Geek Technique: Hacker puts Flash Memory in 4G IPod

If you love hacks like we do here at the Lab, this last week has been a treat for you. Apple TV has been properly spread open and put on the slab with upgradeable hard drives and the like. Now it's its older brother's turn.

Not for the faint of heart or the sausage-fingered, Mark Hoekstra's flash memory mod for all generations of iPod takes out the spinning, battery draining hard drive and replaces it with Compact Flash. Sure, 16GB of solid state goodness isn't cheap, but what's money in the pursuit of glory?

Based on his previous iPod Mini flash-mod, this four day long marathon of a project involved hand soldering 88 connections, all of them in a tiny space. In true entrepreneur spirit, he's using this as a prototype to actually get the things to manufacture. No prices yet, but you can drop him an email if you're interested. Or just to say "Well done".
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Hubble delivers spectacular galaxy

The galaxy, NGC 1672, is visible from the southern hemisphere and the NASA image taken in August 2005 shows the galaxy almost face on.

The remarkable image unveils details in the galaxy's star-forming clouds and dark bands of interstellar dust.

One of the most striking features is the dust lanes that extend away from the nucleus and follow the inner edges of the galaxy's spiral arms.

Clusters of hot young blue stars form along the spiral arms and ionize surrounding clouds of hydrogen gas that glow red.

Delicate curtains of dust partially obscure and redden the light of the stars behind them by scattering blue light.

NGC 1672 differs from normal spiral galaxies in that the spiral arms do not twist all the way into the centre. Instead, they are attached to the two ends of a straight bar of stars enclosing the nucleus.

Astronomers believe that barred spirals have a unique mechanism that channels gas from the disk inwards towards the nucleus. This allows the bar portion of the galaxy to serve as an area of new star generation.

The new Hubble observations, performed with the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the observatory, have shed light on the process of starburst activity and on why some galaxies are ablaze with extremely active star formation.
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Flextronics unveils G700 Quad-Core Intel processor-based platform

Flextronics has unveiled its new G700 quad-core platform for OEM and ODM designs. The scalable G700 utilizes the quad-core Intel Xeon processor E5335 and the Intel 5000P chipset and maximizes available PCI Express I/O through modularity.

"We developed a flexible rackmount platform containing two quad-core Intel processors for customers seeking a high-performance, scalable solution for various networking, security and storage appliance applications," said Sean Burke, president of Flextronics' Computing Segment. "With its modular I/O approach, OEM and ODM customers can increase value to end users and offer various G700 models with options for Gigabit Ethernet (copper and fiber), 10GbE, Infiniband, storage, security acceleration for IPSec and SSL and many more modular options."

Burke added, "Flextronics' ability to design and manufacture Intel Architecture based motherboards and solutions supports our strategy to deliver enhanced services to our customers, and reinforces our position as a leader in advanced ODM and EMS products and services for customer branded systems and solutions."

The G700 includes eight cores per platform providing performance and energy-efficiency for network appliance and security appliance applications such as firewalls, unified threat management, intrusion detection systems, network attached storage and other filtering applications. A G700 based on the Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor and associated Intel 5000P chipset also provides an excellent solution for I/O-intensive workloads within communications and enterprise systems. This includes rack-mount servers, as well as NAS and SAN systems and other graphics intensive workstation environments in modeling, imaging and design.

The G700 is available in base system or OEM/ODM customized forms. The G700 features Intel I/O acceleration technology, Intel 64 Architecture, and Intel virtualization technology in a 2U chassis with hot swappable fans, powers supplies, and removable hard drives.
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Particle Collider Magnet Failure Blamed on Faulty Engineering

Researchers have identified the cause of a hiccup in the construction of the world's next top particle smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). During stress tests last week at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), a support structure tore loose from the housing of a key ultracold magnet because it simply was not strong enough for the job, according to a statement released today. CERN will decide later this month whether upgrades will set back the start date of the LHC, which is set to switch on in November at the CERN facility near Geneva, Switzerland.

The magnet is part of a system for aiming the LHC's two counter-rotating beams of high-speed protons so that they collide into each other, liberating rare particles in a burst of energy. Researchers expect that these collisions will, at a minimum, allow them to cap off the vaunted Standard Model of particle physics, which neatly describes the forces at work inside atoms.

As protons emerge from the machine's 27-kilometer circular track, a sequence of three "inner triplet" magnets will focus them to collide with protons moving in the opposite direction. The superconducting helium that encircles and cools the magnets will occasionally release tremendous energy, which will exert pressure along the length of the magnets. But on March 27, when CERN engineers applied 20 atmospheres of pressure to one of the inner triplets in the LHC's underground tunnel, a support snapped in the last of the three magnets, the new statement confirms.

The supports were constructed from a fiberglass-epoxy laminate, which is not strong enough to withstand those pressures, according to independent reviews by CERN and Fermilab in Batavia, Ill., which designed and built the magnets.

"What the analysis shows so far is that something extraordinarily simple was missed in the design," namely, that the force on the magnets could be stronger in one direction than another, Fermilab's director Pier Oddone said in an accompanying statement. "[E]ven though every magnet was thoroughly tested individually, they were never tested with the exact configuration that they would have when installed at CERN—thus missing the opportunity to discover the problem sooner."

Fermilab engineers believe that workers can replace the faulty supports in all eight of the installed triplets—two per collision experiment—without delaying start-up of the LHC, says Judy Jackson, a Fermilab spokesperson. But she notes that CERN will revisit the issue later this month to make sure there will not be any holdups.
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Mario Strikers takes UK online

In Mario Strikers: Charged Football you’ll compete in a world cup with four-player online multi-player mode via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Service.

There are ranked and unranked online modes to battle it out on the pitch with and a singleplayer “Road to the Striker Cup” mode where you’ll climb your way through three cup challenges that will most likely have something to do with mushrooms and stars.

The team captains all feature a Super Ability which can be used to devastate their opponents, ranging from Mario growing to giant proportions and trampling other players, to Peach taking a photo and freezing the entire opposing team on the spot.

Basic movement and strikes are executed using the analog stick and buttons on the Wii Remote and nunchuk, but players will shake the Wii remote to tackle opponents, flick it to check their opponent, hopefully stealing the ball in the process, and point at the screen to make a goal save. No word on the Wiimote-specific move to perform a cupcheck, but we’ll keep you posted.

Like Mario Kart and Mario Smash Football (Mario Striker’s predecessor,) the sense of fair play is thrown out the window along with the rulebook. Fouled players get special treats with which to avenge themselves, ranging from Red Spiky Shells, which knock everything out of their path, to the Chain Chomp that chases players from the opposing team around the pitch.

Mario Strikers: Charged Football will power-up its way into stores May 25 with a £35 (50 EUR) price tag.
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PlayStation 3 UK Sales Dropped By 82% In Week #2

So much for conquering Europe, eh, Sony? Their enthusiastic launch of the PlayStation 3 on the old continent went down in the annals of gaming history as the fastest-selling home console in the United Kingdom. But that was only for the first week of availability after the March 23 launch, because after the second week things look pretty bad for Sony all of a sudden. Imagine a massive drop in sales of 82%, and then try imagining where the figures will be at after the first month...

Of course, we have no way of knowing whether the current trend will continue in the following weeks, but we'd sure like to hear Sony's explanation for their retail fall (they should blame it on the Easter bunny, that always works!). GI.biz said today that Sony Europe declined to comment, after they ran this story and verified the figure with Chart Track, whose data is gathered from 7000 UK retail outlets (representing 90% of the software market): "Yes, sales of PS3 hardware have dropped by 82 per cent", one spokesperson confirmed.

So what does this mean, precisely? Well, considering that the PlayStation 3 sold some 165,000 units in the first week, and slashing away 82% from that, we end up with less than 30,000 units sold in the second week. Not too impressive, indeed. And apparently the PS3 games also suffered a major drop in sales, by over 60% for the top two selling titles in the UK - Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm. Again, GI.biz had the figures earlier today:

"Sales of Sony's best-selling title Resistance: Fall of Man dropped by 66 per cent, nudging it down to number two in the charts, while MotorStorm sales also fell by 62 per cent, as it reversed into the number three position."
In case you're wondering who pushed them down to second and third place, it was that Kane ba(l)die from Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. Oh yes, EA's strategic sequel rocks at retail!
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Skeleton holds key to origin of man

A skeleton of a possible hybrid between modern and more ancient humans has been found in China, which challenges the theory that modern man originated in Africa.

Most experts believe that our ancestors emerged in Africa more than 150,000 years ago and then migrated around the world.

However, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof Erik Trinkaus and colleagues provide details of a skeleton found in 2003 from Tianyuan Cave near Beijing.

The skeleton is 42,000 to 38,500 years old, making it the oldest modern human skeleton from eastern Eurasia, and one of the oldest modern humans from the region.

Most of its features match those of modern man, though some are more like late archaic humans, including the Neanderthals. The authors conclude that, as our ancestors spread, they interbred with local, more ancient, types of human.

The researchers say it is unlikely that a simple spread of modern humans occurred east of Africa, especially because slightly younger skeletons have been found in eastern Eurasia with similar features.

"The partial skeleton from Tianyuan is an important find, since there is a dearth of material from east Asia to document how modern humans became established there," said Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum.

"Radiocarbon dates place the find close in age to the earliest Homo sapiens fossils so far discovered in Europe, Lebanon, Malaysia and Australia.

"Outside of Africa, only the early modern finds from Skhul and Qafzeh [in Israel], and possibly Liujiang from southern China, are of much greater antiquity."
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Do iPod users really want FM tuners?

It is interesting to note that the figure was 43 percent for iPod owners, compared with 33 percent for all owners of MP3 (etc) personal players. Some other players - notably Microsoft's Zune - have FM tuners, so even if you accept this sample was heavily biassed towards FM listeners, there does seem to be a demand.

But Apple has offered an FM tuner as an iPod accessory for over a year. As its name suggests, the $US40/$A79 iPod Radio Remote combines a FM tuner with a clip-on remote control similar in appearance to the iPod shuffle. So why aren't all those people that want to listen to the radio on their iPods using it?

The answer could be that it has very limited compatibility, working only with the first or second generation iPod nano or the (fifth generation) iPod with video. I've got a feeling that those rock radio listeners surveyed by Jacobs Media could be relatively early adopters. According to Nielsen figures, around a quarter of US homes had an MP3 player in 3Q06, compared with 47 percent in Jacobs' survey.

Admittedly, greater penetration doesn't necessarily mean more early adopters, but it seems a fairly safe assumption. If many of those surveyed were early adopters, they wouldn't be able to use the Radio Remote with their iPods.

Another explanation is that people really do want integrated tuners, not external add-ons. Anyone who wants a tuner would probably prefer a one-piece unit, but the question is whether the slight extra cost would be regarded as a negative by non radio listeners. Or perhaps more accurately, what the net effect would be on Apple's profits from iPods and accessories.

Or maybe iPod owners just consider the Radio Remote too expensive?

And what about AM radio? The growth of podcasting has renewed interest in a variety of talk formats, and even in countries where most commercial broadcasting has moved to FM or digital radio there are still public and community broadcasters on AM. Received wisdom seems to be that people only want FM on mobile devices. If a mobile phone has a tuner, it's almost certainly FM only, as are more of the low-cost radios you find in the stores or given away as promotional items.

I'd be interested to see some market research into the demand for AM tuners.

Wii doubles PS3 sales in Japan

Bloomberg reported today that Nintendo has sold more than twice as many Wii consoles in Japan as Sony has sold PlayStation 3’s.

Nintendo has sold 1.95 million Wii units as of March 25 since it debuted on Dec. 2 last year, compared to Sony who has sold 812,000 PS3’s since November 11, 2006.

The data came from Tokyo-based research firm Enterbrain Inc.

Bloomberg also reported Sony will struggle to make up for selling the PS3 at a loss if it continues to lose market share in Japan.

The Wii’s lead is significant considering the PS3 launched a month before Wii in Japan.

Windows Vista marketing 'deceived' consumers

A US lawsuit filed today claims Microsoft overstated the ability of PCs to run Windows Vista, and that an upgrade program added insult to injury by giving users access to Windows Vista Home Basic that lacked many of the advertised features.

The suit, filed in the Western District of Washington, is seeking class-action status for 10,000 people and damages in excess of $5m.

The suit, Microsoft's latest class action case but the first related to Windows Vista, comes amid claims that most business PCs also lack the hardware required to run most versions of Windows Vista.

Eighty per cent of PCs do not match Microsoft's hardware requirements to upgrade, according to Everdream, a desktop management specialist. The biggest hurdle is lack of RAM: 70 per cent of machines lack the requisite 1GB, according to Everdream, which surveyed 140,000 desktop and laptop machines.

It will be the court case, though, that probably occupies Microsoft most.

The case rests on Microsoft's decision to let PC manufacturers slap stickers on PCs that describe machines as either Windows Vista "Capable" or Windows Vista "Premium Ready".

A Windows Vista Capable machine is defined by Microsoft as using "at least" an 800MHz processor, 512MbB RAM and DirectX 9 compatible graphics card.

The suit claims many of the Windows Vista Capable machines are only capable of running Home Basic editions of Windows Vista and could not run the next edition, Home Premium, which featured most of the heavily advertised features.

Home Basic lacks the media center, and funky Aero interface with flip 3D and thumbnails, and was described in one underwhelming Dell product spec (pdf) as: "Great for booting the operating system without running applications or games."

Despite making the information on the differences widely available on its site and through partners, the suit accused Microsoft of operating a "bait and switch - assuring consumers they were purchasing 'Vista Capable' machines when, in fact, they could only obtain a stripped-down operating system lacking the functionality and features that Microsoft advertised as 'Vista.'"

The suit claims Bill Gates contributed to the deception by saying on NBC's Today Show, PC users could upgrade to Windows Vista for just $100. "In fact, one can only 'upgrade' to Home Basic for that price, which Mr. Gates and Microsoft know is a product that lacks the features marketed by Microsoft as being Vista."

In reply, Microsoft said it had conducted a "very broad and unprecedented effort" to help PC makers, retailers and consumers "understand the hardware requirements to run the various flavors of the Windows Vista operating system."®
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No iPods on New York Streets?

For a city which almost tom toms its preoccupation with freedom - what with the Statue of Liberty standing tall in its midst, the Big Apple seems bent on 'not practicing' what it preaches.

If one Carl Kruger, New York State Senator, has his way against what he dubs, 'iPod oblivion', or the self induced stupor brought on by iPods and other such devices, there will soon be legislation banning the use of portable electronic gadgets such as iPods, PDAs, gaming devices, Blackberry devices, and cell phones while crossing the mean streets of New York, Albany, or Buffalo.

What's more, offenders will be slapped with a $100 fine, plus a criminal court summons.

Kruger, in his defense, says, the government has an obligation to protect its citizens, and that electronic gadgetry has reached a point where its creating a major public safety crisis for the government.

Kruger says that while he is trying not to intrude upon personal freedoms of New Yorkers, it becomes difficult to leave the problem alone when pedestrians tune-in to an iPod/Blackberry/cell phone/video game only to walk blythely into a speeding bus or moving automobile to meet with near certain death.

Kruger does not have exact statistics to support his claim, but he cites three accidental deaths of pedestrians in Brooklyn since September 2006, all of whom stepped into traffic even as they were distracted by some electronic gadget or the other. In one such case, Kruger remembers, bystanders kept screaming, "watch out", but in vain.

So, while Kruger hammers away at obliterating 'iPod oblivion', New Yorkers have but one option - to use their freedom (read: iPod) in a more responsible manner!

GTA IV Angers New York Mayor

The Big Apple is in for another round of moral policing!

After the campaign against Kruger's 'iPod oblivion,' comes the ire of New York politicos over Rockstar's eagerly awaited 'Grand Theft Auto IV,' whose first trailer was released late last week.

The trailer features a fictional 'Liberty City,' the same as in the much violent prequel, GTA III. However, the look and feel of the simulated city is very much like that of New York. Even the buildings - some of them - look like - the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge or the Empire State Building.

No doubt, gamers are excited about the kind of violence Rockstar is promising in its sequel. But New York officials are not in the least amused...

Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, voiced the view that he does not support any video game where gamers earn points for injuring or killing cops.

Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly, added he does not care where the game is set, but that its despicable to glamorize violence in games such as these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting might be.

Meanwhile, City Councilman and Chairperson of the Council's Public Safety Committee, Peter Vallone, made a cryptic comment that setting Grand Theft Auto in the 'safest big city in America' (read: New York) would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.

All said, Rockstar expects to release its already controversial Grand Theft Auto IV sometime in October 2007.

Scotty’s Off To Space

It seems that actor James Doohan, Star Trek’s Scotty, indeed has a legacy to reach the final frontier as his ashes will reach space aboard a private rocket.

Along with James Doohan’s cremated remains will also travel the ashes of one of NASA’s first space travelers, Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, aboard a privately-built rocket set to launch from New Mexico this month.

The launch of a SpaceLoft XL rocket built by the private firm UP Aerospace is scheduled for April 28. SL-2, as it has been dubbed, will lift off from Spaceport America, a state-funded launch site near Upham, New Mexico and about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of the city of Las Cruces.

As you were probably wondering from the very beginning what the meaning of this could be, here is the answer. This is part of a special spaceflight that is a tribute – some 200 families have paid 495 U.S. dollars to have a few grams of their loved one's ashes placed on the rocket.

James Doohan played chief engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott on the original “Star Trek” TV series. He died in July 2005 at age 85. The remains of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry were blasted into space a decade ago, in 1997.

The rocket’s ‘passengers’ come from over 10 different countries. The spaceflight (the Legacy of Flight memorial) has been arranged for the Houston-based firm Celestis, Inc.

“Space remains the domain of the few, the dream of the many,” Celestis CEO Charles Chafer said in a statement. “With Celestis, the dream of spaceflight and the desire to take part in the opening of the space frontier can be realized – and is available to everyone.”

Doohan's remains were initially meant to be sent into space two years ago, but the plan was later on put off due to a misfire during flight rehearsals.

According to Wikipedia’s entry on Doohan, the renowned actor suffered from Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and lung fibrosis in later life. He was present at the ceremony awarding him a star in Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2004, despite his ill health.

Doohan passed away in 2005. His ashes are reportedly to be sent to space at his request. He was given an honorary Degree in Engineering by the Milwaukee School of Engineering where apparently half of the students polled said they were inspired to study engineering by his role in “Star Trek.”

Microsoft Patches ANI Security Flaw

After some uncertainty, the I.T. world is both breathing a sigh of relief and gearing up for a long afternoon as Microsoft Relevant Products/Services delivered a promised security patch on Tuesday.

The ANI cursor flaw patch fixes a dangerous Windows animated cursor vulnerability that leaves the door wide open for attackers to take complete control of a computer system. It is one of only a few out-of-cycle patches released since Microsoft launched its "Patch Tuesday" concept.

"The issue with the ANI cursor flaw is the severity of not just the vulnerability but the active exploitation of it," said Craig Schmugar, threat research manager for McAfee Avert Labs. "Usually people are balancing risk of deploying the patch versus the risk of not deploying the patch. In this case, the risk of not deploying is high."

Indeed, VeriSign's iDefense rapid-response team reports over 150 different samples and links pointing back to ANI exploitation. Websense, Symantec, and McAfee also have been monitoring attacks against the flaw.

Looking for Fixes

Anxious to safeguard systems from what some security experts are warning is an extremely critical flaw that could have long-term repercussions, I.T. administrators might have turned to one of several third-party patches to address the ANI cursor flaw while waiting for Microsoft's quality-assuring testing.

Indeed, third-party patches abound for the ANI cursor flaw. Vendors including eEye Digital Security, Determina, and the Zero-Day Emergency Response Team (ZERT), a coalition of security engineers that work to release nonvendor patches to fix zero-day vulnerabilities, have demonstrated that it's possible to move quickly to plug security holes.

"While third-party vendors such as eEye and ZERT Group have made an unofficial fix available, PatchLink recommends that organizations wait for the official patch from Microsoft," said Don Leatham, director of solutions and strategy for PatchLink Corporation. "Deploying third-party patches is risky and as the official patch vendor, Microsoft, has a specific knowledge and understanding of the underlining code."

Ongoing Attacks

Users of most supported versions of Windows and Windows Server, including Vista, are at risk of attackers taking complete control of their unpatched system. However, Microsoft offered a silver lining: Users running Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 7 in protect mode should be safe because the security feature doesn't allow files to access or modify any system files without user permission.

Microsoft said that, in order for this attack to be carried out, a user must either visit a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit the vulnerability or view a specially crafted e-mail message or e-mail attachment sent to them by an attacker.

That makes it different in nature than the Zotob worm of 2005. While Zotob was a self-executing worm -- a machine could get infected without any user interaction -- firewalls would typically mitigate the risk. Firewalls don't safeguard users from the ANI cursor vulnerability, but user interaction is required.

Still, there are some similarities worth noting, security researchers said. Both threats are severe and both could have long-term impacts on the security world.

"Now that the patch is available, this doesn't mean the worst is over. We expect the attacks to continue to pick up," Schmugar said. "In the past we've seen vulnerabilities that were patched for months rising to the top of the exploit chart. Attackers are going to be crafting their exploits around this vulnerability for some time."

Sony Cuts PlayStation Portable Price to Boost Sales

Sony Corp., the world's biggest maker of video-game consoles, cut the price of its PlayStation Portable a second time to attract younger players and win sales from Nintendo Co.'s DS handheld player.

The suggested retail price will drop 15 percent to $169.99 from $199.99 starting today, Jack Tretton, president of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, said by telephone.

Sony has sold 7 million PSPs in the U.S., fewer than the 9.9 million DS units sold by Nintendo, according to market researcher NPD Group Inc. Nintendo cut the price of the DS player to $129.99 from $149.99 in August 2005. The average PSP owner is 24 years old. DS owners tend to be children and young teens, Tretton said.

``We can start to reach down to that younger consumer,'' Tretton said.

The PSP was introduced in the U.S. in March 2005, about four months after DS. Sony reduced the price from the original $249.99 last year, Tretton said.

Sony is also introducing games for younger and casual players, including ``Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters,'' about a space-age mechanic who teams up with a robot to save the galaxy from an evil ruler, Tretton said.

Sony American depositary receipts, each equaling one common share, jumped $1.24, or 2.5 percent, to $51.09 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. They have gained 19 percent this year.

Sony has shipped 25 million of the devices worldwide, with hardware and games accounting for about $3 billion in sales, Tretton said.

The day after: "Ditching DRM was EMI's idea"

There is much more, of course, but these DRM-related articles caught our eye.

As per our coverage last year and in February, it turns out that going DRM-free was EMI's idea, not Apple's. Gizmodo spoke to Jeanne Meyer, the Senior VP of Corporate Communications at EMI, who explained that EMI approached Apple, and Apple then came up with the idea to use 256kbps AAC encoding and the $1.29 price for the higher quality, DRM-free individual songs. EMI will allow any of their retailers (online music stores) to sell these tracks and albums, and the retailers may decide on the file format. So presumably, other stores can sell songs in high-bitrate unprotected WMA format if they want, although those songs won't play on the iPod without an extra conversion step.
Meyer explains that the reason that EMI is doing this is because they believe that CDs, which account for 90 percent of their sales right now, will see a decline in sales, or at best, will remain stable, but online sales will grow in importance the coming years. They expect those to be 25 percent of their sales by 2010, including the mobile phone market, which is 500 billion handsets, by Gizmodo's account. The people at Gizmodo need to check their keyboards, because when they type "million," it apparently comes out as "billion." 500 million is still several times more than all the digital music players ever sold. Gizmodo continues:

Although Jobs says, "We expect to offer more than half of the songs on iTunes in DRM-free versions by the end of this year," EMI says the first of the new tracks will be on sale in May.

Apple said that too, both yesterday at the London event and in later statements, although it's not in AppleInsider's transcript of the Q&A session that followed the announcement.

In another article, AppleInsider cites Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster who thinks liberation from the oppression that is DRM will sell more iPods. Wait a minute—why would the availability of DRM-free tracks on iTunes and other stores lead to more iPod sales?

Our belief is the success of the iPod is not because consumers are locked on the iTunes platform, but its success has been because of the total device and iTunes experience.

I agree that the iPod's success isn't because of iTunes lock-in, but in my opinion, the iTunes Store is only one of the ingredients for the iPod's success, and not the most prominent one at that. Munster estimates that on average, 5 percent of the music on a given iPod was bought from the iTunes Store. This is in line with earlier reports that for each iPod, around 20 songs have been sold. A lot has been said about these figures, but whichever way you slice them, the only explanation can be that the majority of iPod owners already manage to find the majority of their music in DRM-unencumbered ways, so it's hard to see how the addition of (some) DRM-free music to the iTunes Store will make much of a difference—apart from the fact that those other forms of unprotected content don't benefit from Apple's continuous PR and marketing assault. Opening up the iTunes Store for more countries, making a wider selection of music available in the existing countries, and not requiring the iTunes software to buy music could all do much more to widen the appeal of the iPod-iTS combo.