fscklog

All about iTunes (Update)

Kaum einer zweifelt noch an einer Vorstellung des iTMS für Windows am kommenden Donnerstag (16.10.; siehe auch letzte Gerüchte bei mir verlinkt).
Weitere Berichte dazu unter anderem bei CNEt und den macguardians.

Passend dazu gibt es vage Gerüchte über iTunes 5 sowie iPod Peripherie: "An unverified but unusually detailed submission claims that iTunes 5 will be introduced on October 16th, and will be both Mac and PC compatible. New features are said to include WMA support, music store "listener loans", new encoding options and an all new interface. New iPod accessories are said to include a recording device, a new dock to transfer and view movies and photos on a television and a bluetooth dock/headphone pair. Meanwhile, a second (more reliable) report claims that beyond the recording device, there will be an adapter to provide SD and CF card interface to transfer photos to the iPod... possibly validating some information in the above report."

Die iPod-Spots scheinen ausgebaut zu werden: "Meanwhile, one whisper tells us to pay attention to one of the next episodes of Friends for the next iPod ad... which is described as a bit more "rockin'". Und zusätzlich: "According to new reliable reports, Apple is planning both print and television advertisements for the upcoming iTunes Music Store for Windows. These new ads are targeted to be deployed around the holidays. This may be a part of a larger campaign, as a CNet report had previously hinted that Apple was planning a "major consumer advertising campaign" in the same timeframe."

Noch mehr Gerüchte bei macdailynews: "WMA support in iPod? Anything possible, but this one ranks low. Although if it happens, it would prove that Apple's number one priority in the music arena is selling iPods, not controlling the distribution/format (AAC with Fairplay DRM), where profit margins aren't as great as hardware currently. iPods with WMA support would be compatible with music purchased (rented?) from the likes of BuyMusic, MusicMatch, Napster 2.0, etc." und "New encoding options. We have one unconfirmed source on a related topic: AAC files may at some future date be available via the iTunes Music Store in a choice of Bit Rates, including the current "good" 128 kbps, a new "better" 160 kbps choice, and a new "best" 192 kbps choice. There is also a "higher degree of probability" that Apple will not be offering a choice, but rather bumping the whole library up from 128 kbps to their new "high quality" standard of 192 kbps".

Derweil findet sich in der Forbes eine relativ unaussagekräftige Studie über die Markenbekanntheit von Napster im Vergleich zum iTMS: "One study by U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster found that better than 92% of 200 consumers surveyed had heard of Napster, while 15% had heard of RealNetwork's Rhapsody, and 30% had heard of Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store". Wenn diese angeblichen 92% nun allerdings Napster als den kostenlosen 'Musikrunterlad-Spaß' wahrnehmen, der es einst war, garantiert dies noch lange keinen erfolgreichen Geschäftsstart, ganz im Gegensatz zum iTMS, der von vorneherein als Bezahlmodell in den Köpfen der Konsumenten verankert ist.

Ein weiterer wichtiger und fast unbemerkter Aspekt des iTMS für Windows bei What Do I Know: "While a lot of people have focused on the iTunes Music Store, the ever-increasingly-crowded digital music marketplace, and Apple’s revenue from the new venture, what most Windows people I know will immediately care about is feeling (at long last) the total, integrated experience of using their iPod with iTunes, like OS X users have for quite a while, instead of using a third-party application."

Außerdem zum Zeitvertreib: Smart Playlists.com. "This new website is a resource for creating, sharing, and chatting about iTunes' Smart Playlists. Why? Because they're cool and there are many ingenious ways to use them to keep your music fresh."

Update (Sonntag; 12.10): Das erste Independent Label, welches zahlreiche der eigenen Tracks per iTMS verkauft, ist Matador Records: "Matador Records' bands include Interpol, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, Stephen Malkmus, Mogwai, Guided By Voices, Pretty Girls Make Graves amongst many others, including The New Pornographers (not yet available on iTMS). Matador also hopes to also make exclusive materials available to the iTunes Music Store in the future." Nachzulesen bei macrumors. Sowohl die Angabe der 200.000 Titel, über die der iTMS startweise verfügte, wie auch die 10 Millionen Downloads werden inzwischen schon längst überholte Zahlen sein, aber auch dazu werden wir sicherlich mehr am kommenden Donnerstag erfahren.

"The commerce element, coupled with the fact that Apple -- and not the likes of a Virgin Megastore or Tower Records -- is hosting the event, is expanding the scope and ambition of the in-store concept. "This is an opportunity to have a promotional event, do marketing and advertising for it, and on top of that, we get the opportunity to monetize the content associated with it," Island Def Jam new-media chief Larry Mattera says." "For Apple, such promotions are a way to drive traffic to its stores -- which sell Apple computers and iPods -- and pick up exclusive content for iTunes." Live from the Apple Store bei boston.com.

The way of the warrior

"A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams." In the months to come, cinema will be offering plenty of cryptic oriental wisdom like this. And it will come amid scenes of elegant dismemberment and improbable sprays of blood. Because, in the realm of action movies, samurai is all the rage."
So der Guardian zur (Wieder-)Auferstehung des Samurai-Filmes.
(via 2lmc spool)

Nokia explodiert

Die merkwürdige Ansammlung von Explosionen verschiedener Nokia-Modelle löst Erklärungszwang aus (u.a. in Wired):
"Nokia on Thursday pointed the finger at counterfeit batteries after another of its phones exploded and burned its user, the third such case in two months, and said that original batteries sold with its phones were safe."
Und stößt zugleich auf berechtigte Zweifel (bei kottke.org):
"I'm wondering if Nokia's lack of concern for the consumer and this "maximum power-consumption mode" business might have something to do with the exploding battery problem, adding an explosive deterrent for those who don't wish to pay $17 for "security" features that they don't need."

Man freut sich an Apple

In den CBS News freut man sich über so ziemlich alles, was Apple momentan zu bieten hat:
"This is the most powerful Apple ever, with a 5th generation Power PC processor made by IBM running at speeds of up to 2.0 gigahertz. Now before PC-philes get into the whole “megahertz” debate, remember, these are not the same chips that are powering Windows computers, so comparing the two is like comparing apples and, yes, oranges. This translates into performance that smokes the Wintel competition, easily handling computationally challenging programs, such as video editing, DVD creation, etc."
"As for new software from our (Steve) Jobsian friends, iChat is the latest attempt at two way videoconferencing. Well, more than an attempt, this video conferencing technology is clean, works clearly, and seamlessly allows two way chats in near-television-quality over a broadband internet connection."

Und auch in den Mercury News zeigt man sich begeistert: "Having Apple Computer's new Power Mac G5 around the office is like having a superhero assistant."

Mehr Gerüchte zum iTMS für Windows

"According to reliable sources, Apple plans to host a media event at the Moscone West Facility in San Francisco on Thursday, October 16th. Invites to the event are set to be delivered to select members of the media this week.
"The year's biggest music story is about to get even bigger," the invitations read, in part.
Numerous sources have recently pointed to a mid-October release for the Windows compatible version of the company's iTunes software and online music store. However, additional surprises could be in store."
Das gibt zumindest Apple Insider zum besten, mehr Informationen finden sich auch bei macminute und macrumors.
Derweil verkündet Wired, dass iPod und Napster 2.0 nicht miteinander klar kommen, was ja nun nicht weiter verwundert:
"The clash between the two big names may not be of concern to Napster because Napster teamed with Samsung to sell a digital media player specifically designed to work with the Napster music service. The product will debut this fall.
And Apple likely feels the same way. Before the end of the year, Apple is launching its competing iTunes music store for Windows, which will sell songs that are compatible with the iPod".

Noch mehr Gemunkel findet sich bei chaosmint: "Mr. Dill noted that Apple's Quicktime Player for Windows briefly gets redirected to a 'no_itms.mov' file when launching the PC application."

DonnerstagsMacorama

Bei smh.com.au findet sich ein Bericht über den 'heimlichen' Erfolg von QuickTime:
"It may be the most ubiquitous software on the planet. The numbers marking the progress of this ever-evolving technology are awesome.
QuickTime is in its sixth incarnation and still being downloaded 350,000 times a day. In the 14 months since the introduction of QuickTime 6.0, Apple has given it away 141,325,656 times - plus the 2 million or so more that have been downloaded since the time of writing.
How many times it has been downloaded since the advent of QuickTime 1 in 1991, I have no idea; possibly trillions."

Es gibt nun auch neue TVspots zum iPod. (via macrumors)

Alte Fehler, frisch eingestanden: 'Sculley claims,"That's probably one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made, not going to the Intel platform". Mehr bei maccentral.

Bei siliconvalley.internet.com hält man Apple mit 10.3 bestens für firmentauglich: "Wilcox noted that while in the previous version of Mac OS X, 'Jaguar,' the new features and enhancements were readily obvious to the end-user, many of Panther's improvements are below the surface, but more significant, especially the improvements to the way it interacts with Windows and UNIX machines. "I think, definitely, this could at least help Apple stay in the running with other enterprise software, and if you look at the broader strategy, one of Apple's long-term goals with the server, and also with the desktop, is UNIX conversion," Wilcox said. "The company knows that there are many shops where Macs run alongside UNIX servers."

Eine nahezu philosophische Abhandlung über Schlaf vs. Tiefschlaf findet sich in der Knowledge Base.

Bei sunspot.net setzt sich David Zeiler mit der Frage auseinander, ob Apple nicht auch eine Media Center Software in MS Art (bei mir verlinkt) entwickeln sollte: "Perhaps the fertile minds in Cupertino have deemed a Mac version of the Media Center PC too risky. After all, although the Windows version hasn't flopped, neither has it become a mainstream product." Und visioniert dann etwas: "Such a hybrid device, at a cost preferably under $500, would not be a standalone Mac, but rather a bridge between the entertainment center and the Mac. The key would be the use of Apple's Airport Extreme wireless technology to link what I'll call the MediaStation – to one or more remote Macs."

iCal 1.5 und iSync 1.2 sollten zusammen installiert werden: "If you are using iSync to synchronize your iCal information across computers or devices, you need to upgrade to iSync 1.2 in order to properly enable data synchronization. iCal 1.5 will not work with a previous version of iSync. All Macintosh computers that are synchronized should be updated to iCal 1.5 and iSync 1.2 at the same time."

Außerdem spannendes aus dem Terminal - heute: 10/09 First two-way telephone conversation, 1876 (Anleitung zur Selbstinformation).

Berichte und Gerüchteküche

Gab es eine 'Home on iPod' Feature, welches eigentlich in 10.3 gelangen sollte? Näheres bei macrumors.
Update:
Mehr Details aus einem alten eWeek Artikel:
"one proposed feature will let users take home directories they've saved on peripherals and networks and use them for file access or securely log into a Mac running Panther."

Apple Insider sagt neue Apple TFTs vorher: "According to reliable sources, Apple is once again poised to refresh its display offerings. Expected to make their debut along with other Apple hardware offerings in November, the display line will include a new 30" High-Definition (HD) display, sources said. The product line will retain 20" and 23" HD models, but will reportedly shed its 17" counterpart. Along with USB 2.0 ports, stunning color, and faster refresh rates, the new displays will sport an aluminum motif consisting of less body and more screen, sources said. The units will reportedly feature improvements to their versatility and weigh much less than the current models." Mehr dazu auch bei macrumors.

SideTrack wird auch begeistert bei macosxhints besprochen: "While we can't do anything about the physical one-button nature of our Mac laptops, SideTrack will let you take care of the programmability aspect. SideTrack is a replacement trackpad driver (though the original mouse/trackpad driver is not uninstalled!) for OS X laptops -- it's not a hack or system tweak, so there's not as much fear of tweak-related instability. Installation is a simple double-click and a restart, after which you'll find a new SideTrack item in the Other section of the System Preferences application. Activate the panel, and you'll find settings for the functionality of the trackpad button, tapping on the trackpad, creating vertical and horizontal scroll areas (location and size), and scroll speed. Use the pop-ups to set things to your liking, and then just start enjoying the new functionality. Once nice touch is that the preferences are multi-user aware, so you can have different settings for everyone that uses your laptop."

Chaosmint versucht den Unterschied zwischen Panther Single User sowie dem Family Pack klarzumachen.

Aus reiner Sentimentalität Mac OS 10.0 hatte Build 4K78.

John Siracusa liefert bei Ars.technica einen unglaublich ausführlichen Bericht über sein neues 15" Albook ab (sogar inklusive kleiner PowerBook Geschichtsstunde).

Bei O'Reilly setzt man sich mit Möglichkeiten der Bildervorschau auseinander: "Mac OS X provides you with some handy builtin tools for photo previewing. And there are also a couple of free third-party utilities that enhance this process even more. So let's get to work and see what tools are available and how to use them."

Panther is coming (und mehr)

Vielfach gerüchtet, nun ist es offiziell: Panther (Client und Server Variante) erscheint in rund zwei Wochen am 24.10.03 !
Kosten soll es 129$, was sicher auch nicht weiter überrascht und es gibt ein Up-to-date Programm (wird wohl so um die 25€ kosten) für alle PowerMac G5 Besitzer, sowie Apple Käufer, die ab dem 08.10. einen Rechner erworben haben.
Apple hat sowohl die eigene Startseite, wie auch die OS X Seiten entsprechend angepasst.
Außerdem gibt es die bereits sehnsüchtig erwarteten Updates für iCal und iSync, direkt herunterladbar.
Und bei Think Secret finden sich knappe neue Gerüchte zu iBooks, eMacs, Windows iTunes und Displays:
"It’s possible that both the iBook and eMac are ready to go, and Apple is merely waiting for channel inventories to reach appropriate levels".
"The Windows version of iTunes, meanwhile, will tentatively be ready mid-October, in advance of Apple’s year-end projection, but it’s unclear whether the iTunes Music Store for Windows is ready as well."
"As for displays, one unconfirmed report suggests that displays will keep their current form factor for the time being, but an updated version will be released with updated internals featuring better color and a faster refresh rate."

iTMS für Windows hoffentlich bald

Frisch von Apple Insider:
"Company CEO, Steve Jobs, has publicly advocated a release by year's end, though sources in the recording industry are citing a sooner than expected time frame. Furthermore, anonymous reports claim that active online functionality of the Windows store was in-place as of this past weekend.
With the final pieces of engineering in place, the decision to officially launch the service now lays in the hands of Apple Marketing. An announcement could come as early as next week, sources said, citing a date relevant to Apple's fourth quarter fiscal results statement, which will be announced after the close of the market on October 15th.
Mehr auch bei macrumors.

Kill Bill - Trivia

Unter anderem:
"Uma Thurman wears the same yellow jump suit that Bruce Lee wore in his final film."
"The Tokyo miniature sets were leftovers from the then most recent Godzilla film."
Mehr hier und auch hier.
(via malorama)