iTunes 11.1 Beta

With the latest OS X Mavericks DP 4 arrived this week, iTunes 11.1 is now installed automatically with the new system. The music player is also in beta since July 29, and that 11.1 was previously distributed only to developers. The next iTunes is compatible with OS X Lion and his successors. iTunes 11.1 beta finally uses the Notification Center OS X. When the application is in the background or hidden, the new song being played is displayed in an alert. In the preferences panel notifications OS X, it has the usual settings. Including the option of Maverick to display notifications even if a screen saver is active or the user account is locked. Setting the number of items to display in the column of Notification Center here has another advantage that gives a history of the last songs heard. This history feature exists in iTunes 11, but here you can return to a previous song by simply opening the notifications panel OS X. Following iOS, iTunes Radio arrived in iTunes with this beta in late July.

The principle is broadly similar to iOS 7 that had been described in mid-June. Apple offers first a series of themed resorts. They can be complete with its own stations ("My Stations"), created either from suggestions already made by Apple or after research of artists based in iTunes. Note that among Apple stations, there is that of Twitter, created from the hashtag # music placed in tweets. Adding a personal station through the "+" button. Where other types are selected with their subcategories or it goes in search of the artist preferred. The search for an album is not taken into account. Playing songs of a station is governed by the same constraints as on iOS. You cannot go back on a title, the button that would be replaced by a star of appreciation.

 However, a history of the songs heard in this station is stored and used at any time. You can put a piece paused, but not advance a few seconds of listening. We can nevertheless go to the next title, except that the sixth time the jump button is grayed out. It will unlock after a few hours. In the drawer of a station, in addition to the historical, the user can manually designate content will not play. This list also serves as and when listening, when reports that you never want to hear a particular song Other details, each piece displayed in the interface has a button to buy it immediately. The pub is present, for example displaying a jacket and an audio message a few seconds. Subscribers to iTunes Match will be provided. Finally, a button allows the reading preferences of the pieces quite bodied texts and also proposes to limit the advertising tracking, without elaborating. But it should probably play the kind of artists or songs that are displayed during commercial breaks and will no longer be based on your listening habits and musical tastes.