Despite the continued legal threat from Apple, Real Networks seemed pleased yesterday by the launch of their new RealPlayer 10.5 with Harmony Technology, which was released in the US last week. The Harmony Technology means that tracks bought from Real's Rhapsody Internet Jukebox can be played on over 100 MP3 players, including the iPod. That means that the Real service can now supply tracks in the iPod's AAC format, something until now only available via iTunes - which is why Apple are so unhappy.
Combined with a 49-cents-per-track promotion, Real yesterday said they had sold over a million songs through the revamped Rhapsody service during its first week in. In addition the company reported that they had signed deals with the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Minnesota which will make their service available to the 80,000 students who study at the two colleges.