Apple Getting Social?
If the rumors are to be believed then the answer to the question everybody is asking appears to be yes. Tomorrows Apple music event hints that there may be new hardware coming which we all expect with an update likely to the iPod lineup. However when the talk turns to iTunes things get interesting. One of the rumors that has to do with the integration of social media into the music giant iTunes.
This time last year we were seeing the same rumors flying, especially after the appearance of leaked screenshots on the Boygeniusreport website. The photos are included below for those looking for a recap of the last round of rumors. It is time once again to speculate on when Apple will fully embrace social media.
The reality is that iTunes has not had a real significant change in its functionality in years, it is a music store at heart and it is a very popular. A change to introduce social media integration could be a minor one or it could amount to a complete overhaul of the interface we all know and have accepted. As it sits the rumors are pointing to the integration of social elements as a way for users to share not only information on what they are listening to but also for them to share recommendations with others. That sadly doesn’t mean that we will be able to share our favorite songs with our friends, but it is still a step towards making music and iTunes a friendly place.
The positive side of the rumored updates, assuming they are true, will be a new way to share music with friends. What worries me is the possibility we may see millions of “ (name) is listening to (blank) on iTunes” posts on Twitter… Then again there are easy and simple ways around that issue. Other music providers such as Last.fm already offer social media updating without the annoyance of thousands of posts about your listening habits to your friends and family. The model is in use already and works without issues.
Rumors of increased social media integration have been flying for a long time, iTunes is the logical first step if they are really intent on following through. The technology is there and services such as Facebook and Twitter are already in use by hundreds of millions of people. My personal bet is that Apple will bring some form of integration, tomorrow, I don’t know, but certainly it is on their radar.
Come tomorrow we will see if its going to be true and if Apple is really going to make a move into social media with iTunes.
The End of Books?
Seth Godin has recently sparked an interesting discussion about the fate of the paper book. In a recent interview with Mediabistro he stated:
“I really don’t think the process is worth the effort that it now takes to make it work. I can reach 10 or 50 times as many people electronically.”
This got me thinking. Do we NEED paper books anymore. Certainly there is a nostalgia in walking into a room full of books, the smell of a library, or in the art that is publishing. However, as Seth asserts, is it all just a bit outdated now?
This story may seem like an old one; people have been predicting the end of traditional publishing for years now. What makes this different is that Seth Godin is more than just another blogger or pundit. He is a best selling author with more than 12 books to his name. He, if anyone is a person you would expect to be supporting the traditional print media industry. Instead he has come out and been soundly supporting a move towards a digital future for the publishing industry and for authors.
As Seth states:
“I like the people, but I can’t abide the long wait, the filters, the big push at launch, the nudging to get people to go to a store they don’t usually visit to buy something they don’t usually buy, to get them to pay for an idea in a form that’s hard to spread. “
And I certainly can see his point, books are not easy. They take a huge amount of time to publish, they are not something that one can do overnight or in a few hours. With the way the world is today, we need overnight. It is a side effect of the digital age, information can be updated and changed on a moments notice. Ideas and information a few hours old can already be out of date. This is exactly the reason that people like Seth are now signaling the demise of the traditional book.
New technology such as the Amazon Kindle and the Apple iPad among the other e-book readers, which have made great leaps in usability and content have only increased the pressure on traditional publishing. It is impossible for me to ignore the impact being made by these devices when I ask the same questions that Seth seems to be asking about the future of the paper book.
So the question to you is, are hardcopy books a thing of the past? Do you agree with Seth Godin that we are moving to a society without traditional publishers? Are you already a part of the digital publishing revolution?
To hear more from Seth Godin including a review of his book – Tribes, tune into Getting Social with Schwabe for his interview with Walter Schwabe this Saturday at 7:00 am on TEAM 1260, or if you prefer to listen now, as a Podcast here on our site or on iTunes.
Getting Social with Schwabe – Episode 4
Episode 4
Walter Schwabe talks “Tribes” with Seth Godin, the Internutt explains his version of the “who’s who in social media” and Evan Adnams showcases wordpress as his recommended blogging platform.
Getting Social with Schwabe – Episode 3
Retail is an incredibly competitive landscape, in this episode Walter Schwabe speaks with Jay Myers, Lead Web Development Engineer out of Best Buy headquarters in Richfield Minnesota about the Semantic technologies he and his team have embedded within BestBuy.com to improve your online shopping experience. Retailers of all sorts and sizes won’t want to miss this interesting show about how the retail industry is changing as a result of the social web.
Getting Social With Schwabe – Episode 2
Episode 2:
Exploring how associations use social media, Walter Schwabe speaks with Maddie Grant from Social Fish, a social media consulting firm specializing in working with associations. Also, interviewed is Lina Hoffbauer, Project Coordinator with Alberta Senior Citizens Housing Association.
