Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Top digital lifestyle news

The big story on last100 this week was Nokia and Universal’s announcement of “Comes With Music” devices. Unveiled at the annual Nokia World conference, “Comes With Music” will enable customers to buy a Nokia device with a year of unlimited access to “millions of tracks”, and, rather surprisingly, get to keep those tracks once the twelve month period ends. Of the four major labels, however, Universal Music is the only one to have signed on. In a follow up post, last100 editor Steve O’Hear noted that “Comes With Music” service will employ Windows DRM.

More digital lifestyle news:

• Mossberg reviews delayed-again Slacker Personal Radio, finds bugs
• Watching full-length TV programs on Internet increasingly popular
• Why is AT&T behind Google and Verizon in the open-network game?
• XBox 360 adds DivX playback; video downloads coming to Europe on Dec 11
• TiVo adds more music, continues to expand its “television services”
• U.S. Wireless Wall crumbles as Verizon throws support behind Google’s Android
• Flash Media Server 3 announced; “Moviestar” Flash Player leaves public beta
• NBC Universal, iTunes officially divorce, but what about us kids?
• TiVo points to AppleTV’s future

Poll

Apple has more cash in the bank than IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Google. “Apple’s $15.4 billion stash is indeed the biggest of the group, putting the iPod maker in the elite ranks of well-heeled Fortune 500 tech companies.”, writes Fortune’s Jon Fortt.

Fortt then goes on to ask the billion dollar question: “So what does CEO Steve Jobs have in mind for all those greenbacks?” A number of options are suggested, including sharing some of the fruits of Apple’s labor with shareholders or making strategic purchases.

Take our poll: How should Apple spend its $15 billion cash reserve?

That’s a wrap for the week! 

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Top digital lifestyle news

Verizon, the number two U.S. carrier, received a pat on the back from many in the tech blogosphere by announcing that they are opening up their network to any phone and any software application, meaning that consumers will have more choice over the devices and software they use on Verizon’s mobile network. However, last100’s Dan Langendorf was less than impressed, saying the move “is nothing more than Verizon counter-punching in a high-stakes heavyweight bout between the carriers, Google, the government, and consumers.”

As if to add weight to Dan’s cynicism towards Verizon, Google officially confirmed it will be bidding in the upcoming mobile spectrum auction . But how intent is the company on winning?

In Internet TV-related news this week…

The three major British terrestrial TV networks – the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 – have announced an initiative, known as “Kangaroo”, to develop a combined service for accessing their on-demand and catch-up services.

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Top digital lifestyle news

The big news this week was Amazon’s entry into the eBook space (see ‘Amazon to launch eBook device and service‘). The company launched its own eBook device “Kindle” and accompanying U.S.-only eBook store and service. One notable difference between the Kindle and other competing hardware-based eBook readers, is the ability to purchase and download content over-the-air using the mobile broadband standard, EVDO.

In Internet TV-related news, the set-top movie box service, Vudu, has starting offering HD content. Beginning November 23, Vudu is giving every new buyer copies of both “The Bourne Identity” and “The Bourne Supremacy” pre-loaded on their set-top boxes in HD. They also will have the opportunity to download the third movie in the trilogy, “The Bourne Ultimatum”, to own for $25 when it becomes available in mid December.

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Features

Ryan Jarrett kicked off the week on last100 with a post featuring six pioneers in the digital music space, ranging from David Bowie to the Arctic Monkeys. Readers were invited to submit their own pioneers, with Prince, Public Enemy and Trent Razor being notable omissions from our original list.

Daniel Langendorf took NBC’s new TV catch-up service, NBC Direct, for a spin, and was unimpressed: “If you like living by network TV schedules, NBC Direct may be for you. For those of us who time shift, NBC Direct is a huge disappointment.”

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Digital lifestyle news

The big news this week was Google’s much anticipated entry into the mobile phone space. The company won’t be releasing a handset of its own, but instead will release a mobile OS and development platform called Android, with members of the newly launched Open Handset Alliance providing hardware based on Google’s platform, as well as third-party applications.

Dan Lagendorf wrote a great follow-up post expressing his concern that Google’s strategy might not deliver the compelling Gphone we’ve all been hoping for.

In digital music news this week, comScore released data claiming that only 38 percent of people that downloaded Radiohead’s new pay-what-you-want album from the band’s website actually paid anything at all. Later on in the week, Radiohead refuted the claims.

In a post titled ‘NPR opens up NPR Music for our listening pleasure‘ we reported on U.S. radio station NPR’s revamped web presence. Dan Lagendorf says he’s now in music heaven!

Josh Catone reported on the results of a Canadian survey which suggests that illeagal P2P downloading leads to more CD sales. Meanwhile, many are predicting that the major record labels will remove DRM by next summer.

And finally, Sony Ericsson plans a music store of its own.

More digital lifestyle news:

• Are movie rentals finally coming to iTunes?
• Zune introduces Marketplace Podcast directory
• Microsoft IPTV finally gaining traction
• Joost announces developer days

That’s a wrap. Enjoy the rest of the weekend! 

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Last100 headlines this week:

• Nokia’s Ovi stumbles as N-gage is delayed and Warner doesn’t want to play
• NBC Universal willing to take risks and fail, expected to axe DotComedy
• Nokia Music Store launches – video review
• ESPN, TNT to stream live NBA games this season
• It’s time we hear from Google about its mobile phone plans
• NBC’s Zucker blasts Apple for ruining everything
• Video: 3’s Skype cell phone
• Skype, U.K. mobile carrier 3 introduce first true mobile Skype phone
• Early reactions to Hulu are encouraging, if not cautious
• Conference season: Streaming media West, NewTeeVee Live

Note: Apologies for the late and sparse wrapup this week. Normal transmission should resume next week!

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Top digital lifestyle news

Lots of PC-to-TV news this week, as companies continue to battle it out trying to solve the “last 100 feet” problem.

SanDisk launched its TV-friendly USB stick and video download service. Taking a much simpler approach compared to the many media extenders on the market, the Sansa TakeTV player forgoes the need for a home network. Instead, content is physically shuttled from a PC to a TV via a dedicated USB stick and docking station. “No confusing WiFi set-ups, no waiting to burn DVDs”, boasts the Sansa online store. To support its TakeTV device, SanDisk has also rolled out a Beta version of a new video download service called Fanfare, which will offer paid-for, and eventually, ad-supported content from various partners. Of note, CBS and independent film-store Jaman are among the first to have signed on.

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Top digital lifestyle news

Lots of mobile news this week, the biggest of which was probably Apple’s decision to finally open the iPhone to third-party developers. At the Symbian Show in London, Nokia also showed off the new version of the mobile OS S60, which offers an optional iPhone-like touch interface — watch the mobile Internet space heat up.

In Internet TV-related news, the BBC has partnered with Adobe to add an iPlayer streaming option with Mac and Linux support; and Sony — which just launched a cheaper PS3 — talked up its forthcoming online video network for the PS3 / PSP.

Additionally, speculation surrounding a Netflix set-top box has resurfaced.

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Top digital lifestyle news

Lots of music industry news this week. The band Nine Inch Nails announced they were following Radiohead’s lead, by dumping their record label; and Madonna said she plans to do the same. On the digital front, online music service Rhapsody is now available on TiVo; and Universal is reportedly pushing ahead with Total Music, the latest assault on Apple’s iTunes.

Here’s a summary of the week’s digital lifestyle action on last100. Note that you can subscribe to the weekly wrapups, either via the special weekly wrapup RSS feed or by email.

Top digital lifestyle news

The major digital lifestyle news this week on last100 was Microsoft’s announcement of second generation Zunes, the company’s line of digital audio players. New flash-based models were introduced, along with a beefed up 80GB hard drive-based version. The company also announced that its online music store, Marketplace, will offer 1 million DRM-free songs for purchase, and that the company is launching a music-based social networking site called “Zune Social”. In a follow up post titled ‘Zune 2: five things Microsoft got right’, last100 editor Steve O’Hear wote: “while the new Zune lineup is at best evolutionary rather than revolutionary, especially when compared to the User Interface innovations found in Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch, Microsoft has made some significant improvements — and, dare I say it, done a few things from which even Apple might learn a thing or two.”