Mobile

Apple Inc. is in discussions with television networks to lower the price of downloaded TV shows when the company begins selling its new iPad tablet computer, people familiar with the talks said.

One of these people said Apple has already been testing a price of 99 cents—half the price of standard-definition TV episodes—for certain shows on its iTunes service and wants to finalize a deal to offer that price more broadly along with the iPad, which is expected to go on sale in late March.

A search on iTunes showed, for example, that episodes of MTV Networks’ comedy show “Wonder Showzen,” Viacom’s “Celebrity Paranormal Project” and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.’s “Children’s Hospital” drama series are currently on sale for 99 cents.

Some episodes of selected television shows have also been available for free.

The people familiar with the talks said the new pricing has not been finalized yet. A spokesman for Apple declined to comment.

The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Apple could begin offering 99-cent pricing for TV shows along with the iPad.

The discussions are part of Apple’s broader strategy to overhaul its iTunes service. The Cupertino, Calif., company acquired music-streaming service La La Media Inc. late last year as part of a plan to offer consumers more ways to access and manage their music purchases.

On the video side, it has been in serious discussions with television networks since last fall to come up with more compelling pricing packages for consumers.

Apple currently offers TV shows for $1.99 for standard-definition episodes and $2.99 for high-definition episodes. For an entire season, consumers might pay $49.99 in high-definition for a popular television series. Several executives at media companies have acknowledged in recent months that Apple’s prices for video on iTunes are extremely high, but it’s also one of the reasons why media companies and cable operators have not felt threatened by the offerings.

As The Wall Street Journal previously reported, Apple’s initial discussions with the networks centered on a monthly subscription plan for a selection of TV shows.

People familiar said those talks appear to have stalled, though one of those people said that Apple hasn’t given up on that idea as an additional offering.

Beefing up its content offerings is crucial for the success of the iPad, which Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has touted as the pre-eminent media and entertainment device.

One person familiar with the talks said that Apple met with at least one network as recently as last week to discuss the pricing. This person said the company was trying to “ignite the video part of iTunes,” which has been a small contributor to the service’s revenues so far.

In its quarter ended Dec. 26, Apple reported $1.16 billion in iTunes Store sales, iPod services and accessories.

LAS VEGAS – January 06, 2010 – FLO TV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), and mophie today announced they are teaming to create a series of products that will bring live mobile TV to the iPhone and iPod touch platforms.

The products, which are expected to begin shipping in the first half of this year, will bring the award-winning FLO TV mobile TV service to the cutting-edge mophie juice pack, letting consumers view their favorite live entertainment, sports and news from the world’s top entertainment brands on their iPhone and iPod touch.

“We are uniting our vision of advancing mobile TV across a range of devices and platforms with mophie’s unrivaled expertise in designing intelligent cases for Apple users,” said Bill Stone, president of FLO TV. “Together, our solution will be a true live mobile TV product available to iPhone and iPod touch users.”

“mophie’s juice pack line has delivered superior rechargeable external battery life to Apple users,” said Shawn Dougherty, vice president of mophie, designer of the world’s thinnest Apple-certified external battery/protective case and other Apple-certified accessories. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to elevate our intelligent case design through this creative product collaboration and deliver the ultimate mobile television experience for iPhone users.”

The agreement between mophie and FLO TV reflects the growing demand for mobile television and FLO TV’s commitment to bring its award-winning service to any small screen. The new products integrate mophie’s intelligent case design with a built-in FLO TV receiver that allows iPhone and iPod touch users the ability to watch live television at the flip of a switch. Consumers can also utilize the device as back-up battery power in between charges.

Service not available everywhere. Programming subject to change / blackout restrictions. Service subscription required. “Live mobile television” means the FLO TV service transmits channels in real time; no downloading, sideloading or buffering.

About mophie
mophie is an award winning accessory company consistently praised for its creative designs and innovative solutions. mophie was proud to be the first ever “Works With iPhone” certified battery by Apple Inc. Its products can be found in Apple Stores and major retailers worldwide and onwww.mophie.com. Follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mophielovesyou.

About FLO TV
The FLO TV service combines the best content, an intuitive user interface and a superior multicast network to deliver a true quality TV viewing experience for consumers. FLO TV offers full–length simulcast and time–shifted programming from the world’s best entertainment brands, including ABC, ABC Entertainment, ABC Family, ABC News, ABC Sports, Adult Swim Mobile, CBS, CBS College Sports, CBS News, CNBC, COMEDY CENTRAL, Disney Channel, Disney Channel Original Movies, ESPN, ESPNEWS, ESPN 2, FOX, FOX News Channel, FOX Sports, FUEL TV, MSNBC, MTV, NBC 2Go, NBC News, NBC Sports, nickelodeon, Playhouse Disney and SOAPNet. Based in San Diego, Calif., FLO TV Incorporated is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. Further information is available at www.flotv.com

Las Vegas, NV, January 8, 2010 – Monster, the leader in audio/video accessories, and Beats™ by Dr. Dre™, co-founded by legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre and Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine, announced a revolutionary new addition to their popular headphone family – Beats by Dr. Dre Spin™ Professional Headphones (SRP: $349). A breakthrough in professional music listening and creative equipment, the Beats Spin headphones were developed through the collaborative efforts of legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre, Monster and Jimmy Iovine.

The new over-ear Beats Spin headphones combine sophisticated construction and advanced sonic technologies to deliver the power, extra durability and sound isolation that until now has been lacking in professional headphones. Beats Spin headphones are tailored for use by working DJs, producers, engineers and musicians, both in the studio and onstage.

Dr. Dre noted: “Our first headphones delivered what we wanted: to hear the music the right way, the way I do. Now we’re introducing headphones that let you use them the way I do. We created headphones that are specifically designed for the people on the frontlines: engineers, producers, djs…I basically wake up with headphones on….trust me, these are the shit.”

“The DJ and recording engineer are ground zero of making and presenting music to the world. We believe we have created the perfect headphone to marry those two worlds,” said Jimmy Lovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records.

Noel Lee, the Head Monster, noted: “To create Beats Spin, Monster and the Beats by Dr. Dre team conducted in-depth research with many of the industry’s top professional recording artists, engineers and DJs to find out just what they wanted in a great headphone. One of the things we heard most from them is that they need a super-durable headphone that could be counted on for repeated use. In addition to making this and other specific professional concerns a top priority, our engineers worked hard to develop a headphone with impeccable sonic performance that would be ideal for everyday use by anybody who is truly serious about their music listening. The result is a first-of-its-kind high-performance headphone with a host of extremely useful innovations that will literally change the way pros think about their headphones and how they use them in their work and their leisure time.”

Beats Spin new and innovative features and capabilities include:

Unprecedented Durability: To create a headphone capable of standing up to the rigors of rough and repeated professional use, every aspect of Beats Spin headphones was designed for rock-solid durability. Most importantly, all components of the all-important headphone hinge are made of metal, unlike the plastic components used by other pro headphones.

Sound Isolation: To recreate the quietness of an isolated recording studio listening experience, Beats Spin headphones feature a variety of ambient noise-isolation capabilities, allowing consumers to hear the music clearly, even in the noisiest environments.

On-the-Fly Mixing and Sharing with Monster Patented Input/Output Jacks: For musicians or engineers working in the studio, as well as DJs spinning in a club, the art of creation involves a great deal of on-the-fly improvisation. That’s why both Beats Spin earpieces feature specially designed Monster patented jacks that can serve as both inputs or outputs. This unique configuration frees users to quickly and easily send and accept signals from a soundboard or share their creative mixes with fellow artists.

“No More Tangle” Cord Management, Plus ControlTalk™: Beats Spin solve the problem of tangled cable with several key modifications. First, they feature a long 6-foot cord, and unlike many professional headphone models, which utilize 9- or 12-inch coiled sections, the coiled section of the Beats Spin cable is just 3” long (expandable to 1-foot). This allows users just the right amount of coil for long reaches, but avoids the high tangle properties of longer coil cables. Beats Spin also offer a second cord option for added flexibility in everyday use as well – Monster’s super-convenient ControlTalk headphone cable*. ControlTalk can be used with iPhone™ and iPod® for music playback control as well as to take hands-free calls with iPhone and many smartphones. The cable’s integrated high-grade microphone and answer button lets users access their music and answer phone calls without having to reach into their pocketbook, backpack or pocket.

Comfort: Everything about Beats Spin, from their oversize plush ear cups to their extra wide band are designed for total wearer comfort.

Ear Cups That Swivel and Can Be Removed for Cleaning. Both ear cups swivel back easily for greater artistic freedom and flexibility and can be easily removed for washing. This same swivel mechanism also plays a role in helping make Beats Spin headphones super compact when folded away for storage

* The ControlTalk remote and mic are supported by iPod nano (4th and 5th generation), iPod classic (120GB), iPod touch (2nd generation), and iPhone 3GS and newer, but not all, Blackberry models. The remote is supported by iPod shuffle (3rd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models. Requires software version 1.0.3 for iPod nano (4th or 5th generation), 2.0.1 for iPod classic (120GB), and 2.2 or later for iPod touch (2nd generation). Support for Blackberry varies by model. Subject to change.

As you’re mapping your route for your black Friday shopping quest, you might want to plan to make a stop at your computer first. A number of retailers will be using social media sites like Facebook andtwitter to disseminate information about their deals and promotions this holiday season.

For instance, as I mentioned in a previous post, office supplies retailer Staples last week released some of its black Friday deals to its fans on Facebook and followers on twitter.

(One Staples twitter update read: “A deal hotter than grandma’s burnt Thanksgiving rolls:Save $90 on eMachines 21.5″ monitor-only $89.98! 11/27.6-10am.US only #BlackFriday”)

According to the eHoliday Study by Shop.org (a division of the National Retail Federation), 47.1 percent of retailers said they will be increasing their use of social media this holiday season.

About 60 percent of the respondents said they had recently enhanced their Facebook (60.3 percent) or Twitter (58.7 percent) accounts, while two-thirds said they had added or enhanced blogs or RSS feeds.

In a story by the Associated Press, Dan de Grandpre, editor-in-chief of dealnews.com, said that retailers using social networking sites will see benefits beyond black Friday, as shoppers will probably continue to be followers even after the holidays are over.

Bottom line: if you’re looking for ways to find the best sales this holiday season, it might be a smart move to see what your favorite retailers are doing online.

Oh, and one last quick tip for iPhone users who are deal hunters: a free app from dealnews.com will allow you to browse black Friday ads. It will list Cyber Monday ads, as well.