UnGenius barred

[fingertrouble]

As badpauly correctly points out, there are serious caveats about the Genius feature in the new iTunes 8 and iPods. Submitting information about your whole library to Apple? Okaaaaaay. Yes Google does that and everyone's running around like their Large Hardon Collider is on fire. Apple does it with shiny shiny colours and a big press launch and everyone's like 'do the shuffle shake? ooh how high?' (hmm how soon is it before someone gets beaten up for 'shuffling' their new iPod - I give it about a week. Yes that gesture means something very different here...).

I have another thought - iTunes is increasingly becoming a record company, especially now the Apple Corps suit is now sorted. Telling what songs your iPod should play or recommends in your library gives Apple quite a lot of power - a power of suggestion; it's one thing playing that new album, another if it keeps coming up in Genius or Shuffle mode...forcing it into your conciousness. That could make them a lot of money - it's one thing having your album there, but to have it coming up regularly in Genius mode, that's pure power.

And call me paranoid but I've wondered about the Shuffle algorhythms and suchlike in iPods - notice that some songs come around more frequently than others - and the 2nd song is usually a new one? There's more than pure randomness there, for sure.

Comments

[tigerbeard.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering how long it will be before the RIAA starts demanding the information.

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

I disabled Genius first thing. If I wanted some corporate assholes to tell me what to listen to, I'd flick on the radio.

[akil.livejournal.com]

I'm always wary when Apple updates iTunes. Grid-view and 'Genius' aren't anything that I'll use, so I'll probably decline to upgrade until a future iPhone software update makes it mandatory.

I had similar RIAA concerns about using Last.fm, since my listening history is published to the web. But, since I've got the physical CD for at least 98% of what's on my hard drive, I decided not to worry about it too much. I've actually contemplated trashing or buying what little non-purchased music I have.

[badpauly.livejournal.com]

The 'iPod Shuffle' action will show the user for the wanker he is. ;)

I too am curious as to what power 'Genius' will have in promoting new music, since the whole aim of it appears to be "If you like that song, buy this song off us". Will it work across your mp3 collection first, suggesting songe you already have before it tries to sell you something?

'Random' algorhithms are never even close to random on portable players, takes up too much processing power. It is easier to just have a set 'randomiser' pattern and leave it as that.