Technology & Innovation — September 2, 2010

Apple Challenges Facebook

“Apple has unveiled a new music social network that could rival Facebook and Twitter, as well as an Apple TV that can stream movies and television shows directly from the Internet.”

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“Apple has thrown down the gauntlet to Facebook and Twitter with the launch of a new social-networking service designed specifically for music fans. Ping, a social music discovery service, is built in to Apple’s iTunes software, a programme used by more than 160 million people to download songs and organise their music library. Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, used a special press conference at the Yerba Buena Centre in San Francisco to outline Apple’s new approach to music and entertainment services. ‘One of the biggest things we focus on with iTunes is discovery. There are more than 12 million songs to choose from, so how do you find new stuff?,’ asked Jobs.”

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