Apple axes RingTone iTunes Plan?

[Motley]

I make my own ringtones from garageband

I do the same, which is why I specifically got a phone that I could connect to my mac and transfer ring tones to.

I always thought the idea of paying 3 bucks for a ring tone that expired in a few months (if you're lucky) was just stupid.

 

[Greenjeens]

I used to think the whole ringtone deal was only a bunch of BS for kiddies. However, it's a huge money maker for some cellular carriers. My cellular carrier, Verizon makes it nearly impossible to create ones own ringtones. A concerted group effort has been going on to create ringtones for the new Nokia 6256i and due to the use of protected files, it's so far, impossible to make one's own ringtones for each contact.

I started to see the value in assigning an identifiable sound to a few VIP callers, to let me know who's calling, without looking at the phone, provided it's appropriate to have a ringing phone at all. Animal sounds make it easier for me to remember, it's also a small guilty pleasure too!

A custom tone for an individual caller is a very handy feature, under certain conditions, say an emergency/prority calling, like elderly parent, pregnant wife, work, etc, which can be quickly identified while driving, where one may generally not want to be distracted. Allows for the quickest recognition and call back without looking at the phone.

FYI, there's a nice piece of software for Mac's and (Verizon+ others) Nokia's called Phonedirector, which allows a great deal of Bluetooth connectivity for those Nokias, which had been PC only.

-
David

 

[~Shard~]

Well really who cares if it was fake or real, it got axed so you won't see it anyway.

How can something that doesn't exist get axed?

 

[EricNau]

It's unclear why the feature was cancelled.

Clearly it's because there wasn't anymore room at the keynote for another product to be released. Steve already as reservations for lunch at 11:00.

 

[~Shard~]

Clearly it's because there wasn't anymore room at the keynote for another product to be released. Steve already as reservations for lunch at 11:00.

There are already too many products to be released within the timeframe of the keynote. Intel iBooks, PowerBooks, Mac mini PVRs, iLife '06 incl. Front Row 2.0, iWork '06, new displays, iPod stuff...

 

[EricNau]

There are already too many products to be released within the timeframe of the keynote. Intel iBooks, PowerBooks, Mac mini PVRs, iLife '06 incl. Front Row 2.0, iWork '06, new displays, iPod stuff...

It better go late.

 

[areyouwishing]

To the people that use plain ringtones and don't understand the mentality behind having different rings...

Just like desktop wallpaper, ringtones are extension of your creative self, just by a quick ring someone can tell what kind of music you are into, just like if someone looks at your background on your computer, it adds to the pleasantries of the small things in life that make people unique.

I have a treo 650 on Verizon and make my own ringtones, and before that I had a v180 on cingular and did the same and used a PC to upload them. It is a bummer that I can't make ringtones from stuff i have bought from Apple unless i burn a cd... bummer

 

[~Shard~]

It better go late.

Yeah, but then there's that lunch reservation Steve has booked already...

 

[MacQuest]

Wow, $3 billion a year? What's wrong with the regular "ring ring" sound that phones are supposed to make? And who in their right mind spends $3 on a 30 second clip from a second rate pop song?

Apparently 1 billion people do.

 

[Lacero]

And who in their right mind spends $3 on a 30 second clip from a second rate pop song?

The same people who whittle away their time putting digital santa hats on their avatars.

People don't seem to mind spending $3 on something they cherish so much as their personal cellphones. This is really true of people in Asia, especially in places like Japan. Too much discretionary income.

 

[d.perel]

Interesting thought here, can the ROKR and the new iTunes Razr andle AAC ringtones? I'm intrigued on it. Would make sense given loads of phones can handle MP3 tones, and these too include Apples DRM.

This roadblock must be exactly why the feature was cancelled. Any content from the iTunes Music Store would have Apple DRM to get to record company approval. Most phones cannot support this DRM, or any, for that matter with respect to ringtones. Therefore, Apple would have to sell ringtones without DRM, opening the closed system to a world of non-Apple peripherals. This would then make consumers wonder why this same principle would not apply to regular songs, in effect bringing down the whole ITMS system. Whew, good thing that isn't happening...

 

[generik]

The same people who whittle away their time putting digital santa hats on their avatars.

People don't seem to mind spending $3 on something they cherish so much as their personal cellphones. This is really true of people in Asia, especially in places like Japan. Too much discretionary income.

Wait a sec.. you mean that santa hat is not originally in the photo?

Wow... that is some good Photoshop skill.

 

[xsnightclub]

It is a bummer that I can't make ringtones from stuff i have bought from Apple unless i burn a cd... bummer

Its actually quite simple:
-open Quicktime.
-select New Audio Recording under the File menu.
-select Built-In Audio Internal Microphone under the Recording menu in Prefrences.
-Press the Record button in your new Quicktime window while your audio selection is playing.
-Export to 3G or convert it to an MP3 if your phone can't take 3G

(Note: if you want your phone to tell you who is calling, open Text Edit type in what you want your phone to say, and record the computer voice of your choice)

 

[obeygiant]

It's unclear why the feature was cancelled.


prolly cuz they realized that rigntones are a total waste of time and money

 

[winmacguy]

It's much more fun having them vibrate in rude places anyhow

That depends on which pocket you have yours in....

 

[EricNau]

It's unclear why the feature was cancelled.


prolly cuz they realized that rigntones are a total waste of time and money

Tell that to the millions of people who buy ringtones.

 

[Goliath]

As others have mentioned Ringtone sales are a multi billion dollar industry- which is why Jamster in the UK could afford to spend £40million in less than 3 weeks advertising the "Crazy Frog" ringtone on all TV channels and print! Their advertising spend was more in that month than Tesco- the UK's largest advertiser and whose sales top £20billion anually

There is NO WAY Apple will be allowed to undermine and kill such a lucrative market- not if they want to face the backlash of the media, content providers, advertisers, distribution channels or any one that has their grubby little fingers in that particular pie!!!

I can make my own ringtones, wallpapers, mobile videos etc and for free and no one is stopping me- but I am not your average joe that still scratches their head when you mention "bluetooth" or resizing pictures or mp3, a.a.c

Luckily in the UK and Europe our phones aren't crippled to suit the phone companies- I find it hard to believe that this is the case in the US. So much for the "land of the free"

YOU GUYS NEED TO FIGHT BACK!!!!!!

 

[iMeowbot]

I make my own ringtones from garageband

Yep, that's why this rumor reeks of BS, iLife can already do that if the handset allows it... Any software like this to come from Apple would be bundled with some sort of Apple branded phone to ensure customer lock in, following the iPod model.

 

[Mechcozmo]

Gotta love the MP3 feature on my SE 710a. I just go pick out my favorite song in iTunes, snip it up a bit and transfer via bluetooth. Nice, free and easy.

jon

Takes a while to transfer that kind of stuff via BT though, doesn't it?

$10 says greed is involved in some form or another. *coughs*RIAA*coughs*

$10 is how much they were going to charge.

 

[LethalWolfe]

You can thank the RIAA for that.

Or the people that feel they are entitled to take whatever they want from whomever they want. Your choice. But that feature of iTunes was active until it was hacked and abused so obviously the RIAA wasn't opposed to the feature if used as intended.


Lethal

 

[sluthy]

Dunno whether this is good or bad:

Good: I really really hate the intrusive annoying ringtone market making the public believe it is cool to have the likes of the Crazy Frog on EVERY phone in the world

Bad: that very market is making a *****load of money, which given the success and exposure (and target market) of the iTMS would have lined Apple's pocket quite well.

Oh well. Good for society and Apple's image, bad for Apple's bottom line.

 

[jliechty]

I'm sorry, but phones are supposed to ring.....

If upon receiving a call.....your phone plays a song, then you my friend are a douchebag....plain and simple.........

Now, ringbacks on the other hand........

 

[ATone]

vingle?

somebody thought about this being some part of the "vingle-patent" mentioned in early october...?

 

[iMeowbot]

somebody thought about this being some part of the "vingle-patent" mentioned in early october...?

There are three Vingle applications on file so far. (1 2 3). Whatever the branding weirdos at Apple have in mind, it looks a lot bigger than ring tones!

 

[zv470]

All but one. I want a sound bite of Majel Barrett Roddenberry saying "Incoming subspace Communication" with a good 4 seconds of silence afterwards so it doesn't repeat over and over and over again immediately.

*shrugs*
Its a geek thing.

well true.
I wonder what ever happend to the Startrek communicator based cell phones? There was a company that was going to make them. I can't remember who.