GeekSugar

How to Access iTunes' New Genius Mixes

GeekSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 07:45:54 -0700

Have you had some time to play around with iTunes 9? Notable features include home sharing, improved syncing and a redesign of your iTunes library and the store. But my favorite new feature is the Genius Mixes.

If you're already familiar with how the amazing music suggestion tool iTunes Genius works you can instantly get in on the Genius Mixes fun. Just click on the genius tab on the left pane of your iTunes window and under the usual Genius heading you should see Genius Mixes. Once you click on it, iTunes will automatically search your library and find songs that sound groovy together and whip out anywhere from one to 12 music mixes for your listening pleasure. Talk about such an easy way to get the party started!

How-To: Make a Last-Minute Dinner Party Playlist

GeekSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:00:26 -0800

OK, you've got an hour to get the turkey out of the oven, mash the potatoes, prep the stuffing, not to mention setting the table for the people who are coming over for dinner. OMG the people! You need a party playlist asap!

When you're making a big important meal, the last thing you want to stress over is the dinner music. So you put off making the perfect playlist until now. Big deal - as long as you know some great last-minute ways to do it for you!

My current favorite music generator is iTunes Genius. Far better than iTunes's Party Shuffle, all you have to do is select one song whose tone you want for the party, and voila, 20 songs whose tone fits the party.

Not into iTunes? Plug in your laptop speakers and head over to Pandora or Last FM, both of which will provide you with "stations" that are exactly what you're looking for. Focus on that juicy turkey instead, and people will coo over that and your impeccable taste in music.

Source

Are You Impressed by iTunes Genius?

GeekSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:00:29 -0700

At last week's Let's Rock event, a little thing Steve announced was overshadowed by stuff like new iPods and a fix-all iPhone update: Genius! Part of the iTunes 8 update, Genius is a fun new feature for iTunes and iPods, which, I admit, didn't impress me at all when I was first hearing about it.

How silly I was! A week later, I'm obsessed with Genius. Why? Getting suggestions of music to buy is OK, but I really took the perk of having automatically-made playlists for granted. As someone who listens to my whole library on random at work and with the iPod on my iPhone, Genius brilliantly puts together stuff that sounds great together and somehow matches my mood. How does it know, based on one song, exactly what I want to hear next? I guess that's why they call it "genius."
Seriously, sometimes I get so blasé about new technology and gadgets, wanting to see bigger faster and stronger all the time that when something comes along that's so simple, I forget how much little things can make a difference.

So tell me, are you impressed by the little Genius like I am? Or is it just another thing that makes you go 'hmmm'?

iTunes 9 Could Have Twitter and Facebook Integration

GeekSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:33:20 -0700

I don't usually get too excited about an iTunes update, but Boy Genius Report has some possible screenshots of iTunes 9, and they imply Facebook and Twitter integration.

Social networking integration and built-in Last FM were already rumored features, and the questionable shots show a "Social" tab.

What could a social networking aspect mean for iTunes? It could mean a way to combine your different social networks, or share music socially. I would love for them to expand on the Shared Playlist aspect, already something I enjoy and use now.

What do you think it could mean?

Daily Tech: Find New Music Using Pandora

GeekSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:17:14 -0700

Did you know that you can use Pandora to find new music you may like? - Mashable
New screen shots show off a possible iTunes 9 and Facebook relationship - The Boy Genius Report
A fun Google logo question popped up in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Digital Inspiration
Learn how to set Facebook privacy settings for your kids - Wired
Check out 10 of the most tech-savvy LEGO projects - Switched
By using the RateItAll email review tool, you can easily submit reviews - TechCrunch

Introducing the iPhone 3G S!

GeekSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:02:35 -0700

And the news we've all been waiting for, ladies and gents! The brand-spankin' new, third-generation iPhone: the iPhone 3GS.

The iPhone 3G S looks externally exactly like the iPhone 3G - same dimensions, same availability on black and white - but inside, it's a whole different story.

The first thing you want to know: yes, the iPhone 3GS can take video. The camera supports still and video capture - you just have a record button now. You can also scrub through and edit video directly from the camera!

The still camera itself is beefed up too - it's now working with 3 megapixels, autofocus, auto white balance, and auto macro. They've added low-light sensitivity, and a biggie: tap-to-focus, which lets you tap on a subject in your lens that you want to focus on, and it'll blur the background.

Besides the awesome new camera features, the new iPhone is also coming with better battery life, Nike+ support, and Voice Control. Voice control is amazing - it not only lets you say the name of your contacts to call them, but it also works with your iTunes so you can listen to specific songs, start your favorite playlists, and even tell it to "hear more songs like this" when combined with the iTunes Genius Playlist.

Want one of your own? Find out the release date, pricing and more specs when you read more.

The new iPhone 3GS will come in white or black, in 16GB and 32GB flavors, and will cost you $199 and $299, respectively. But for all you late adopters, Apple is making it easier for you to enter their world by offering the current 8GB iPhone 3G model for only $99. When is all this happening? The $99 pricing for the 3G begins today, and the iPhone 3GS comes out June 19.

Daily Tech: TomTom GPS Device Gets Glammed Up

GeekSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:00:56 -0700

Go TomTom! This White Pearl GPS unit, available in the UK, sure is pretty. - Engadget

Apple's iTunes 8.2 will work with Palm Pre's iTunes sync feature. - Gizmodo

Lucky lucky. The CrunchGear play around with the New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii. - CrunchGear

AT&T drops the price on the BlackBerry Bold to $199.99 and the Curve 8900 to $149.99. - The Boy Genius Report

PhotoShowerCurtain.com can turn one of your digital pics into an entire shower curtain. - Boing Boing Gadgets

Microsoft launches a Bing formatted search tool for cell phones. - Lifehacker

Get the lowdown on Sony's new PSP Go, which will hit stores this October. - CNET Crave

Weird Al Draws Inspiration From Craigslist For New Single

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:33:00 -0700

I have a secret - I used to listen to Weird Al on a loop when I was younger, and still have a soft spot in my heart for his parodies. I mean, come on, "White and Nerdy"? I die. So when I heard that the music comedy genius has a new EP coming out (appropriately titled "Internet Leaks") I was already on board. The first single from the album is torn straight from the virtual pages of Craigslist (literally) and makes up one of the five songs on the upcoming release. Another song? Oh, just a little ditty about shopping at Costco called "Whatever You Like." Yup, it's a parody of T.I.'s song of the same name. They're both on iTunes now, and are of course, classic Weird Al.

Check out the video for "Craigslist," in which Weird Al channels Jim Morrison and The Doors for this five minute song (I know, but it wouldn't be an appropriate Doors parody if it was any shorter, right?). It really takes me back.

Daily Tech: iTunes to Increase Song Prices on April 7?

GeekSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:25:39 -0700

"Popular" iTunes songs are rumored to be going up in price from the current $0.99 price tag to $1.29 on April 7. - CrunchGear
This morning Apple announced that the Google Mobile app with voice search is now available for the BlackBerry. - The Boy Genius Report
If we're stuck with cords in our life, why can't they be beautiful and blend in with our surroundings? Designer Shunsuke Umiyama created this concept cord creation, which is anything but bland. - Unplggd
New to Twitter? Here are some tips and tricks to help you get started. - Switched
One more Pat Benatar song could be heading to Rock Band 2. - Joystiq

More Details About Apple's New Nanos!

GeekSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:30:35 -0700

If the name of Steve Job's latest presentation - Let's Rock - led you to believe that he would be unveiling new iPods, you would be right! But not only were we the first to see the new Nano design at the Yerba Buena Center For the Arts today in San Francisco, but we also got a sneak peek at some new yet-to-be-released games to hit the App Store, the details on the newest upgrades to iPod Touch, and the scoop on what the cool new features will be for iTunes 8.

The big news of the morning obviously was the new Nanos! This generation will be smaller, packed with more features, and more cost effective. Oh, did I mention the colors? The new Nano will make your plain old black and white versions green with envy. Not to mention purple, pink, red, blue, yellow, orange, and grey.

How much will the new Nano set you back? To get pricing, more product details, pics, and to find out what else is coming up in the world of Apple, just read more.

Also being included in the newest iTunes release, the Genius Playlist creator will analyze the current track you are playing and toss together a cool playlist based on the features of that song, giving you a mix of similar songs to listen to without having to hunt and peck through your music. Other goodies include an accelerometer, a built-in voice recorder, and a "Shake to Shuffle" feature. Yes, you really can shake it!

Thankfully, Steve wants us to save a little dough while enjoying our tunes! The new Nano will come in two versions: 8GB for $149 and 16GB for $199. Plus, they are available this week for you to pick up. My wallet already feels a little lighter. What else did Steve announce today? Here's a rundown:

iPod Touch will be smaller, sleeker, and louder with an on-board speaker. Plus, the Nike + iPod transmitter will be built right into the Touch - no more lame transmitter sticking out the bottom! The iPod Touch will come in three models: 8GB for $229, 16GB for $299, and $32GB for $399.
New games hitting the App Store include Spore Origins, Need for Speed: Undercover, and Real Soccer 09.
The iPod Classic will get a hefty storage bump, going from 80GB to 120GB with a $249 price tag.
iTunes will now offer HD TV shows, including those from NBC for $2.99
The update for your iPhone to 2.1 will fix bugs and dropped calls and will back up iTunes faster.

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