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	<title>GigaOM &#187; Apple</title>
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		<title>GigaOM &#187; Apple</title>
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		<title>Warner Bros. Sells Movies as Apps, but Who&#8217;s Buying?</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/warner-bros-sells-movies-as-apps-but-whos-buying/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/warner-bros-sells-movies-as-apps-but-whos-buying/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:07:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darrell Etherington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[@CNN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Distribution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Special Edition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://gigaom.com/?p=298634</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Warner Bros. today announced that it would be offering individual app versions of some of its most popular movies for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. These "App Editions," are available as free downloads, with full versions unlockable via in-app purchasing.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=298634&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img title="inception-app" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/inception-app.jpg?w=604" alt=""   class="alignright size-full wp-image-298647">Warner Bros.  announced Wednesday that it would begin offering individual app versions of some of its most popular movies for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. These versions, called “App Editions,” are available as free downloads and include bonus content and extra features, as well as the ability to buy the full-length film through in-app purchasing.</p>
<p>The first two App Edition titles are <em><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inception-app-edition/id415938462?mt=8">Inception</a></em> and <em><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-dark-knight-app-edition/id401016418?mt=8">The Dark Knight</a> </em>(both directed by Christopher Nolan), and both are available now in the App Store. With the free version, you get a sample of the film (first five minutes, streamed to your device), and a selection of bonus content, including soundtrack samples, a “making of” video, and a few other videos and images.</p>
<p>Buying the full version of <em>Inception</em> ($11.99) unlocks a ton of additional features and content. You’ll be able to watch the full film, either streamed over Wi-Fi and 3G or downloaded to your device for offline playback, watch 16 additional bonus video features, check out four image galleries including concept art and posters, listen to previously unreleased tracks from soundtrack composer Hans Zimmer in full, and read the Cobol Job comic book prequel to the events of the film. <em>The Dark Knight</em> (full version $9.99) offers a similar host of bonus content. It’s worth noting that all additional video/audio and image content requires an active internet connection to function.</p>
<p>App Editions of films definitely provide more content than do the iTunes or even iTunes Extras versions of the films, and seem to offer at least as much, if not more, in terms of bonus features than the Blu-ray editions. The apps are also universal, so if you purchase on your iPhone, you’ll be able to enjoy the iPad-optimized version for free and vice versa, and the streaming option means you can keep your device’s storage free so long as you have a strong Internet connection (and a healthy data plan if you’re streaming over 3G).</p>
<p>The movie apps have definite downsides, too. The films themselves are locked in the app, so you won’t be able to grab the movie file and load it onto your Mac or physically transfer it between devices via iTunes, making them far less versatile than movies downloaded through the iTunes Store. It looks like the App Edition video player might support transmitting video to Apple TV over AirPlay when that feature becomes available to third-party apps <a title="iOS 4.3: Better AirPlay, Hotspot Settings, iPad Gestures" href="http://gigaom.com/apple/ios-4-3-better-airplay-hotspot-settings-ipad-gestures/">with the release of iOS 4.3</a>, which should make that somewhat less of an issue.</p>
<p>There’s also the sticker shock for international customers. Buying the full version of <em>Inception</em> costs $18.99 Canadian, which can hardly be accounted for by the exchange rate, since U.S. and Canadian currency are virtually at parity. <em>The Dark Knight</em> is priced the same in both stores, so pricing shouldn’t be as much of an issue for movies that aren’t still classified as new releases.</p>
<p>For someone like me who literally never watches or uses any movie special features, the draws of App Editions are limited. The fact that I can’t play back the film on any of my Macs isn’t made up for by the fact that I can share thoughts about the film on Facebook and Twitter, and export one-liners from the movie as ringtones. At least with Fox’s PocketBlu, <a href="http://gigaom.com/video/fox-pocketblu-android/">you get a Blu-ray disc in addition to a mobile edition of the film for Android devices</a>.</p>
<p>Warner Bros. plans to release a full series of App Editions in 2011. To me, it’s like buying individual book apps when I could buy them in the Amazon store and use them on just about every electronic device I own. What’s your take?</p>
<p><strong>Related content on GigaOM Pro:</strong> (subscription required)</p>
<ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/07/three-reasons-hulu-plus-is-no-threat-to-netflix/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=etherin&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=298634+warner-bros-sells-movies-as-apps-but-whos-buying">Three Reasons Hulu Plus is No Threat to Netflix</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/06/cord-cutting-hold-the-phone/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=etherin&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=298634+warner-bros-sells-movies-as-apps-but-whos-buying">Cord-cutting? Hold the Phone</a></li>
<li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/10/pay-tv%E2%80%99s-ala-carte-tipping-point/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_content=etherin&amp;utm_campaign=intext&amp;utm_term=298634+warner-bros-sells-movies-as-apps-but-whos-buying">Pay-TV’s Ala Carte Tipping Point</a></li>
</ul>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>ReelDirector: Full-featured Video Editing Comes to the iPhone</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/reeldirector-full-featured-video-editing-comes-to-the-iphone/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/reeldirector-full-featured-video-editing-comes-to-the-iphone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:49:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darrell Etherington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[CNN Big Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNN Mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNN Startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYT Company News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYT Startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Software Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SYN Analysis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SYN Straight News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[3gs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[app]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[editing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reeldirector]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/?p=34597</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Despite some predictions to the contrary, the iPhone 3GS launched without a portable version of iMovie for editing of clips. Yes, you can scrub and trim video you shoot on the device in the native Camera app, but beyond that, you can&#8217;t do much. New app [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173538&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  title="reeldirector" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/reeldirector.jpg?w=100&h=100" alt="reeldirector" width="100" height="100" class=" alignleft" />Despite some predictions to the contrary, the iPhone 3GS launched without a portable version of iMovie for editing of clips. Yes, you can scrub and trim video you shoot on the device in the native Camera app, but beyond that, you can&#8217;t do much. New app ReelDirector changes all that, for the relatively low price of $7.99.</p>
<p>It sounds like a decent deal, but I decided to download the app and find out just what the first real video editing app for the iPhone was capable of. Might I be able to become the next film ingenue sensation with only my 3GS? <span id="more-173538"></span></p>
<h3>Features</h3>
<p>First of all, let me tell you right off the bat: This isn&#8217;t just a warmed-over version of the built-in Camera app, like so many photo effect apps tend to be. It not only allows you to stitch different clips from your device together, it also allows you to use 27 different transitions between them, including various wipes and fades.</p>
<p><img  title="reel_transition" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/reel_transition.jpg?w=320&h=480" alt="reel_transition" width="320" height="480" class=" alignleft" />You can also add text to your clips, including opening and closing credits and titles, and provide transitions for both. Only four font styles currently exist, but you change position to achieve different visual effects. Hopefully more styles will be added in later updates, or maybe as in-app purchases down the line.</p>
<h3><img  title="reel_details" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/reel_details.jpg?w=320&h=480" alt="reel_details" width="320" height="480" class=" alignleft" />Interface and Usability</h3>
<p>The interface for ReelDirector isn&#8217;t going to win any design awards, but it is simple, fairly clean, and well-suited to its purpose. My main complaint is that while the app automatically switches to landscape view, which could be useful, there&#8217;s no toggle to prevent that from occurring, something I think every app should provide, including Apple&#8217;s own.</p>
<p><img  title="reel_clips" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/reel_clips.jpg?w=320&h=480" alt="reel_clips" width="320" height="480" class=" alignleft" />As for usability, ReelDirector generally performs well, but with a few issues that really prevent it from being an absolutely problem-free experience. For example, when you insert a video clip into your movie project, you have the option of trimming it, but once it&#8217;s in, you can&#8217;t go back and re-edit the clip itself. All you can really do at that point is change the transitions between clips. You also can&#8217;t live preview your movie in its entirety until you &#8220;Create&#8221; it, which can be a time-consuming process. The good news is, you can still go back and make changes after you output your movie.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>It isn&#8217;t a replacement for iMovie by any stretch of the imagination, but ReelDirector is the first real movie editing solution for the iPhone 3GS, and for a pioneer, it actually works remarkably well. You probably won&#8217;t be taking home any awards at Cannes, since the app still lacks pretty basic elements like audio editing capabilities, but for home movies that look as good or better than the ones your uncle used to edit on his hulking early model DV cam, ReelDirector is more than capable.</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173538+reeldirector-full-featured-video-editing-comes-to-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/01/mobile-q4-all-eyes-were-on-android-4g-and-the-rising-tablet-tide/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173538+reeldirector-full-featured-video-editing-comes-to-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">Mobile Q4: All Eyes Were on Android, 4G and the Rising Tablet&nbsp;Tide</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/12/report-a-mobile-video-market-overview/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173538+reeldirector-full-featured-video-editing-comes-to-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">Report: A Mobile Video Market&nbsp;Overview</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/10/in-q3-the-tablet-and-4g-were-the-big-stories/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173538+reeldirector-full-featured-video-editing-comes-to-the-iphone&utm_content=etherin">In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big&nbsp;Stories</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173538&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>18</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>Update for iMovie &#8217;09 Brings Support for New Nanos, Industry Standard</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/update-for-imovie-09-brings-support-for-new-nanos-industry-standard/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/update-for-imovie-09-brings-support-for-new-nanos-industry-standard/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:16:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Liam Cassidy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iFrame]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[imove]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[standard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[update]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/?p=34152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Home movie makers, start your Software Updater, for Apple has released an update to iMovie ‘09. The latest version, 8.0.5, brings the usual improvements in compatibility and fixes for “minor issues,” but the real story here is the introduction of a brand new video format called [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173502&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  title="IMovie_Icon" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/imovie_icon.png?w=210&h=210" alt="IMovie_Icon" width="210" height="210" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p class="excerpt">Home movie makers, start your Software Updater, for Apple has released an update to iMovie ‘09. The latest version, 8.0.5, brings the usual improvements in compatibility and fixes for “minor issues,” but the real story here is the introduction of a brand new video format called ‘iFrame.’</p>
<p>iFrame (not to be confused with the troublesome iFrame HTML tag) is a video standard based on Apple’s hugely successful H.264 Video and AAC Audio codecs. Just as we’ve come to expect from those codecs, iFrame offers reasonably high quality audio and video with low file sizes. Smaller files are ideal for those of us who make home movies with digital camcorders, keeping to the absolute minimum the time it takes to import video from a camcorder into iMovie.</p>
<p>The smaller sizes are not surprising, considering iFrame records video at a resolution of 960&#215;540 (at 30fps). While a little higher resolution than SVGA, it’s still shy of HD’s lowest standard offering, (1280&#215;720). Apple released a support document on its website <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3905">briefly describing</a> iFrame:</p>
<blockquote><p>The iFrame Video format is designed by Apple to speed up importing and editing by keeping the content in its native recorded format while editing. Based on industry standard technologies such as H.264 and AAC audio, iFrame produces small file sizes and simplifies the process of working with Video recorded with your camera.</p></blockquote>
<p>For your Mac, smaller files can potentially mean less time spent crunching numbers during an edit. That’s assuming, of course, you’re tweaking a short video of your pet cat falling off the couch, not cutting an epic feature of Lucasfilm proportions. (If you <em>are</em>, you won’t be using iMovie to do it.) There’s no word yet from Apple on whether it plans to add iFrame compatibility into its pro-level Final Cut software, though it&#8217;s probably only a matter of time; after all, Final Cut supports just about <a href="http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/finalcutpro/broad-format-support.html">every other format</a>, one more can&#8217;t hurt. <span id="more-173502"></span></p>
<p>Cameras with native support for iFrame offer faster imports into iMovie because the files they create will not require the usual (often lengthy) conversion that takes place when importing other formats.</p>
<p>iFrame already has some native hardware support in the form of the latest iPod Nano, which uses iFrame as its default format. In addition, earlier this week Sanyo announced the availability of two dual cameras (digital cameras which capture both still images and full speed video)&#8230;the snappily named <a href="http://us.sanyo.com/Dual-Cameras/VPC-HD2000ABK-Full-1080p-HD-Video-and-8MP-Digital-Photos">VPC-HD2000ABK</a> and the <a href="http://us.sanyo.com/Dual-Cameras/VPC-FH1ABK-Full-1080p-HD-Video-and-8MP-Digital-Photos">VPC-FH1ABK</a>. Both provide full iFrame support in addition to the more typical MPEG-4, H.264 video formats.</p>
<p>It’s easy to imagine next year’s iPhone upgrade including native support for iFrame. The iPhone 3GS records video in the .mov file format, managing a measly 640&#215;480 (VGA) resolution. Nevertheless, shortly after its launch the iPhone 3GS <a href="http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2009/06/mobile-uploads-to-youtube-increase_5122.html">quickly became</a> one of the most popular portable devices used for capturing and uploading video to YouTube. If that trend continues, I’ll welcome iFrame for the improved quality it brings to video sharing networks.</p>
<p>For casual movie making, iFrame should be very well received. I wonder whether <a href="http://www.theflip.com">competitors</a> in a similar space will take it seriously?</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173502+update-for-imovie-09-brings-support-for-new-nanos-industry-standard&utm_content=limalicas">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/01/mobile-q4-all-eyes-were-on-android-4g-and-the-rising-tablet-tide/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173502+update-for-imovie-09-brings-support-for-new-nanos-industry-standard&utm_content=limalicas">Mobile Q4: All Eyes Were on Android, 4G and the Rising Tablet&nbsp;Tide</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/12/report-a-mobile-video-market-overview/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173502+update-for-imovie-09-brings-support-for-new-nanos-industry-standard&utm_content=limalicas">Report: A Mobile Video Market&nbsp;Overview</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/10/in-q3-the-tablet-and-4g-were-the-big-stories/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173502+update-for-imovie-09-brings-support-for-new-nanos-industry-standard&utm_content=limalicas">In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big&nbsp;Stories</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173502&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>iTunes 9: Deconstructing LPs &amp; Extras</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/itunes-9-deconstructing-lps-extras/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/itunes-9-deconstructing-lps-extras/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[itunes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[itunes extras]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iTunes LP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sync]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/?p=32363</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Leading up to Apple&#8217;s music event last week, rumor sites had been circling about a new format from Apple that would provide additional content, like lyrics, liner notes, video interviews and more. The rumors came true as Apple announced yet one more way to spend more [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173364&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  title="iTunes LP" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/ituneslp1.jpg?w=179&h=179" alt="iTunes LP" width="179" height="179" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p class="excerpt">Leading up to Apple&#8217;s music event last week, rumor sites had been circling about a new format from Apple that would provide additional content, like lyrics, liner notes, video interviews and more. The rumors came true as Apple announced yet one more way to spend more money inside iTunes: iTunes LPs for music and iTunes Extras for video. Here&#8217;s what they look like up close.</p>
<h3>Deconstructing the LP</h3>
<p>When you purchase an iTunes LP (for this example, I&#8217;m using <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=328144680&amp;s=143441">Tyrese Gibson&#8217;s MAYHEM!</a>), you actually end up downloading the songs included and the animated content in a new format, called <a href="http://jayrobinson.org/2009/09/11/some-notes-on-itunes-lp/">.</a><a href="http://jayrobinson.org/2009/09/11/some-notes-on-itunes-lp/">itlp</a>. This new format is (in this example) a very big file, a little over 400MB. Not only does it take a while to download that content, but if you start to fill your library with several of these, you&#8217;ll run out of room very quickly.</p>
<p>For diehard fans, iTunes LPs are simply amazing. In MAYHEM!, the additional content is an animated comic book that comes to life with spoken dialog. As more and more artists sign onto creating iTunes LPs, these will become big time components of true music enthusiasts. Let&#8217;s just hope new iTunes LPs are released more frequently than the GarageBand Artist Lessons. <span id="more-173364"></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="Grateful Dead LP" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/gratefuldeadlp.jpg?w=560&h=483" alt="Grateful Dead LP" width="560" height="483" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<h3>And Now for Video</h3>
<p>Apple also announced iTunes Extras for video content, allowing quick scene selection and other animated &#8220;behind the scenes&#8221; content available in these exclusive packages. For many, this could be the real deciding factor between opting to purchase a new movie on DVD or Blu-ray versus purchasing it within iTunes. The end result, while perhaps not equal in terms of additional content, is a complete movie experience, with a substantial amount of supplemental content. Unfortunately, iTunes Extras are only available when purchasing content from iTunes; they are not available with movie rentals.</p>
<p>If you purchase content from iTunes on your iPhone and that content supports iTunes LP or iTunes Extra, the base content (songs or movie) will download immediately to your device. The LP and Extras content will download to your computer the next time you sync your iPhone or iPod touch. Upon doing so, be sure to go to &#8220;Store&#8221; and click &#8220;Check For Available Downloads&#8221; to download the additional content.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="iTunes Extras" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/itunesextralp.jpg?w=560&h=483" alt="iTunes Extras" width="560" height="483" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<h3>A Good Start</h3>
<p>The iTunes Store currently has 12 iTunes LPs available (and even some of those are pre-orders) and 15 movies featuring iTunes Extras. Though Steve likes to attribute Apple&#8217;s new iTunes LP concept to a desire to pay homage to classic LPs that included bonus content, one can&#8217;t help but think that these extra features are offered to persuade users to purchase complete albums instead of a la carte downloads. The concept is very trendy and will definitely turn heads, but will the majority of our music collection feature iTunes LPs? Probably not. Will we have them for some of the big time major artists? Maybe.</p>
<p>What about iTunes Extras for movies? Will this stop some people from ripping their own DVDs and purchasing the content from iTunes? Perhaps. It&#8217;s unlikely that anybody (or perhaps this is a challenge to the <a href="http://handbrake.fr">Handbrake</a> team) will be able to reverse engineer the .itlp format to allow users to have their own ripped DVDs with all special features play natively within iTunes.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="iTunes LP" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/ituneslpscreen.jpg?w=560&h=483" alt="iTunes LP" width="560" height="483" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>At the moment, iTunes LPs and iTunes Extras are only playable within, you guessed it, iTunes 9. Others have already noticed, however, that the interface for these could definitely support interaction through touch, so perhaps eventually we&#8217;ll see the ability to sync these content types with our iPhones, iPod touches or even Apple TVs.</p>
<p>Now the question is passed to you. What do you think? Is it worth it? Have you pre-ordered Pearl Jam or downloaded The Doors yet?</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173364+itunes-9-deconstructing-lps-extras&utm_content=limeology">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/05/cloud-in-the-forecast-for-apple/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173364+itunes-9-deconstructing-lps-extras&utm_content=limeology">Cloud in the Forecast For&nbsp;Apple</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/01/mobile-q4-all-eyes-were-on-android-4g-and-the-rising-tablet-tide/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173364+itunes-9-deconstructing-lps-extras&utm_content=limeology">Mobile Q4: All Eyes Were on Android, 4G and the Rising Tablet&nbsp;Tide</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/12/report-a-mobile-video-market-overview/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173364+itunes-9-deconstructing-lps-extras&utm_content=limeology">Report: A Mobile Video Market&nbsp;Overview</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173364&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">limeology</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/ituneslp1.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">iTunes LP</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">iTunes Extras</media:title>
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		<title>You Rent From YouTube?</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/you-rent-from-youtube/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/you-rent-from-youtube/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Darrell Etherington</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Apple TV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[itunes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rentals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[YouTube]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/?p=31887</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Oh Apple TV, will you ever cease to have new competitors arise to elbow into your already paltry market share? Internet video giant YouTube wants to be next in line. The company is in talks with Sony and other major studios about offering newer movies as [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173319&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  title="612px-youtube_logosvg" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/612px-youtube_logosvg.png?w=300&h=173" alt="612px-youtube_logosvg" width="300" height="173" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p class="excerpt">Oh Apple TV, will you ever cease to have new competitors arise to elbow into your already paltry market share? Internet video giant YouTube wants to be next in line. The company is in talks with Sony and other major studios about offering newer movies as streaming rentals on the site.</p>
<p>YouTube already offers many older shows and movies for free on the site, presumably because they&#8217;ve either become public domain properties, or because studios don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s worth protecting their rebroadcast rights.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125192241524880801.html" target="_self">Wall Street Journal</a>, if talks are successful, the list of movies available via YouTube could grow to include new and recent releases from Sony, Lions Gate, and Warner Bros. There&#8217;s even some discussion of making movies available as early as their official DVD/Blu-Ray release date. <span id="more-173319"></span></p>
<p>Not all movies would necessarily carry a rental fee, according to the report. Depending on the studio and the film, some titles may be available free of charge, supported instead by advertising revenue. The going rate for other movies will likely be around $3.99 (for standard definition, according to <a href="http://gigaom.com/video/youtube-to-rent-movies/" target="_self">NewTeeVee&#8217;s estimates</a>), which is the cost of most new release iTunes movie rentals. Whether users could also optionally download movies from YouTube is another point up for discussion.</p>
<p>This should be setting off warning alarms at Apple, unless it already has a very impressive plan in place for the revamp and revitalization of Apple TV. iTunes movie rentals are great, so long as you have an HTPC or an Apple TV, but the minute you can get fresh, new content cheaply via YouTube, expect Apple TV&#8217;s growth potential to plummet. YouTube is available via many more internet connected AV devices than iTunes, and it&#8217;s a site that most internet users are likely already using and comfortable with.</p>
<p>Ultimately YouTube suffers in comparison to iTunes for a couple reasons. First, you probably won&#8217;t be able to download all titles with YouTube rentals, especially at launch. That frightens away potential customers who might not have the best internet connection available, and so avoid streaming content. Even computer power is an issue with streaming. My 12-inch Powerbook G4 can&#8217;t handle YouTube nearly as well as it can downloaded movie files.</p>
<p>You also won&#8217;t likely be able to take the file with you on portable devices, or at least not without incurring data fees. The beauty of iTunes is that your downloads are accessible by so many devices out of the box. But, that advantage depends on you already being an Apple customer.</p>
<p>In the end, if YouTube does go this route, Apple will likely have to shake things up to stay truly competitive. Renting via YouTube would just make things too easy, especially now that some TVs have <a href="http://gadgets.softpedia.com/news/Toshiba-Connected-HDTVs-to-Upscale-YouTube-Videos-1887-01.html" target="_self">YouTube browsing built-in</a>. Apple TV always needed a shakeup. Hopefully this just lights a fire under Cupertino.</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173319+you-rent-from-youtube&utm_content=etherin">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/01/report-a-global-mobile-video-forecast-2011-2015/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173319+you-rent-from-youtube&utm_content=etherin">Report: A Global Mobile Video Forecast, 2011 &#8211;&nbsp;2015</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/12/report-a-mobile-video-market-overview/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173319+you-rent-from-youtube&utm_content=etherin">Report: A Mobile Video Market&nbsp;Overview</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/11/report-the-live-stream-video-market/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173319+you-rent-from-youtube&utm_content=etherin">Report: The Live-Stream Video&nbsp;Market</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173319&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>Elgato Video Capture</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/elgato-video-capture/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/elgato-video-capture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:00:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Christopher Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hardware Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[capture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[editing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[elgato]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[film]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[imovie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vhs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video capture]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/?p=29496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like many of you, most recorded footage of my youth was on those archaic black plastic things called VHS tapes. As the rest of society moves into the digital age, I’m facing a battle of preserving my childhood memories on something a little more robust and [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173139&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img  title="Elgato Video Capture Boxshot" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/elgatovideocaptureboxshot.jpg?w=300&h=300" alt="Elgato Video Capture Boxshot" width="300" height="300" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p class="excerpt">Like many of you, most recorded footage of my youth was on those archaic black plastic things called VHS tapes. As the rest of society moves into the digital age, I’m facing a battle of preserving my childhood memories on something a little more robust and modern than 800 feet of mylar tape. With many video capturing solutions on the market, I settled on a new product by Elgato, called <a title="Elgato Video Capture" href="http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/Video-Capture/product1.en.html">Video Capture</a>.</p>
<p>As new formats for recording video footage come to market, the quality of these mediums greatly improves. Since the VHS system is considered “analog” and is composed of interlaced video, converting to a digital solution requires some special equipment. These breakout boxes work by allowing you to connect your device via some type of connector (depending on the quality of the box) and to your Mac via USB or FireWire.</p>
<p>Since we’re using the breakout box as an intermediary and there are three devices in the chain, there is a potential for less than stellar quality due to any number of reasons: the breakout box in particular, the video tape you’re capturing from, or the VCR deck itself. Considering most of these devices are in the same price range, they are probably all comparable in quality. (Though as you will read on the Internet, everyone has a different opinion as to which one is the best.) <span id="more-173139"></span></p>
<p><img  title="Elgato Video Capture" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/elgatovideocapture.jpg?w=550&h=254" alt="Elgato Video Capture" width="550" height="254" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>Elgato’s solution, retailing for $99, is a very simple dongle that attaches either via composite or S-video to your device and via USB to your Mac. The biggest concern many have about these types of devices is the flexibility they will have with capturing their video. Elgato includes their own video capture software with their device, though it is quite simple. For many, this is all you will need.</p>
<h3>Getting Started</h3>
<p>When you start the software, you are asked simple questions about how you have chosen to connect your media device and the aspect ratio of your footage. For folks converting from VHS like me, you’ll want to pick 4:3. The video will be captured at 640&#215;480 resolution.</p>
<p><img  title="Elgato Video Capture Screenshot" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/elgatovideocapturescreenshot.jpg?w=560&h=397" alt="Elgato Video Capture Screenshot" width="560" height="397" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>The biggest oddity about the way the software functions is that before recording, it asks the user to determine the overall length of the recorded project. There are several options to choose from, at varying intervals from 10 to 180 minutes, each giving you an estimate of the final output size. You can stop recording at any point before your pre-set time has elapsed. If you have footage recorded in “EP” or “LP” modes, your tapes could have more than 3 hours of footage on them, making it awkward for bulk captures.</p>
<h3>Recording</h3>
<p>Once you begin recording, it is pretty much hit or miss. When you hit stop recording, the application is done and saves your file. For some, this may not be a concern as they plan to further split up clips or edit their footage in something like iMovie. Others may find this problematic if they are looking for a bit more control. Some of these concerns can be assuaged as the application does allow users to trim the start and end points of their captured footage.</p>
<p>After you stop recording, you have options within the software to instantly play the file in QuickTime, add it to iTunes, edit with iMovie or upload directly to YouTube. The videos are output in either H.264 or MPEG-4.</p>
<p>Based on the footage I have captured thus far, I have been quite impressed with Elgato’s solution. Sometimes the quality may not be the best but again, in my case, this is VHS we’re talking about. How many times in your home movies are there other concerns to worry about, like somebody panning the camera too fast?</p>
<p>I’m rating Elgato’s solution four out of five stars. Its software is simple and easy to use, and they included all of the cables I would need to plug its device directly into my VCR. The only cons are the limited in-application editing options and the awkward “time restrictions.” The good news is that these could easily be corrected with a future software update.</p>
<p>For some, they may criticize the lack of higher definition inputs, such as component video or HDMI, but these types of capture devices exist and are much pricier. It really just depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Why go overboard for something simple? As a quick and simple way to preserve VHS tapes, this is a great solution and feels a bit stronger than some of the other slightly cheaper options.</p>
<p>If you’ve had an opportunity to use the Elgato video capture or one of the other competitor products, let me know in the comments below.</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173139+elgato-video-capture&utm_content=limeology">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/why-ipad-2-will-lead-consumers-into-the-post-pc-era/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173139+elgato-video-capture&utm_content=limeology">Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC&nbsp;Era</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-near-term-evolution-of-social-commerce/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173139+elgato-video-capture&utm_content=limeology">The Near-Term Evolution of Social&nbsp;Commerce</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/02/content-farms-the-players-the-benefits-the-risks/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=173139+elgato-video-capture&utm_content=limeology">Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The&nbsp;Risks</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=173139&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>21</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">limeology</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Elgato Video Capture</media:title>
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		<title>App Review &#8212; Watchmen: Justice is Coming (As Long as You Don&#8217;t Mind Waiting)</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/app-review-watchmen-justice-is-coming-as-long-as-you-dont-mind-waiting/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/app-review-watchmen-justice-is-coming-as-long-as-you-dont-mind-waiting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:31:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Olly Farshi</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[CNN Media]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/?p=18974</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[App Quick Stats Watchmen: Justice is Coming $0.99 iTunes Link With Watchmen arriving at movie houses around the globe, the iPhone game attempts to brings the grim world of the costumed hero to you. There&#8217;s a whole heap of Marvel in my comic collection but, I&#8217;m [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=172462&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="iphone_review">
<h2>App Quick Stats</h2>
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<p class="iphone_image"><img src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/picture-110.png?w=604" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<h3>Watchmen: Justice is Coming</h3>
<div class="iphone_pricelink">
<p class="iphone_price">$0.99</span></p>
<p class="iphone_link"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=306630093&amp;mt=8">iTunes Link</a></p>
</p></div>
<div class="iphone_badge">
<div class="iphone_avoid"></div>
</p></div>
</p></div>
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<p class="excerpt">With Watchmen arriving at movie houses around the globe, the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=306630093&amp;mt=8">iPhone game</a> attempts to brings the grim world of the costumed hero to you.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s a whole heap of Marvel in my comic collection but, I&#8217;m afraid, not so much DC. I preferred my heroes to have hyphens and make cheap puns. Plus, <a href="http://www.debate.org/debates/batman-is-not-a-true-superhero/1/">Batman just ain&#8217;t a superhero</a>, however you cut it: real heroes have powers.</p>
<p>Shielded from the darkness of the DC-universe, I never read Watchmen. Never got to bask in New York&#8217;s crime-ridden &#8217;80&#8242;s underbelly. Failed to experience a mankind-enveloping conspiracy unfolding, page after page, the distinction between hero and villain smudged like a fresh inkblot test.</p>
<p>And so, in preparation for the iPhone game &#8212; a massively multiplayer online adventure &#8212; I purchased the Watchmen graphic novel. Now, having read this classic book, I&#8217;m ready to shine my healing torch of justice into an ocean of violence and crime, representing all that is good and just. I am The Ambassador. <span id="more-172462"></span></p>
<h3>New Frontiers</h3>
<p>The idea behind Watchmen: Justice is Coming seems to be to take the MMO experience &#8212; think World of Warcraft, Age of Conan etc. &#8212; and transport it to the iPhone. It&#8217;s a seriously compelling prospect: forming your own crime-fighting syndicate and entering a dark, bustling fictional New York, teeming with hidden evils.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="Title Screen" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0034.png?w=480&h=320" alt="Title Screen" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>Having just read the graphic novel, everything seems almost real to me &#8212; the source material is so rich, setting the stage for a vast online adventure. Therefore, there&#8217;s much at risk and much that could be wrong; like more paranoid members of the Watchmen contingent, I got the feeling that there would be something awful waiting for me.</p>
<p>Before donning costume and taking up residence in the rotten core of The Big Apple, as The Ambassador, the first thing I had to do was set up an account. It&#8217;s fairly standard character-generation stuff, choosing skin color and a name, but there&#8217;s a clever twist thrown in with the Rorschach inkblot test &#8212; determining your hero&#8217;s personality type.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="The Streets" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0032.png?w=480&h=320" alt="The Streets" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<h3>Vigilante Stuff</h3>
<p>However, there&#8217;s no palpable impact as a result of the setup process. The Ambassador popped up on a New York sidewalk, wearing civilian clothes, nothing particular heroic about him and the result of the Rorschach test seemingly rendered irrelevant.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="Costumes" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0038.png?w=480&h=320" alt="Costumes" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>Moving around the streets is easy enough &#8212; pressing and holding your finger on an area of the screen starts your character walking in that direction. Unfortunately, you&#8217;re just another guy, wandering the streets, getting your drab city clothes soaked through in the everlasting rain, rifling through dumpsters in search of new clothes.</p>
<p>Indeed, aside from fighting, that&#8217;s how you up your XP and acquire new costume pieces: dumpster diving. Before you&#8217;re even ready to start fighting, it seems your first mission is to saunter around the curiously deserted back-alleys and street-corners in search of garbage.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="More Streets" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0027.png?w=480&h=320" alt="More Streets" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>Maybe it&#8217;s a tip of the hood to Rorschach&#8217;s trashy drop-off point in the graphic novel (a can rather than a dumpster), but it just doesn&#8217;t seem appropriate. We&#8217;re heroes — we get our hands dirty handling criminal scum, not digging through garbage for cast-off costumes.</p>
<h3>Sham Crusade</h3>
<p>The Watchmen graphic novel didn&#8217;t seem to be about fighting, or violence, or good vs. evil per se; the story seemed to be something a step ahead of traditional comic book fare. It&#8217;s a shame therefore that the MMO eschews all of this and seems to boil down to fighting.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="Fight 1" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0039.png?w=480&h=320" alt="Fight 1" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>The city streets seem to be empty much of the time. Maybe it&#8217;s because it&#8217;s early days for this MMO, occasionally though you&#8217;ll pass by another player and they&#8217;ll pick a fight with you. If you agree to fight, you&#8217;re thrown into a mini-game &#8212; an odd little affair which involves tapping a couple of buttons, no skill is apparently needed.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="fight 2" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0040.png?w=480&h=320" alt="fight 2" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>Another option for those of a violent disposition is to go hunting for Knot-Tops and other criminal rogues. These fights with computer-controlled characters can be accessed by locating floating red exclamation marks on the streets &#8212; something else which just doesn&#8217;t sit right, detracting from the atmosphere of the Watchmen universe.</p>
<h3>A Perfect Grid</h3>
<p>Despite the fact that the game plays out on an isometric grid &#8212; harking back to the old days of adventure games, an impractical viewing angle that I&#8217;ve never appreciated &#8212; the atmosphere is something which it almost gets right.</p>
<p>The New York of the graphic novel is grim, falling to pieces under the weight of fear, criminality and hysteria. The New York of the iPhone game &#8212; while devoid of the hustle and bustle &#8212; is a forlorn, broken location. It&#8217;s totally appropriate and feels just right. Or just wrong, as the case may be.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="Gunga" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0029.png?w=480&h=320" alt="Gunga" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>Walking the streets, I wandered past the Gunga Diner and kissing silhouettes nearby. I stood next to the Newspaper stand so often visited by the reader in the graphic novel. There was even a visit to the cemetery, where I paid my respects to The Comedian. It&#8217;s all, quite pleasingly, present and correct.</p>
<p>Graphically, the game is undeniably impressive, certainly drawing comparison to early PlayStation titles, even reminding me of the original Metal Gear Solid at one point. Although there don&#8217;t seem to be any sound effects, the soundtrack swoops and moans, dripping with melodrama and intrigue.</p>
<h3>Under the Hood</h3>
<p>Unfortunately, all the melodrama generated by the dark soundtrack and the aptly depressing scene-setting achieved by the graphics doesn&#8217;t help the game&#8217;s cause. In actual fact, this grim atmosphere feeds in to the frustration felt because of the game&#8217;s many bugs and flaws.</p>
<p>Other players seem to always want to pick a fight. This is a world of heroes and, although it&#8217;s mentioned in the graphic novel that heroes frequently end up in combat the first time they meet, it just doesn&#8217;t sit right. Why should all the heroes be fighting each other? There&#8217;s no scene-setting, no grand over-arching plot. (There is a plot, but it hardly seems to explain why there&#8217;s a proliferation of violent heroes on the streets.)</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="Plot" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0036.png?w=480&h=320" alt="Plot" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>Plus, I&#8217;ve frequently been thrown in to a fight that I wanted to walk away from: the yes/no option is broken, it doesn&#8217;t work and it&#8217;s so frustrating. Once a fight starts loading, you&#8217;re taken off the streets, in to fight mode. This mode frequently doesn&#8217;t load, there are usually connection issues, and the game either locks up, disconnects, or takes around five minutes to reconnect you to the street server.</p>
<p>The game falls asleep too. So while you&#8217;re waiting to be reconnected to the streets, if your iPhone goes to sleep, it may not actually connect when it finally does wake up. It just feels unpolished, rushed and, frankly, rude on the part of the game developers.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><img  title="Failed" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img_0031.png?w=480&h=320" alt="Failed" width="480" height="320" class=" alignleft" /></p>
<p>The interface is clunky, it&#8217;s frequently unclear just what is a clickable object or button and what isn&#8217;t. Plus, there&#8217;s no visual or audible feedback from pressing buttons or interacting with objects. It&#8217;s disconcerting that from source material teeming with so much vitality and expression, can come such a lifeless and, at times, dull game.</p>
<h3>Summing Up</h3>
<p>I enjoyed the graphic novel so much, plus I&#8217;ve been waiting for an iPhone MMO, something with a compelling narrative and real mass appeal. Unfortunately, this isn&#8217;t a worthy companion to the graphic novel and certainly not the iPhone MMO I&#8217;ve been waiting for.</p>
<p>The game feels rushed and, as is a trend with games based on movies, is most probably a hastily created cash-in. It seems to have very little relation to the universe it&#8217;s based upon; instead it&#8217;s probably best described as a lazy, bug-ridden chat-room with pretty graphics.</p>
<p>With more players and less bugs, this could really be something special. For now though, The Ambassador is packing up his costume and retiring. Perhaps he&#8217;ll return when the world is ready for heroes like him.</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172462+app-review-watchmen-justice-is-coming-as-long-as-you-dont-mind-waiting&utm_content=ollyf">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/10/in-q3-the-tablet-and-4g-were-the-big-stories/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172462+app-review-watchmen-justice-is-coming-as-long-as-you-dont-mind-waiting&utm_content=ollyf">In Q3, the Tablet and 4G Were the Big&nbsp;Stories</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/mobile-operators-strategies-for-connected-devices/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172462+app-review-watchmen-justice-is-coming-as-long-as-you-dont-mind-waiting&utm_content=ollyf">Mobile Operators&#8217; Strategies for Connected&nbsp;Devices</a></li><li><a href="?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172462+app-review-watchmen-justice-is-coming-as-long-as-you-dont-mind-waiting&utm_content=ollyf"></a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=172462&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">ollyf</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Title Screen</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">The Streets</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Costumes</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">More Streets</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Fight 1</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">fight 2</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Gunga</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Plot</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Failed</media:title>
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		<title>Weekly App Store Roundup: Dec. 13th, 2008</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/weekly-app-store-roundup-dec-13th-2008/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/weekly-app-store-roundup-dec-13th-2008/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Olly Farshi</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/?p=12718</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The world slows down for another couple of days as we hit the weekend and take a few moments to catch our breath. It&#8217;s been another hectic week here at TAB, we considered the potential arrival of a Nintendo Wii-style iPhone, rejoiced at the release of [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=172062&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The world slows down for another couple of days as we hit the weekend and take a few moments to catch our breath. It&#8217;s been another hectic week here at TAB, we considered the potential arrival of a <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/apple-wiiphone-around-the-corner/">Nintendo Wii-style iPhone</a>, rejoiced at the release of a <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/firefox-31-beta-supports-multi-touch-gestures/">multi-touch Firefox Beta</a>, extolled the virtues of <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/no-excuses-tracking-your-fitness-on-os-x/">Mac-augmented exercise regimes</a> and explained how you can <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/chill-mat-for-mac-cools-your-laptop-and-your-lap/">make your Mac even cooler</a> (it&#8217;s a poor pun and yet I&#8217;m not apologizing for it).</p>
<p>Now it&#8217;s that special moment that happens ever Saturday at TAB where, after a week of trawling through the latest App Store releases, I hand-pick a few interesting specimens especially for your perusal.</p>
<p>This week I&#8217;m looking at Songbird Remote, Slydial, TED and DTESS Aphid Attack.<br />
<span id="more-172062"></span><br />
<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=298686862&amp;mt=8"><img  title="picture-14" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/picture-14.png?w=101&h=101" alt="" width="101" height="101" class=" alignleft" /></a><strong><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=298686862&amp;mt=8">Songbird Remote</a></strong> (free)<br />
TAB&#8217;s Bob Rudis gave <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/first-look-songbird-finally-gives-itunes-some-competition/">the most recent release of Songbird</a> a thumbs-up not so long ago. The desktop app is an alternative to iTunes, managing your music, video and all that entertaining jazz. This app adds to <a href="http://getsongbird.com/">Songbird&#8217;s already impressive functionality</a>, incorporating remote control via iPhone. I&#8217;m well aware we already have a very robust remote app for iTunes, but choice is a good thing and this certainly makes swapping to Songbird more-so appealing.</p>
<p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=295767899&amp;mt=8"><img  title="picture-21" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/picture-21.png?w=102&h=102" alt="" width="102" height="102" class=" alignleft" /></a><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=295767899&amp;mt=8"><strong>Slydial</strong></a> (free)<br />
Ever have one of those moments where you&#8217;re calling someone and would really rather go straight to voicemail, cunningly avoiding some kind of an awkward and poorly-worded explanation? For folk are lacking in, or too lazy to use, social skills and tact, comes <a href="http://www.slydial.com">Slydial</a> &#8211; a tool that sends you straight to voicemail when calling someone (U.S. only). There&#8217;s something unscrupulous and horridly calculating about this app, nevertheless it&#8217;s an interesting (and free) addition to the App Store which some people may find to be an invaluable tool.</p>
<p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=298728479&amp;mt=8"><img  title="picture-31" src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/picture-31.png?w=101&h=102" alt="" width="101" height="102" class=" alignleft" /></a><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=298728479&amp;mt=8"><strong>TED</strong></a> (free)<br />
The TEDtalks are a wonderful series of live recordings &#8211; <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=204040224">available on iTunes</a> &#8211; from <a href="http://www.ted.com/">TED</a>, a conference for the world&#8217;s brightest and most brilliant minds. The talks themselves are a meeting place for über-smart folk to discuss, deliberate and schmooze everything from arts and entertainment to world politics and artifical intelligence. The TED app takes it all a step further than the podcast subscription, with searching and bookmarking through their vast back-catalogue.</p>
<p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=299081992&amp;mt=8"><img  src="http://gigapple.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/picture-41.png?w=101&h=99" alt="" width="101" height="99" class=" alignleft" /></a><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=299081992&amp;mt=8"><strong>DTESS Aphid Attack</strong></a> (free)<br />
The new Keanu Reeves vehicle, <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/thedaytheearthstoodstill/">The Day The Earth Stood Still</a>, is currently hitting cinema-houses here in the UK. It&#8217;s a remake, where this time the entire world faces off against Reeves as a calm but irate humanoid alien. This is a game promoting the movie where you send nasty aphids (in this case, big alien bugs) to destroy global iconic landmarks. Yes, it&#8217;s in ever-so-slightly bad taste. But no, it&#8217;s not so great &#8212; it could be good fun, but it&#8217;s got as much depth as Reeves&#8217;s acting. Woah.</p>
<p>Like an iPhone-toting Columbo, I&#8217;ve brought you some exciting leads to follow up on, but before I hurry on my way, there&#8217;s just one more thing. There have been some exciting developments for iPhone owners this week, one is officially sanctioned by Apple and the other, while not official, is a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>Starting with the former, in <a href="http://gigaom.com/apple/daily-apple-more-clones-more-stark-more-iphones-more-flatulence-more-organized/">yesterday&#8217;s Daily Apple post</a>, our very own Darrell Etherington mentioned Apple&#8217;s changes to the App Store layout. Setting aside the developers for a moment, the big question for consumers is, &#8220;What does that actually mean for us?&#8221; </p>
<p>Perhaps the most noticeable and useful change is that the listing of <em>most popular apps</em> has been split in two, resulting in a separate paid and free top ten charts. This is a welcome step in the right direction for highlighting which apps we should shell out for a few bucks for.</p>
<p>On the unofficial front, another solution for the lack of Copy-Paste on iPhone has arrived. <a href="http://pastebud.com/">Pastebud</a> is our savior&#8217;s name and it works, not as a downloadable app, but a series of Safari-based javascript bookmarklets. It&#8217;s a clever solution indeed and we&#8217;ll follow this up with a proper posting explaining the intricacies of using Pastebud.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s all for this week, I&#8217;ll return next Saturday with a cavalcade of new apps to tell you about, in the meantime drop by the comments and let me know which apps you&#8217;ve been downloading this week.</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172062+weekly-app-store-roundup-dec-13th-2008&utm_content=ollyf">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172062+weekly-app-store-roundup-dec-13th-2008&utm_content=ollyf"></a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/09/how-to-market-your-iphone-app-a-developers-guide/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172062+weekly-app-store-roundup-dec-13th-2008&utm_content=ollyf">How to Market Your iPhone App: A Developer&#8217;s&nbsp;Guide</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2009/07/virtual-worlds-trends-and-opportunities/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=172062+weekly-app-store-roundup-dec-13th-2008&utm_content=ollyf">Virtual Worlds: Trends and&nbsp;Opportunities</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=172062&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>iTunes Movie Rentals Available Today</title>
		<link>http://gigaom.com/apple/itunes-movie-rentals-available-today/</link>
		<comments>http://gigaom.com/apple/itunes-movie-rentals-available-today/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:47:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Josh Pigford</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[itunes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[macworld 2008]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rentals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://theappleblog.com/2008/01/15/itunes-movie-rentals-available-today/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The much rumored iTunes Movie Rental service is indeed becoming a reality&#8230;today! Today Steve Jobs announced that every major studio is on board: Touchstone, Miramax, MGM, Lionsgate, Newline, Fox, WB, Disney, Paramount, Universal, and Sony. Initially there will be over 1000 movies and in general movie [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=171260&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="excerpt">The much rumored iTunes Movie Rental service is indeed becoming a reality&#8230;today!</p>
<p>Today Steve Jobs announced that every major studio is on board: Touchstone, Miramax, MGM, Lionsgate, Newline, Fox, WB, Disney, Paramount, Universal, and Sony.</p>
<p>Initially there will be over 1000 movies and in general movie rentals will be available 30 days after DVD release.</p>
<p>It will cost $2.99 for &#8220;library titles&#8221; (movies that are not new releases) and $3.99 for new releases. HD rentals will be $3.99 for library titles and $4.99 for new releases (only 100 titles available today in HD). You will have 30 days to start watching the movie after purchase and 24 hours to finish it once you have started.</p>
<p>Movies can be viewed on Mac or PC as well as on all current iPods and the iPhone. Movies will be <em>streaming</em>&#8230;meaning you don&#8217;t have to wait and download the full movie&#8230;you can begin watching instantly.</p>
<p>Available today in the US. Available internationally later this year.</p>
<p><strong>Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:</strong><br />Subscriber content. <a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=171260+itunes-movie-rentals-available-today&utm_content=shpigford">Sign up for a free trial</a>.</p><ul><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/03/paid-content/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=171260+itunes-movie-rentals-available-today&utm_content=shpigford">Report: Monetizing Digital&nbsp;Content</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/why-ipad-2-will-lead-consumers-into-the-post-pc-era/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=171260+itunes-movie-rentals-available-today&utm_content=shpigford">Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC&nbsp;Era</a></li><li><a href="http://pro.gigaom.com/2011/03/the-near-term-evolution-of-social-commerce/?utm_source=apple&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=waterfall?utm_source=apple&utm_medium=editorial&utm_campaign=auto3&utm_term=171260+itunes-movie-rentals-available-today&utm_content=shpigford">The Near-Term Evolution of Social&nbsp;Commerce</a></li></ul><img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=gigaom.com&#038;blog=14960843&#038;post=171260&#038;subd=gigaom2&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></content:encoded>
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