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Report: Nokia paying Universal $33.50 per phone

Some details are starting to emerge about Nokia's Comes With Music phones, which will come with the right to download music at no extra charge. According to a report yesterday on PaidContent.org, Nokia will pay Universal Music Group $33.50 per handset for the first 2.5 million sold, with the rate dropping after that.

It sounds like the download model will not be strict all-you-can-eat, but instead will be similar to eMusic--users will be able to download a limited number of songs over a certain time period, and those songs will be theirs to keep. It'… Read more

Unlimited music iPods: Acknowledging reality

Just like Apple launched a video iPod after Steve Jobs dismissed the idea of a portable video device, the company is now reportedly considering new business models for selling music, including subscriptions, despite Jobs' assertion that downloads make more sense.

According to a report in the Financial Times, Apple is talking with the major labels about letting consumers pay a premium for new iPods, then receive the right to download and listen to as much music as they want for a certain time period, along with the right to keep 40 to 50 songs permanently. Negotiations are apparently underway to … Read more

Unlimited free downloads on new phones

Yesterday, U.K. music download provider Omnifone announced a forthcoming program, MusicStation Max, that will offer cell phone buyers unlimited free music downloads. Of course, "free" is never free, and in this case, Omnifone is enlisting handset makers to subsidize the estimated cost of the downloads and pass that cost along to you in the form of a higher up-front price for the phone. So far, LG Electronics is the first cell phone maker to sign up for participation in the program. No confirmation yet on carrier partners, but the service builds on Omnifone's existing MusicStation subscription-based … Read more

The 404 019: Where we didn't think of a catchy quote.

Wow, what an eventful weekend. Randall headed up state to check out West Point, Wilson busted his ass skiing, Jeff didn't do much of anything, and the US economy prepares to crash. Oh, and Apple readied their Pink iPod *GASP!* We're a little groggy, but it's our first episode of The 404 at 11am EST, our new regular time. Like winning free stuff? Check out our Facebook Group, or leave a comment on this post. We'll see if we can't give something to a random winner.

EPISODE 19

Nokia's 'Comes With Music' initiative

Yesterday, Nokia announced a new initiative, Comes With Music, that will offer "free" music to purchasers of certain cellphones. It's the first outgrowth of Nokia's Ovi brand, which the company announced earlier this year. It also seems to be the first implementation of Universal's Total Music plan, in which device makers bundle a music subscription on new devices and add the cost to the price of the device, rather than forcing consumers to pay the monthly fee.

As with all such services, the devil's in the details. According to Ars Technica, there's an … Read more

Nokia's music service: DRM still equals fail

Yesterday we inflated a very appealing balloon. We told you Nokia was launching a new music service that offered the very attractive "unlimited downloads" model of purchasing music. Disappointingly, it turns out that Nokia's free lunch comes with a big fat side order of fail.

We knew the unlimited downloads would be DRMed, and we accepted that, with some skepticism. But it transpires that although your music is still valid when your "subscription" ends, in order to acquire more music you'll need to purchase a whole new device! This is because the subscription is … Read more

Nokia's music plan: Truly unlimited downloads?

At a press conference in Amsterdam this weekend, Nokia launched a new service dubbed "Comes With Music." As the name suggests, it's all about music. The promise is that customers buying a compatible handset from Nokia get a year of unlimited downloads from a huge catalog of tunes. More interesting still is that the music is yours to keep even after the year-long subscription ends.

It's worth noting that the only major label on board to begin with is Universal, a company not known for its support of DRM-free music. True, it provides AmazonMP3 with a … Read more

Nanotech umbrella doesn't like water

I really wish I'd had a NanoNuno in hand when I got caught in yesterday's crazy thunderstorm with my flimsy, water-welcoming dime-store umbrella. The NanoNuno is a nanotech umbrella engineered to repel water; just give it a shake and it's dry right away.

Inventors of the NanoNuno got their idea from the rough surface of the Lotus leaf, which repels dirt and moisture. Because the NanoNuno does the same, the polyester umbrella will stay clean for years, even in light-colored fabric, say the product's makers.

The umbrella, which has a wooden handle and a 38-inch canopy, … Read more