Apple news blog

As has been already reported in Macworld, Automator actions that talk to iTunes all broke upon the release of iTunes 10.0. This is because each action specifies in a text string in its Info.plist file that it requires iTunes version 4.6 or higher, and alphabetically, '10.0' is smaller than '4.6.' I frequently use 'Add to iTunes as a Spoken Track' (activated in System Preferences » Keyboard » Services). Here is how I got it working again. 'Add to iTunes as a Spoken Track.workflow' is found in /System/Library/Services. Navigate to that location and double-click the workflow file. Don't Panic! We are not going to modify this file; we're just looking for error messages when it's opened in Automator.

Automator complains that the actions 'Import Audio Files' and 'Add Songs to Playlist' could not be loaded because the application iTunes is the wrong version.

Navigate to /System/Library/Automator. WARNING: Do not modify files found under ...

A lot of people find the new iTunes 10 icon unattractive and out of place. This hint goes well together with other hints about restoring what was preferred about iTunes 9.

This simple trick will restore your old iTunes icon (or you can replace it with another of your choice), and will work for any other app as well. Right-click on iTunes.app and select 'Show Package Contents', browse to Contents/Resources and copy the file iTunes.icns to a safe location.

Now take the the old icon and overwrite the new icon with it. You will need to authenticate from an admin account to do this. The old icon can be obtained from an old version of iTunes, if you have access to a non-upgraded machine or a Time Machine backup.

You need to start and stop iTunes a few times before it picks up the new icon, and you might even need to reboot your computer.

A demonstration video can also be found on ...

In iTunes 10, Apple has removed the filter/search field from the Sync Apps window for an attached device. The text field allowed you to search for a string and filter your list of apps like in Spotlight. It's not really missing; it has just been replaced.

Just like in any iTunes window -- whether browsing the App Store, Music Store, etc. -- the universal Search field in the upper right can now be used to filter/search through your own apps in the Sync Apps list.

[crarko adds: I tested this, and it works as described.]

iTunes 10 includes a QuickTime X-like controller available right from the album art!

I was playing around with iTunes 10 today and happened to click on the album art in the Now Playing section (lower left corner) and the album art window popped up full-size like normal. I noticed that there wasn't a title bar and alas, there was a controller, just like the one on QuickTime X videos, that you can use to play/pause, skip, scrub, fast forward, rewind, and change the volume of the track! So now there's one additional way to control your music in addition to the mini player. I'm not sure if this is a Snow-Leopard only thing, but it's very nice.

[crarko adds: I tested this, and it works as described. Was this available in 9.2.1 on Snow Leopard? I never use the Now Playing drawer in iTunes so I didn't notice if it was or not. I looked on Leopard and it wasn't there in 9.2.1. How about in iTunes 10 on Leopard? I doubt it, since it looks like it uses QuickTime X. ]

As noted by Computerworld, Internet research firm Net Applications has calculated that Apple's iOS has passed Linux to become the third-most popular Internet platform, surpassing Linux to trail only Windows and Mac OS X. According to Net App...

Fitaide, a leading fitness application for the iPhone and iPod touch today announced its '1K A DAY' Challenge which requires users to complete 50 km in 50 days. One lucky user who signs up and invites a friend to the challenge before 23rd October will win a brand new iPod touch 8GB. Fitaide was ranked Top 5 amongst US Health & Fitness apps in August 2010 and brings cutting-edge technology to help users find motivation, training and support in achieving their fitness goals.

MacPhun LLC today released Real-Time Distorter 1.0 for iPhone users who like to have fun. Much like fun house mirrors, Real-Time Distorter reflects images of people appearing on the iPhone screen into hilarious shapes that can then be photographed or video recorded. Users have a choice of eleven different distorted effects that can be applied to views, as well as share their funny pictures and videos with others very easily from within the App.

Independent developer and publisher 3D Magic Kft. today announces Assault Commando 1.0, its second blockbuster game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Assault Commando is a top-down 3D shooter, set in the south american jungle in the style of the old "Rambo" and "Commando" games. Assault Commando features stunning graphics, high quality sound and music, with fast paced action, as well as 3 difficulty levels, OpenFeint online leaderboards and much much more.

San Francisco based iPhone artist deeje today introduces iSparkler 1.0, his interactive virtual sparkler creation tool for iPhone 4. The app enables the user to create, name, and save thousands of unique digital sparklers which respond to movement of the iPhone. Stop motion photos, capturing the multi-colored particles and designs emitted by the streaking virtual sparkler, can be saved and shared. Sparklers vary infinitely with random values assigned to particle color, shape, and behavior.

California based Vizros Software today announces Palm Lab 1.1, an update to their personal photo processing facility for iPhone and iPod touch. With Palm Lab, users can load a photo into the developing tank, and in just a few seconds watch the film gradually develop into a masterpiece. The picture is ready and can be saved or shared with others. Palm Lab features more than twenty processing chemicals, offers process control, and much more.