Feeling gruvi

While some are trying to push the quality of paid music downloads up, others are pushing in the other direction. SanDisk, primarily known for flash memory cards used in portable devices like digital cameras, is launching "gruvi," described as "the first removable flash memory card of its type to be sold with premium music content."

Yes, this is yet another new format for buying music aimed at replacing the CD, and the first release in this new medium is the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang from EMI Music's Virgin Records. The Stones' gruvi album will hit the streets next month on a SanDisk microSD card similar to those used in mobile phones. SanDisk says that the gruvi card, roughly the size of a fingernail, will come with an adapter that can expand it to the size of a larger SD card for playback in SD-compatible devices including laptop computers and PDAs.

The gruvi version of A Bigger Bang is also the first music release to use SanDisk's new TrustedFlash technology, which sports a DRM scheme to restrict what consumers can do with the music they've bought. However, a gruvi card containing a music album can be moved from one compatible device to another (although no copying is allowed).

In contrast, an iTunes download lets you move a song from one device's memory to another a few times, but ultimately restricts the type and number of moves you can make. Here, you can keep moving the physical card around like a CD as your device arsenal changes.

But if the thought of hauling around a bunch of DRM-restricted music cards doesn't give consumers pause, there's a second significant drawback: A Bigger Bang on the gruvi music card will have a suggested retail price of $39.95. That is not a typo. SanDisk says that consumers can also purchase and download other Rolling Stones back catalog songs onto the disc.

No mention at press time as to whether non-purchased or non–Rolling Stones music can be added to the card or what bit rate is used. SanDisk does mention that gruvi cards will contain their own playback software—in effect turning each card into a little iPod without the headphone jack and screen.

Virgin Records' Syd Schwartz adds, "TrustedFlash allows us to digitally offer premium content on flash memory cards in a way that prevents unauthorized distribution. We look forward to expanding our gruvi catalog next year with albums from other well-known artists."

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