The latest iTunes version, the 9.0, has brought a few new things, both in the visual aspect and features present on the program, including the iTunes Store. As it was expected, the version 9.0, announced during the latest Apple Event, presented a few issues and now Apple has released the 9.0.1 version in order to solve some of them.

Some of the issues solved include:

- Navigation problems on the iTunes Store
- Performance issues that were causing iTunes to lock
- Podcast playlist synchronization issues with iPods and iPhones
- Better application synchronization with iPod Touch and iPhone

The iTunes version 9.0.1 is available through the software update, and it has 85.6 Mb.

It took a little longer than what was expected, but finally the highly-awaited update 3.0 for the iPhone OS is available. In order to obtain it, users will need to connect their iPhone to iTunes and check what updates are available. The download has 230Mb.

Also, together with the iPhone OS 3.0, Apple has also released the update for Safari, the 4.0.1. With that update, comes the bug fix on the incompatibility between Safari and some features on the iPhoto ‘09.

The guys from EA have finally released one of the most awaited titles for iPhone and iPod Touch this year: The Sims 3. The game is now available on the App Store.

The game has 63.8MB and costs €7.99, and those who have already bought it say that it’s definitely one of the best titles for the iPhone OS.

Only a few weeks after the previous beta release, the new beta 4 for the iPhone OS 3.0 (Build 7A300g) has been released to developers, correcting many bugs and introducing new features, including the support to the pre-release version 8.2 of the iTunes and Blu-Ray.

In order to activate the new beta, the users need to install a pre-release version of iTunes 8.2 that doesn’t seem to bring many new features, except for the Blu-Ray support on Gracenote, which could mean that the next update coming to Apple’s multimedia player will probably support some sort of Blu-Ray compatibility.

Other new things will probably come up as soon as developers start to study the software, and we’ll be tuned.

Apple has released a software update for the new iPod Shuffle, presented back in March. The Update 1.0.2 aims at optimizing the response on the control button found on the headphone wire. Those are the specific enhancements:

- Faster response on the “Play” button once it’s pressed after a longer period of inactivity
- The volume controls are done now through individual button presses
- The Japanese VoiceOver was enhanced
- Many “secondary problems” (which weren’t specified) have been fixed.

In order to proceed with the update, users must simply connect the iPod Shuffle to the computer and wait for iTunes to be launched.

With iTunes becoming the main program to manage Apple’s mobile devices, the App Store can be seen as a small store inside of the big “virtual mall” called iTunes Store. Through the App Store, Apple offers useful (and not so useful) programs that interested developers have created for the iPhone and for the iPod Touch.

With the big experience from iTunes Store, Apple has prepared a very interesting business model: the final price to the users is decided directly from the developers, and those are also able to offer their own products for free. Apple takes a percentage from the final price, while the rest is given directly to the developer.

The array of programs present on App Store is very large now, considering the relatively short period of time the phone has been available. The applications are downloadable both from iTunes or directly from the phone: if up to 10MB, it can be downloaded through the phone network; Above 10MB, only through the Wi-Fi connection.

Another big introduction from Apple with the iPhone 2.0 firmware, and with the 3G version of their own cellphone is the possibility given to third-party software companies to develop their own applications for Apple’s mobile platform.

The previous iPhone firmware version, in fact, did not allow the installation of any application unless the user followed unofficial methods that were however not authorized or recognized by Apple. The impossibility of using third-party software on the iPhone was something highly criticized by the public and the market, and Apple justified itself by affirming that they wanted to keep their own cellphone protected from eventual security problems that sometimes happen in more advanced phones.

Apple’s refusal in freely opening their own devices to third parties is well known, hence why the choice of supporting third-party applications was done in a very Apple-like style with the launch of the App Store.

It’s through iTunes that users will be able to synchronize and transfer data from the PC or Mac to the iPhone: there will be the possibility of choosing, on different control panels, the contents to be transfered and iTunes with automatically synchronize them. In case of a Macintosh system, iTunes will use the iPhoto sources for images, the iCal calendars, the phonebook data and the web bookmarks from Safari as default. Using Windows, instead, the user will have to choose the directory and the programs that will provide the contents for the iPhone.

Differently from the iPod shuffle, nano and classic, the iPhone 3G cannot be used as a flash storage device. With the tools currently available from Apple officially, it is not possible to access the filesystem or transfer content directly from the phone to the PC.

The audio quality that is played from the Base is basically the same as connecting the speakers directly to the computer. Even when playing directly from the CD, the preamplification power is the same as a standard audio card, and it’s capable of dissipating the heat in an efficient way, even after hours of use.

Conclusion

Unfortunately Apple didn’t extend this feature to all the system, in order to make it possible for users to play the DVD audio from a movie on the speakers connected to the base, or the audio from a game. A problem with the audio feature is that if iTunes is closed while the external speakers are still selected, once the AirPort Express is deactivated, the Mac won’t play any sound even from QuickTime. In that case, it’s necessary to reopen iTunes and reset the local speakers.

AirTunes, the new feature that allows players to play iTunes songs on amplified speakers connected to the base is perhaps the part that deserves more time and attention. Once the respective flag appears on iTunes’ preferences, Rendezvous automatically shows an option on its main program window (of course, during the configuration, the user must have chosen to enable this feature).

Once the external speakers are selected, they start playing, after a reasonable wait. The latency when responding to the controls isn’t too bothersome either. Once the user chooses to automatically scroll through the playlist, iTunes cuts down the waiting time by loading the start of the next song in the buffer, in order to avoid long silence moments between songs. This function can be also used by computers that share the network through a cable connection in case AirPort Express is configured for a mixed network.