A New Apple iTunes Update: Version 8.0

A new version of iTunes is out… and Apple is really pushing it! You may want to update to stay current!

Apple iTunes 8.0: A closer look at ‘Genius’

“While Apple is pushing a major update to its client software filled with several new features, easily the biggest new one appears to be its music recommendation engine, called Genius. This afternoon, the Cupertino company is billing its new Genius feature, premiering with iTunes 8.0 software, as a way to ‘create a playlist from songs in your library that go great together.’ Obviously, many times when companies make such claims, the reality may not match the hype. So BetaNews set out to look into the feature, find out how exactly it works, and determine whether its recommendations are genuinely qualified. According to Apple, the work begins when Genius starts scanning your library of music. As the help file for the feature reads, ‘To create Genius playlists, iTunes uses anonymous information about your library and other iTunes libraries.’ A user must go through several hoops to activate the feature — apparently a pretty solid attempt by Apple to ensure the user realizes that some data from their machines will indeed be shared with the company. Once the user accepts, iTunes gathers data from the songs in the user’s library, and then sends it to Apple. It is apparently processed there and sent back, after which, iTunes activates the Genius feature.”

So, if you want to recommend your tastes to others, here’s your chance!