The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views
The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views |
| Rumours persist that Apple will roll out music streaming service Posted: 09 Mar 2013 07:20 AM PST  Rumours persist of Apple starting a music streaming service. — AFP picNEW YORK, March 9 — Tech giant Apple is reportedly planning on rolling out a music streaming service within iTunes, according to rumours. Rumours first began circulating regarding an Apple music streaming service during the reign of Steve Jobs when it was reported that he had spoken with Jimmy Lovine, CEO of audio technology firm Beats. These rumours bubbled away under the surface throughout 2012, with Bloomberg even reporting that such as service could be ready to launch in early 2013. Recently Lovine spoke out about his meeting with Jobs, claiming that the former Apple CEO was put off by the idea of a streaming service due to the cost involved in paying royalties to the record companies. Since then, rumours of such a service have gained momentum and this week they have swept across the web after it was reported that Lovine met with Apple CEO Tim Cook. While this meeting was reportedly to discuss Beats' upcoming music streaming service, Project Daisy, or a possible collaboration with Apple, rumours quickly began circulating that Apple was planning on rolling out its own music streaming service within iTunes. Weight was added to these rumours by the earlier discovery of a "Radio Button" sub-file named "buy" within a jail-broken iPhone. Should Apple launch a music streaming service, it would bring the company into direct competition with established major music streaming names such as Grooveshark, Pandora, Spotify and many others in an already-crowded marketplace. Following the rumours of Apple's proposed music streaming service, a report emerged in The New York Times claiming that the rumoured streaming service was delayed due to licensing negotiations with music companies. This report, which was based on "a number of people briefed on the talks" who "spoke on the condition of anonymity," was quickly picked up by tech blogs and other news sites around the world. Following that, more alleged details began to emerge: tech site siliconrepublic.com reported that the negotiations were faltering due to an initial offer of six cents (RM0.19) per 100 songs by Apple, which was rejected by record labels, who wanted 21 cents per 100 songs. Apple's alleged low offer was also reported to be the main stalling point behind negotiations by the New York Post; for means of comparison, Spotify is reported to pay around 35 cents per 100 songs. Despite Apple's having yet to confirm the existence of such a music streaming project, tech bloggers and journalists have been quick to name the product "iRadio" due to the manner in which Apple typically names its products. Also earlier this week, the tech world's other major player, Google, was reported, in an exclusive on CNN Money's Fortune, to be planning on launching a subscription based music streaming service within YouTube "later this year." According to the report, Fortune was briefed on the service by "sources in the record industry and at Google who declined to be named." This would not be YouTube's (and by extension Google's) first partnership with the record industry through the popular YouTube service, which is a joint venture involving Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media, with EMI licensing content across the platform in return for a share of advertising revenue. Though it is not clear how a YouTube streaming service would operate, or how it would slot into Google's business model alongside Vevo and streaming services offered via Google Play, a YouTube spokesperson did offer a statement in response to the Fortune report, which was quoted as reading, "While we don't comment on rumour or speculation, there are some content creators that think they would benefit from a subscription revenue stream in addition to ads, so we're looking at that." Though it is not clear what the future holds for either Apple or Google in the world of music streaming services, there is clearly money to be made from the service, with Warner Music alone attributing $54 million of the US$230 million it made from digital services to streaming services in its Reports Results for the Fiscal Third Quarter Ended June 30, 2012.- AFP-Relaxnews |
| Carmakers rush to join small crossover trend Posted: 09 Mar 2013 07:04 AM PST GENEVA, March 9 — Small crossovers, a downsized combination of sports utility vehicle (SUV) and passenger car, were a big hit at the Geneva Motor Show this week, with many manufacturers keen to squeeze into the promising niche amid an otherwise depressed market. The French group PSA Peugeot Citroen gained a foothold in the segment by unveiling its first small crossover, the Peugeot 2008.
"This could rise to 10 or 15 per cent by the end of this year with the multiplication of offers" by global automakers, he added. For now, only one actor is present in this market: Nissan of Japan with its Juke model, which was launched in 2010. In Europe, the company sold 140,000 of the cars last year. "We've got the lead on that segment," Nissan chief John Martin told AFP. But the Japanese carmaker won't remain alone for long. Besides Peugeot, Renault of France, American giant General Motors (GM) via its Chevrolet and Opel brands and Fiat of Italy are also getting in on the action. "The fact that our competitors are following us in many respects is a testimony of the success of our own strategy," Martin insisted. After first being snubbed for heavy fuel consumption and ensuing environmental impact, these pint-sized SUVs have increasingly been embraced by consumers. European drivers like their small, compact size that makes it easy to park in town, combined with substantial luggage capacity and the fact that drivers sit higher than in a normal passenger car, experts at the Geneva show said. "European consumers are not going to increase the size of their garage, but they still want the capabilities of all-wheel drive," explained Chevrolet's chief in Europe Susan Docherty. Such requirements are at the heart of the crossover design, with wide tyres, high ground-clearance, and high-set seats that can been folded down to enlarge the boot, packed into a shell that is only a few centimetres longer than a classic town car. "Drivers want to stand out," said Agnes Tesson Farget, who is in charge of Peugeot's new 2008. Renault said it was targeting young couples with children with its new Captur crossover, which it unveiled at the Geneva show. Families "want a bigger vehicle without moving to the more expensive MPVs," explained Benoit Bochard, who heads the company's small vehicle segment. He referred to multi-purpose vehicles known more commonly as minivans. The Captur will for instance carry a starting price of €15,500 (RM62,000) in France, where an MPV sells for no less than €20,000, he said. A positive point, carmakers said, is that unlike MPVs, which are widely appreciated in Europe but not as much elsewhere, the small crossovers can sell all over. "City customers have pretty much the same expectation, regardless of what continent they are on," Picat said. These vehicles also offer a big advantage for carmakers at a time when car sales are plunging in Europe and where some companies, like PSA, Ford, GM and Fiat, have suffered deep losses. They can basically be built on the same frame as smaller models but can be sold at a higher price, which will mean better profit margins, according to Polk analyst Bertrand Rakoto. Peugeot's 2008 is initially being put together at the PSA Peugeot Citroen plant in Mulhouse, in eastern France, and will later move to plants in China and Brazil. Renault has decided to produce the Captur in Valladolid, Spain, in place of its small MPV Modus. — AFP-Relaxnews |
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