Apple plans to extend song previews to 90 seconds - BetaNews

Apple has told the record labels that it plans to extend previews in iTunes for songs over two minutes and thirty seconds from 30 to 90 seconds. In a note to its content providers, it said it believed "that giving potential customers more time to listen to your music will lead to more purchases."

Many had expected Apple to increase preview times eventually, but had though it would be to a full minute, and was expected by some to be announced at Apple's September music event. Several other music providers have begun to offer longer previews, which likely give consumers a better idea of the song they plan to purchase.

Labels will be forced to comply with the switch: the letter states that their continued presence on the store indicates their acceptance of the new terms. If they do not want 90-second previews of their content they will need to remove it from iTunes, Apple wrote.

It is hard to see why the labels would not want to comply: longer previews would seemingly increase sales. Add to this that Apple has provided protections for shorter songs by making the minimum song length a full minute longer, and no label would be giving their content away for free through a preview.

The Cupertino company so far has not acknowledged the change publicly, and as of Wednesday afternoon song previews still remained at 30 seconds. No timeline was given for the change according to press reports. It appears to only affect the US version of the iTunes Music Store.

Apple could not be reached for comment.

Today, v9 of Chrome's dev build has been made available, beating the anticipated Chrome 8 beta to release.

In yet another black eye for social networking site Facebook, the site disclosed Friday that several developers were selling user data to a third-party.

Today, Windows Live Hotmail users will begin to receive the ability to send email from other existing email addresses while using Hotmail.

In one week, Windows Phone 7 handsets go on sale in the United States. We asked which phone you want to buy. The anecdotal results overwhelmingly favor two models.

Facebook has unveiled Deals, a feature which allows retailers to list special offers for those checking in.

Apple has told the record labels that it plans to extend previews in iTunes for songs over two minutes and thirty seconds from 30 to 90 seconds.

ABI Research today made a bold prediction regarding WiMAX adoption in the United States: that Sprint will sell nearly 3 million WiMAX-capable smartphones by the end of 2010.

Attempting to stay on par with its competitors, Oracle said Tuesday that it had acquired retail software company Art Technology Group for $1 billion in cash.

To cut down on its reliance on fixed communications, the U.S. Army is building an expeditionary mobile network with the aid of contractor ManTech.

Google TV is expected to arrive in Europe some time in 2011, so while customers wait, Yahoo Connected TV is stepping up.

A California law that prevents the sale of violent video games to minors may end up being struck down in the US Supreme Court as justices appeared to question its constitutionality.

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Republicans Won Bigger Than You Think - Wall Street Journal

Fred Barnes: Republicans Won Bigger Than You Think - WSJ.com More BigCharts Virtual Stock Exchange WSJ Asia WSJ Europe WSJ Portuguese WSJ Spanish WSJ Chinese WSJ Japanese WSJ Radio Financial News WSJ Lifestyle Brands WSJwine SEARCH Thursday, August 5, 2010 As of 8:47 PM EDT | The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal Welcome, Logout My Account My Journal Help Message Center ( new)
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Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visitwww.djreprints.com

See a sample reprint in PDF format.Order a reprint of this article nowOPINIONNOVEMBER 4, 2010Republicans Won Bigger Than You ThinkThe GOP will have operational control of the Senate more often than Majority Leader Harry Reid will. ArticleCommentsmore in Opinion »BY FRED BARNES

Republicans are better off after their landslide victory in the midterm election than even they imagine. Democrats are worse off. This situation could change quickly, but chances are it won't.

For starters, Republicans will continue to have issues on their side. The election reaffirmed that America is a center-right country and that a sizeable majority is anxious about government spending and debt, President Obama's health-care plan, and jobs. Those issues won't go away now that Republicans control the House and are in a strong minority position in the Senate.

Republicans have the ability to block Mr. Obama's agenda, whatever it ...

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  Related StoriesA More Purple Senate 04-Nov-2010 12:01:00 amKarl Rove: Time for Republicans to Deliver 04-Nov-2010 12:01:00 am Fred Barnes: Democrats Can't Blame the Economy 02-Nov-2010 12:01:00 am

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Back To Back ToMSN Money HomepageMSN Money InvestingMost Popular ReadEmailedVideoCommentedSearches1.Obama Is Dealt a Tough Hand2.Opinion: Jim DeMint: Welcome, Senate Conservatives3.Fed to Buy $600 Billion of Treasurys4.Opinion: The Four-Year Majority5.Exit Polls: Democratic Coalition Cracks1.Opinion: Jim DeMint: Welcome, Senate Conservatives2.Opinion: Dorothy Rabinowitz: Why Obama Is No Roosevelt 3.Opinion: The Four-Year Majority4.Opinion: Jenkins: The GOP Can Outsmart ObamaCare5.GM Tax Break to Last Years1.AM Report: Top Three Election Night Surprises2.Opinion Journal: A Four-Year Majority3.Track Your Kids--With a Drone?4.Carl Paladino's Concession Speech5.News Hub: The Fed's New Voyage -- QE21.Obama Takes Blame for Losses, Reaches Out to GOP541 comments2.Opinion: Why Obama Is No Roosevelt512 comments3.Opinion: The Four-Year Majority265 comments4.Opinion: Welcome, Senate Conservatives257 comments5.Pressure Builds on Obama to Shake Up Inner Circle250 comments 1. Facebook 2. economy 3. Apple 4. Mad Men 5. China Most Read Articles Feed Most Emailed Feed Most Popular Video Feed Most Commented FeedMost Popular Feeds Editors' PicksPondering Paladino's Next MoveWhy Washington?s Tax on the Rich FailedMicrosoft's Kinect Pressured to Connect Londoners Target Sidewalk SlowpokesWith a Country TwangDrones Prepare to Fly Into Daily LifeFour-Square ReformerDemocrats Prepare Party Inside Paladino's HeadquartersB.J. Lawson Apologizes For Using Fake Morgan Freeman Voice in AdVideoprevious next GOP: Unlock the American Economy2:34 Opinion Journal: How the House Was Won7:10 Opinion Journal: A Four-Year Majority11:00 Question of the Day Most Recommended CommentsComments CommentersCommenters 1. “Obama is this: A narcissist with a...;” - David Pearlman 154 Recommendations 2. “It's difficult when the holder of...;” - Jared Potter 103 Recommendations 3. “"Mr. Baird, 54, is a loyal...;” - David Peterson 82 Recommendations 4. “"You don't get real reform by...;” - Jack Davidson 73 Recommendations 5. “We will see what the GOP learned...;” - Steve Fleischer 73 Recommendations jean balloon 1666 Recommendations Peter Venetoklis 1360 Recommendations Jack Davidson 1221 Recommendations Jared Potter 1040 Recommendations Diane Thorton 773 Recommendations More in OpinionThe Four-Year MajorityJim DeMint: Welcome, Senate ConservativesJenkins: The GOP Can Outsmart ObamaCareHigh Rollers at the FedSchool Choice on Trial null Email Newsletters and Alerts

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Pelosi's decision: What will her new role in Congress be? - USA Today

By William M. Welch, USA TODAYNancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of the House, faces a decision: whether to seek to return to her old job as leader of the Democratic minority.Easily re-elected by voters in her heavily Democratic district in San Francisco, Pelosi could instead decide to step away from Congress where she has served for a quarter century, now that she no longer commands a House majority.

After a grueling campaign in which Republicans around the country demonized her as the face of a liberal Democratic Party, retirement at age 70 might seem an appealing option.

Pelosi could also take a third course: serving out her new two-year term as a House member, but not seeking a leadership post in the Democratic caucus.

Her immediate predecessor, former House speaker Dennis Hastert, opted to return to Congress as a rank-and-file Republican— outside the leadership — after voters handed Democrats and Pelosi majority control of the House four years ago. Hastert returned to private life in 2007, resigning his Illinois-based House seat halfway through his term.

Pelosi kept quiet about her plans in advance of this week's elections, saying she expected Democrats to retain the majority. Now that they have lost it, she has scheduled an interview with ABC News for Wednesday night.

"The outcome of the election does not diminish the work we have done for the American people," Pelosi said in a statement on election night as the size of the Democrats' loss became clear. "We must all strive to find common ground to support the middle class, create jobs, reduce the deficit and move our nation forward."

Some Democratic House members, including Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina, had warned they might not support her for another leadership term next year. Shuler won his third term on Tuesday.

Martin Frost, a former Democratic House member from Texas, says that was all bluster, adding Pelosi could return to the minority leader's post if she wants too. He noted that the longest-serving House speaker, Sam Rayburn, spent two brief periods with Democrats in the minority, 1947-48 and 1953-54 while maintaining his leadership post. After both terms in the minority, Rayburn regained the speaker's position when his party returned to the majority. He served as speaker for a total of 17 years.

The question, though, is would Pelosi want to do that — and would her Democratic colleagues want it as well.

"It's her call," said Frost, who lost to Pelosi in 2002 in the race for Democratic leader. "She might decide this is enough. I can't see an effective challenge (within the House Democratic caucus) to her."

Frost says that in Pelosi's four years as speaker of the House, she proved among the most effective to hold the post and helped President Obama win passage of the massive health care law, an $814 billion economic stimulus package and other goals.

Frost also credits her with how she handled becoming the target of Republican attacks in districts far from her own, and says Republicans found in her — a woman representing liberal San Francisco — an easy target.

"Part of this is because she's a woman," Frost says. "I don't think they could have done this to a male speaker. There are a lot of people who were not happy to have a woman in a position of leadership."

Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.

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