Today I have another trick for you that displays cool graphics on the iTunes Visualizer when playing songs in iTunes! This trick only takes one easy step. Open iTunes and start playing your favorite song. Then click command + T (and if you want it full screen just click command + F). The graphics will change with the beat of the song. To access the iTunes Visualizer from the toolbar, go to view then down to show visualizer. You can also customize the Visualizer by choosing different kinds of Visualizers like the Itunes Classic or Jelly. To do this you go back up to view in your toolbar and scroll down to Visualizer not View Visualizer. After that select the kind of Visualizer you would like to view.

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Department of Justice

San Jose, CA — According to many prominent news outlets, including the New York Times and CNET news, Apple is going under the microscope of the US Department of Justice regarding the pricing and promotion of digital music on Apple’s iTunes Stores.

Reports have indicated that DoJ investigators are looking into allegations that Apple used its superior market clout to pressure record labels into refusing Amazon.com exclusive access to pre-released music.

Sources told CNet that Apple threatened to pull promotion of any albums that were a part of Amazon’s “Daily Deal,” and at one point complained to Sony Music about an Amazon deal involving new music from Alicia Keys. CNet’s sources added that the the investigators are more interested in Apple’s overall place of dominance in the digital marketplace than just their issues with Amazon. CNET has more here.

According to an interview conducted by the New York Times, Daniel L. Brown, an antitrust lawyer at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton was quoted as saying, “Certainly if the Justice Department is getting involved, it raises the possibility of potential serious problems down the road for Apple. Without knowing what acts or practices they are targeting, it’s difficult to say exactly how big a problem this is. But it’s probably something Apple is already concerned about.” The New York Times has more here.

According to FMQB radio news, sources noted that this inquiry is still in the very early stages, and that the DOJ often does such research before any formal investigation is launched. FMQB News has more here.

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"Line 2 - 2 Lines, 1 iPhone"

Who knew the answer to the AT&T problem would cost just $0.99!

It can save you money. It can make calls where AT&T’s signal is weak, which tends towards EVERYWHERE. It can even turn the coveted iPod Touch into a full-blown cellphone! (Can you give me an “AMEN”?!)

The new Line2 app by Toktumi (yes, like “Talk to me!”) has pitted capitalism’s virtue of competition against the monopolist grip that AT&T has had over iPhone uses since its release in 2007. While previous apps like Skype and TruPhone promised similar consolation, Line2 is a far cry from their limited capabilities and more likely to be the source of frustration amongst AT&T execs.

Line2 gives your iPhone a second phone number — a second phone line, with its own voice mail, contacts list and the like. On their website, Toktumi imagines that you’ll distribute the Line2 number to business contacts, while maintaining your regular iPhone number to friends and family. Your second line can even be an 800 number or you can transfer an existing number.

To that end, Toktumi offers a raft of Google Voice-ish features that are intended to help a small businesses look bigger: call screening, Do Not Disturb hours and voice mail messages sent to you as e-mail. You can create an “automated attendant” (“Press 1 for… ”) that routes incoming calls to other phone numbers. Or, if you’re pretending to be a bigger business than you are, route them all to yourself (which is something I’d do…).

Line2 also turns the iPhone into a dual-mode phone. That is, it can make and receive calls using either the AT&T airwaves as usual, or — now this is the best part — over the Internet. Any time you’re in a wireless hot spot, Line2 places its calls over Wi-Fi instead of AT&T’s network.

For most, this is the greatest plus. Where, after all, is cellphone reception generally the worst? Right! Inside that burning building when I tried to call 911 that one time. Well, assuming the place isn’t burning down, you are most likely to have Wi-Fi in your house or your office building — meaning clear and reliable reception indoors.

Line2 also runs on the iPod Touch. When you’re in a Wi-Fi hot spot, your Touch is now a full-blown cellphone, and you don’t owe AT&T a cent.

The “cash money,” however, is where Line2 differentiates itself from other similar apps like Skype and TruPhone. Line2 is the first app that can receive incoming calls via either Wi-Fi or cellular voice, so you get the call even if the app isn’t running. Moreovoer, let’s say you’re on a Wi-Fi call using those other programs, and someone calls your regular iPhone number, your first call is disconnected whether you like it or not. Conversely, Line2 offers you the chance to decline the incoming call without losing your Wi-Fi call. Not to mention, those rival apps also lack Line2’s call-management features, visual voice mail and conference calling with up to 20 other people. AND Line2 is the only app that gives you a choice of call methods for incoming and outgoing calls.

With SO many features for $0.99 (and a $15/month), it’s unbelievable that AT&T isn’t putting up more of a fight. Granted, Toktumi only released Line2 this past February, they are well on their way to making AT&T feel a little hot under the collar.

Move over AT&T! Mine Kapitalism is here to stay!!!

Want to try the Line2 app?! Find it at the iTunes Store (here) or on Toktumi’s dedicated website: line2.com

What do you think about this new app? Will you be getting it (to replace a competitor’s app or supplement your iPhone)? Let us know what you think!

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A reader sent in a question today regarding how he could sync his iPhone with his Mac and PC. This will work for Mac to Mac or Windows PC to PC. Ron writes:

“I have an iPhone that is synced with my PC, but I also use a MacBook Pro.
How do I sync with both PC/Mac? When I tried to sync with my new Mac, it
warns me everything on iPhone will be replaced by Mac (which is
empty).

I would like to use both PC/Mac and use my iPhone as “master” to sync
back. Is this possible?

Thanks,
Ron”

Prerequisites:

- 10 Minutes of your time

- On iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPod (Repeat for all devices you wish), select “Manually mange music and videos”

- Backup of iTunes Music

- iTunes closed

- Ability to find your iTunes folder: in Windows XP, its default location is in “My Music” and, for both Windows Vista and Mac OS, it is located in “Music”.

- Knowledge of how to open a file with a desired application on both Windows and Mac (however, you do not need to if using Mac to Mac).

- Download HexEdit for Mac or UltraEdit for Windows for the secondary machine with which you wish to sync

On the Primary Computer (with which the iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPod was first synced):

- Make sure iTunes is CLOSED!

- Backup the iTunes Library on the machine with which you wish to sync. Backup “iTunes Music Library.xml” and “iTunes Music Library” (or iTunes Music Library.itl on Windows). It is important that you back these files up to a safe location because we will be modifying the files.

- Retrieve your iTunes Library ID. Open “iTunes Music Library.xml” with a text editor (TextEdit on Macs, Notepad on Windows). Find the entry after <string></string> tags, after “Library Persistent ID”. In the screenshot 8B6C633F7DACB74B is my iTunes Library ID. Copy this entry exactly to a piece of paper or email this to yourself. After you have stored the iTunes Library ID you may close the file.

On the Secondary Computer:

- Make sure iTunes is CLOSED!

- Retrieve your iTunes Library ID. Open “iTunes Music Library.xml” with a text editor (TextEdit on Macs, Notepad on Windows). Find the entry after <string></string> tags, after “Library Persistent ID”. In the screenshot 0E958526D15C67FAis my iTunes Library ID. Copy this entry exactly to a piece of paper or email this to yourself. Do NOT close the file yet!

- Replace the the iTunes Library ID, in my case 0E958526D15C67FA with the one from the computer (8B6C633F7DACB74B-iTunes Library ID from the Windows machine) the iPhone is already syncing with. Save the file, then close it.

- In Hex Editor open “iTunes Music Library” (iTunes Music Library.itl on PC)

- Choose “Find and Replace” from the Edit menu. Make sure the “Hex” matching is selected not ASCII. Find the iTunes Library IDs you found from both the primary and secondary computers.

- In the “Find” section, enter the iTunes Library ID of the secondary computer and, in the “Replace” section, enter the iTunes Library ID from the primary computer. There should be one match. Save the file and close.

Success!

You should now be able to sync your devices with two or more computers. Now, you will not be alerted by the annoying “Erase Your Data” prompt from iTunes.

If you have any questions or comments please leave them here. Tell us about your experience!

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I am sure 10 years ago most people thought about downloading songs from an application on your computer called “iTunes”. Also, I am even more sure, most people did not expect putting the songs on a small device called “iPods” and listening to their songs when on the go. But one man, Steve Jobs was making his master plan. On Wednesday, Apple happily announced its 10 billionth song downloaded from iTunes. Interestingly enough it has taken over 6 1/2 years for the iTunes Store to reach this milestone, and the App Store is ahead of the pace. In 2009, Apple reported $10.17 billion in revenue in its fiscal first quarter. Apple makes about 10 cents a song, and those dimes sure have added up. It is evident that the iTunes Music Store is a success! The lucky downloader of the 10 billionth song received a $10,000 iTunes Store gift card, and a call from Steve Jobs and thought the call was a prank. The 10 billionth song was downloaded by Louie Sulcer and the song downloaded was “Guess Things Happen That Way” by Johnny Cash. Congratulations to Louie and another great milestone by Apple in the music industry.

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