iTunes iPods Podcasting By: Priscilla Fox, Mitch Lupkes, Anthony Wynja

Apple's iTunes software is used to transfer music to the devices. As a jukebox application, iTunes stores a music library on the user's computer and can play, burn and rip music from a CD. It can also transfer photos, videos, games, and calendars to iPod models supporting those features. Apple focused its development on the iPod's unique user interface and its ease of use, rather than on technical capability.

Users can organize their music into playlists within one or more libraries, edit file information, record Compact Discs, copy files to a digital audio player, purchase music and videos through its built-in music store, download free podcasts, back up songs onto a CD or DVD, run a visualizer to display graphical effects in time to the music, and encode music into a number of different audio formats. There is also a large selection of free internet radio stations to listen to.

Playlists can be played randomly or sequentially. The "randomness" of the shuffle algorithm can be partial for or against playing multiple tracks from the same album or artists in sequence (a feature introduced in iTunes 5.0). Party Shuffle can also be partial towards selecting tracks with a higher star rating. With this partiality enabled, each star rating increases the preference for that particular song about 4% over that of a one-star- less rated song. Unrated songs are the least likely to be played. Inter-star ratings are stored by iTunes, but only affect this feature in the range of zero to one star.

A brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc. and launched on October 23, As of 2008, the current product line-up includes the hard drive-based iPod classic, the touch screen iPod touch, the video-capable iPod Nano and the screen less iPod shuffle. Former products include the compact iPod mini and the spin-off iPod photo (since re-integrated into the main iPod classic line).

iPod classic models store media on an internal hard drive, while all other models use flash memory to enable their smaller size (the discontinued mini used a Micro drive miniature hard drive). As with many other digital music players, iPods, excluding the iPod touch, can also serve as external data storage devices. Storage capacity varies by model.

As of September 2007, the iPod had sold over 110 million units worldwide making it the best-selling digital audio player series in history. As of 2007, 22 million American adults, or about 11 percent of the U.S. population, owns iPods or other MP3 players. 1 in 5 under the age of 30 own an iPod or MP3 player.

With 80GB or 160GB of storage, iPod classic gives your music and video room to move. It also has plenty of energy (up to 40 hours of audio playback), good looks (a sleek, all-metal design), and a great personality (a brand-new interface with Cover Flow). In other words, iPod classic makes an ideal companion. Prices of the iPod Classic start at $249.

8GB, 16GB, and 32GB models starting at $299 Listen to your favorite music. Watch movies, iTunes movie rentals, and videos. Catch up on TV shows. Flick through photos. With iPod touch, you can bring it all along for the ride.

Videos The 3.5-inch display gives you video like you’ve never seen on a portable device. Watch your favorite movie or rental from the iTunes Store. Catch up on TV shows anywhere. Enjoy video podcasts. Play music videos. All using Multi-Touch touchscreen technology. With a tap, bring up onscreen controls to play/pause and view by chapter. Turn your iPod touch to switch between widescreen and full screen. Safari iPod touch is the only iPod with wireless access to the web. Safari is built in, so you see websites the way they were designed to be seen. Search the web using the touchscreen keyboard. Zoom in and out by tapping the Multi-Touch touchscreen display. Switch between portrait and landscape view, depending on how you hold your iPod touch. Sync your bookmarks. Better yet, add them to your Home screen. iPod touch can automatically create a Web Clip on your Home screen from any of your favorite websites. So just one tap takes you directly there.

Play up to 5 hours of video or up to 24 hours of audio on a single charge. All that staying power and a wafer-thin, 6.5-mm profile makes iPod nano one small big attraction. Starting at $149

In a 1GB model and a new 2GB model, iPod shuffle lets you wear up to 500 songs on your sleeve. Or your lapel. Or your belt. Clip on iPod shuffle and wear it as a badge of musical devotion. New 2GB for $69 1GB for $49

An audible information file that can be automatically downloaded from the Internet and stored on a digital audio player. The creation, management and promotion of podcasts on the Internet.

1. Choose a topic 2. Create the script 3. Cast the voice 4. Record the podcast 5. Produce & Publish

Podcasting opens another media vehicle that organizations can add to their marketing, advertising and PR arsenal. Podcasting will change the experience of travelers and how they experience a cultural attraction.

Podcasting offers an ideal tool for the creative expression of knowledge preferred by today's students, and provides an exciting way for students and educators to explore and discover educational content. Podcasts are audio or video files that are automatically delivered over a network, then played back on any Mac, PC, or iPod. When students create a podcast for class, they not only learn the content in a creative way, they learn 21st-century communications skills at the same time.

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