Rock Band coming to iPhone
It’s long been rumored, but today EA Mobile has officially confirmed that Rock Band will indeed be coming to the iPhone. Featuring 15 songs (plus an additional 5 that can be unlocked through play), Rock Band for the iPhone is attempting to recreate the living room rock experience as faithfully as it possibly can while still living in your pocket. Bluetooth multiplayer, World Tour mode, and the ability to expand your Rock Band library through dowwnloadable content will form the basis of what EA hopes will become the de facto music experience on the iPhone.
News: iTunes now accounts for 25% of all music sales in US
A recent study by the market research group NPD showed that digital music purchases continued their steady rise to market dominance during the first half of 2009. While that fact in and of itself isn’t all that surprising, what share of the overall music market iTunes now makes up is enough to knock the socks off even the most passionate Apple devotee: 25%.
That’s not 25% of the digital market — that’s 25% of the total market. This makes them the largest music seller in the US, beating out their closest competitor Wal-Mart, currently sitting at 14% of total music sales, by a whopping 11 points.
News: Did you catch the iPhone’s first streaming concert?
Apple isn’t the first company to get involved in live streaming of musical performances, but they are the first to try and put it in your pocket. This past Saturday the UK electronic group Underworld performed a concert live from Oakland, California, and for the first time ever you were able to watch this streamed live to your iPhone.
Ecoute Review: iTunes Simplified
Most people who have an iPhone or iPod sync it in iTunes. But what if you don’t want to use iTunes to listen to your music while you are using your computer? Ecoute, is the perfect application for this. Ecoute is a small app to browse and play music and videos in your iTunes library. You can browse artists, playlists, and much more and you can even play TV shows and movies.
How-To: Sync your Palm Pre with your iTunes Library
In our recent MacApper Podcast we discussed the iTunes 8.2.1 update that eliminated the Palm Pre’s ability to sync with iTunes. One of the Pre’s major selling points was it’s ability to masquerade as an iPod and sync natively with iTunes. If you’re a Pre user feeling left in the dust, or looking to buy the Pre, this is a simple way to get that sync back between your iTunes library and your Pre.
iTunes Introduces Digital 45’s
It may be hard for some of you to remember, but back in the day (or in your parents day for some of our younger readers) we didn’t buy our music on iTunes. We didn’t order a CD on Amazon, and we didn’t mark it for purchase on our satellite radios. We used to tie up our sneakers, head downtown, and visit the local record shop.
There was something magical about it. The small of the vinyl and cardboard. Grabbing a record by the edges so as not to scratch it. Dropping the needle. And of course, picking up a 45 in anticipation of an albums release. Now Apple wants to recreate this experience with Digital 45’s, virtual reproductions of classic singles on the iTunes Store.
SweetFM Review: A Not so Sweet iTunes Helper
The iTunes helper application has become a very popular class of application to develop for. Most developers, like the people behind CoverSutra and Bowtie, have been very successful in their attempts. But unfortunately it was only inevitable that a not so well designed one came along. I’m talking about SweetFM from choco moko.
Ringer Review: Easily Create Ringtones for Your iPhone
The iPhone has a limited selection of built in ringtones, and only select songs are available for purchase on iTunes as ringtones. Ringer, by Pixel Research Labs, was made to fix this problem. Ringer lets you create any unprotected song into a ringtone. Using the application you can browse your entire iTunes library and quickly create ringtones from audio. This doesn’t only apply to music, Ringer can use audio from videos too.
Songbird Review: iTunes Killer?
Many have tried to take down iTunes, but none have succeeded. They say that video killed the radio star, but no one has even come close to killing the iTunes store. Songbird is no iTunes killer, but it gives it a pretty decent shot. Songbird is open-source music management software put out by a group that calls themselves “Pioneers of the Inevitable.” After years of development, betas, complete redesigns, and what were likely many hours and tears: Songbird 1.x is out in the wild.
AirPhones Review: Bluetooth Headphones Without the Bluetooth
The world is getting wireless and so is your headphones. Products such as bluetooth headphones have been popping up here and there to allow you to get rid of that pesky cord that tugs and gets in the way of your work. Unfortunately, these products can be quite expensive and require the expense of constant battery replacement. What if I told you there is a way to experience the freedom from the cord and the heaviness of your wallet at the same time? Introducing AirPhones: the app that takes your iPhone/iPod Touch and turns it into wireless headphones.
