Comments (0)
News |  11 Jun 2013 17:10 |  By RnMTeam

Apple lifts the lid on iTunes Radio and iOS 7

MUMBAI: With music streaming services ruling the roost globally, companies are escalating the battle with the development of new software and products aimed at enhancing the user experience. Taking a cue from the same, tech giant Apple has unveiled a lineup of key products defining its position in the growing market.

Putting all rumour mills to rest, the company unveiled its most anticipated product – internet radio service iTunes Radio at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. The music subscription service will be available in the latter half of 2013; will offer free content with advertisements and chargeable iTunes Match- music-storage services which will be ad free for $25 per annum.

Not stopping at that, Apple also gave a much needed boost to reaffirm its position as innovation and design leader by unveiling its new iOS 7 operating system. The launch included a video presentation and speech from Apple CEO Tim Cook who described the iOS 7 as ‘the biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone’.

The software will make the iPhone appear bigger, with features crafted to take advantage of the entire screen. The text is slated to appear sharper while a ‘control centre’ will allow users to adjust settings with just one swipe from the bottom of the screen.

Apple senior vice president design Jony Ive said, “There is a profound and enduring beauty in simplicity, in clarity, in efficiency. True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absence of clutter and ornamentation—it’s about bringing order to complexity. iOS 7 is a clear representation of these goals. It has a whole new structure that is coherent and applied across the entire system.”

Its features include instant access to functions like Airplane Mode, WiFi, Bluetooth or Do Not Disturb, and enables users to quickly pause or play a song, jump to the next track and stream music. Moreover, a ‘notification centre’ will be available from the ‘lock’ screen so users can view updates with a ‘simple swipe’.

Phone security options have been on top of the list for users recently, as they dominate the list of downloads from a majority of the app stores. Keeping the same in mind for its users, an anti-theft measure which requires a user to enter an associated ID and password before being able to deactivate a device's ‘Find My iPhone’ feature has been added.

The iCloud Keychain helps in keeping passwords and credit card information securely stored and available on all devices, so navigating password protected sites or auto-filling during transactions is simple and secure. Enhanced Parental Controls enable automatic block access to adult websites or only allow access to a specific set of permitted websites.

Apple has also introduced an AirDrop tool to share content which is said to be fully encrypted with contacts nearby, and has added further updates to its cameras and Siri feature.

iPhones are used to take more photos around the world every day than any other camera, and iOS 7 offers the new Camera app feature to add real-time photo effects. The Camera app includes a square camera option, and an easy switch between four cameras—video, photo, square and panorama with just a swipe.

The software also boasts of a redesigned Photos app that introduces Moments, a new way to automatically organize photos and videos based on time and location. Further, users can use iCloud Photo Sharing to share photos with people they want. It also features an Activity view which displays updates from friends and family in one place.

The iPhone is Apple’s biggest source of revenue with 37.4 million units shipped worldwide in the January-to-March quarter according to a report by the IDC.

With over 900,000 apps, the App Store is stated to be the world’s largest app marketplace. iOS 7 will features Popular Apps Near Me, a new way to find apps based on current location, and iOS 7 will automatically keep apps up to date. The App Store also comes with a new Kids category, allowing teachers and parents to easily discover apps for children by age.

Apple senior vice president software engineering Craig Federighi said, “iOS 7 is the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. To create it, we brought together a team with a broad range of expertise from design to engineering. With what we’ve been able to achieve together, we see iOS 7 as an exciting new beginning.”

Merging both the services to offer the best to users, the iTunes Radio will be built into the iOS 7 software for a new range of iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that is also expected to launch this fall. It will also work with Apple's iTunes software on Mac and Windows computers.

With this move Apple joins entrenched providers like Spotify, Pandora, Google and Rhapsody. Google had earlier launched an on-demand subscription service ‘All Access’.

Like Pandora, iTunes Radio will let people create stations based on specific songs, artists or genres. So users can put in a particular song, and the station will play similar numbers. However, to maintain its ITunes business and the industry status quo, users won't be able to type in the name of a specific song and have it play right away.

The service integrates Apple’s Siri virtual assistant so users can get information through questions. Users can also tell Siri to skip songs, stop or pause playing. As per reports, the radio service will also offer over 200 stations which play songs that are the most-talked about on Twitter and more.

Apple senior vice president internet software and services Eddy Cue said, “iTunes Radio is an incredible way to listen to personalized radio stations which have been created just for you. It’s the music you love most and the music you’re going to love, and you can easily buy it from the iTunes Store with just one click.”

With the service being associated with a company as renowned as Apple, the service is bound to deliver. Meanwhile, the company too is making sure that it offers users a wide catalogue of songs including exclusive new music from new and popular artistes. iTunes Radio will also be home to special events including live streams direct from the iTunes Festival in London and other exclusive iTunes Sessions.

Although the service has got a upper hand considering the past success of its products amongst users, iTunes Radio may have to undergo a litmus test if its interface does not match up to the likes of its rivals.

Earlier Apple was rumored to have finally sealed the deal with Sony Music, the last of three major record labels required to get a music service off the ground in US. Licensing problems are stated to be responsible for Apple's late entry into the crowded streaming music space.

But with the company now spearheading the music streaming business, it is taking the quicker route by launching an array of new advanced products this year. Apart from the two services, the company also unveiled a radically redesigned Mac Pro desktop tower computer, which had not seen an update in several years.

It appears that the company will not stop at this and is gearing up to unveil another set of products early next year. Although Apple has been involved in numerous smartphone patent wars in the past, there are speculations that it will unveil its iPhone 6 in-built with the iOS 7 early next year.

With Samsung having dominated the mobile phone market for some time now, it will be a battle of sorts between the two global giants in the software and smartphone turf.

Tags
Games