MyTunes for iPhone gives your music an impressive kick

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="183" mce_src="http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5425/mytunesicon.jpg" mce_style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px;" src="http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5425/mytunesicon.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="190" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> SRS Labs has just released MyTunes, a free iPhone app that rather dramatically enhances music playback on your iDevices. Instead of using the stock player provided by Apple, you launch the MyTunes app, select your playlists, albums or artists, and you're away.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The sound of most tracks transforms in an often spectacular fashion. Matt Yaney of SRS told me the app uses a variety of proprietary techniques to eliminate the degradation provided by MP3 encoding and produce a more natural and immersive experience, usually lost by the recording and compression process.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> I have to agree. Listening to a variety of Rock, New Age, Jazz and Classical improved every track I tried. Bass was firmer, percussion was much sharper, and the position of instruments across the sound stage are more precise. The changes just aren't a matter of boosting high and low frequencies, there is a good deal of sophisticated audio processing taking place. I found the effects most pronounced on music that was recorded live with acoustic instruments, but as I said, just about every genre of music sounded better.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> This app is a bit of a breakthrough for SRS Labs, because the only previous way to get this technology was with a hardware dongle on the SRS Wow! product. I've compared the 2 systems, and found the audio quality quite close. The SRS Wow! does have an actual hardware DAC (digital audio converter) but I was hard pressed to hear the difference when listening to MyTunes.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> There are a few caveats. The MyTunes app won't work with any music that has DRM, and it won't work on any videos you have. Since the app only connects to your iTunes library, it won't enhance Pandora, Spotify or any online streaming services.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> If you want even more features there is a US$4.99 in-app purchase that provides additional custom controls for audio enhancement, more EQ settings, volume leveling, and an simpler interface to use when driving. I didn't find the extra features all that compelling, but SRS Labs will let you sample them for ten minutes to see if they are worthwhile for you.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> If you listen to a lot of music on your iDevice, and most of us do, I wouldn't hesitate to download MyTunes. The basic app is free. It takes a little effort to explore all the features provided, but if you try it I think it will have a permanent place on your iPhone or iPod touch. The app also will work on an iPad, but MyTunes is not universal, and a separate iPad app is coming later this year.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Give the app a listen and report your impressions in comments, and check the gallery out for some screen shots.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Gallery: MyTunes from SRS Labs</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="" height="75" mce_src="http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6826/mytunes1thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/6826/mytunes1thumbnail.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="75" /><img alt="" height="75" mce_src="http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/853/mytunes2thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/853/mytunes2thumbnail.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="75" /><a href="http://localhost/1/wp-admin/post.php?post=6121&action=edit&message=1" mce_href="http://" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><img alt="" mce_src="http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/9118/mytunes3thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/9118/mytunes3thumbnail.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" /></a><a href="http://localhost/1/wp-admin/post.php?post=6121&action=edit&message=1" mce_href="http://" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><img alt="" mce_src="http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/3359/mytunes4thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/3359/mytunes4thumbnail.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" /></a><a href="http://localhost/1/wp-admin/post.php?post=6121&action=edit&message=1" mce_href="http://" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;"><img alt="" mce_src="http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8981/mytunes5thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8981/mytunes5thumbnail.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" /></a></div> </div> </div> </div>

MyTunes for iPhone gives your music an impressive kick

SRS Labs has just released MyTunes, a free iPhone app that rather dramatically enhances music playback on your iDevices. Instead of us...

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Apple adds 90 second song previews to some international music stores

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="68" mce_src="http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5731/90secitunes.jpg" src="http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5731/90secitunes.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; height: 68px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 8px auto; max-width: 640px; width: 465px;" width="465" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Apple has extended song previews to 90 seconds in some international iTunes music stores. As noted by MacRumors, the extended previews are available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other parts of Europe. As with the US store, not all songs will have 90 second previews; some are still limited to 30 seconds.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> When Apple first began offering 90 second song previews in the US back in December they apparently did so without consulting the music labels. Instead they simply added a new agreement to iTunes Connect that the labels had to accept to continue adding songs to iTunes. It read: "We are pleased to let you know that we are preparing to increase the length of music previews from 30 seconds to 90 seconds on the iTunes Store in the United States. We believe that giving potential customers more time to listen to your music will lead to more purchases."</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Have 90 second song previews appeared a country not listed above? Let us know in the comments.</div> </div> </span></div>

Apple adds 90 second song previews to some international music stores

Apple has extended song previews to 90 seconds in some international iTunes music stores. As noted by MacRumors, the extended previews ...

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Apple adds 90 second song previews to some international music stores

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="68" mce_src="http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5731/90secitunes.jpg" src="http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5731/90secitunes.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; height: 68px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 8px auto; max-width: 640px; width: 465px;" width="465" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Apple has extended song previews to 90 seconds in some international iTunes music stores. As noted by MacRumors, the extended previews are available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other parts of Europe. As with the US store, not all songs will have 90 second previews; some are still limited to 30 seconds.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> When Apple first began offering 90 second song previews in the US back in December they apparently did so without consulting the music labels. Instead they simply added a new agreement to iTunes Connect that the labels had to accept to continue adding songs to iTunes. It read: "We are pleased to let you know that we are preparing to increase the length of music previews from 30 seconds to 90 seconds on the iTunes Store in the United States. We believe that giving potential customers more time to listen to your music will lead to more purchases."</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Have 90 second song previews appeared a country not listed above? Let us know in the comments.</div> </div> </span></div>

Apple adds 90 second song previews to some international music stores

Apple has extended song previews to 90 seconds in some international iTunes music stores. As noted by MacRumors, the extended previews ...

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Apple withdraws iTunes from 'Christian Values Network'

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="159" mce_src="http://img807.imageshack.us/img807/7065/ituneslogo234343.jpg" src="http://img807.imageshack.us/img807/7065/ituneslogo234343.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; height: 159px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 8px auto; max-width: 640px; width: 138px;" width="138" />Techland reports that Apple has pulled iTunes off of the "Christian Values Network." The network operates an online shopping portal, CVN.org, which "plugs you into a special online shopping network that helps your chosen organization just by shopping, without adding any additional cost to you" according to the site. Many big-name companies were indirectly associated with the site in this manner, including Apple.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Why has Apple chosen to withdraw its affiliate program from the site? According to Techland, the Southern Poverty Law Center has determined that many of the religious groups associated with the site are classified as "active hate groups." Family Research Council, for instance, is an active lobbyist against rights for LGBT individuals and insists that divorcing couples with children be subject to a one-year waiting period before the divorce can be finalized. Many other religious groups associated with CVN are active campaigners against homosexual rights.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Ben Crowther launched a petition to convince Apple to withdraw iTunes from CVN, and given Apple's past support for LGBT issues, it's not surprising Apple followed suit. However, in this case Apple isn't exactly blazing the trail; Microsoft withdrew its support from CVN two weeks earlier, and Wells Fargo, Delta Airlines, and Macy's did as well.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> More than 35,000 people signed the petition, which began on July 5. I've often been skeptical of the utility of online petitions, but this one definitely got Apple's attention.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> (<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Comments on this post will be strictly moderated.</span>)</div> </div> </span></div>

Apple withdraws iTunes from 'Christian Values Network'

Techland reports that Apple has pulled iTunes off of the "Christian Values Network." The network operates an online shopping po...

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TUAW's Daily iPad App: Knot Guide HD

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="209" mce_src="http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/8318/knotguidemain.jpg" mce_style="border: 0px initial initial;" src="http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/8318/knotguidemain.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="279" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Similar to playing an instrument, Knot tying is a skill that is developed over time with much practice. It's one of those skills that you don't know you need until you find yourself hiking in the woods and want to tie up a temporary shelter with something other than a basic bow knot used for tying your shoes.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The next best thing to finding an old salt to show you the ropes is an iPad app, Knot Guide HD from WinkPass Creations. Knot Guide HD has 95 knots that are organized into 17 different categories. There are 83 unique knots and a handful that are variations. You can view the knots via categories, alphabetically, or a customizable favorites list. You can even search if you know the name of a knot.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The iPad app has a picture of each finished knot and describes how each knot is used. There is also a set of step-by-step directions that show you how to tie the knot. If two strands of rope are used, each strand is a different color so you can tell the two apart. A description accompanies each knot-tying step and you can even add your own custom notes for personal hints, tips or tricks. If there are knots you want to remember, you can add them to your favorites list for easy access.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Knot Guide HD is designed as a reference guide and it looks excellent on the iPad screen. The images of each knot are crisp and clear, though they could be a bit bigger. The descriptions for each step in the tying process are very helpful as they make it easier to understand how you need to move each strand. Only two major items are lacking -- a quiz /game mode and videos. Other apps in this category include videos to demonstrate the knot and a quiz mode to test your knowledge. Some apps even tie into Game Center so you can earn achievements while you learn.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Despite these drawbacks, Knot Guide HD is a very useful reference guide for anyone that wants to learn the fine art of knot tying. Knot Guide HD is available in the iTunes App Store for $2.99. There is also an iPhone and Mac OS X version.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;"> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Gallery: Knot Guide HD</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="Knot Guide HD category view" height="75" mce_src="http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5821/knotguide1thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5821/knotguide1thumbnail.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="Knot Guide HD category view" width="75" /><img alt="Knot Guide HD search results" height="75" mce_src="http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5763/knotguide5thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/5763/knotguide5thumbnail.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="Knot Guide HD search results" width="75" /><img alt="Knot Guide HD Favorites list" height="75" mce_src="http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7243/knotguide4thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7243/knotguide4thumbnail.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="Knot Guide HD Favorites list" width="75" /><img alt="Knot Guide HD step-by-step instructions" height="75" mce_src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/9140/knotguide2thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/9140/knotguide2thumbnail.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="Knot Guide HD step-by-step instructions" width="75" /><img alt="Knot Guide HD lets you add a personal note" height="75" mce_src="http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/7049/knotguide3thumbnail.jpg" src="http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/7049/knotguide3thumbnail.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="Knot Guide HD lets you add a personal note" width="75" /></div> </div> </div> </span></div>

TUAW's Daily iPad App: Knot Guide HD

Similar to playing an instrument, Knot tying is a skill that is developed over time with much practice. It's one of those skills th...

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Week in Tech: Who will be the iTunes of streaming music?

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/internet-and-broadband/images/MP3tunes-200-200.jpg"></P><br /><P>This week's big news came from Amazon, whose US operation has unveiled a cloud-based music service.<BR>Customers get 5GB of online music storage for free, rising to 20GB if they buy an Amazon MP3 album, and there are web-based and Android music players so you can listen to your stuff anywhere.</P><br /><P>The big surprise is that Apple didn't do it first: after all, a cloud-based iTunes "digital locker" has been rumoured for ages. </P><br /><P>Online music is becoming increasingly crowded. Microsoft's there with Zune Pass, Sony has Music Unlimited and in the UK at least, there's Spotify. Those three services demonstrate one of the big problems with streaming music: you need to get permission from the record companies, and you need to pay them for that permission.</P><br /><P>Getting that permission for the right price can be a problem. Rumours suggest that the launch of Google Music, another cloud-based offering, has been stalled because Google can't hammer out an agreement with the labels; the US launch of Spotify has been repeatedly delayed for what we're told are similar reasons.</P><br /><P>Charm offensive</P><br /><P>Amazon's solution is simple: tell the record companies to get stuffed. The firm is apparently embarking on a charm offensive to win the record labels' hearts again, but as far as the cloud service is concerned Amazon's message to them has been consistent: streaming customers' own music doesn't require a licence.</P><br /><P>Amazon has a point. You don't pay extra to stream music from your PC to your TV, or to copy MP3s from an external hard disk - so why should you pay to stream MP3s from music you've already paid for?</P><br /><P>Amazon's service doesn't do the uploading for you, so it's essentially offering you a bit of hard disk space. What you do with that space is none of the record labels' business.</P><br /><P>It's an argument we've heard before, and the record companies don't like it: as TechRadar's Gary Marshall points out, "MP3.com's Michael Robertson used it to justify his MP3tunes digital locker service, which is currently being dragged through the US courts by EMI." </P><br /><P>That legal action has been going on since 2007. EMI's counter-argument is that MP3tunes doesn't own the music it streams, and therefore it isn't allowed to do anything with it.</P><br /><P>Familiar</P><br /><P>Robertson's been at this for a while: he launched MP3.com in 1997 when most people didn't even know what an MP3 was, and MP3tunes.com has been around for five years. </P><br /><P>So it's not surprising that he can't resist a little dig at Amazon: "If you use MP3tunes you're already familiar with what Amazon offers because it looks just like version 1.0 we launched several years back," he writes.</P><br /><P>The fall-out from Amazon's announcement will be significant. As Robertson says, "If Amazon can make music, including purchases, listenable everywhere without paying the major labels or publishers then Apple and Google must do the same."</P><br /><P>That might explain why one of Robertson's allies in his court battle with EMI is Google. As he says, "If Amazon can launch an unlicensed service without any repercussions, paying the record labels no money, then what motivation would there be for Google or Apple to enter into a licence?"</P><br /><P>"What we're seeing here is a war on two fronts," Gary Marshall writes. "We have tech firms battling with record companies to work out how the future of music will be delivered and who pays what, and we have tech firms battling one another to be the iTunes of streaming music."<BR></P><br /><P><STRONG></STRONG> </P>

Week in Tech: Who will be the iTunes of streaming music?

This week's big news came from Amazon, whose US operation has unveiled a cloud-based music service. Customers get 5GB of online music st...

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How to Download a DVD on iTunes or iPhone

<P>Open iTunes on your computer. To import DVDs, you must have iTunes version 9 or later. You can upgrade to the newest version of iTunes for free from the Apple website. (See Resources)</P><P>Insert the DVD with digital copy into your computer's disk drive.</P><P>Click the name of the DVD in the iTunes sidebar --- the name is located in the "Devices" section.</P><P>Enter the redemption code that appears on the insert included in the DVD case. Click "Redeem."</P><P>Enter your Apple ID and password when prompted and click "OK."</P><P>Attach your iPhone once the movie has been successfully imported into iTunes. Click the name of the movie in the "Movies" section of the sidebar and drag it to the iPhone. A sync begins that transfers the movie to your phone.</P><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_7745012_download-dvd-itunes-iphone.html">Source.</a>

How to Download a DVD on iTunes or iPhone

Open iTunes on your computer. To import DVDs, you must have iTunes version 9 or later. You can upgrade to the newest version of iTunes for ...

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How to Enter an iTunes Card

<P>Open iTunes on your <a href="">computer</A>. If you do not currently have the program, download it at no charge from the Apple website.</P><br /><P>Click on "iTunes Store" in the iTunes sidebar.</P><br /><P>Sign in to iTunes, if you are not signed in already, by clicking on the "Sign In" icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.</P><br /><P>Click "Redeem" in the "Quick Links" section, located along the right side of the screen.</P><br /><P>Enter the 16-digit code on the back of the iTunes card and click "Redeem." The amount of money associated with the card will be credited to your iTunes account.</P><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_7724782_enter-itunes-card.html">Source.</A>

How to Enter an iTunes Card

Open iTunes on your computer . If you do not currently have the program, download it at no charge from the Apple website. Click on "iTu...

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iPhone 101: Where did I put that app?

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="1" height="295" hspace="4" src="http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2004/iphone101findyourapps23.jpg" vspace="4" width="400" /></div><br /> Once you have a fair number of apps on your iOS device, you might find that you occasionally "lose" an app somewhere in the pages and/or folders of your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Handily, there's a trick for locating that app using iTunes. I consider myself a seasoned iTunes/iPhone user, and this simple little tip was a surprise to me. It might be to you, too!<br /> <br /> Connect your device to your computer and let it show up under "Devices" in iTunes. Select the device and click on the "Apps" tab of the info panel. You'll see a list of all of your apps on the left, and a rendering of your device's screens (pages) on the right. All you need to do is double-click an app on the left to see exactly what page it's on, and in what folder, if you've organized that way.<br /> <br /> <strike>Now, if only Apple hadn't removed the search field on the apps list. I've accumulated a decent app library, and scrolling that list is a <i>pain</i>, but at least I'll be able to find the apps <i>on</i> my device now.</strike> As commenters & colleagues have pointed out -- and as we've mentioned before -- the iTunes-wide search field at the top right of the window now serves double duty as a search tool for applications that you've bought/downloaded. Sorry for the misdirection!<br /> <h6></h6><a href="http://www.tuaw.com/tag/iphone101">Source</a>

iPhone 101: Where did I put that app?

Once you have a fair number of apps on your iOS device, you might find that you occasionally "lose" an app somewhere in the pages...

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Hospice charity single hit by iTunes cover version

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com///classifications/computing/mac/images/apple_projects/apple-itunes-10-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>Two Manchester lads who recorded a tribute single and raised £7,000 through iTunes for the hospice that cared for their late mother have seen their efforts undermined by a cover of their song.</P><br /><P>Lonely Sky, recorded by teenagers Ben and Jamie Hazelby, has raised a total of £82,500 for St Anne's Hospice, but iTunes proceeds dropped-off when a "tribute" version appeared on the download portal.</P><br /><P>The alternate version of the song is appearing above the original in the iTunes listings and it is not known whether producers JWH Records intends to donate their proceeds to the hospital.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Apple investigates</STRONG></P><br /><P>Jamie, 14, says that Apple is investigating and could remove the rival song.</P><br /><P>He said: "On iTunes people can post comments and they've been posting 'your Mum would be really proud' and stuff like that." </P><br /><P>"They [iTunes] have told us that the company that's done it has five days to prove that they were allowed to release the song before it gets taken off, and all the money goes back to the hospice," added Ben, 17.</P><br /><P>The song was recorded with Chris De Burgh on vocals after the two lads featured on TV show Noel's Christmas Presents on December 19th. Ben and Jamie lost their mum to ovarian cancer in January 2009.</P>

Hospice charity single hit by iTunes cover version

Two Manchester lads who recorded a tribute single and raised £7,000 through iTunes for the hospice that cared for their late mother have see...

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How to Copy an iTunes Playlist to a Jump Drive

<P>Open iTunes. Plug your jump drive into your computer's USB port.</P><P>Create and set up your playlist, if you have not already. To do this, select "File," then "New Playlist." Name the playlist; it appears in iTune's sidebar. Drag the desired songs from your library to the playlist to add them.</P><P>Right-click the playlist in iTune's sidebar. Select "Export ..."</P><P>Enter a name (or adjust the name, if desired). Select the jump drive as the save destination. Select "M3U" as the file format and click "Save." The playlist is saved to the jump drive.</P>

How to Copy an iTunes Playlist to a Jump Drive

Open iTunes. Plug your jump drive into your computer's USB port. Create and set up your playlist, if you have not already. To do this, ...

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Tutorial: iTunes Ping: the complete guide

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.new_main-200-200.jpg"></P> <br /><P>Alongside the new iPods that Apple announced at its annual September event, iTunes reached <a href="">version 10</A>. As well as stripping the colour from the sidebar, it introduced Ping, a social networking feature that enables you to see what your friends and favourite artists are listening to.</P><br /><P><br /><P>Apple added a couple of features in version 10.0.1, so make sure you're fully up to date. Let's first sign up for Ping and have a look at its main screen. </P><br /><P>You'll see Ping just below the iTunes Store entry in the iTunes sidebar. Click Turn On Ping, and fill in your details to set up your profile – it's very quick. When you're done, you'll see the main Ping screen. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Interface </STRONG></P><br /><P>The iTunes interface has been altered. Gone is the colour from the sidebar icons, and the close, minimise and maximise buttons now sit vertically next to the player controls.</P><br /><P>The additional button in the panel next to the search bar is the new Album List library view, which we'll look at over the page. Add Playlist, Shuffle, Repeat and Artwork are now just symbols on the bottom bar. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Toolbar </STRONG></P><br /><P>The back and forward arrows to navigate Ping work just like a web browser. On the right, there's a Ping menu, giving you quick access to your Recent Activity feed, profile, the people you follow or who are following you, and featured artists. Use the Ping button to jump back to the main screen. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Recent Activity </STRONG></P><br /><P>This newsfeed is just like the one on Facebook. As soon as you choose to follow someone, their updates are added to the feed. Scroll down to read more. If you get to the end and still haven't had enough, click the the More… link below the last posting. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Follow </STRONG></P><br /><P>You can follow another person or artist just like you would on Twitter or Facebook. Once you follow them, their updates will appear in Recent Activity, which is akin to your Facebook newsfeed or Twitter home page. Some people may need to approve you first. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Artists we recommend </STRONG></P><br /><P>iTunes suggests artists it thinks you might like to follow, based on things you've bought previously. We got 772 recommendations, which could take some time to go through, but the big names came up in the first few pages. To find out more about a given musician or group, click their name to view their profile page, where you can also choose to follow them. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Ping links </STRONG></P><br /><P>This list of links helps you navigate various parts of Ping. It gives you quick access to your profile, any reviews you've written, the people you follow, and new, featured artists. Over the page, we'll look at your profile and reviews in more detail. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Account </STRONG></P><br /><P>Click here to sign in; once you've done so, it displays the email address you're logged in with. Use your existing iTunes Store account. When you click and hold, a menu drops down, giving you quick access to your account details, your wish list and the options to redeem gift vouchers or sign out. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Find more people </STRONG></P><br /><P>To find a particular artist, or one of your friends or colleagues, type their name in the search bar and press Return. You can filter the results to show only Artists, or just the regular People. If you can't find who you're looking for, why not invite them to sign up to Ping? Just click Invite and type in their email address and a message. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Post, Like or comment </STRONG></P><br /><P>Seen something you like? Why not share it with your followers. Click Post to share an entry – you can even add a message to the posting. Alternatively, you can click the Like button or write a comment below it. The feed only displays the latest comment by default – click Show more comments to read them all in a handy scrolling pane. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Parental controls</STRONG></P><br /><P>If your children use iTunes and you're worried about them finding unsuitable content, you can disable certain features to keep them safe. </P><br /><P>Go into iTunes > Preferences and click the Parental button. Here, you can disable the iTunes Store (which turns Ping off too), Podcasts, Radio or Shared Libraries. If you want to be slightly less draconian, you can simply restrict content based on its rating. </P><br /><P>Pick your country from the Ratings for: dropdown, then use the options below to hide material. Remember to click the padlock to prevent anyone from altering your settings.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Now do more with Ping</STRONG></P><br /><P>You can access your Ping profile by clicking My Profile in the Ping menu. It contains the details you filled in when you set up your account. </P><br /><P>On the right, you'll see a line of thumbnails of artists you like, which are based on purchases you've made from the iTunes Store in the past. Below all this is your Recent Activity, where you'll see any comments you've made, artists you've started following and more. A list of the people you follow is on the right. </P><br /><P><img alt="Ping" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.general1-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Edit Profile, in the pane on the right, enables you to change your picture, bio and location. Under Music I Like, you can determine what appears in that section. Lastly, Privacy Settings is were you dictate if others are allowed to follow you, and if they require your approval first.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Instant access </STRONG></P><br /><P>The new Ping sidebar in your music library shows you a mini feed of the recent activity of the people and acts you're following, and if you select a song by an artist who has a Ping profile, you'll see their latest activity at the top. You can also Like or Post the song that's currently selected in your library. </P><br /><P>You'll notice a little Ping drop-down next to the song you've got selected. This also offers Like and Post options, as well as direct links to that artist's profile and album pages on the iTunes Store. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Writing reviews </STRONG></P><br /><P>Social networking is all about interaction and leaving feedback, so what better way to do this than by writing a review of someone's music? Reviewing music on the iTunes Store is nothing new, but Ping brings all your reviews together in your profile, so others can browse them easily. </P><br /><P>To write a review, browse to the album's track listing and scroll to the bottom. There, you can leave your thoughts on it. Now head back to your profile and click My Reviews, and your feedback will appear there. Others who browse your reviews get direct links to buy the music you critiqued.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Bring back the colour </STRONG></P><br /><P>If you, like us, miss the coloured icons in the sidebar or believe firmly that the close, minimise and maximise buttons should appear horizontally rather than vertically, there's good news – changing them back is relatively straightforward. </P><br /><P>First off, make sure you've quit iTunes, then open up Terminal from your Applications/Utilities folder. Type the following and press Return: </P><br /><P>defaults write com.apple.iTunes full-window -1 </P><br /><P>Terminal won't acknowledge what you've done, but type exit and quit Terminal. You're now ready to reopen iTunes and breathe a sigh of relief – the buttons will sit horizontally again. </P><br /><P>Next up, let's give the sidebar back its colour. This not only looks better, but makes navigating them easier, because you'll probably have come to associate certain colours with certain entries – the Store is green, Home Sharing is orange and your Music library is blue. Without the colour, it'll take you longer to read each entry before you click it. This bit's a little more complicated, but just follow our steps and it'll work fine, provided Source Text is set to Small in the Preferences. </P><br /><P>First, quit iTunes, open up Safari and <a href="http://cl.ly/2Ek7">go to here</A>. Click the Download button and wait for the file to come in. While it's downloading, find iTunes in your Applications folder, right-click it and select Show Package Contents. Expand the Contents folder, then the Resources one and scroll down to a file called iTunes.rsrc. </P><br /><P>Make a copy of this elsewhere on your hard drive, just in case anything goes wrong. </P><br /><P>Then find the file you've just downloaded and copy it to the Resources folder. Type in your administrator password and choose to replace the file that's already there. Now reopen iTunes to be greeted by a glorious technicolour sidebar. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Wait, there's more...</STRONG></P><br /><P>Ping wasn't the only new feature added to iTunes 10; there's AirPlay wireless music and integration with the new Apple TV. AirPlay is designed to enable you to listen to your music anywhere in your house, wirelessly. You can pair speakers and docks to your Mac and then listen to your music in more than one room. You'll even be able to see song details and album artwork on supported devices. </P><br /><P><STRONG>How to use the new Album List view </STRONG></P><br /><P>iTunes 10 adds a new way to browse your music library. As well as the usual List, Grid and Cover Flow modes, there's now an Album List view. It works like the standard List view, but incorporates album artwork into the list. It does this by grouping whole albums together, with the cover art on the left-hand side. </P><br /><P>Browsing in this way gives you the best of both the List and Grid views, in that you can visually search for an album you're after, before picking out a track without needing to switch screens. You can also rate the album quickly by clicking the dots next to the cover to give it a star rating. This applies that rating to all its tracks. </P><br /><P>In Album List view, you can still sort your library by track name, or any of the other column headings, simply by clicking them. But if you try this, you'll see the majority of your album artwork disappear, because it only displays if there are several tracks to show alongside it. </P><br /><P>You can force the artwork to appear, by going to View > Always Show Artwork, but if you then sort your library by track name, most tracks will take up between three and seven lines, due to the image alongside them. So as the name suggests, Album List view is really only for browsing grouped records.</P><br /><P><STRONG>How to explore people's profiles </STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>1. Public profile </STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 1" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.step01-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Just like you, artists on the Ping network have their own public profiles, which can contain a photo, a short bio, their recent activity and the music they like. If you're not already following them, there's a button just below their name – click on it to start doing so. </P><br /><P><STRONG>2. Music they like </STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 2" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.step02-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Hover your mouse over one of the album thumbnails that the artist likes to find out the name of the song, artist and album. Click again for an iTunes Store window, where you can preview the record in question and buy tracks. Use the drop-down to Like the album. </P><br /><P><STRONG>3. Followers </STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 3" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.step03-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>In the bottom-right corner, you can see who's following that artist. This is a good way of finding other people who have similar music tastes to you, and then looking at who else they follow to discover new artists. Click someone's name to view their profile and Follow them. </P><br /><P><STRONG>4. Side box </STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 4" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.step04-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>If an artist has written any reviews of others' music, you can read these by clicking Reviews By Artist on the right-hand side. Below this are links to Like the artist, or post their profile to your followers – a great way to spread the word about new bands you've discovered. </P><br /><P><STRONG>5. Buy their music </STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 5" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.step05-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>If you'd like to listen to the artist's own music, click the Artist Page button below their name. This takes you to their regular iTunes Store page, where you have the list of albums, which you can explore, preview and buy. To go back to their profile, click Profile on the right. </P><br /><P><STRONG>6. Stop following</STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 6" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20228/MAC228.tut_ping.step06-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Musical tastes vary over time, so you might find you no longer wish to follow a given artist. You can do so by clicking Stop Following, which you'll find under Artist Links on the righthand side of their profile. Their updates will be removed from your Recent Activity feed.</P>

Tutorial: iTunes Ping: the complete guide

Alongside the new iPods that Apple announced at its annual September event, iTunes reached version 10 . As well as stripping the colour fro...

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How to Burn iTunes Ringtones to a Disc

<ADDRESS class="Note byline"><br /><P></P>ITunes is an application that allows users to organize and play their music and movies. The application also allows users to create ringtones. These ringtones are just small audio files just like the other tracks in your iTunes library. You can easily transfer them to a CD, much like you can with your other music tracks in iTunes.<br /><P></P>Difficulty:Easy1 2 <br /><P>Click "Preferences" in the main menu bar. Click the "Advanced" tab. Click the radio button next to "Audio CD" and click the "OK" button.</P>3 <br /><P>Click "File" in the main menu bar. Choose "New Playlist." An untitled playlist item will appear in your left column list of playlists and devices. Click the playlist twice and type a name for it, indicating that it contains ringtones.</P>4 <br /><P>Highlight the ringtones that you want to burn to the CD and drag them to onto the playlist item that you just created.</P>5 <br /><P>Click the small "Burn Disc" button in the lower-left corner of the interface. Insert a CD in your drive on your <a href="">computer</A> when prompted. Click the small eject button next to the CD icon in the left column after the burning process finishes.</P><a class="readNext jsNoFollow" rel="http://www.ehow.com/how_6797594_burn-itunes-ringtones-cd.html"></A><a class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-text="How to Burn iTunes Ringtones to a Disc" data-url="http://www.ehow.com/how_7670863_burn-itunes-ringtones-disc.html" data-via="ehow" href="http://twitter.com/share"></A></ADDRESS>

How to Burn iTunes Ringtones to a Disc

ITunes is an application that allows users to organize and play their music and movies. The application also allows users to create ringtone...

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iTunes 10 now offering social playlists with Ping

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk187RKSjQe-ZJK8lI-rodvs5v-5J53Q7gG5xAZRbprggS4oxkdwNOAunYOU-7ZI4eFr0wrISC5zZNUt_Ak5ai2QVli8lw5fMtcv_JCrOGYPayrAWz1zqljENgLoU7X97ZizyjXxV6_kQ/s1600/101214-playlist-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk187RKSjQe-ZJK8lI-rodvs5v-5J53Q7gG5xAZRbprggS4oxkdwNOAunYOU-7ZI4eFr0wrISC5zZNUt_Ak5ai2QVli8lw5fMtcv_JCrOGYPayrAWz1zqljENgLoU7X97ZizyjXxV6_kQ/s320/101214-playlist-01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> After Twitter integration and iPad migration, looks like the next stop for Ping is social playlists. That's right -- the next time you make a mix in iTunes 10, clicking on the playlist arrow will give you two options: you can either purchase the playlist as a gift to your friend or loved one, or publish the playlist to Ping itself. Once your playlist is published, you can even give your friends on the network the option to edit it, making it a community playlist of sorts. Of course, this last option only works if you really trust your friends' taste. After all, it just wouldn't do to have Philip Glass invade your "Core Workout Playlist" featuring such beloved anthems Move This by Technotronic and Whoomp! There It Is by Tag Team.

iTunes 10 now offering social playlists with Ping

After Twitter integration and iPad migration, looks like the next stop for Ping is social playlists. That's right -- the next time you ...

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AirSync and doubleTwist offer wireless iTunes syncing for Android

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/classifications/images/cureforiphoneenvy-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>If you're an Android user and are fed up with the wires when synchronising media - we've got good news for you.</P><br /><P>AirSync has been added to the free <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/25-really-useful-google-nexus-one-tips-673074">doubleTwist media player</A>, allowing you to copy media across without the need for a wire whenever the phone and PC or Mac are within range of each other.</P><br /><P>Users will have to pay for the privilege, with the AirSync costing 64p to install for the first 10,000 buyers, but that's a small price to pay for having the coolness of wireless syncing.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Early bugs</STRONG></P><br /><P>You'll need to set up a passcode to pair the two, but after that it should be pretty straightforward. Engadget is reporting a few early bugs in the system: you'll need a fresh copy of all your media, and the synchronisation can be slow.</P><br /><P>You'll also need to refrain from listening to music at the same time, as this can ruin things wirelessly.</P><br /><P>But it's still ridiculously cool, and we love a world without wires - so let's just hope this is the first step on a quick journey to proper wireless Android synchronisation.</P>

AirSync and doubleTwist offer wireless iTunes syncing for Android

If you're an Android user and are fed up with the wires when synchronising media - we've got good news for you. AirSync has been add...

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Opinion: Beatles on iTunes: Here's why it matters

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/world%20of%20tech/beatles-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>My colleague and esteemed virtual mate Gary Marshall asks why we should be bothered about The Beatles appearing on iTunes. <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/audio/beatles-on-itunes-so-what--908668">He thinks it doesn't really matter</A>. </P><br /><P>But he's wrong.</P><br /><P>If you're a real fan, you may well have all the fab four's music on vinyl and cassette, on CD and remastered CD. You've probably also got a lock of Ringo's hair in a tin and a piece of toast that Jane Asher once looked at.</P><br /><P>But The Beatles are a special case that transcends conventional fandom. They are part of the fabric of musical history and of popular culture. This release is not really for fans - it's for everyone else. </P><br /><P>It's for you and your mum and your kids. Everyone who's ever thought, "I fancy listening to that long chord at the end of A Day in the Life" or who wanted to put on Yellow Submarine to placate a toddler's tantrum. </P><br /><P>It's for everyone who felt like vaccing the living room to She Loves You, but who couldn't download a copy the same way they can download Britney or Kylie or Queen.</P><br /><P><STRONG>New context</STRONG></P><br /><P>In this digital era, you can't look at The Beatles in their original context - as an album band from the black and white days. This is a different time, where people no longer buy albums. But isn't that the point? </P><br /><P>Because instead of buying albums, folks download single tracks now for 99p a pop. And this is the first time you've been able to do that with a Beatles song. A peerless back catalogue that transcends its time and origin. That's a pretty big deal. </P><br /><P>It's not just old people that like and listen to these songs either. A quick look at <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/The+Beatles/+listeners">Last.FM statistics</A> shows that the biggest fans of The Beatles are still the kids, scrobbling playlists as they shake their heads and play air guitar to Twist and Shout.</P><br /><P><STRONG>Flawed argument</STRONG></P><br /><P>There is an argument that anyone who's been waiting for a digital copy of The White Album could have torrented it a long time ago. </P><br /><P>Well, you could say that about any single artist, couldn't you? It's like asking, "What's the point in iTunes? What's the point in paying for music?" It's like saying, "What's the point in paying for that cheese when I could have just put it in my bag?"</P><br /><P>People do pay to download music. Millions of them, every year. Some of them even pay for music they could have pirated for free.</P><br /><P>There's a much bigger significance to The Beatles on iTunes, though. The CD format has always been more functional than popular, a transition between vinyl and virtual that is now coming to the end of its life.</P><br /><P>This is about much more than a band and a download service. It's about a tipping point. It's about the end of tapes and discs and the mainstreaming of bits and bytes. The Beatles on iTunes sends a clear message. These are the last days of the compact disc. </P><br /><P>And we won't mourn its passing, because The Beatles are back.</P>

Opinion: Beatles on iTunes: Here's why it matters

My colleague and esteemed virtual mate Gary Marshall asks why we should be bothered about The Beatles appearing on iTunes. He thinks it does...

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Rumour: Beatles to take iTunes into the cloud

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/mac/images/itunes-store-eminem-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>Apple is set to make a series of major iTunes-related announcements today, with rumours circulating that <EM>The Beatles' </EM>back catalogue is finally set to arrive on the service.</P><br /><P>Reuters cites unnamed sources claiming that the Fab Four's tunes will finally be arriving on iTunes this week.</P><br /><P><STRONG>EMI about to play ball?</STRONG></P><br /><P>There have been prolonged negotiations between Apple and EMI for years to try to get The Beatles on iTunes. It looks like there might have finally been a breakthrough announcement reached.</P><br /><P>Apple and EMI Group Ltd have both declined to comment on the rumours.</P><br /><P>Apple teased the iTunes announcement on its website earlier this week, with the announcement set for 3pm GMT later today.</P><br /><P>Apple's <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/apple-itunes-announcement-major-update-incoming-908358">message</A> read: "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget." </P><br /><P>Since launch back in 2003, Apple has sold over 10 billion tunes via its iTunes store. </P><br /><P>The company is also expected to announce some cloud-based element to iTunes later today, following the acquisition of streaming service LaLa back in 2009. </P><br /><P>"There's been a lot of speculation about iTunes.com, with the cloud. I'm not sure if that's ready. It's really more around partnerships, content partnerships, before they can announce anything," claims Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu.</P><br /><P>Stay tuned just after 3pm for the news.</P>

Rumour: Beatles to take iTunes into the cloud

Apple is set to make a series of major iTunes-related announcements today, with rumours circulating that The Beatles' back catalogue is ...

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Apple to Unveil iTunes Live Stream

<b class="rtop2"><b class="r1"></b><b class="r2"></b><b class="r3"></b><b class="r4"></b></b><br /> <br /> <br /> If you see the Apple website homepage today, it has a cryptic message stating - Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget. Check back here tomorrow for an exciting announcement from iTunes.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Music industry sources point out that deals between Apple and EMI have materialised and they will sell The Beatles songs via iTunes Store. But the geeks and enthusiasts who love dismantling every single fibre (read code) coming from Apple, have found out new needle in the hay stack of code. French website Consomac dismantled iTunes 10.1 update and bet that Apple will bring iTunes Live Stream service anytime soon.<br /> <br /> <br /> Count this as a speculation or a rumor but there is solid information dug up in the Property list (info.plist) file of iTunes 10.1 media player and music store software. Bits of information in the info.plist file code point at a new 'iTunes Live Stream URL' tag indicating a new feature in iTunes Store is up in the anvil. This iTunes Live Stream URL with 'itls' URL Scheme is very similar to the 'itms' that (might stand for iTunes Music Store) that connects to the iTunes Store. <br /> <br /> What could be iTunes Live Stream? Well, it's too early to jump the guns and we might end up shooting in wrong directions. It could be Live streaming of TV episodes or streaming any audio-video concert like YouTube streamed U2 concert. <br /> <br /> Apple's September 1 iPods unveiling event and October 20 Back To Mac event was Live streamed via HTTP protocol to Apple devices and operating system. Looks like HTTP Live Streams of those events was sort of a pilot to bring the iTunes Live Stream service in the near future. Apple always had Cloud computing related ambitions in form of gigantic new data center which were revealed last year by Leander Kahney of CultofMac.<br /> <br /> We don't know if it is going to be The Beatles hitting the iTunes Store or new iTunes Live Stream service launch. In either case, it's a win-win situation for all of us (meaning 23 countries where iTunes Store sells music).

Apple to Unveil iTunes Live Stream

If you see the Apple website homepage today, it has a cryptic message stating - Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forge...

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