January 2024
Native Half-Star Ratings
This hint at Mac OS X Hints describes a simple terminal defaults command that allows iTunes to accept half-star ratings by drag or inter-star-clicking.
What I Use
A Correspondent emailed me recently: "I'm looking for a good controller for iTunes. What do you use?"
I use iTunes to control iTunes. It's like it was made for itself.
UPDATED: Add from eMusic Downloads Folder v1.1
Add from eMusic Downloads Folder v1.1 (like Add from Amazon MP3 Folder) will display the Album folders in your designated eMusic downloads folder so you can select which of them to add to iTunes. Optionally, if you allow iTunes to "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library", you can choose to move the original folder and files out of the eMusic download folder and to the Trash. Latest version runs as application to avoid a potential startup error.
UPDATED: Add from Amazon MP3 Folder v1.1
Add from Amazon MP3 Folder v1.1 will display the Album folders in your designated "Amazon MP3" downloads folder so you can select which of them to add to iTunes. Optionally, if you allow iTunes to "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library", you can choose to move the original folder and files out of the "Amazon MP3" download folder and to the Trash. Saves a few keystrokes. This newest version runs as an application since the compiled version would often generate an error at startup.
Although the Amazon MP3 Downloader application has a preference to add downloaded purchases to iTunes, I could never get it to work.
Version Tracker?
I offer several of my scripts and applications through Version Tracker, the veritable software listing/tracking site. But lately, good ol' VT has been a disappointment. Strangely, I haven't seen a lot written about this, however this blog post by Ohanaware, the makers of an app called Funtastic Photos, pretty much sums up my feelings. Essentially, VT was purchased by CNET not too long ago and ever since its seems as if it is experiencing a chronic illness. Most frustrating to me is that I am no longer able to post updates to my software listings (I get far more downloads from my own site than software sites anyway, so it's not really a big whoop). I also understand that users of Version Tracker Pro software are not seeing regular updates. Additionally, there seem to be fewer and fewer actual listings. If you compare VT's newest additions to those at MacUpdate there's an obvious deficit.
VT has blogged about ongoing maintenance but info has been sparse and, judging by the comments, unsatisfactory. It would be a shame if VT, once the most authoritative Mac software listing site, were to be annexed--and therefore virtually euthanized--by CNET.
NEW: Search Amazon UK MP3
Search Amazon UK MP3 uses terms from the selected iTunes track as the basis for a search of the Amazon UK's MP3 site.
Boxee Now Does Netflix
I mentioned Boxee the other day, which we are enormously pleased with at my house. The newest alpha release of Boxee now gets Netflix (so long Roku player!), the WB, and improved Hulu and YouTube. Yowza.
Go Figure
I normally don't comment on (or care much about) Apple business news and analysis, but how can these two stories, which both appeared today, be reconciled?
- "Apple's iPod Problem: With fewer iPod users upgrading, the days of explosive growth are over. And that leaves iPhones and Macs picking up the slack" - BusinessWeek
- "Apple iPod sales surprise analyst: Analyst reports shortages of Apple's iPod as sales remain strong amid tough economy" - Associated Press
Huh?
NEW: Reset Tracks Start-Stop
Reset Tracks Start-Stop will reset the Start and (optionally) the Stop Time of the selected tracks--or all the tracks of the selected playlist--to "0:00" and (optionally) their entire duration, respectively. (Erg, that could have been written better.)