Category: iPod

Apple iTunes: Privacy Issues

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So we all know that iTunes, Ipods, well let’s face it Mac products seem to be taking over the earth. However, how safe is it? Well iTunes now has iTunes plus to let you download music well, better…so they say. Apparently when you download songs from iTunes plus it leave information embedded in the song, and that information is not encrypted. So basically your information if you were to lose your ipod or shuffle or even a notebook is out there for the open. Now if you think about it, this is kind of huge your information personal stuff that’s not supposed to be out there is well out there.

Now iTunes the regular one well that’s supposed to also leave information in the song but the difference is that that information is encrypted well so they say.

The only person who is really talking about this right now is a radio show host on Am 1070 Jeff Levy and Apple is refusing to comment on this whole situation, odd enough?

Help spread the word if you know anymore information comment why don’t you- c’mon people this is huge!

I guess this time PC > Mac

iTunes Plus

Apple today launched iTunes Plus — DRM-free music tracks featuring high quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings — for just $1.29 per song. iTunes Plus is launching with EMI’s digital catalog of outstanding recordings, including singles and albums from Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, Joss Stone,
Pink Floyd, John Coltrane and more than a dozen of Paul McCartney’s classic albums available on iTunes for the first time.

iTunes will continue to offer its entire catalog, currently over five million songs, in the same versions as today — 128 kbps AAC encoding with DRM — at the same price of 99 cents per song, alongside the higher quality iTunes Plus versions when available. In addition, iTunes customers can now easily upgrade their library of previously purchased EMI content to iTunes Plus tracks for just 30 cents a song and $3.00 for most albums.

“Our customers are very excited about the freedom and amazing sound quality of iTunes Plus,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We expect more than half of the songs on iTunes will be offered in iTunes Plus versions by the end of this year.”

“This is a tremendous milestone for digital music,” said Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group. “Consumers are going to love listening to higher quality iTunes Plus tracks from their favorite EMI artists with no usage restrictions.”

With the release of iTunes Plus, customers can now download tracks from their favorite EMI artists without limitations on the type of music player or number of computers that purchased songs can be played on. iTunes is also offering customers a simple, one-click option to easily upgrade their library of previously purchased EMI content to the iTunes Plus versions. EMI music videos are now also available in iTunes Plus versions with no change in price. iTunes Plus songs purchased from the iTunes Store will play on all iPods, Mac or Windows computers, widescreen TVs with Apple TV and soon iPhones, as well as many other digital music players.

iTunes U

Apple today announced the launch of iTunes U, a dedicated area within the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) featuring free content such as course lectures, language lessons, lab demonstrations, sports highlights and campus tours provided by top US colleges and universities including Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Duke University and MIT.

“iTunes U makes it easy for anyone to access amazing educational material from many of the country’s most respected colleges and universities,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “Education is a lifelong pursuit and we’re pleased to give everyone the ability to download lectures, speeches and other academic content for free.”

“From its earliest days, Stanford has sought to serve the public by sharing the knowledge generated by our faculty and students,” said Stanford Provost John Etchemendy. “Our partnership with Apple and iTunes U provides a creative and innovative way to engage millions of people with our teaching, learning and research and share the experience of intellectual exploration and discovery that defines our university.”

Created in collaboration with colleges and universities, iTunes U makes it
easier than ever to extend learning, explore interests, learn more about a school and stay connected with an alma mater. Content from iTunes can be loaded onto an iPod with just one click and experienced on-the-go, anytime, making learning from a lecture just as simple as enjoying music.

The iTunes Store features the world’s largest catalog, adding new education content to over five million songs, 350 television shows and over 500 movies. The iTunes Store has sold over 2.5 billion songs, 50 million TV shows and over two million movies, making it the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store.

LOST on iPod Games

If this doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will…

Today Apple is extending the range to 14 games for iPod available on the iTunes Store adding LOST from Gameloft to its line up.

Join your favourite castaways in their quest to seek truth and survive in the official iPod game of the hit television series, LOST.

Help Jack search for dynamite, tend to the wounded, and avoid the black smoke. Relive the crash scene, open the hatch and ultimately try your best to escape from the Others. Immerse yourself into their mysterious world with authentic settings and a genuine storyline created by writers behind the hit show.

The official iPod game providing total immersion into the world of LOST.

• Storyline created by the writers behind the series
• Play Jack and interact with other main characters of the series: Kate,Locke, Sayid, etc.
• Production quality that measures up with the LOST phenomenon: faithfully reproduced settings, intuitive and extremely varied gameplay
• Explore the island’s main sites: The beach, the jungle, inside the Hatch, the Black Rock, etc.
• Relive the most eventful moments from the series: The crash scene, running from the black smoke, meeting the Others, etc.
• Take on a multitude of challenges: Exploration, hunting, helping the wounded, searching for dynamite, etc.