Friday June 14, 2013
You might not know it, but the iTunes software comes with an effective way to keep your kids safe from viewing inappropriate content on the iTunes Store. Apple's popular jukebox software program comes with built-in parental controls, but it's not an obvious facility unless you have already spotted it in the preferences screen. By default, this feature is disabled but is certainly worth using if your kids use the iTunes Store -- even if just browsing or downloading free stuff like music, videos, and apps.
For more on keeping your kids safe while on the iTunes Store, read our guide on setting up parental controls in iTunes.
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Wednesday June 12, 2013
It's not very often we talk about Apple falling behind in the digital music world. The company is often viewed as cutting-edge and has always been king of the music download services. However, there's one aspect of the online music business that it has been slow to embrace -- streaming music.
Starting this fall, Apple have announced (at their WWDC recently) the launch of a free streaming music service called iTunes Radio. It will offer a personalized radio experience based on factors such as your likes and dislikes along with what you have previously purchased from the iTunes Store. iRadio as it is sometimes called can be likened to similar music services such as Spotify, Slacker Radio, and Pandora Radio that use advanced algorithms to create personalized radio stations and playlists. iTunes Radio will have over 200 professionally curated stations at its launch and will be available on PC, Mac, and Apple devices running iOS 7.
For more on what to expect from Apple's upcoming streaming music service, read our iTunes Radio FAQ article.
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Friday June 7, 2013
If you thought Napster had all but faded away since Rhapsody International acquired it from Best Buy, Inc. in 2011, then you'll be surprised to hear about the latest announcement. According to a press release via Rhapsody's blog, the Napster music service is now available in 14 additional countries across Europe. For a while now, the service has only been available in the United Kingdom and Germany. Napster has now launched in: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Subscribing to Napster currently costs 9.95€ a month to access its 20 million+ song library. Content can be streamed and downloaded without any limits to various audio systems, smartphone platforms, and tablets. Commenting on the latest move, Thorsten Schliesche who is the SVP and general manager of Napster Europe said, "Music streaming has taken off in Europe. People are open to convenient and legal ways to discover music. We look forward to accompanying our listeners on that journey, offering them a great experience and a deep catalog of music."
This latest move represents a large step forward in developing the iconic brand name and significantly extends Rhapsody's reach into Europe. However, can it compete with the likes of Spotify who already have a firm grip in the European streaming music market?
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Wednesday June 5, 2013
Is your dad a 'gadget man' or technophobe? This is a question worth asking yourself if you're considering a digital music gift for Father's Day this year. If you've got a dad who has already embraced the digital music world and has a song library, then buying him extra credit is always a no-brainer. That said, you can still purchase music credit even if your dad hasn't gone digital yet. Popular methods include: music gift cards, gift certificates, and allowances.
Or, is your dad the type who prefers to do it his own way? Maybe he wants to transfer his ancient vinyl record collection instead of using online music services? In this scenario, a USB turntable is the ideal solution -- and a lot more useful than another pair of socks.
On the other hand, if your dad is a complete technophobe who really doesn't want to get into all this digital music stuff, but wants to carry on listening to audio CDs, then there's still hope yet! A CD/DVD repair kit can come in pretty handy when one of his music CDs decides to skip, jump, or refuses to play at all.
For more information, checkout our Father's Day Digital Music Gift Guide.
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