PH Finally Gets its iTunes Store

Apple announced this week the launch of iTunes in several Asian countries including the Philippines.  This is good news for us who have an iOS device or two as we now have access to songs, apps and movies that were previously unavailable to us.  These include music from local artists, of course.  Not only that, we can now also shop for books under the iBookstore.

It is only about time that we have our own iTunes Store.  Before this, I can only populate my iPod through ripping my CD.  The only way I can download music and books from iTunes is to ask my sister to get me an iTunes Music Store prepaid card or buy one from an online seller at a higher price.  Now, I can use my local credit card to gain access to all of the goods.

Moreover, Asia is one of the fastest growing markets for Apple products.  Since many of their gadgets now come sans optical drives, Apple users here have no option but to download iOS and Mac OSX software from iTunes or the Appstore.  

iTunes music store has been online since 2003 and after almost ten years, it's here.  Well, better late than never.  Welcome to the Philippines iTunes!

iOS 5 is Here!

 

Apple released iOS 5 this morning, its most anticipated mobile operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.  It brings 200 new features and enhancements including Notification Center, iMessage, Newsstand, Reminders, and systemwide Twitter integration.

The update requires iTune 10.5 which was released last Tuesday.  To download, connect your device to iTunes and you'll be prompted with the download.  If not, click on Check for Updates button.  iOS 5 is compatible with the iPad 2, original iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch.

A good number of fellow members of an online Mac users forum stayed all night to wait and be the first ones to download and run this new OS.  Some of them are reporting problems and difficulties with upgrading to iOS 5, as Apple's servers have been acting up perhaps due to high demand for the new release. I am downloading it right now and hopefully the glitches experienced by early adaptors have been addressed already.  I will make a more detailed post about it in the next few days.

Steve Jobs, 56

STEVE JOBS

1955-2011

Thanks for making computing fun. Your legacy will live forever.

Apple Releases iTunes Match on Beta for Developers (UPDATED)

Apple released today a developer beta version of its upcoming iTunes Match.  Steve Jobs already announced this service during his introduction of the iCloud at the WWDC in June.

As explained by Apple, the system "stores your complete music library in iCloud, allowing you to enjoy your collection anywhere, anytime, on any iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or computer."

from apple.com

iTunes Match will scan your iTunes music library and checks which of these songs are available in the iTunes Store.  It will include music you bought from the store, ripped from your CD collection, and even those obtained from other sources.

The company boasts of more than 18 million song titles in its catalog so most likely, the songs you have in your collection are already available.  Otherwise, you will have to unload those unavailable to iCloud.  You can then listen to your music anytime, anywhere at 256 kbps iTunes Plus quality,  as long as you are connected to the Internet.

At US$25 per year, the service will allow you to free a lot of space on your devices since you won't need to store your music on your iPad, iPod Touch, or MacBook to enjoy them.  At the moment, only developers have access to this feature and those who would participate in the beta testing will have a bonus of three months free access to iTunes Match.  It is set for release in the fall alongside iCloud.

UPDATE 9/1/11:  Apple vehemently denies that iTunes Match will stream music to your devices.  Initial reports from Beta testers seem to confirm this. It appears that once you listen to your music via iTunes Match, it automatically downloads and stores then to your iPad, iPod Touch or Mac.

iCloud: The Future in the Mac Friendly Skies

Along with the announcement of the coming MacOS X Lion last Monday, Apple announced its new service called iCloud, which is coming in Fall this year (around September).

The Mac community has been abuzzed with speculations about this new offering for months before the WWDC.  It was finally introduced by Steve Jobs himself at last Monday's event.

In his address, Jobs explained that ten years ago, their big idea was to make the PC/Mac the center of users' digital life where music, videos and photos are stored.  But all's that changed now because of the new devices that could also store and play music, video and photos.

So Apple's new big idea is to make the PC/Mac as just another device and put all media files in the cloud they named iCloud.  But this cloud is not just a harddisk in the sky, as Steve pointed out. iCloud automatically uploads, stores and pushes your contents to all of your devices. It is also completely integrated to all apps so everything happens automatically and there's nothing to learn.  As Steve puts it, "It just works."

Jobs said that they at Apple love iCloud so much that they're giving the service to their clients for free!  Everyone is given a 5GB space in the iCloud where you can store your Contacts, Mail, Calendar and yes, even your Documents.  No need to bring a USB drive to bring your Keynote presentation or Pages papers.

Of course everything you buy from the AppStore, iBookstore and iTunes store are automatically uploaded to your iCloud.  What more, your apps, books and music are not counted against your free space as long as they remain in their respective stores.

You can already try this service in beta.  If you are an iTunes user like me,  if you buy something from the store, you can make your other devices to download your purchase automatically at no extra cost.  Just go to the settings of your iPad or iPhone and make them automatically download your purchases.      Yes, it just works!

Why I've Been Away

Whew... It's already February and I still have only one post for the year.  So many things have happened already and I've been silent.  Let's see why.

My sister gave me a Magnavox Blu Ray player last Christmas and I've been very busy with it.  The first Blu Ray Disc I bought was the Disney Pixar movie UP (4 disc set) and can't get over it.  I love this movie and all those added features.  The first disc contained the movie and some bonus features, including two short features.  The second contained documentaries about the making of the film.  The third is a DVD version of the film.  The fourth disc enabled me to download a digital copy of the movie through the iTunes store so now I have the movie in my iPod Touch and iPad.  Blu Ray is a thingamagig! The clarity of the image and the sound are superb that you wonder what you've been missing all these years.  By the way, to get the maximum effect, you must also have a good HD TV and of course, a HDMI cable.

Another gadget I've been busy with the last two months is my iPod Touch 4th generation.  Although I already have an iPad, I was enticed to get this baby because of FaceTime! I can't get over this app because now, not only can I talk with my sisters, I can even see them. One time, I was even speaking to my sister and her kids while they were having dinner.  It as almost like being there with them.  I am really excited what technology will come out this year.  There are already talks about the second generation iPad which will also have both front and back facing cameras.  Does this mean that we'll be able to do FaceTime on the iPad soon? I can't wait!

Small Wonder

Apple did it again. The wise guys at the Cupertino based company were able to cramp 4GB of memory in a capsule that's smaller and thinner than a thumb drive.



I'm talking about the new 4GB iPod Shuffle that I recently purchased online. It's so small that my initial reaction was that of fear, fear that I might lose it within a month or so. Thank goodness it has a clip that is sturdy enough to keep the iPod from falling off when I attach it like a lapel on my shirt.

The latest iPod, a third generation Shuffle, is packed with features that were recently unavailable to the line that one would wonder where these are packed inside a space that is just a few centimeters thick (or thin).

The new Shuffle, as mentioned earlier, has 4GB of disk space, twice the last space its last iteration had. That's the same size as my old but still working iPod Mini. It has a battery life of around 10 hours. And now, one can make multiple playlists and be prompted by a female speaker, known as the VoiceOver feature.

At first, I thought the voice would come up everytime a new song is about to be played. A female voice would tell the title and artist of the song currently playing when I click and hold on the remote control attached to the earphones. Hold on to the remote until a tone is heard and the VoiceOver will tell the playlists available and just click to select it. Two clicks would transfer to the next song and three clicks would go back to the previous song. The volume control is also found on the remote control.

There's also a switch on the body to turn the shuffle on and off. Use the same switch to tell the Shuffle how to play the songs, whether in sequence or in random order. There's a light indicator for the remaining battery power. To get a reading, turn off the shuffle and then on again. VoiceOver will tell the listener how much power is left (ex. Battery 75% full). Oh, when the shuffle is switched off, it will play for a few seconds, so there will be no disruption in listening while checking the battery.

I took a picture of the shuffle and found it even smaller than a favorite Filipino sweet, the Chocnut. See for yourself in the photo below.



A USB cable is included to charge the iPod through the computer. This is also the same cable used for syncing with iTunes. The user will be prompted to download the VoiceOver kit on the first connection. I have included around 5 playlists already, including the one I will use while I exercise. The iPod Shuffle is so light it did not affect my walking exercise when I tried it.

In spite its size, I am confident that this small wonder would last a long time. I know because I can attest to the quality of an Apple product. Thanks to my iPod Mini and iBook.