Sony will launch its own in-house digital music service next year, in a project that will see its music, movie and electronics divisions work closely together, the company said Thursday.
Announced by Sony Corporation Vice Chairman Howard Stringer at an event in Paris, the service appears to be conceived as a rival to Apple's successful iTunes digital music store, and as an attempt to stem its entertainment divisions' perceived losses to file-swapping services like Kazaa. Although details remain scarce, the Sony service as described will be closely tied to the company's consumer-electronics and proprietary copy-protection technologies. The company did not provide information on pricing or business models, although Stringer did describe it as a download service.
Like Apple's before it, Sony's announcement of an online song-sales service is part of a strategy that goes beyond simple music sales. Both companies are trying to make their hardware, from computers to digital music players, the centerpieces of digitally networked homes, and they hope that providing entertainment content directly to consumers will also drive demand for their hardware. Sony, though, has been in a uniquely uncomfortable position straddling the entertainment and consumer-electronics world. Hamstrung in part by its movie and music divisions' fears of digital piracy, it has seen independent companies jump ahead in development and sales of digital music players, while its own copy protection-enabled devices have had only lukewarm appeal.
Earlier Sony-backed digital music efforts, such as subscription company Pressplay--now a part of Roxio's soon-to-be-launched Napster--have not had close connections to the electronics division.
View: Full Story
News source: C|net
Announced by Sony Corporation Vice Chairman Howard Stringer at an event in Paris, the service appears to be conceived as a rival to Apple's successful iTunes digital music store, and as an attempt to stem its entertainment divisions' perceived losses to file-swapping services like Kazaa. Although details remain scarce, the Sony service as described will be closely tied to the company's consumer-electronics and proprietary copy-protection technologies. The company did not provide information on pricing or business models, although Stringer did describe it as a download service.
Like Apple's before it, Sony's announcement of an online song-sales service is part of a strategy that goes beyond simple music sales. Both companies are trying to make their hardware, from computers to digital music players, the centerpieces of digitally networked homes, and they hope that providing entertainment content directly to consumers will also drive demand for their hardware. Sony, though, has been in a uniquely uncomfortable position straddling the entertainment and consumer-electronics world. Hamstrung in part by its movie and music divisions' fears of digital piracy, it has seen independent companies jump ahead in development and sales of digital music players, while its own copy protection-enabled devices have had only lukewarm appeal.
Earlier Sony-backed digital music efforts, such as subscription company Pressplay--now a part of Roxio's soon-to-be-launched Napster--have not had close connections to the electronics division.
View: Full Story News source: C|net
What's New in This Release:
· The WBZ/WBC support has been removed! (At request of www.webshots.com)
· Support for Adobe 8BF filters: Image->Effects menu (PlugIn)
· Support for JPM format (JPEG2000/Part6, LuraDocument.jpm, PlugIn)
· Support for DDS format (Direct Draw Surface) (Formats PlugIn)
· Support for DXF format. PlugIn from: http://www.cadsofttools.com (Shareware)
· Support for DWG format (AutoCAD 13 or later, preview only)
· Simple saturation option added (Image->Enhance Colors and Batch mode)
· New options for GIF/ICO transparent saving (save dialog options)
· New edit menu: Create custom selection
· New advanced batch option: Add overlay text
· New batch scan option: Skip existing files
· The image selection can be moved using the right mouse button
· Expanded Copy/Move dialog (more folders)
· Option to set JPG Comment/IPTC for multiple files (from Thumbnails window)
· Option to set the cut color (Properties->Misc 3)
· Option to sort files in "Create multipage TIF" dialog
· Option to set the start image index in the slideshow dialog (double click)
· Option to enable/disable dithering for color reduction
· New option: "Properties->Misc. 1->Show TGA alpha color"
· Improved JPG lossless operations: Use as JPG cleaner possible
· New options for HTML export
· Change: PSP, CAM, SFW formats moved to FORMATS PlugIn
· Wallpaper save location changed (Folder: "Application data")
· Slideshow movement in now possible in automatic mode too (space/backspace ...)
· Improved SGI, TIF reading
· Improved command line option: /slideshow; Examples:
i_view32.exe /slideshow=folder
i_view32.exe /slideshow=folder*.jpg
· New command option: /aspectratio; Enable aspect ratio for /resize and /resample
· New command line option: /info=txtfile; Write image infos to text file
Example: i_view32 c:test.jpg /info=test.txt
Example: i_view32 c:*.jpg /info=jpgs.txt
· Most PlugIns are changed/updated, please install the newest versions
· Some minor bugs/features fixed/added (Filter Factory, RAW)
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