Apple gets Genius, releases iTunes 8 and two new iPods

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By Kayla Falgoust

Last Tuesday was a big day for Apple, as the company announced the release of its fourth-generation iPod Nano, second-generation iPod Touch and the new and improved iTunes 8. While the new iTunes is equipped with the capability to find “songs that go great together,” Apple is calling its two new iPods the “thinnest” and “funnest” ever.

The new version of iTunes features several upgrades to the older versions of the music downloading software, the most innovative of which is Apple’s Genius technology.

The Genius technology is said to allow users to create playlists filled with songs that complement one another. Previous versions of iTunes were equipped with the ability to create a smart playlist. However, smart playlists are generated according to user inputs. Genius technology does the work with the click of a button.

Here’s how Genius works:

The user selects a song then clicks on the Genius button, and a 25-song playlist is created from the user’s library. The songs on the playlist are supposed to complement the song that was originally selected by the user.

The first time that the technology is employed, the user is first prompted to logon to the iTunes Store. At this point, the Genius technology gathers information about the user’s iTunes and sends this information to Apple.

Now, all that is left is a song selection and a click on the Genius button at the bottom of the iTunes window. Playlist created.

Admittedly, it does take a little while to set up the technology, but afterwards, it only takes a song selection and a click of the Genius button to create what Apple is calling one of the countless “perfect playlists” that the Genius technology is capable of producing. Editor’s note: Perfect playlists? On my first attempt, I chose “Here Comes Everybody” by Autolux and received a playlist featuring artists like Broken Social Scene, Interpol, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. Easy, right? What was more impressive was the song selection: Sonic Youth’s “Teen Age Riot” with Broken Social Scene’s “7/4 (Shoreline).” Oh, the perfect little daydream fest.

Additionally, the Genius technology also adds the Genius Sidebar on the right-hand side of the iTunes window. When playing a song from your own iTunes library, the sidebar generates a list of recommended songs – all of which are for purchase in the iTunes Store.

That being said, iTunes 8 also includes a new way of viewing music in a grid-like format, displaying rows and columns of bite-sized album art. Another new feature is the addition of TV programs for download in HD in the iTunes Store.

Now back to Genius.

The new Genius technology is not only limited to iTunes, as it is also featured in the new iPod Nano and iPod Touch.

With the release of the new iPod Nano, Apple is bringing back the original, elongated design of its ultra-small, ultra-sleek mp3 player.

The new Nano, which comes in the brightest nine colors imaginable, features a curved aluminum and glass body design with a built-in accelerometer, allowing the user to switch to Cover Flow by rotating the Nano and turn on shuffle mode with a slight shake of the tiny mp3 player.

The fourth generation iPod Nano is available in 8 GB and 16 GB models for $149 and $199, respectively.

Additionally, the new iPod Touch also comes equipped with Genius technology, but the biggest and most exciting addition to this ultra-cool mp3 player is its built-in speaker and external volume control buttons.

Like the older version, the second generation Touch also has built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, a built-in accelerometer, 3.5 inch widescreen display, applications like Safari, Google Maps, and YouTube and, of course, Apple’s super-cool Multi-Touch interface.

The new iPod Touch is available in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB models for $229, $299 and $399, respectively.

Send your comments to editor@tigerweekly.com.

Originally Published: Issue 705 - September 17, 2008

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