Posts Tagged ‘iTunes’
It’s Developer’s Conference Day!
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Ah, yes. It’s that day once again. It’s been nice to have the quarterly updates and see the release of “revolutionary” new devices like the iPad over the last twelve months, but the June WWDC is officially the happiest day in the world of the Apple geek. I’m sure you’ve heard all the rumors, but let’s briefly review before Captain Jobs unleashes his keynote on us later today. Things you can expect to hear about today:
1. iPhone OS 4. Steve should dedicate a fair amount of time to the innovations of the latest iPhone firmware, and users have been clamoring for it for a while. Sounds like there will be some interesting new dynamics to how the iPhone will work, if the buzz is accurate. Could be fairly radical.
2. New devices! I know what everyone is excited about- that new wireless multi-touch trackpad thing! It could make the Wacom tab obsolete! And it looks like the wireless keyboard! Ok, ok. It’s kind of cool, but it’s barely a blip on the new device radar. Everyone knows there’s going to be big news about the fourth generation iPhone today. Based on the photos that Jason “#1 Most Wanted” Chen posted on Gizmodo, it’s definitely a development to get pumped about. The sleekest iPhone yet, this fourth iteration is already a welcome addition to the lineup thanks to so much internet hype and controversy. Plus THERE’S A CAMERA ON THE FRONT. Remember in Back to the Future II when Needles showed up on the TV phone and taunted Marty into making an illegal transaction and it was totally inconceivable that we’d one day have video phones and could see the people we talk to? Welcome to the future, friends. We’re five years ahead of schedule with the iPhone, but we still don’t have flying cars. This is heavy.
3. Other stuff. Possible but unlikely mention of Mac OS 10.7, a cloud-based iTunes to replace the beloved Lala.com, and an upgrade to the Mac Mini and Apple TV. Yippee, Steve. Now talk more about the new iPhone.
Be sure to log onto Engadget or MacRumors and follow along today at 10AM PST. Until next week, my friends.
Apple’s Going Places.
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Well well well. It has been quite the busy few weeks in Cupertino. Apple has been picking up properties like a game of Monopoly, no legal inferences implied. They’re all over the telecommunications and software programming world, acquiring companies big and small like the corporate giant that they are. Quattro Wireless and Siri are two of the more significant properties that are now under the Apple umbrella, and it seems that Apple’s position in the business world right now will grow these companies exponentially; there are rumors that Apple may be exploring other wide-scope media acquisitions soon. It seems only a matter of time before they have a radio and television presence as well. Maybe eventually you can have your very own robot Steve Jobs in your home. Creepy and awesome.
In December Apple also acquired Lala Media, owners of lala.com. This is a move we here at iResQ have mixed feelings about. First, it seems that Apple will release a web-based version of iTunes that functions like Lala at some point in the relatively near future, which is awesome. Unfortunately in the meantime, however, Lala is shutting down at the end of this month, which is sad. If you’re not familiar with how Lala works, sorry. You can’t check it out now because they’re not taking any new users. In essence it stores your iTunes library online so you don’t have to. And the tracks are cheaper. And you can listen to anything once for free before you buy it. So you see why this is disappointing. That is, until iTunes goes live online. Keep your fingers crossed.
Bigger news yet: Apple already sold 1 million iPads. They announced it Monday. Pow. And the biggest news of all: Apple is now officially the largest manufacturer of mobile phones in the U.S., surpassing Motorola for the first time this last quarter. And if those photos of the lost gen4 iPhone are legit, they won’t be losing their place this year.
Well, friends, stay tuned for more news as we get closer and closer to next month’s WWDC. Until then.
Return of the Krampus
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Greetings friends. And happy March to you. This week in Kansas City the sun came out and the temperature jumped above forty degrees for the first time in what seems like years. So everything’s just a little happier here. Perhaps not as happy as it is in Mexico where your favorite sales manager Mick is assuredly toasting his pasty Scottish skin off, but things are looking brighter.
For one thing, the state of Kansas, where iResQ resides, is currently home to two top five basketball teams. Take that, North Carolina. That’s right- the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks and the No. 5 Kansas State Wildcats are facing off tonight at the historic Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. And the implications are huge for the Big 12 conference- if Kansas happens to lose tonight and later this week to Missouri, then the Jayhawks have to share the conference title with their in-state rivals. So, huzzah. To be honest, I’m a little torn having spent time at both institutions. So I’ll do the non-confrontational thing and root for a good game. Go Basketball!
About a week ago the technicians here received a gracious gift from a delightful and thankful customer. Along with an iPod for repair, we received a copy of Krampusnacht, the latest album from The Bourbon Knights and its sounds have been filling the tech room ever since. And now I’m letting you all in on a little secret. This record is awesome. I could give you a list of some of the most creative album covers I’ve ever seen, but it’s rare that I find a record that sucks me in so convincingly before I even open the packaging. I’m rather prone to hyperbolic statements about the best this or the greatest that, but this time I mean it. This is my favorite packaging I’ve seen on any album ever. The coarse brown paper and the folky illustrations perfectly set the tone for the music you’re about to hear. And the songs certainly don’t disappoint; fans of gypsy-folk sounds like Gogol Bordello or the Red Elvises will likely find something familiar, and even more accessible. But there’s something much warmer, more sincere about The Bourbon Knights creation. They made a hip, current record without ignoring the influence of classics like Django Reinhardt. More than that, it’s easy imagine how much fun they had making this record, and the cultural references to the Krampus help make this one of the more enjoyable albums I’ve listened to in a while.
Krampusnacht isn’t available on iTunes, but you can find it at thebourbonknights.com. So it’s my quasi-iTunes pick of the week. Get the album, put it on your iPod or iPhone, and enjoy. Talk to you later, friends.
iTunes Extravaganza
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Did you folks know that $1.5 trillion in gift cards go unspent every year? Ok, I completely made that statistic up. But I heard someone say once that the total revenue for wasted gift cards is pretty high. Actually, I heard John Tesh say that, but don’t judge me- the radio in my car was broken over the holidays and the tuner was stuck on one station. Moving on.
I bring this up because I just discovered a plethora of unredeemed iTunes cards that I forgot I even had. And what’s better than loading up an iPod or iPhone with a bunch of free music? I can only think of one thing, but this isn’t the right forum to discuss the superiority of Kansas City barbecue. Again, moving on.
I’ve been perusing the multitude of records available on iTunes this week, and I’ve decided to share a couple of things with you nice people. If you’re into hipster indie rock, the new OK Go album is pretty impressive by itself, but even more impressive is the video for their new single This Too Shall Pass. Check it out:
One of the best records I’ve heard all week is actually a series of EPs by Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman. I used to go see Switchfoot play at a basement coffee house when I was a little punk kid almost fifteen years ago, so it’s a bit of fresh to hear some acoustic multi-instrument folk rock from the guy. He released four six-track EPs aptly titled Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Fall starts out a little Chris Martin-y, but those of you who, like me, don’t love Coldplay should keep listening, because there’s great stuff coming. In particular, “March (A Prelude to Spring)” and “A Mirror is Harder to Hold.” So there you go, my iTunes pick of the week. Go check out the store and lose yourself in headphones for a while. Peaces.
COLEGE
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Hey all you out there on the cyberweb. It’s cooling off here in Kansas City and the fall rains are rolling in, but things are still hot in the tech room. Universities are in full swing again, Big XII football is our oasis in the the middle of our precious Chiefs’ desert, and students desperately need their MacBooks and MacBook Pros for, um, work. Not at all for iTunes and FaceBook and downloading Zombieland torrents. Just teasing, students. I kid because I love.
But seriously, we’ve been inundated with repairs shipping to university addresses and that gave me an idea. If you’re a college student with a campus address, email eric@iresq.com your six-digit web confirmation or invoice number and I’ll give you a deal. $10 off a MacBook or MacBook Pro LCD, $20 off an entire display assembly. You’re welcome. Now hurry up and order so you can get back to that “essay.” This offer is only good until October 31. Peace, friends.
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