playsforsure

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Microsoft rebrands PlaysForSure, gives consumers a reason to buy iPods

Microsoft rebrands PlaysForSure, gives consumers a reason to buy iPodsThis Sure guy?Probably Loverock....He is oneMicrosoft Genuine Advantage.Do you think Apple would develop a software that works on "Windows Only?"Er, actually, they did, sort of.Couple of years ago, Apple's FileMaker released an addon package for their FileMaker Server for Windows that...

Tags: Microsoft Windows, Media players, Digital music, Digital media, Operating systems, Microsoft Corp., PlaysForSure, MP3 player, Filemaker Inc.

Discussion threads 2007-12-13

Microsoft rebrands PlaysForSure, gives consumers a reason to buy iPods

Sometimes I just don't understand Microsoft.  Take this latest move for example.  The company has just abandoned the "PlaysForSure" logo for the digital rights management DRM technology with the "Certified for Windows Vista" logo.  Why is this likely to Microsoft has just given consumers yet another reason to buy iPods...

Tags: Apple iPod, Digital-rights Management, PlaysForSure, Microsoft Corp., Digital Rights Management (DRM), Security, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Blog posts 2007-12-12

MTV punishes Microsoft for abandoning PlaysForSure

MTV punishes Microsoft for abandoning PlaysForSureIt could be simple economics[B]It’s hardly surprising that MTV has dumped its ‘Urge’ music partnership with Microsoft and hooked up with RealNetworks and Verizon. What would you do if you got stabbed in the back?[/B]It could be simple economics, they stand to make more money...

Tags: Digital rights management (DRM), Digital media, Digital music, Plays-For-Sure, PFS, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Zune, digital-rights management, PlaysForSure, MTV, Check!, Apple Inc.

Discussion threads 2007-08-23

MTV punishes Microsoft for abandoning PlaysForSure

I'm pretty sure that MTV's decision to dump Urge is a way to punish Microsoft for abandoning PlaysForSure. It's hardly surprising that MTV has dumped its 'Urge' music partnership with Microsoft and hooked up with RealNetworks and Verizon. What would you do if you got stabbed in the back?...

Tags: Microsoft Zune, PlaysForSure, Microsoft Corp., MTV, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Blog posts 2007-08-23

Now that Microsoft's licensed DRM doesn't "Play For Sure," will any DRM do it? Ever?

The rest of the world is beginning to get hip to what happens when the provider of a digital rights management technology DRM decides to change gears as Microsoft recently did when it essentially forked its DRM into two versions: one that it keeps for itself and its Zune brand...

Tags: General, Personal Technology, Software Infrastructure, Security, Entertainment, Digital Restrictions Management, Legal, Hollywood on Demand

Blog posts 2006-11-07

Is Zune-to-Zune sharing really that scary?

Is Zune-to-Zune sharing really that scary?3 days is lameIt's good that the DRM wouldn't be applied, but the 3 day / 3 play limit, when applied to content you own, is totally unacceptable. MS **MUST** fix this if they want their wireless sharing feature to be more than a joke....

Tags: Digital rights management (DRM), Digital media, Microsoft Corp., digital-rights management, Microsoft Zune, PlaysForSure

Discussion threads 2006-10-17

Microsoft's PlaysForSure partners in denial?

Microsoft's PlaysForSure partners in denial?RanchingHey, I'm trying to get away from the pervasive automotive metaphors, even at the risk of comparison to Darl McBride.Anyway, there's one thing a rancher knows: cattle are good, more cattle are better, and they don't make you rich while they're alive.Perhaps MS intends to play...

Tags: Business structures, Digital media, Digital music, Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft Corp., PlaysForSure, partnership, WMA

Discussion threads 2006-07-25

Microsoft's PlaysForSure partners in denial?

Last week, just before signing of on Friday, I pointed to the news that Microsoft had confirmed it's intentions to launch it's own portable media playback device. At that time, there were already a few reports on the Web including the original newsbreaker on Billboard Magazine but no...

Tags: Microsoft Corp., PlaysForSure

Blog posts 2006-07-25

Photos: PlaysForSure devices

It's up in the air how partners will be affected by Microsoft's newly announced plans to launch its own Zune music hardware and software.

Tags: partnership, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Zune, hardware, software, PlaysForSure

Image galleries 2006-07-25

Just what we needed: Another proprietary form of CRAP (DRM)

I feel like Oliver Twist saying "Please sir, more." Are we sadomasochists asking for another beating from our dominatrixes (Steve Jobs: Head Mistress)? Go ahead. Send me some art. I'll use it. It's bad enough that if I download a video from the video section of...

Tags: Steve Jobs, digital-rights management

Blog posts 2006-05-09

Gates rails against Blu-ray DRM (but Microsoft's is OK?)

According to an interview of Microsoft chairman Bill Gates by the Daily Princetonian, Gates thinks that the Blu-ray DVD format (recently backed by Warner Bros.) is "anti-consumer." Microsoft, Intel, and other companies are backing an alternative to Blu-ray known as HD DVD. Said Gates in the interview:...

Tags: anti-consumer, Blu-ray disc, Digital Restrictions Management, Microsoft Corp., PlaysForSure

Blog posts 2005-10-21

Microsoft probably mulling music store futures

Speaking of Microsoft's media juggernaut, I've been wondering what Microsoft plans to do with its music store. Just like with Apple, to get its media ecosystem off the ground, Microsoft had to make sure a store was in place where you could buy copy-protected recordings that would work in Microsoft's...

Tags: Microsoft Corp., music

Blog posts 2005-07-06

Additional Resources

Microsoft's search ambitions are its Vietnam

Microsoft's search ambitions are its VietnamMicrosoft's search ambitions are its VietnamThe simple answer is no. Microsoft has Google envy? Since when? Google has been in constant decline for a couple of years now. Microsoft on the other hand has been growing. Their interest in search is...

Tags: Tools & Techniques, Live Mesh, Microsoft Corp., Google Inc., software

Discussion threads 2008-07-18

Microsoft's online plan: Spend, spend, spend

Microsoft's online plan: Spend, spend, spendMS understands that the days of their two cash cows are numbered.They understand that we are moving online and the only thing they can do online right now is lose more money.So, not unexpected that they are getting more desperate and throwing more money at...

Tags: SEARCH, Mergers & Acquisitions, Microsoft Search service, Microsoft Corp., online plan

Discussion threads 2008-07-18

How should Microsoft fight Vista criticism? "We're sorry" is a good start

How should Microsoft fight Vista criticism? "We're sorry" is a good startYour type of experience is in the minority.Everyone thinks the majority that are dissatisfied have never tried Vista. When the truth is those screaming the loudest against it used it and didn't like it.My main complaint is not Vista...

Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Corp.

Discussion threads 2008-07-10

Meet Jerry Yang, pinata

Meet Jerry Yang, pinataYahoo customers are walking.http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/06/marketers-see-l.htmlEveryone thinking Yaoo/Google was such a great idea, think again.RE: Meet Jerry Yang, pinataShame, really, because Yang esssentially stood up for employees and customers.Gee, what a concept.If MS took over Yahoo, there would have been massive layoffs, and the Yahoo products, and the consumers...

Tags: INTERNET, Benefits, Investment, Yahoo! Inc., Yang, Meet Jerry Yang, Microsoft Corp., Jerry Yang

Discussion threads 2008-06-16

Microsoft opens philosophical can of worms with Live Search Cashback

Microsoft opens philosophical can of worms with Live Search CashbackWhen customers see...what the Redmond Slagheap demands, it will be a dead letter and yet another failure at MSFT.For many more reasons why LiveSearch Cashback (when they kill it as a product, it will be renamed Dead Search Casback) go here:http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/5/microsoft_s_latest_plan_to_kill_google_explained...

Tags: Cyberthreats, Live Search Cashback, Microsoft Corp.

Discussion threads 2008-05-23

Windows 7: Does the silence help anyone?

Windows 7: Does the silence help anyone?Damn right it helps!Columnists have infinite opportunity to write about, literally, [b]nothing[/b] -- it's better than tea leaves or Kremlinology.I think its good they keep it locked down for nowOne of the things that hurt Vista was how they were talking about all the...

Tags: Operating systems, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Vista, silence

Discussion threads 2008-05-23

Gamestop: We stopped selling Zunes

Gamestop: We stopped selling ZunesAds?I laugh whenever I hear people bring out the old canard "Apple products only sell so much better because they advertise so much. Our product is just as good, but we need to advertise more/better". This flies in the face of several years of customer satisfaction...

Tags: Public relations, Marketing research, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Zune, marketing, advertisement

Discussion threads 2008-05-23

Microsoft looks to buy search share (again)

Microsoft looks to buy search share againDidn't work last time, won't work this timeWho cares if the great Bloatfarm offers you 25 cents off? Do people quit Amazon for 25 cents off at Barnes & Noble?Even so, if the slagheap does it, google is much more powerful in search...

Tags: Engineering, Financial accounting, Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., slagheap, MSFT

Discussion threads 2008-05-21