Day 5 of our Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 nominees round-up and it's time for the growth area of tech that is software, services and apps.

This category has been blown wide open of late with some enormous releases in 2009 as well as the explosion of the mobile phone app. It's going to be a close one. So, before you head over to the voting page to mark your choices, here's a little run down of our pick of the crop for the year.

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Spotify

Type

Music streaming service

Price

Free

PL review rating

9/10

Aside the minor blip of accidentally exposing the user database to hackers, Spotify has done no wrong. The free streaming music player has rocketed to stardom in 2009 making just about every other service take a look at itself and rethink they way they're doing things. The catalogue is growing and growing, the social side is as fun, informative and strong as ever and there's even all sorts of blogs and sites out there full of playlists for us all to try.

Spotify's arrival on mobile phones is still just finding its feet but the main service has been so popular that the company has actually had to put it back into an invitation only beta state once again. If you're not using it by now, you should be - or you must be American.

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Windows 7 Ultimate

Type

Computer OS

Release date

22/10/09

Price

?166

PL review rating

9/10

With knives firmly plunged into Vista from all sides, it was everything Microsoft could do to bring out Windows 7 as fast as possible. Even though perhaps it's a lot more similar to its predecessor than many would think, it's seen one of the fastest uptakes of any OS so far in its short life. XP's increasing propensity for attack has meant even more users making the switch and already Windows 7 itself has a larger share than all of Apple's OS X platforms put together.

Somehow the second attempt at the Windows Aero design is much better placed. The taskbar has come to life with Jump Lists and Aero Peek and getting more flexibility out of windows by dragging them to different parts of the screen is an excellent addition. As a system, it's very secure, there's better support for laptops and SSDs and it's so much more intuitive than any other Windows OS so far. A worthy nominee.

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Tweetie 2 for iPhone

Type

iPhone app

Release date

12/10/09

Price

?1.79

PL review rating

9/10

Much ado about Twitter has meant the need for Twitter clients everywhere. There are plenty of good ones out there for desktop solutions but the one that shone out from all the rest was Tweetie 2 for the iPhone.

Once we got past the gripe that previous users will have to pay again if they wish to upgrade from the first version, we were really impressed. There's a whole pile of new features but the biggest is that it now has persistence (it remembers where you were when you switch it off), new message indicators, the ability to save draft tweets, speed boosts, cached tweets for offline reading and the ability to drag up to refresh - rather than hitting a refresh button. The result is an app that once again wins a place in our hearts.

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Dropbox

Type

Web/desktop service

Price

Free

PL review rating

9/10

A cult favourite in the software, service, app realm of 2009 has been online storage and file transfer solution known as Dropbox. It offers a standard 2GB of cloud space but its main functions are really that of syncing and sharing. The idea is that you have a Dropbox folder on the desktop of all your computers and any file you put into it on one machine can then be accessed from all the others. If you happen to be editing one of these files, it will also update those changes in all the other places automatically.

On the sharing side, it acts as a far simpler solution than the heavy geekery of FTP servers and rather demystifies the concept for the everyone else. You can make certain folders within your main Dropbox folder open to the public, which means that friends and colleagues with Dropbox can then access and download these files too. It's one thing to sit and explain it but go and try it for yourselves and you'll begin to discover its real genius.

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Sky Player for Xbox

Type

IPTV & VoD service

Release date

29/10/09

Price

Sky & Xbox Live Gold subs

PL review rating

9/10

It had a stutter and a start on its way out but the Sky Player has been a roaring success for those who can afford it. You get an excellent choice of both live Sky channels as well as a vault of on-demand content from the watchable to the ridiculous and more Ross Kemp programming than you could shake a stick at. The menus are designed into the style of Xbox Live and the integration is seamless offering intuitive control to get whatever it is you're after.

The major downside is that you need to fork out for both a Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold, neither of which comes particularly cheap, and it does limit the service to a minority of people. Perhaps not worth upgrading for but if you have the money you certainly get what you pay for.

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Related links:

• Feature - The low down: Best Laptop 2009
• Feature - The low down: Best Digital Camera 2009
• Feature - The low down: Best Car Gadget 2009

Tags: Software Online Spotify Microsoft Tweetie 2 Dropbox Sky Xbox 360 Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Features

The low down: Best Software, Service, App 2009 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:36:17 +0000

Welcome to the next of our Pocket-lint perfect Christmas gift guide installments. So you've bought presents for the Apple fanboy/girl in your life, the photographer, laptop addicts, the console gamer and PC gamer. Now is the turn for your favourite couch potato. Here are 10 perfect gifts for AV lovers everywhere.

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Philips BDP 3000 Blu-ray player

It's all very well having an HDTV but if you're still watching DVDs on it, you're living in the Dark Ages. Fortunately, quality AV supplier Philips has come up with a budget Blu-ray player this year for under ?100 that'll save you having to plumb the murky depths of unknown brands. The BDP3000 measures a standard 435 x 58 x 308mm, boasts "ultra low" 0.5W standby power, 1080p 24fps Full HD images, while also upscaling existing DVDs to near 1080p HD quality. It also offers Dolby TrueHD 7.1 surround sound decoding, x.v.Colour tech and DivX, MP3 and Jpeg support too. All that and it's still a fully fledged BD-Live capable, Profile 2.0 machine. An utter bargain.

Film & TV on Blu-ray

There's buckets of Blu-rays out there but our advice to you would be to make sure you buy films with footage that was recorded in HD rather than SD recordings that have been remastered. Some have been done very well but it's no substitute for something that was shot with high resolution in mind.

Action and sci-fi are usually the best genres to go for to get the most out of the experience and the pick of the recent crop would have to be - Watchmen, Star Trek XI, Batman: Dark Knight, Iron Man, on the TV front the two BBC nature series Planet Earth and Life will look fantastic otherwise the first season of Mad Men or Torchwood would both make a pretty good watch too. If you can wait 'till just after Christmas, then both District 9 and Hurt Locker would be excellent choices too.

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Sharp HTSB200 2.1 Soundbar

We're not going to tell you that this is the world's most electrifying piece of home cinema kit, because it isn't. But the Sharp HTSB200 is a damn site better than whatever speakers you've got tucked away inside those shallow cabinets of your flat screen TV. What's more, it cost a smidge over ?100 and so it just about qualifies as something you might buy as a gift.

It's a no frills device and like many of these units, it's missing a little something at the bottom end but it still offers 2.1 surround and you're giftee isn't going to need an AVR to plug it into either. It works straight off a headphones jack on a normal TV. For anyone with no external speakers at all, they'll absolutely fall on it at Christmas.

HDMI cables

It's only marginally less boring than it sounds but the fact remains that you rarely have too many of these things. You can go with some expensive gold plated version if you like but the sensible move would be to go for one of the Amazon Basics HDMI cables that come in at ?12 or less and see them as a stocking filler instead. As a main present, no one will be impressed, as an additional, you'll receive much love and front row seats at the next home cinema screening.

Logitech Harmony 700

Universal remotes are an excellent way of keeping AV faff down to a minimum, so long as they're themselves not too complicated to work. Logitech has a good track record in making the devices and the Harmony 700 is one of their more simplified models offering features like "one-click control".

Rather than turning your TV to the AV channel, changing your amp over to movie mode, and turning on your DVD player, one button press of "Watch a DVD" can batch-control everything. It also means that there's only one item to worry about losing. Like most good AV accessories, it comes in at just over ?100, so perhaps go for the BD films option instead if you don't love your giftee quite that much.

WD TV Live HD media streamer

There's quite a few media streamers out there including the Xbox and PS3, if you happen to own one, but otherwise, the Western Digital Live HD device is pretty much the best around. This gadget makes it easy to play HD videos stored on USB and network drives, from PCs and Macs, as well as stream content from websites onto big screen HDTVs.

It boasts a more responsive interface than the previous award winning model, it's now Ethernet and Wi-Fi-enabled and it also comes complete with remote control, internet radio, two USB ports, one HDMI port and SPDIF digital output. Once again, it's around the ?100 mark, but trust us, it's a winner.

HDTV Subscription (Sky/Freesat)

The gift of Sky can be a wonderful thing. It's about nothing else other than the fact that the satellite service provider has more HD channels than any other service in the UK at the moment. Prices start from ?17 per month and include a free Sky box, but seeing as that works out as a fair whack, the other option is to go with Freesat instead.

Freesat has just two HD channels as opposed to Sky's very healthy stock of sports and movies, but there is no subscription fee. All you'll need is a decoder box, a dish and someone to install it. Sounds complicated but it's actually a lot easier and cheaper than you think.

Lovefilm Subscription

An alternative way to go from Sky, Freesat and buying Blu-rays is to set your loved one up with a subscription to Lovefilm where they can choose whatever movie rentals they like throughout the year. While packages start at ?3.99 per month, gift subscriptions cost from ?16, which means that Lovefilm will mail out one disc at a time twice per month or, if you're happy to spend a little more, there are unlimited deals to be had as well. New releases can be a little harder to get hold of due to lots of requests for them but it's a good service nonetheless.

Slanket

We'll admit it, we put the Slanket in our 10 perfect gifts for console gamers list too, but a couch potato is a couch potato regardless of their choice of weapon. What's more, the fact remains that the Slanket. is really good.

The fleecy half dressing gown, half blanket bundle of goodness gives you total body coverage while allowing easy access to your remote controls and bio-fuels. There's even a double version out specially for this Christmas but the single will probably do.

Drinks & Snacks

A home cinema just isn't a home cinema without a few tasty treats to go with it. It all rather depends on what your loved one prefers, but popcorn would be a good one to go for. Either grab the Princess Deluxe Popcorn Maker and a bag of kernels to go with it or just order a load of Butterkist online. If sweets are a better idea, then check out Cybercandy for a selection of the world's treats or the Retro Tuck Shop for some fizzy cola bottles and other old school penny action.

On the drink side of things, both Virgin and Laithwaites run a good wine of the month club that you could sign your giftee up to and if they prefer beer, then the Beer Club of Great Britain or the Camra Beer Club are the places to look.

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Related links:

• Feature - 101 life-saving Christmas shopping websites

Tags: Home Cinema Freesat Christmas Features Sky HDTV Remote controls Blu-ray Blu-ray players Televisions Western Digital HDMI

10 perfect Christmas presents for... AV lovers originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:26 +0000

Sky Player, Sky's online TV service is now available via the Windows Media Center programme in Windows 7 offering "a new and innovative way for people in the UK to watch live and on demand TV from Sky on a PC". ?

For existing Sky TV customers, Sky Player on Windows 7 offers another way to view their Sky TV, while for non-Sky TV customers, there's the option to view content based on monthly subscription packages.

Sky Player on Windows 7 lets users search for shows using keywords, browse programme galleries or scroll through the on screen guide, works with touchscreen PCs and with any Windows Media Center-enabled remote control.

To promote the launch, Sky and Microsoft are offering non-Sky TV customers 3 months of Sky Player for the price of 2 with any Windows 7 purchase.

Tags: Home Cinema Sky Software Windows 7 Windows Media Center Microsoft Video on demand Sky Player

Sky Player on Windows 7 available now originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:32:01 +0000

Like it or not, it's mid November and we're already having Christmas thrust upon us, and if you're one of the many who are planning on centring their Christmas around the tradition of Christmas telly as opposed to the birth of Jesus, then this could be the tech deal for you.

Tesco direct is pushing its Sky+HD boxes by offering one free when you purchase a TV and join the Sky+HD service, admittedly it means shelling out quite a bit of cash but if you're in the market anyway it might be something to consider.

If you join before 24 December you'll also receive a ?50 Tesco Gift Card - as long as you're a new customer. Bear in mind, however, that charges for the Sky+ service range from ?28-?58.50 and minimum sign-up is for 12 months, along with the fact that the Sky+ functionality is rather dependent on your subscription and therefore may become redundant if you decide not to renew.

If you're up for it though it seems like a good offer as you'll be able to store around 30 hours of high-def TV on the unit and Tesco has a decent selection of TVs to choose from, ranging from 14-inchers to 47-inch+ monsters.

This link will take you to Tesco direct where everything is laid out for you and don't forget to read the terms and conditions tucked away neatly at the bottom of the page.

Tags: Home Cinema Tesco Sky PVRs Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Free Sky+HD box at Tesco originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Software, Service, or App in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best software, service or app on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

Spotify

Windows 7

Tweetie 2

Dropbox

Sky Player for Xbox

A notable commendation should also go to Snow Leopard from Apple.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

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Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Software Online Spotify Microsoft Tweetie 2 Dropbox Sky Xbox 360 Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Best Software, Service, or App 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

On the day that all eyes are on Orange and its first day of selling the iPhone, we thought we'd try and keep an even hand and let you know of a deal that O2 is offering as Sky Mobile TV launches on the iPhone.

In a bid to remain competitive now that another operator is getting in on the iPhone act, O2 is offering 3 months free Sky Mobile TV when you download the Sky Mobile TV app, worth ?6 a month.

The service will allow you to watch Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, Sky Sports News, Sky Sports Extra, At The Races and ESPN - all available through Wi-Fi.

To take advantage of the offer, text SKY to 2020 for your promotional code - you will need this as part of the subscription process and then download the app by searching for BSkyB Mobile TV - the code will then be used during the sign-in process for the app.

Just to help you out here's the small print in a more regular size:

"Available to iPhone customers on O2 in the UK only. After your first three months' subscription, you will automatically be charged for Sky Mobile TV at ?6 a month unless you notify Sky that you no longer wish to receive the service before the last day of your 3 month free subscription period. Only one promotion code per mobile phone number. Texts to 2020 are free. Offer limited to 150,000 customers or until 2nd February 2010, whichever comes first".

There's a link here to the O2 page where you'll find details in full.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Sky Mobile TV O2 Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: 3 months free Sky Mobile TV on iPhone with O2 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:47:20 +0000

Sky Mobile TV has launched on the App Store for the iPhone. The dedicated app for the service specifically for iPhone and iPod touch lets users stream live TV via Wi-Fi.

The channels available include all Sky Sports channels, Sky Sports News, Sky News, ESPN and At The Races.

This means that sports fans can watch all live televised Barclays Premier League, Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League and Coca Cola Football League games, as well as live coverage of international and domestic cricket, PGA European Tour Golf, Guinness Premiership Rugby and other sports as well as breaking news from Sky News.

The app lets users browse the Sky Mobile TV EPG to see what's on over the next 24 hours for free, while to watch the live TV, customers need to subscribe to the Sky Mobile TV service for ?6 a month and register for a Sky customer ID.

The Sky Mobile TV App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

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Related links:

• News - Sky News launches iPhone app

Tags: Phones iPhone apps iPhone Sky Sky News Mobile TV

Sky Mobile TV launches for the iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:47:56 +0000

Sky is taking a leaf out of Microsoft's book with the news that the broadcaster is encouraging those with Sky+HD to hold movie-watching parties in order to persuade their guests to sign up for the high def service.

Each party host will get one free film - either "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", "The Hangover" or "Angels and Demons" - from Sky Box Office HD, worth ?3.91 and a ?10 M&S voucher to buy some vol-au-vents or the like for party snackage.

To qualify for the offer, party hosts need to set up their Sky+HD party online and invite three or more friends (over 18 and not members of the household) who must accept their online invitations by 5pm on 17 November.

Related links:

• Link - Sky+HD party site

Tags: Home Cinema Sky HDTV Movie downloads

Sky apes Microsoft with Sky+HD parties promo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:25:17 +0000

Sky?and?Microsoft?will attempt to launch the new?Sky Player for Xbox 360?for a second time after the companies had to pull the service on the official launch day on Tuesday.

"The service has been suspended due to an unforeseen technical issue". Sky said in a statement. "Sky Player engineers are hard at work to resolve the problem. We expect to have the full service available on Wednesday".

The breakdown of the service on launch left gamers confused as to what had happened.

"How do i actually pull up sky on my Xbox, i have Sky Player account and an Xbox Gold Account. Confused... :S", said Sam in a comment on Pocket-lint.

"The Sky player system went "Offline" before I had a chance to try it! The current news is that it will be fully back online tomorrow (Wednesday) - so you're not alone, Jamie! Shame - I'm itching to give it a try...", said Doombar.

To access the player you'll need both an active Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The former costs ?15 per month, and the latter is ?40 per year, totalling ?220 per year. The same channels will be available to you that are available on your existing Sky subscription.

Alternatively, Sky will be selling a bundle pack of a month's Sky Player subscription (with the Sky Sports pack), a media remote, and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold subscription for ?30. If you just want to try out the service without committing to a long-term plan, that could be an option.

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Tags: Gaming Home Cinema Xbox 360 Sky Player Microsoft Sky

Sky Player on Xbox 360 goes for second time lucky originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:17:23 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, Sky Player for Xbox 360 is finally here. The service, which allows you to access on-demand streams of Sky content and live broadcasting, has been long-trailed (see our coverage here, here, here and here), but has now arrived and should be accessible on your console.

Of course, to access the player you'll need both an active Sky subscription and an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The former costs ?15 per month, and the latter is ?40 per year, totalling ?220 per year. The same channels will be available to you that are available on your existing Sky subscription.

Alternatively, Sky will be selling a bundle pack of a month of Sky Player subscription (with the Sky Sports pack), a media remote, and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold subscription for ?30. If you just want to try out the service without committing to a long-term plan, that could be an option.

Tags: Home Cinema Sky Sky Player Gaming Microsoft Xbox 360 Xbox Live

Sky Player arrives on Xbox 360 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:38:11 +0000

We've already seen Sky Player in Windows 7, but now you can see it on the Xbox 360 ahead of the official UK release on Tuesday 27 October.?

The 8-minute video, sent to techtv101.com, details the channel selection process and what you can expect from the service next week.?

Announced back in May the?Sky Player, which is accessed via the Xbox interface, will offer the chance for viewers to watch live?games?in a virtual stadium that allows fans to comment and chat via on screen messages or voice on the screen, as well as access key stats while the match is going on.

Sky confirmed at the time that users will be able to buy a package similar to the current PC Sky Player that means they don't have to be a set-top box subscriber, a move that is clearly aimed at appealing to those who live in a house without a dish.?

The Tuesday update will also feature?Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm support, as well as the Zune video marketplace and its associated instant-on 1080p high definition streaming.

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Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Sky Microsoft Sky Player Video

VIDEO: Sky Player for Xbox 360 walk-through originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:32:51 +0100

Sky has announced that the number of homes with Sky+HD has increased to 1.6 million while 6 million get just Sky+.

Throughout July, August and September Sky saw a new Sky+HD customer on average every 30 seconds with 287,000 customers signed up during this period - apparently a threefold increase on the same period of the previous year.

Sky has also announced a new film channel to launch on its service. "Movies Indie HD", a channel "devoted to screening the best in independent film", will be added to the channel line-up from Monday 26 October. ?

This will take the total of HD channels available to 35, which is 28 more than any other UK TV platform, Sky says.

Tags: Home Cinema Sky Statistics HDTV

Sky+HD box sold every 30 seconds originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:39:03 +0100

Sky today showed off their Sky Player integrated to Windows 7 which will appear as a tile in the TV section of Media Centre.

The aim is to provide a seamless experience as a value-added benefit for existing Sky subscribers, but also as a subscription package for non-subscribers. Prices were not confirmed at the event, but we'd guess it will follow the "from" ?15 a month or ?0.98 on-demand offering in the existing service.?

Sky also confirmed you won't have to commit to long-term contracts and that you'll be able to dip in for pay-per-view events as you wish.?

You'll be able to watch live Sky content, with the channels reflecting your subscription package, or access content on demand.

All content is streamed, however, and unlike the BBC iPlayer content is not stored locally, so you can't download films to watch on your travels and you won't be able to access the service outside the UK.

High-definition content will not be available on the service, with Sky saying that they were concentrating on offering a good standard-definition experience before looking at HD.

The date has not yet been confirmed, but we know that the Sky Player service is launching on the Xbox 360 on 27 October, so we'd expect it to appear in Windows 7 soon after.

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Tags: Home Cinema Software Sky Microsoft Windows 7 Sky Player Video

VIDEO: Sky Player in Windows 7 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0100

It's being reported that Google is planning to launch a music service imminently. A number of sources quoted by TechCrunch are saying that the company is securing content from major labels, and one source has named the offering "Google Audio".

At a time when the whole world and its dog are launching music services, it's unclear whether the music platform will be download-based like iTunes, streaming-based like Spotify and Pandora, or a hybrid of the two like Napster and Sky Songs. It'll be available to "at least" the US, but we'd predict that it'd be limited to the States for the time being - licensing of tracks in multiple territories is a real headache.

Google already has a music service in China that allows users to download tracks for free, and it has a music search engine that can be accessed by putting "music:" before a query in the search box. Songs accessed that way aren't available to listen to, however.

This is a breaking story and we'll bring you more news as it arrives.

Thanks to Alan for the tip.

Update: A little trawling has revealed that Google Audio popped up in 2006 on the company's job search boards. There were talks at the time with major labels, but nothing came of it. Could it be that Google decided the industry wasn't ready back then, and it is now?

Update II: TechCrunch is now reporting that iLike and Lala will be partnering with Google on this one, and it'll allow users to stream songs from search results. There'll also be the option to buy downloads. Seems like an odd move to us, especially as current streaming options from both iLike and Lala are very limited, but perhaps there's more to it. We'll keep you posted.

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Read

Tags: Audio Music Online Google Music downloads Google Audio Rumours Spotify Napster Pandora Sky Microsoft

Google launching music service? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:03:09 +0100

Sky's "Sky Songs" music subscription service, which we've dissected in detail previously, has now gone live and is available to consumers. It costs ?6.49 each month, and that'll get you ad-free unlimited streaming and ten MP3s. There's also an ?8 tier that gets you 15 songs.

The catalogue size is 4 millions, and it's managed to license the four major labels and most independents too. Beggars, The Orchard and PIAS are all present and correct. If you want to buy more music than your subscription allows then it starts at 65p and goes up from there.

You can sign up right now at songs.sky.com (which, intriguingly, pictures a Zune under the "Download" header). Similar services are also available from Napster and - of course - Spotify. There's a whole lot more, too, all covered in our Music Services Roundup feature.

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Tags: Audio Sky Songs Music downloads Music Sky

Sky Songs is now live originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:25:21 +0100

Microsoft has, just like earlier in the year, offered its users the chance to take a look at the forthcoming dashboard upgrade a little early in the hope of getting rid of any bugs that testers might not have spotted.

The next version of the dashboard will have, as previously reported, integration with Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm, as well as the Zune video marketplace and its associated instant-on 1080p high definition streaming. Here in the UK, we'll also be getting the Sky Player. For most of that lot, though, you'll need an Xbox Gold subscription.

If you'd like to sign up, you'll need to be in an Xbox LIVE region, know your console ID, ISP, make and model of your TV and router, and how you connect your Xbox to your network and your TV. Even then, there's no guarantee that you'll get in - Microsoft is being picky about who gets early access.

If you still feel like trying your chances, then head over to the Xbox Live Update Preview and fill in all your details. Good luck!

Read

Related links:

• News - Sky Player coming to Xbox 360 in October?

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Xbox Live Microsoft Facebook Twitter Lastfm Sky

Xbox 360 Dashboard preview program reopens originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:11:31 +0100

UK broadcaster Sky News has announced it has now begun streaming its TV output live online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A new, higher bit rate video player at skynews.com claims to deliver "faster, crisper and more prominent footage on those stories that contain videos".

Sky News, live and as it appears on TV, 24 hours a day is available free online to anyone in the UK or Ireland, without the need to log in.

"With Sky News now available on more platforms than ever – on TV, online, on mobiles, through iPhone and iPod touch apps, at train stations and on planes – there's barely a screen in Britain now where you can't access Sky News", says Julian March, senior executive producer for Sky News online.

Tags: Home Cinema Sky Sky News Video on demand Online Software

Sky News starts 24-hour live stream originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:34:04 +0100

Following the news we brought you that the service was coming soon, Sky has officially announced it is to launch its Sky Songs online music streaming and download service in the UK.

4 million tracks are available via unlimited, ad-free online streaming, while DRM-free MP3 files can be downloaded and stored forever, for use on any MP3 compatible device.

There's music from the four major music labels (EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner) plus content from a range of indies including the Beggars Group, The Orchard and PIAS Entertainment Group.

Similar to how Microsoft's Zune Pass system works in the States, as well as the revamped Napster offerings (which is cheaper, but you get less) the Sky Songs service starts at ?6.49 a month, which will get users the unlimited streaming and then either a ?6.49 album or 10 songs to download and keep.

Paying ?7.99 a month will let users download either a ?7.99 album or 15 songs as well as the streaming while additional music can be bought on a per-track or per-album basis from 65p and ?6.49.

The service will launch on the 19 October at http://songs.sky.com/ and is available to any consumer in the UK with internet access and means to pay.

Tags: Audio Sky Sky Songs Media streaming Music downloads

Sky Songs music service officially announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:39:53 +0100

It's been well over a year since UK broadcaster Sky officially announced plans to create an unlimited music service, and it's only now just about to go into a limited beta testing phase.

Called "Sky Songs", there's a website up and running now with a "coming soon" banner claiming it will offer "a new way to discover music" but provides no timescale as to when it will be publicly available.

Since Sky's plans were revealed in July 2008, the online music market has changed considerably with the UK launch of Spotify making streaming a more popular choice. In the same time period the similar service We7 has hit 2 million users.

Sky had previously said that for a monthly subscription fee, users would be able to download tracks to listen to later and "to own forever" with tracks said to work on any MP3-compatible device, including iPods, MP3 players and mobile phones, which suggested the songs would be DRM-free.

We do know Sky's offering will be made up of a catalogue of more than 4 million songs from all of the major labels as well as over 100 independents.

How much Sky plans to charge, how usable the site is, and just how unlimited those unlimited claims turn out to be will all be crucial to the success of Sky Songs, especially considering its delayed entry to the market. We will keep you posted.

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Related links:

• News - Sky announces plans for unlimited music download site

Tags: Audio Sky Sky Songs Music downloads Websites Spotify We7 Media streaming

Unlimited music service Sky Songs hits beta originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:30:19 +0100