So much for being me being a credible source...

Earlier this week, I sent in a tip to Engadget regarding Motorola's iTunes phone after reading a Reuters article mentioning that the E1060 was going to be the first phone to include iTunes software. Well, it turns out that they were just using that particular phone in demoing the software. I'm not even sure there will be such a thing as the iTunes phone.

Why am I posting about this? Because the day I sent in the tip, I got over 300 clicks in from this Engadget post. So, because I'm implicated in all this misunderstanding, I felt that I should clarify that iTunes is still software and will be soon installed on as many phones as Motorola can put it on. Even if Motorola demonstrated it on a phone that doesn't look at all like what the iTunes phone should look like, it doesn't make it the iTunes phone. My fault for not being more discerning when sending in tips.

SOURCE: Engadget.com

UPDATE 9:24 PM EST: Incidentally, this all happened already at CES where reporters confused the E398 as being the elusive iTunes phone. I even blogged about it. I really don't learn.

Apple announces 2 for 1 stock split

That's the news. It's going to happen on the 18th 28th (updated 10:01 AM). I love this.

SOURCE: Yahoo Finance

Chinese Music comes to iTunes!

The moment we've all been waiting for... even if it seems the albums are all from years ago. I bet Napster doesn't have Chinese music (please inform me if otherwise, I'm prone to being wrong). The beauty of the internet is that we can all be more connected and the only limits are legal (distribution rights). I hope we get music in the iTunes Music Store from even more countries soon. Despite the iTMS being opened in a variety of European countries, I think you were still limited to buying songs in the country in which you have currency.

Click here to be taken to iTunes World. Then click on Chinese New Year. I couldn't get a more direct link for some reason."

Sample link

SOURCE: The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Bloglines... SOLD to Ask Jeeves

I always wondered how web-based feed aggregating service Bloglines made any revenue. I mean any. Although there is an Advertise Here link, I couldn't find any ads. There didn't seem like there was a way to for the site to make money. Other 'free' services that boggled my mind was Google SMS and also Blogger. I figured the latter two our, though. Google SMS solidifies Google's dominance in the search market. Google's POP access to Gmail does the same thing. They have great products and give you some free accessories to the core service.

Bloglines was started by the former CEO of the company ONElist that eventually was bought out by Yahoo! and became YahooGroups. Well, it seems as if that this could be his business model. Build an unbeatable product, and even if you can't find a way to make money from it, another site will use it to build the value of their overall service. I was thinking that after all these years, I'd actually be using Ask Jeeves again. Although it operates several sites independently including myway.com (again, a site with no banners, no pop-ups), iwon.com, and excite.com, among others, Bloglines is actually going to be fit into the Ask Jeeves' search portal, according to Napsterization.

Interestingly, the blogger who broke this story Saturday morning says this news won't be announced until Monday (now Tuesday). ASKJ closed at around 25.39 (down 1.55) on Friday due to mixed reviews of their Q4 report. They're growing fast but just not as fast as Google and this is why in the previously linked article, an analyst says it's undervalued. I'll close how she closed:

Also, I'm sure Jeeves is asking himself how I know this. I learned it from a couple of folks. Once that happened, it seemed reasonable to blog it.

SOURCE: Napsterization via The RSS Weblog

Napster To Go

As per today's news, Apple should be afraid:

Napster's promotion includes a Super Bowl television spot urging fans to compare the costs of spending $10,000 to buy and transfer 10,000 songs from Apple's iTunes store to an iPod, with the $15-per-month fee to carry songs from a catalog of over a million tracks on Napster-compatible players.

Especially with the oncoming deluge of slick devices like the Creative Zen Micro supporting Napster To Go, how long can the craze last? Do people get iPods for the music (something that any player can provide) or for the branded experience?

Afraid, that is, if not for the iPod (I know this isn't exactly new analysis). Think about this: Apple has sold and given away more than 250 millions songs on iTunes. Despite all the fuss over online music, 250 million songs at most brings in 250 million in revenue, and this is a stretch, as Apple is always giving away free songs. Based on the 10 million iPods sold, 250 million looks more like 25 songs per iPod. Of all the 55 songs I've downloaded from iTunes, about half of them were free. Considering that the typical iPod holds 5,000 songs, you'd understand that it's not the necessarily the legally downloaded music people care about when they buy into the iPod culture.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I've replaced my GTC stop loss order to activate at 65 with a one day order to activate at 75. I hope it doesn't go through.

READ: Reuters

Goodbye, Genetics?

I don't know if I can really handle my schedule this semester and I might have to drop Genetics. You know... like mentally. I've been trying to attend it even though I don't have permission to register for it from the University. I keep meaning to try going in during drop-in hours but something always comes up. In this case, it was sleep and a study group. Oh, and ironically, having to go to an earlier Genetics recitation that takes place during the drop-in hours.

Maybe this post is a result of how badly I did on the hw due today I did last night. Eh... sorry for the lack of real updates. This just seems like an easy thing to post about. OH, BTW, I've hit 10% on my Gmail account. So many things I'm behind in, so many... Maybe it's my unwillingness to make tough choices.

Another potential post I could've made is my changed outlook on my personality style, having gone from an ISTJ to an ISFP. Not as exciting a type, but that's the way it is. Then, again, I haven't properly reflected on much of this these days. Oh, and I want to talk about the Iraqi elections, too.