iLounge

By Charles Starrett

Senior Editor, iLounge
Published: Monday, September 29, 2008
News Category: Mix

Norway consumer advocate Bjoern Erik Thon is taking Apple to the country’s Market Council seeking to force Apple into adjusting its iTunes Store music offerings to ensure they play on digital players other than the iPod. Norway is leading the European campaign that began two years ago, claiming the DRM restrictions violate Norwegian law, and is backed by Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. “We discussed this at a meeting two weeks ago, and decided that Norway will do the test case,” Thon. “This could have international consequences.” The council has the ability under law to order companies to change their business practices, and can issue fines if they do not comply. In a meeting in February, Apple expressed its desire to drop DRM from music sold on its store, but has yet to make any further strides since that meeting. The company has until November 3 to respond to the council’s allegations.

First shown during Apple’s WWDC event in June, Digital Legends Entertainment’s Kroll game is now available on the App Store. A 3D adventure title, Kroll uses a mix of on-screen and accelerometer-based controls to let the user battle through nine different levels and environments. The game will also offer three difficulty levels, as well as a scoring system to keep track of progress. Kroll sells for $8.

Along with changing its review requirements, Apple has also changed the way updated applications are listed on the App Store. According to AppleInsider, apps are now sorted by their original release date, instead of by the date of their most recent update. The prior way of sorting resulted in older applications reappearing on the first pages of their categories, often pushing newer releases back in the listings prematurely.

Marware has introduced its new Sport Grip Extreme for the fourth-generation iPod nano. The Extreme is a form-fitting case made from dual-colored, antimicrobial silicone, and features open access to all ports and controls, textured sides for added grip, and an included screen protector and cleaning cloth. Marware’s Sport Grip Extreme for iPod nano 4G is now available for pre-order in black/red, white/gray, and pink/white, and sells for $20.