Economics of New Media: Pay to Play or Free?
http://mashable.com/2008/05/27/economics-of-new-media/
Who Will Control Your Digital Media?
http://gigaom.com/2008/05/22/who-will-control-your-digital-media
Pew: Internet Playing Minor Role in Music Buying Decisions
The internet has little sway over most music-related buying decisions, at least according to a survey released by the Pew Internet American Life Project. "The internet helps music buyers connect with artists and learn more about music, but it doesn't strongly influence what or how they buy," the group asserted in a recently-published report.
In telephone surveys traversing several thousand adults, the group found that 83 percent of Americans discover music through terrestrial radio, movies, or television. A total of 64 percent pointed to tips from friends and family, while another 56 percent pointed to online sources.
And when it comes to actual purchasing decisions, the survey showed that offline sources carry the greatest influence. In fact, 51 percent responded that the internet carried no influence whatsoever on purchasing decisions, while 37 percent pointed to a minor impact. A total of 12 percent pointed a major role, according to the survey results.
But post-purchase, fans generally started engaging with the artist more online. Meanwhile, Pew cautioned against a premature dismissal of the CD. According to the data, 82 percent of music buyers reported that most or all of their purchases were in the form of a disc. That figure lessened somewhat to 69 percent among buyers under the age of 36.
AT&T Now Finishing 3G Deployment; iPhone Hovers
Exclusive iPhone carrier AT&T is now finishing its US-based, 3G (third-generation) network deployment, a move that comes alongside fresh iPhone release rumors. On Thursday, the telecommunications giant indicated that its rollout should be completed at the end of next month. AT&T has already implemented the network within 275 cities, and plans completion across a total of 350 municipalities.
Against that backdrop, Apple is expected to unveil its second-generation iPhone with stepped-up, 3G mobile broadband compatibility. Recent rumors suggest a launch next month at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, an event that has featured various product launches in the past. The improved AT&T network will deliver download speeds of up to 1.4 mbps, and upload speeds nearing 800 kbps.