? Because it isn’t cool, and neither is Microsoft, says BusinessWeek. It adds that attempting to become cool is the only reason that Microsoft is launching the Zune in the first place.

Authored by Arik Hesseldahl, the article states that “the Zune will be seen for what it is: a me-too product that is expressing Microsoft's envy at not being cool”.

Maybe so, but business isn’t really about ‘being cool’. 'Cool' helps with product marketing and customer aqcuisition, but product quality and lifespan are key to customer retention, recommendations, and repeat business.

It is five years to the day that Apple launched the almighty iPod. The device has undoubtedly transformed the way many of us buy and listen to music. In the last five years, 68 million iPods have been sold, and the company holds a staggering 75% share of the market.

Alongside the iPod's success, its companion service iTunes now holds 88% of the legal music download market and is now more than breaking even, according to Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer.

According to Apple Insider, two new iPod–based mobile phones could be released within the next few months, initially in small quantities to test the waters.

Apple appeared to confirm such rumours last month, when they registered the trademark for the name ‘iPhone’ in the US, after months of speculation about the product.

Apple boss Steve Jobs has laughed off fears over Microsoft’s threat to the iPod through its upcoming digital music player, Zune.