Stream Your Friends Music Right To Your iPhone.

This by far is the coolest app I've seen yet on the iPhone. Simplify Media let's you stream your music from your computer (iTunes) right to you iPhone/iTouch over Edge, 3G, or Wi-Fi. So you could have ZERO music stored on your iPhone and still be able to listen to your whole music library anytime, anywhere

First off: Download/install the app to your computer: (Free)

http://www.simplifymedia.com/download.html

Then setup your free account and create a user name, that name is what you give to your friends so they can listen to your music.

Then just download the app for the iPhone, link below:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284941327&mt=8

After it installs you enter your user name and password, and boom you (and your friends) iTunes libraries just show up ready to play.

So think about this, you share yours I share mine, and get a few other friends in the mix and you've got thousands of songs to listen to anywhere! All you have to do is once installed, click the 'invite' button and use my screen name: jayman16 (or any friends screen name) and then you give them access to your music.

So once you set up your account invite me and I will do the same, just send me an email with your screen name and I'll add you to my list.

As of right now (10:30pm Aug 14th) Simplified Media is giving away the first 100,000 of the iPhone app for FREE. After that it's only gonna be $3.99, but hey get it while it free!

Update Your iPhone.

So the iPhone update 2.0.1 is out. Since the release of the iPhone 3G and the 2.0 software for all the iPhone's (& iPod Touch's) people have been complaining about crashes and sluggishness of the iPhone. Hopefully this patch will fix some of these issues. Apple, of course is being quiet on what fixes are included in the patch but here's the list so far:

• Faster keyboard response time
• Less lag in the phone book
• Quick sync/backup times

I'll post more as info comes in.

Macworld Expo 2008. "Something's In The Air".

The MacBook Air, man I want one. I've wanted a Mac for a while but this device seems like a perfect fit for me. Since I have a decent desktop and laptop, I don't really need to replace either and this wouldn't be technically replacing them. Plus what better way to get my first steps into OS X than with a MacBook built with a bunch of great new features. At $1,700 dollar (for the base model) it's a steep entry point, but you don't buy a Mac to save money.

Here's a Guided Tour from Apple about the MacBook Air.

Apple also talked about the new 1.1.3 firmware for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Watch the Guided Tour from Apple here.

• On the iPhone they added the ability to send multiple people the same SMS (text) message, something in my opinion should have been around from the start.
  
• They also added GPS of sorts to the iPhone and the iPod Touch. On the iPhone they use a combo of cell towers and WiFi hotspots to triangulate your location, on the Touch they only use the WiFi hotspots.
• On the iPhone you now how the ability to rearrange you icons on the home screen. A very cool easy feature that us iPhone users have been asking for since day one. Now it's so much easier for me to text and drive!
• A new feature Apple is calling "web clips" is where you basically put a bookmark to a website on your home screen. The iPhone also now supports multiple home screens (up to 9) so you just swipe left or right to get to a different screen. So you can now have a total of 144 icons on all of your Home page, this will be most useful with developers start making "official" apps for the iPhone.

The only news that people didn't like is that when iPod Touch users go to get all these new features they will have to fork over $20 dollars for the apps, iPhone users get it for free. Lame.

The Apple TV is also receiving a substantial upgrade in the near future. Apple is looking to dominate in video just like it has in the music industry. The new Apple TV is completely functional all by itself, no Mac or PC is needed just an internet connection. Once it's up and running you can rent movies in HD or SD, buy movies and TV shows, and download podcasts right from your TV. It's like an Xbox 360 without the gaming part...

The last thing Steve Jobs talked about was backup features for all your Mac needs. The newest version of OS X 'leopard' has a feature called "Time Machine" which would backup your data to any external HDD that you plugged into it. Now while this sounds like a good feature you still have to buy and then always have plugged in, an external HDD. Apple announced a new product called "Time Capsule" which is a wireless router with a HDD shoved in it. So not only does this Frankenstein product facilitate your wired/wireless needs but it also backs up your Mac's for you automatically. There's a 500 GB and a 1 TB version available for $300 and $500 respectfully.

Ari Hest: Thinking Out Of The Box.

My friend and musician, Ari Hest, dropped his record label and is embracing the new digital age of music. He's starting a new project simply called "52", where every week (for 52 weeks) he's going to put up a new song for his fans to buy. With multiple payment options you can get as much or as little as you want. You could buy each song for a $1 each if you wanted, or just a handful of songs... Alternatively Ari is doing a subscription model of sorts, where up front you can pay $20, $35, or even $75 dollars.

But look at everything you get for $75 dollars:
• 52 high quality mp3s, downloadable weekly from arihest.com
• Access to lyrics, blogs, voting polls + other interactive features
• Bonus tracks
• Autographed limited edition poster
• 1 Ari Hest sticker
• 1 Ari Hest 52 T-Shirt
• Behind the scenes video footage
• 1 Autographed CD of most popular 12 tracks, sent after 52 ends
• 1 ticket to an Ari Hest concert

(From www.arihest.com/52)

When I got out of my record deal this past summer, I decided it was time to try something a little different. It feels great to be an independent artist again, and I'm more inspired than ever to write and record. I was looking for a new way to present my music.

So my manager and I came up with the idea of a project which we're calling "52". Starting the first week of January, 2008, I'll be releasing one new, original song every week for a year through a new '52' website.

You'll be able to get the music 3 ways:

• by subscribing to 52, and getting all the tracks and extras for less
• one song at a time on a new mp3 store on my website
• on iTunes, Amazon, and other digital stores every few months

The 52 website:
In January, we'll be launching a new subscription website, where you can download unprotected mp3 files at a high-quality 320 kbps or more standard 128 kbps. Each week, I'll post a new mp3, lyrics, song notes, and a blog. As a member of the site, you'll receive an email once the new song is up, and be able to comment on the song, vote on your favorites, and interact with other people on the site. When the site launches in January, you'll choose a username and password so you can access all of the site.

You choose what's on my next studio album:
If you subscribe, you'll be able to vote and comment on which songs you like the best. At the end of the year, the songs with the highest votes will either be re-recorded or appear as-is on a studio record that will be released a few months later.

Stay tuned to www.arihest.com/52 for more info.