Apple's iTunes is the 800-pound gorilla in the music and video jukebox world. The industry standard for more than five years, it has remained the trend-setter because of its connection to Apple's iPods and iPhone. This latest version sports one major new feature and several smaller ones.In addition to the left sidebar, which was cleaned up in version 7, there's now an optional sidebar on the right. Called the Genius Bar, if you have an iTunes Store account it will offer up song and album recommendations for purchase. The Genius Bar, however, is only a derivative of the Genius Playlist, and that's the real biggie of version 8. To activate the playlist, hit the atomic symbol on the bottom right of the iTunes window while you're playing a song. The Genius algorithm will then create a playlist from the music already existing in your collection, made up of songs that it thinks have some connection to the first track. Since it's not limited solely by genre or other criteria, it can come up with some interesting choices.Just as version 7 introduced the Cover Flow view, this update sees the introduction of a new art-based Grid view that can be used to look at your collection sorted by artist or album. Mouse over the art to reveal a play-it-now link. Other new features include a new visualization scheme called Magnetosphere, based on the iTunes plug-in of the same name, support for HD video, and the return of NBC to the iTunes Store.For those unfamiliar with iTunes' base features, it makes video and music playback virtually identical. The iTunes Store replicates this experience, although be warned: it costs more to buy tracks that are DRM-free. Synchronization with iPods can be set to automatic or manual, and right-clicking a video clip lets you render it iPod-compatible. There are also smart playlists, CD burning, label printing, the ability to rip files in multiple formats except WMA, and network sharing. Rounding out the feature set are parental controls, integrated podcasts, and a smart-shuffle option. iTunes is sometimes clunky on Windows, and can cause significant processor slowdowns. Still, it remains a top-notch player and iTunes 8 should find a home on any media junkie's computer.

Xilisoft iPod Rip is perfect iPod copy, iPod backup software to rip and copy music, videos, photos, podcast from iPod to PC and vice versa. Moreover, the iPod copy software supports iPod to iTunes transfer. All formats compatible with iPod are supported.

As all-around iPod copy, iPod backup software, Xilisoft iPod Rip helps you easily create, edit and delete iPod playlists, manage multiple iPods at the same time, transfer music and videos between iPhone and PC. In addition, it offers a function of management your iPhone as a portable hard disk.

When Apple introduced the iPod in 2001, CEO Steve Jobs declared, "listening to music will never be the same again." He was right on the money. The iPod grabbed attention right away, and by the end of 2005, more than 41 million of them had sold. iPod is the dominant digital music player on the market, and for the first time, Apple gets to feel like Microsoft.

iPod steadily evolved through five generations since then, and today the dynasty ranges from a screenless 512-megabyte version that can hold plenty of songs for your gym routine to a 60-gigabyte multimedia jukebox that can spin out an entire season of "Desperate Housewives", along with thousands of color photos and all that colorful music.

An iPod is many things to many people, but it can be much more than most people realize. That's where iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual comes in. Like the device itself, this book is a long-running bestseller, now in its fourth edition. What makes it so popular is the wealth of useful information it brings to anyone who breaks open iPod's distinctive packaging-especially since Apple doesn't supply a manual of its own.

Once again, we've updated this guide to fully explain the ins and outs of iPod, including the nano, the shuffle, and all the latest features and uses, such as:

* The 5th generation Video iPod, which can hold 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos, and 150 hours of video
* iTunes 6, where you can buy tunes, subscribe to Podcasts, tune into internet radio, download videos, build playlists, and more
* Going beyond the music to use iPod as an external drive, an eBook, a personal organizer, a GameBoy, and a slide projector
* Extreme iPodding with shareware and AppleScripts, using an iPod with external speakers (including the car stereo), accessories, and troubleshooting

iPod Access is the leading iPod/iPhone music and video transfer application for the PC. With iPod Access you have instant access to all the songs on your iPod and iPhone. Your songs can be be displayed and sorted in almost any fashion so you can find the songs you need right when you need them. With the new instant search feature in v4 you can find songs just as quickly as you would in iTunes. And once you have found the songs, movies and playlists that you want, iPod Access will copy them right back into iTunes or to an external drive for backup. If you need music from your iPod back on your computer then you need iPod Access.

The premier iPod/iPhone music and video application for the PC.

* Support for Windows Vista and Windows XP
* Works with all PC formatted iPod, Nano, Shuffle and Mini models
* iPhone and iPod touch Support
* Force iPod Manual Update Mode (iPod only)
* Block iTunes/iPod update (iPod only)
* Add songs, videos and podcasts directly to the iTunes Library
* Export song listing
* Automatic file renaming