Appletell

Boxee is a new application for the Mac that is much like Front Row, only better—in theory. It is an open source effort, meaning that plug-ins can be added and it can be modified by others besides the developers. It is currently in a private alpha stage, and I just so happen to be a private alpha member, and I figured I should bring a preview to you.

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Apple has finally allowed a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) program to be made available for the iPhone. Fring is available now at the iTunes store for free, and allows users to make voice communications over a wireless network using Fring’s network, or “Skype, Skype-out or any SIP providers you chose.” Users can also place calls to phone numbers using the service.

Fring also claims:

You will have one searchable contact list with all your instant messaging buddies from Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM, so you can easily see whose available and where they can be reached before dialing or starting a live chat session.

The Fring user guide is also available as a PDF.

Product [Fring]

iTunes is up to version 8.0.1. The update addresses bug fixes, mainly focused on Genius and VoiceOver for the iPod nano.

Apple provides all the details of what this update does right along with the package.

iTunes 8.0.1 improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes, including:

• Seamlessly plays the current song when creating a new Genius playlist.
• Improves syncing spoken menus to iPod nano.
• Addresses an issue of deleting HD TV episodes when downloading.
• Improves checking for updates from the App Store
• Improves accessibility with VoiceOver.
• Addresses problems syncing Genius results to iPod.

Overall, you can expect iTunes to run with greater stability, though I haven’t personally had any problems with iTunes 8 thus far. If your automatic updates haven’t already prompted you to update iTunes, then click the Apple icon in your menu bar and select Software Update to bring your iTunes up to 8.0.1.  Alternatively, you can click the link below to download the update manually.

Product [iTunes]

As the 2008 presidental contest heats up, the candidates are increasingly taking advantage of technology and social media to connect with their supporters. Today, the Obama campaign released an iPhone/iPod Touch application which will allow supporters to track and coordinate their volunteering efforts, as well as receive updates regarding their candidate. 

What’s interesting to me is that the app also adds a competitive element, allowing users to track the calls they’ve been making against a leaderboard.

Jump past the break to see the full list of features.

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Got an Airport Express Base Station or an AppleTV? Got a whole mess of music on a central computer? Then you, my friend, could be streaming your music through your home stereo system, and Macworld tells you how:

If you have an AirPort Express Base Station, string an audio cable between its audio port and an input port on a stereo receiver or powered speakers. Launch AirPort Utility (found in /Applications/Utilities), select your AirPort Express, configure it so it’s part of your network, and click the Music tab. In this tab enable the Enable AirTunes option and click Update. Your AirPort Express is now ready to receive music streamed to it from iTunes.

And there’s even more, including how to set up your AppleTV to stream music, and how to use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a remote control. It’s the world of tomorrow, today!

Via [Macworld]

A Thursday ruling from the Copyright Royalty Board could force Apple to follow through on a threat to close down the iTunes Music Store. The Board, a three-judge panel, which will determine how much money creators are paid for their works, could follow through on a request from the publishers association to increase payments from 9 cents to 15 cents a track. Apple has said that move would make the ITMS unprofitable, and that it would be shut down rather than operate at a loss.

CNN has this statement from Eddy Cue Apple’s VP for iTunes:

“If the [iTunes music store] was forced to absorb any increase in the ... royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss - which is no alternative at all,” Cue wrote. “Apple has repeatedly made it clear that it is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [the iTunes music store] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably.”

To which I reply, yeeeeeeeah, sure.

More after the break.

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Bjorn Erik Thon, consumer Ombudsman for Norway, has announced that he is taking Apple before that country’s Market Council in an attempt to force Apple to remove the FairPlay DRM from its music. This move would allow music purchased from iTunes to be played on any digital music player.

While Apple does offer some tracks for sale (in America, at least), without DRM software, the company has stated that its contracts with the major music labels require them to protect the music from illegal copying.

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So asks Joe Bosso over at musicradar.com. I certainly respect AC/DC’s place in rock history, but I’ve never been much of a fan, so I didn’t even know they were boycotting iTunes. Apparently, though, that’s the case. States lead guitarist Angus Young, “Our real reason is that we honestly believe the songs on any of our albums belong together. If we were on iTunes, we know a certain percentage of people would only download two or three songs from the album - and we don’t think that represents us musically.”

Well, except that you could set it up so that albums have to purchased in their entirety, but whatever. This argument has been made by many people since the inception of iTunes (you’re in league with Kid Rock, Angus...how does that make you feel?), and I’m not certain it makes a whole lot of sense…

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Well here’s a fun little article from the grandaddy of Mac journalism.

Responding to a reader query about how to control what a child has access to on an iPhone/iPod Touch, Macworld editor Christopher Breen details how to turn on the kid-friendly “Restrictions” setting, and then promptly points out how ridiculously easy it is to turn them off.

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Today Apple updated their Remote app on the App Store to version 1.1. The update is free as is to be expected.

So what’s new?

• Create and update Genius playlists
• Create and edit playlists in iTunes

Now you’ve got a little control over making playlists with your iPhone.

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