Applescript to Add Specified Track(s) to Specified Playlist(s)

This is an Applescript I whipped up over the past day or so to facilitate adding the currently playing or currently selected track(s) to one or more playlists. It includes facility to create a new playlist to add the track(s) to. More information is in the included README file.

Download it here, and leave any feedback in the comments on this post.

Popularity: 8% [?]

First reports of iPhone VoIP application surface

First reports of iPhone VoIP application surface:

[I]t does look like a true, calls-over-WiFi VoIP client for the iPhone could be just around the corner.

In my opinion, this is precisely why Apple is so aggressively guarding the iPod Touch from hackers.

The quality of VoIP and the ubiquity of WiFi in many areas makes this a clear choice. It’s not just about the price difference between the iPhone and iPod Touch (which is likely only a minor consideration if you’re considering one or the other). I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t jettison an AT&T relationship (and its associated bill, of course) for a free or dirt cheap VoIP option.

This may relate to VoIP explicitly, but I see it more as a general rule of protecting their interests. In the wake of yesterday’s flurry of applause for Amazon’s new MP3 sales service, I can precisely see where Apple wouldn’t want a native version of Amazon’s Downloader for iPhone or iPod Touch as that would put at risk their most long-awaited feature for any iPod as well as the cash cow that is the home base iTunes Store.

In this respect, I see a certain degree of paranoia coming out of Apple. Maybe it’s a result of dealing with music and movie publishers. (I would also add mobile phone companies to that list.) Whatever the reason is, it’s unbecoming of Apple.

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Popularity: 59% [?]

Party Shuffle Obliges Preference

I love when I make a serendipitous discovery, particularly in software. I haven’t seen this documented anywhere, but somewhere along the way, Apple pushed out feature addition to iTunes’ Party Shuffle feature.

I think we all know that in iTunes > Preferences > Playback you can specify how you’d like to shuffle. iTunes lets you specify to shuffle by Song, Album, or Grouping. I noticed today that Party Shuffle was selecting items by album. When I changed my Playback preferences to by Song, Party Shuffle obliged and reselected by song. Here are some screenshots.

Popularity: 33% [?]

iTunes Ringtone Editing

With the latest updates to iTunes, Apple has brought ringtone creation to the table in Apple’s typical fashion: stupid easy.

There is a new sort column for purchased tracks that can be converted to ringtone. Of course, this won’t show for songs not purchased from iTS, so if you have much non-iTS music in your library, sort on this new column in your Purchased playlist to get an accurate picture.

There are of course other solutions for making ringtones, but unless you bought it from the iTS and it’s ringtone capable, no editing in iTunes. ¹

When you click on the bell icon next to a song that is ringtone enabled, you will be presented with a panel below the song listing, i.e. where the Mini Store shows up if you haven’t disbaled it, similar to this:

There is a lot of powerful stuff going on here. The top pane is the audio of your track. The blue selection is what would become your ringtone. Also in the selection are simple checkboxes for fading the ringtone in and out. The pane below the audio contains the track information to the left, a control for the time delay when looping (In my brief tests, 0.5 second gap is great.), a preview button, and then a button to cancel or buy the ringtone. Everything you need.

Editing your ringtone is as easy as dragging the blue pane around. Seriously, that’s it. Move the starting point by clicking anywhere inside the blue selection area and dragging to your desired position. Change the length of the ringtone by clicking and dragging the edge of the blue pane or using the resize handle on the bottom right of the selection area. Preview and adjust as necessary. Once you are satisfied with the result, click Buy to purchase the modified audio as a ringtone.

Here’s the rub: You are purchasing your modified audio and not a “ringtone right” to the song. If you create another ringtone from another section of the same song, you’re going to have to pony up another buck (You see what I did there?) for the new ringtone. So, Apple (and the record companies) are potentially receiving $.99 for the same song many times over. Not a bad racket if you can keep it to yourself. But as for me and my house, we will make our own.

Popularity: 28% [?]