TunA and Socializing via MP3 Player

An anonymous reader writes "Wired is carrying a story about a new program in development called TunA. It will allow you to view other users playlists on their MP3 Player and also stream the music to your Player. Works through WiFi so it limits to mostly laptops for now. "

Comments

proximity sharing

[tobes]

I think it's a great idea to be able to see what other people in your proximity are listening too. It really does bring a super-social aspect (as in you wouldn't be able to do it without technology) into the music experience. I definitely think that there is room for a non-proximity based playlist sharing mechanisim though. Of course, I'm extremely biased because that's exactly what my site does, but it seems to me that if you wanted to find out about new music that you would need a much larger sample set than "the people in my general vicinity".

That being said, being able to sample the music in another persons collection is totally sweet. It's nice that they don't have to deal with the RIAA since the program would presumably work withougt a central server.

Re:proximity sharing

[1ns4n3c4rb0nb4s3dl1f]

I think it's a great idea to be able to see what other people in your proximity are listening too

Until you chance upon me while I'm listening to KMFDM and you realize that there are some things you never wanted to hear. Then you spend the next hour trying to forget the experience.

Re:proximity sharing

[notque]

Until you chance upon me while I'm listening to KMFDM and you realize that there are some things you never wanted to hear. Then you spend the next hour trying to forget the experience.

Who wouldn't want to hear KMFDM, and furthermore why would they be frightening at all?

Re:proximity sharing

[1ns4n3c4rb0nb4s3dl1f]

Who wouldn't want to hear KMFDM, and furthermore why would they be frightening at all?

Well, you and I would survive, but when we hit a britney spears fan, it would be like a matter/anti-matter collision - the KMFDM would throw them out of balance, and the britney spears... ooh, the pain. I can't even think about it, it's so horrific.

Re:proximity sharing

[cens0r]

I haven't listened to them since i was young and full of teen angst. I just found out though that sascha lives here in seattle, on queen anne hill. I bet his neighbors get a kick out of him.

Re:proximity sharing

[Anonymous Coward]

Huh? KMFDM isn't bad at all.

Re:proximity sharing

[Anonymous Coward]

But KMFDM and Britney Spears have something in common.

They both suck ass.

Re:proximity sharing

[Anonymous Coward]

WTF, *I* live on Queen Anne Hill. Where does Sascha live?

Re:proximity sharing

[Anonymous Coward]

I think it's a great idea to be able to see what other people in your proximity are listening too.

In my day, we called it a boom box. Some even called it a ghetto blaster. It seems like the 80's will back soon!

Re:proximity sharing

[serial frame]

KMFDM's the ultimate sound, and a message from Satan if you turn it around--That's the best explanation I can come up with for what you say.

Re:proximity sharing

[glenstar]

Until you chance upon me while I'm listening to KMFDM and you realize that there are some things you never wanted to hear. Then you spend the next hour trying to forget the experience.

Especially if you're listening to Adios. Ah... the putrid stench of losing half your band.

Re:proximity sharing

[Anonymous Coward]

That's a great idea. They should do that with software as well. For example, say I can identify a particular group of consumers then I can sample their software. In this case, I am a guitar player so if there is a group of people listening to a kind of music then I would want to possibly try out a guitar effects processor software package, etc.

Re:proximity sharing

[cens0r]

They didn't publish his address, they just said he owns a house on queene anne... it was in the seattle weekly about a month ago.

Yes, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Does it play ogg?

Re:Yes, but...

[wed128]

how was this modded funny? i, for one, will not buy a digital music player unless it plays ogg, as my entire collection is encoded that way...

I have heard of this.

[rf600r]

My people call it "iTunes."

Re:I have heard of this.

[Phroggy]

That was my first thought too, but this is a different concept than the music sharing feature of iTunes 4: with iTunes, you get access to my entire music library and can pick and choose what you'd like to listen to; with TunA, it's as if I unplugged my headphones to let you listen with me.

Re:I have heard of this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I'd be pissed, too, if I found out that what I thought could only be done on my insanely overpriced oversized hunk-of-junk can be accomplished on any tiny little MP3 player costing less than a hundred bucks (and dropping).

Of course, like a good Macinista, you're response will be to bend over, grab your ankles, and whimper "Thank you, Steve, may I have another?"

Re:I have heard of this.

[Sandor at the Zoo]

with iTunes, you get access to my entire music library

Only if you configure it that way -- I have my iTunes configured to only share a couple of playlists, including my Recently Played list, so friends can see what I've been listening to.

If I were posting flamebait, I'd say something about Apple leading the pack again, but I won't. :-)

How is a program like a fish?

[da3dAlus]

You can TunA program but you can't...oh nevermind....

I read the article

[notque]

My people call it "iTunes."

That's sooooo two weeks ago.

Re:I read the article

[ryanw]

My people call it "iTunes."

No doubt, why don't they just integrate rendezvous into Winamp or make a plugin?

Re:I read the article

[atheken]

if you're interested in developing "rendezvous" stuff, it's actually "ZeroConf" re-branded, check out "Howl" for Windows... OR just install iTunes for windows.

::cough::

[mrpuffypants]

ahem....

----> Rendezvous

and

----> iTunes Music Sharing

Re:::cough::

[razberry636]

Indeed.

Since iTunes started adding the ability to "share" music, I've come in contact with a few more Mac people on campus. Most people here at $my_school show their email address instead of listing their music under "Jason's Music" (the default). This gives us the ability to contact one another to say "Hey, nice music!" or something like that.

Right now I'm listening to Bryan Ferry who I haven't heard in a long time from a student from France.

One other observation that I'll throw out is that since Apple released iTunes for Windows, there hasn't been an increase in the number of people sharing music, but there's about 3 times as many people listening to my music.

Okay, in the time it took me to write this (and preview), the Bryan Ferry song ended and now I'm listening to something in french that I don't understand, but it's still interesting.

Re:::cough::

[kommakazi]

So what you're saying is that Windows users are moochers?

Interesting Concept

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm currently working on my thesis for my masters in psychology and this is a very innovative technology.

In interviews that I conducted with several hundred subjects, I've found that the alarming trend that the introduction of new technology causes us to be more separate socially. We've seen it with office staff sending e-mail to individuals just a few cubicles away.

Another expirement I'm currently conducting is to provide negative feedback to individuals who choose to use their cell phone to communicate with their friends instead of dropping by at their apartment. A good example of positive behavior would be the group in "Friends", while a negative example would the person from the Verizon commercial.

Re:Interesting Concept

[Phroggy]

In interviews that I conducted with several hundred subjects, I've found that the alarming trend that the introduction of new technology causes us to be more separate socially. We've seen it with office staff sending e-mail to individuals just a few cubicles away.

I've found that technology can cause us to be more separate physically, while allowing us to come together socially. I might chat online with a coworker a few cubicles away, but if I couldn't do that, I wouldn't be able to chat with them at all, because we're both busy working.

Interesting way to screw the RIAA

[TWX]

If an actual file synchronizing/sharing utility were to grow out of this, it would really mess with the RIAA's attempts to punish filesharers. All that would have to happen for a physical level for added security would be MAC address and SSID spoofer, so that the real hardware addresses aren't recorded. Even if the RIAA were to attempt to set up monitoring machines in busy areas, it wouldn't be very effective if the information was spoofed.

Disclaimer: I don't think that artists should be ripped off. This is why I'm against the RIAA.

Re:Interesting way to screw the RIAA

[i_r_sensitive]

I'm not so sure about that. As someone points out, the distribution is superficially similar to radio. Radio stations have to pay royalties for the music they play.

Actually, RIAA might even like this methodology. After all, they could lump the projected royalties due into the original cost of all music.

Now for the bit that get's me modded down for going offtopic...

Why the hell didn't RIAA just get in the game themselves? Too late now (one would assume) but after Napster, wouldn't it have been easier to beat iTunes Et. Al. to the punch? Hell I mean they could have knocked the bottom out of the entire issue with a few developers and a coherent plan...

Hell, they could have turned their worst enemies into their greatest asset. That being the large scale file sharers. Hell, these guys do a better job of distribution than the record stores. Gods! developers are cheaper than lawyers, and do better work! The biggest trick would be co-opting the filesharers, and IMHO, these folks aren't truly interested in the real issue, their interested in getting something for nothing. Greedy people, which encompasses both RIAA and the filesharers are the easiest to manipulate. I would suggest this is tied into a lack of imagination, since neither side in this little fracas has really displayed any capability of devising the ground shaking innovation.

Admitedly, this would do nothing for the artists, who, by the way, are the biggest victims of RIAA, not the consumers, but nothing that is being done now helps us either. Six of one, a half dozen of the other.

Re:Interesting way to screw the RIAA

[sylkwyrm]

Wait! Are you suggesting the RIAA actually get off their arses and DO something besides sicking their lawyers on ppl? Your a business genius! Wonder why they never thought of that. *shrug*

Re:Interesting way to screw the RIAA

[TWX]

I definitely agree with your assessment of the RIAA's dropping the ball.

If they had been smart, they would have flooded the filesharing networks with lower quality versions of the songs. This way, if people want the real thing, they'd have had to go buy it. Even as lossy as 128bit Fraunhauffer is, it's still more than adequate for most peoples' computer speakers. If they'd put 48bit mp3s out there, in such mass to make it difficult to find decent quality mp3s, then they'd have given people much more reason to use mp3s like shareware. People could still listen to a tune to see if they like it, and if so, buy it on CD. For that to work, the mp3s need to sound worse than radio quality though, and CDs need to be cheaper, which is an argument for another time anyway.

Re:Interesting way to screw the RIAA

[i_r_sensitive]

Oh no, I was thinking far closer to the ground than that...

Allthough, that would be a logical step to take along with what I was thinking.

But, to my way of thinking, why didn't they just put their own File Sharing software out there? Given, too late now, they have completely queered the pitch. But if you think about it, there was a point in time after Napster and before Kazaa where the time was ripe. If they could have got a product out there...

There are a lot of variables in the equation, but like I said before, you co-opt the biggest filesharers and go from there. Really, give the biggest filesharers a reason to play ball, appeal to their greed. If the worst filesharers could profit by hauling the line and toting the barge, you knock out the bottom of the market. Or at least reduce the occurence rate to acceptable amounts.

Pretty much idle speculation now though...

I can see it now....

[nizo]

Clicking on others' avatars lets you see whatever personal information or messages they want to share with the world.

I can hear the screams now, as I walk around with my own goatse.cx avatar on my player for all to see.

Re:I can see it now....

[tedDancin]

There's also instant-message capability, the possibility to change skins and a virtual stalking feature.

The only thing worse than a goatse.cx avatar is a goatse.cx stalker..

Re:I can see it now....

[Anonymous Coward]

>>as I walk around with my own goatse.cx avatar on my player

Sorry, dude, but the RIAA can claim prior art on world's biggest A-holes, so presumably they get first dibs on the matching avatar.

just to get it out of the way

[Blublu]

Mmmmmmmm, tuna...

like radio?

[r84x]

"I'm not sure that a device that would allow streaming but wouldn't allow you to copy would be very popular," he said.

So, I guess what he is saying is that radio is dying? People have listened to radio broadcasts of music for decades, and continue to, without being able to keep the music. What is different now?

Re:like radio?

[r84x]

I know it is not good practice to reply to my own post, but after it got modded offtopic, I felt I needed to clarify. The "technology pundit" quoted in the article says that "I'm not sure that a device that would allow streaming but wouldn't allow you to copy would be very popular." The technology of radio is still flourishing now, and is a more social medium than, say, an iPod, and tunA seems to be along the same lines.

Re:like radio?

[Prep]

"I'm not sure that a device that would allow streaming but wouldn't allow you to copy would be very popular," he said.

I think you're right. He missed the point entirely. The problem is that he can't even think about the possibillity of radio being improved, enhanced, or otherwise changed. The RIAA and all of it's members are stuck with the mindset that the world will continue to accept their outdated model for music distribution. Their playing catchup (to be honest their not even playing catchup... they're just not playing) to new music distribution methods like epitonic.com, napster.com, and others, and their doing everything in their power to stop or otherwise hinder more revolutionary distribution methods. It all comes down to the simple fact that the RIAA was created as a method to protect the artist's rights and distribute music. Right now, it's not doing either particularly well. Out with the old, in with the new. And I'm not just speaking of an easily breakable DRM scheme... a totally new concept of how to profit from music is needed. Free mp3's and expensive concerts? Free mp3's and bonus material for cd buyers? Whatever method the future holds, everyone already knows that the RIAA won't be in the picture.

Re:like radio?

[Anonymous Coward]

Funny, I've been able to copy anything on radio for decades....

You might not be smart enough to record off the radio but the other 98% of the population is.

Re:like radio?

[jtosburn]

r84x: So, I guess what he is saying is that radio is dying? People have listened to radio broadcasts of music for decades, and continue to, without being able to keep the music. What is different now?

What's stopping me from keeping the music? (Besides the lame-excuse-for-music that is broadcast these days.) Reel-to-reel tape, then cassettes, have allowed that possibility for years. That was the original reason for voice over introductions, and fade-out overlaps, etc., wasn't it? To taint the recordings that the masses were making. Once upon a time a few rogue stations broadcast entire albums, only to have the RIAA clench their iron fist.

So there goes your point...

Re:like radio?

[kommakazi]

You can copy radio easily with a tape recorder.

This is all good and well until...

[musingmelpomene]

The RIAA could pretty easily start checking people's mp3 playlists. once they decide it's "too many" mp3's, watch them get a subpoena on your ass.

It's really not that much of a stretch. At least they'd know the people they were catching actually owned a computer/mp3 files.

Music networking

[joekra]

A more primitive take on this is DailyTunes.com

where you can make song recommendations to others for itunes songs. A very cool concept.

Great

[Anonymous Coward]

Now I don't have to strain myself trying to identify that tinny screeching sound coming from across the train.

You know the one - too loud to ignore, but just not loud enough to work out what the damn song is.

Great ... just great

[bryanzera]

I get sick of hearing the buzzing of the trunk of the car with the huge fucking subwoofers that toddles down my street at the most bizzare hours of the day and night. I'm SICK of listening to other people's music. I think I'm going to stick with my walkman.

Re:Great ... just great

[Anonymous Coward]

Solution? 30-06. Or two.

KMFDM Sucks

[Anonymous Coward]

No doubt about it, KMFDM Sucks.

Re:KMFDM Sucks

[Wehesheit]

everything else is completely inane

Re:KMFDM Sucks

[Anonymous Coward]

Give it up Picard

Finally..

[msimm]

P2P has socialized downloads like never before. Information need to be as fluid as conversation, technology has a (gasp, healthy!) social element that has been ignored for way too long.

and

[SweetAndSourJesus]

Howl and daapd for those that would like to serve from a Linux/BSD box.

What if you could do this with videos peole watch?

[leprasmurf]

1. Debbie Does Dallas
2. Pamela and Tommy
3. Paris Hilton
4. Barney Sing-a-long
5. Seduction of Stacey

Cupertino Strangler?

[burgburgburg]

Since when has Jobs had this particular nom-de-guerre?

Re:Cupertino Strangler?

[Anonymous Coward]

A guy called Andrew Orlowski said it. He said it the other day here. And google says no-one else said it ever. A private joke, perhaps.

Mods on codeine

[Anonymous Coward]

I was refering to the aspect that we have to resort to a small music device to interact socially with strangers. Why would that be off-topic?

The difference....

[Anonymous Coward]

The difference is that iTunes lets you pick what music you want to listen to from the other guy's collection, while tunA lets you listen to what the other guy is listening to *right now*. You get a copy of his stream, instead of your very own stream.

At least that's my understanding.

Re:The difference....

[kommakazi]

Isn't that what instant messaging was invented for?

I can hear it now...

[mamer-retrogamer]

RIAA to Smithers: "Release the hounds!"

-Mike

Streaming wifi via Shoutcast

[mycroftxxxx]

Along a similar idea, my Tungsten C can stream mp3 stations from Shoutcast with Pocket Tunes
Not hifi wifi but it's wild to see in action the first time...

iTunes is now TunA?

[conan_albrecht]

I didn't realize iTunes had changed its name! :)

As a professor in a WiFi-enabled building, I've enjoyed sharing playlists with other iTunes users in the building for weeks now. Other than further loading the already-loaded 802.11b network, it's been a lot of fun.

Again, why is this news???

Wifi Napster

[msgmonkey]

If they could reduce the range/power requirements of Wifi how about MP3 players where you can share your files?

How about Wifi enabled billboards that transmit a sample of the song? Or entering a clubs or other places for that matter.

Yeah I know you're going to shout bluetooth, but it would be too slow at the time being.

Tuna?

[cens0r]

I don't get it... is it fish or is it chicken?

Haha.

[sekzscripting]

Dumb. It's called ITUNES.

Hrrmm..

[msimm]

Kind of sucks that you can be modded down (or up) by someone, but they can't comment on your thread to tell you why.

caution

[Lord_Dweomer]

A word of caution to fellow Slashdotters who may be more tech-savvy than female-savvy.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT ask a woman with an mp3 player if she has TunA. Odds are you will be smacked, probably with the mp3 player too if its that time of the month.

Re:caution

[Anonymous Coward]

Asking a chick if she has Tuna isn't a bad idea actually. The chicks who would take offense aren't you're type anyway.

The chick who answers, "No, but I have a clean pussy - Stinky Tuna is for chicks who don't douche", is the chick you want to marry.

Re:caution

[Anonymous Coward]

You guys probably don't know this, but douching is a very unhealthy practice (sold by men) and is fact often the _cause_ behind the "fish smell"

Re:What if you could do this with videos peole wat

[natefanaro]

I call dibbs on Barney Sing-a-long!

NOPE

[Anonymous Coward]

This is offtopic 100%. Reason too GAY!!!

Uh, no..

[Lysol]

Not the same at all. Specifically for the fact that it's meant as a 'social Walkman' and, as we all know, Walkman's are portable. iTunes is not and, no, a 12" Powerbook is not the portable I'm talking about. The iPod is portable, but lacks Wi-Fi and the varying operating system features TunA requires. This is meant strictly for palm computers, of which, a version of iTunes does not (will never?) exist.

I just submitted this story a few hours ago. Rejected once again..

Re:Uh, no..

[KReilly]

Sounds to me like something they can pop into the next upgrade of iPod. Only issue to look into is power consumption with streaming it constantly. In all honesty I understand that the portability is supposed to be useful, but there are usually not alot of places that I frequent that people have equipment good enough to stream this stuff.
Maybe in a few years when enough people are carying handhelds with wi-fi tunA will be a useful program. And by that time, I trust the iPod will have wi-fi.
But the point is that until the future, this is not a useful feature, and iTunes is. iTunes is having the same functionality that works on technology that everyone has.
Thats why iTunes is in the headlines and I bet that nobody will hear about tunA for a long time.

Re:Uh, no..

[DJ FirBee]

//I just submitted this story a few hours ago. Rejected once again.. [ Reply to This ] Loser.

Just what I would want.

[blanks]

To give access to anyone around me to view my music. Sure you can disable it, or only allow specific people to view them, but then you can all ready to do in many ways.

Now you tell me...

[i_r_sensitive]

Where the hell were you the first time I read the comments...

Addendum: If you must experiment with this yourself, DO NOT select the payroll/AP cleark!

For the look of:

[i_r_sensitive]

shock, horror, disbelief, amazement, nausea, on their fac... ...oh you meant your music...

To be marketed in Canada...

[quacking duck]

... as Tun-Eh?

iTunes...

[Phroggy]

This is a different concept than the music sharing feature of iTunes 4: with iTunes, you get access to my entire music library and can pick and choose what you'd like to listen to; with TunA, it's as if I unplugged my headphones to let you listen with me.

I don't see why it should be limited to a wireless connection; surely it uses a higher-level protocol such as IP or NetBEUI or IPX or something that works just as well on Ethernet?

One question I do have: will the playback be synchronized? Normally when you stream audio, it's buffered, so there's a delay. If two people are listening to the same thing, but it's out of sync by half a second, it'll drive both of them crazy...

Re:iTunes...

[BinaryJono]

i highly doubt the playback will be synchronized. even when using RTP (Realtime Transport Protocol) and a low-latency network, perfect synchronization is not easy...especially with a wireless network with less throughput/lower signal strength/more users.

as most users would most likely be listening with headphones on their mobile devices (unless u pack up your speakers and generator wherever you go), you would hear a much more consistant, however not synchronized, audio stream using tcp.

Re:iTunes...

[serial frame]

I've toyed with the idea of broadcasting streaming data over 802.x networks, with success, even--I devised and halfway implemented a low-level one-way transport protocol which sits right below the link layer. I've tested this both on 802.11b and on a nonswitched ethernet.

However, ven under similar operating environments, I can never get the audio to sync properly. Buffers seem to always fill at different times :)

Anyhow, a connectionless, one-way protocol would probably work best for this sort of thing.

But you CAN tuna fish.

[Ungrounded Lightning]

You can TunA program but you can't...oh nevermind....

But you CAN tuna fish. In little bitty cans.

hell

[Anonymous Coward]

a version of iTunes does not (will never?) exist.

Not until hell freezes over ... again.

MC9 *Owns* iTunes

[meehawl]

enjoyed sharing playlists with other iTunes users in the building for weeks now

As a J River Media Center User, I've been enjoying sharing playlists, audio, and video streaming and transcoding for years now. Welcome to the party. Tell me when iTunes grows up a bit to the point where it can handle rich, varied media.

Re:MC9 *Owns* iTunes

[Carthag]

rich, varied media

Er... Real? WMA? If you mean mp3, ogg, aac, wav, aiff, mov(sorenson, etc), snd, or au, it already handles them quite fine...

Personally, I could live without real and wma, no offense to anyone. Admitted, it does not handle mod or sid, but I couldn't see that MC9 does either.

Rendezvous for dummies:

[mindstrm]

Rendezvous doesn't enable streaming, just service discovery. It's used so itunes instances can find each other, but that's all.

Rendezvous is basically an adaptation of DNS.. (but please, realize that doens't mean it replaces "the" DNS system we use.)

They took DNS, adapted it to work over multicast, and that's about it.. and use it as a heirarchial, distirubted method of publishing services, and other information. IF you want to know what's out there, you send a query not to a DNS server, but to a multicast address (a link-local address in this case, so it's confined to your local network by convention). All those listening mDNS servers (like every Mac in the room, or any linux machine runinng mDNS) will respond to the query via unicast (I think... haven't read it in that much detail yet.)

Works for hostnames too, if your resolver supports it. (macs again).

Of note is that it's a very open standard, and it's a cakewalk for linux or anyone else to support it as well.

Bad idea!

[fruity1983]

My MP3 player is where I listen to all the girly effeminate music I wouldn't let me people catch me alive listening to!

You can't take Tori Amos away from me!

You want OGG support? You shall have it!

[DigiShaman]

There is an "I-Pod" like MP3 player from a company called iRiver. It's the iHP-120. Personally, I own the iFP-390 but it lacks Ogg support....for now. If the hardware can handle it, there might be a firmware upgrade soon to support that file format. Check out the iHP-120 here

http://www.iriveramerica.com/products/iHP-120.as p

Re:You want OGG support? You shall have it!

[Anonymous Coward]

The Rio Karma also now plays Ogg (and FLAC too I think), so it's on my Christmas list.

Re:Gay

[Anonymous Coward]

Gay.

Totally gay.

Liberace gay.

WiFi != laptops only

[weiyuent]

Works through WiFi so it limits to mostly laptops for now.

Though laptops usually come with WiFi and desktops usually without, WiFi is certainly available as PCI expansion cards.

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Coming

[meehawl]

Video codecs my dear, video. Once I was blind but now I can see. It's a multimedia application. Ignoring the external codec API handler, how many formats does MC support OOTB? 80+ Here are some of them:

AAC AIFF AU AA APE AVI BMP BPL CDA DIVX GIF JPG MPL MID MPC MP3 M1V JMX OGG PNG MOV MP4 QT RAM RA RM SMIL RV SWF SHN WMA

Re:Mine Eyes Have Seen The Coming

[Carthag]

But iTunes is not a multimedia application, it's an audio player...

...and USB

[IroNick]

I use two USB WiFi nodes: one for my desktop, one for my laptop. I'm connected to the net via my neighbours wireless accesspoint. No point in laying cable as the DSL-connection is only 2Mbps anyway.

"works with laptops for now"?

[KeelSpawn]

Not just laptops here. Many handhelds have built-in 802.11b and even g in the market. One that comes to my mind would the Palm's Tungsten series. Sony's newer Clies also have 802.11b receivers. For handhelds that don't have them built-in, they can get SD/CF Wi-Fi card expansions.

yes, but what if it was piano music?

[WhiteDragon]

because you can tune a piano, but you can't TunA fish!

iRate

[nexus987]

Just wanted to plug iRate (irate.sourceforge.net). iRATE radio is a collaborative filtering client/server mp3 player/downloader. The iRATE server has a large database of music. You rate the tracks and it uses your ratings and other people's to guess what you'll like. The tracks are downloaded from websites which allow free and legal downloads of their music. Not really iTunes related, but it's still a young project (version 0.2), but I think it has a lot of promise...

Getting It

[meehawl]

iTunes is not a multimedia application, it's an audio player

Exactly my point. It's difficult to be a "digital hub" when you don't have a full-function client/server multimedia application.

Ignore this post...

[evilviper]

Don't mind me, just testing... something...