Apple's Steve Jobs Returns, Bearing iPods - Page 2

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OS 3.1, iTunes 9, ringtones

The iPhone wasn't forgotten during today's iPod-centric announcements. During his talk, Jobs detailed statistics showing Apple's continuing prominence in the mobile device space, with the iPhone having passed the 30 million unit mark.

He also said there are now 75,000 iPhone and iPod Touch apps on the App Store, and downloads have passed 1.8 billion units.

The scene at the Yerba Buena Center today. Photo: Andy Patrizio

Something expected by many had been OS 3.1 for the iPhone and iPod Touch, which Jobs confirmed is available now for download from Apple. The list of new features is lengthy, but Jobs focused on just a few items.

Apple is taking its Genius technology, which recommended artists to users based on their music libraries, and applied it to App Store. Now the App Store will look at the kinds of iPhone and iPod Touch apps a user downloads and make recommendations for additional apps they might like.

Apple today also took the wraps off of iTunes 9, introducing a number of enhancements and new features.

For starters, the company struck a deal with all four major record labels to begin today offering ringtones from musicians. iTunes has previously offered the ability to take a song in the library and cut it down for use as a ringtone, but now you won't have to brew your own any more.

Apple is launching with 30,000 songs/tones, available for $1.29 each.

iTunes' software also has been given an overhaul, cleaning up the interface and giving artists their own page.

Apple expanded iTunes' syncing with the iPhone or iPod to now include adding all songs by a particular artist or genre. If you're a Mac user, you can also sync photos by events and faces.

In addition, iTunes will now manage the apps on the iPhone and iPod Touch: No more press-and-drag on your device with your finger -- you can do it all with click-and-drag on the computer using your mouse.

iTunes 9 also adds home sharing, so music can be streamed between up to five authorized computers.

Also making its debut today is iTunes LP, previously codenamed Cocktail, which adds content like video and liner notes to albums.

As a result, select albums now come in iTunes LP editions that include video, liner notes, artist chronology and more. Artists can get directly involved in creating the content and the labels have all the tools to make extras that go with the album, Apple said.

Jobs wound down the day's event by introducing a musical guest. Although the show had been themed "It's only rock and roll but I like it," and songs from classic rockers like Jimi Hendrix played during the pre-show, the event's musical guest was the sedate Nora Jones. The singer performed two songs, one of which is on an upcoming album.

Assessing the rumors

Much of what had been speculated for the day's announcements came to pass, while some predictions did not.

The biggest no-show proved to be the long-rumored Apple tablet PC, which some analysts had speculated might make an appearance at the event.

Another widely speculated change didn't quite happen: Many Apple blogs and insiders had been betting that the iPod Touch would get the video camera that the iPhone now sports, but that wasn't to be.