DailyTech - Apple In Talks with Record Labels for Pandora-Like Service

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Internet Apple In Talks with Record Labels for Pandora-Like Service
Tiffany Kaiser - September 7, 2012 3:01 PM

51 comment(s) - last by GotThumbs.. on Sep 10 at 10:07 AM

(Source: funkyspacemonkey.com)

A few of the record labels that Apple is speaking with include Sony Music, Warner Music Group and EMI

Apple is looking to go head-to-head with the likes of Pandora, as it explores new Internet radio opportunities.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Apple is looking to launch an Internet radio program of its own that is similar to Pandora and iHeartRadio. It will stream music based on user preferences, but without the usual restrictions that some other services tend to burden customers with.

When using Pandora, for instance, there is a limit on the number of times you can skip a song. Services like these also limit the number of times you can play a song. They also have advertisements, but these can sometimes be eliminated for an annual fee ($36 per year for Pandora).

But Apple wants to bypass all of that by making deals with record labels that could allow Apple users to play or skip songs as much as they'd like. It doesn't look like ads can be skipped though, as Apple will likely use the iAd platform to pass commercials through its radio.

A few of the record labels that Apple is in talks with include Sony Music, Warner Music Group and EMI.

Many details remain unclear so far, such as whether the service will be free or require a subscription. Some speculate that it'll work through the iPhone or iPad, where the service may be linked to a user's iTunes account.

Apple is due to announce the iPhone 5 at a press conference on September 12, but it looks to be too soon for an announcement about the Internet radio service as well.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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Don't do it!!!!

By topkill on 9/7/2012 3:21:02 PM , Rating: 4

They would have to be fools to trust Apple on this.

They'll end up getting screwed and Apple will find a way to steal, copy, trademark or patent something they see or hear from them and leave them holding a subpoena.

RE: Don't do it!!!!

By tayb on 9/7/2012 3:26:30 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
It will stream music based on user preferences, but without the usual restrictions that some other services tend to burden customers with.

Ugh. That sounds horrible! Who would want that?!? I love the commercials on Pandora, personally, they liven it up!

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 3:30:44 PM , Rating: 2

The key part to be aware of is "Apple will find a way to steal, copy, trademark or patent something they see or hear from them and leave them holding a subpoena."

Apple is just a bastard. Plain and simple. Strange that a company behaves that way, but there it is.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By tayb on 9/7/2012 3:36:21 PM , Rating: 3

Except the "they" here is big media. You know, the guys who installed rootkit on your computer and said it is illegal for you to burn a copy of your CD?

I swear, you guys would defend cancer if Apple was unveiling a cure.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By morgan12x on 9/7/2012 3:44:46 PM , Rating: 2

Hey! Cancer deserves a fair shake too! You can't just go around eliminating it because you don't like it.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 3:54:59 PM , Rating: 3

Awe, come on, The lawsuit thing was just a joke... But to your assertion, I would highly doubt a company as smug, condescending, backstabbing, hippocritical and self righteous as Apple would do anything other than buy the patent and hold out on the cure until someone paid enough for the rights to produce it.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By lightfoot on 9/7/2012 3:57:13 PM , Rating: 4

More likely Apple would buy the company that cured cancer, and sue anyone else working on cancer research.

They would then contract with other companies to make the cure, but not allow those companies to earn a profit (or even pay their own workers a reasonable salary.)

The cure would have to be administered over a two year period with an early termination fee by an exclusive Apple service provider who also could not earn a profit on their services.

Then they would make sure that the cancer cure only worked on Apple devices and that you couldn't transport it to another device if you decided to one day stop using Apple devices.

And then they would get people like tayb to go around and tell everyone how much everybody's lives have been improved by Apple.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By topkill on 9/7/2012 7:38:03 PM , Rating: 2

You've nailed it. This is exactly how Apple operates and the gist of the business model, just applied to another industry.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By tayb on 9/7/2012 4:09:38 PM , Rating: 1

quote:
I swear, you guys would defend cancer if Apple was unveiling a cure.

And judging by the comments, I wasn't wrong.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 4:15:31 PM , Rating: 5

Lets not be dramatic, Apple isnt curing Cancer. Apple is releasing products that are overpriced and underperforming, and they are suing other companies who are putting out better products than them on the grounds of they are copying the tech that Apple copied in the first place. If you cant grasp why people feel negative toward such hippocracy, then you need to have your head checked.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By tayb on 9/7/2012 4:25:31 PM , Rating: 1

I get it that you don't like Apple but this will be a win for everyone. If Apple can score such a deal it will soften these big media guys up for Pandora and others to score similar commercial-less deals. Consumers will win in the end. I, being a consumer, support deals where I get better things.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 5:13:36 PM , Rating: 2

If that is the goal and that turns out to be the resulted effect, then I am happy too. Somehow I see Apple manipulating this into a negative though.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By lightfoot on 9/7/2012 5:40:26 PM , Rating: 4

No matter what terms Apple gets they would NOT want their rivals to get the same or better terms.

Apple is not interested in making Pandora a better service, they are only interested in moving Pandora's profits into Apple's accounts.

It is the same reason Apple forbids Amazon from selling books to Apple users through the Kindle app; Amazon, and not Apple, is making the profit, and thus it can not be allowed.

It has nothing to do with making a better service, it is only to move the profits from the music industry to the Apple industry.

Apple did it with the music industry, the MP3 player industry, the cellphone industry, and they tried to do it in the eBooks industry. Apple cannot abide ANY company earning profits from what they view as "their customers" without Apple taking their cut.

When you buy an Apple product, Apple believes that they own you. That is how their entire business operates.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 6:21:34 PM , Rating: 2

Yup... now THAT sounds alot more like the Apple we all know.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By topkill on 9/7/2012 7:42:19 PM , Rating: 2

Exactly! This is the reason I hate Apple so much. They're goal is to control every part of the market, and simply "own" their customers as well.

Many of those customers are obliviously happy, because as others have pointed out, they simply are not aware of alternatives which are cheaper, more functional and don't control you and your future choices. i.e....they require no thought, just people willing, and happy, to be sheep.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By sigmatau on 9/7/2012 6:36:06 PM , Rating: 2

You mean just like ebooks and making Amazon charge more?

Really? You would defend Apple if they ran over your mother and raped your sister.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By topkill on 9/9/2012 1:04:05 PM , Rating: 2

"If Apple can score such a deal it will soften these big media guys up for Pandora and others to score similar commercial-less deals"

Your logic is so screwed. Did you notice that Pandora has dropped 18% since this came up?

Apple fan bois are famous for being in denial, but that one was special.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By GotThumbs on 9/10/2012 10:07:41 AM , Rating: 2

Wow!

You must bleed Apple Cool-Aid.

Have you even heard about the situation with Apple and publisher controlling prices?

You need to wake up and start at least questioning things more. Like how does Apple plan on making money at this? Its NOT because Apples "A great guy".

Hello.....McFly!

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Tony Swash on 9/7/12, Rating: -1

RE: Don't do it!!!!

By lightfoot on 9/7/2012 6:12:25 PM , Rating: 2

All other products have to compete with rival products that almost always are demonstrated right next to them. When you are aware of potential rival devices it is much easier to question weather you made the right choice or not. It also doesn't help that invariably there is a better device being released a few months later.

Many (but not all) Apple users are completely unaware that there are rival devices; Devices that in many cases do the same function at a lower price.

Apple forbids retailers from showing Apple products intermixed with other products.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By lightfoot on 9/7/2012 6:23:23 PM , Rating: 2

In short it is a "Paradox of Choice."

A person will almost always be happier with a decision that they made if they were offered fewer options in the first place. Apple knows this. It is why they have very little variation in their product lines and also why they don't want other options presented to the customer.

Simply being aware of other options will almost always lead to buyer's remorse.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 6:24:00 PM , Rating: 2

Wow, really? People that arent aware of the alternatives buy and like Apple products? Amazing.

Like I keep saying. Those that like Apple products will buy them in droves. Those of us that know better will get more and pay less with competing products.

Here's a good shirt for ya that 'splains it all without words.

https://www.tanga.com/deals/bdc21dd855/andy-nommin...

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Tony Swash on 9/7/2012 6:54:18 PM , Rating: 1

"Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane."
-- Philip K. Dick

I see you guys took that quote to heart.

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
- Philip K. Dick

Reality doesn't go away dudes - even if you try really, really hard to make it go away. It's still there when you open your eyes :)

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 7:14:08 PM , Rating: 2

Right back at 'cha.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By TakinYourPoints on 9/7/2012 6:44:10 PM , Rating: 2

How are they overpriced and underperforming? A comparable smartphone costs as much or more with or without a contract. They have a great OS on desktop and mobile and the best mobile developer support out there. A comparable notebook (performance, chassis size, battery life) costs about as much as what others sell for, less in some cases (compare a MBP with an Elitebook).

As for lawsuits, I can't 100% disagree there despite Samsung's blatant copying, so bad that even Google told them to knock it off. It'll take patent reform to address that issue, until then I only really care about the product. The endgame is more cross-licensing anyway (Microsoft did while Samsung refused), so this is all just noise on the way to getting there.

Unlike others here you aren't a completely terrible poster but your points can get pretty ragey and driven by emotion sometimes. You should probably try and relax.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 7:20:48 PM , Rating: 2

That is only because I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it any more ;)

You want to get into overpriced and underperforming again? It's been done and we all know the score. Just a few examples, you can buy both new Kindle 1280x800 7 inch and 1920x1200 for the same price as the ipad. You gan get an iPhone or for the same price get any # of high end droids and get...

- Larger Screens
- Higher resolution screens
- Faster CPU
- 4G
- Better battery life (while powering larger screens)
- Better OS
- Better UI
- Prettier OS
- Faster Voice search (with more features to boot)
- Flexibility in OS (Tons of Custom ROM's, etc)
- Flexibility in hardware (qwerty models, removable batteries, larger models, smaller models, high end models, mid range models, cheap models)
- Micro SD card
- Micro USB (Like every other phone made by every other manufacturer on planet Earth for hte past for years, except of course, Apple)
- Plug and play as a flash drive to copy files

The list grows more with every generation of phones that comes out. Apple dominated from 2007 to 2011, but they have really slowed the innovation down to a halt. The iPhone 5's biggest 2 features (4 inch screen and 4G) existed on Android 2 years ago.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Tony Swash on 9/7/2012 8:14:58 PM , Rating: 1

You can huff and you can puff but you can't blow Apple's house down.

Watch Apple roll out of all the new products in the coming weeks followed by another record quarter for Apple and a business performance that leaves the others in the dust.

Don't you get it? Steve Jobs wanted to create and perfect one product above all others - and that was Apple itself.

You think Apple are slowing down. I think you really believe that. They are just getting started :)

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/7/2012 8:49:47 PM , Rating: 2

A perfect money making business, absolutely, nicely done, but a perfect product? LOL. The iPhone is not even in the same ballpark as its competition anymore.

You are delusional if you think Apple has innovated anything in the past several years. Adding a larger screen and 4g? Come one, even you must have been hoping for more than that.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By momorere on 9/7/2012 9:37:05 PM , Rating: 1

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/iPhone-5-Fake-Goo...

nuff said. Karma is a bitch and is just getting starting coming back to them

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By espaghetti on 9/7/2012 10:51:25 PM , Rating: 2

Get that joke of a website link out of here.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By momorere on 9/7/2012 11:46:57 PM , Rating: 2

Aww another sheeple getting all torn up over his beloved crApple ? Google it for yourself. That was just the first site that I had personally seen post it. It is on plenty others. I forgot to mention that crApple will be getting sued by HTC over 4G as well. They shouldn't have bite the hand that feeds. Hopefully they go down like Tony does on Tim.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Tony Swash on 9/8/2012 5:40:34 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
Hopefully they go down like Tony does on Tim.

What is it with Apple haters and the obsessive use of homeoerotic imagery? Are they just pissed that Apple never released the iCloset?

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By momorere on 9/8/2012 9:50:13 AM , Rating: 2

Tony Tony Tony. I can only image that this were you many moons ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFhjDX-DUew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTTSsB92L_s

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Cheesew1z69 on 9/8/2012 11:54:26 AM , Rating: 2

Were? He STILL is... it's pretty obvious...

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Tony Swash on 9/8/2012 12:23:14 PM , Rating: 2

I was pleased I looked so young in the videos and my new specs seem to work so well but angry that I was being stalked and filmed.

Actually I loved those videos - very funny!

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By momorere on 9/8/2012 3:14:50 PM , Rating: 2

If by funny, you mean sad and pathetically true, then yes they are. So that was a day in the life of Tony in his glorious utopia that is crApple ? I feel for you.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Tony Swash on 9/8/2012 4:44:13 PM , Rating: 1

Stop taking everything, and mostly yourself, so seriously. Smile. Be happy. We don't live for ever and life is short. Fill it with anger and bitterness and it wil be wasted and probably shorter still. Go have a beer my friend :)

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By TakinYourPoints on 9/8/2012 2:45:54 AM , Rating: 2

More battery life is the result of the larger chassis, hence the larger screens existing in the first place. Big screens are a major reason why the only 4G phones with decent battery life are in those monsters. You have it backwards. The 28nm Qualcomm 4G parts just coming out are why you haven't seen good 4G battery life in mid or small size smartphones until just now.

Anandtech made that call as to why 4G wasn't in the 4S last year. 4G with last year's parts would have cut battery life almost in half, completely unacceptable for a new iPhone.

Faster CPU, meh, I suppose it is impressive compared to a 4S from a year ago, but other than benchmarks it really doesn't matter given that practical performance is still good on both side.

By the way, congratulations on finally getting a smooth UI with the launch of Jelly Bean, it only took four years. Big round of applause.

I know you dodged this, but no other mobile GPUs come anywhere close to what's in the iPhone or iPad, even with the newest Android handsets. The newest iPhone is right around the corner, and it will likelyt set the bar even higher. Of course, if there were games and applications on Android that really took advantage of the GPU then I suppose it would actually matter, but again developer support is pretty weak so then maybe that shouldn't matter to you anyways.

It's kind of like how Linux nerds really don't need that much hardware since they aren't going to be playing games on their machines anyway.

OS flexibility doesn't really matter to me once I've gotten past the tinkering stage. At best its a bunch of hoops to jump through in order to get out of third party UIs and back to stock Android. Too much busywork for something that should just work. My PC is for tinkering, I just want my phone to work and have tons of useful apps.

Hardware flexability is nice but I don't care to have a physical keyboard on a phone ever again. Don't care.

There are plenty of price options with Apple, anywhere from a free phones that cost the same as any other high end Android phone. By this point next month the freebie will be the iPhone 4, so whatever.

Micro SD and micro USB don't particularly matter to me, the former because 64GB onboard is enough for me, and micro USB because the physical connector is crap and up until last year, did less than the dock connector. Accessory support with the dock connector is A+ so I'm cool with it. There's way more you can use with an iPhone than with other phones. Same with Airplay, aside from dock speakers its also being built into receivers now.

Hell, my Marantz pre-amp has Airplay built in, sweet.

To use an iPhone as a flash drive, "there's an app for that".

I get that you don't like Apple products, fine. Spend your money how you like. All platforms have pros and cons. Android certainly has pros over iOS and vice versa, its all about where priorities lie. I want the apps, hardware, and OS update support on the iOS side, while Android users want to tinker with the home screen and big 5" displays. Cool. However, to deny the things that the platform does very well and paint their numerous users as braindead sheep is sperglord arrogance.

The platform is great, get over it.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By themaster08 on 9/8/2012 6:54:07 AM , Rating: 2

Purely anecdotal, but I've been a Windows Phone user for the best part of 18 months now. I was recently given a 4th gen iPod Touch. Whilst the wealth of applications and media is great, the OS itself just feels like a complete downgrade in comparison to Windows Phone.

One thing holding iOS ahead is its absolute mass of applications, and knowing that it will work on your device. I must admit, it's great being able to find that exact thing you're looking for on the App Store, instead of having to choose a limited alternative found on the Windows Phone Marketplace, or most of the time, no alternative at all.

Having that wealth of applications is of course a very appealing prospect to purchase an Apple product. I do feel, however, that if Windows 8 can somehow leverage the amount of applications on Windows Phone, both iOS and Android will face serious competition, since it's already bringing the hardware. OS update support is also a key element which you bring up. Microsoft shot themselves in the foot by not allowing current Windows Phones to upgrade. Android's update system is an absolute mess. This is something Apple have got right and should be an example to all of its competitors.

It's simple, the elements you mentioned are those key elements that are holding iOS up towards its competitors, with the exception of hardware. The hardware found on some Android devices I find to be far more appealing. Even if the newest iPhone surpasses current phones in terms of its hardware, the rate at which its competitors release their phones in comparison will always make that short lived.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By TakinYourPoints on 9/8/2012 3:50:25 PM , Rating: 2

I think WP is pretty great. I actually feel that its UI is the best one in many ways. Live tiles and integration with so many services right on the navigation page is really excellent.

The main thing holding WP back has been hardware. As for software, it is a chicken and the egg scenario. If it gets more users, apps will follow bigtime. I do see higher potential for a good app market given its superior developer tools, non-fragmented OS, and locked down app market, all controlled by Microsoft. This protects developer profits and gives them a centralized place from which to sell apps.

I think WP has potential to rival iOS with apps, its just a matter of more people getting on board. For the same to happen with Google, I think it will depend on Google taking control back from OEMs and carriers, as well as locking down the app market.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By retrospooty on 9/8/2012 8:38:49 AM , Rating: 2

"All platforms have pros and cons. Android certainly has pros over iOS and vice versa, its all about where priorities lie."

I can agree with that, and I can see why some people are still buying an iPhone. For me, the many benefits of Android outweigh the few of iPhone by a wide margin. aa 4 to 1 sales gap kind of agrees with me as well.

Even you have to admit, 2 years ago that list greatly favored Apple. Android (and WinMob) has really caught the pst 2 years, while Apple's additions have been what? Buying Siri, 4 inhc screens and 4G? Not a lot of "new" there.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By TakinYourPoints on 9/8/2012 3:58:28 PM , Rating: 2

A 4-1 sales gap is partly due to Android handsets being available on every carrier for much longer, not to mention there being loads of low end hardware available for free or next to nothing. The latter is something that happened less than a year ago. As for carriers, every boost in iPhone sales has corresponded either to new hardware, or it being available on a new carrier. The biggest boost in iPhones among people I know was when they were made available on Verizon.

Quality doesn't have everything to do with sales numbers, price and carrier availability have been huge advantages Android has had for a very long time. Hardware diversity is another advantage; if you want a giant screen then it is the only option. If we're only comparing comparable high-end hardware then the sales gap tightens significantly.

As for "new", eh, I've said over and over that application quality is the main thing for me. It may not be for you or many others, but for me it is the most important thing. A home page is just a launcher for the apps that I use, but that's just me.

Again, all about priorities.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By TakinYourPoints on 9/8/2012 4:00:57 PM , Rating: 2

Whoops, I need to edit my posts before posting them. :)

"The latter is something that happened less than a year ago" should read "The latter is something that happened less than a year ago with Apple", in regards to selling lower end models for cheap or free with contract.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By msheredy on 9/7/2012 4:15:27 PM , Rating: 2

Ha! I actually LOL'd when I read this. Your statement is so true too!

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Aloonatic on 9/9/2012 11:54:54 AM , Rating: 2

That's not how Apple operates.

They'd claim to have invented cancer itself, patent it (iTumas) and then sue anyone that has it.

:-)

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Camikazi on 9/7/2012 4:36:51 PM , Rating: 2

The article says that the ads will most likely still be there since Apple owns an advertising company so those won't go away.

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RE: Don't do it!!!!

By Gio6518 on 9/9/2012 10:20:41 AM , Rating: 2

People may have no choice..... If crApple is in talks..... More than likely they want to secure contracts for exclusive rights with record labels to stream music, and every one else will be denied songs from certain record labels...

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Hah! Is this another example.....

By GotThumbs on 9/10/2012 10:02:42 AM , Rating: 3

of Apples approach to "Innovation"?

Sorry, Just had to laugh at this.

Best Wishes,

Good Deal for the Pandora Experience

By GTVic on 9/7/2012 4:13:59 PM , Rating: 2

I would pay that much for a 9' alien avatar body :)

Meh

By TakinYourPoints on 9/7/2012 6:47:20 PM , Rating: 2

Do people really like Pandora anymore? I dunno, I prefer subscription services like MOG or Rdio, but whatever.

I guess Apple would have to go with a Pandora-like since they already have iTunes Match for $25 a year. Adding a subscription service on top of that would sort of overlap. I'll stick with MOG.

I need to get me a sock puppet account.

By dark matter on 9/9/2012 3:35:39 PM , Rating: 2

Then I too can troll like the best of them on Apple articles.

I often wonder if it's actually just two people arguing with other, was well as themselves.