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.

“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 However, as Seth asserts, is it all just a bit outdated now?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.

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.

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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.

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The inaugural show of Getting Social with Schwabe covers off some interesting points and includes great interviews with Chris Moore, Chief Information Officer for the City of Edmonton, and Chris Heuer, Founder of the Social Media Club in San Francisco.  There’s also My Big App with Evan Adnams who reviews a new indie game called “Funnergunner” by Fluik Entertainment, and the Internutt who provides his take on “fails.”

Our thanks to our sponsor Yardstick Software

Please provide us with show ideas and feedback by sending us an email: radio@fusedlogic.com

Thanks for listening.

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“Getting Social With Schwabe”, a radio program focused on social media debuts Saturday, August 7th, on The TEAM 1260 in Edmonton with host, Walter Schwabe, Chief Evolution Officer of fusedlogic

“We wanted to create a program about social media that everyone could relate to — a show that informs, educates and entertains”, says Walter Schwabe, the show’s host.  Guests on the debut show include Chris Moore, Chief Information Officer of the City of Edmonton, and Chris Heuer, founder of the Social Media Club out of San Francisco.  The show will also be archived and streamed from www.fusedlogic.com.

Yardstick Software, a leading provider of online training and testing systems in North America, stepped up to sponsor the first 6 shows, which will air through September. “ We liked the premise and thought that there was a nice fit for Yardstick in the program.  We’re very excited”, says Greg Kurelek, Yardstick’s VP of Sales and Marketing.

For inquiries, please contact Walter Schwabe at radio@fusedlogic.com 780-640-9339

I’m announcing that we have been asked by Envision Edmonton to provide social media help and since this is a service we provide, we’ve agreed to help.  I wish we would have had more time, however, we’re here to help our clients and we don’t shy away from tough projects, as in a heated debate like this one, that just means we’re going to have to work hard and quickly.  The bottom-line is our services are needed by an honest client and we’re going to provide the best service possible.

Consider us on the “Demand the Vote” side of things.  Even if you’re for closing the airport, you should still support letting democracy rule the day via a public vote.  Volunteer to help collect signatures, if you’re undecided take a look at the documentation and the facts.  If nothing else, read Kevin Libin’s column today in the National Post about recent developments.

I then put my customized link out on Twitter asking the question of those listening whether they though this idea worked.  The response was immediate.  The link was quickly ReTweeted by Jas Darrah (you should follow him by the way) and then I was engaged in a short but interesting discussion about the value of this project with Thom Kearney here are his tweets during our exchange.  You’ll need to scroll down to read up, sorry for the reverse flow of the content, I simply cut and pasted it…

1. fusedlogic

   @thomkearney Be sure to “Run To The Hills….” 24 minutes ago via TweetDeck in reply to thomkearney

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2. thomkearney

   @fusedlogic I look forward to learning more about influence and how to measure it. 26 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to fusedlogic

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3. thomkearney

   @fusedlogic lol Yes there is value there in this conversation. And my brain hurts. Have to rest up for IronMaiden tomorrow. Goodnite. 27 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to fusedlogic

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4. fusedlogic

   @thomkearney I think you make a fair point. This is a very simple exercise. 28 minutes ago via TweetDeck in reply to thomkearney

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5. thomkearney

   @fusedlogic Sure I guess there is value in the study. Just think the measure is superficial. Not sure how you would go further. 30 minutes ago via HootSuite

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6. fusedlogic

   @thomkearney See Thom, I look at this discussion with you as interesting, and it all started because I sent out that link…:) 31 minutes ago via TweetDeck in reply to thomkearney

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7. thomkearney

   @fusedlogic Influence is an interesting subject…how much influence will I keep if I send you to links that provide no value to you? 32 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to fusedlogic

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8. fusedlogic

   @thomkearney Well, that’s the study point. Does it? Influence is important, and does this shed light on it, is there value? 32 minutes ago via TweetDeck in reply to thomkearney

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9. thomkearney

   @fusedlogic IMO it just seems kind of shallow. Does clicking on that link really do anything for you or @kanter – is that real influence? 35 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to fusedlogic

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11. fusedlogic

    @jdarrah thanks for the RT Jas, the engine is growing in real time, kind of cool. 36 minutes ago via TweetDeck in reply to jdarrah

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12. fusedlogic

    @thomkearney I first saw the link from @kanter because I respect her work, that influenced me to click in the first place. 40 minutes ago via TweetDeck in reply to thomkearney

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13. thomkearney

    @fusedlogic at first glance it looks like bs to me. Influencing me to click a link that does not provide value is empty. Maybe I missed it. 43 minutes ago via HootSuite in reply to fusedlogic

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15. fusedlogic

    Does this work? What’s your opinion? I’ll be covering this on the radio show…http://fcinf.com/v/coyf about 1 hour ago via Fast Company Influence Project

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16. kanter

    Checking out @fastcompany influence project http://fcinf.com/v/dcnc about 1 hour ago via CoTweet

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I found that exchange with Thom valuable, he makes great points about the value of the entire process, one that I’ll find interesting to watch over the next few months.  FYI, if you click on my link (much appreciated) http://fcinf.com/v/coyf and sign-up FastCompany will include your picture in the November issue.

Also, I’ll be heading into the studio tomorrow and I’d like to include this as part of the show, so if you participate tonight I’ll be watching how this all unfolds and will hope to mention this activity…

The default reaction might be to think this is “facial recognition” software.  According to Annika Heinle of Facebook Corporate Communications, “this is not facial recognition software in the sense that it recognizes specific people. Instead it is a facial detection feature that finds faces in photos.”  There in lies the difference, a big one. The intent of the software is to make it easier to tag photos – which I think is a good thing.

This all stems from the recent corporate acquisition of Divvyshot, the creators of this software.  A smart investment since there are over 100 million photos uploaded a day according to Odio.

Still, one might ask since Facebook continues to struggle with a large segment of users who are revolting against their privacy policies, will this go any further?  Some might see this as yet another step in the wrong direction, albeit a small one in this case. Certainly Facebook’s track record with respect to privacy is abysmal, bad move after bad move so there it is reasonable to question the social networking giants’ intentions.

What do you think?  Conspiracy, smart acquisition, don’t care either way?  Leave your thoughts here and we’ll use them on the radio show…

UPDATE: Canadian lawyer launches class-action suit against Facebook as covered by CTV, and Canadian Press.

Do you think this lawsuit has a chance?  Would you participate?