5 Things to Know About iTunes 10.1

Apple today released their latest version of iTunes, iTunes 10.1. Little has changed as far as appearance; it still has that grey and white color scheme that seemed so unpopular amongst users. That said, there are some changes worth noting.

For those wanting to update, it’s available on Apple’s Website, or via the Software Update menu on your Mac. Those of you who installed the Beta should note that this one does include features not available previously. But you may have to use Apple’s website to install.

Let’s have a look at some of the new stuff in iTunes 10.1:

1) iOS 4.2 Compatibility

iTunes 10.1 adds iOS 4.2 compatibility. In other words, you will need the newest version of iTunes to run your devices on iOS 4.2. It seems that some iPad users had issues with wifi (iOS 4.2 GM), which we even had some commenters mention last week. 

Rumors now point to a November 24th release date, thanks to the delay caused by the wifi problems. That’s a far stretch from the original date most of us were expecting (November 7).

2) Ping can now be hidden, or disabled entirely

Ping may be an interesting concept for those who enjoy social networking or finding new music through friends. Others probably have no use for it. We haven’t used it ourselves since our initial tests. If you don’t care for ping, you can now hide or disable it.

    Hide Ping: iTunes>Preferences>General>Show and uncheck Ping.

    Disable Ping: This is available under iTunes>Preferences>Parental Controls. There, you will find a menu with options to disable certain services. Check off Ping to disable it completely.

3) Ping Update in Terms of Service

It’s also been reported that the new agreement for iTunes mentions that iTunes will “send information to Apple about the content you select in your iTunes library” this will allow them to send you personal recommendations via the Ping service. 

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING PING.  We have changed the iTunes Store Terms and Conditions to provide you notice that if you have opted in to the Ping social network and use the new Ping Sidebar, iTunes will send information to Apple about the content you select in your iTunes library in order to provide you with Ping personal recommendations.  By using Ping, you agree to Apple’s use of such information.  If you do not want iTunes to send this information to Apple for Ping, you may hide the Ping Sidebar or opt out of Ping.

4) Ping Adds Twitter Integration

Yesterday Twitter announced that the service will have direct Ping integration. This will allow you to automatically Tweet messages from Ping, such as music you like, dislike, review, etc. You will also be able to click on a user’s Ping Tweet and have a playable song or album show up on the sidebar of your Twitter page. 

One thing to watch out for is that Ping will Tweet on it’s own, unless you change the settings to require that you do it manually. You know, just in case you happen to enjoy music that you don’t want your friends knowing about.

We tested it out for ourselves:

Yes. Ping can lead to embarrassment.

5) AirPlay

AirPlay now has an updated icon (Above) and plays video (prior to this update it was audio only). It’s still located in the bottom right corner of the window, and the function is still the same.  AirPlay allows for you to stream content between iOS devices. For instance, beaming your iTunes music or (video) to an extra set of speakers or to Apple TV.

Note for Apple TV users: As of the time of our testing, the original Apple TV can be used as an AirPlay speaker via the AirTunes protocol, but you will not be able to stream video unless you have an Apple TV 2G (However, we have heard that even the new Apple TV hasn’t received the necessary update yet).

Initially, the iPhone 3G was going to be compatible. That seems to have changed since the early beta versions of iOS 4.2.

iTunes 10.1

If you were hoping that the new upgrade would add color, you’re out of luck. However, you can always check out some of the past tutorials we’ve run.

Also, in preparation of 4.2, why not read up on some of our impressions, and other tips?

What will iOS 4.2 Bring to the iPhone?

Preparing for 4.2 on iPad

4.2 on iPad, Our First Hour

4.2 on iPad, 24-hours Later

What’s new in iOS 4.2?

Finding any new features we haven’t talked about? Feel free to leave us a comment, and we’ll check it out.