iPod

iTunes with iPod library

One of the annoyances with iTunes and the iPod is that you need a music library to connect the iPod. I don't want to have a library setup. I want to just be able to plug in my iPod and listen to music as well as load tracks on to it. Sure there are some ways to do this like setting up a minimal library and using it just to connect a non-auto-sync iPod. That's a hassle I don't want to mess with. Because my iPod travels with me my iTunes library resides on an external drive which works reasonably well but there are times I just want to do an update at a coffee shop and be done. At least until we get the ultimate mobile system.

Universal looking for share of iPod sales

According to this article Universal music may be looking for royalties on each iPod sale. Let's rewind a bit and see how funny this request really is. Two weeks ago Universal said that iPod owners were thieves. This came at the time when they were announcing their support of the Zune which seems to be under performing the weakest of expectations.

Going back further one sees that Universal, and their traditional music label comrades, didn't have much use for the iPod. When it came to be five years ago they seemed to think it was just another crappy MP3 player and who would care. Since then Apple Computer has managed to set the music distribution business on it's ear. Not only is it not a crappy player but with increasing ease we, the consumers, don't need the labels, or want the labels, to filter music for us. Instead we can go directly to the source and get music. Best of all our dollars go to supporting the artists not the same executives who think we're all a bunch of thieves.

Could this be....

Earlier this month there were some stories about Podshow 's influx of cash. At the time I speculated there might be an Apple link. Today brings news that an Apple patent filing in the last couple of years hints at satellite radio compatibility for the iPod. Could it be that there is something to the idea that Apple and Podshow with their satellite radio ties might be looking to do something in the future?

Its Showtime

Apple's press event today brought lots of enhancements and some new toys. iTV looks great and will doubtless be very cool when paired with eyeTV or other video-in hardware.

However the biggest announcement, especially for those of us with computers that have vastly different internet connection qualities, is the announcement of iPod syncing for music libraries.

Pages

Subscribe to iPod