Apple iTunes 9 Announced with LP & Better sync Technology
Arrange your many iPhone apps on your PC from within iTunes, if that floats your boat
Genius will be applied “to yet another area” in iTunes 9, with a new feature called genius Mixes. “Imagine a genius DJ”, Jobs says, that will create playlists using songs that “go well together from your library”.
Improved syncing is the next function that will be updated in the next version of iTunes, will better compatibility for the iPhone. Sync a playlist along with everything from one artist; or sync the latest three movies you’ve bought along with your favourite movie – Jobs uses the example of Ratatouille.
Stream music from other computers in your house to your Mac with iTunes 9 with “home sharing”, that will also let you copy movies, TV shows and other media to up to five computers in your house. Drag an album, movie or TV show into your library, and copy it. It’ll be set up automatically, too – a nice bonus which means you won’t spend precious hours networking. It's yet another step for Apple in the right direction, away from the evil DRM land it once inhibited. Whenever a new album, movie or TV show is purchased on one computer, all the other computers will automatically update with the same media.
Users will also be able to arrange apps on their iPhone or iPod in iTunes, with a replica of the interface within iTunes. It has drag and drop icons for the apps, which will sync automatically with your mobile device.
A new look and feel for iTunes 9 will give a “much cleaner layout that I think you’ll enjoy”, Jobs claims, with skins for bands’ profiles and more.
iTunes LP sounds interesting, with “everything with it”. Videos, liner notes, all sorts of added bonuses for albums which will replicate the extras you used to receive with vinyl records. It won’t be quite the same, with digital album artwork not that much of an incentive, but it’s a nice gesture for the babyboomers who still remember the glory days of vinyl.
Share what you're listening to with your Twitter and Facebook friends, by clicking the new 'share' button on a particular track or album. Apparently lots of users have been crying out for wishlists, something Apple has now granted. Fancy the new Kasabian album? Add it to your wishlist, and hope a generous friend will buy it for you. If you'd like to purchase it and send to a friend, you can also do that - it's a nice alternative to iTunes gift cards, which may strike you as somewhat impersonal.
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