Unlimited Music Re-Downloads May Come As Part Of MobileMe Revamp

By Jacqui Cheng, ars technica 

iTunes music buyers may soon be able to re-download their purchased music tracks to all of their devices if Apple’s latest negotiations are successful. According to unnamed music industry sources speaking toBloomberg, Apple is currently in talks with the Big Four music labels — Sony Music, Universal Music Group (UMG), Warner Music Group (WMG), and EMI — to allow customers to download purchased music multiple times, and a deal could be reached as soon as mid-year.

Long-time iTunes users know that one of the more obnoxious differences between music and app downloads on the iTunes Store is the fact that apps (yes, even paid ones) can be re-downloaded a seemingly infinite number of times. In contrast, users can only download music tracks once — if you find yourself without backups and your music disappears, you must beseech the iTunes gods to let you re-download all your music — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, should they hear your prayers.

The music limitation is due to the licensing restrictions on music sold through iTunes; the music labels charge Apple for every download (whether the user has already paid for it or not), and therefore Apple passes on the cost to the customer for each download.

This has been the case since the iTunes Store opened in 2003 — then known as the iTunes MusicStore — but it sounds like times are changing. Two people speaking to Bloomberg said that an agreement between Apple and the music labels could be announced in the middle of 2011, which may coincide with a rumored MobileMe revamp. Bloomberg’s sources corroborated previous reports that Apple was planning to allow users to store all manner of media in the cloud and access it from multiple iDevices, and that the service may end up being free.

If this is the case, it makes sense that Apple is working to renegotiate its music contracts. Users would not only need to be able to stream their purchased music from everywhere, it sure would be nice if they could download that music to different devices as well. Apple has reportedly assured the music labels that its 2009 purchase of music streaming service Lala was just “insurance,” so it sounds as if Apple is committed to continue selling music downloads for as long as it can.

Canada: Home prices approaching bubble territory, BMO says

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Canada didn’t weather the recession better than other countries, it just postponed the recession - using borrowed money. Consequently household debts, mortgage debts and government debts are all hitting all-time highs right now, just as interest rates start going up. It’s quite the pickle we’ve got ourselves into and the only road out of it is going to be a hard reckoning, just like our neighbour.

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Home prices approaching bubble territory, BMO says

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Friday Mar. 4, 2011 10:58 AM ET

The Canadian housing market could be headed for trouble if there is no moderation in prices in the months ahead, the Bank of Montreal says in a new report.

Housing prices are currently about 10 per cent above what they were before the recession, which was already an all-time record.

The bank says housing prices are rising faster than personal incomes, a worrisome trend which is making the market less stable.

Bank of Montreal economist Sal Guatieri says that a nationwide correction is unlikely, but would be possible if the price-to-income trend doesn’t change, or if interest rates spike.

At the moment, the risk is not the same in every housing market in Canada, with some provinces seeing more extreme conditions than others.

The most concerning scenario is in Saskatchewan where the price-to-income ratio is 39 per cent above historic norms, followed by Newfoundland at 34 per cent; British Columbia and Manitoba, with each at 31 per cent; and Quebec at 29 per cent above normal levels.

In Canada’s largest province, Ontario, this same ratio sits only 10 per cent above historic levels, which suggests its housing market may be overvalued, but is not in danger of collapse.

The good news is that the bank expects household incomes to grow faster than housing prices in the future, which would make a major correction unlikely.

The Bank of Montreal says that tougher mortgage rules and higher interest rates should help stabilize housing prices and cool down sales.

The report is the latest warning about rising housing prices and the risks they pose to the Canadian economy.

A February report from Capital Economics warned an existing housing bubble was set to burst, a potential collapse that could be triggered by rising interest rates. The economics consulting firm predicted that housing prices could fall 25-35 per cent over the next three years as interest rates increase.

With files from The Canadian Press