itunes LP
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Apple TV gains hard disk capacity, loses weighty price
Less than a week after the Apple TV was studiously ignored by Steve & Phil at the music event, a tipster has pointed us in the direction of the Apple online store where the device has suddenly gained some capacity and become less expensive. The original 40GB model has been dropped altogether, and the 160GB model is now available for US$229, down from the previous price of US$329. Is Apple doing this to move inventory in anticipation of a new device, or to clear things out before dropping the Apple TV line? Regardless of what direction Cupertino is taking, the existing Apple TV needs a software update stat! AppleInsider has speculated that the iTunes LP format and iTunes Extras released last Wednesday are specifically designed to deliver content to Apple TV. They've noted that the content is designed for 1280 x 720 resolution, fitting the native resolution of the Apple TV. There are even html meta tags in the new content -- "hdtv-fullscreen" and "hdtv-cursoroff" -- that seem to indicate that these new formats were designed for the Apple TV. If Apple is planning on doing something with their "hobby" device, it would behoove them to announce it before the Christmas buying season. Does anyone want to take bets on whether or not there will be an Apple TV event before the beginning of November? Thanks to twofedoras for the tip!
Why iTunes needs to offer an album-based subscription service
One of the key announcements to come out of Apple's "It's only rock and roll, but I like it" event on September 9th was iTunes LP. As implied in its name, iTunes LP seeks to provide a more rich album experience, something that has taken a backseat given the decline of physical albums. iTunes LP includes features typically found on physical albums, such as liner notes and photos, as well as exclusive video content. One of the goals of iTunes LP is to resuscitate album sales, which have been struggling in the iTunes age of à la carte individual track sales. While iTunes LP provides a means to resuscitate the album, an album-based subscription service would further this goal even more.
iTunes 9 Focus: iTunes LP
For me, the most exciting feature of iTunes 9 is iTunes LP. As a kid, I read CD booklets cover to cover, looked at every photo, saw who played what instrument on what track and who wrote the songs. That's an experience I've missed since distribution went digital, but I've accepted it. A couple of years ago, Apple added digital booklets to to the iTunes Store, and some of them were quite nice. But even the best don't compare to iTunes LP. Today I purchased the deluxe version of "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones [iTunes link] and spent nearly 20 minutes exploring it, just like the old days. The album contains a bonus track ("Peace"), but the real fun begins when you double-click the "Deluxe Version" file and you're presented with something that resembles a DVD menu. A simple animation draws Norah's name while the first few measures of "Come Away With Me" are heard. From there, you're set to explore. This album has seven options: Play album, songs, memorabilia, photos, videos, liner notes and credits. The first two do what you'd expect, accompanied by photos and lyrics. The memorabilia feature surprised me with pictures of backstage passes, the tour calendar and a "quickie rundown" of events from the 45th Grammy Awards (Norah's appearances highlighted). There are sixteen photos and four videos including -- surprise! -- Norah's appearance on Sesame Street (much to my 4-year-old's delight). Finally, the full liner notes, biography and album credits are included, each with beautiful photos. Music fans will love this feature, as will fans of participating artists. It's not like holding a record jacket or CD booklet in your hand, but that's an unfair comparison anyway. Paper liner notes don't contain videos, photos of this size or some of the other goodies. iTunes LP is a very welcome treat. Check out the gallery below for screenshots. %Gallery-72429%
iTunes 9 revealed
Apple's event is starting up right now, but in the meantime, they've (inadvertently) revealed iTunes 9 via a page over in iTunes. The new version of Apple's software will include quicker and easier navigation options (you can see the new top menu in the pic above), easy-to-access preview buttons, and new ways to experience media purchased in the store. iTunes LPs will let you have the full album experience with lyrics, liner notes, and band photos and videos, and iTunes Extras will allow you to experience DVD-style extras with movies you buy from the iTunes store.Expect an announcement at the event in a few minutes -- there is a download link on the page, so we'll also expect to have the software up and running by the end of the day. Sounds exciting!Update: More info coming out of the keynote right now: Genius mixes are a new way to hear Genius picks, mixed by a virtual DJ. Improved playlist syncing options, and a way to arrange your apps from directly within iTunes.
iTunes 9 bringing iTunes LP functionality, 'beautiful new look'
Ready to pay more for the same music? Good! We've just spotted some new "Deluxe Version" albums in iTunes, which apparently are part of the "iTunes LP" experience in the upcoming iTunes 9, if the album blurbs are to be believed. The albums pack in bonus material like art, videos and additional recordings. Sounds just like Cocktail to us, and we're sure Apple will be explaining it all soon enough.Update: It's more or less official now, complete with a non-working "Download iTunes 9" button and everything. Apple's mainly touting the new interface for the store in this blurb, but we know it's just a front for taking more of our hard-earned cash and putting it in the hands of starving musicians. The nerve.New features mentioned: Improved store navigation, including persistent navigation menu. Full window iTunes store. For times when that sidebar is just too much. Previews from anywhere in the store -- don't have to drill down to preview. iTunes LP includes lyrics, liner notes, video, photos and "more." iTunes Extras. It's like DVD extras, but with iTunes. Not clear if it includes director's commentaries, but let's hope. Update 2: It's now official, and Apple has fleshed out some more functionality. Genius Mixes. It's like Genius Playlists, but it plays forever like a radio station. App management, letting you set up and arrange your home screens on the iPhone and iPod touch. You can drag and drop to move certain apps or whole pages of apps. Home sharing enables file transfers between up to five local computers of songs, videos and even apps. You can send items in the iTunes Store as gifts, add them to a wishlist, and publish them to Facebook and Twitter -- look who's getting all social all of a sudden! It's available today. [Thanks, Dev] %Gallery-72295% %Gallery-72301%
