Apple, speaking at their “Rock n’ Roll” live event today, introduced iTunes 9 and with it, a plethora of new features.
The first addition is that of Genius mixes. Apple CEO Steve Jobs explains that the Genius library now has 27 million libraries built from 54 billion analyzed tracks, which will create Genius Mixes, personal radio stations similar to Pandora.
The Genius also works for movies and even applications you have downloaded from the iTunes store.
The second improvement was improved Syncing, as Apple says, for when “you sync to your iPod Touch or iPhone we have made that much better.” Users can now choose select playlists, artists, genres, and photos from certain events, certain albums or even photos that only include certain faces. Movies have been give a “recently added” and you can manually choose favorites.
Additionally, Home Sharing makes it easy for users to sync an iTunes library between up to 5 computers in a house. All authorized computers can share music, movies and TV shows between them, and will be viewed as part of a shared group where users can drag and drop content from one library to another.
The next feature is iTunes LP. All the artist pages have been given more visual material as well photos, liner notes and essays. iTunes Extra allows users to check extra content on DVDs and Blu-rays.
Finally is the App Management page which allows users to virtually arrange all the apps, while seeing a preview of how your iPhone home screen will look. You can also easily search for your applications, good for those that have tens or even hundreds of apps.
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Microsoft has announced that they will be offering certain Xbox Live users a free preview of the upcoming autumn Dashboard update.
The full expected update, via Eurogamer:
Netflix Updates
Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.
* Movie Parties - Xbox Live Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
* Manage Your Queue - Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch - no computer required.
* Enhanced Playback Experience - Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
* Friends Info - Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.
Avatar Marketplace
Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.
* Clothing - Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as “Halo.”
* Props - You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
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Although it was severely delayed, Nokia has finally announced the launch of a beta version of its Music Store in India.
Indian customers can use the store to purchase music tracks, music videos and other pieces of digital content for their phones.
The store was delayed over 6 months, and will remain in beta phase for the time being. Currently you cannot even purchase content but can listen to 30 second clips of the songs.
More importantly for Indian users, the store will carry a “large selection of Indian music across different genres, which included music in regional Indian languages as well,” says Symbian Freak.
A Nokia spokesperson added that “The pricing mechanisms for India are currently being worked out.”
