Urge

The Urge music service from MTV and Microsoft has launched. Unsurprisingly the service is not iPod-compatible:

"Music you download or purchase from URGE is in Windows Media Audio (WMA) format and protected by the Windows Digital Rights Management (DRM) software which is not compatible with the iPod. Apple has currently only made the iPod compatible with another format called AAC."

Duh. Last time I looked iPod had a 79% market share. Go ahead Urge and squabble with Connect et al over the remaining 21%. But I think this device will make a huge impact, because it resolves the AAC/WMA incompatibility issues by supporting both. And will likely penetrate the market because (a) it's also - shock - a phone and (b) it's cost will be subsidised by MNOs, thereby giving it a price-point in competition with stand-alone MP3 players.

Posted by monoman at 04:40 PM on May 22, 2006