iPod Earbuds to BOOM?

I've been to London a couple of times this last week, once by train and then by car. A couple of things struck me.

First, as I was sitting on the underground fewer people were listening to music on large ear covering speakers. It seemed too that more people were using the white Apple earbuds. Now I think the latest version of Apple's free headset is much better than the original they still lack a lot compared to a bigger and / or more expensive alternative.

Second, the number of taxi drivers with white earbuds. Is this legal? Maybe they mostly use them as a hands free phone system but I did notice a couple of taxi drivers tapping their steering wheel as if they were listening to music. The Apple speakers are quite discrete so maybe the Police and the Public Carriage Office don't notice.

The thought I had in mind is that maybe the tide has turned against wearing anything larger that earbuds in public. OK the sound can be much better but they do make you look a little odd don't they? So I was surprised to read speculation yesterday, repeated this morning in The Times, that Apple are planning to buy Dr Dre, the company that produces the most iconic of the larger than life headsets. Maybe Apple have noticed a worldwide trend that has swept past London, maybe the good Dr Dre has something in the pipeline that Apple admires.

Maybe Dr Dre can work his magic and produce a future version of Apple's own product that sounds much better. Or could it be that Apple want to get hold of the music streaming service that apparently goes with Dr Dre? All will be revealed - or not - in a few days.

Sonos Alternative? From Pure?

Just seen this, it caught my eye as I love the Pure Avanti we invested in a year or two ago. Yes - could Pure become a serious alternative to Sonos? I've got some head scratching to do but this is the article in question.

Pure Connect iOS and Android apps updated.

Google All Access

Just a couple of days ago I read a music industry news letter explaining some numbers associated with the two main US music streaming services, Rdio and Spotify. The article highlighted the difficulty of getting people to move up from a free to a paid service. The service provider has to pay music royalties on all music paid, yet gets revenue from less than 10% of users who splash their cash. It's a tough business and the client churn rate is massive.

Enter Google with their music streaming service, All Access. Watching the announcement yesterday I was struck by how good the interface is (I'm not a fan of the new Spotify nor iTunes default). It's a paid service, no free option beyond a one month trial. So?

First, I believe people like try before you buy, it makes them feel comfortable. Is 30 days enough? Probably it is, given the number of your friends who will tell you how good streaming music is. If you want a longer term trial - opt for Spotify, if you like the style of the system you can then opt for the better provider. Trade up, makes sense.

Second, if I were Spotify I'd stay in bed today, for them this could be the beginning of the end.

If I were Apple I'd have been up extra early, now you have in Google and Amazon two guys who want to eat iTunes Music Store. Where's your streaming option?