Can Apple maintain iPod's relevance?
Long before the iPhone, the iPod was the device that helped transform Apple from computer company into a consumer electronics company.But today, the ubiquitous music player has become less relevant to the company that essentially owns that product category. Apple still sells three-fourths of all MP3 players sold, but multifunction gadgets like the iPhone and iPad are getting the most attention from Apple customers, not to mention the rest of the electronics industry, and bringing in more revenue than iPods these days.So when Apple convenes a special event in San Francisco to discuss music this Wednesday--as it has every September for the last five years--we think that Steve Jobs and Co. will touch on the iPod but also talk more broadly about media, including a more evolved iTunes and new ways to watch content in the living room.Apple's invitation to the event this year featured a picture of an acoustic guitar, complete with an Apple logo, naturally, and, as usual, it has prompted a guessing game.New iPods? New Apple TV? New streaming-video service? Perhaps all of the above. Here are some of our thoughts on what we think we might see and what we hope Apple will reveal on Wednesday morning.iTunes onlineWe've long imagined a Web-based version of iTunes that could store and organize all our music and media in the cloud without bogging down our computers. The full realization of this dream is probably still a ways off, but we think that Apple may take a big step in the right direction by opening a Web-based music store.Purchasing media through iTunes is a relatively archaic process that works in spite of the Web, not because of it. Currently, downloading music and media from the iTunes Store to your computer requires a sizable software download (with frequent updates) and a brain-numbing installation process. Competitors such as Amazon.com, Rhapsody, and eMusic all host their storefronts online, giving them several competitive advantages over iTunes. For example, online music content is more easily embeddable on artist pages, and links to purchase songs don't bounce users out of the browser. Currently, Apple includes listings for much of its media and app content online, however, these pages include scripts that automatically direct users to the iTunes desktop software or prompt users to download the software, if it isn't already installed. Even under the best circumstances, it's a bumpy ride.Steve Jobs introduces the updated iPod Touch at the 2009 event.Stephen Shankland/CNETHosting and indexing iTunes Store content online may give Apple an advantage in search, as well. Google's tendency to serve preferential music search results from online services such as Pandora, iLike, and Rhapsody may have little to do with corporate rivalry with Apple, and more to do with the fact that Apple's iTunes content simply does not live on the Web in any meaningful way. With Apple's acquisition of online-music retailer Lala in 2009, it would seem taht Apple has everything it needs to bring iTunes to the Web (at least for music downloads). For anyone who's breathed a heavy sigh every time they launch iTunes on a sluggish computer just to buy a 99-cent song, let's hope the time has come for iTunes to finally pull itself into the Web era.MobileMe for musicWhen Apple launched its online service MobileMe in 2008, it gave users a way to back up their photos, calendar, address book, e-mail, and other files online, for a $99 annual fee. Curiously, one type of media not covered by MobileMe is music.With Apple already in charge of the most popular way to purchase and organize digital-music collections (iTunes), it seems like a no-brainer to offer users a means to back up their iTunes libraries to the cloud. An online music locker would also potentially offer consumers a means to truly sync their music libraries across the multiple computers in their lives, regardless of location.Of course, music labels may have a thing or two to say about users making digital backups of their music collections online, but several online services, such as MP3tunes, Mspot, and Lala, have already broken ground with similar solutions. iPod TouchLike clockwork since introducing the iPod Touch in 2007, Apple has upgraded the device every year to almost match the most recent features of the iPhone. Nothing less is expected this year.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayThe new iPod Touch is widely expected to be fitted with the same bright "retina" display sported by the iPhone 4, introduced in June. Apple's special display technology has a native resolution of 960 by 640. That's 614,400 pixels on a 3.5-inch diagonal screen (326 pixels per inch), or four times as many pixels as contained in the 320x480 screen on the current-generation iPod Touch.There's also speculation, based in part on some wayward photos of iPod parts that wound up on the Internet, that the new iPod Touch will get a camera to enable video calling using the FaceTime software developed for the new iPhone 4.Steve Jobs also may have hinted that this was coming. At WWDC in June, while introducing FaceTime for iPhone, he later added, "Apple will ship tens of millions of FaceTime devices this year." If he were only speaking of iPhones, "tens of millions" would be an exaggeration--Apple has sold more than 3 million iPhone 4s with FaceTime installed (through early July), but to get to "tens" of millions by the end of December would be tough. By saying "devices" rather than phones, it makes sense that iPod Touches with FaceTime--which could sell in the millions, once released--might help boost those numbers.The major difference between an iPod Touch and an iPhone, however: you don't get a phone number. But, the rumor is that Apple will connect FaceTime calls, which are Wi-Fi-only now, anyway, via e-mail addresses. Nanos, Classics, and ShufflesApple's iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) may be getting all the attention, but their tried-and-true iPods still make up a healthy slice of Apple's business. Last year, Apple all but froze its designs for the iPod Classic, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle, making only slight changes to capacity, colors, and specs, as well as adding video camera capabilities to the iPod Nano. This year, we're hoping to see something a little more daring for Apple's sidelined iPods. It could be a touch-screen iPod Nano, or the inevitable iPod Shuffle that's too small for the human eye to see. Who knows?That said, the iPod Classic has probably hit its apex of design and capacity, and will likely stay unchanged or possibly disappear. Once you've named something "Classic," you don't change it much.iPad updatesApple promised that iPad users would receive an iOS 4 update in the fall, and now may be the perfect time to roll the update out. It seems unlikely, though, since Apple has yet to release a beta of iOS 4 for iPad to developers, which usually comes first. Still, next week's event could show us what's in store for the iPad, when the iOS 4 update does eventually hit later in the year. The checklist of things we'd like to see announced for iPad include: iTunes LP compatibility, iLife apps such as iMovie, iWeb, and GarageBand, and support for Apple's FaceTime video calls (at least as a receiver).Apple TVLong considered a "hobby" for Apple, Apple TV might get a snappy new look and price this week. There have been few changes to the streaming set-top box since its introduction in 2008, but a persistent rumor has been that it will get shrunk to the size of an iPod Touch/iPhone, be priced at $99, get outfitted with the homegrown A4 chip and iOS 4, do away with the 160GB mechanical hard drive, and scale down to 16GB of flash storage. There's also word that Apple could revert back to the original name for Apple TV, iTV, to bring it in line with the rest of the company's iDevices. Apple TV as it looks today.CNETThe current incarnation of Apple TV costs $229 and runs a stripped-down version of the company's desktop operating system, Mac OS X. Swapping out a touch-screen OS for the desktop OS would present a simpler way of running similar apps across all mobile devices, but the idea of doing away with a hard drive--which enables people to download and own lots of content--suggests more streaming of content to a new Apple TV. That could be done using app versions of Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus, and most likely iTunes itself. But whether Apple has the necessary deals in place to enable streaming of video content has been unclear.TV rentalsPart of the update for iTunes--something possibly pegged to a revamped Apple TV--may be the ability to rent TV show episodes for 99 cents. It would be similar to the way you can already rent movies from iTunes--once rented, you have a specified amount of time to watch the content before it expires. Currently, you can only buy TV episodes for $1.99 for standard definition and $2.99 for HD.Several reports noted that Apple is working with CBS, NBC, Walt Disney, and News Corp. on instituting 99-cent rentals, though the deal did not appear to be sealed late last week. The TV show rental concept could be meant to replace the long-rumored iTunes subscription service, which Apple has been working on for at least five years.Apple's event starts Wednesday at 10 a.m. PDT, and we'll be live-blogging from the Yerba Buena Theater in San Francisco. Be sure to come back then for up-to-the-moment coverage.
Rafe recommends- Downcast smokes iTunes for podcasts
Rafe recommends: Downcast smokes iTunes for podcasts
I used to be a slave to iTunes. It's where I put my music and where I managed my podcast subscriptions. But times change, and Apple's apps don't change fast enough. For managing podcasts, there is a far better solution than sticking with the combo of iTunes and the Music app on your iOS device. Downcast is an upbeat little app that smokes Apple's own app in the podcast department.First of all, it's an integrated podcast player and manager. It's easy to find a podcast, subscribe to it, and play it all from one app. Yeah, you can already do that inside OS X iTunes on your Mac, but on iOS you have to leave the player app (Music) to go to the store app (iTunes) when you want to add a new podcast (there is a workaround for emergency podcast downloads from iOS, but it's clunky).And both the podcast subscription and playback functions work beautifully. Finding a podcast is fast in the app, or you can enter in its URL if you want to do that. Downcast downloads new episodes when you want: On demand, or when you're on wi-fi, or every hour, it's up to you. Downcast even makes playback special. You can use gestures to control the stream: A double-tap on the screen to pause or resume, a swipe left or right rewind or advance a few seconds, etc. I listen to podcasts in the car (using a Jawbone headset; when I update to a Bluetooth-equipped car I'll let you know) and not having to hunt around for tiny onscreen buttons is a big safety feature.Downcast is Airplay-friendly (so is the iOS Music app, of course). Sometimes after I'm part-way through listening to a podcast as I walk in the door at home, I throw the stream onto my stereo system (I have an Airport Express) to finish it up.The app is not iCloud friendly, however. If you have more than one iOS device, you have to subscribe to your podcasts on each of them, and you can't stop a show on one device and then pick it up on another. There's more to this app, including nice geeky features for podcast junkies. But despite the app's depth, for simply subscribing to and listening to podcasts, it is actually easier to use than Apple's solution. I paid for this app two weeks ago and have not regretted my purchase for a moment.Coming up soon: how to leave iTunes behind for music and videos, too.Gratuitous plug: You know what looks really good on Downcast? My own Reporters' Roundtable podcast.The endorsement: DowncastPlatform: iOS Universal appPrice: $1.99Summary: Forty billion times better than Apple's own patched-together podcast management solution. Well worth the price.Get it: Download.com | iTunes
I used to be a slave to iTunes. It's where I put my music and where I managed my podcast subscriptions. But times change, and Apple's apps don't change fast enough. For managing podcasts, there is a far better solution than sticking with the combo of iTunes and the Music app on your iOS device. Downcast is an upbeat little app that smokes Apple's own app in the podcast department.First of all, it's an integrated podcast player and manager. It's easy to find a podcast, subscribe to it, and play it all from one app. Yeah, you can already do that inside OS X iTunes on your Mac, but on iOS you have to leave the player app (Music) to go to the store app (iTunes) when you want to add a new podcast (there is a workaround for emergency podcast downloads from iOS, but it's clunky).And both the podcast subscription and playback functions work beautifully. Finding a podcast is fast in the app, or you can enter in its URL if you want to do that. Downcast downloads new episodes when you want: On demand, or when you're on wi-fi, or every hour, it's up to you. Downcast even makes playback special. You can use gestures to control the stream: A double-tap on the screen to pause or resume, a swipe left or right rewind or advance a few seconds, etc. I listen to podcasts in the car (using a Jawbone headset; when I update to a Bluetooth-equipped car I'll let you know) and not having to hunt around for tiny onscreen buttons is a big safety feature.Downcast is Airplay-friendly (so is the iOS Music app, of course). Sometimes after I'm part-way through listening to a podcast as I walk in the door at home, I throw the stream onto my stereo system (I have an Airport Express) to finish it up.The app is not iCloud friendly, however. If you have more than one iOS device, you have to subscribe to your podcasts on each of them, and you can't stop a show on one device and then pick it up on another. There's more to this app, including nice geeky features for podcast junkies. But despite the app's depth, for simply subscribing to and listening to podcasts, it is actually easier to use than Apple's solution. I paid for this app two weeks ago and have not regretted my purchase for a moment.Coming up soon: how to leave iTunes behind for music and videos, too.Gratuitous plug: You know what looks really good on Downcast? My own Reporters' Roundtable podcast.The endorsement: DowncastPlatform: iOS Universal appPrice: $1.99Summary: Forty billion times better than Apple's own patched-together podcast management solution. Well worth the price.Get it: Download.com | iTunes
Engineer predicts Apple's iTunes Radio will put an end to overly loud recordings
Engineer predicts Apple's iTunes Radio will put an end to overly loud recordings
I caught up with my old friend, mastering and recording engineer Bob Katz at the Audio Engineering Society convention held last week in NYC. He was there to proclaim an end to the "Loudness Wars," which refers to the overuse of dynamic range compression to flatten the soft-to-loud volume changes that naturally occur in music. Katz was way ahead of the pack in decrying the overzealous use of compression in mastering recordings, he has been in the trenches, fighting the good fight for more than 20 years. Katz is thrilled that Apple's new streaming music service, iTunes Radio, has Sound Check as the default setting (and cannot be turned off), and he thinks iTunes Radio sounds wonderful. As we asked Katz clarified his stance, he thinks the latest version of iTunes' Sound Check, version 11.1.1, on iTunes Radio, phones, computers and iPods marks the beginning of the end of the loudness wars. Mastering engineers will no longer have to overcompress because Sound Check maintains a more consistent volume level for a Miley Cyrus, Wilco or a Metallica tune on iTunes. You can turn off Sound Check on your computer or phone, but if you turn it on, Sound Check will provide a more consistent volume level from one tune to the next, even if one is maximally compressed, and the next tune has wide, soft-to-loud dynamic range. Sound Check doesn't compress dynamics, it automatically adjusts the volume level from one song to the next.Bob Katz in his studioMary KentWith iTunes Radio gaining in popularity, Katz hopes record companies will no longer feel a need to squash (compress) dynamics to ensure consistent volume level, which makes it more likely that labels will start to release recordings with their dynamics intact. Which is, after all, the way music sounds in real life. The iTunes Radio/Sound Check "breakthrough" is just the beginning; recordings that are already over compressed will still be over compressed, but on iTunes with Sound Check the heavily compressed songs won't be any louder than the more natural sounding ones. So the payoff, Katz hopes, will come when the engineers start to take full advantage of the technology. Katz went on to say, "There will be still some skirmishes (in the Loudness Wars), but the main battle has just been won. Producers, engineers and musicians will ultimately discover this news themselves, but journalists and producers can hasten the close of the war, starting right now." When I reminded Katz that a lot of listeners don't use iTunes, so the Loudness War may still have a few battles yet to be fought, he said, "There's going to be a transition period. We can never fully predict what's going to happen, that's why I set up a forum on my Web site where people can discuss the issue."
I caught up with my old friend, mastering and recording engineer Bob Katz at the Audio Engineering Society convention held last week in NYC. He was there to proclaim an end to the "Loudness Wars," which refers to the overuse of dynamic range compression to flatten the soft-to-loud volume changes that naturally occur in music. Katz was way ahead of the pack in decrying the overzealous use of compression in mastering recordings, he has been in the trenches, fighting the good fight for more than 20 years. Katz is thrilled that Apple's new streaming music service, iTunes Radio, has Sound Check as the default setting (and cannot be turned off), and he thinks iTunes Radio sounds wonderful. As we asked Katz clarified his stance, he thinks the latest version of iTunes' Sound Check, version 11.1.1, on iTunes Radio, phones, computers and iPods marks the beginning of the end of the loudness wars. Mastering engineers will no longer have to overcompress because Sound Check maintains a more consistent volume level for a Miley Cyrus, Wilco or a Metallica tune on iTunes. You can turn off Sound Check on your computer or phone, but if you turn it on, Sound Check will provide a more consistent volume level from one tune to the next, even if one is maximally compressed, and the next tune has wide, soft-to-loud dynamic range. Sound Check doesn't compress dynamics, it automatically adjusts the volume level from one song to the next.Bob Katz in his studioMary KentWith iTunes Radio gaining in popularity, Katz hopes record companies will no longer feel a need to squash (compress) dynamics to ensure consistent volume level, which makes it more likely that labels will start to release recordings with their dynamics intact. Which is, after all, the way music sounds in real life. The iTunes Radio/Sound Check "breakthrough" is just the beginning; recordings that are already over compressed will still be over compressed, but on iTunes with Sound Check the heavily compressed songs won't be any louder than the more natural sounding ones. So the payoff, Katz hopes, will come when the engineers start to take full advantage of the technology. Katz went on to say, "There will be still some skirmishes (in the Loudness Wars), but the main battle has just been won. Producers, engineers and musicians will ultimately discover this news themselves, but journalists and producers can hasten the close of the war, starting right now." When I reminded Katz that a lot of listeners don't use iTunes, so the Loudness War may still have a few battles yet to be fought, he said, "There's going to be a transition period. We can never fully predict what's going to happen, that's why I set up a forum on my Web site where people can discuss the issue."
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