The Pros and Cons of a TechCrunch/AOL Deal

Could AOL buy TechCrunch–a possibility that both Om Malik and the Wall Street Journal say is on the table? Sure.

Does that make sense? Good question.

TechCrunch is a big, successful Web site, and big successful Web sites are very hard to build. AOL (AOL), which is pushing hard to build out its own media business, has had little success building big sites on its own.

The two negatives for AOL CEO Tim Armstrong: TechCrunch is still very much identified with founder Michael Arrington, though his team has worked vigorously to change that perception and distribute the load. So Armstrong would have to work hard to keep him, and to keep the volatile entrepreneur happy.

And TechCrunch is deeply invested in the live events business. That can be very profitable work, but it tends not to get the same kind of valuation that pure-play Internet business can garner.

But AOL has pursued TechCrunch in the past. One proposed deal, in the pre-Armstrong era, fell apart over price. “When the talk got into the $30, $40 million, range, AOL just kind of choked at the time,” says a person familiar with the discussion.

And under Armstrong’s leadership, AOL has shown a willingness to get into the events business. The Web publisher has talked to other tech news operators about a deal, including Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, who run this site and related conference for Dow Jones, which is owned by News Corp. (NWS). Those talks were preliminary at best, and All Things Digital will remain with Dow Jones.

I’ve asked AOL and TechCrunch for comment, and will update if I get one.

Czech Republic Rejects Google Street View Over Privacy Concerns

Igor Nemec, head of the Czech Office for Personal Data Protection said Wednesday that Google won’t be allowed to expand Street View in the country because the technology “disproportionately invades citizens’ privacy.” One of the principal complaints is that Google’s cameras, which are placed nine feet high, can see into people’s homes. Google won’t collect any new data in the Czech Republic until an agreement can be reached.

Apple TV Splits Networks

Media executives gathered this week at a conference here sounded a note of caution on Apple Inc.’s 99-cent digital-rental service for TV shows amid a division in the industry on whether to participate.

Apple earlier this month announced the service when it unveiled a revamp of its Apple TV device, which delivers programming over the Web.

Walt Disney Co.’s (DIS) ABC network and News Corp.’s (NWS) Fox broadcasting have agreed to make their shows available for the service, while other national broadcast networks owned by NBC Universal and CBS Corp., as well as major cable networks, have chosen not to participate.

One key concern on the part of TV network owners is Apple’s (AAPL) price of 99 cents, the same price it charged as it became the dominant music retailer through its iTunes store.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Top 5 Best DVD to iPod Converter Review

You may haven’t figured out how to rip your DVD to your iPod, and played in the right resolution for your iPod. And often, you are confused about which software is the best one. Everybody has its own opinion about that. Here, I give you top 5 best DVD to iPod Converter Review. You can choose what you think the best DVD to iPod Converter among them. I will take 6 points into review.

1) Cost/Performance: Everybody wants to gain more with less money.
2)Video Quality: Someone often uses the video iPod to watch movie, so the output video quality should be considered seriously. Top DVD to iPod output without any loss in the video and image quality of the exports. To enjoying the high definition video is of great pleasure. Or else, not only your eyes may get hurt; the annoying jumpy and mosaics will also bother you.
3) Speed: Convert DVD often takes time, an hour DVD movie takes around thirty minutes to convert to MPEG-4 movie, if you have multiple DVDs to be converted, a high speed converter would be your best bet, or else, you will waste much time on the conversion, and your computer will be tied to the process.
4) Quality of DVD: Sometimes, rip DVD to iPod according to the original DVD quality, or the types of the DVD to determine the ripped file quality.
5) Easy to use: There are still many iPod users knew little about computer, so complicated parameter settings will strain their brain, as a result, a application with simple interface and steps is the acceptable.
6) Personal Demands: For example, someone just wants to convert part of the DVD video, or others want the special output video format like Apple TV compliant forms and etc.

Concerning the above factors, I've selected five DVD to iPod converters for reference.
DVD to iPod Converter for Windows Review:
First: Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Suite.
Second: Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Converter.
Third: Tipard DVD to iPod Converter.

Comment: After you install Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Converter, You will be greatly impressed by its friendly interface. In addition to its top conversion function, it provides the function to optimize your conversion file, set the parameters for you, crop video, trim video, select subtitle etc. If you have many DVDs must be converted and cropped. Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Converter meet your needs.

We tested Tipard DVD to iPod Converter, it is amazing that Regardless of the DVD media we used, the ripped files looked and sounded great. It is also combined with many useful features, trim your video clips; crop the play region of video; set the video effect. If you care about the Cost/Performance, and you care about the video/ audio quality, Tipard DVD to iPod Converter is suit for you.

As for Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Suite, It is the top favorable software, I believe. The reason is that it combines DVD to iPod Converter, iPod to Computer Transfer and iPod Movie Converter into one. With this powerful software, you not only can rip DVD to your iPod, but also convert any video formats to your iPod supporting one. As well as Transfer music and video from iPod to computer. If you want to Rip DVD and convert your favorite video including the FLV format to your iPod with one and inexpensive software, Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Suite is the best one.

DVD to iPod Converter for Mac Review:
First: Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Converter for Mac
Second: Tipard DVD to iPod Converter for Mac

Comment: Similarity, the above two Mac software is same on the main function. As for the interface, it’s up to you preference. Frankly, Tipard DVD to iPod Converter for Mac take a little shorter to convert, but considering the video quality, Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Converter for Mac ripped DVD video is more remarkable. Of course, you can test it by yourself. You would found the video conversions are just as clear as the original, sometimes even better.

How to put DVD movie into Windows Movie Maker and iMovie

If you want to edit a DVD movie with Windows Movie Maker or import several DVD clips into Mac iMovie to build a new DVD, but you get frustrated with the DVD format, this guide may help you solve the problem.

Before you get started, it will be helpful if you learn something about the DVD, WMM and iMovie.
General DVDs have CSS copy protection in MPEG-2 or VOB format.
(Windows) Windows Movie Maker supports WMV, AVI and MPG video files.
(Mac) iMovie accepts MOV and MPEG4 video files.

This guide includes two parts:
1. How to put DVD movie into Windows Movie Maker.
2. How to add DVD clips to Apple Mac iMovie .

Part1. How to put DVD movie into Windows Movie Maker

Step1. To put a DVD movie into Windows Movie Maker, you have to rip your DVD to WMV or AVI video first, and then you can load it into Windows Movie Maker. I’d prefer using Aiseesoft DVD Ripper to do this. You can get this program at: http://www.aiseesoft.com/dvd-ripper.html Then install and run it, put your DVD disc into your DVD drive, click “Load DVD” to locate your DVD file and import it, or load it by clicking “Load IFO File” to add DVD IFO file. (This DVD Ripper can rip copyright protected DVD movies, but you should remember that it’s illegal rip DVD for any business purposes)

Step2. Select output format and subtitle

After you load the DVD files, click the format drop-down list to select “WMV – Windows Media Video (*.wmv)” or “AVI – Audio Video Interleaved (*.avi)” as the output format. A regular DVD movie has multiple subtitles and audio tracks, and you can select the right one for you. If you just want a certain part of the DVD movie, you can click “trim” to cut the DVD movie. Just drag the timeline bar to set the start and end time, and then blue line will be the captured parts.



For advanced user, if you want to output higher quality video, click the “Settings” button to open the panel, here you can customize video bitrate, audio bitrate, resolution, framerate, etc. Higher bitrate will result in bigger file size.

Step 3. Start to convert

After the above steps, you just need to click “Start” and wait for the conversion to be finished. It provides the fastest conversion speed (>300%), completely support dual core CPU.

Step 4. Edit DVD with Windows Movie Maker (optional)

Run Windows Movie Maker, in the “Movie Task” bar, click “Add Video” to browse your computer and located the converted files, and then you can start to make personal movies.

Tips:Many users may wonder how they can convert Windows Movie Maker file (*.MSWMM) to other video format. Actually, A *.MSWMM file is not a video file. It is a project file of Movie Maker (more like a record file). You have to open this file in Windows Movie Maker and save the movie to your computer: Go to Movie Tasks bar > Finish Movie > Save to my computer. After that you will have a WMV file which can be converted to another video format or burned to DVD.

Part2. How to add DVD clips into Apple iMovie.

iMovie is similar to Windows Movie Maker, it supports MOV and MP4 video, so you just need to convert your DVD movie to the right format. Aiseesoft DVD Ripper has a Mac Version which supports both Mac OS Tiger and Leopard; you can download it for free from here: http://www.aiseesoft.com/dvd-ripper-for-mac.html
It is easy to use for the operation steps being similar to the windows version.



When the conversion is finished, you can run the iMovie, build a new project, and then drag the converted files to the work space to make personal files.
When the task is finished, In the Menu bar, Click "File" -> "Export" and save it as QuickTime video.

Download Aiseesoft DVD Ripper for Windows (put DVD into Windows Movie Maker)
Download Aiseesoft DVD Ripper for Mac (put DVD into Apple iMovie)

How to Play all Video Files on Xbox 360 with Mac

This is a step by step guide on how to play any video file on your Xbox 360 from your Apple Mac computer.
How to play any video file on your Xbox 360 with your Mac – Only $35.00 Video Converter for Mac can clear up all your problem.

Here Is What You Will Need:
Xbox 360 - Preferably the Elite version… just because its black. And has black controllers.
Apple Computer - iMac, MacBook Pro, Apple Air, etc.
Video Converter for Mac Only $35.00 - Has a Free Trial!

How to play any video file on your Xbox 360 with your Mac:
Step 1, Convert videos to mp4 format that compatible with Xbox 360.
Choose a small video to test for you first video, as encoding and conversion times can be lengthy if you choose a full movie. Try downloading a trailer for a movie in your favorite format that the Xbox 360 can’t read. Like: AVI, and a lot of other weird formats.
Open up Video Converter for Mac. Video Converter for Mac is a phenomenal video conversion tool, it can convert video formats from one to another with perfect output quality and high conversion speed for Mac OS X users. It supports all popular video formats including flv, MPEG1, MPEG2, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, AVI, M2TS, MPEG TS/TP (for HD Video), M4V, etc.
At the bottom of Video Converter, it shows the format we can convert to. Choose MP4. It is the best.
Choose output folder such as “Open Folder”.



At the bottom right, click on the “Start” button. Then wait… , And the conversion speed is out of your surprise.

Step 2, connect your Mac and Xbox 360
Before you start configuring, open up Terminal (in Applications -> Utilities) and type "ifconfig en0" (zero, not a capital-o). You're looking for the bit that says "inet xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx". In my case, the number I get here is 192.168.2.1 Second, note down the IP address of your wireless router, which in my case is 192.168.0.1

On your Mac
1. Connect your Mac to your wireless internet connection
2. Connect your Xbox 360 to your Mac via Ethernet
3. In System Preferences -> Sharing, enable Internet Sharing between your Airport and Ethernet connection

On your Xbox 360
1. Start up your Xbox and navigate to the Network settings menu
2. Under IP address, enter the number you got from the "ifconfig en0" command earlier on, but with the final number one place higher. In my case, I take the 192.168.2.1, and input 192.168.2.2 in the IP address box on my Xbox 360.
3. Under subnet, input 255.255.255.0
4. Under router/gateway, enter the number you got earlier from the "ifconfig en0" command. In my case, that's "192.168.2.1"
5. Move onto DNS. Enter the IP address of your wireless router (in my case, "192.168.0.1") in both the primary and secondary IP address fields
6. Leave PPPoE and advanced settings blank (i.e. OFF and Automatic)
7. You should now be able to connect to Xbox Live via your internet sharing Mac

Step 3, Play Video File on Xbox 360:
First, on your Mac, open up your new file in VLC and in QuickTime. Make sure it can play in both (Not necessarily at the same time). If you have done that, now it is time to move to your 360. Follow these instructions:
Turn on your Xbox 360



Navigate over to the “Media Tab”, and select the “Videos” option.



Note: Since the Xbox 360 Dashboard update of about 6 months ago, once you click on”Videos” it will just show you all of the videos on your Xbox 360 hard drive. So presses “X” to change the current source. Then browse down to your Apple / Mac computer. Mine is an iMac.

Click on the “Movies Folder”. That is where you should have saved the file there earlier.
Now browse through your video files and select your sweet, newly converted video file, and play it!

All the operations is just like pie. So you can watch any your favorite video on your Xbox 36o from your Mac easily Now. Watch and Enjoy it!

Is Google a Monopolist? A Debate

Amit Singhal of Google (GOOG) argues the competition is one click away. Charles Rule, an attorney whose firm represents corporations suing Google, counters that the company commands a share of search advertising in excess of 70 percent—the threshold for monopoly under the Sherman Act.

Competition in an Instant
by Amit Singhal

Last week, “Googling something” took on a whole new meaning. Instead of typing your question into the search box and hitting Enter, our newest invention—Google Instant—shows constantly evolving results based on the individual letters you type.

Instant is just the latest in a long line of search improvements. Five years ago, search results were just “ten blue links”—simple web pages with some text. Today search engines provide answers in the form of images, books, news, music, maps and even “real time” results from sites such as Twitter.

Read the rest of this post on the original site

Alibaba Wows Arnold With Jobs Claim

When Alibaba.com CEO David Wei promised to create 100,000 jobs over three years in the U.S. at parent Alibaba Group’s annual conference this weekend, it surprised at least few people–including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a guest speaker at the conference in Alibaba’s hometown of Hangzhou. Schwarzenegger eagerly announced afterwards that he wanted to sit down with Wei and figure out how he could get all of those jobs for California. The Terminator even mentioned possible tax incentives for the Chinese company.

Sorry, prospective job seekers of America, but as it turns out there’s no use winging those resumes to Hangzhou. It appears that Wei actually meant that Alibaba.com believes its online trade platform–which links smaller manufacturers, usually in China, with interested buyers, usually abroad–will create 100,000 jobs indirectly through the commercial opportunities it creates as it expands. Alibaba.com isn’t planning to actually hire 100,000 U.S. workers, in California or any other state.

Read the rest of this pst on the original site

Google Donates Cash, Blood for San Bruno Inferno Victims

Google often pulls together some special online resources in cases of disaster, but today it’s joining the rest of the Bay Area in marshaling tangible help for some of its neighbors–victims of the gas-fueled inferno that destroyed almost 40 homes in San Bruno last night, leaving at least four people dead and more than 50 injured. Noting that the initial blast was just two miles from its YouTube offices, Google said it was donating an initial $50,000 to the local Red Cross for relief efforts, directing employees to local blood drives and planning several of its own blood drives for next week. An annotated map of the neighborhood has also been posted and is open for collaboration.

How to Rip DVD to iPod Touch, iPod Nano Converter on Windows, Vista and Mac

The software you will need: DVD to iPod Converter Windows(DVD to iPod Vista) and DVD to iPod for Mac.
This guide will show you how to rip DVD to iPod Touch with these iPod Nano Converter.
The following video and audio formats are supported by iPod Touch/iPod Nano: H.264, MPEG-4, MP3, AAC, WAV. So for you enjoy DVD on iPod, you need to convert DVD to these formats.

Part One: How to rip DVD to iPod Windows, DVD to iPod Vista
Part Two: How to rip DVD to iPod Mac

Part One:
1. Download Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Converter Windows(DVD to iPod Vista), then follow the instructions to install and run it.



2. Click "Load DVD" to load DVD, DVD Folder or IFO files.
3. Click "Profile" to set the exact output format. Click "Settings" to set the exact parameters for your iPod. Select "Audio Track" and "Subtitle" for the output file.
4. After finishing all the pre-settings, click "Start".

Part Two:
1. Download Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Mac (Intel, Power PC). Install and run it.



2. All the process are the same as DVD to iPod Windows.

Tips:
1. Click "Effect" to make special effect for your video.
You can adjust Brightness, Contract, Saturation of the video and the adjust the volume of music.
2. "Trim" function is for you to select the clips you want to convert.
3. Cut off the black edges of the original video and watch in full screen on your iPod using the "Crop" function.
4. This software allows you to join several DVD chapters into one clips by using "Merge into one file".

How to backup DVD movies to DVD for free

This is a tutorial that explains the process of backing up a DVD on a PC using DVD Shrink. While there are many software solutions for backing up DVDs, the one on Windows I like is DVD Shrink. On Mac OS X, I like this DVD Copy for Mac.

that can copy DVD movie (D9 to D9, D5 to D5) with the entire movie in 1:1 ratio perfectly. This tutorial will be a concise explanation of how to backup DVD movie to DVD for free. There are many reasons to make a backup copy of DVDs one has purchased, keep reading to learn how to improve the quality of your re-encoded backups.

Step 1, download DVD Shrink
You can download DVD Shrink from: http://www.DVDshrink.org/.
For Mac users, you can download the DVD copy for Mac from here.

Step 2, Run DVD Shrink and insert your DVD movie into the DVD drive
The first thing you will need to do is open the disc. Click on "Open Disk" at the top-left of the program window. A small window will pop up. There is a drop down menu - select the drive and disk that you are going to backup. Then click OK. When you click OK, the DVD will be “analyzed”–this process will last for 1-3 minutes, then DVD Shrink will “suggest” a level of compression.



If you receive an error while trying to rip the DVD (like the one shown in the screenshot above), you will need to use another program such as DVD Decrypter to copy the DVD files off of the disc on to your hard drive. You need to minus the copy protections first. Click here to read how to use DVD decypher to minus the copy protections of DVD.



Step 3. Adjust compression for individual Titles (optional).
DVD Shrink will automatically select the highest possible quality settings that will fit on your disc. You could accept the settings that DVD Shrink chooses. You can also increase the quality of the main movie file by reducing or eliminating other video and audio files on the DVD.
Many modern DVDs will contain bonus footage, trailers, multiple surround sound modes, and other settings that one can reduce or eliminate to improve the quality of the main movie feature.
The main movie quality setting is reported to the left of a slider bar in the top right of the screen. In the screenshot below we see that the default setting requires that the main movie be compressed to 48.2% of its original level to fit on the disc. You can increase this percentage to improve the final quality of the backed-up DVD. But the output file will be larger.



The way in which one goes about improving the quality of the main movie will be different depending on your specific needs. For example, when “Dolby Digital” and “DTS” 5.1 audio tracks are available, you can remove “DTS” (to save hundreds of megabytes), you can also choose to preserve “DTS” and reduce or eliminate other items from the DVD.
Some of the settings I made to this particular DVD were:
--Removed “5.1-ch French” audio track (went from 48.2% to 55.4% compression for main movie).
--Replaced certain Titles with “Still Image” (keep reading for more on this).
To improve the quality of the main movie, you'll need to reduce or eliminate other DVD features, each called a “Title” in DVD Shrink. Click the “plus sign” next to “Extras” in the menu to view the other titles.



The Title I've selected below was 72MB. In this case the video was a “behind the scenes” feature that I did not wish to keep. Since one cannot completely remove any of the “Titles,” the next best thing is to replace them with a still image. In order to do this, select the title you want to replace, and choose “Still Image” from the drop-down menu in the top right. In this case the file went from 72MB to 66MB. The still image is configurable, simply drop an image of your own into the aptly named Still Images directory found under Program Files > DVD Shrink.

Step 4, Burn the re-encoded files to disc.



Click “Backup DVD” and Now select the folder where your temporary files will be saved. DVD Shrink needs to save a bunch of files on your computer (that actually compose your movie) so that it can burn that movie back onto another DVD. This is why you had to clear 5 gigs of space on your hard drive. Once the DVD backup has been burned, you can go ahead and delete these temporary files (the program does not do this itself).
You may as well select “Region Free” (default) under the DVD Region tab.
on the Burn Settings tab make sure “Maximum” burn speed is selected in the drop-down menu.
Once you have the settings the way you like them, begin the burn process. You'll see the “Encoding” happening first. There is a video preview that will show you where you are, but I believe that the encoding process goes slower with this setting enabled.



Once the files have been copied to your hard drive, your original DVD movie will eject from your computer.
You will also have a pop up asking you to put a blank DVD into the DVD burning drive of your computer that you previously selected.
Exchange the original DVD movie for a blank, burnable DVD. Push the blank DVD into the drive. DVD Shrink will begin burning the new DVD automatically in a few seconds. Now you will get a pop up that shows the progress while the program burns your new DVD movie. Once the new DVD has been burned, you will get a window that tells you that it's done. Click OK, close the program, and take your new DVD movie backup. All Done!

Note: DVD Shrink is only for PC users. If you are a Mac user, Please download DVD copy for Mac .

Download DVD PDF Podcast Limewire and YouTube video to iPod

This iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video guide includes the following ten parts:
1. How to watch PDF files and electronic books to iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video.
2. How to rip DVD and convert video to iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video.
3. How to watch iPod Video on large screen TV.
4. How to download youtube video to iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video for free.
5. How to download free podcast to iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video.
6. Where to download music and movie for iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video.
7. How to manage two iPods on one computer or transfer music between iPods.
8. How to copy and backup iPod files to computer.
9. How to hack iPod Nano to play games and music videos.
10. Why is that your iTunes converted videos has no sound

Part1. How to watch PDF or electronic book on iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video
iPod cannot directly display PDF files, you have to convert your PDF file or electronic book to *.txt format, and make sure the file size is smaller than 4KB, and then copy the *txt file to the “Note” folder of your iPod. Here are the detailed steps:
1. Enable your iPod as a portable hard drive, plug in your iPod to computer and run iTunes, in the summary tab, check the option named “enable iPod disk mode”
2. Download and install iGadget, it can convert and cut your files to 4kb .txt files. Here is the download link: http://www.youtubetoipod.biz/software/igadget.html.
3. Connect your iPod to computer, open “My Computer”, open the iPod drive (the new drive with your iPod name), and copy the txt file to the “Note” folder, done. Then you can read the text file on iPod note.

Part2. How to rip DVD and convert video to iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video
iPod can only play MP4 and H.264 video, but DVD movie is MPEG-2 video and CSS protected, so you need an application to rip DVD and convert video to MP4 video, and then sync it to iPod via iTunes. I strongly recommend Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Suite; it can rip protected DVD and convert limewire, youtube video, AVI, MPEG, WMV, MOV, FLV, XviD video to iPod. Also, I always use the iPod Movie Converter embedded in it to transfer video, and from my tests, it fully support all series of iPod including iPod Touch/Nano/Classic/Video. A really cool application.



Here is its official download link:
http://www.aiseesoft.com/dvd-to-ipod-suite.html
Here is the official step by step guide:
http://www.aiseesoft.com/article/dvd-to-ipod-converter.html
If you are Mac user, you can use this DVD Ripper for Mac to rip DVD to iPod:
http://www.aiseesoft.com/dvd-ripper-for-mac.html

Part3. How to watch iPod Video on large screen TV
Set up your iPod video options. On your iPod choose Videos -> Video Settings from the main menu. You will see three options: TV Out, TV Signal and Widescreen. Select the “TV Out” option.



Get your A/V cable. If you don't have an eighth-inch-to-RCA cable, you can pick one up on eBay for five or six bucks shipped. Search for "camcorder A/V cable." Remember, you want a three-plug yellow/red/white RCA connection at one end and a three-banded eighth-inch (3.5mm) A/V plug at the other.



1. Plug the red RCA plug into your TV's yellow RCA jack.
2. Plug the yellow RCA plug into your TV's white RCA jack.
3. Plug the white RCA plug into your TV's red RCA jack.
After making these connections, you're physically ready to begin playback.

Part4. How to download youtube video to iPod for free
iPod can play only MP4 and H.264 video, youtube video is stream video (.flv), so you need special software to capture the stream video to MP4 video, and then sync it to your iPod via iTunes. Here’re two ways to do that for free:
With free online flv converter such as http://vixy.net when you find your favorite youtube video, just copy the video URL (like this format http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs ) to the input box, choose the output format as iPod video, and then click start. When the conversion finished, you will get the MP4 video download link, just download and sync it to your iPod.



With Firefox + videodownloader, if you’re using Firefox browser, just install a plug-in named videodownloader, and then you will see a small icon in the bottom right, when you watch youtube video, double click it, and then you will get the flv download link. And then convert the flv video to MP4 video with Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Suite, done.

Free Trial: Download Aiseesoft DVD to iPod Suite

Next part: How to download podcast to iPod and copy music between iPods ?

Lawsuit Non-News! PING Golf Won’t Sue Apple

Here’s one lawsuit averted! In case you were wondering, Apple had gone ahead and cleared the name of its new music service before launching the thing. That’s unlike its 2007 iPhone imbroglio, which led to a trademark dispute with Cisco. In this case, Apple reached a deal in advance with the PING golf brand and its owners, Karsten Manufacturing Corporation.

Here’s the release:

PING Golf Announces Trademark Agreement With Apple

PHOENIX, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ — PING and its parent company, Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, announced today that they have entered into an agreement with Apple under which Apple will use the PING trademark in connection with Apple’s innovative new social music discovery feature in iTunes. Apple introduced the iTunes PING feature today.

Founded in 1959, PING is a famous premium brand that holds more than 1000 trademark registrations around the world, many related to golf equipment. The company also owns trademark rights in PING for social networking and other online services.

This announcement involves two companies that were founded by visionaries who created products that greatly impacted their industries. Karsten Solheim invented the PING® putter in his Redwood City, California garage and went on to revolutionize the golf equipment industry. The groundbreaking first Apple® computer was developed in nearby Palo Alto in 1976.

“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with Apple,” said John Solheim, Chairman and CEO of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation and PING. “Like PING, Apple carries a reputation for innovation and quality. I have always had great respect for companies that have changed and improved the ways things are done and I continue to model PING along those lines. Apple is a truly great example of this kind of enterprise.”

Apple TV Tuned to Improve Reception

Steve Jobs may call Apple TV a hobby, and it certainly hasn’t met with the runaway success of some of the company’s products. But Jobs is an avid collector of both users and cooperative media companies, and with that in mind, Apple, as widely rumored, announced a new version of the gadget today–smaller, simpler and equipped to deliver streamed movies and TV shows rented through iTunes.

The new version of the device, 80 percent smaller than its predecessor, allows users to stream all sorts of media through Airplay–HD video, music and photos. First-run Hollywood titles in HD will rent for $4.99, and some will be available on the same day as the DVD release. Individual TV show episodes will go for 99 cents. Netflix (NFLX) members will gain access to the streaming videos in their queue, and Web entertainment fans can pull in videos from YouTube and photos from Flickr.

The TV show rentals may sound pretty disruptive, but as Peter Kafka noted when the rumors started flying, the venerable tube has withstood challenges before, and so far, at least, Apple (AAPL) has only Disney (DIS) and Fox (FOX) lined up to participate. Still, he noted, with a $99 price and the Apple name, things could get interesting.

IVP Closes New $750 Million Tech and Media Fund

This morning, Institutional Venture Partners announced the closing of IVP XIII, a new $750 million fund that will invest in rapidly growing technology and digital media companies. IVP’s later-stage investment strategy has been successful so far; like its similarly named predecessor fund–the $600 million IVP XII–the new fund is oversubscribed, and the firm’s committed capital now totals $3 billion.