11/12/2009
NASA App for iPhone
Good news space nerds. NASA just released an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The application is available free of charge in the iTunes App Store.
Here's a quote from the official press released posted on the U.S. Air Force's website:
"Making NASA more accessible to the public is a high priority for the agency," said Gale Allen, director of Strategic Integration and Management for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington. "Tools like this allow us to provide users easy access to NASA information and progress at a fast pace."
The NASA App also allows users to track the current positions of the International Space Station and other spacecraft currently orbiting Earth in three views: a map with borders and labels, visible satellite imagery, or satellite overlaid with country borders and labels.
For more information about NASA's iPhone application, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/iphone or you can download the app from the iTunes Store here.
methodshop
9/23/2009
How to Remove Duplicates From Your iTunes Library
As your iTunes Library grows, you will probably lose track of exactly what media you have already imported. Eventually you will end up with duplicate songs and videos. For example, you might accidentally import a CD twice or add files from Limewire or BitTorrent. Or maybe a friend with a big Terabyte hard drive loaded you up with a lot of music recently.Here are a few tips and techniques on how to get rid of duplicate songs in your iTunes Library as well as some precautions you should take before deleting duplicate tracks.
Tutorial: How to Remove Duplicates From Your iTunes Library
methodshop
9/14/2009
Steve Jobs: New iPods, iTunes and Liver
Last week, a still kind of recovering Steve Jobs, equipped with a new liver, unveiled new iPods with increased multimedia functionality and a new version of iTunes. iTunes 9: New Features
- Smarter "Genius" Feature: The new and improved iTunes now makes "Genius" recommendations for not just music but apps, movies and TV shows too.
- Improved Syncing and File Transfers: iTunes 9.0 also improves syncing functionality and makes it easier to transfer downloaded media from iTunes to multiple computers.
- iTunes LP: Looks like the project "cocktail" rumors we heard in July we're true. Apple and the 4 major record labels, Sony, Warner Music, EMI and Universal Music, have gotten together to invent a new digital album cover format called iTunes LP. These "digital album covers" include extra media such as photos, lyrics, videos and additional songs not available to users who only purchase singles.
- iTunes Extras: Another feature called iTunes Extras gives iTunes users access to extra content for movie and TV purchases typically only included with DVDs. including documentaries, deleted scenes and interviews.
New iPods
- iPod Touch: 50 percent faster than the older models, smoother game play, cheaper prices, and larger storage. Ability to purchase pre-made ringtones.
- iPod Classic: more storage.
- iPod Shuffle: more storage, available in new colors: black, silver, blue, green, pink and a special edition in polished stainless steel.
- iPod Nano: new colors, a larger screen, FM radio, and a built-in video camera.
methodshop
7/30/2009
iTunes Digital Album Covers and MacBook Tablet Rumors
Apple's digital music store, iTunes, has a problem. iTunes users don't like to buy entire albums. iTunes is great for downloading singles, but there's not much incentive to purchase entire albums.
Sometimes Apple will restrict certain songs, especially longer tracks, to "Album Only" purchases. Apple also often includes music videos and special PDFs of album art with full album purchases. However, these incentives haven't really been a homerun with consumers.
In a effort to promote album sales in the iTunes Store, Apple and the 4 major record labels, Sony, Warner Music, EMI and Universal Music, have gotten together to invent a new digital album cover format. These "digital album covers" would include material such as photos, lyrics, videos and additional songs not available to users who only purchase singles.
The "digital album cover" project is code named "Cocktail," and is rumored to be part of Apple's new product announcement in October. Rumors say the big announcement is a MacBook touch-based tablet that would compete with the extremely popular Netbook market. Keep your fingers crossed.
methodshop
iTunes, has a problem. iTunes users don't like to buy entire albums. iTunes is great for downloading singles, but there's not much incentive to purchase entire albums.Sometimes Apple will restrict certain songs, especially longer tracks, to "Album Only" purchases. Apple also often includes music videos and special PDFs of album art with full album purchases. However, these incentives haven't really been a homerun with consumers.
In a effort to promote album sales in the iTunes Store, Apple and the 4 major record labels, Sony, Warner Music, EMI and Universal Music, have gotten together to invent a new digital album cover format. These "digital album covers" would include material such as photos, lyrics, videos and additional songs not available to users who only purchase singles.
The "digital album cover" project is code named "Cocktail," and is rumored to be part of Apple's new product announcement in October. Rumors say the big announcement is a MacBook touch-based tablet that would compete with the extremely popular Netbook market. Keep your fingers crossed.
methodshop
6/03/2009
iPhone 3.0 to Get Direct Video Downloads
According to Apple Insider, the new Apple iPhone 3.0 operating system will include the ability to directly download movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store. Users would be able to skip the step of downloading and syncing an iPhone or iPod Touch with their Mac or PC.Apple already supports the direct downloading of video podcasts and music from their mobile version of the iTunes Store, but has held off directly selling movies and TV shows while mobile carriers expanded their 3G network capacity. The update will make Apple one of the top companies selling paid content to mobile users.
The iPhone 3.0 software update is due to arrive later this summer. In addition to direct downloads, the update will introduce over 100 new features, including the ability to:
- Send photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS
- In App Purchases, allowing developers sell content and services from within their apps
- Peer to Peer Connectivity, particularly useful for multi-player game apps
- Cut, copy, and paste
- Email Push Notification
- A new Map Kit framework integrating Google Mobile Maps
- iPod Library Access allowing users tap into their music, podcast or audio book libraries from third party apps
- The ability to search your iPhone
- Read and compose email and text messages in landscape orientation
methodshop
6/02/2009
Dealing with iTunes Duplicates
As your iTunes Library grows, you will probably lose track of exactly what music you have already imported and end up with duplicate songs. You might accidentally import a CD twice or add files from BitTorrent. Or maybe a friend with a big Terabyte hard drive "loaded you up" with a lot of music recently.Here are a few tips and techniques on how to get rid of duplicate songs in your iTunes Library as well as some precautions you should take before deleting duplicate tracks.
Tutorial: Managing Duplicate Songs in Your iTunes Library
methodshop
4/15/2009
iPod Click Wheel Games
Don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch? As long as you have a "click wheel" model iPod, you can still play games from the iTunes Store. Unfortunately your selection is dramatically reduced compared to the App Store, but there are still some good games available like Bejeweled, Sims Bowling and Texas Hold'em.REVIEW: iPod Click Wheel Games
Here's the complete list of iPod Click Wheel Games available in the iTunes Store (as of April 2009):
- Asphalt 4: Elite Racing
- Bejeweled
- Block Breaker Deluxe
- Bomberman
- Brain Challenge
- Bubble Bash
- Cake Mania 3
- Chalkboard Sports Baseball
- Chess
- Backgammon
- Chinese Checkers
- Crystal Defenders
- CSI: Miami
- Cubis 2
- iQuiz
- Lode Runner
- Lost
- Mahjong
- Mini Golf
- Monopoly
- Ms. PAC-MAN
- Musika
- Mystery Mansion Pinball
- Naval Battle
- PAC-MAN
- Peggle
- Phase
- Pirates: Aegir’s Fire
- Pole Position: Remix
- Real Soccer 2009
- Reversi
- Royal Solitaire
- Scrabble
- The Sims Bowling
- The Sims DJ
- The Sims Pool
- Slyder Adventures
- Song Summoner
- Sonic The Hedgehog
- SPORE Origins
- Star Trigon
- Sudoku
- Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World
- Tetris
- Texas Hold ’em
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour
- Trivial Pursuit
- UNO
- Vortex
- Wonder Blocks
- Yahtzee
- Zuma
methodshop
4/08/2009
Apple Ends Uniform iTunes Pricing
Used to paying $0.99 for a song on iTunes? Brace yourself... Apple put an end to uniform pricing in the iTunes Store this week.But don't worry, the change in price could be in your favor. Apple now offers 3 pricing tiers for music sold in the iTunes Store ($0.69, $0.99, $1.29). The change in pricing is in response to music labels demanding to charge more money for their popular songs.
So how did the competition react? Amazon, Rhapsody and Wal-Mart all raised the prices of their most popular downloads. So much for shopping around for the best deal. It almost makes you want to fire up BitTorrent and get your tracks for free.
methodshop
3/12/2009
Apple Releases iTunes 8.1 Update
Last night Apple released iTunes 8.1. The new version of Apple's popular digital media player application features performance enhancements, support for CD imports to iTunes Plus, a smarter Genius function and iTunes DJ.One of the biggest enhancements of iTunes 8.1 is speed. As users' iTunes libraries continue to grow, the application has had trouble keeping up. But according to Apple, iTunes 8.1 is now "faster and more responsive," and users "will enjoy noticeable improvements when working with large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, preparing to sync with iPod or iPhone, and optimizing photos for syncing." We definitely saw a major speed increase when backing up an iPod Touch.
Another update to iTunes 8.1 is the re-branding of "Party Shuffle" to "iTunes DJ." iPhone and iPod Touch users can now use the "Remote" app to request and rate songs to any computer on the same wireless network using iTunes. We can't wait to try this out at a party.
In addition, iTunes 8.1 provides several other improvements and bug fixes, including:
- Supports syncing with iPod shuffle (3rd generation).
- Allows friends to request songs for iTunes DJ.
- Adds Genius sidebar for your Movies and TV Shows.
- Improves performance when downloading iTunes Plus songs.
- Provides AutoFill for manually managed iPods.
- Allows CDs to be imported at the same sound quality as iTunes Plus.
- Includes many accessibility improvements.
- Allows iTunes U and the iTunes Store to be disabled separately using Parental Controls.
- New Visualizer
You can download iTunes 8.1 from Apple's website here.
methodshop
3/05/2009
How to Convert Audio File Formats in iTunes
iTunes is much more than a digital music jukebox. It's capable of handling many different tasks involving digital media and your iPod. Some of iTunes' most popular features include buying music online, burning CDs, and syncing files with your iPod or iPhone. But one of the lesser known functions hidden within iTunes is the ability to convert audio files.Why would you need to convert an audio file? Converting audio file types can be useful in many different situations. Here are a few examples:
- You have an AAC file in iTunes that's not compatible with your Zune that can play MP3 and not AAC files.
- A WAV file needs to be emailed to a client for approval but it's too big. You need to convert the file to an AAC so it's small enough to easily send via email.
- You are making a music video and want to use a song you purchased from the iTunes Store as the soundtrack. However, the editing program won't import the song because of Apple's protective DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Tutorial: Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
methodshop
1/21/2009
Reset Your Play Count in iTunes
What's your favorite song? You may find this surprising, but iTunes can probably answer that question for you. Each time a song is played in iTunes, the Play Count of that particular song increases by one.But what if a song you loathe and only play as a gag for friends happens to creep into your ‘Most Listened To' playlist?
The following tutorial explains how to reset the Play Count of one or more songs in your iTunes library. Most savvy iTunes won't need a tutorial this in-depth, but everyone is a newbie once.
Tutorial: Resetting the Play Count in iTunes
1/14/2009
iSteam Earns 22-Year Olds $100k in 1 Month
Move over iFart, iSteam is now the hottest thing in the iTunes App Store.iSteam turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a foggy glass surface and allows you to wipe it clean with your fingertips. Exactly like a mirror after a hot shower.
The concept behind iSteam may sound simple, but it has already earned the 22-year old kids who created it $100,000 in only one month. Since being released on December 30, iSteam has sold over 1 million copies and overtaken iBeer, iFart, Ocarina, Whoopie Cushion and Pull My Finger to become #1 "entertainment" application in the App Store.
iSteam sells for $0.99 in the iTunes App Store [link].
methodshop
12/15/2008
How to Remove Duplicates From Your iTunes Library
As your iTunes Library grows, you will probably lose track of exactly what media you have already imported. Eventually you will end up with duplicate songs and videos in your iTunes Library. For example, you might accidentally import a CD twice or add files from Limewire or BitTorrent. Or maybe a friend with a big Terabyte hard drive loaded you up with a lot of music recently.Here are a few tips and techniques on how to get rid of duplicate media in your iTunes Library as well as some precautions you should take before deleting duplicate tracks.
Tutorial: How to Remove Duplicates From Your iTunes Library
methodshop
11/21/2008
iTunes 8.0.2 Fixes Internet Proxy Issues
If you've been using iTunes from behind a corporate proxy, then get ready to do a swivel chair dance in your cubicle. The latest iTunes update, iTunes 8.0.2, fixes a proxy connectivity issue when communicating with the iTunes Store.
Until now, corprorate users behind a proxy server were unable to install iPod / iPhone firmware updates and frequently got errors when trying to use the iTunes Store while at work.
In addition to the proxy fix, iTunes 8.0.2 improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes, including:
methodshop
Until now, corprorate users behind a proxy server were unable to install iPod / iPhone firmware updates and frequently got errors when trying to use the iTunes Store while at work.
In addition to the proxy fix, iTunes 8.0.2 improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes, including:
- Addresses a quality issue creating MP3s on some computers.
- Improves accessibility with VoiceOver.
methodshop
9/23/2008
How to fix iTunes 8 BSOD error on Microsoft Vista
Many Microsoft Vista users were paid an unfortunate visit by the dreaded "blue screen of death" when attempting to sync an iPod or iPhone using Apple's new iTunes 8.0.Apple assures Microsoft Vista users that they have fixed the problem with a subsequent release. Vista users who downloaded the initial version of iTunes 8, need to uninstall iTunes, then re-download the updated iTunes installer and reinstall iTunes 8. Got it? Don't worry, step-by-step instructions are below.
It's up to you on who should get the blame on this one. Did Apple write sloppy code for iTunes 8.0 and not properly test it? Or is Windows Vista just a lemon with a Microsoft logo on it? Regardless on who you choose to blame, you will still need to fix the bad version of iTunes 8.0 for Microsoft Vista. Here's how...
How to Uninstall and Reinstall iTunes 8 (Vista)
- Disconnect your iPhone or iPod from Windows Vista. Pull the plug damn it!
- Uninstall iTunes and Apple Mobile Device Support
- For Classic View
- Choose Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features.
- First select Apple Mobile Device Support, click Uninstall.
- Select iTunes, click Uninstall.
- For Control Panel Home View
- Choose Start > Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a Program.
- First select Apple Mobile Device Support, click Uninstall.
- Select iTunes and click Uninstall.
- For Classic View
- Restart the computer.
- Re-download and install the updated iTunes 8 installer from apple.com/itunes/download.
And for the love of God... Do NOT use the iTunes8Setup or iTunes864Setup file you previously downloaded. If you do, go back to step #1 and repeatably bash your brain deeper into your skull using the nearest iPod/iPhone.
methodshop
8/25/2008
Kevin Rose says New iPods Coming Soon
Is Digg.com founder and Diggnation star Kevin Rose abusing his Apple contacts? This past weekend Rose blogged about some new stuff being released by Apple next month including new iPods and an iTunes update.According to Kevin, Apple will announce the following within the next few weeks:
- the iPod nano will take on a slimmer, more rounded look
- the iPod Touch will get an update with a new 2.1 operating system
- Prices of the iPod line will drop to differentiate the product from the iPhone
- iTunes 8.0 will be a major new release with several additional features
- Further out Apple is planning to add Blu-ray support to Mac OS X
Why would Rose risk exposing his Apple contacts by announcing this information? And why now? Rose mentions his Twitter account multiple times in his blog post and urges people to "follow" him on Twitter to get more information. Perhaps Rose is bitter that Barack Obama took the top slot away from him on Twitter earlier this month.
methodshop
8/12/2008
60 million iPhone Apps Downloaded... Already
When Apple launched their new App Store on July 10th, everyone knew it would be a success. But no one could have known it would be this BIG of a success.The App Store has delivered more than 60 million apps to iPhone/iPod Touch owners in less than a month. According to an interview in the Wall Street Journal, Apple CEO Steve Jobs says that the App Store is bringing in an average of $1 million a day for the fee-based apps which range from $1-$10. That's right. Apple is on track to make $360 million per year from their brand new App Store division even though Apple gives 70% of all App Store revenue to developers.
"I've never seen anything like this in my career for software," ~ Steve Jobs
Sega's Super Monkey Ball ($9.99) game remains the top app, selling 300,000 copies during the store's first 20 days. We'll do the math for you on that one: 300,000 * 9.99 = $2,997,000. Not bad for a game Sega only spent 8 weeks working on.
Sega's Super Monkey Ball game.
methodshop
8/06/2008
Motion Comic Version of Watchmen on iTunes
"It's a comic! It's a cartoon! No wait, it's a Motion Comic?!!"As part of the promotion for the highly anticipated film Watchmen, Warner Bros. and DC Comics created a motion comic version of the graphic novel.
In case you are unfamiliar with the term, a "motion comic" is somewhere in-between a comic book and an animated video. Slow camera zooms of slightly animated comic book frames are combined with music, sound effects, and voice-overs to bring traditional comic books alive as video shorts.
The motion comic version of "Watchmen" takes viewers through the critically acclaimed Hugo award-winning graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. It's actually very well done. The animation is actually better or at least just as good as animated TV shows like Sealab 2021, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Liquid Television's Aeon Flux.
You can watch a preview of the new episodes here: Watchmen on iTunes
Watchmen doesn't hit theaters until March 6, 2009. Zack Snyder from 300 and Dawn of the Dead is directing.
methodshop
7/10/2008
iTunes App Store
Apple launched the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch this afternoon. There are currently 500+ applications available for download. The cost for these applications range from free to over $30.
All the big players have apps in the store including MySpace, Facebook, AOL, and eBay. There's also a mix of games like Texas Hold'em and Super Monkey Ball, lots of utilities and even ebooks.
You can download applications now, but you can't do anything with them until the iPhone/iPod 2.0 firmware is released which will probably happen on Friday July 11th - the official release date of the new iPhone 3G.
methodshop
All the big players have apps in the store including MySpace, Facebook, AOL, and eBay. There's also a mix of games like Texas Hold'em and Super Monkey Ball, lots of utilities and even ebooks.
You can download applications now, but you can't do anything with them until the iPhone/iPod 2.0 firmware is released which will probably happen on Friday July 11th - the official release date of the new iPhone 3G.
methodshop
6/26/2008
iTunes - Over 5 Billion Served
According to an Apple press release, the company has sold over 5 billion songs via iTunes. Earlier this year, iTunes surpassed Wal-mart and became the #1 music retailer in the United States. Maybe they should just start saying "billions served," like McDonalds does.Obviously iTunes has been very successful selling music, but what about video? The press release also says that more than 50,000 movies are being rented or purchased each day at an average price of $6/title (~$300k per day), making it the most popular online movie outlet.
methodshop.com
6/13/2008
Developers and Consumers Get Ready for Apple's iPhone App Store
A massive new online business is scheduled to launch on July 11: Apple's App Store - an online hub for third party iPhone and iPod Touch applications.Beginning later this month, developers will begin to upload apps to the store accessible by iPhone users or to a new section of the iTunes Store, sharing revenue from app sales with Apple in a 70/30 split. These apps will be in addition to the 1,700-odd apps already developed for the iPhone's Safari web browser.
One of the games people are looking forward to playing is Super Monkey Ball. Sega's Ethan Einhorn showed off Super Monkey Ball on stage at the WWDC. According to Einhorn, after 8 weeks of development, the developers have created 110 stages.
The new 3G, GPS-enabled iPhone should open up a world of possibilities for clever developers in the realms of gaming, entertainment and enterprise applications.
In related news, the AOL Radio app for the iPhone won for Best Entertainment Application at the 2008 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), providing users free access to over 350 online radio stations (including 150 local CBS radio stations) and more than 200 AOL Radio channels.
Other WWDC iPhone App winners:
Best iPhone Game:
Enigmo by Pangea Software
Best iPhone Social Networking App:
Twitterrific by the Icon Factory
Best iPhone Productivity App:
OmniFocus by the Omni Group
Best iPhone Healthcare & Fitness App:
MIM from MIMVista
methodshop
6/03/2008
Managing iTunes Duplicates
As your iTunes Library grows, you will probably lose track of exactly what music you have already imported and end up with duplicate songs in your iTunes Library. You might accidentally import a CD twice or add files from Limewire or BitTorrent. Or maybe a friend with a big Terabyte hard drive loaded you up with a lot of music recently.Here are a few tips and techniques on how to get rid of duplicate songs in your iTunes Library as well as some precautions you should take before deleting duplicate tracks.
Tutorial: Managing Duplicate Songs in Your iTunes Library
methodshop
Labels: itunes
5/29/2008
Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
iTunes is much more than a digital music jukebox. It's capable of handling many different tasks involving digital media. Some of iTunes' most popular features include buying music and vidoes online, burning CDs, and syncing files with your iPod or iPhone.But one of the lesser known functions hidden within iTunes is the ability to convert audio files.
Why would you need to convert an audio file? Converting audio file types can be useful in many different situations. Here are a few examples:
- You have an AAC file in iTunes that's not compatible with your Zune that can play MP3 and not AAC files.
- A WAV file needs to be emailed to a client for approval but it's too big. You need to convert the file to an AAC so it's small enough to easily send via email.
- You are making a music video and want to use a song you got online as the soundtrack. However, the editing program won't import the song because it doesn't support MP3 or AAC.
- You need to remove the DRM (Digital Rights Management) from an AAC song you purchased from the iTunes Store (see step #7).
Many programs that convert audio files into different formats are pretty complicated and usually cost money. But not iTunes. iTunes is simple, fast and best of all... free.
Tutorial: Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
methodshop
3/20/2008
The Moth Podcast
The Moth is a non-profit group based in New York City devoted to furthering the art and enjoyment of storytelling. The stories range from funny tales by comedians to heartfelt tales of horror from people who survived Hurricane Katrina.The Moth was founded in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green. Previous notable storytellers have included Andy Borowitz, Ana Marie Cox, Joe Lockhart, Jonathan Ames, Ethan Hawke, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels (Run DMC), Adam Wade, George Plimpton, Gay Talese, Mira Nair, Moby, and Lili Taylor.
Subscribe: The Moth Podcast (via iTunes)
This month The Moth finally launched a podcast. I just subscribed to The Moth Podcast on iTunes [link] so I can watch it on my iPhone. Unfortunately the podcast is currently only offered as audio only. I hope they launch a video version soon. It's fun watching these storytellers up on stage.
Here's a clip I found on YouTube of Adam Wade winning The Moth's 2006 Grand Slam Championship of storytelling. Adam Wade was a former NBC Page For Late Night With Conan O'Brien. Wade's story is about his adventures with some of the members of the crew.
methodshop
Labels: itunes, podcasting
2/19/2008
American Idol on iTunes
The biggest American reality show on TV has finally joined the iTunes platform. Fox Broadcasting, Fox Interactive Media and FremantleMedia signed an exclusive deal with Apple to bring American Idol audio and video performances to iTunes as single song-sized snippets available the day after they premiere on air.Audio performances of the top 24 contenders run 99¢ per song, and videos of the top 12 finalists performances will be priced $1.99/each from March 11.
Apple will also become one of the show's premiere sponsors and maintain a branded presence on AmericanIdol.com, where some free streaming performances can be seen.
methodshop
2/05/2008
Apple TV Update Delayed
Last week Apple announced they needed another couple of weeks to finish updating the Apple TV software that will finally allow users to rent movies directly from the TV rather than having to download on the computer and sync or stream the video to the Apple TV device.
This anticipated software upgrade will be available as a free software download to existing Apple TV users sometime in February. By the end of February, Apple’s iTunes online music store should have more than 1,000 movie titles available including more than 100 high-definition titles. The DVD-quality movies will be available to rent for $2.99 for older titles and $3.99 for newer titles while high-definition costs a buck more.
Also last week, Apple announced the MacBook Air has started shipping. Hopefully Apple packages the MacBook Air in something a little more sturdy than the envelopes featured in the ads!
Here's a video of the old Apple TV software:
Source: Gizmos for Geeks.
1/16/2008
iTunes: 4 Billion Songs Sold So Far
According to a press release from Apple, the iTunes store has sold 4 billion songs to date, including 20 million songs this past Christmas Day alone. The store has also sold 125 million TV shows and 7 million movies.What are people using to enjoy all this digital content? Apple also announced that iPhone sales totaled 4 million units in the product's first 200 days.
methodshop
1/15/2008
Macworld: Apple TV - Take 2
Steve Jobs announced an update to the Apple TV at Macworld San Francisco this week as well as iTunes Movie Rentals, which were already rumored to be part of his Macworld keynote speech.
Jobs admitted that Apple's online video plan had been a disappointment and that users didn't take to watching online video the way Apple had expected. When Jobs first announced the Apple TV last January, Apple's initial video plan was too complicated for many people. Getting a movie or TV show onto your Apple TV required customers to buy the video from the iTunes Store, download it to their computer, then sync/stream the file using an Apple TV.
Although Apple has already sold 7 million movies, Jobs said: "That’s more than everyone else put together, but it did not meet our expectations."
Apple plans on overhauling their strategy by making 2 major changes:
Jobs thinks that viewers would prefer to rent movies, not buy them. As a result, the new Apple TV software will allow users to rent first run films from every major movie studio including Fox, WB, Paramount, Universal and Sony in HD. Jobs called it "A better way to provide movies to our customers." Blockbuster and Netflix can't be happy right now.
1000 films ready for rental will be available on iTunes starting in February. Going forward, movies will be available to rent 30 days after they are released on DVD. Broadband users won't have to wait for these giant movie files to download. Moments after you rent the film using your Apple TV, it will be watchable immediately via streaming. How much are movie rentals? $2.99 to rent older titles, $3.99 for new releases. Add one more $1 to those prices if you want to rent the movie in HD.
Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment, joined Jobs on stage at Macworld and called the rental service a "defining moment" for the distribution of digital video content. "This is really going to take things to the next level," he said.
The new Apple TV software features will be included in a free Apple TV update scheduled to be released in February. You can update your Apple TV by selecting "Update Software" from the Settings menu.
methodshop
Jobs admitted that Apple's online video plan had been a disappointment and that users didn't take to watching online video the way Apple had expected. When Jobs first announced the Apple TV last January, Apple's initial video plan was too complicated for many people. Getting a movie or TV show onto your Apple TV required customers to buy the video from the iTunes Store, download it to their computer, then sync/stream the file using an Apple TV.
Although Apple has already sold 7 million movies, Jobs said: "That’s more than everyone else put together, but it did not meet our expectations."
Apple plans on overhauling their strategy by making 2 major changes:
- Adding a new online movie rental service
- Updating the Apple TV's software so that viewers can stream movies direct from the internet sans (that's Middle English for without) computer.
Jobs thinks that viewers would prefer to rent movies, not buy them. As a result, the new Apple TV software will allow users to rent first run films from every major movie studio including Fox, WB, Paramount, Universal and Sony in HD. Jobs called it "A better way to provide movies to our customers." Blockbuster and Netflix can't be happy right now.
1000 films ready for rental will be available on iTunes starting in February. Going forward, movies will be available to rent 30 days after they are released on DVD. Broadband users won't have to wait for these giant movie files to download. Moments after you rent the film using your Apple TV, it will be watchable immediately via streaming. How much are movie rentals? $2.99 to rent older titles, $3.99 for new releases. Add one more $1 to those prices if you want to rent the movie in HD.
Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment, joined Jobs on stage at Macworld and called the rental service a "defining moment" for the distribution of digital video content. "This is really going to take things to the next level," he said.
The new Apple TV software features will be included in a free Apple TV update scheduled to be released in February. You can update your Apple TV by selecting "Update Software" from the Settings menu.
methodshop
1/03/2008
Apple and Jay-Z Launching Record Label
Forget all the hype around iTunes movie rentals. Looks like something even bigger will get announced at MacWorld this year.According to the rumors buzzing around the Interweb, Apple is launching a record label with Jay-Z, who's set to step down from Def Jam once his employment contract with Universal Music Group expires. Jay-Z has one more album left in his current contract with UMG. I wonder if he could just push out a quick greatest hits album?
Does that mean there might be another Apple vs. Apple lawsuit in the works? Not so fast. The last settlement between Apple, Inc. and Apple, Corps (The Beatles' record label), gave Apple, Inc. all rights to the name "Apple." Apple Corp. now licenses the right to use "Apple" from Apple, Inc.
Maybe now the RIAA will just lay down in the grave they dug for themselves during the Napster era and die already.
methodshop | digg story
1/02/2008
iTunes Movie Rentals - Rumors Say They Are Coming Soon
According to reports, Apple is close to announcing plans to make Fox and Disney movies available as online rentals via iTunes (US). Apple CEO Steve Jobs is likely saving the official announcement for his Macworld Expo keynote on Jan. 14.Customers would pay a fee to download titles viewable on computers, iPods, iPhones and presumably Apple TV devices that would expire after a short window of time. Netflix, Amazon.com and Blockbuster's Movielink are competitors in this space.
Wal-Mart, however, has thrown in the towel. Wal-Mart.com quietly pulled the plug on its video download service late last month as Hewlett Packard decided to discontinue the back-office technology that powered it. The service, popular with studios because it offered variable pricing, struggled with compatibility issues. Wal-Mart downloads could not be burned to DVDs or watched on video iPods.
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Labels: itunes
11/19/2007
Hacking YouTube Videos
UPDATE: YouTube has reworked their site again in response to this article. They absolutely hate us. If you get an error when trying to download a YouTube video, please try some of the plug-ins and scripts listed in step #3.YouTube.com is a great resource. Not many sites allows users to freely upload, view, and share video clips like YouTube does. YouTube even lets users easily post videos on their blogs and personal web sites. But because anyone can upload a video clip on YouTube, copyright violations are rampant.
In an effort to prevent the widespread distribution of illegal copied video files, YouTube encodes its video files in the Adobe Flash format, which prevents viewers from downloading files and making digital copies.
Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for Apple TV, iPod Video, iTunes and iPhone. This trick will work on Mac or PC using Firefox or Internet Explorer.
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10/15/2007
Total Music to Challenge iTunes
Universal Music is in talks with Sony BMG and Warner Music about launching a downloadable music subscription service to challenge iTunes' dominance.The service, dubbed Total Music, would be optimized for rival devices such as the Microsoft Zune as well as mobile phones and would be free to the user. In the proposed Total Music model, device manufactures would pay the music companies for access to their catalogs.
Here's a quote from BusinessWeek:
[Total Music will] get hardware makers or cell carriers to absorb the cost of a roughly $5-per-month subscription fee so consumers get a device with all-you-can-eat music that's essentially free. Music companies would collect the subscription fee, while hardware makers theoretically would move many more players.Personally, I can't believe that companies are still trying to make the "subscription" music model work. I don't know anyone who uses Rhapsody or Urge.
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10/01/2007
Hotel Chevalier - Free on iTunes
With the impending release of The Darjeeling Limited, Wes Anderson (Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) fans everywhere can get a taste of what's to come with his short film Hotel Chevalier.
The 13-minute short film is a prequel for Darjeeling stars Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman who play estranged lovers that meet one last time. Hotel Chevalier is a free download on iTunes (US).
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The 13-minute short film is a prequel for Darjeeling stars Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman who play estranged lovers that meet one last time. Hotel Chevalier is a free download on iTunes (US).
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9/20/2007
Sesame Street Free on iTunes
If you have kids, then you'll be excited for this story. Sesame Street posted 6 free episodes on iTunes from a new series called "Learn Along With Sesame." Each educational episode covers a different topic ranging from lead poisoning to to asthma.
Here's the official iTunes description:
You can download the episodes here.
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- Happy Healthy Ready for School - How Elmo gets ready for School
- Music Works Wonders - Hoots and Elmo perform a concert
- You Can Ask - schoolyard bullies
- Lead Away - the dangers of lead poisoning
- Talk, Listen, Connect - learning how to listen
- A Is for Asthma - learning about Asthma
Here's the official iTunes description:
Join your favorite Sesame Street characters as they learn, play, and grow. Elmop and his friends explore an exciting range of topics, from getting ready for school to discovering the wonders of learning with music. So sing, dance, and "Learn along with Sesame."
You can download the episodes here.
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Labels: itunes
8/22/2007
Wal-Mart Goes DRM-Free
Apple's iTunes could face a run for its money in the coming months from a competitor that knows how to compete on price. Wal-Mart announced the launch of a new "DRM-free" zone on its website featuring tracks from major labels including EMI and Universal for the bargain price of 94 cents each or $9.22 per album. (In comparison, Apple is selling a limited number of DRM-free EMI songs for $1.29).
Wal-Mart will also continue to sell WMA-formatted 128 kbps downloads for 88 cents each. Digital music has only accounted for 15% of all recorded music sales in the U.S. until now. Will that number increase as DRM-free tracks open the market up to more competition?
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Wal-Mart will also continue to sell WMA-formatted 128 kbps downloads for 88 cents each. Digital music has only accounted for 15% of all recorded music sales in the U.S. until now. Will that number increase as DRM-free tracks open the market up to more competition?
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Labels: itunes
8/13/2007
Run iTunes from a USB Drive
Wish you could free your iTunes Library from your computer and take it with you in your pocket? GetUSB.info put together an excellent tutorial on how to run a mobile iTunes Library from a USB stick or hard drive. This method will run the entire iTunes application from the storage device, making it easy to manage iTunes libraries for a mobile user. I believe this is how iTunes should have be developed. Having a library specific for each computer is a frustrating way to enjoy your music if you use multiple computers everyday (ie. work, home, laptop, etc.).What pushed Greg from GetUSB.info over the edge, was his wife wanting to purchase music from iTunes at work and then sync up iTunes with her computer at home. Typically this is done by purchasing the music and downloading directly to the iPod. But his wife is a CPA and travels from location to location for audits and doesn't even use the same computer all the time. The solution was to run iTunes from a USB flash drive so she could just manage a single Library.
Read full tutorial: Run iTunes from a USB DriveOf course this method also works for larger storage hard drives - basically anything that appears as a Mass Storage Device on your PC system. If you are looking for a long term strategy for managing your iTunes music, I strongly recommend doing this process to an external hard drive that is, at least, 120GBs.
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8/09/2007
JK Rowling Interview on iTunes
Even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan, you have to admire J.K Rowling. Not just as a writer with a world-class imagination, but also as a businesswoman and entrepreneur. She seemed to come out of nowhere to create one of the biggest entertainment franchises ever.It’s hard to believe that she used to be unemployed, surviving on U.K. state benefits. That was 1995. Now it's 12 years (and hundreds of millions of dollars) later, and she’s just finished her seventh and final Harry Potter novel, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
iTunes Link: J.K. Rowling InterviewRowling recently did an interview with Meredith Viera for the American news programs The Today Show and Dateline NBC. I only caught part of her Dateline NBC interview, so I was pretty happy to see that they posted the whole thing on iTunes. The interview is an interesting glimpse inside the world of Harry Potter, and it offers some real insight into the woman who created a billion dollar world of magic.
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6/13/2007
Days of Our Lives on iTunes
On Tuesday, the American soap opera, Days of Our Lives, debuted on iTunes (US). Full episodes of the soap will be offered at the standard $1.99, but consumers will be able to shave that cost down to 50¢ per episode by ordering a 20-episode multipass for $9.99.iTunes Link: Days of Our Lives
The producers of the show have had several conversations about including bonus scenes from Days of Our Lives in the iTunes version, though nothing has been decided yet.
Days of Our Lives will now be the most widely distributed daytime soap in the U.S., with episodes available on broadcast (NBC), cable (SoapNet) and online (iTunes).
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Labels: itunes
5/30/2007
Apple Launches iTunes Plus
On Wednesday, Apple released an update to iTunes (US) that added DRM-free AAC music files to the iTunes Store. Dubbed iTunes Plus, the new version of iTunes will allow you to either download DRM (Digital Rights Management) files for the standard $0.99 or spend $1.29 on DRM-free songs.In addition to iTunes Plus, Apple added a new section to iTunes 7.2 called iTunes U, where you can download lectures from various universities around the US free of charge. In addition to lectures, many Universities are offering language lessons, lab demonstrations, sports highlights and campus tours. Participating schools currently include Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Duke University and MIT.
It's probably only a matter of time until someone claims that they graduated from "iTunes U."
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Labels: itunes
5/14/2007
Beatles-iTunes Deal Imminent
According to Billboard magazine, a deal to make The Beatles' back catalogue available for sale online with iTunes is "virtually settled."Paul McCartney told Billboard, "I don't want to pre-empt anything, but we're well on the way to something happening there, which is very exciting."
Some reports say McCartney is rumored to be making over £200 million from the deal.
Efforts to clear The Beatles' music for digital distribution have been previously held up by a long-running feud between Apple Inc and The Beatles' label, Apple Corps. Both sides finally settled the dispute in February, paving the way for distribution via iTunes and other digital retailers.
McCartney is doing a press tour for his new album, "Memory Almost Full," his first to be made available for download and streaming on PCs and mobile phones. The album is due June 5 on Starbucks' new Hear Music label. Starbucks previously announced that the McCartney album will be available on its Hear Music section of Apple's iTunes Store.BeSocial: digg it | methodshop
Labels: itunes
5/09/2007
Disney sells 23 million TV shows and 2 million movies via iTunes Store
Disney has sold 23.7 million TV shows and 2 million movies to date on iTunes, according President/CEO Bob Iger. Since last September, 92 million ad supported episodes have been requested on ABC.com. 91 million episodes have been initiated on DisneyChannel.com in the last year.When questioned by an analyst about iTunes pricing for movies (priced lower than what DVDs sell for in stores, which is preventing more studios from jumping on board,) Iger claimed the revenue split the company receives from both windows is identical.
Maybe we'll start seeing more movies offered on iTunes now.
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Labels: itunes
3/26/2007
Sony Adds TV Shows to iTunes
Last week Sony Pictures Television made its programming available for the first time in Apple's iTunes Store (US).Episodes from current shows "'Til Death" and "Rules of Engagement" as well as from classic series including "Starsky & Hutch," "Charlie's Angels," and "NewsRadio" were added to iTunes' offerings for $1.99 each.
Season 1 from Spiderman, the animated series, was also added to iTunes. The series features Neil Patrick Harris (Starship Troopers, Doogie Howser), Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210) and singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb.
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Labels: itunes
3/05/2007
Perfect iTunes EQ Settings
We've all seen the EQ setting in iTunes, but not many of us know exactly how to use it to its full potential. In this article, Rich Tozzoli, Senior Editor of Surround Professional Magazine breaks each EQ slider down and helps you get the most out of your music.
Tutorial: Demystifing the EQ sliders in iTunes
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Tutorial: Demystifing the EQ sliders in iTunes
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2/07/2007
iTunes Problems with Vista
Thinking about upgrading to Microsoft's new operating system Vista? If you own an iPod, you might want to hold off on Vista... at least for now. Last week, Apple posted a warning on their website stating that customers using Windows Vista may experience compatibility issues with iTunes.According to Apple, the latest version of iTunes (7.0.2) may work with Windows Vista on many typical PCs, but don't be surprised if it doesn't work and messes up your iPod in the process. Apple advices Windows users to wait and not install Vista until after the next release of iTunes. A new version of iTunes should be released sometime this or next month. If you've already upgraded to Vista and are having problems with iTunes, you might want to check out a utility called iTunes Repair Tool for Vista.
Apple has already identified several Vista compatibility issues with iTunes 7.0.2 and earlier. Here are some of the most common problems:
- iTunes Store purchases may not play when upgrading to Windows Vista from Windows 2000 or XP
- Cover Flow animation may be slower than expected
- Contacts and calendars will not sync with iPod
- iPod models with the “Enable Disk Use” option turned off may be unable to update or restore iPod software, and make changes to iPod settings
- iPod models configured to Auto Sync and have the “Enable Disk Use” option turned off may require being ejected and reconnected to resync
- Ejecting an iPod from the Windows System Tray using the “Safely Remove Hardware” feature may corrupt your iPod. To always safely eject an iPod, choose Eject iPod from the Controls menu within iTunes
If you really can't wait to install Vista, Apple suggests you consider the following precautions:
- Users should deauthorize all iTunes Store accounts, enable Disk Use on all iPod models, uninstall iTunes and perform a clean install of Windows Vista (Highly recommended but not required).
- They should then proceed to reinstall the latest version of iTunes, open iTunes and choose Authorize Computer from the Store menu in iTunes.
- A customer who has upgraded to Windows Vista and is still experiencing issues playing iTunes Store purchases should download the iTunes Repair Tool from Apple.com
Adam Anderson, a spokesperson for Microsoft's Windows division, said the company did not believe iTunes users "should stop using Vista for these reasons." He also said that Microsoft has a dedicated team working with Apple on getting iTunes running smoothly on Vista, and it will keep at it "until they have the program running to the quality level they're shooting for... We are also committed to ensuring that all partners, including Apple, receive all the resources they need to ensure that their applications work with Windows Vista," he said.
Apple has sold more than 90 million iPods since the product was first announced in October 2001.
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8/03/2006
Convert Audio Files in iTunes
iTunes is much more than a digital music jukebox. It's capable of handling many different tasks involving digital media and your iPod. Some of iTunes' most popular features include buying music online, burning CDs, and syncing files with your iPod or iPhone. But one of the lesser known functions hidden within iTunes is the ability to convert audio files.Why would you need to convert an audio file? Converting audio file types can be useful in many different situations. Here are a few examples:
- You have an AAC file in iTunes that's not compatible with your Zune that can play MP3 and not AAC files.
- A WAV file needs to be emailed to a client for approval but it's too big. You need to convert the file to an AAC so it's small enough to easily send via email.
- You are making a music video and want to use a song you purchased from the iTunes Store as the soundtrack. However, the editing program won't import the song because of Apple's protective DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Many programs that convert audio files into different formats are pretty complicated and usually cost money. But not iTunes. iTunes is simple, fast and best of all... free.
Tutorial: Converting Audio File Formats in iTunes
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6/08/2006
OS X Installer Music
Have you ever reinstalled your Macintosh operating system just to hear the music? Hopefully not, but if you've ever found yourself grooving to the soundtrack while installing OS X and wanted to know what you were listening to... then you are in luck.Someone posted an iMix in the iTunes Music Store called Mac OS X Installer Music. It contains all the songs Apple has used since Cheetah.
You can use this link to open the iMix in iTunes or just sample individual songs from the list below.
- Mac OS X 10.0 "Cheetah" - Sofa Rockers Remix by Sofa Rockers
- Mac OS X 10.1 "Puma" - Sofa Rockers Remix by Sofa Rockers
- Mac OS X 10.2"Jaguar" - Sofa Rockers Remix by Sofa Rockers
- Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther" - Eple by Roykosopp
- Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" - Bytecry by Weevil
Labels: itunes
8/03/2004
Rip Mix Learn
Need a reason to convince your friends or family to buy you an iPod? Then tell them it's for educational purposes. That's right, the iPod isn't just for holding your massive John Tesh box set collection anymore. Apple has started providing free educational content in the iTunes Music Store.You can download everything from the 9-11 Commission Hearings and Political Convention Speeches to Apple's Quarterly Stock reports. The best part is, it's all free! Maybe someday Apple will expand this material and provide content like famous speeches by Martin Luther King and J.F.K. Get ready to Rip, Mix and Learn.
Tutorial: Here's a listing and directions on how to download free educational content on iTunes.
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