Technology Review says full-length iTunes movie downloads would not be efficient because of their large file size and current broadband speeds. “This is one of the reasons why there’s no activity taking place” in movie downloads, says Frank Casanova, director of QuickTime Product Marketing at Apple. With a 1.5GB movie file, “you could request a movie from Netflix [which delivers DVDs by mail] before this download gets to you.”
Napster has released two new Napster-branded portable music players. The company is offering a 256MB flash player for free with a Napster To Go year-long subscription, and a 1GB player that is $50 with the Napster To Go subscription. [via Gizmodo]
The Virgin chain in France has been found guilty of downloading and reselling a Madonna song without permission. “The store’s online portal was ordered by the Paris Tribunal of Commerce to pay €600,000, or $754,000, in damages for downloading [and reselling] the Madonna song ‘Hung Up’ from a France Telecom Web site. The Web site had exclusive rights to distribute the song for one week.”
Marketwatch’s Frank Barnako asks if podcasts are a waste of time, reporting that Waxxi.us aims to make podcasts more interesting by making them interactive. “We allow people from all across the globe to participate, rather than just listen,” said Waxxi’s Tracy Sheridan. “With the audience listening and commenting, we get a flow, not just questions and answers.”