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doubleTwist synchronizes media across devices

19 February 2008 23:09 by Rich "vurbal" Fiscus | 3 comments

San Francisco based doubleTwist launched a new service today for transferring digital media between a variety of devices, including computers, portable media players, and mobile phones. The software starts with the basic information to interact with different devices. When you connect a supported media player, media player, or mobile phone to your computer, software called doubleTwist Desktop can retrieve whatever files you'd like, as well as transferring media files from your computer to the device.

The key to the software is the information its programmed with regarding each supported device. With so many variations on media formats it must know the capabilities and limitations of each device to ensure it's only supplying files that can be played. Likewise, it must know how to query for new media and transfer both to and from your computer. It knows so you don't have to.

Jon Lech Johansen, the company's co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, says �We�ve built a format agnostic solution that handles the complexity of file and device compatibility so consumers don�t have to.� You may know Johansen better as "DVD Jon," who became famous at the age of 16 for distributing the famous DeCSS code, which is used to this day in DVD ripping tools.

�When you receive an email, you can read it on your Blackberry, web mail, or Outlook. E-mail just works. With digital media such as video from a friend�s Cell phone or your own iTunes playlists, it�s a jungle out there. It can be an hour-long exercise in futility to convert files to the correct format and transfer them to your Sony PSP or your phone� said Monique Farantzos, co-founder and CEO of doubleTwist. �The digital media landscape has become a tower of Babel, alienating and frustrating consumers. Our goal is to provide a simple and well integrated solution that the average consumer can use to eliminate the headaches associated with their expanding digital universe.�

Perhaps the most interesting aspects of doubleTwist's offering is what it lets you do with Apple's DRM protected files. Apple has consistently refused to allow their FairPlay DRM technology to be used on devices other than the ipod or software other than iTunes. However, doubleTwist Desktop is reportedly capable of stripping FairPlay protection from media to sync it with non-Apple devices.

Portable Media Players

Apple iPod touch 16GB

Microsoft Zune 80

Creative ZEN 32GB

Afterdawn members recommend

DoubleTwist adds Amazon MP3 (7 October 2009)

New Guide: Using DoubleTwist to share and sync your media (23 June 2009)

'DVD Jon' has the 'The Cure for iPhone Envy' (14 June 2009)

doubleTwist hits Macs-- Windows version coming soon (25 February 2009)

iPhone apps cracked already? (30 July 2008)

Microsoft may implement copyright cops into every Zune (8 May 2008)

Microsoft updates Zune with new social aspects (7 May 2008)

Microsoft and Apple compete over TV downloads (6 May 2008)

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Zune to finally make it to Europe? (17 March 2008)

Samsung and Adidas to compete against Nike+iPod (9 March 2008)

Skype is coming for Japanese PSPs (4 March 2008)

Sony PSP Go!Messenger finally arrives (27 February 2008)

iTunes finishes 2007 as second biggest US music retailer (26 February 2008)

Apple begins iTunes promotion for movie rental service (23 February 2008)

Sony BMG inks new mobile media deal (21 February 2008)

Apple drops price on Shuffle and shows off new model (19 February 2008)

iTunes in UK adds BBC programming (19 February 2008)

European Commission to examine copyright levy (16 February 2008)

Play.com goes DRM-free in the UK (13 February 2008)

Toshiba updates Gigabeat line (7 February 2008)

3G for iPhone using a Nokia smartphone (6 February 2008)

Apple doubles iPhone and iPod Touch capacities (5 February 2008)

Amazon MP3 to go international in 2008 (27 January 2008)

Yahoo working out plans to offer DRM free MP3 downloads (24 January 2008)

UK firm working on iPhone unlocking software (7 July 2007)

DVD Jon claims he has cracked iPhone activation (4 July 2007)

"DVD Jon" is searching for DRM crackers (20 April 2007)

DVD Jon opens up Apple's Fairplay (2 October 2006)

DVD Jon to work with Michael Robertson (20 October 2005)

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Post your comment

Discuss this article!
ikari (Junior Member) 20 February 2008 10:41
This will be interesting to watch if this kind of business grows. With so many different devices and formats, a consumer friendly "conversion service" might be a new form of business. [ + quote]
Smacks (Junior Member) 20 February 2008 18:38
Very interesting indeed. This should save alot of time. [ + quote]
borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 9 April 2008 19:49
*Originally posted by Smacks:* Very interesting indeed. This should save alot of time. Ditto. [ + quote]