8 posts tagged “itms”

To promote the Clerks II DVD release, Apple asked Kevin Smith to do a celebrity playlist. They got more than they bargained for, as he produced a list that exceeded the capacity of Apple's software to handle. To his credit, he declined to edit it down and put it up on his own blog, unexpurgated.

The five-year anniversary of the iPod is fast approaching (Oct. 23rd) and it seems that new models are imminent. In recent days the Mac rumor community has reached consensus that September 12th will bring us the following:

• 2nd generation iPod Nanos, with increased capacities and possibly more colors.
  
• Upgraded 5g iPods w/videos (I'm hoping for bigger capacities, like 80 or 100gb)
• Movie sales through the ITMS (14.99 for new, 9.99 for older titles)
  
• 23" iMac
  

Hopefully a new version of iTunes, too, with more power-user playlist management features  Like the ability to use sql to write really complex smart playlists (dream on, sigh.)

Update: AppleInsider is predicting that the "one more thing" surprise at the 9/12 event will be a video streaming device, an Airport Express for video. If so, sweet-I'd buy one of those in a second, as long as it worked with my current hardware-I wouldn't want to have to buy a new Mac Mini just to use it.

Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference begins tomorrow with Steve Job's keynote. MacRumors has a good overview of what's expected:

Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2006 Rumor Roundup

As always before an Apple event, the Internet is rife with speculation, Apple's future product plans serving as a Rorschach blob (1) for people to project on their own desires and dreams for the future of personal tech.

My submissions to the Dead Wrong In Public game:

No ipods (they always get their own special event)
No iPhone (would probably gets it own event, of a shared event with ipod)
New intel-based X-serves
New intel-based Mac Pros
New content development tools for extending the iTunes/ITMS ecosystem (basically preparing the world for a completely Apple-based end-to-end content creation and distribution system) I anticipate in the next 12-18 months Apple will be opening up the "long tail" of media distribution, allowing people to make and sell music and movies using the ITMS, as a means of telling Hollywood that if they don't plan nice with putting movies on the ITMS, then Apple will simply sidestep them entirely.

As for Leopard, I would realy like to see improvements to the Finder and Spotlight. Spotlight has so much potential, but as currently implemented I find it annoying and often wish for the days when you could just type command-F and search file names very quickly. I also think networking could be improved a lot-it's still much more trouble than it needs to be to transfer files between machines, not to mention keeping two machines in synch. I agree with the latest date speculations which is that Leopard will be officially announced (what's happening at WWDC is only a "preview') at Macworld 2007 and shipped a month or two after that.

Steve Jobs's keynote starts at 10am tomorrow, and will be covered like by MacRumors.com at http://www.macrumorslive.com.

1 - After reading the wikipedia entry, it seems that, like a lot of people, I refer to Rorschach tests incorrectly. I'm using it in the sense of "people look at it and see what they want to see."

Maybe, according to MacOSRumors.com . This could create an amazing content distribution system, one that Apple would need if they go into the business of selling full-length movies through the ITMS, especially if they are high-def.

Pitchfork reviews Fiery Furnaces "A Bitter Tea"

Billboard previews Drive-By Truckers' "A Blessing and a Curse"

Also I heard the new TOOL song this morning, "Vicarious" on Live 105's Morning Music Co-op, the morning show the station slapped together after losing Howard Stern to Sirius. It rocked, not unsurprisingly-I thought it sounded a bit like "46 & 2", but the DJs on the show thought it was like "Schism." I couldn't really understand the lyrics, so I have no idea what the song is actually about. Hopefully it will be released on ITMS tomorrow. Actually maybe not... Tool are one of those retrograde bands not on the ITMS. Perhaps they will, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, take the opportunity to get themselves on there.

One glaring fault of the iTunes Music Store is the lack of music by two of the greatest bands of all time, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Now reports are surfacing in the Apple rumorsphere of the Beatles catalong being remastered and put on the ITMS. This is interesting in light of the continuing legal struggle over the Apple trademark. It's amazing that it hasn't been settled already. I mean, Apple Records... didn't they last release an album in the 70s? Aren't half of the Beatles (some might say the talented half) dead? Really, just sell the rights to the name to Apple and start cashing checks.

This isn't a big deal for me or most people in my generation, since we all have the Beatles on record and CD. But for the kids, this is nice, since the ITMS is a major avenue for musical discovery among the younger set.

In part I, they review pay per song (non-subscription) sites . Apparently Apple has had some success in this area with something called the "iTunes Music Store" (who knew?) Competing against them are a bunch of hapless sites who have all tied their wagons to the Microsoft "PlaysFerSher" train.

Unfortunately they neglect two very good indie sites, Audio Lunchbox and eMusic. They mention eMusic but they say it's:

...focused on independent labels, and we’ve removed it from the comparison even though it offers DRM-free music at an attractive price ($0.25 per song). eMusic is an awesome service - the side by side table comparision didn’t give it the credit it deserve.

Okay...

They give high marks to allofmp3.com, site twice voted most likely to harvest your credit card info for the Russian mafia. Seriously, if you want to buy music from them, I recommend cash... and several large bodyguards.

Basically here are your choices for pay as you go digital music:

i) a very well implemented and managed closed system with DRM (ITMS)
ii) a horribly crappy semi-open DRM system (Microsoft and friends)
iii) have your identity stolen by the Russian mafia (allofmp3.com)

Or you could use eMusic and AudioLunchbox. There's really never been a better reason to get into indie music.

Such utter giznank. Why doesn't Comet support html in postings?

See how this works:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Neko Case&albumTerm=Fox Confessor Brings the Flood&songTerm=That Teenage Feeling

<h3>Recent ITMS Purchases</h3>
<p><p><b>1. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Neko Case&albumTerm=Fox Confessor Brings the Flood&songTerm=That Teenage Feeling">That Teenage Feeling</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Neko Case&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Neko Case</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Neko Case&albumTerm=Fox Confessor Brings the Flood&songTerm=">Fox Confessor Brings the Flood</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>2. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Pearl Jam&albumTerm=Pearl Jam&songTerm=World Wide Suicide">World Wide Suicide</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Pearl Jam&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Pearl Jam</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Pearl Jam&albumTerm=Pearl Jam&songTerm=">Pearl Jam</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>3. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Pearl Jam&albumTerm=Pearl Jam&songTerm=Unemployable">Unemployable</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Pearl Jam&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Pearl Jam</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Pearl Jam&albumTerm=Pearl Jam&songTerm=">Pearl Jam</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>4. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Duran Duran&albumTerm=A View to a Kill Soundtrack&songTerm=A View to a Kill">A View to a Kill</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Duran Duran&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Duran Duran</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Duran Duran&albumTerm=A View to a Kill Soundtrack&songTerm=">A View to a Kill Soundtrack</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>5. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Bloc Party&albumTerm=Two More Years / Hero - Single&songTerm=Two More Years (Single Version)">Two More Years (Single Version)</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Bloc Party&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Bloc Party</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Bloc Party&albumTerm=Two More Years / Hero - Single&songTerm=">Two More Years / Hero - Single</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>6. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=E-40&albumTerm=My Ghetto Report Card&songTerm=Tell Me When to Go (Featuring Keak Da Sneak)">Tell Me When to Go (Featuring Keak Da Sneak)</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=E-40&albumTerm=&songTerm=">E-40</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=E-40&albumTerm=My Ghetto Report Card&songTerm=">My Ghetto Report Card</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>7. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Guided By Voices&albumTerm=Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia&songTerm=Chief Barrel Belly">Chief Barrel Belly</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Guided By Voices&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Guided By Voices</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Guided By Voices&albumTerm=Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia&songTerm=">Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>8. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Too Short&albumTerm=Blow the Whistle (Main Version) [Explicit] - Single&songTerm=Blow the Whistle (Main Version) [Explicit]">Blow the Whistle (Main Version) [Explicit]</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Too Short&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Too Short</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Too Short&albumTerm=Blow the Whistle (Main Version) [Explicit] - Single&songTerm=">Blow the Whistle (Main Version) [Explicit] - Single</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>9. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Juvenile Featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Skip, and Wacko&albumTerm=Reality Check&songTerm=Way I Be Leanin' (Featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Skip, and Wacko)">Way I Be Leanin' (Featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Skip, and Wacko)</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Juvenile Featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Skip, and Wacko&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Juvenile Featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Skip, and Wacko</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Juvenile Featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Skip, and Wacko&albumTerm=Reality Check&songTerm=">Reality Check</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>10. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Guided By Voices&albumTerm=Propeller&songTerm=Weedking">Weedking</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Guided By Voices&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Guided By Voices</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Guided By Voices&albumTerm=Propeller&songTerm=">Propeller</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>11. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Donald Fagen&albumTerm=The Nightfly&songTerm=I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year)">I.G.Y. (International Geophysical Year)</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Donald Fagen&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Donald Fagen</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Donald Fagen&albumTerm=The Nightfly&songTerm=">The Nightfly</a></em>)</p>
<p><b>12. <a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Donald Fagen&albumTerm=The Nightfly&songTerm=New Frontier">New Frontier</a></b>  (<a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Donald Fagen&albumTerm=&songTerm=">Donald Fagen</a>, <em><a href="itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/com.apple.jingle.search.
DirectAction/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Donald Fagen&albumTerm=The Nightfly&songTerm=">The Nightfly</a></em>)</p>