iTunes Announcement Coming Tomorrow! November 15, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Apple, Personally John, technology, ThrasherTechnoTrash.Tags: Apple, iTunes, John Thrasher, Steve Jobs
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This morning we all woke up to this announcement on Apple’s homepage. It seems awfully dramatic, even for Apple. Unless you’re giving me $1,000 in iTunes gift cards, I doubt that it’s a day I’ll never forget.
ANYWHO…
Being many people’s go-to Apple guy, everyone has been asking me what it means. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!?
From what I gather it could be one of two things (or both).
1 – It’s long been rumored that Apple is working on cloud-based iTunes. What does that mean? It means your music would stream to your iPod/iPad/iPod touch/any other web device from the internet. Rather than downloading your music to your 16GB iPhone, why not download to your 60GB iTunes cloud online? Not only will this save you space to download native apps but it will make managing and syncing your music a lot easier.
My thoughts? – While this is a cool idea, the end user experience could suffer as a result of a couple of things: people not always being connected to the internet when they want to listen to music (traveling), people expecting their music to be on their devices and then thinking it was deleted when really it’s in the cloud storage, streaming music will cause huge data bills for those who don’t have unlimited data (all new iPhone 4 users) and so on and so forth. Maybe Apple will find a way around some of these issues
2 – Subscription based iTunes has long been rumored as well. Apple recently acquired a company from the U.K. who was successfully implementing this very service. With this feature, you would pay X amount of dollars per month to stream all of iTunes catalog. Though that seems nice, I don’t see the subscription being anything under $25. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow!
Or it could be something completely off the wall. Seeing as we’re officially in the holiday season, these expensive subscriptions sound more likely. I’ll be excited to see what it is!
Apple Announces Music Event on September 1st August 25, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Apple, technology, ThrasherTechnoTrash.Tags: Apple, Apple TV, iTunes, San Francisco
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As expected, Apple has announced a music-related press event on September 1st in San Francisco. Only select members of the press are invited and it says nothing other than what I’ve already told you in the 2 sentences of this post. It also features the guitar with an Apple logo as the hole.
Apple is expected to update iPods, and Apple TV with strong rumors of a new cloud-based iTunes, and 99 cent television show rentals. Except for Apple TV most of this sounds boring to me, so hopefully they’ll surprise us with something fancy!
New Bess Rogers EP Coming September 21st August 11, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in Music.Tags: Bess Rogers, iTunes, John Thrasher, Music
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One of my favorite musicians in the world is about to release her latest EP “Bess Rogers Presents” next month and I really want you to know about it!
You can go to her Facebook event page and preorder the album and get tons of neato stuff with it. On August 18th a few winners who have RSVP’d the event on Facebook will win some cool album release packages! I hope I’m one of them!
If you haven’t heard Bess’ other EP “Travel Back” you need to stop everything you are doing and download it! It’s only $5.94 on iTunes! It’s full of timpani, beautiful vocals, and yellow birds in caves…what more could you ask for?
I’ll be seeing Bess on September 11th in Frederick, so let me know if you’ll be there! Also check out www.BessRogers.com for more information.
New Application in iLife ’11 Will Be FaceTime July 26, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Geek Talk, iPhone, Personally John, technology.Tags: Apple, FaceTime, iLife, iPhone, iTunes, technology
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Today the website Mac 4 Ever has claimed that iLife ’11 will be released August 7th (a Saturday…?). The website highlights the following tidbits:
- ILife ’11 would be sold $ 79
- The release date should be 08/07/2010
- All applications will be 64-bit
- Improvements in iPhoto faces & places
- Improving the integration of social networks
- iWeb will be totally renewed
- New application (mystery!)
- Disappearance of iDVD that will be downloaded (like iMovie HD)
- MobileMe gallery in beta (with faces & places)
To me, this is a no brainer. The new application is obviously going to be FaceTime.
The number 1 question I get from people who aren’t familiar with iPhone 4/iChat is “Can you FaceTime with a computer?” Well considering it’s WiFi only, you’d think so. But as of now you can not. But the logical next step would be to release a FaceTime application for Mac and PC.
I have a hunch that FaceTime might be Mac only or something first, since it would be released with iLife ’11 which is Mac only. But iTunes is a free download so I don’t see why FaceTime couldn’t be.
The only thing I wouldn’t get is how they would separate FaceTime with iChat. I mean essentially they are the same thing, and would make more sense to combine them. Either way the rumor mills are going to be kicked in to full drive here in the coming weeks, and I’m sure people will start to deduce FaceTime as being the logical new application.
Though there’s also a possibility that the mystery application won’t be FaceTime. What do you think it will be?
MTV TJ Challenge 3 – Introducing The Christmas Lights! July 12, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in Geek Talk, Movies/Film, MTV TJ, Music, Personally John, technology, Travel.Tags: Alternativ Press, bands, Christmas Lights Music, Cumberland, iTunes, John Thrasher, Maryland, MD, MTV, MTV TJ
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Introducing: The Christmas Lights!
Man these challenges just keep getting more fun! We’re already on to challenge 3 for the MTV TJ contest, and I am so excited about it.
MTV has asked the TJ candidates to break and expose a local band. Here’s what the challenge says exactly:
Social: Expose and break a local band of your choice using any media channels available to you. Examples include blogs, the web, newspapers, magazines, video, television, radio, and more. At the end of the challenge, ZYNC from American Express will spotlight your band and their music at Miami Fashion Week!
I can’t be more excited to announce that the band I am breaking to the MTV world is The Christmas Lights! These guys are from my hometown of Cumberland, Maryland and brimmmmming with talent! How are they not topping the charts yet!? But don’t take my word for it: they are featured on Alternative Press’ front page as Band of the Week right now!
Check out this great montage of their recent spring tour:
These guys already have 2 full-length albums out, and available on iTunes: Walk Like a Human (2008) and Ghost Twins (2009).
Their official website is ChristmasLightsMusic.com, but being attuned to social media, are more active and updated with their Music MySpace page: MySpace.com/TheChristmasLights.
They have a few official music videos out as well, such as this stop-animation feature which will really get you thinking:
I’m going to be filling you in on a lot more about The Christmas Lights over the next couple of days, so check them out and let me know what you think!
iTunes
Facebook.com/thechristmaslights
Twitter.com/thexmaslights
MySpace.com/TheChristmasLights
www.ChristmasLightsMusic.com
Get To Know Me: Using AudioBoo! July 10, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in App Talk, Geek Talk, iPhone, MTV TJ, Music, Personally John, technology.Tags: Android, Audioboo, iPad, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, John Thrasher, MTV, MTV TJ
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The internet never ceases to amaze me. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something else comes along that makes interacting in the social media world a whole lot more fun and exciting!
I’m excited to announce a really fantastic new way to keep in touch with who I am and what I have to say! Audioboo!
Audioboo is a podcasting host site where you can record and upload audio, listen to it from nearly any internet device, and even subscribe to the podcasts so they download straight in to your iTunes as each one is available!
You can even follow my podcasts on the FREE (that’s right FREE!) Audioboo iPhone/Android app! The app makes it so simple to both create and listen to really awesome podcasts! Let me know if you make one and I’ll post it here on my site!
You don’t HAVE to have iTunes to listen! You can listen straight from your computer!
I don’t want to write too much, because I really want you to check out my first ever Audioboo podcast post.
So click here, subscribe to my iTunes feed, and have fun having me on your iPods/iPhones/iPads/ and Android devices!!
Check Me Out on Episode #66 of Smart Mouths Podcast! June 30, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in Geek Talk, iPhone, Movies/Film, MTV TJ, Music, Personally John, Political, Sports, technology, Television.Tags: iTunes, Lady Gaga, Robert Byrd, Rolling Stone, Smart Mouths, World Cup
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I am really lucky to have great friends who do great things. My friends Andrew, Matt, Laura and Elysa (and now Penny and Greg!) were kind enough to let me guest host on Episode #66 of Smart Mouths podcast! We talked about a lot of different things including my opinion of Robert Byrd’s past, the World Cup officials constantly failing at life, and Lady Gaga’s machine gun boobs on the cover of Rolling Stone, among other things! Oh and I give some dating advice to a listener too!
Click here to stream Smart Mouths podcast from their website, or check them out on iTunes. They also have a really fantastic iPhone/iPad/iPod touch app!
Thanks to Andrew for setting everything up, and thanks to Elysa, Greg, and especially Penny for dealing with my horrible audio!
You Should Check Out Rabbit! February 5, 2010
Posted by johnthrasher in Geek Talk, Movies/Film, Music, Personally John, technology, Television.Tags: commercial, good music, Honda Insight, indie music, Ingrid Michaelson, iTunes, new music, Rabbit!
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So someone pointed me in the direction of the band Rabbit! (MySpace link) and I think you should know about them! Yes, the band name includes the exclamation point, so don’t fuck it up.
Rabbit! is an indie/pop band that just dropped their debut album “Connect the Dots” on January 19. From what I’ve listened to so far, they’re really fun and have a very unique sound that I don’t think is really matched at all right now, based on what I have heard. They were even listed in the “New and Noteworthy” section of iTunes.
They’ve also been featured in this Honda Insight commercial, which frankly, makes me want to get one. My grandfather once had a Honda Insight and before the computer went bad inside of it, got 100 miles per gallon in it. I doubt there’s a better indie/pop band that you could pump in your new Honda Insight that is better than Rabbit! right now!
Buy their new album “Connect the Dots” on iTunes by clicking right here, and check out the commercial below!
Christmas List 2009 Part 2 – Realistic Gifts November 29, 2009
Posted by johnthrasher in Geek Talk, iPhone, Movies/Film, Music, Personally John, technology, Television.Tags: Apple, Blu Ray, Christmas, iPhone, iTunes, Lady Gaga, lists, Nintendo Wii
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Here is a list of things that I am a little more optimistic about receiving on Christmas morning. I’m not a materialistic person, there are just some things I would love to have.
iTunes Gift Card – $25
This is probably the most useful thing anyone could ever get me because I spend the most money on iTunes music, and iPhone apps. This is one thing that would absolutely, 100% go to use!
Lady Gaga Tickets – $59-$400
If you’ve taken a glimpse of my website in the last 6 months, it should be pretty clear that I have a new fascination, obsession, and muse. Her name is Stefani Germanotta and she’s a free bitch. Gaga is playing Radio City Music Hall in NYC on MY BIRTHDAY (January 24). I honestly can’t think of a better birthday situation. Gaga + NYC + My best friends + Radio City Music Hall + my birthday = perfect birthday soup. I woke up to make sure I could get tickets to the show and they sold out (as well as her 3 other dates in NYC) in less than a minute. I was very upset, but I am willing to drop a small fortune to be able to say I saw Gaga’s Monster Ball tour at Radio City Music Hall on my birthday. I’m hoping to get tickets for January 23rd so that I can see her, go have fun on that Saturday night, and then drive back home on Sunday, which is actually my birthday. My friend Danny who has a birthday on January 29th is going to go with me, so feel free to make his birthday amazing as well.
Nintendo Wii - $199
My roommate has a Nintendo Wii, and when I saw that Super Mario Bros. Wii came out, I actually bought the game just so I could play it on his Wii. Since this won’t make any sense once I move out, I am hoping that I get one this year. I hinted around to my Dad that I wanted one, but not sure if he figured it out. This is the Nintendo Wii’s second appearance on my Christmas list.
Parking Tickets – ~$80
In my opinion, one of the greates gifts you can give someone is freedom of stress. My life is ruined day in and day out by Morgantown parking tickets. What better way to pull an Oprah, than by paying off my parking tickets! I think I’ve got somewhere around $80 worth now.
Blu Ray Player – ~$130
Though Blu Ray will be extinct in a few years, in my and others’ opinions, I realized I am starting to get back in to movies again. I’m not sure why, but it’s exciting to have another thing to collect and be excited about. After watching a few movies in Blu Ray, I’ve realized that there is no other option for me. Blu-Ray players are very cheap this holiday season, so I am hoping I’ll be opening one on Christmas morning.
Replaced iPhone Screen – $200
I have dropped the couple of iPhones that I have owned in my lifetime HUNDREDS of times. The one time it falls gently to the ground it somehow manages to crack the screen, as you can see above. Luckily, the phone and all of its functions still work. I have AppleCare protection for it, but of course the plan covers everything EXCEPT cracked screens and water damage. What other damage can you have, really? Regardless of if I have AppleCare or not, the fee to replace the screen is $200, which is actually much cheaper than buying a brand new phone anyway.
These are some items that would be great to open on Christmas morning. However, I am a firm believer that it is the thought that counts. I love personalized anything. If you drew a pretty picture on a napkin one day at a late night diner, wrapped it up, and gave it to me, I promise I would cherish it forever. I love my friends and I love when my friends give me their works of art, or letters, or just general love.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Michael Jackson Dominates iTunes (Billboard?) Charts June 27, 2009
Posted by johnthrasher in Geek Talk, iPhone, Movies/Film, Music, technology.Tags: Apple, Black Eyed Peas, iTunes, Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson, Music, Thriller
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After the sad death of Michael Jackson the other day, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen with his music on the charts. I had a feeling that it was going to re-enter, but didn’t think it would have the impact that it has.
As of this posting at 2am on Satuday, the King of Pop holds 7 of the Top 10 singles on iTunes – No.10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, as well as the No.1 song with “Man In the Mirror.” Additionally, he is holding all Top 10 music video spots on iTunes at the moment.
Also interesting is that he holds the top 9 albums in the Top 10 as well! Depending on Black Eyed Peas sales of their newest album “The E.N.D.” this week, there is a chance that Michael Jackson will hold the top 10 albums on Billboard next week, something that has never happened in the history of music.
