Sure not all artists there allow for the free downloads of their music, but many do. Enough to renew the contents on your iPod. A chance to meet new artists, and perhaps boast about being among the first to discover their music once they make it to the top of the charts.

Try it out over at Download.com Music.

Ah, N. Korea

How can you trust a country that only gives their neighbor and sole “friend” China a warning call of 20 minutes before they launch the nuclear test which now has the entire world infuriated even more at them. If N. Korean government turns around and bites the hand that feeds them, what can one expect they do to others.

And now that everyone is considering and implementing sanctions against N. Korea, following a U.N. resolution last week, the country’s official foreign policy is to threaten, in “moderation”. A message to neighboring South Korea by North Korean leadership says any sanctions the South decides to impose will be considered “a declaration of confrontation”.

No official voices have yet been raised in favor of a change in N. Korean leadership, since if the North suspects moves to regime change they could consider it a threat to their sovereignty and start a new Korean war.

A look at Sudan

Continuing with the world’s hotspots, the situation over at Sudan’s Darfur region is in apparent standstill. That is, regarding the strengthening of peacekeeping forces. Because rebel fighting continues to claim innocent lives and drive thousands more out of their homes. The UN wants to move in with a 20,000 strong force, but Sudan’s leader says a stronger peacekeeping force would have to be from the African Union alone, while “foreigners” could limit their assistance to logistics and such… The situation however remains much out of control, and I don’t think the people who are in every day perilous situations would really mind if the peacekeeping forces stationed to protect them are from Africa, Europe, the US or planet Mars for that matter, as long as they do their job right.

It is hopeful though that a doubling of the peacekeeping forces would be considered anyhow, even if it has to be exclusively AU forces.

On other news…

Madonna defends adoption

Pop singer Madonna appeared on Oprah and claimed the media is turning the entire story of her bid for the adoption of a Malawian baby boy, into something it hasn’t been. Madonna who is doing great humanitarian work in support of Malawian orphans has had her efforts to adopt young David Banda contested by a committee of 67 Malawian NGOs, which oppose foreign adoptions unless the parents have lived in the country for a year and a half.

iTunes stuff played elsewhere…

Those of you downloading music from Apple’s iTunes store, know that digital rights management software (FairPlay) on the tracks prevents them from being played elsewhere than in an iPod portable player. And that you’re also restricted as to how many computers you can move your music to.

Hacker Jon Lech Johansen is about to change all that. Breaking the code and “freeing the music” in a manner which is claimed to be both legitimate and is planned to be licensed to other portable digital music player manufacturers… I wonder how all that turns out, since it is the first time such technology is being commercialized and easily accessible. Something to which I’d like to see Apple’s official response.

Join me as I investigate what the Zune is really going to be like, and whether it can challenge the dominance of the iPod.

What is it like?

According to Microsoft’s press release, the first version of the Zune to hit the stores will be a 30GB portable media player, available in stylish white, black, and brown with “a distinctive double-shot finish”. It will feature a 3-inch wide color LCD screen (half an inch larger than the 30GB Video iPod), which will be able to display content both in portrait and landscape mode, with landscape mode obviously being best for watching video. Navigation controls are via a circular click-pad with additional menu and play / pause buttons.

The 30GB hard disk of the device means it can carry a whole lot of songs, photos and videos. You can squeeze up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video into your Zune!

Among the added bonuses is the built in FM tuner, allowing you to listen to local radio stations and (if the station broadcasts these) see the title of the songs played on the screen. A screen which can be easily customized with your own wallpaper photos to give the device that personal touch.

Sharing and Connectivity

Wireless capabilities (Wi-Fi) will be built in the device as well. That is a big step, and a vital one for Microsoft’s marketing campaign. “The Zune experience centers around connection – connection to your library, connection to friends, connection to community and connection to other devices”, the company says.

What this will essentially allow is for users to share music and other files, Zune-to-Zune! Share full length tracks, which you will be able to listen to 3 times over a period of 3 days. If you decide you like and would want to buy a track, then you can easily flag it as a prospective purchase, connect your Zune to your PC and access Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace.

Zune Marketplace, besides being the official store for Zune (what iTunes is to iPod) aims to become the music service for an online community of artists, and audiences who’ll be able to share, and discover new content.

A bit of DJing and social networking is also made possible since according to Wikipedia, “The device will allow users to stream music to four other Zune users, and in addition users can add other users as friends to create a social network”.

Software & Importing Music

Microsoft has long been a world leader in software, and this is probably going to be one of the strongest points of Zune. The player’s software will be able to receive automatic software updates and new features over the Internet as these are made available, via your PC.

The supported media file formats you can import include unprotected WMA, MP3, AAC for music, photos in JPEG, and videos in WMV, MPEG-4, H.264 directly from your Windows Media Player or iTunes.

What more?

Microsoft says Zune will be ready to play with, the minute you take it out of the box. Preloaded music content from labels such as DTS and Virgin Records!

If you want to buy music, you can do so in individual downloads or get a “Zune Pass” subscription which will give you unlimited access to the entire Zune Marketplace.

If you’re wandering what kind of accessories will be made available, 3 accessory packs for Car, Home and Travel will be made available right away, with components of each being individually sold as well. These include the Zune Dock and AV Output Cable which is part of connecting your Zune to your TV or music speakers.

What Next?

Well, the folks over at Microsoft are overwhelming about what the future of Zune will be. They promise among other things, greater sharing and connectivity features, all part of their “digital music entertainment revolution”. Later versions of Zune will feature larger storage capacity and reportedly even a camera such as those found in popular mobile phones.

Meanwhile, manufacturers such as Altec Lansing and Belkin Corp. are working with Microsoft to produce a full array of accessories for Zune.

Zune vs iPod

iPod is undoubtedly the king of style and quality when it comes to portable digital media players. It currently holds an estimated 75% share of the market, and has recently announced a new range of 5th-generation iPods, including new video iPods which feature portable video games as well! So it is apparent Apple is not just going to hand over the scepter to the kingdom. However increased competition can only mean added benefits to consumers, as rival companies make their products better and better.

Since Zune is only available at 30GBs at first, and Apple has an entire range of products, I will be attempt a comparison between Zune and the Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback. Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive comparison, and the Zune is not yet out to know all for certain.

Microsoft 30 GB Zune

Storage: 30GB hard drive
Screen: 3 inches
Wireless: Yes
Games: No
Podcasts: Unknown
Built-in FM tuner: Yes
Supported Audio: WMA, MP3, AAC
Supported Video: WMV, MPEG-4, H.264
Supporting Music Service: Yes, Zune Marketplace

Apple 30 GB iPod with Video Playback

Storage: 30 GB hard drive
Screen: 2.5 inches
Wireless: No
Games: Yes
Podcasts: Yes
Built-in FM tuner: No
Supported Audio: AAC, Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store), MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, & AIFF
Supported Images: JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG
Supported Video: MOV, MPEG-4, H.264
Supporting Music Service: Yes, iTunes

Well, if you’ve managed to read so far – you’re probably interested to find out even more. Try the following online resources.

Online Resources

• BBC NEWS – Microsoft Zune out for Christmas
• Zune Insider Blog
• Coming Zune
• Microsoft Zune – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Microsoft

BBC – The World Today Select

The World Today examines news, developments and interesting stories around the world on a daily basis. BBC’s celebrated program now comes with a dedicated Podcast, called “The World Today Select”. 15 minutes of concentrated goodness, just so you know what is happening in this planet we call home.

Podcast Feed: The World Today Select feed
Website: BBC – The World Today

The Delta Park Project – The Big Show

This couple may just have discovered the secret in keeping your marriage a happy one. Co-host a Podcast show, and then some! Jason and Anna’s Big Show is described on site as:

A great weekly show with comedy clips, pop culture reviews, the small town police blotter and funny songs.

Well, they deliver what they promise and The Big Show, is the first in a series of interesting Podcast and Vodcast shows of the Delta Park Project.

Podcast Feed: http://www.deltaparkproject.com/feed.cfm
Website: http://www.deltaparkproject.com

And this concludes this week’s recommendations, view past Podcast Wednesday posts here, and stay tuned because next time you will not believe your ears!