App rearrangement is a simple process. First, upgrade to iTunes 9.0 and iPhone OS 3.1. Connect your iPhone OS device to the computer and select it in iTunes. Choose the “Applications” tab and iTunes now displays your app pages as they appear on your iPhone or iPod touch. Apps can be moved around or deleted however you please. Pages can also be rearranged. Sync when you are happy with the order.

The “Applications” tab also lists apps by category and entrance into the App Store. Originally, it was sorted by name only. They will not automatically sync in this order though.

There are a few other limitations. Web apps or apps that came with your device cannot be deleted. Web apps must still be deleted on the device. Both these types of apps can still be moved around within iTunes.

Though far from perfect, being able to rearrange icons in iTunes 9 is a great feature and makes my life easier.

Finally we see the return of Steve Jobs, who was greeted to a standing ovation.  It is great to see him back.  No offense to Phil Schiller, but an Apple event isn’t complete without an appearance from Jobs.

iTunes 9 receives quite a few changes.  The application overall has a cleaner and more modern appearance.  The iTunes Store’s new look was designed to make content navigation easier.  There is too much content on each screen though and it is hard to explore. iTunes 9 also brings app management for iPhone and iPod touch.  Perhaps most importantly for families with multiple copies of iTunes, Apple has finally made it easier to share and sync your songs with something called “Home Sharing”.

One major complaint of buying music online is that it is missing things that CDs have, such as artwork and liner notes.  iTunes LP changes that.  LPs will have artwork, liner notes, videos, photos, and more.  There is a meager selection of LPs currently, but hopefully they will gain traction.

iPhone OS 3.1 is out now and boast a few interesting features.  Genius recommendations suggest apps that you may enjoy.  This is a blessing since it is a chore to navigate all of the apps in the App Store.  MobileMe users now can remotely lock their iPhones.

The iPod nano received the most additions of the entire iPod lineup.  The nano has its own video camera in a bid to compete with Flip camcorders.  The screen is bumped up to 2.2 inches.  The nano’s also have a new polished anodized aluminum finish. Surprisingly, Apple has finally added a built-in FM tuner which can also pause live radio.  There is also a pedometer.  The price remains the same for the 8 GB model ($149), but is reduced for the 16 GB version ($179).

The other iPod models had very few changes.  The classic is 160 GB (so long 120 GB) and is $249.  The iPod touch drops the 16 GB but adds 64 GB ($399).  8 ($199) and 32 GB ($299) models are still available.  The iPod shuffle now has a 2 GB version for $59, 4 GB for $79, and limited edition stainless 4 GB model for $99.  All iPods are shipping from Apple’s online store and will be available in retail soon.

Many rumored announcements did not come to fruition, including an all-you-can-eat subscription plan, DVD ripping, Blu-ray support, the mythical iTablet, and The Beatles finally coming to iTunes (which seems like it will never happen).

We will have more in-depth coverage of these announcements in future articles, so stay tuned.

Apple is set to rollout Top 100 lists for each category in the App Store, according to the developer of the iPhone App Save Benjis (iTunes link). There are separate lists for the Top 100 paid and free applications. You can see a screen shot of the lists in action above. The screen shot is of the Top 100 free apps in the utilities category (iTunes link).

This is a welcomed addition to the App Store. There has been a lot of chatter lately about App Store pricing. While this is great, I’m still waiting for app demos! I think the ability to demo apps are holding back sales. The lack of app demos has been the main reason I’ve only bought one application from the App Store.

[Via MacRumors]

Video no longer available online.

I’ve played around with the application and it’s something that I could definitely see myself using. I was able to easily update the ID3 information and cover art on a number of my tracks. What I like about the application is that once you’ve cleaned your tracks, the application is still useful. “The Now Playing” and “Concerts” tabs along the top provide valuable information about the contents of your iTunes library.

The “Now Playing” tabs take the currently playing track and shows matching YouTube videos, upcoming shows, Amazon album recommendations, recent news via Google, and eBay auctions. Playing a Black Keys song showed news headlines, including information about the lead singers upcoming solo album; cool!

The “Concerts” tab shows concert matches from artists within your iTunes library. There are links to purchase tickets right from the application. When you sign into the application, you input your city/state/country so it knows what concert venues to list in the Concerts tab.

While the application is certainly useful, it just doesn’t quite feel like a “true” Mac application. When you open the application, it “sticks” to the right side of iTunes. You can’t move it away from iTunes. When you reopen iTunes, TuneUp also starts up. I’ve tried to close TuneUp first and then iTunes, but TuneUp still starts up when reopening iTunes. In fact, I haven’t yet found a way to open iTunes without TuneUp opening too. TuneUp also shifts upwards when I move iTunes from my MBP monitor to my external monitor. This is likely a side affect of the “sticking” feature. I also had a beachball when accessing some of the menus but this has been reported as a known issue and should be fixed by the release date. I hope some of the other issues are fixed too.

TuneUp has been available for Windows since earlier this year. The Mac release is scheduled for release sometime today. You need Leopard and an Intel Mac to run TuneUp. Tiger support is scheduled to be added “shortly after launch”. TuneUp is free, with TuneUp Gold costing $11.95 a year or a one time fee of $19.95.

Update 12/11/08: A contact for the TuneUp folks notifed me that you can set the TuneUp start up preference.  Do a Ctrl click on the TuneUp interface and choose Preferences.  It looks like they are also going to make the preference pane more visible too (hopefully as a menu bar option).  Glad to see the company behind TuneUp is listening to feedback!

If your into Singer-Songwriter type music, you might like the free Sheryl Crow video iTunes is offering. The video for Out Of Our Heads (iTunes link) is currently available for free. I’m not sure how much longer it’s going to be free, so get it while you can. I’ve been a big Sheryl Crow fan for over 10 years so it’s nice to see such a popular artists giving away some content. Enjoy!

Introduction
Launched in 2007, Amazon MP3 marked the first large assault on iTunes. While it’s not the first digital music download service back by a large corporation (who knew Wal-Mart had a music download service?), this product is unique. Not only was this new effort backed by a large corporation, but it is a corporation with a long respected internet history.

Selection
The selection of music on Amazon MP3 is enormous. While the selection is not quite as large as iTunes, it has most of the same songs/albums as iTunes. The music diversity on Amazon MP3 is also quite good. If you like Top 40 type music, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll find what you’re looking for. If your taste varies from popular music, Amazon MP3 can also wet your music appetite. I had a very hard time not finding the music I was looking for. In fact, of the ten or so artists I looked for, only the most obscure one wasn’t listed. Bottom line, unless you are a complete underground/unsigned indie junkie you’ll find something you like. Even if you are, it can’t hurt to see if Amazon MP3 carries it. Amazon is constantly adding labels to their MP3 offerings.

Price
Most single tracks cost between $.89 and $.99 cents each. Based on my browsing, albums cost between $5.99 and $9.99 each. Most single discs run between $8.99 – $9.99 however. Double discs cost more than a single disc. I’ve seen some double discs for $12.99 and $16.99. Price will likely vary by artist, label, etc.

Music Format
Amazon MP3 offers DRM free 256 kbps mp3 files. Good quality sound and DRM free; about as good as you can get from a download music service.

Experience
As with all the iTunes alternatives I’m reviewing for this article series, Amazon MP3 is a web application. The website features a similar design to the Amazon Store. Searching for a song or album is as easy as using Google and typing into a search box. Once you have found what you want, click buy.

With the help of the Amazon MP3 Downloader, the experience using Amazon MP3 is quite seamless. If you are purchasing individual songs, the use of the Amazon MP3 Downloader is optional. If you are purchasing entire albums, the use of the Amazon MP3 Downloader is mandatory. I do however recommend using it for all your purchases since it does make life easier.

After buying a song or album on Amazon MP3, you’ll download a .amz file. When you have the Amazon MP3 Downloader installed, opening the file will launch the Downloader and you’ll see the songs being downloaded to your computer. Once the download is finished, the Downloader will automatically add the song to iTunes. The album art should also be included!

Overall
Amazon MP3 is by far the best competitor to iTunes. The experience of finding and downloading music is very easy. The quality and selection of music is great, as is the price. If you’re looking to spend your music dollars somewhere other than iTunes, Amazon MP3 will likely be your best choice.

This is part 1 of 3 of the Guide to iTunes Alternatives series.

I usually browse through the Free on iTunes (iTunes link) section on a weekly basis. After all, it is free music/tv. Often I don’t download anything at all, but occasionally something actually sounds good. This week, that’s definitely the case.

I’ve written here a few times that I’m a big singer-songwriter fan. Up for free this week in that category is the song Madly (iTunes link), by Tristan Prettyman. I had previously heard Tristan while browsing last.fm. It’s a pretty catchy song with good vocals and piano work. If you’re into the singer-songwriter stuff, give it a shot. After all, it won’t cost you a thing.

If you like what you heard, her new CD (iTunes link) is currently available on iTunes for less than $6 USD. Her new CD, titled Hello, is even in iTunes Plus format. For two days worth of Starbucks, the CD is a bargain.

I’m going to do my first multi-part post here at Apple Mac HQ. Leading off this first, is a review of the various alternatives to iTunes. I’ll be focusing on what I consider the “major players”. Those services are Amie Street, eMusic, and Amazon MP3. While there are other music services such as Napster and Rhapsody, their business model is subscription based which is outside the scope of this music service comparison.

Over the next week or so I’ll do an in-depth review of each service and then make some final recommendations. Stay tuned for my first review early next week!

According to a latest data from the NPD Group’s Music Watch Survey, iTunes is now the largest music retailer in the US. iTunes now sells more music than any other company in the US. While that’s certainly impressive, consider that iTunes is less than 5 years old. Let that sink in a little. In less than 5 years iTunes is now the dominant force in a business that’s been around for well more than 50 years. Incredible.

If you’re as excited about the upcoming MLB season as I am, iTunes has a free download that will get you primed for the season opening games. Coming in an nearly 700MB, the 2008 MLB Season Preview (iTunes link) takes a look at each division and gives you a synopsis of each team in the division.

The entire video runs about an hour which each team getting about 2-3 minutes of air time. Each team synopsis includes player interviews, team analysis (strengths/weaknesses/etc), beat writer quotes, and the goals of the team for 2008. With the season opening game just a little over a week away, the 2008 MLB Season Preview is a great way to get caught up to date on your favorite or hated team. Go Braves!

The only problem with renting these cheap movies is actually finding them. I spent a good 5 or 10 minutes clicking around in iTunes and for the life of me I couldn’t see any place where you could actually find the special movie rental of the week. Search no more. Wake Interactive has created a website that lists the movie special along with a brief description of the movie and a direct iTunes link to the rental. 99Rental.com also features an RSS feed so you can get the latest movie rental special straight in your RSS reader. If you have an AppleTV or watch movies on your computer, 99Rental.com is a great resource.

[Via TUAW]

No doubt that you’ve seen the first Macbook Air ad. The manilla folder shows you just how thin the Macbook Air truly is. As with many Apple ads, music takes the center stage along with the product.

The Macbook Air ad features a catchy tune by Yael Naim called New Soul. The song, and her new CD (iTunes link), is currently available in iTunes. In addition to the Macbook Air ad, Yael has recently received some more press. USA Today recently did a short article on Yael that dives into her background in music, her new CD, and other tidbits.

Being a singer-songwrite fan, I’ve listened to a few of the other tracks from her CD and have enjoyed them. If you’re a fan of singer-songwriters you should definitely check her out. If you’ve discovered any good singer-songwriters lately, drop his/her name in the comments. I’m always on the lookout for some good music.

When you have the most popular digital music player on the planet, the largest digital music store, and billions of cash on hand, you tend to attract outsiders who want a piece of the action. Apple, meet Stacie Somers.

On December 31st, 2007, Stacie Somers filed a class action lawsuit against Apple for violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act among other things. You can view the entire 24 page filing here. So what nuggets of information can we find within?

Page 2 # 6: “Online Video make it superior to DVDs purchased from traditional retail outlets.”

If you think video hobbled with DRM, a lower picture quality than DVD, and no special features makes it “superior”, the I’ve got some great beach property in Kansas to sell you Stacie.

Page 4 # 13: “Apple has repeatedly acted to foreclose even the possibility ofcompetition by using its market power to force consumers to choose its products based not on their merits, but on the fact that technological restrictions and incompatibilities prevent them from buying its competitors’ products.”

So you’re saying that it’s not because the iPod looks amazing, easily works with the music management software (iTunes), or is so very easy to use? What you’re saying is that when you go to pay for your Zune the credit card machine breaks down because Apple remotely disabled the connection to the credit card processor? Makes perfect sense to me.

Page 4 # 14: “Apple deliberately makes digital music purchased at the Music Store inoperable with its competitors’ Digital Music Players. Thus, in order to play music from Apple’s Music Store, the dominant Online Music retailer, the consumer’s only option in the Digital Music Player market is Apple’s iPod. Given that other companies’ products cannot even begin to compete for the business ofmost consumers, Apple can and does sell the iPod at prices far above those that would prevail in a competitive market.”

Unless you’ve been under a rock lately, Steve Jobs himself called for the abolishment of DRMs in his famous Thoughts On Music letter. Why can’t Apple just sell their music without DRM? It’s not their music to sell and the record labels won’t let them sell it without DRM (except EMI).

You say music you buy on iTunes can’t be played on other digital music players? A quick search will tell you that the SandDisk Sansa Connect, along with other players that support the AAC format, will in fact play the iTunes Plus tracks that you can purchase from iTunes. Sure, you can’t play DRM’ed songs on other players but there is always the analog hole of burning them to a disc and then reimporting them. In fact you can play all music purchased in iTunes on other players if you want to do a little bit of work.

No one is forcing you to buy an iPod Stacie. In fact, you can buy a Zune for the exact same prices as an iPod. Oh wait, “Apple can and does sell the iPod at prices far above those that would prevail in a competitive market.” Wait, the Zune and the iPod are the same price? I thought you said…oh never mind.

Page 4 # 15: “Conversely, Apple also makes the iPod unable to play music sold at its rivals’ Online Music stores. Consumers who have iPods can play only the Online Music they purchase from Apple’s Music Store, allowing Apple to further entrench its nearly complete monopoly in both of these markets.”

So those tracks from eMusic, Amie St, and Amazon can’t be played on the iPod? Stacie, did you or your lawyers do any research? Stop by my house and I’ll show you my iPod and iPhone working perfectly fine with the songs I purchased from Amazon.

Page 4 # 16: “In the past year, as improved hard drive and video compression technology have made it possible to play video content such as television shows on Digital Musie Players, Apple has begun using these same illegal tactics to block consumers from purchasing and playing Online Video from its rivals’ online stores and video-enabled Digital Music Players.”

How many times do I have to say it? It’s not Apple mandating the use of DRM. The content owners set the policy and most want DRM on their product. Online digital video distribution is a much less mature market so don’t expect non DRM video anytime soon.

The rest of the filing rehashes some of the same statements above and goes into some detail about the European Union’s lawsuits against Apple. From what I’ve read (in bold below “Apple’s Response”), it’s again the music labels and publishers that seem to be the stumbling block related to some of those EU lawsuits.

The suit includes a lengthly section about the iPods inability to play WMA files. WMA files are songs encoded with Microsoft’s DRM technology. Using that same logic, I think I’ll sue Nikon because my D40X used SD memory instead of Compact Flash.

While the lawsuit is pretty typical of many lawsuits these days (full of crap), it does bring up one interesting question. Why hasn’t Apple licensed FairPlay (Apple’s DRM technology)? The licensing fee and additional revenue from music/video purchases could be substantial. Of course that would mean working with outside vendors in ensuring their players work well with iTunes. Apple isn’t know for playing well with others so that’s likely the main reason why they haven’t licensed FairPlay. Would the revenue be worth it though? Share your thoughts about the lawsuit or the licensing of FairPlay below.

[Via The Macalope]

It seems like nearly every day you hear someone say the words “iPod Killer” or “iTunes Killer” in reference to the newest portable digital music player or content deliver mechanism. As time goes by, those claims are swept out of the consumers minds and the next “big thing” gives it a go too. Recently however, one “iTunes Killer” has actually managed to stay at the forefront of consumers thoughts and wallets. Despite being web only, the Amazon MP3 store has received good reviews and with the combination of cheap songs has kept consumers happy.

In an effort to bring more consumers to Amazon MP3, Amazon is teaming with Pepsi to give away 1 Billion songs according to Billboard. The Motley Fool has the scoop here. If you remember a few years ago, Pepsi teamed with Apple to give away 100 million iTunes songs.

Personally, I’m really excited about this promotion for a few reasons.

1) I’m likely to get some free music since I have a moderate Mountain Dew habit.
2) Competition for iTunes and Apple IS a good thing. Just remember about a month ago when Apple dropped the price of iTunes Plus tracks to compete more directly with the DRM free tracks from Amazon.
3) The more people that buy digital music, the larger the market is for digital music players. Since the iPod controls the majority of the digital music player market, a larger market means more iPod sales.

What’s interesting in this whole promotion is that for the first time, consumers are being targeted with a large scale promotion of DRM free music. Could this be the beginning of the end for DRM? I sure hope so.

I’m not sure if this is a first for iTunes, but it is impressive none the less. Edward Burns has decided to debut his new movie exclusively on iTunes, before it’s shown anywhere else. It’s impressive because Edward Burns is fairly well known and has directed some Award Winning films. My first introduction to Edward Burns was back when I worked in a video store in high school. His directorial debut was the Brothers McMullen, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. I brought it home one night at really enjoyed the movie. His next turn in the directors chair was She’s the One, which I also enjoyed.

The real question in all of this is, will debuting the movie on iTunes first reward the content creator instead of the movie studios? If debuting to iTunes first is going to work, this type of film is the perfect test case. An indie drama doesn’t need to pull in enough cash to cover a huge special effects budget like an action movie would. It’s also something that doesn’t necessarily require a huge TV with perfect sound to be enjoyed like some of the summer blockbuster movies.

I’m really interested to see if any sales/profit figures are released once the exclusivity to iTunes is gone. I really hope the movie is a hit and sells well on iTunes, giving other directors the opportunity to keep more of their movie’s profits. We’ve seen the trend of music artists ditching their record labels, but movies have traditionally been a different animal. Could this be the movie revenue model of the future?